Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of January 2009 compared to traffic figures for January 2008.

The Finance Ministry opened a tender for the sale of national carrier Czech Airlines (CSA) and said it aimed to pick a winner by the end of September. The airline will be sold in a two-round tender, and a deadline for bids was set for March 23.

Thomas Cook Group plc has confirmed that it intends to acquire Lufthansa AG’s 24.9 percent stake in Thomas Cook’s German airline Condor through the exercise of the options granted in 2007. The price agreed under the options at that time, is €77.19 million which will be payable in cash at completion. The purchase will be in cash, Thomas Cook said in a statement. The tour operator, which is controlled by German retailer Arcandor AG, last year had been in talks with competitors including TUI Travel Plc’s TUIFly holiday carrier, Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s Germanwings affiliate and Air Berlin Plc to combine the airlines.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. reported net income of $79 million, or 43 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2008, a decline of 46 percent from net income of $146 million, or 47 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Plans to waive cabin taxes for cruise ships in the ports of Hamilton and St. George’s for the next three years by Government have been welcomed by Bermuda’s business community.

British Airways presented its interim management statement last week for the nine months ended Dec. 31, 2008. It reported an operating profit of £89 million, compared to £744 million in 2007, a drop of 88 percent. It reported a loss before tax of £70 million, compared to a profit of £816 million in 2007. Revenues were £7.046 billion, compared to £6.634 billion in 2007, up 6.2 percent. Fuel costs were up 48.4 percent to £2.244 billion. Revenue at £6.2 billion was up 6.6 percent on capacity (measured in ASKs) up 0.2 percent. Yields were up 9.6 percent, due to a 4.2 percent benefit from exchange, price increases of 5 percent (including a 1.4 percent benefit from a change in estimation basis for outdated tickets) and a positive mix impact of 0.4 percent. Seat factor was down 2.3 points to 78.4 percent as the current economic downturn continues to impact volumes. Total group operating costs were up 18.1 percent, with unit costs up 20.4 percent, due to the dramatic increase in fuel costs and weakening sterling. The average market price of fuel, measured in U.S. dollars, was up 40.7 percent over the same period last year. The company’s fuel bill was up 48.4 percent, despite a fuel hedging profit of £194 million, reflecting the collapse of sterling against the dollar.