Alaska Airlines starts Seattle/Tacoma-Salt Lake City service today
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) today inaugurates new twice-daily service between Seattle/Tacoma and Salt Lake City.
Seattle/Tacoma-Salt Lake City Schedule:
| Start Date | City pair | Departs | Arrives | Frequency |
| April 4 | Seattle-Salt Lake City | 7 a.m. | 9:59 a.m. | Daily |
| April 4 | Seattle-Salt Lake City | 1:10 p.m. | 4:10 p.m. | Daily |
| April 4 | Salt Lake City-Seattle | 11 a.m. | 12:07 p.m. | Daily |
| April 4 | Salt Lake City-Seattle | 5:10 p.m. | 6:17 p.m. | Daily |
| All times based on local time zones |
The flights will be operated using Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.
Copyright Photo: James Helbock. Boeing 737-790 WL N607AS (msn 29751) in the Portland Timbers special livery arrives at Orange County (Santa Ana).
Alaska Airlines: 
Video: Alaska Airlines.
Austrian Airlines/Tyrolean Airways retires the last Boeing 737 on April 2
Austrian Airlines (operated by Tyrolean Airways) (Vienna) retired its last Boeing 737 with the last flight being operated with Lauda Air (Vienna) Boeing 737-8Z9 OE-LNK (msn 28178). This also retires the Lauda brand although Lauda was officially merged into Austrian on July 1, 2012.
The company issued this statement:
The final Boeing 737 in the Tyrolean Airways fleet celebrated its departure on April 2. The aircraft, which bears the registration OE-LNK, is the last to bear the Lauda Air design. This means the fleet harmonization, during which eleven Boeing 737 aircraft have been replaced with seven Airbus A320 over the last seven months, is now complete. Tyrolean Airways now has a unified fleet on its medium-haul routes, consisting of 29 aircraft of the Airbus A320 fleet family. The company Lauda Air was merged with Austrian Airlines already last year. In the private travel segment, the power of the Austrian brand has been used to greater effect both nationally and internationally since the beginning of this year, with the launch of the ‘my Holiday’ product.
“This is an important milestone for our future competitiveness,” declared Austrian CEO Jaan Albrecht. “The fleet harmonization is an essential building block in the restructuring program of the Austrian Airlines Group.” Thanks to the unified fleet on medium-haul routes, Tyrolean Airways can enhance a number of essential synergies. Double costs for maintenance and spare parts are no longer necessary, for example, training for pilots can be standardised, and the aircraft can be deployed more productively in the network schedule. This all results in savings of around
17 million euros.
Airbus on medium-haul routes
There were a variety of different reasons for the decision to opt for Airbus on medium-haul during the fleet harmonization. The Austrian Airlines Group had twice as many Airbus A320 in its fleet as it did Boeing 737. This meant the phasing out of the Boeing 737 involved lower costs, because fewer pilots and technicians needed to be retrained.
In addition to this, the Austrian Airlines Group already had larger sub-fleets within the Airbus A320 fleet, which could be operated more efficiently than the Boeing 737 sub-fleets. As well as this, the Austrian Airlines Group can benefit more from synergies within the Lufthansa Group by using the A320 on its medium-haul routes.
Dates, facts and the history of the Boeing 737 in the Austrian Airlines Group The first Boeing 737-200, registration OE-ILE, took to the air for Lauda Air in the autumn on 1985. In the years that followed, Lauda Air incorporated a succession of Boeing 737 aircraft into its fleet, but each in different versions. After the takeover of Lauda Air, Austrian Airlines had a total of eleven Boeing 737 “Next Generation” and one Boeing 737-400 “Classic” in its fleet. The final Boeing 737-400 “Classic” was phased out of the fleet in 2004.
The Boeing 737 was mainly used to carry charter traffic at Lauda Air and Austrian. Since the spring of 2010, it has also been used on scheduled routes of Austrian Airlines. To make this possible, the Boeing 737 was repainted in the Austrian colors. Just one Boeing 737-800, bearing the registration OE-LNK, continued to fly under the Lauda Air colors, to enable the company to retain its AOC, or “Air Operator Certificate”.
The Boeing 737 “Next Generation” used at Lauda Air and Austrian Airlines flew over 300,000 flight hours in total between 1998 and 2013. The Boeing 737 was used for around 8 flight hours every day in the Austrian Airlines Group. That corresponds to 4.5 landings a day.
Before the fleet harmonization, the Austrian Airlines Group had seven Boeing 737-800s, two Boeing 737-600s and two Boeing 737-700s in its fleet.
Overview of the fleet of the Austrian Airlines Group :
The Austrian Airlines Group currently has 74 aircraft in its operative fleet (all except one operated by Tyrolean):
• Long-haul:
4 Boeing 777-200 (one operated by Austrian)
6 Boeing 767-300
• Short- and medium-haul:
6 Airbus A321
16 Airbus A320
7 Airbus A319
14 Fokker 100
9 Fokker 70
12 DHC-8-400
Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl. Pictured at Zurich, Boeing 737-8Z9 WL OE-LNK (msn 28178) wore the Lauda colors until the end.
Austrian:
Lauda:
Airberlin downsizes its tourist hub at Nuremberg
Airberlin (airberlin.com) (Berlin) is working to trim its unprofitable routes. The carrier has announced it is downsizing its mainly tourist hub at Nuremberg for the coming winter schedule. The carrier will retain some holiday routes to southern destinations.
Read the full report (in German) by Bayerischer Rundfunk: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Gunter Mayer. Boeing 737-86J D-ABBF (msn 32917) taxies to the gate at NUE.
Airberlin:
Aeroflot to combine Vladivostok Air and SAT Airlines under a new company called Far Eastern Airline (DVA)
Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Moscow) has transferred its controlling 52.156 percent of the shares of Vladivostok Air (Vladivostok Avia) (Vladivostok) (a member of the Aeroflot Group of companies) to SAT Airlines (Sakhalin Airlines) (Sakhalin) (a 100 percent subsidiary of Aeroflot). This move was made following the decision of Aeroflot’s Board of Directors concerning the creation of Far Eastern Airline (DVA) within the Aeroflot Group.
According to Aeroflot, “the new member in Aeroflot Group of companies will satisfy the growing demand for regional flights offering the highest service standards in one of the most impressively developing regions of the country — Russia’s Far East.”
Aeroflot continues, “the creation of Far Eastern Airline (DVA) will contribute significantly to the social-economic development of this vast region with a powerful economic potential and will let Aeroflot Group become one of the leading air carriers in Asia-Pacific.
The establishment of Far Eastern Airline (DVA) is one of the key elements of Aeroflot Group strategy aimed at the creation of a large aviation holding which will successfully compete with the leaders of the global civil aviation.”
Vladivostok Air is the largest air carrier in Russia’s Far East, carrying about 1,100,000 passengers annually on its own fleet of planes. The airline flies to 24 domestic and 13 international destinations.
Copyright Photo: Vladivostok Air. V/A’s flight attendants.
Aeroflot recently celebrated its 90th anniversary of its creation as a state airline. Aeroflot is one of the world’s oldest airlines, founded on March 17, 1923 as Dobrolet. Operations commenced on July 15, 1923 from Moscow to Nizhniy Novgorod. The company adopted its current name Aeroflot on March 25, 1932.
Read the full report from Pravda: CLICK HERE
Top Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl. Vladivostok Air’ Airbus A330-301 VQ-BEU (msn 055) arrives at Antalya.
Aeroflot:
Vladivostok Air:
SAT Airlines:
SAT Airlines Route Map:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. SAT Airlines’ (Sakhalin Airlines) Boeing 737-232 RA-73005 (msn 23100) completes its final approach at Beijing.
Alaska Airlines starts San Diego-Boston service
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) yesterday (March 29) launched nonstop flights between San Diego and Boston—the sixth new city the carrier has begun serving from San Diego in the past year.
During the past year alone, Alaska Airlines has launched service from San Diego to Orlando, as well as to Fresno, Monterey and Santa Rosa, California, in addition to Boston and Kauai.
| Summary of new service | ||||
| Start date | City pair | Departs | Arrives | Frequency |
| March 29 | San Diego-Boston | 9:30 a.m. | 5:55 p.m. | Daily |
| March 29 | Boston-San Diego | 6:55 p.m. | 10:13 p.m. | Daily |
| All times based on local time zones |
The flights will be operated using Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Boeing 737-790 WL N612AS (msn 30162) completes its final approach into Los Angeles International Airport.
Alaska Airlines:
Doug Parker: The new American Airlines’ livery is “an integration issue”
American Airlines‘ (Dallas/Fort Worth) new 2013 livery was approved by the current AA management team headed by CEO Tom Horton who is leaving soon. This new look was apparently not approved by the current US Airways CEO (and the upcoming new American CEO) Doug Parker. Parker has called the new American livery a merger “integration issue” according to this article and interview by Skift Travel IQ. In other words, this new livery (above) could be short-term as it will soon be associated with the old (outgoing) AA management team. What changes (if any) to this new design created by Futurebrands will be now determined by the new American-US Airways integration team.
Read the full article: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Tony Storck. Boeing 737-823 WL N803NN (msn 29566) touches down at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in the new (temporary?) look.
American Airlines:
Step One: The bankruptcy judge approves the American Airlines-US Airways merger proposal
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) has received bankruptcy court approval to merge with US Airways (Phoenix). Details of the merger, including the final restructuring plan, still need to be finalized. The merger still needs to obtain government approvals.
Read the full report from Reuters: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Luimer Cordero. American Airlines’ Boeing 737-823 WL N980AN (msn 33203) arrives at the Miami International Airport hub.
American Airlines:
US Airways:
Solaseed Air leases two Boeing 737-800s from GECAS
Solaseed Air (Miyazaki) (formerly SNA-Skynet Asia Airways) has leased two new Boeing 737-800s from GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE.
Solaseed Air operates a fleet of 14 aircraft to seven destinations in Japan.
Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa. Boeing 737-81D WL JA801X (msn 39415) arrives in Tokyo (Haneda).
Solaseed Air:
Reuters: Lufthansa is willing to endure more strikes in order to gain flexibility
Lufthansa (Frankfurt), according to this report by Reuters, is willing to endure additional strikes like last week (even with its pilots) in order to gain the flexibility it needs. The company is restructuring and is planning to eliminate 3,500 positions as it shifts more European flying to subsidiary Germanwings (2nd) (Cologne/Bonn).
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Ole Simon. Full moon rising. Lufthansa will continue to gradually phase out the older Boeing 737s including the pictured 737-330 D-ABEC (msn 25149) rising from the Frankfurt hub.
Lufthansa:
Germanwings:
Sun Country is coming to Chicago Midway
Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul) has announced that they will be flying nonstop into Chicago-Midway from Minneapolis/St. Paul- Terminal 2. Flights will be operating twice daily. The new year-round service will begin on July 1, 2013.
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Boeing 737-7Q8 N712SY (msn 28219) taxies to the runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Sun Country Airlines:
Route Map:
Norwegian becomes the first European airline to offer onboard movie and TV rentals
Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) has launched the first airline onboard service that makes it possible for a passenger to rent a wide selection of movies and TV shows on board. The service is available on the 60 aircraft that has the Internet installed.
Norwegian’s Internet service has given the travelers a sea of possibilities: reading and writing email, update Facebook status, read the news and check the weather at the arrival destination. Norwegian passengers can now rent movies and TV shows directly to their e-reader, smart phone or laptop device on Norwegian’s 60 aircraft that are equipped with wireless Internet. Norwegian is the first airline in Europe to offer this service.
The service has been tested on selected flights for several months and the customer response has been very positive.
Facts about the new service:
- 40 films and 130 TV programs
- Streamed directly to the passenger’s e-reader, smartphone or laptop
- Streamed on a separate network on board so it does not affect the Internet speed for other passengers
- 7 euros for hiring of 1 film
- 7 euro for free access to all television programs for 24 hours
Passengers can access:
- Log in to Norwegian’s wireless network board
- Choose entertainment portal for movies and TV shows
- Select movies and TV shows
- Pay with a debit or credit card
Top Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren. Norwegian Air Shuttle’ Boeing 737-8JP WL LN-DYU (msn 39008) (Jorn Utzon) with special “Wireless Internet on Board” titles arrives at Stockholm (Arlanda).
Norwegian:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Norwegian.
Aero Contractors struggles to get airborne again
Aero Contractors Company (Aero) (Lagos) suspended all operations on March 13 after its employees protested the company’s plan to outsource some of the jobs. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is now requiring the airline to go through a re-certification process before it can resume operations according to the Nigerian Tribune.
The airline operates scheduled passenger services with Boeing 737-400 and 737-500 aircraft and Bombardier DHC-8-300 series turboprop aircraft to various destinations across Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Aero Contractors of Nigeria was formed in 1959 as a wholly owned by Schreiner Airways B.V of the Netherlands. The company initially was constituted with a 40% Nigerian holding in 1973 and subsequently 60% in 1976.
In January 2004 Schreiner Airways was bought by Canadian Helicopter Corporation(CHC) who acquired a 40% holding of Aero Contractors while the 60% majority share remained within the Ibru family group. Currently, Aero is wholly owned by the Ibru family.
The airline is currently recruiting new employees.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Formerly operated by US Airways, Boeing 737-4B7 N436US (msn 24558) became 5N-BIZ with the Nigerian carrier.
Aero Contractors:
TAROM to restore Bucharest-Dublin service on May 1 after 12 years
TAROM (Romanian Air Transport) (Bucharest) is set to restore service (three roundtrips per week) on the Bucharest-Dublin route on May 1 after 12 years according to Airline Route. The restored route will be operated with Boeing 737-700s.
Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. Boeing 737-78J YR-BGH (msn 28438) approaches Dubai International Airport for landing.
TAROM:
Sunwing Airlines reports a glycol vapor entered the cabin of flight 326
Sunwing Airlines (Toronto) issued this statement yesterday:
Sunwing Airlines confirms that its flight 326 en route from Ottawa International Airport to Varadero, Cuba departed at 6:32 am. Approximately 5 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft interior filled with vapor from glycol (de-icing fluid) that entered the aircraft through the auxiliary power unit (APU) vent.
The captain made the decision to return to the Ottawa airport and the aircraft landed without incident. As the vapor had dissipated by that point, the aircraft returned to the gate where all of the passengers and crew disembarked.
At this time, investigations are ongoing to determine how the glycol entered the aircraft through the APU vent. Ottawa International Airport has a centralized de-icing facility that is operated by Aeromag 2000 Ottawa Inc. All Aeromag employees are trained on the safe application of de-icing fluid, which includes avoiding excess spraying on certain areas of the aircraft.
Sunwing Airlines rebooked passengers on a flight that will be departed Ottawa later at 12:35 pm.
Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best.
Sunwing Airlines:
AeroMexico announces new international flights
AeroMexico (Mexico City) has announced new increased frequencies and international services.
As of June and August, AeroMexico will offer a second flight on the Mexico City-Bogota, Colombia route in response to strong demand in both Latin American capitals, plus two additional frequencies between Mexico City and Sao Paulo, Brazil for a total of nine weekly flights on the route, along with three new frequencies on the Mexico City-Madrid route for a total of ten flights per week.
The airline also announced new seasonal service from Cancun and Huatulco to Los Angeles,California starting in June, to leverage summer travel in both destinations.
AeroMexico and its partner Apple Vacations will offer three weekly flights on the Cancun-Los Angeles route, along with the Huatulco-Los Angeles service they will offer on Fridays.
Both routes will be served with Boeing 737-800 jet airliners with 160 seats, so passengers in both Mexican destinations can travel to Los Angeles and beyond to other cities in the United States, thanks to the AeroMexico and Alaska Airlines codeshare agreement.
The airline will also start to serve the Puerto Penasco-Las Vegas route in June.
During 2013, AeroMexico is also working on consolidating its extensive network of domestic and international routes by continuously strengthening connectivity from different regions in Mexico with the 45 destinations it serves in this country, 19 in the United States, 11 in Latin America, three in Europe, two in Asia and one in Canada.
Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney. Boeing 737-852 EI-DRB (msn 35115) lands at Las Vegas.
AeroMexico:
SAS to start Stockholm-Madrid flights on July 1
Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) on July 1 will launch a new route from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Madrid on a twice-weekly basis. This new route will complement the current service that SAS already offers from Copenhagen to Madrid. SAS will now provide up to ten departures a week between Scandinavia and Madrid.
Flights will leave from Arlanda on Mondays at 9.15 a.m. (0915) returning from Madrid at 2.05 p.m. (1405). Flights on Fridays will leave at 07.10 a.m. (0710) in the morning from Arlanda, returning from Madrid at 3.50 p.m. (1550). SAS is planning to use a Boeing 737 on this route, with a flight time of approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes.
SAS has so far launched 47 new routes in 2013. The new routes from Stockholm Arlanda fly to Vilnius, Innsbruck, Pula, Palermo, Cagliari, Thessaloniki, Tel Aviv, Pristina and Alanya. The new routes from Gothenburg are to Nice and Pristina.
Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren. Boeing 737-783 WL LN-RNU (msn 34548) arrives at the Stockholm (Arlanda) hub.
Scandinavian Airlines-SAS:
Air India Express to be one of the first airlines to open the new Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar
Air India Express (Kochi) will be one of 10 airlines that will open the new Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar on April 1 according to The Times of India. The opening will be a soft opening to gradually open the new airport. Qatar Airways (Doha) will not move to the adjacent new airport until the end of the year. Therefore for approximately nine months there will be two airports in Doha.
According to the report, the other airlines opening the new airport will include Air Arabia, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Flydubai, Iran Air, Nepal Airlines, PIA-Pakistan International Airlines, RAK Airways, Syrian Air and Yemen Airways.
Read the full Times of India report: CLICK HERE
Read more about the new airport from HOK: CLICK HERE
Courtesy of HOK:
Top Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. Boeing 737-8HG WL VT-AYA (msn 36337) in the Ellora elephant statue tail motif arrives at nearby Dubai.
Air India Express (see all of the tails):
Map: Google Maps. The new airport is adjacent to the old airport and was built on reclaimed land.
American to resume Chicago O’Hare-Portland, Oregon flights on June 12
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) on June 12 will resume twice-daily Chicago (O’Hare)-Portland, Oregon service with Boeing 737-800s per Airline Route.
Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Boeing 737-823 WL N908NN (msn 39238) at San Francisco was the first of its type in the AA fleet to wear the new livery.
American Airlines:
Ryanair commits for 175 new Boeing 737-800s
Ryanair (Dublin) has committed to purchase 175 new Boeing 737-800s pending the completion of the final contract.
Boeing issued this statement:
Boeing (Chicago) is delighted that Ryanair has announced a commitment to order 175 Next-Generation 737-800s for the airline’s fleet expansion. When finalized, the agreement will be worth $15.6 billion at list prices and will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website as a firm order.
“This agreement is an amazing testament to the value that the Next-Generation 737 brings to Ryanair,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Ray Conner. “We are pleased that the Next-Generation 737, as the most efficient, most reliable large single-aisle airplane flying today, has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of the Ryanair fleet. Our partnership with this great European low-cost carrier is of the utmost importance to everyone at The Boeing Company and I could not be more proud to see it extended for years to come.”
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary and Conner will hold a joint press conference today to discuss the announcement at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (Starlight Roof), 301 Park Avenue, New York, at 10:15 am ET.
Meanwhile Ryanair issued this statement:
Ryanair, Europe’s only ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), today (March 19) signed an agreement with the Boeing Company to purchase 175 new Next Generation 737-800 airplanes. When finalized, the deal will be worth nearly $15.6 billion at current list prices, and will allow Ryanair to grow its airline to more than 400 airplanes, serving more than 100 million passengers per year across Europe by the end of the delivery stream in 2018.
The agreement was signed by Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President CEO Ray Conner in New York (March 19). Upon approval by Ryanair’s shareholders, the purchase will become Boeing’s largest deal to date in 2013 and will be the largest ever aircraft order from a European airline. It will sustain thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs in Boeing and its supplier companies and will represent the largest ever capital investment by an Irish company in U.S. manufacturing and U.S. jobs.
These Boeing airplanes will create more than 3,000 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers at Ryanair’s growing number of aircraft bases across Europe. Approximately 75 of these new aircraft will replace some of Ryanair’s existing fleet of 305 Boeing 737s, but the remainder will drive new growth of Ryanair’s fleet of young, highly efficient airplanes. These airplanes will allow Ryanair to grow its low-cost airline service by about 5 percent per annum over the next several years, taking Ryanair’s traffic to over 100 million passengers by March 2019.
As Ryanair continues to plan its future as Europe’s low-cost airline leader, it continues to evaluate the benefits of Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft which enters service in 2017.
Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection. Boeing 737-8AS WL EI-CSB (msn 29917) turns on to the runway at the Dublin base. This airframe has since gone on to VARIG (2nd) as PR-VBB.
Ryanair:
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Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways connect their networks
Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced today that it has successfully completed the connection between the Southwest and AirTran Airways networks. Customers are now able to purchase itineraries to the airlines’ combined 97 destinations, including international, in one transaction. The newly connected itineraries are on sale now via all Southwest and AirTran sales channels for service starting on April 14.
Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways took the first step in connecting their networks on January 26, 2013, by offering a small number of connected itineraries in five markets. On February 25, 2013, the airline launched connected itineraries in 39 cities.
By connecting the Southwest and AirTran networks, Customers may:
- Add one or more AirTran domestic flight segments to a Southwest itinerary, using Southwest booking channels
- Book one or more Southwest flight segments connecting to an AirTran itinerary, using AirTran channels
- Use all Southwest channels to book an AirTran-only domestic itinerary.
- Add an international AirTran segment to a Southwest itinerary within a single reservation, through a Customer-friendly transfer of the transaction to AirTran channels for booking, purchase, and ticketing by AirTran.
- Earn currency in either loyalty program no matter which carrier they fly. (The currency a Customer earns is determined by the carrier from which they buy their ticket, even if flying on a shared itinerary.)
As is standard with industry “code share” arrangements, the Marketing Carrier’s (where you buy your ticket) rules and policies apply to reservations and ticketing. The Operating Carrier’s (which airline operates the flight) procedures apply to boarding, seating, and the onboard experience. Southwest is making one exception: any itinerary with a Southwest segment or that is purchased through a Southwest point-of-sale channel will not have bag fees for the first or second checked bag (weight and size restrictions apply.)
Southwest Airlines announced plans to acquire AirTran Airways on September 27, 2010, an acquisition that significantly expanded Southwest Airlines’ low-fare service to more Customers in more domestic markets, creating hundreds of additional low-fare itineraries for the traveling public. Since Southwest Airlines closed the deal to purchase AirTran Airways on May 2, 2011, Southwest and AirTran Employees have worked hard to facilitate a thoughtful and smooth integration process while providing the same high level of Customer Service that Customers have come to expect. To date, Southwest Airlines has welcomed 30 percent of AirTran Employees to the Southwest Family, has converted 11 AirTran Airways 737-700 aircraft to the Southwest paint scheme and interior configuration, and has transitioned five AirTran Airways-served cities into Southwest Airlines operations.
The process of a full integration of the AirTran Airways 737 fleet into the Southwest Airlines fleet (i.e. paint scheme and interior configuration) and transition to a single ticketing system is a large and complex process that is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. Southwest Airlines realized $142 million of net, annualized, pre-tax synergies during 2012, and expects to achieve $400 million in 2013 (excluding acquisition and integration expenses).
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737-8H4 WL N8309C (msn 36985) completes its final approach into Los Angeles International Airport.
AirTran Airways:
Southwest Airlines:
Airbus is ready to snatch a major Boeing customer: Lion Air
Lion Air (Jakarta) is reportedly ready to sign a major order with Airbus for narrow body A320 Family aircraft in a high-profile ceremony today in Paris. Lion Air is a staunch Boeing customer and has over 300 Boeing 737-800, 737-900ER and 737 MAX 9 aircraft on order for the fast-growing Asian market.
Read the full report from Reuters: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker. Boeing 737-9GP ER WL PK-LJJ (msn 37289) turns off the runway after a test flight at Seattle (Boeing Field).
Lion Air: 
Malindo Air to launch operations on two routes on March 22
Malindo Air (Kuala Lumpur) will launch operations with Boeing 737s on the Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu (three times daily) and Kuala Lumpur-Kuching (four times daily) routes on March 22.
Malindo Air is a joint venture between National Aerospace and Defence Industries (NADI) (51%) (Malaysia) and Lion Air (Jakarta, Indonesia) (49%). The name “Malindo” is a contraction of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Next the airline will add service from Kuala Lumpur to Bintulu, Miri, Sandakan and Sibu.
Read the full full story from The Star: CLICK HERE
Top Copyright Photo: Joe G. Walker. The pictured Boeing 737-9GP ER 9M-LNF (msn 38687) was the first -900ER to be handed over (in a basic Lion Air color scheme) on March 14, 2013. The airliner is also a milestone delivery and carries a special 7500th Boeing 737 logo by the nose (below, courtesy of Malindo Air).
Editor’s “To The Point” Observation: This new launch will sharpen the competition between AirAsia and Lion Air. To underscore this point, please read this report from Reuters about this growing feud:
Initial Route Map:
Ryanair is close to a new major Boeing 737NG order
Ryanair (Dublin) is on the verge of a major order for around 170 current generation Boeing 737 aircraft according to this report by Reuters.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection. Boeing 737-8AS WL EI-CSY (msn 32779) lands at the Dublin hub. This aircraft was returned to the lessor on November 19, 2008 and is currently with UTair Aviation of Russia operating as VQ-BJG.
Ryanair: 
Royal Air Maroc to restart Casablanca-Zurich on April 19
Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca) is expected to restore the Casablanca-Zurich route (three times a week) with Boeing 737-700 aircraft on April 19 per Airline Route.
Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. Boeing 737-7B6 WL CN-RNM (msn 28984) completes its final approach into Geneva.
Royal Air Maroc:
AeroMexico to operate summer service from Los Angeles to Cancun
AeroMexico (Mexico City) will operate three-times-a-week Los Angeles-Cancun Boeing 737-800 service from June 1 through September according to Airline Route.
Copyright Photo: Boeing 737-8Q8 WL N859AM (msn 32796) taxies to the gate at Los Angeles International Airport.
AeroMexico:
WestJet and Air France expand their relationship
WestJet Airlines (Calgary) and Air France (Paris) today announced they have entered into a code-share agreement enabling Air France to offer its customers 10 new Canadian destinations operated by WestJet.
The “AF” code is now on select WestJet flights connecting from Toronto to Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saint-John’s, Moncton and Halifax. Winnipeg and Calgary flights also bear the French carrier’s code for both Toronto and Montreal connections to Air France’s direct flights to Paris.
This is the ninth code-share agreement for WestJet which, additionally, has twenty-one interline relationships.
Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Boeing 737-76N WL C-GWSH (msn 29886) climbs away from runway 27R at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
WestJet: 
Air France:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. Airbus A320-211 F-GHQK (msn 236) taxies to the runway at Geneva.
WestJet reduces its carry-on policy to 1 carry-on and 1 personal item
WestJet Airlines (Calgary) has updated its carry-on policy, now reflecting the industry standard. The airline issued this statement
WestJet today announced it is updating the number of carry-on pieces guests are permitted to bring on board to one from two, plus one personal item, effective April 4, 2013.
The carry-on item (eg. a suitcase, backpack or bag) must be no larger than 21 inches by 9 inches by 15 inches and it must fit in the WestJet sizing devices located in airports across our network. If it does not fit, it must be checked at the boarding gate and picked up upon arrival at the baggage carousel.
Personal items include small purses, laptop bags or mobility or child restraint devices. For parents travelling with infants, a diaper bag is permitted over and above the carry-on allowance.
“Updating our baggage allowance has many benefits,” said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Sales, Marketing and Guest Experience. “Fewer carry-on items will mean more room for everyone’s baggage, and faster and more efficient boarding. This, in turn, helps us stay on time. It will also create a more consistent experience for guests travelling between WestJet and WestJet Encore beginning later this spring, as well as for guests connecting to and from flights offered by our codeshare and interline partners, most of whom have already adopted this standard.”
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing.
WestJet:
Southwest Airlines to fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico (replacing AirTran)
Southwest Airlines (Dallas) and its wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways announced an extension of flight schedules for travel through November 1, 2013. In extending both carriers’ bookable inventory, Southwest introduces four new nonstop routes, including the first Southwest service from Des Moines to the West through Las Vegas, and the return of seasonal service in three markets. The carrier also announced new Southwest Airlines service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and San Juan, a conversion from AirTran service in the market, beginning on September 29, 2013. Southwest Airlines begins its initial service in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 14 with nonstop service between both Tampa Bay and Orlando. AirTran introduces additional seasonal flying to and from Florida.
Southwest’s new markets:
- Two daily nonstop flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and San Juan
- One daily nonstop flight between Nashville and Pittsburgh
- One daily nonstop flight between Atlanta and San Diego
- One daily nonstop flight between Des Moines and Las Vegas
- One daily nonstop flight between Jacksonville and Chicago
Southwest’s returning seasonal markets:
- One daily nonstop flight between Indianapolis and Orlando
- One daily nonstop flight between Jacksonville and Las Vegas
- One daily nonstop flight between Orlando and Minneapolis-Saint Paul
AirTran’s new markets:
- Seasonal service between Orlando and Houston (Hobby)
- Seasonal service between Orlando and New Orleans
- Seasonal service between Fort Myers and Columbus
- Seasonal service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Pittsburgh
Top Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 WL N944WN (msn 36659) with extra “Free Bags Fly Free” markings arrives on runway 9L at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Southwest Airlines:
AirTran Airways:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Tony Storck. The special AirTran schemes are not expected to survive the integration into Southwest. The pictured Boeing 737-7BD WL N354AT (msn 36725) in the special Georgia Aquarium ”Dolphin 1″ scheme is due to become N7724A with Southwest.
Air China orders 31 additional Boeing aircraft
Air China (Beijing) has ordered 20 additional Boeing 737-800s along with two 747-8s, one 777-300 ER and eight Boeing 777F freighters.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Boeing 737-89L B-5390 (msn 36486) in the Gold Tree Peony special livery arrives at the Beijing hub.
Air China:
New York Times looks at the winter weather challenges of Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) was favorably examined by the New York Times and the challenges it faces including flying in tough winter conditions in Alaska.
Read the full article: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Brandon Farris. Boeing 737-890 N569AS (msn 35184) in the “Starliner 75″ (75th Anniversary) scheme arrives at Anchorage in the low winter light and its snowy conditions.
Alaska Airlines:
Ryanair to cut its London Stansted hub by 9%
Ryanair (Dublin) in a protest over airport fees has announced it will cut its London Stansted hub by 9 percent. The airline has often used this threat to cut services and jobs to put pressure on airports to lower their fees. The opinionated airline issued this statement over the fee hikes:
Ryanair announced that it will cut its London Stansted traffic by 9% over the coming year (from 12.5 million to 11.4 million) after the Ferrovial/BAA Stansted monopoly announced a further unjustified increase of Stansted’s already high charges of 6% from April 2013, despite the fact that Ferrovial/BAA has sold Stansted to Manchester Airport Group (MAG) who will take over the airport sometime before the end of March.
American to start nonstop Miami-San Diego flights, applies for more Brazil frequencies
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) announced today that it will launch new service this summer to San Diego and Mexico from its hubs in Miami (MIA) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), respectively.
Beginning June 12, American will offer more choices for travel from its Miami hub with the addition of daily service between Miami and San Diego International Airport (SAN). This flight will be operated with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft (above) with 150 seats. With the addition of this route, American and American Eagle will now serve San Diego from each of its five hubs, with a combined total of 25 daily flights.
The schedule for the new service between Miami and San Diego will be as follows:
| From | To | Flight # | Departs | Arrives | Frequency |
| Miami | San Diego | AA1065 | 6:50 PM | 8:55 PM | Daily |
| (MIA) | (SAN) | (nonstop) | |||
| San Diego | Miami | AA1042 | 9:45 PM | 5:40 AM | Daily |
| (SAN) | (MIA) | (nonstop) | next day |
With the addition of this route, American will serve 115 destinations from Miami with more than 300 daily flights.
Also beginning June 12, American Eagle will begin service between DFW and two new destinations in Mexico – Ignacio Pesqueira Garcia International Airport in Hermosillo (HMO) and General Leobardo C. Ruiz International Airport in Zacatecas (ZCL), pending government approval. Flights between DFW and HMO will operate once daily, and flights between DFW and ZCL will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The flights will be operated with a 44-seat Embraer ERJ-140 aircraft.
The schedule for the new service to Mexico will be as follows:
| From | To | Flight # | Departs | Arrives | Frequency |
| Dallas/Fort. Worth | Hermosillo | AA2833 | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | Daily |
| (DFW) | (HMO) | (nonstop) | |||
| Hermosillo | Dallas/Ft. Worth | AA2938 | 7:00 AM | 11:30 AM | Daily |
| (HMO) | (DFW) | (nonstop) | |||
| Dallas/Fort. Worth | Zacatecas | AA3379 | 10:45 AM | 12:50 PM | Mon., Weds., Sat. |
| (DFW) | (ZCL) | (nonstop) | |||
| Zacatecas | Dallas/Ft. Worth | AA3390 | 1:30 PM | 3:50 PM | Mon., Weds., Sat. |
| (ZCL) | (DFW) | (nonstop) |
*all flights begin June 12, 2013, pending government approval
With the addition of flights to Hermosillo and Zacatecas, American and American Eagle will serve a total of 20 destinations in Mexico.
In other news, American Airlines today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the right to fly additional United States – Brazil frequencies beginning in 2013 and 2014. American will use these frequencies to add one new daily round trip service from its Los Angeles and Chicago hubs to Sao Paulo
Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Boeing 737-823 WL N908NN (msn 39238) in the new corporate look taxies at San Francisco.
American Airlines:
Norwegian’s 2012 pre-tax profit expands to $112.4 million
Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) reported a full-year pre-tax profit of 623 million Norwegian kroner ($112.4 million), an increase of 457 million Norwegian kroner ($82.5 million), compared with 2011. According to the carrier, “2012 was characterized by high traffic growth and international expansion with many new routes and the establishment of new bases.”
Sales for 2012 amounted to 12.9 billion Norwegian kroner, an increase of 22 percent. Norwegian flew 17.7 million passengers in 2012, an increase of 2 million (13 percent). The load factor for 2012 was 79 percent, the same as last year.
In 2012, Norwegian took delivery of 13 brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This year, Norwegian will continue to phase in new aircraft – 14 Boeing 737-800s and 3 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
Copyright Photo: Terry Wade. Norwegian is gradually phasing out its Boeing 737-300s and many of its special aircraft schemes. The pictured Boeing 737-3S3 LN-KKY (msn 29245) in the special ACTA livery at London (Gatwick) in 2011 went to Transaero Airlines as EI-ERP.
Norwegian:
Routes from Oslo:
Please click on the map for the full size view.
Sunwing Airlines reaches a tentative agreement with its flight attendants union, averting a strike
Sunwing Airlines (Toronto-Pearson) has reached a tentative agreement with its flight attendants represented by the CUPE union.
The agreement will be submitted to members of the union for a vote following a round of general meetings in March. If accepted, this will be the first collective agreement for Sunwing flight attendants, who voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in March 2012.
In early February, the union had raised the possibility of a strike at the end of March. With this tentative agreement, that scenario has been avoided.
The union will not comment on the details of the agreement until the conclusion of the voting period towards the end of March.
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography. Boeing 737-8K5 C-FRZJ (msn 34690) in the 2012 “Oasis Loves U” promotional scheme taxies past the camera at the Toronto (Pearson) home.
Sunwing Airlines:
Hot New Photos: 
Sun Country’s CEO Stan Gadek suddenly leaves the company
Sun Country Airlines‘ (MN Airlines dba) (Minneapolis/St. Paul) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stan Gadek, who brought the airline out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization into profitability, suddenly left the company on Wednesday (February 13) according to this report by the Star Tribune.
The company said Gadek was being replaced on an interim basis by vice president and general counsel John Fredericksen.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Sun Country leases in additional Boeing 737-800s during its busy winter season. The pictured Boeing 737-8K2 PH-HZJ (msn 30389) at San Francisco was leased from Transavia Airlines in their colors on November 6, 2012.
Sun Country Airlines:
Route Map:
Please click on the map for the full-size imag
American Airlines and US Airways approve their merger
American Airlines (AMR Corporation) (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) have approved a stock merger between the two companies. The boards of both airlines met last night to approve the merger according to this report by Reuters. This came after AMR Corporation’s unsecured creditors also approved the merger. An announcement is expected today with all of the details.
US Airways management will be taking control of the new American Airlines. The American Airlines name will be retained for the new company and the US Airways name and brand will be retired.
This is what happened when deregulation upstart America West Airlines (Phoenix) acquired US Airways (Washington) (formerly USAir and Allegheny Airlines) and kept the US Airways name. CEO Doug Parker of US Airways (formerly the CEO of America West Airlines) is expected to become the new CEO of the new American Airlines which is expected to be based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (Doug will be moving).
In reality, this is the story of how America West Airlines in essence acquired two large financially troubled airlines, kept their names and in the process became the largest airline in the world. America West was a product of deregulation. Although the name does not survive today (the people do), America West was founded in 1981 by Ed Beauvais (who later founded Western Pacific Airlines). Operations began on August 1, 1983 as a new airline under deregulation. W. Douglas Parker joined America West in June 1995 and became the CEO in September 2001.
Read the full story from Reuters: CLICK HERE
How US Airways (the airline no one wanted) acquired American Airlines to become the largest airline in the world (from Reuters): CLICK HERE
Watch here for the formal announcement later today.
American Airlines:
US Airways:
America West Airlines:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Peal away the new American name and you will find the America West name in the past. This is really the story of how deregulation upstart America West Airlines became the largest airline in the world named American Airlines. America West had humble beginnings with used Boeing 737-200s. The pictured 737-275 N127AW (msn 20922) taxies to the runway at Oakland in the original 1983 color scheme.
Vision Airlines launches Sanford-Gulfport/Biloxi flights
Vision Airlines (Atlanta) started a new route linking Sanford (near Orlando) and Gulfport/Biloxi on February 6 per Anna Aero. Gulfport/Biloxi appears to be location of its current winter operations. The airline operates Boeing 737s on the two routes (see map below). The carrier has continuously shifted its route map in search of a winning winter/summer combination.
In June 2012 the airline cancelled its agreement with Globespan Aviation due to “Globespan’s failure to meet its financial obligations under the contract.” Globespan had tried to start a program to South Korea using Vision Airlines Boeing 767-200 ER but according to the airline, “it appears they do not have the financial support for the program.”
Copyright Photo: TMK Photography. Boeing 737-405 N745VA (msn 24271) taxies at Toronto (Pearson).
Vision Airlines:
Current Route Map:
Please click on the map for the full-size view.
Alaska Airlines to add summer service between Fairbanks and Portland, Oregon
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) announced today it will add a nonstop, daily flight between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Portland, Oregon, starting on June 9 through September 2, 2013. The Portland-Seattle/Tacoma-Fairbanks-Anchorage route was the original historic jet route for the company.
| Summary of new flights: | |||||
| Start Date | City pair | Departs | Arrives | Frequency | End Date |
| June 9 | Portland-Fairbanks | 8:05 p.m. | 11:05 p.m. | Daily | Sept 1, 2013 |
| June 10 | Fairbanks-Portland | 12:15 a.m. | 5:04 a.m. | Daily | Sept 2, 2013 |
| All times based on local time zones | |||||
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Boeing 737-4Q8 N754AS (msn 25095) “Spirit of Alaska” arrives at Anchorage.
Alaska Airlines:
European Commission intends to deny the Ryanair takeover of Aer Lingus
Ryanair (Dublin) is planning to appeal if it is denied its goal of acquiring rival Aer Lingus (Dublin). The airline issued the following statement today:
Ryanair was notified this morning (February 12) at a State of Play meeting with the EU Commission, that the EU Commission intends to prohibit Ryanair’s offer for Aer Lingus, despite the fact that Ryanair has met every competition concern raised in the EU’s Statement of Objections and during the review process, including providing the EU – at its request – with irrevocable commitments from not one, but two, upfront buyers to eliminate all competitive overlaps between Ryanair and Aer Lingus. IAG has committed that they would take over divestments of Ryanair’s and Aer Lingus’ entire London-Gatwick operations, and Flybe has committed to take over 43 Aer Lingus UK and European routes.
PIA’s Boeing 737-33A AP-BEH makes a wheels-up landing at Muscat today
PIA-Pakistan International Airlines (Karachi) had an incident today at Muscat, Oman. Boeing 737-33A AP-BEH (msn 25504) operating flight PK 259 from Sialkot, Pakistan to Muscat suffered a rough landing on its arrival. The left main gear collapsed on landing. There were no injuries to the 108 passengers and crew members on board.
Read the full story from Gulf News: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. AP-BEH is pictured arriving at Dubai in 2010 before it was repainted in the current 2010 livery.
PIA-Pakistan International Airlines:
Sky King secures DIP financial backing for its reorganization
Sky King, Inc. (Sky King Airlines) (Lakeland) has announced the successful negotiation of Debtor in Possession financing and intends to seek immediate court approval. The private investment consortium providing the financing is represented by Dr. Daniel Carson, an experienced aviation executive and entrepreneur. Sky King and the investment group have not announced plans for the company but are certain the airline will put forth a formal plan of reorganization in the near future. Sky King’s President, Frank Visconti stated: “This is simply the next step in the long process of restructuring and preparing the Company for the future. We are proud of the work we have done and are excited to welcome Dr. Carson and his associates into the process as they bring not only capital but equally important expansion opportunities in new markets.”
Sky King began operating in 1995 under FAR Part 125 and in 2002, the Company was granted Part 121 operating authority by the Federal Aviation Administration. Operating a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, the Company serves the Tour Operator, Private Charter and Public Charter markets, serving numerous Casino operators, sports franchises and scheduled flight service providers. One specific market served by Sky King involves over 150 flights per month between the US and Cuba on behalf of several US Treasury Department licensed service providers. Sky King filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on August 31st, 2012 after two of Sky King’s largest clients in 2011 and 2012 ceased operations with substantial, unpaid debt to Sky King; these were among several factors ultimately contributing to the Company’s decision to seek Chapter 11 reorganization protection.
Copyright Photo: Brian Mcdonough. Boeing 737-4Q8 N916SK (msn 24706) with rare titles approaches Miami International Airport after finishing a Cuban charter.
Sky King:
Alaska Airlines protects its turf by submitting a formal proposal to the FAA for possible scheduled operations at Paine Field
Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) has issued the following statement about the possible use of Paine Field near Everett, WA for possible scheduled airline service. The proposed service is unlikely to start unless another competitor files to start service from PAE (Boeing’s home for the 747, 767, 777 and the 787). In other words, Alaska is keeping its options open to protect its Pacific Northwest turf. Paine Field is on the north side of the Seattle area while the current SEA (Sea-Tac) is on the south side of the Seattle area between Seattle and Tacoma. Here is the full statement:
Alaska Airlines is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to add Paine Field in Everett, Washington, as an authorized airport for the carrier’s operations. This is a required step if the carrier were to begin jet service out of the regional airport at some point in the future. As required by its application, Alaska Airlines is providing the FAA with a proposed schedule over the next five years that could include 28 round-trip jet flights a week.
“We continue to believe that our flights at Sea-Tac Airport and in Bellingham best serve the Puget Sound region’s needs for affordable air travel, particularly in light of the significant investments both airports have made recently to improve their facilities,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of planning and revenue management. “That said, if one or more other airlines begin operations at Paine Field, we would commence service alongside these carriers. Submitting a schedule with the FAA along with a request for authorization to serve Paine is a necessary step in the process.”
Alaska Airlines’ proposed schedule in the first year of operations would include 14 weekly round-trip flights to Las Vegas, Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii, using Boeing 737-800 jet aircraft. Alaska would also fly 21 weekly round-trip flights to Portland, Ore., with Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft. Not all destinations would be served daily.
By the fifth year of operations, Alaska would fly 49 weekly round-trip flights. This would include 28 round-trips to Las Vegas, Honolulu, Maui, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego with 737-800s, plus 21 weekly round-trips to Portland using Q400s.
Alaska Airlines informed the FAA that these proposed schedules could change depending on competitors, business and economic factors, and the needs of its customers. The carrier is also seeking information from the FAA about any necessary environmental review of its proposed schedule, given a pending legal challenge to the agency’s approval of commercial air service at Paine Field in December.
Alaska Airlines operates about 1,750 weekly round-trip flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, located 42 miles south of Paine Field, and up to 63 weekly round-trip flights at Bellingham International Airport, which is approximately a one-hour drive north of Everett.
Paine Field currently has no adequate passenger terminal, which would need to be built before operations by any airline could begin.
Summary of proposed service for the first year — 35 round-trip flights a week:
| City Pair | Weekly Frequency | Aircraft |
| Everett-Honolulu | 4 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Las Vegas | 7 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Maui | 3 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Portland | 21 | Q400 |
Summary of proposed service by the fifth year — 49 round-trip flights a week:
| City Pair | Weekly Frequency | Aircraft |
| Everett -Honolulu | 4 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Las Vegas | 7 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Los Angeles | 7 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Maui | 3 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Phoenix | 4 | 737-800 |
| Everett -Portland | 21 | Q400 |
| Everett -San Diego | 3 | 737-800 |
Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-490 N706AS (msn 28894) in the Disneyland-Make-A-Wish motif makes a landing at Paine Field for maintenance reasons.
Alaska Airlines:
Copa Holdings reports 4Q net income of $86.6 million, $326.5 million for 2012
Copa Holdings, S.A. (Copa Airlines and Copa Airlines Colombia) (Panama City) has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2012 and the full year of 2012.
- Copa Holdings reported net income of US$86.6 million for 4Q12 or earnings per share (EPS) of US$1.95, as compared to net income of US$104.4 million or EPS of US$2.36 in 4Q11. Excluding special items, Copa Holdings reported an adjusted net income of US$89.3 million or adjusted EPS of $2.01, compared to adjusted net income of US$85.3 million or adjusted EPS of $1.93 in 4Q11.
- Net income for full year 2012 reached US$326.5 million or EPS of US$7.35, compared to US$310.4 million or EPS of US$6.98 for full year 2011. Excluding special items, however, Copa Holdings would have reported an adjusted net income of US$336.1 million or EPS of US$7.57, compared to adjusted net income of US$314.1 or adjusted EPS of $7.06 for full year 2011.
- Operating income for 4Q12 came in at US$104.3 million, representing a 6.5% decline from operating income of US$111.5 million in 4Q11, mainly as a result of a 3.7% drop in unit operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) and a 6.3% increase in the all-in price of jet fuel. As a result, operating margin for 4Q12 came in at 17.4%, or 4.5 percentage points below 4Q11.
- The Company reported operating income of US$402.5 million for full year 2012, representing an increase of 4.6% over operating income of US$385.0 million in 2011. Operating margin for full year 2012 came in at 17.9%, as compared to an operating margin of 21.0% in 2011.
- Total revenues for 4Q12 increased 17.7% to US$599.8 million. Yield per passenger mile decreased 4.1% to 17.1 cents and RASM came in at 13.5 cents, or 3.7% below 4Q11. However, on a quarter over quarter basis, both yields and RASM remained relatively flat over our third quarter high season, declining only 0.9% and 0.2%, respectively.
- For 4Q12 consolidated passenger traffic grew 23.7%, led by international traffic growth which expanded a robust 26.0%. At the same time, consolidated capacity grew 22.3%, led by a 24.4% increase in international capacity. As a result, consolidated load factor for the quarter increased 0.8 percentage points to 75.7%. For full year 2012, consolidated load factor came in at 75.4%, down 0.9 percentage points from 2011, on 24.1% capacity growth.
- Operating cost per available seat mile (CASM) increased 1.8%, from 11.0 cents in 4Q11 to 11.1 cents in 4Q12 as a result of an increase in the all-in price of jet fuel. However, CASM excluding fuel cost decreased 1.3% from 6.9 cents in 4Q11 to 6.8 cents in 4Q12, as a result of lower labor, maintenance and distribution unit costs, which were partly offset mainly by higher passenger servicing costs and other administrative expenses.
- Cash, short term and long term investments ended 2012 at US$720.5 million, representing 32% of the last twelve months’ revenues.
- During the fourth quarter, Copa Airlines took delivery of two Boeing 737-800s and returned one leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft. As a result, Copa Holdings ended the year with a consolidated fleet of 83 aircraft, composed of 18 Boeing 737-700s, 39 Boeing 737-800s and 26 Embraer-190s.
- During the fourth quarter, Copa Holdings and Boeing agreed to reschedule four future B737-800 aircraft deliveries (2 firm and 2 options). As a result, the company now has eight firm deliveries of Boeing 737-800 aircraft and four lease expirations of B737-700 aircraft for 2014.
- For 2012, Copa Holdings reported on-time performance of 85.5% and a flight-completion factor of 99.6%, maintaining its position among the best in the industry.
Copyright Photo: Tony Storck. Boeing 737-7V3 HP-1524CMP (msn 33705) arrives at Miami International Airport, its original destination in North America.
Copa Airlines:
WestJet reports 4Q net earnings of C$60.9 million and full year net earnings of C$242.4 million
WestJet Airlines (Calgary) has announced its fourth quarter and year-end results for 2012. The airline reported fourth quarter net earnings of $60.9 million, or $0.46 per share and full-year net earnings of $242.4 million, or $1.78 per share; up significantly from the net earnings of $148.7 million, or $1.06 per share, reported for 2011. These financial results mark WestJet’s 31st consecutive quarter of profitability. Based on the trailing twelve months, the airline achieved a return on invested capital of 13.7 per cent, up from the 12.7 per cent reported last quarter.
“We are very pleased with the positive momentum generated in 2012 that culminated with us reporting record annual earnings, record high load factors and for the second consecutive quarter, we surpassed our return on invested capital target of 12 per cent by achieving 13.7 per cent for the year,” said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “Fundamentally our momentum is traced to the commitment and dedication of our over 9,000 WestJetters, and I am very proud of the positive and caring attitude they exemplify each and every day.”
Operating highlights (stated in Canadian dollars)
| Q4 2012 | Q4 2011 | Change | Full-Year 2012 |
Full-Year 2011 |
Change | |
| Net earnings (millions) | $60.9 | $35.6 | 71.3% | $242.4 | $148.7 | 63.0% |
| Diluted earnings per share | $0.46 | $0.26 | 76.9% | $1.78 | $1.06 | 67.9% |
| Total revenues (millions) | $860.6 | $781.5 | 10.1% | $3,427.4 | $3,071.5 | 11.6% |
| Operating margin | 10.6% | 7.6% | 3.0 pts | 11.0% | 8.4% | 2.6 pts |
| ASMs (available seat miles) (billions) | 5.487 | 5.329 | 3.0% | 22.064 | 21.186 | 4.1% |
| RPMs (revenue passenger miles) (billions) | 4.493 | 4.194 | 7.1% | 18.263 | 16.891 | 8.1% |
| Load factor | 81.9% | 78.7% | 3.2 pts | 82.8% | 79.7% | 3.1 pts |
| Segment Guests | 4,314,024 | 3,996,593 | 7.9% | 17,423,352 | 16,040,682 | 8.6% |
| Yield (revenue per revenue passenger mile) (cents) |
19.16 | 18.64 | 2.8% | 18.77 | 18.18 | 3.2% |
| RASM (revenue per available seat mile) (cents) |
15.68 | 14.67 | 6.9% | 15.53 | 14.50 | 7.1% |
| CASM (cost per available seat mile) (cents) |
14.01 | 13.55 | 3.4% | 13.83 | 13.29 | 4.1% |
| CASM, excluding fuel and employee profit share (cents)* |
9.32 | 9.03 | 3.2% | 9.12 | 8.85 | 3.1% |
*Refer to reconciliations in the accompanying tables for further information regarding calculations.
WestJet also announced its intention, upon the expiry of the 12-month period of its 2012 normal course issuer bid, to make an application to the Toronto Stock Exchange to initiate a further normal course issuer bid for up to 5 per cent of the currently issued and outstanding shares. The airline also declared an increase to its quarterly dividend from $0.08 to $0.10. “Continuing the share buy-back program and increasing the dividend signals our confidence in the strength of the business and our commitment to return value to shareholders,” added Gregg Saretsky.
Throughout 2012, WestJet was able to expand its virtual network with the implementation of 13 new interline partnerships, and by evolving four existing interline partnerships (Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, China Eastern Airlines and British Airways) into code-share relationships, bringing the total number of airline partnerships to thirty worldwide.
WestJet expects moderate growth in RASM and margin expansion in the first quarter of 2013, notwithstanding the difficult prior year comparisons and increases in system wide capacity. For the full year 2013, the airline expects CASM, excluding fuel and employee profit share, to increase between two to three percent year-over-year. For the first quarter of 2013, WestJet expects fuel costs to range between $0.94 and $0.96 per litre.
Dividend declaration
On February 5, 2013 WestJet’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per common voting share and variable voting share for the first quarter of 2013, to be paid on March 28, 2013, to shareholders of record on March 13, 2013. All dividends paid by WestJet are, pursuant to subsection 89(14) of the Income Tax Act, designated as eligible dividends, unless indicated otherwise. An eligible dividend paid to a Canadian resident is entitled to the enhanced dividend tax credit.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Boeing 737-7CT C-FKIW (msn 37955) arrives at Las Vegas.
WestJet:
WSJ: American-US Airways merger is in the final stages, could come before February 15
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) continue to negotiate a very delicate merger proposal that could fall apart at any time. Negotiators are rushing to meet a February 15 deadline according to this report by the Wall Street Journal. The proposal, according to their sources, would be a stock deal with AMR’s creditors holding 72 percent of the new company and US Airways stockholders holding the other 28 percent. US Airways’ Doug Parker would take control of the “new American”. Still to be resolved, what role will American’s CEO Tom Horton play?
This merger, if approved, will create the world’s largest airline.
Read the full article: CLICK HERE
Read the analysis of a prospective AA-US merger by the WSJ: CLICK HERE
Top Copyright Photo: James Helbock. With US Airways’ CEO Doug Parker taking control, was the American new livery approved by Doug? Will this new brand survive the takeover? The first Boeing 737-800, 737-823 N908NN (msn 39238), taxies to the runway at San Diego.
American Airlines:
US Airways:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Jay Selman. The US Airways’ 2005 livery and brand will be phased out in any merger. Airbus A321-231 N535UW (msn 3993) climbs away from the runway at the Charlotte hub.
Grand Rapids to join the Southwest Airlines network on August 11
Southwest Airlines (Dallas) announced today that Grand Rapids, Michigan is the next AirTran Airways (Dallas) city to be converted to Southwest service. Those flights from Grand Rapids to Baltimore/Washington, Denver, Orlando, and Saint Louis will begin on August 11, 2013. AirTran service in Grand Rapids will end the previous day, August 10, 2013.
From Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), fly Southwest Airlines Nonstop to:
- (BWI) Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
- (DEN) Denver International Airport
- (MCO) Orlando International Airport
- (STL) Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Additionally, AirTran expands operations in Memphis with new nonstop flights between Memphis and Chicago (Midway), Baltimore/Washington, and Orlando, beginning on August 11, 2013. In Memphis, AirTran currently offers five daily nonstop flights to Atlanta.
Southwest also will begin nonstop service between Flint, Michigan and Las Vegas starting on August 11, 2013. Bishop International Airport (FNT) in Flint is currently served by AirTran Airways and will convert to Southwest Airlines service on April 14, 2013. Inaugural service from Flint will also include nonstop service to Baltimore/Washington, Orlando, and Tampa Bay.
Top Copyright Photo: Eddie Maloney. Boeing 737-3H4 N609SW (msn 27929) in the California One motif lands at Las Vegas.
Southwest Airlines:
AirTran Airways:
Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum. Southwest Airlines is also phasing out the AirTran Airways’ Boeing 717 fleet. The 717s will gradually migrate to Delta Air Lines. Boeing 717-2BD N946AT (msn 55009) painted in the special livery of the world champion Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) climbs away from the runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
American Airlines and Alaska Airlines move closer with a new codeshare agreement
American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) announced today that the two airlines are strengthening their relationship by adding new codeshare routes that will offer customers even more choices and benefits when traveling throughout the United States. The codeshare flights are available for purchase today for travel beginning Feb. 7, 2013.
The codeshare expansion will allow American to place its code on 22 new Alaska routes that provide Bay Area travelers with access to Hawaii and will increase the options for transcontinental flights for travelers in the Pacific Northwest and San Diego to Boston, Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Fla. Under the agreement, Alaska will place its code on 19 American routes, which will provide better access for Alaska customers on flights between Los Angeles and U.S. cities such as Washington, D.C., Orlando and Houston. Additionally, Alaska customers will gain better access between the Pacific Northwest and 11 new cities throughout Texas via American’s Dallas/Fort Worth hub. In all, Alaska customers will gain access to 13 new destinations.
American and Alaska Airlines already have an established and successful frequent flier program relationship in place allowing members to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights. In addition, the miles Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members earn on American Airlines flights count toward elite status qualification and elite status members can receive their elite status bonus miles on American Airlines flights. Likewise, the miles American Airlines AAdvantage® members earn on Alaska Airlines flights count toward elite status qualification and elite status members can receive their elite status bonus miles on Alaska Airlines flights. Elite members are also eligible for priority check-in and boarding as well as waived baggage charges for two checked bags when traveling on each other’s flights. Elite Level Mileage Plan members have access to preferred seating when traveling on American Airlines and AAdvantage Executive Platinum and AAdvantage Platinum members have access to preferred seating when traveling on Alaska Airlines or its affiliates.
Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Newly-painted Boeing 737-823 N908NN (msn 31157) in the new livery ferries from Los Angeles (LAX) to Orange County-Santa Ana (SNA) as flight AA 1125.
American Airlines:
Alaska Airlines:
Cal Jet Air to drop all service to Mazatlan early on February 5
Cal Jet Air (operated by Xtra Airways) (Minneapolis and San Antonio) has abruptly dropped all charter flights to Mazatlan, Mexico effective on February 5 instead of the planned April 7. The public charter company blamed a decision made by The Sinola Group in Mazatlan that was contracting the company to fly these flights operated by Xtra Airways. The Sinola government ended ended the support due to low bookings.
Cal Jet Air launched flights to Mazatlan on January 13 from Los Angeles, Denver, Oakland, Houston and San Antonio.
Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Formerly operated for Bahamasair by Xtra Airways until their two new Boeing 737-500s arrived, the pictured Boeing 737-429 N42XA (msn 25729) rests between Cal Jet Air charter flights at Los Angeles.
Xtra Airways: 
Japan Transocean Air introduces its new “Jinbei Jet” Whale Shark
Japan Transocean Air-JTA (JAL) (Naha, Okinawa) in December introduced this striking new Whale Shark logojet named “Jinbei Jet”.
Top Copyright Photo: Shige Sakaki. Boeing 737-4Q3 JA8939 (msn 29486) is pictured at its Okinawa home in the motif.
JTA-Japan Transocean Air:
Ryanair reports third quarter profits of $24.1 million
Ryanair (Dublin) announced third quarter profits of $24.1 million (€18 million), up $4 million (€3 million) on last year despite an $109 million (€81 million) increase in fuel costs. Revenues rose 15% to $1.3 billion (€969 million) as traffic grew 3% to 17.3 million passengers. Unit costs rose 11% mainly due to a 24% (€81 million) increase in fuel. Excluding fuel third quarter unit costs rose by 4%, while average fares improved by 8%.
|
Q3 Results (IFRS) €
|
Dec 31, 2011
|
Dec 31, 2012
|
% Change
|
|
Passengers
|
16.7m
|
17.3m
|
+3%
|
|
Revenue
|
€844m
|
€969m
|
+15%
|
|
Profit after Tax
|
€14.9m
|
€18.1m
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+21%
|
|
Basic EPS(euro cent)
|
1.02
|
1.25
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+23%
|
