DWS Aviation

Southwest Airlines Company, the low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas, the United States, has posted its first quarterly loss in 17 years.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the flag carrier of Germany, and British Airways, the national airline and flag carrier of the United Kingdom, have reduced fuel surcharges following a fall in the price of crude oil.

The jet fuel using algae produced by Solazyme Incorporated, the company based in South San Francisco, California, the United States, has passed all the tests required for aviation turbine fuel.

Many airlines in the United States are cutting domestic flights and routes nationwide with a view to reducing losses incurred by the enormously high prices of aviation turbine fuel.

Zoom Airlines, the low-fare scheduled trans-Atlantic airline based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has suspended operations and has sought protection from creditors in Canada and the United Kingdom after many of its aircraft were detained for non-payment of leasing fees and other fees.

Skyrocketing fuel bills have taken its toll on yet another airline: Air Canada, the flag carrier of Canada and the country’s largest airline, has suffered a 21% drop in its profits in the second quarter of 2008.

Adding another dimension to the beleaguered aviation industry, pilots are complaining that, in a desperate attempt to cut costs, airline companies are forcing them to fly “uncomfortably low on fuel,” thereby putting at risk the safety of passengers and crew.

Soaring fuel bills and a steady drop in passenger demand are forcing India’s national carrier Air India to go in for cost-cutting measures.

By the end of the current year, high fuel costs would spell doom for as many as 7000 employees at American Airlines.

Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, has decided to charge passengers who redeem their miles for free flights a fee of at least $25.

United Airlines, the second-biggest airline in the United States, is planning to lay off 950 pilots, which is 15% of its total number of pilots.

India's airline major, Jet Airways, has recorded losses for the March quarter 2008 on skyrocketing jet fuel prices.

Midwest Airlines, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the United States, is grounding its entire fleet of 12 MD-80 aircraft, which account for about  one-third of its fleet, and laying off employees as part of its restructuring plans.

Vietnam has decided to do away with tariffs on import of jet fuel – which stands at 5% currently – from July 2008 in an effort to help the country’s airlines survive in the time of prohibitively high prices of oil.

Singapore Airlines, the world’s second-biggest airline by market value, will increase fuel surcharges for tickets issued from June 24, 2008, in order to cope with the dramatic rise in the costs of jet fuel.

Malaysia Airlines, the flag carrier of Malaysia, will increase fuel surcharge within the next two weeks as a part of its bid to cope with record-high costs of aviation fuel.

China Airlines and EVA Airways Corporation, the biggest airlines of Taiwan, will reduce their flights by 10% in their attempt to deal with prohibitive prices of aviation fuel.

Silverjet, the British all-business class airline based at London’s Luton Airport, which had suspended its operations on May 30, 2008, has decided to sack its employees after all its efforts to find a buyer failed.

Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, is to cut 4,000 jobs.

American Airlines, United, Continental, Delta and US Airways reduce fares

Air Pacific, Fijis international airline, is raising fares from Fiji to Australia and New Zealand by about 4%.

American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corporation, based in the United States, has begun discontinuing some of its long-haul services.

Qantas Airways Limited, the national carrier of Australia, has announced that it would shut down some flight routes, retire aircraft and shed jobs in its effort to check costs as prices of aviation fuel keep rising.

Qantas Airways Limited, Australia's largest carrier and the country’s national airline, has decided either to cancel or reduce many of its services to Japan and south-east Asia in the wake of exceptionally high prices of aviation fuel.

United Airlines has said it is discontinuing operations of the discount airline Ted Airlines, one of its two airline divisional brands. 

Air New Zealand, the national flag carrier of New Zealand and the country’s largest carrier, has announced that it will increase fares – once again – on domestic and international flights by 4% on an average.

United Airlines, a major airline of the United States and a subsidiary of UAL Corporation, is offering voluntary retirement packages for about 600 eligible flight attendants as a part of the job cuts announced earlier.