Sabre loses against IATA THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA) won a major court victory in its dispute with Sabre over the IATA PaxIS product. On 11 January, the Ontario Superior Court in Canada dismissed Sabre's claims that the IATA PaxIS products violated confidentiality obligations. "IATA has won an important legal battle to preserve competition for airline data transaction products. The Canadian court decision vindicates the rights of airlines to determine how their trade association may use their data," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. PaxIS is an airline industry business intelligence product based in part on ticketing data that IATA collects and processes through its billing and settlement plans (BSP). This data is transmitted to IATA by the global distribution system (GDS) providers, such as Sabre, that assist travel agencies in ticket issuance for their airline principals. In 2006, Sabre filed a lawsuit against IATA alleging breach of confidence by IATA with respect to its use of the ticketing data, transmitted by Sabre, in IATA's PaxIS products. In its 32-page decision, the Ontario Superior Court found that IATA acted lawfully in developing the PaxIS products based on data from its BSPs. The court also rejected each of Sabre's arguments that IATA had an obligation to Sabre to use BSP data solely for settlement purposes and not for "commercial" products such as PaxIS. Lastly, the judge determined that Sabre could not claim confidential rights to the airline ticketing data. "This decision brings clarity to the marketplace. We are pleased that we can continue to provide the aviation, travel and tourism industries with a cost- effective and competitive data product that supports critical decision-making in their businesses," said Bisignani. AACO joins efforts ARAB airlines have agreed to launch a new joint MRO project to provide their fleets with required technical support and spare parts. During the 59th Executive Committee the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) in Beirut last week, board members agreed to adopt a joint project where member airlines can get maintenance services and technical support with the help of advanced facilities and qualifications possessed by leading Arab airlines. "We are determined to fulfill the needs of the member airlines," stated Hussein Massoud, AACO EC board member and chairman and CEO of EgyptAir holding company. "Many Arab airlines have developed and expanded their abilities up to an international standard that is highly recognised by international bodies and authorities. This is how all economic entities with similar interests cooperate and coordinate to get the utmost benefit out of the business," Massoud explained. At the top of the executive committee agenda, added Massoud, appeared a suggested joint insurance project as well as organising workshops with the help of consultant houses over an emission trade scheme. The AACO executive committee consists of seven members representing the heads of their airlines -- EgyptAir, GulfAir, Middle East airlines, Saudi Airlines, Syria Airlines, Algerian Airlines, Yemen Airlines and Libyan Airlines. Iranian crashes, again FIFTY TWO of the 105 passengers and crew on board an Iran Air plane which crashed in bad weather and broke into pieces on Sunday survived the accident. "So far no reports of death have been reported to me," emergency services head Gholam-Reza Masoumi told Fars news agency. "But 50 injured people out of the 105 on board have come out of the plane alive." "The airplane took off an hour later than scheduled time from Teheran towards Urmia and because of bad weather conditions came down in a village area near Urmia, " the unidentified official said. An Iranian Red Crescent official told state television that the plane hit the ground and broke into pieces. "Thankfully there was no fire," he said. Fars said 105 people were believed to have been on board, while the aircraft was a US-built Boeing 727, according to ISNA. A third news agency, ILNA, gave a breakdown of 95 passengers and 10 crew members. The rescue operation was being hampered by bad weather. Iran, which has been under years of international sanctions, has suffered a number of aviation disasters over the past decade, several of them involving small companies using Russian crew or crews from former Soviet republics of Central Asia. In its worst air accident, a plane carrying members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in February 2003, killing 302 people on board. In July 2009, a Soviet-designed Tupolev caught fire in mid-air and plunged flaming into farmland northeast of Teheran, killing all 168 people on board. And in December 2005, a total of 108 people were killed when a Lockheed transport plane crashed into a high-rise housing block outside the capital. In November 2006, a military plane crashed on takeoff at Teheran's Mehrabad Airport, killing all 39 people on board, including 30 members of the Revolutionary Guards. QA to Bucharest QATAR Airways has begun its 2011 European expansion drive with new route Bucharest marking the airline's entry into the Romanian market. Following the touchdown of flight QR943 at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport, the aircraft was welcomed by a traditional water salute and met by senior airport officials and local dignitaries. The flight later continued its journey to the Hungarian capital Budapest. Bucharest becomes the airline's 96th route and the first new destination of 2011. Qatar Airways is the only Gulf carrier and Five Star-ranked airline flying to Romania, with the airline's four weekly non-stop services continuing on to Budapest in neighbouring Hungary -- the carrier's 97th network point. The launch of flights to Bucharest sees Qatar Airways' European route network extend to 22 destinations. Globally, Qatar Airways has launched 11 new routes since February 2010 -- Bengaluru (Bangalore), Copenhagen, Ankara, Tokyo, Barcelona, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, Phuket and Hanoi. Qatar Airways ended 2010 with the launch of flights to Nice on the French Riviera.
