On October 31, 2023, Xiamen Airlines officially launched the Xiamen-Doha flight route.
This not only established a new “air silk road” between these two world-renowned coastal cities, but also marked the first direct flight route to Doha from Fujian Province, China.
There are two flights every Tuesday and Friday between Xiamen and Doha. The flight to Doha departs from Xiamen at 0:05 (GMT+8) and arrives at 5:00 (local time), and the return flight departs at 19:30 (local time) from Doha and arrives in Xiamen at 7:55 (GMT+8) on the next day morning. This route is operated by Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and features a well-designed schedule that makes it convenient for passengers to arrange their subsequent itineraries.
2023 continues to be a big year for American. This year, the airline has launched or announced more than 50 new routes. With service to more than 350 destinations around the world, American continues to build a comprehensive network across the United States and the world.
Learn more below about our new routes we will add through the summer of 2024.
Top Copyright Photo: American Airlines Airbus A321-253NX WL N439AN (msn 10623) LAX (Raul Sepulveda). Image: 960389.
SAS is expanding its services to meet growing leisure travel demand by launching a new route to Bangkok, Thailand from Copenhagen, Denmark. The inaugural flight took place on October 30, 2023, almost 75 years after SAS’ first flight between Copenhagen and Bangkok.
Copenhagen-Bangkok will be a winter seasonal route. Both legs of the route will operate as overnight flights enabling seamless connections to and from Scandinavia as well as other European destinations via CPH airport. As part of the Winter 2023/2024 program, SAS will also continue its three-times weekly services to Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Shanghai (PVG).
SAS operated its first flight between Copenhagen and Bangkok in 1949. This flight marked the opening of a new air route between Scandinavia and Thailand. A route, which at the time “only” took 36 hours and had stops in Zürich, Rome, Damascus, Karachi, and Calcutta along the way. SAS continued to fly to Thailand for the next 64 years, up until 2013. SAS now brings the connection back and the inauguration flight on October 30, 2023, will take approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes, with no stopovers.
Schedule:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays CPH-BKK
Flight no.
Departure
STD
Arrival
STA
SK973
CPH
23:35
BKK
17:10 (+1)
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays BKK-CPH
Flight no.
Departure
STD
Arrival
STA
SK974
BKK
23:50
CPH
06:40 (+1)
SAS will operate the Bangkok route with Airbus A350 aircraft offering passengers a unique travel experience. This aircraft has a much lower fuel consumption and up to 30 percent lower CO2 emissions than previous comparable aircraft. The Airbus A350 has 300 seats and offers three travel classes – SAS Business, SAS Plus and SAS Go.
Top Copyright Photo: Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A350-941 SE-RSF (msn 499) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 957909.
Embrace the journey to Air India Express. Our Airbus A320neo proudly displays the ancient Ajrakh art, a tradition rooted in history for over 4000 years, and the Bandhani art, known for its beautiful, fine circular patterns (see video below). This time-lapse video captures the heart and soul of our transformation.
AerCap Holdings N.V. today announced it has delivered its first Airbus A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (“P2F”) aircraft to IndiGo.
The aircraft conversion was completed by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (“EFW”) before being delivered to IndiGo at ST Engineering Aerospace in Singapore.
In 2022, AerCap announced it had placed a firm order for 15 Airbus A321-200 P2F aircraft conversions and an option for a further 15 A321P2F conversions with EFW.
Over the weekend, the WestJet Group completed the integration of its ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), Swoop, into WestJet’s existing 737 operations. With the integration now complete, WestJet will leverage the successes and learnings from five years of operating Canada’s first ULCC across its growing airline to enhance its ability to serve a broader spectrum of guests. Instead of serving the ultra-low-cost market on only 16 aircraft, the airline’s 180 strong fleet will transition to offer ultra-affordable travel options through to a premium inflight experience on each of its aircraft.
“As the first ULCC to enter the Canadian market, in 2018 Swoop pioneered the no-frills product in Canada and was best-in-class in generating ancillary revenues,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet Group Chief Executive Officer. “By keeping costs low, Swoop was able to offer the most competitive fares and appeal to Canadian travellers of all demographics. As we conclude this integration, we will learn from Swoop’s successes to best serve our guests with diversified product offerings that meet a variety of needs.”
After five years of operating a true ULCC in Canada, WestJet’s experience is crucial for its low-cost strategic approach. With the largest narrow-body order book in the country, the airline is set to utilize Swoop’s ultra-low cost product, offering low fares and a range of affordable vacation packages across its narrow body fleet. WestJet’s plan includes densifying the rear section of its 737 aircraft, while retaining a premium cabin up front, enabling them to provide a spectrum of in-flight offerings, from ultra-low-cost to premium, on every plane in its fleet.
Top Copyright Photo: Swoop (WestJet) Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 C-GORP (msn 63976) YYZ (TMK Photography). Image: 961834.
JetBlue Airways Corporation today reported its results for the third quarter of 2023:
“While we faced challenges in the quarter, including significant weather-related impacts and rising fuel prices, our Crewmembers rose to the occasion, focusing on what we can control to mitigate these headwinds and provide our customers with great service.” said Robin Hayes, JetBlue’s Chief Executive Officer. “As we look ahead, we are making improvements to drive profitable growth and ensure JetBlue is positioned for success in 2024 and beyond.”
Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
Net loss for the third quarter of 2023 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) of $153 million or $(0.46) per share. Excluding special items, adjusted net loss for the third quarter of $129 million (1) or $(0.39) per share.
Third quarter system capacity increased 7.1% year-over-year.
Operating revenue of $2.4 billion for the third quarter of 2023, down 8.2% year-over-year.
Operating expenses per available seat mile (“CASM”) for the third quarter of 2023 decreased 3.3% year-over-year.
Operating expense per available seat mile, excluding fuel and related taxes, other non-airline operating expenses, and special items (“CASM ex-Fuel”) for the third quarter of 2023 increased 5.9% (1) year-over-year.
Average fuel price in the third quarter of 2023 of $2.94 per gallon, including hedges.
Third Quarter 2023 Key Highlights
Executing on Our Cost Initiatives
Continued to realize savings under the structural cost program, which remains on track to deliver approximately $70 million in cost savings this year and $150 million to $200 million in run-rate savings through 2024.
Progressed the fleet modernization program with 18 Embraer E190s removed from the fleet to date as we transition to the margin accretive Airbus A220s, which is expected to generate $55 million in cost savings by the end of this year and $75 million in cost savings through 2024.
Expanding Transatlantic Service
Began daily service to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
Announced new seasonal service from JFK and BOS to Dublin Airport (DUB) starting March 13, 2024 and from JFK to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) starting May 22, 2024, as well as additional flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) with new daily service from BOS starting April 3, 2024 and a second daily flight from JFK starting June 20, 2024.
Delivering Value to Our Customers
Recognized by J.D. Power for the JetBlue Plus Card, which ranked the highest among co-brand airline credit cards, demonstrating the value it offers customers.
Announced new and improved perks for Mosaic members in JetBlue’s TrueBlue® loyalty program starting in 2024, reflecting JetBlue’s commitment to identifying new ways to add value to the program.
Introduced formal family seating guarantee to ensure children aged 13 and younger can sit next to an adult traveling with them on the same reservation.
Balance Sheet and Liquidity
$1.5 billion in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and long-term marketable securities at quarter-end (excluding our $600 million undrawn revolving credit facility).
Extended the maturity date of our undrawn revolving credit facility to October 21, 2025.
Adjusted debt to capital ratio of 55% (1) as of September 30, 2023.
Paid $254 million in debt and finance lease obligations during 2023.
Outlook
“We continue to see healthy travel demand during peak periods and the fourth quarter holidays. However, industry capacity is outpacing domestic demand during off peak travel periods. For the fourth quarter, our growth will be driven primarily by international as we proactively work to manage our capacity and reduce schedules in off-peak periods,” said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s President and Chief Operating Officer.
Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2023 Outlook
Estimated 4Q 2023
Estimated FY 2023
Available Seat Miles (ASMs) Year-Over-Year
0.5% – 3.5%
5.0% – 7.0%
Revenue Year-Over-Year
(10.5%) – (6.5%)
3.0% – 5.0%
CASM Ex-Fuel (1) (Non-GAAP) Year-Over-Year (2)
8.5% – 10.5%
4.5% – 5.5%
Estimated Fuel Price per Gallon (3), (4)
$3.05 – $3.20
$3.02 – $3.07
Interest Expense
$60 – $70 million
$205 – $215 million
Adjusted Loss per Share (EPS) (Non-GAAP) (1)
($0.55) – ($0.35)
($0.65) – ($0.45)
“While we have been able to offset some of the costs associated with the challenging operational backdrop, the sheer magnitude of the air traffic control and weather-related delays has been staggering. We remain focused on controlling what we can control, including our structural cost program and fleet modernization plans,” said Ursula Hurley, JetBlue’s Chief Financial Officer.
Top Copyright Photo: JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-231 WL N983JT (msn 7739) (Mint Leaves) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 961734.
JetBlue aircraft photo gallery:
With its bold all-blue body and bright splashes of color, our newly redesigned Spotlight livery is fierce. Soon to steal the spotlight on our A320s. pic.twitter.com/rpGc7vrVqK
