Monthly Archives: September 2021

ExpressJet to relaunch operations as aha!

ExpressJet Airlines has announced its reboot with the launch of aha!, its “air-hotel-adventure” leisure brand.

Combining value-priced fares and nonstop flights, aha! will begin flying from its home base at Reno-Tahoe International Airport on October 24, 2021 to eight cities across the western United States.

aha! has chosen cities that do not currently have nonstop service to Reno-Tahoe, giving travelers access to convenient one-to-two hour nonstop flights to a world-renowned destination offering casino resorts, unique dining and outdoor adventure. The nonstop flight eliminates the need for time consuming connections at crowded hubs or long drives giving travelers more time for adventure and less time traveling making short, spontaneous vacations possible.

Flights from Reno-Tahoe:

  • Pasco/Tri-Cities, Wash.                              24-Oct-21
  • Bakersfield, Calif.                                        25-Oct-21
  • Medford/Ashland, Ore.                             31-Oct-21
  • Eugene/Springfield, Ore.                           1-Nov-21
  • Ontario, Calif.                                               4-Nov-21
  • Redmond/Bend, Ore.                                 5-Nov-21
  • Eureka/Arcata, Calif.                                  9-Nov-21
  • Fresno/Yosemite, Calif.                              10-Nov-21

aha! will serve each community three times a week with 50-seat Embraer ERJ145 regional jets. In the coming months, aha! plans to reach more than 20 destinations, from Reno-Tahoe, in the western United States.

New aha! Brand Offers Travelers More Leisure Options

aha! is the “air-hotel-adventure” leisure brand of ExpressJet Airlines, designed for travelers to enjoy Reno-Tahoe’s regional bounty—including exciting casino resorts and live entertainment, a diverse art and dining scene, and the world-class ski-golf-outdoor activities around Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake. Thrill seekers can also take in exciting shows and annual events including Burning Man, Hot August Nights, Reno Rodeo, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Barracuda Championship PGA TOUR event, National Championship Air Races, Great Reno Balloon Races, Lake Tahoe Snowfest, and more.

aha! is powered by ExpressJet Airlines, which has operated reliable air services to hundreds of smaller cities in the United States for 35 years.

 

Skytrax: The World’s Best Airlines 2021

Skytrax has announced the results of its surveys for 2021:

The World’s Top 100 Airlines for 2021 as voted by airline customers around the world sees Qatar Airways ranked No 1, with Singapore Airlines in 2nd and ANA All Nippon Airways in 3rd position.

The 2021 Awards are based on a much extended customer survey period from September 2019 to July 2021, representing a mix of normal travel times combined with travel during the global pandemic.

Read more from CNN:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/skytrax-world-airline-awards-2021/index.html

Austrian to fly to Cancún, Mauritius and the Maldives

Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-2Z9 ER OE-LPA (msn 28698) VIE (Ton Jochems). Image: 955327.

Austrian Airlines has announced flights again to Cancún, Mauritius and the Maldives in time for the winter.

With a direct connection to the Maldives, the red-white-red home carrier will fly to Malé three times a week from October 21, 2021.

Additionally, Mauritius will be reintroduced into the flight schedule. The Austrian home carrier will take off to the sunny island in the Indian Ocean up to three times a week from October 23, 2021.

To immerse in the history of the Maya and simply unwind on the Mexican Caribbean coast, Austrian Airlines takes off to Cancún in sunny Mexico twice a week from October 24, 2021. The last flight to this holiday destination was back in 2006.


To all three destinations, Austrian Airlines operates a long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft.

In other news, Austrian will restore the Montreal route on October 1.

Top Copyright Photo: Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-2Z9 ER OE-LPA (msn 28698) VIE (Ton Jochems). Image: 955327.

Austrian Airlines aircraft slide show:

CMA CGM Group orders two Boeing 777 freighters

Boeing and CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, announced the purchase of two new Boeing 777 Freighters to grow the Group’s air freight division operations.

CMA CGM Group launched its dedicated air freight division, CMA CGM AIR CARGO, in February 2021, commencing commercial operations in March with its first flight between Liege (Belgium) and Chicago, followed by flights to New York, Atlanta, and Dubai. CMA CGM AIR CARGO represents a major new component of the CMA CGM Group in both operational and commercial terms. It is also a new milestone in the Group’s strategic development into logistics.

The Boeing 777 will provide CMA CGM AIR CARGO the flexibility to operate the airplane across its growing air freight network while helping to deliver on its sustainability objectives as the CMA CGM Group pursues its commitment to offer its customers a complete range of transportation and logistics solutions.

The CMA CGM Group’s 542 containerships serve more than 420 ports around the world and transported in 2020 nearly 21 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) containers. With its logistics arm, CEVA Logistics, a world leader in logistics services, CMA CGM handles 400,000 tons of airfreight and 2.8 million tons of inland freight every year. CMA CGM is constantly innovating to offer customers new maritime, air, inland and logistics solutions. Headed by Rodolphe Saadé and present on every continent and in 160 countries through its network of more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs more than 110,000 people worldwide, of which 2,400 are in Marseille, France, where its global head office is located. In the United States, CMA CGM Group, which is headquartered in Norfolk, Va., employs more than 12,000 people. Its subsidiary, American President Lines (APL), operates a fleet of U.S.-flagged vessels and supports U.S. territories and American military stationed around the world.

Avelo Airlines to add Tucson

Avelo Airlines announced today that it is continuing to expand the airline’s West Coast network with new nonstop seasonal service between Hollywood/Burbank and Tucson, Arizona.

When service begins on December 16, 2021, Tucson will be Avelo’s 19th destination nationwide and 11th destination the airline serves from its West Coast base at LA’s most convenient and popular airport – Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). Avelo’s twice-weekly direct service between BUR and Tucson International Airport (TUS) will be operated by Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft.

The flight will operate on Thursdays and Sundays. Flight 143 departs BUR at 5:40 p.m., arriving TUS at 8:10 p.m. Flight 144 departs TUS at 8:50 p.m., arriving BUR at 9:30 p.m. Avelo will also offer additional flights on select Tuesdays and Saturdays during the end-of-year peak holiday season.

Expanding Route Map:

 

IATA: Air cargo up 7.7% in August versus pre-COVID levels; capacity lagging demand

IATA issued this report:

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released August 2021 data for global air cargo markets showing that demand continued its strong growth trend but pressure on capacity is rising.

As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons below are to August 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern.

  • Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was up 7.7% compared to August 2019 (8.6% for international operations). Overall growth remains strong compared to the long-term average growth trend of around 4.7%.
  • The pace of growth slowed slightly compared to July, which saw demand increase 8.8% (against pre-COVID-19 levels).
  • Cargo capacity recovery paused in August, down 12.2% compared to August 2019 (‑13.2% for international operations). In month-on-month terms, capacity fell by 1.6% – the largest drop since January 2021.

Economic conditions continue to support air cargo growth but are slightly weaker than in the previous months indicating that global manufacturing growth has peaked:

  • The August manufacturing output component of the Purchasing Managers Indices (PMIs) was 51.9, indicating a short-term boost to demand if those orders are shipped by air. This was a decline from 54.4 in July.
  • The August new export orders component of the PMIs was favorable for air cargo, despite being less supportive than in the previous months. Expansion continued at the global level, however, there was contraction in emerging economies.
  • The inventory-to-sales ratio remains low ahead of the peak year-end retail season. This is positive for air cargo, however further capacity constraints put this at risk.

“Air cargo demand had another strong month in August, up 7.7% compared to pre-COVID levels. Many of the economic indicators point to a strong year-end peak season. With international travel still severely depressed, there are fewer passenger planes offering belly capacity for cargo. And supply chain bottlenecks could intensify as businesses continue to ramp up production,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

AUGUST 2021
% VS AUGUST 2019		 WORLDSHARE1 CTK ACTK CLF(%-PT)​2 CLF(LEVEL)​3
Total Market
100%
7.7%
-12.2%
10.0%
54.2%
Africa
2.0%
32.4%
-3.8%
11.8%
43.0%
Asia Pacific
32.6%
-2.1%
-28.1%
18.5%
69.8%
Europe
22.3%
6.3%
-12.1%
9.9%
57.5%
Latin America
2.4%
-13.2%
-20.0%
3.2%
40.4%
Middle East
13.0%
15.5%
-5.2%
9.4%
52.9%
North America
27.8%
19.3%
0.7%
6.8%
43.7%

(1) % of industry CTKs in 2020   (2) Change in load factor vs same month in 2019    (3) Load factor level

August Regional Performance 

 

Asia-Pacific airlines saw their international air cargo volumes increase 3.0% in August 2021 compared to the same month in 2019.This was a slowdown in demand compared to the previous month’s 4.4% expansion. Demand is being affected by an easing in growth momentum in key activity indicators in Asia, and by congested supply chains especially on Within Asia and Europe-Asia routes. International capacity is significantly constrained in the region, down 21.7% vs. August 2019.

North American carriers posted an 18% increase in international cargo volumes in August 2021 compared to August 2019. New export orders and demand for faster shipping times are underpinning the North American performance. The downside risk from capacity constraints is high; international cargo capacity remains restricted and many of the key air cargo hubs are reporting severe congestion, including Los Angeles and Chicago. International capacity decreased 6.6%.

European carriers saw a 6% increase in international cargo volumes in August 2021 compared to the same month in 2019. This was on a par with July’s performance. Manufacturing activity, orders and long supplier delivery times remain favorable to air cargo demand. International capacity decreased 13.6%.

Middle Eastern carriers experienced an 15.4% rise in international cargo volumes in August 2021 versus August 2019, an improvement compared to the previous month (13.4%). The large Middle East–Asia trade lanes continue to post strong performance. International capacity decreased 5.1%.

Latin American carriers reported a decline of 14% in international cargo volumes in August compared to the 2019 period, which was the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity remains significantly constrained in the region, with international capacity decreasing 27.1% in August, the largest fall of any region.

African airlines’ saw international cargo volumes increase by 33.9% in August, the largest increase of all regions. Investment flows along the Africa-Asia route continue to drive the regional outcomes with volumes on the route up 26.4% over two years ago. International capacity decreased 2.1%.

Brussels Airlines announces its winter schedule

Brussels Airlines has clarified its winter schedule:

  • 61 destinations in the winter schedule
  • High demand for winter-sun destinations
  • Restart of corporate travel
  • Relaunch Hurghada, Kiev and Lanzarote
  • Start of Marrakesh route
With a slight growth in corporate travel week after week and a high demand for holiday travel to winter-sun destinations, Brussels Airlines expects the winter to be busier than last year. The airline sees a prolonged holiday season, as it notes a high demand for winter-sun destinations. Whereas the demand for leisure travel to typical holiday destinations usually drops at the end of the summer holidays, the airline now registers a strong demand for holiday destinations during autumn as well.

Europe and the Middle-East

With the addition of Lanzarote as from October 31, Brussels Airlines strengthens its presence on the Canary Islands, where it will also fly to Tenerife and Gran Canaria this winter. To these last two destinations additional frequencies are added during the Belgian school holidays. With flights on Thursdays and Saturdays, Lanzarote is the ideal destination for both short and longer winter vacations in the sun.

Kiev will again join the network, as of December 16. Also new in the winter schedule of Brussels Airlines is the continuation of Yerevan, which was previously only offered during the summer season. Flights to Yerevan will be operated twice a week.

Furthermore, the Belgian airline’s offer for the upcoming winter includes following European destinations: Alicante, Barcelona, Basel, Berlin, Bilbao, Birmingham, Bologna, Budapest, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Faro, Frankfurt, Geneva, Gothenburg, Gran Canaria, Hamburg, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Lyon, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Marseille, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Nice, Oslo, Paris, Porto, Prague, Rome, Stockholm (Bromma), Tenerife, Toulouse, Valencia, Venice, Vienna and Vilnius.

Brussels Airlines will offer flights to Greek destinations Athens, Heraklion, Kos and Rhodes and Italian destination Naples until the end of the autumn holidays.

In the Middle East, Tel Aviv and Yerevan will be served eight and two times a week respectively.

 

Africa and North-Atlantic

Following the high demand for winter-sun destinations, Brussels Airlines adds Hurghada to its network as of October 31, 2021. It will be the first time since March 2020 that the Egyptian destination is part of the airline’s network. Also, the north-African destination Marrakesh joins the network this winter as a new destination in the offer of Brussels Airlines.

Also during winter, Brussels Airlines continues to operate to its extensive Sub-Sahara Africa network including following destinations: Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Lomé (Togo), Monrovia (Liberia), Douala (Cameroon), Kinshasa (DRC), Luanda (Angola), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Bujumbura (Burundi), Entebbe (Uganda), Kigali (Rwanda).

Since the announcement of the US government to lift the current travel ban in November for fully vaccinated passengers, Brussels Airlines has noted a significant increase in bookings for its flights to New York (JFK). The airline has planned to operate four frequencies per week during the winter season and might add extra flights to the schedule during the winter holiday period if the market demand continues to grow.