Brazil´s EMBRAER announced it was awarded type certification for the EMBRAER 170 and the EMBRAER 175 models from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), Canada´s certification authority. Certification was on schedule and allows deliveries of the EMBRAER 175 to begin to Air Canada, which ordered 15 of these airplanes. The EMBRAER 175s for Air Canada will be especially configured to offer premium comfort and service in two classes. Air Canada´s EMBRAER 175s will carry 73 passengers, nine in Executive class (three abreast at 38-inch pitch) and 64 in Hospitality (four abreast at 32- and 34-inch pitch).

Marriott Rewards announced a new partnership today allowing Marriott Rewards members to earn Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles when they stay at over 2,500 Marriott International, Inc. hotels in 64 countries. Marriott Rewards members now have 26 airline options. Effective immediately, Marriott Rewards members who designate Air France/KLM as their airline loyalty program of choice will receive Three (3) miles per U.S. dollar spent at Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott Vacation Club International.

Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL), Brazil´s low-cost, low-fare airline, and Amadeus, the global leader in technology for the travel and tourism market, have signed an agreement for the distribution of GOL´s flight and fare information to tourism professionals around the globe. GOL´s flights will be available for booking and sales through the Amadeus System beginning in August this year.

Chilean LAN Airline, one of the main South American passenger and cargo carriers, scored a major spike in passenger-per-mile ratio and aircraft occupation last June. According to a LAN press release, the passenger-per-mile index surged 18.7 percent, while aircraft capacity was up 14.5 percent, with the occupation rate increased two points to 69.5 percent.

Spain´s Iberia Airlines´ revenue passenger-mile ratio went up 6.5 percent in the month of June. Consequently, the load factor improved by 0.4 points, standing at 77.7 percent. The number of passengers carried grew by 3.3 percent, 5.2 percent on domestic flights and 0.8 percent on international flights. The change in operations to Central America (more direct flights from Spain and closing of the Miami hub in October 2004) explains to a great extent the increase of 11.6 percent in the average stage length and the decrease of 3.7 percent in the number of passengers with respect to the previous year.

With two new destinations in Ukraine and a new connection between Dusseldorf and Kiev, Lufthansa is further extending its network of flights to Eastern Europe. Right now, Lufthansa passengers have a choice of six flights a week to the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Beginning in September, Donetsk, a city with over a million inhabitants, will supplement the Lufthansa route network in Eastern Ukraine.