Lufthansa and Iran Air have signed a MOU to increase cooperation between the two companies as they explore “further business and partnership opportunities.” Reports from Iran have talked of Lufthansa Group’s assistance in several areas, including corporate restructuring and IT, but a Lufthansa spokesman said further details were covered by a confidentiality agreement. Iran has recently signed major deals for the acquisition of Airbus and ATR aircraft. Lufthansa has maintained flight links with Iran during the period when links between Iran and the US were barred. The carrier operates a daily Frankfurt-Tehran flight plus a 3X-weekly Munich-Tehran service, while Austrian Airlines, flies from Vienna to Iran 10X-weekly. “We’re looking to expand our regional offering in the Middle East,” the spokesman said. <br/>
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Air Canada says it has entered into an aircraft maintenance agreement with the Manitoba govt that is expected to create at least 150 jobs in the province. Under the deal, the airline says it will help establish a “Western Canada Centre of Excellence” for aircraft maintenance by bringing to Manitoba 3 of its aviation suppliers and partners. In return, the deal will help Air Canada avoid legal action related to the closure of Aveos Fleet Performance in 2012 after the airline pulled its maintenance work from the company. The closure led to the layoff of 2,600 employees, including more than 1,700 in Montreal along with many others in Ontario and Manitoba. Under the deal announced Monday, Air Canada said it will help 3 long-standing suppliers and partners set up shop in the province. <br/>
United Continental Holdings' CE returns to his job Monday after a heart transplant, just as 2 hedge funds threaten to topple his board. His first step: emulating an old friend who is now among the carrier’s chief critics. Oscar Munoz is gathering United’s union leaders for a pep talk on Day 1, picking up where he left off before going on medical leave in October. His focus on employees echoes the approach of Gordon Bethune, who overcame years of acrimony between executives and the workforce when he revived Continental Airlines in the 1990s. Bethune’s now leading an insurgent slate of candidates for United’s board, joining with activist shareholders who last week blasted the airline for years of poor performance. “It’s a page out of Gordon’s book,” said an aviation consultant who worked under Bethune at Continental. <br/>
Air NZ and Virgin Australia have linked up to investigate whether environmentally-friendly aviation biofuel can be produced locally to put in their planes' fuel tanks. The alliance partners have issued a "request for information" to the market to explore the opportunity to procure locally-produced aviation biofuel. Captain David Morgan, Air NZ's chief flight operations and safety officer, said the move was a part of the airline's carbon management programme. "By working in partnership with our alliance partner Virgin Australia we hope we can stimulate the local market, drive innovation and investment and potentially uncover a sustainable biofuel supply suitable for our respective operations," he said. One aviation consultant said biofuels held promise for the future, but were not yet economic due the current cheap price of oil. <br/>
EVA Airways president Cheng Chuan-yi has retired, the company said, adding he asked to quit due to unspecific health reasons and the airline's new chairman was not able to change his mind. There has been some speculation that Cheng, 57, might leave the company after Chang Kuo-wei was ousted last week as chairman of EVA Airways in a war of succession following the death in January of Chang Yung-fa, founder of the Evergreen Group. Cheng is one of a small group of senior aides of Chang Kuo-wei who have left the group in recent weeks. Others include Nieh Kuo-wei, one of the most prominent faces of EVA Airways as a VP and company spokesman. <br/>