Air China plans to sell up to 400 million additional shares on domestic markets to help bankroll the carrier's purchase of 30 Boeing and 24 Airbus aircraft. The airline said that it had decided to sell the yuan-denominated A shares, which are not available to most foreign investors, amounting to 5.1 percent of its existing A-share capital, to be listed in Shanghai. The firm, which is also listed in Hong Kong, did not say how much it hoped to raise. But it added in a statement that about CNY1.5 billion yuan (USD$201 million) of the share sale proceeds would go towards replenishing working capital. Air China has previously disclosed details of the Airbus and Boeing plane purchases, which include 787s, 737s, and A320s. The share offering awaits government and shareholder approval.

JetBlue Airways announces an expanded Remote Check-In service now available to customers onboard cruise ships. The cruise ship Remote Check-In program complements the service currently offered by the low-cost carrier at select hotels, convention centers, on-airport and off-airport parking areas, and rental car facilities in several cities across the nation and in the Caribbean. JetBlue Remote Check-In allows travelers to check in, get boarding passes and drop their checked baggage at off-airport locations hours before their flight. Their checked baggage is transported to the airport, screened and loaded on their flight, allowing customers to proceed directly to security and their gate when arriving at their departure airport. JetBlue first offered Remote Check-In service to Orlando customers in July 2005, and since then has grown its partnership with Bags Inc., a dedicated airline service provider, to offer the program at a growing number of the airline's destinations. Remote Check-In is currently available at select properties in Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, San Juan, San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa.

Thirty Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, and 27 B777s – seven of which are B777-200 freighters - made up Qatar Airway’s mammoth US$13.5 billion aircraft order announced at the Dubai Air Show. The Doha-based carrier has options for another 30 B787-8s, and five B777s. The first of the B777s will be inducted into its fleet later this month. The freighters will follow in 2009 as Qatar looks to build up an efficient cargo hub linking Europe and Asia, supplemented by its regional wide-body freighters and belly capacity. Delivery of the 787s will begin mid- 2010 through to 2014. “the 787 will form the core of Qatar Airways regional and medium-haul fleet from the next decade and its optimum size and outstanding fuel efficiency and economics will underpin the airline’s profitability and competitiveness as it builds its hub at Doha’s new international airport,” said Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker.

Continental Airlines announced that it will launch nonstop flights to London/ Heathrow from both its New York and Houston hubs on March 29, 2008, subject to government approval and slot approval. Continental will offer twice-daily nonstop service to Heathrow from both Newark Liberty International Airport and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The airline will continue to offer nonstop flights to London/Gatwick from both New York (twice daily) and Houston (daily), as well as Cleveland (daily, seasonal). "At last we will be able to give our customers something they have long requested -- the opportunity to fly to both London's main airports with their preferred airline," said Larry Kellner, Continental's chairman and CEO. "At the same time, we will be able to show transAtlantic travelers already using Heathrow what they have been missing. We look forward to the chance to compete at Europe's most important business airport."

Iberia has received a takeover approach from Spain's Gala Capital that values the airline at up to EUR3.7 billion euros (USD$5.4 billion), topping an earlier approach led by private equity group TPG. Investment firm Gala, along with bank BBK, the chairman of Spanish airline Air Europa and Spanish billionaire Alicia Koplowitz, proposes to offer 3.6 to 3.9 euros a share for Europe's fourth-largest airline, Iberia and Gala said on Thursday. That would beat an earlier approach from US firm TPG, British Airways and three Spanish funds, which signaled their interest at 3.60 euros on March 30. One analyst said the new proposal could put off any other prospective bidders waiting in the wings. "With the bid level at 3.90 euros, that's a very dissuasive offer for anyone who might be sniffing around on the outside," said Penny Butcher, airlines analyst at Morgan Stanley. Gala is the investment vehicle for some of Spain's richest families, many of them worth billions of euros after investing in the country's decade-long construction boom.

Northwest Airlines is beginning a farreaching training program for front-line workers that it hopes will be the first step toward revamping its company culture and winning itself a better image with customers. Roy Bostock, Northwest's new board chairman, said he wants to create a better environment for Northwest's employees and customers. "I want these folks to know that this board of directors cares about them and is hell-bent on changing this culture and changing the attitudes in this company to make it more productive for everyone," Bostock said in a late August interview. Susan Palmer, a customer service agent, volunteered to be part of the initial testing for the new training program. She said executives demonstrated respect for employees during the sessions, and workers from different departments talked about how they could do a better job of communicating and cooperating. In customer service surveys, Northwest has often garnered mixed reviews from travelers, getting high ratings for safety and efficiency, and lower marks on subjective service measures. Northwest had the best operational statistics among the big network airlines in 2006, according to the Airline Quality Ratings study. For the first half of 2007, it had the fourth-best record among 20 carriers for baggage handling. But in a J.D. Power and Associates report released in June, Northwest ranked last among big airlines in customer satisfaction. The carrier got low marks for service by flight crews and in-flight amenities. Crystal Knotek, Northwest's senior vice president of customer service , said management believes that a better customer experience starts with a better work experience at Northwest. "We want to make sure that we are treating our employees so they feel valued, because then they will treat the customers better," she said.

An Iberia flight from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was delayed for nearly two hours last night owing to the drunken behavior of a large number of the 153 passengers. Their unwillingness to obey even the simplest of instructions forced the crew to disembark all the passengers, and they subsequently refused to allow the 64 culprits back on board. The flight, which was supposed to leave at 11.55pm, finally took off at 1.43am. Sixty of the passengers apologized for their behavior and were provided with accommodation for the night before flying out to Gran Canaria this morning at no extra cost to themselves. The other four passengers, who continued to misbehave, were left to their own devices and will have to fork out for new flight tickets. An Iberia spokesman revealed that there was a large party of Northern Ireland fans on the flight, traveling out for next Wednesday's must-win final Euro 2008 qualifier against Spain, who are already through.

Scandinavian Airlines canceled more than 60 flights to and from Copenhagen on Tuesday after Danish cabin crew walked out on a wildcat strike, the airline said. The cancellations affected some 6,000 passengers on European routes, SAS Denmark spokesman Mikkel Londahl said, adding it was not clear how long the strike would last. "We cannot predict if or when they will return to work again so we can expect more cancellations," he said. Last month, members of the 1,600- strong Danish Cabin Attendants Union briefly went on a similar wildcat strike. A spokesman for the union did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the latest walkout.

Northwest Airlines participated in the first-ever U.S. trade mission to Vietnam and is ready to begin new service as soon as government restrictions are eased. Northwest would serve Vietnam via Tokyo, the focal point of Northwest’s vast Asia-Pacific network. Vietnam has a vibrant, growing economy that is expanding at an annual rate of eight to ten percent, said Fred Deschamps, Northwests vice president - international marketing and sales who is on the trade mission led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. Northwest wants to participate in the development of this exciting new market and bring the benefits of a new U.S. carrier - and the NWA network - to Vietnam.

Ten Boeing 747-8 freighters and seven Boeing 777-300ERs will join the Cathay Pacific fleet in its biggest-ever direct-purchase for new aircraft. Cathay has also taken up purchase rights for another 14 of 747-8 freighters. The US$5.2 billion order comes as Cathay Pacific continues to expand its fleet and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading international aviation hub. The freighters are scheduled for delivery from 2009 and 2012. The airline currently operates 19 freighters and before the announcement, already had commitments for eight more – six Boeing 747-400ERF (Extended Range Freighters) and two 747-400BCF (Boeing Converted Freighters), for delivery by 2009. The addition of the 10 new Boeing 747-8F new-generation freighters will enhance the airline’s cargo capacity and at the same time allow it to begin a phased withdrawal of its fleet of seven older, less fuel-efficient Boeing 747-200F ‘classic’ freighters by 2012. Cathay Pacific chief executive, Tony Tyler, said: “We are very pleased to announce our biggest-ever new order for 10 freighters, plus 14 purchase rights, together with a commitment for seven more Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft. These orders highlight our long-term confidence in the future of both the cargo and passenger markets in Hong Kong and confirm our commitment to developing our home city as one of the world’s premier aviation hubs.