Brazil´s VARIG airline called off nearly 50 national and international flights between June 10 and 12, and more travel disruptions are likely in the coming days. Although financial woes are likely to blame, airline officials cited poor weather conditions and equipment failure for the cancellations.

British Airways is making changes in its baggage policy that will include enabling customers to prepay for excess baggage on the airline´s Web site –and get a 20 percent discount on the fee for doing so. The new option is part of the changes the airline will begin to phase in for carry-on and checked baggage beginning July 5. Robin Hayes, the airline´s executive vice president for the Americas, said the changes will make BA´s policy easier to understand and will reduce the time its customers spend in line at airports.

As more and more airlines focus on ancillary revenues, easyJet PLC chief executive Andrew Harrison has indicated about airline´s plans to increase its earnings per passenger to €6 from €3 by 2008 by offering more services. “We will reduce our costs. And naturally we will also offer passengers other services including more car rentals, hotel bookings and more in-flight shopping,” Mr. Harrison was quoted as saying in a German newspaper.

Bombardier Aerospace announced that Aerolineas Mesoamericanas, “ALMA of Mexico”, has signed lease agreements for six previously owned 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets with deliveries scheduled to commence in June 2006. ALMA is the first Mexican airline to operate commercial Bombardier aircraft. Two aircraft will be leased from Canadian Regional Aircraft Finance Transaction No. 1 Limited (CRAFT) and four from General Electric Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS).

The departure of flight AC 8652 earlier this week marked the inaugural of nonstop, year-round service from Salt Lake City to Toronto, Canada. Air Canada Jazz operates the daily, non-stop service with next-generation CRJ-705 jet aircraft, featuring 10 Executive Class and 65 Economy Class seats.

Delta Air Lines this month will further expand its fast-growing presence across Latin America and the Caribbean with the addition of nine new routes to seven destinations across the region. Five of the destinations –Kingston, Jamaica; Aguadilla and Ponce, Puerto Rico; and Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador- will be served by Delta for the first time, while customers in Cancun, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil, will enjoy expanded service to new U.S. gateways.