Dortmund becomes the official home airport of the “BVB Mannschafts-Airbus“

Eurowings has made this announcement:

Eurowings is strengthening Dortmund: In the 2021 summer flight schedule, the Lufthansa subsidiary is significantly expanding its services and offering travelers from Dortmund six additional attractive holiday destinations in Spain, Italy and Greece. The new tourist destinations Alicante, Malaga, Catania, Naples, Heraklion and Kavala complement the existing connections that Eurowings already successfully operates to Lufthansa’s hub in Munich as well as to Split and Mallorca. Eurowings has expanded its connections to the popular Balearic island in particular.

“BVB Mannschafts-Airbus“ regular guest in Dortmund

To serve the expanded summer program, Eurowings will station a second aircraft in the Ruhr metropolis from June 2021. In this context, the “BVB Mannschafts-Airbus” – a photo motif known throughout Europe due to its special black and yellow livery – will also be a regular guest in Dortmund in the future and take off from its home airport in the Ruhr region. This means that BVB fans from the Ruhr region will have the opportunity to meet “their plane” even more often than in the past.

“Dortmund is not only the home of our partner Borussia Dortmund, it is also where the roots of Eurowings lie,” said Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof. “That’s why we feel a particularly close bond with this aviation location and are expanding our flight offerings with all due caution. In doing so, we are strictly adhering to our industry-leading hygiene concept. Together with all Dortmund residents, we are pleased that the BVB Mannschafts-Airbus can now take off from here more frequently.”

Free middle seat bookable on all Eurowings flights from Dortmund

As on all Eurowings flights, passengers can reserve a free middle seat also from Dortmund in advance for as little as 10 euros and book it online at eurowings.com. The free middle seat can also be booked subsequently via the call center or even shortly before departure at the check-in counter. A reservation is possible as long as there are still enough seats available on the booked flight. If a passenger opts for the offer, the free seat is blocked with the booking and thus guaranteed not to be allocated elsewhere.

The 2021 summer destinations from Dortmund at a glance

Germany
Dortmund-Munich up to 11 times a week

Croatia
Dortmund-Split up to twice a week

Spain
Dortmund-Mallorca up to 16 times a week
NEW from June 2: Dortmund-Alicante up to twice a week
NEW from June 2: Dortmund-Malaga up to twice a week

Italy
NEW from June 2: Dortmund-Catania up to three times a week
NEW from June 4: Dortmund-Neapel up to twice a week

Greece
NEW from June 1: Dortmund-Heraklion up to three times a week
NEW from June 3: Dortmund-Kavala up to twice a week

In other news, Eurowings has integrated health data collection into the digital travel chain:

Available immediately on all Eurowings flights from Germany to Spain: Eurowings is integrating a new offer for particularly flexible, time-saving and safe travel in times of Corona. Passengers flying from Germany to Spain can now use the new health data solution “myHealth Docs” to conveniently check with just a few clicks whether they have all the necessary entry documents for their upcoming flight – such as an online registration as well as a negative Corona test.

The digital solution “myHealth Docs” was already successfully tested by many passengers on an Eurowings flight from Cologne/Bonn to Palma de Mallorca over the Easter weekend. In a further step, the airline has now extended the new service to all flights from Germany to Spain – additional flight connections as well as functions, such as uploading negative test results, are being planned.

Usage of the newly integrated “myHealth Docs” health data solution

To use the new service, Eurowings passengers check in for their flight as usual via the Eurowings customer app. In a next step, they can use the newly integrated solution “myHealth Docs” to fill out a digital health self-disclosure, which is required for entry in times of pandemic. This includes, for example, answering a couple of health questions, confirming the existence of the online registration for Spain as well as the existence of a negative Corona test. Based on this data, the digital boarding pass is automatically generated – with the additional note that all mandatory entry documents are complete.

Considerable time saving and reduction of physical contacts

By using “myHealth Docs”, passengers benefit from considerable time savings as they can easily see at a glance which documents are required: Thus, all passengers are well prepared for their flight, which in turn saves time at the check-in. Moreover, within the framework of the Lufthansa Group’s leading hygiene concept, this ensures that physical contacts at the airport are reduced to a minimum.

With the integration of “myHealth Docs” into the Eurowings customer app, Eurowings takes a further step in the digitalization of required entry documents, thus facilitating travel in times of pandemic.

Eurowings hygiene concept

The obligation to wear a protective medical mask continues to apply on Lufthansa Group flights to and from Germany. Passengers are obliged to wear either a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask or mask with the KN95/N95 standard during boarding, the flight and when leaving the aircraft. An exemption from this obligation to wear a mouth-nose mask during the flight is only possible for medical reasons if the medical certificate is issued on a form provided by the Lufthansa Group and a negative Covid19 test is available that is not older than 48 hours at the scheduled start of the journey.

In principle, infection on board is very unlikely. All aircraft of the Lufthansa Group are equipped with the highest-quality air filters, which ensure an air quality similar to that in an operating room. In addition, the air circulates vertically – instead of being distributed throughout the cabin – and is thus completely exchanged every two to three minutes. Furthermore, all Eurowings customers benefit from automatically included Corona travel protection when they choose a travel insurance policy of their choice with the airline.

Finally, Eurowings is planning to fly to Russia and Georgia for the first time:

Starting in summer with Eurowings nonstop to Russia and Georgia: the airline launches three new direct connections starting in July, flying its passengers from Düsseldorf to Russia for the first time – to Ekaterinburg and Krasnodar in Southern Russia – as well as to the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

The flights expand the range in the “Visit Friends and Relatives” segment, in which the Lufthansa subsidiary already offers numerous flights to Greece, Croatia, Algeria and Turkey, for example. Most recently, connections to Beirut in Lebanon and Erbil in northern Iraq were added to the Eurowings program in December. Eurowings is the leader in this market segment and is increasingly expanding its position in response to growing demand. As a result, even more travelers benefit from direct connections to their home countries.

The new routes will be operated by an Airbus A320.

Eurowings flights to Russia

From Düsseldorf to Krasnodar

From July 19, passengers will fly directly from Düsseldorf to Krasnodar in Southern Russia. Flights will be operated on Mondays and Fridays, each followed by a return flight

Monday: DUS – KRR, 11:45 a.m. – 4:55 p.m.; KRR – DUS, 6:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday: DUS – KRR, 07.15 a.m. – 12.25 p.m.; KRR – DUS, 13.45 p.m. – 17.00 p.m.

From Düsseldorf to Ekaterinburg

Starting July 24, Eurowings takes it passengers from Düsseldorf to Ekaterinburg every Saturday morning. The return flight leaves in the afternoon of the same day, touching down in Düsseldorf in the evening.

Saturday: DUS – SVX, 11:10 a.m. – 6:50 p.m.; SVX – DUS, 7:40 p.m. – 9:55 p.m.

Flights to Georgia

From Düsseldorf to Tbilisi

Starting July 21, Eurowings will connect Düsseldorf with the Georgian capital Tbilisi. On Wednesdays and Sundays, an Airbus A320 will take off from the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia to Georgia. Return flights to Düsseldorf are also offered on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Wednesday: DUS – TBS, 11:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; TBS – DUS, 6:50 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: DUS – TBS, 07.15 a.m. – 1.30 p.m.; TBS – DUS, 2.20 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

All flight times are local times.

Top Copyright Photo: Eurowings Airbus A320-214 WL D-AIZR (msn 5525) (BVB 09 – Mannschaftsairbus) LHR (SPA). Image: 941520.

Eurowings aircraft slide show:

Iberia to add the Maldives for a total of 112 destinations this summer

Iberia has made this announcement:

Iberia is awaiting authorization to fly twice a week to the Maldive islands in July and August.

In July the Spanish airline is also resuming flights to Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles in the US, in addition to Miami and New York.

Flight to Cali, Guayaquil, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) raises total Latin American destinations to 18 cities.

Additional summer destinations in Europe include Bergen, Budapest, Corfu, Catania, Dubrovnik, Olbia, Oslo, Split, and Zagreb, plus the “sun and sand” destinations served by Iberia Express –Heraklion, Mikonos, Santorini, Bari, Palermo, Cagliari, and Zadar. And Malta, and a new route to Cephalonia.

Flights to North Africa by Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum will include Casablanca, Marrakesh, and Tangier in Morocco, as well as Algeria staring in June.

In Spain, the Canary and Balearic Islands will be the main focus of Iberia Express, while Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum will offer direct flights from the Balearic Islands to Nice, Geneva, and Zurich.
Followers of Iberia on the social media can vote to choose other new destinations for Iberia, and may win free flights for two to Ljubljana en Slovenia; Bastia in Corsica; Rhodes, Thessaloniki, and Zante in Greece; Fez in Morocco; or the Azores islands in Portugal.

In the third quarter of 2021, Iberia, Iberia Express, and Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum will fly to a total of 112 destinations, 24 of them long-haul, and 88 short- or medium-haul.

Top Copyright Photo: Iberia Airbus A350-941 EC-NCX (msn 302) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 951973.

Iberia aircraft slide show:

Lufthansa’s Airbus A350-900 “Erfurt” will become a climate research aircraft

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Predicting the weather even more accurately, analyzing climate changes even more precisely, researching even better how the world is developing. This is the goal of a globally unique cooperation between Lufthansa and several research institutes.

Converting an aircraft into a climate research plane poses major challenges. Lufthansa has chosen the most modern and economical long-haul jet in its fleet – an Airbus A350-900 named “Erfurt” (registration D-AIXJ). In three stages, the “Erfurt” will now become a flying research laboratory.

In Lufthansa Technik’s hangar in Malta, the first and most extensive conversion work was carried out. Preparations were made for a complex air intake system below the belly. This was followed by a series of test insertions, at the end of which came the certification of a climate research laboratory weighing around 1.6 tons, the so-called CARIBIC measurement laboratory. The acronym CARIBIC stands for “Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container” is part of a comprehensive European research consortium.

The “Erfurt” is expected to take off from Munich at the end of 2021 for its first flight in the service of climate research, measuring around 100 different trace gases, aerosol and cloud parameters in the tropopause region (at an altitude of nine to twelve kilometers). Lufthansa is thus making a valuable contribution to climate research, which can use these unique data to assess the performance of current atmospheric and climate models and thus their predictive power for the Earth’s future climate. The special feature: Climate-relevant parameters can be recorded at this altitude with much greater accuracy and temporal resolution on board the aircraft than with satellite-based or ground-based systems.

“The conversion of our A350-900 ‘D-AIXJ’ into a climate research aircraft is some-thing very special for us. We were immediately enthusiastic about the plan to continue CARIBIC on our most fuel-efficient aircraft type. In this way, we can continue to support climate and atmospheric research in its important task on long-haul routes. We are helping to ensure that particularly important climate-relevant parameters are collected just on that altitude where the atmospheric greenhouse effects is largely generated”, says Annette Mann, Head of Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group. “I am pleased that we can implement this ambitious project together with our partners in record time and thus contribute to improving today’s climate models.”

The A350 conversion, which has now been launched, was preceded by an ex-tremely elaborate planning and development phase of about four years involving more than ten companies (in particular Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, Airbus, Saf-ran, enviscope, and Dynatec) as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as representative of a larger scientific consortium.

“The CARIBIC aircraft is indeed unique in the world. It is equipped with high-end instrumentation comparable to that on a large research aircraft and it allows their deployment cost-efficiently, regularly and over decades. We can thus understand which processes are changing, to what extent and how they will influence Earth’s climate in the future”, says Dr Andreas Zahn of the Karlsruhe Institute of Tech-nology and coordinator of IAGOS-CARIBIC. “No other observation system world-wide, neither on ground nor on satellite, can provide such high-resolution multi-parameter data from the free atmosphere.”

The Lufthansa Group has been a reliable partner of climate research since 1994 and has since equipped several aircraft with special instruments. This is now the first time worldwide on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Carbon neutral flying – Lufthansa Compensaid now available to corporate customers

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Thanks to Compensaid, the innovative digital CO₂ compensation platform of the Lufthansa Group, flying carbon neutral is possible for individual travelers. Now companies can also use this option, simply and easily, for their employees’ business trips.

With the “Compensaid Corporate Program” corporate customers have the possibility to use, for instance, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for their air travel. With SAF they can compensate the CO₂ emissions produced when flying. This program allows companies to offset all their flights – whether they’re with the Lufthansa Group or other airlines.

The first customer is insurance provider AXA Deutschland. The company will offset its business-related air travel for an initial period of three years.

“CO₂-neutral flying is already possible today. With Compensaid, we have a powerful tool for providing attractive and innovative offers to our customers. Offsetting is part of our strategy to cut our CO₂ emissions in half by 2030 and achieve a neutral carbon footprint by 2050. We are delighted that with AXA Deutschland we have gained a partner that shares our vision of sustainable mobility,” explains Christina Foerster, Lufthansa Group Executive Board Member for Customer, IT & Corporate Responsibility.

Air travel compensation with Compensaid is done either through the use of SAF, the sponsorship of certified climate protection projects, or a combination of both options. AXA Deutschland’s offsetting starts with 15 percent via SAF and 85 percent through selected climate protection projects. This results in the complete CO₂ neutrality of all the flights.

“Sustainability in general and combating climate change are essential aspects of our AXA strategy. Our dedicated sustainability team and the AXA Innovation Campus are always on the lookout for innovative concepts and Lufthansa’s Compensaid offer came exactly at the right time for us. The future offsetting of carbon emissions generated by our flights is another definitive step towards reducing our carbon footprint and another string to our bow in our determination to achieve carbon-neutral business travel”, explains Sirka Laudon, Head of People Experience and responsible for AXA Germany’s Sustainability Project.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel refers to sustainable, non-fossil-based kerosene. Currently, it is primarily derived from biomass, such as used cooking oils. SAF is therefore a genuine alternative to carbon-based aviation fuels and, in the long term, can allow for virtually CO₂-neutral aviation.

Besides the use of SAF, Compensaid also allows offsetting through certified climate protection projects. These include, for instance, the promotion of photovoltaic systems, the use of efficient stoves that require less firewood and therefore emit less CO₂ into the atmosphere, or the replacement of diesel generators with systems that produce electricity from biomass. Companies participating in the “Compensaid Corporate Program” can choose the project that suits them best.

Compensaid as the central compensation offer of the Lufthansa Group
The Lufthansa Innovation Hub launched the digital compensation platform Compensaid in 2019. Since then, it has been gradually expanded to include additional products. No matter what airline they choose, private travelers can calculate the exact CO₂ emissions of their flight and offset them using the alternatives mentioned above. Lufthansa Group airlines have integrated Compensaid directly into the booking process. Frequent flyers will also find this option in the Miles & More app. Lufthansa Cargo also employs a compensation solution for CO₂-neutral airfreight. In November 2020, Lufthansa Cargo operated the world’s first CO₂-neutral cargo flight to Shanghai.

Information on the new “Compensaid Corporate Program” is available at https://compensaid.com/partnering

Frontier announces 8 new or restored routes

Frontier Airlines has announced its expansion of summer 2021 service with eight new nonstop routes in key markets, including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, plus the addition of Alaska to the airline’s network.

New Routes via Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW):

SERVICE TO/FROM	SERVICE START	SERVICE FREQUENCY	INTRO FARE	APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
Ontario, Calif. (ONT)	June 11, 2021	4x Weekly	$39*	Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
Salt Lake City (SLC)	June 10, 2021	3x Weekly	$49*	Tuesday, Thursday

Photo: Mirko Scherrer.

New Routes via Denver International Airport (DEN):

SERVICE TO/FROM	SERVICE START	SERVICE FREQUENCY	INTRO FARE	APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
Anchorage (ANC)	June 9, 2021	2x Weekly	$79*	To ANC: Wednesday / From ANC: Thursday
Durango (DRO)	June 4, 2021	4x Weekly	$19*	Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
Grand Junction (GJT)	June 8, 2021	3x Weekly	$19*	Tuesday, Thursday
Kalispell (FCA)	June 17, 2021	3x Weekly	$49*	Tuesday, Thursday

New Route via McCarran International Airport (LAS):

SERVICE TO/FROM	SERVICE START	SERVICE FREQUENCY	INTRO FARE	APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
Durango, Colorado (DRO)	June 11, 2021	2x Weekly	$49*	Monday, Friday

New Routes via Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC):

SERVICE TO/FROM	SERVICE START	SERVICE FREQUENCY	INTRO FARE	APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE
Chicago (ORD)	June 10, 2021	3x Weekly	$49*	Tuesday, Thursday
Dallas (DFW)	June 10, 2021	3x Weekly	$49*	Tuesday, Thursday

Frontier requires all customers and crew members wear a face covering throughout their travel journey. Plus, anyone flying with Frontier must complete a health acknowledgement prior to flying confirming that:

Neither they nor anyone in their household has exhibited Covid-19 related symptoms in the last 14 days
They will wash their hands/sanitize before boarding the flight
They understand and acknowledge the airline’s face covering policy and pre-boarding temperature screening policies

Top Copyright Photo: Frontier Airlines (2nd) Airbus A321-211 WL N702FR (msn 6825) (Courtney, the Cougar) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 952367.

Frontier Airlines (2nd) aircraft slide show:

Allegiant announces its first agreement with the Teamsters

Allegiant Air today announced that the company and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), representing Allegiant’s workforce of maintenance technician and related employees, have reached an agreement in principle on all remaining open issues for the first collective bargaining agreement between the parties. The agreement in principle is subject to finalization between the parties and ratification by the employee group, which includes line and heavy maintenance technicians as well as stores employees and some administrative maintenance staff. A ratification vote is expected to occur by the end of July, 2021. Allegiant currently employs 415 maintenance technician and related employees.

The process of negotiating a first collective bargaining agreement for Allegiant maintenance technician and related employees began in January 2019. The parties had temporarily suspended negotiations early in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but talks resumed in September. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was most recently certified as the group’s exclusive representative on March 7, 2018.

Top Copyright Photo: Allegiant Air Airbus A320-214 WL N252NV (msn 7868) BFI (Nick Dean). Image: 949885.

Allegiant Air aircraft slide show:

Hong Kong Airlines to increase service between Hong Kong and Shanghai in May

Hong Kong Airlines has made this announcement:

To cater for the needs of passengers, flight frequency in May between Hong Kong and Shanghai Pudong will be increased. Meanwhile, services between Hong Kong, Beijing, Manila and Taipei are also available for booking.

Services until May 31, 2021

From	To	Frequency
From	To	April	May
Hong Kong (HKG)	Beijing (PEK)	Saturday
	Shanghai Pudong (PVG)	Thursday and Friday	Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
	Manila (MNL)	Saturday and Sunday	Thursday, Friday and Saturday
	Taipei (TPE)	Thursday and Saturday	Friday and Sunday

*Flight frequency may subject to change. Please refer to actual flight schedule during ticket booking.

Above Copyright Photo: Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A350-941 B-LGE (msn 235) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 945349.

Hong Kong Airlines aircraft slide show:

American expects to fly more than 90% of its domestic seat capacity compared to summer 2019 this summer

American Airlines made this announcement:

This summer, American Airlines is giving customers more than 150 new opportunities to reconnect with friends and family as it continues to rebuild its network to match demand.

Due to strong demand, the airline expects to fly more than 90% of its domestic seat capacity compared to summer 2019 and 80% of its international seat capacity compared to 2019.
American will operate more than 150 new routes this summer.
American will operate more wide bodies from Miami to match demand in Latin America and the Caribbean.

New domestic routes make it easy to reconnect

In addition to flights that are on sale now, the airline will introduce 17 new routes available for sale starting on April 19, including daily flights between Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU) and Nashville, Tennessee (BNA).

Based on current customer demand projections, American intends to operate a schedule with domestic capacity almost equal to 2019. In response to increased leisure demand, on June 5, the airline is introducing eight new routes, operating on Saturdays, to experience the wonder of Orlando, Florida, and its endless outdoor adventures, including nonstop service from:

Birmingham, Alabama (BHM)
Dayton, Ohio (DAY)
Indianapolis, Indiana (IND)
Louisville, Kentucky (SDF)

Memphis, Tennessee (MEM)
Nashville, Tennessee (BNA)
Pittsburgh (PIT)
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU)

And for customers living in South Florida eager to travel to the West Coast or Northeast, the airline is launching widebody service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK). All flights will operate on Boeing 777s this summer to match the increased demand.

The great outdoors is also high on travelers’ lists and customers can look forward to more flight choices to places like Asheville, North Carolina (AVL); Kalispell, Montana (FCA); and Jackson, Wyoming (JAC), which are already available for purchase. And in addition to the nine previously announced new routes from Austin, Texas (AUS), beginning in May, American is introducing new Saturday flights between AUS and Nassau, Bahamas (NAS).

Creating the broadest global network

As international demand has been slower to recover, American’s international capacity will be down approximately 20% compared to the same period in 2019. The airline remains committed to serving as many international destinations as possible and will continue to offer more flights to more destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean than any other airline.

American is using wide body aircraft to match demand from MIA; thus, short-haul markets in Latin America and the Caribbean will see select flights operating on Boeing 777s and 787-8s this summer:

Aircraft	Destination
Boeing 787-8	Cali, Colombia (CLO) Guayaquil, Ecuador (GYE) Lima, Peru (LIM) Medellin, Colombia (MDE) Port au Prince, Haiti (PAP) Quito, Ecuador (UIO)
Boeing 777-200	Bogota, Colombia (BOG) San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)

The airline will also serve Colombia more than ever before with upgauged aircraft and recently announced service from JFK to Cali (CLO), Bogota (BOG) and Medellin (MDE) launching on May 6. Customers will also have increased access to Ecuador and Peru with even more capacity than 2019. And starting this summer, American will be the only U.S. carrier to serve Tel Aviv (TLV) and Suriname (PBM) from its MIA hub.

In addition, the airline is working with JetBlue to introduce new American service between JFK and Athens (ATH) and TLV. However, due to the effects of the pandemic and the resulting weak demand, American will not operate to Edinburgh, United Kingdom (EDI), Shannon, Ireland (SNN) and Hong Kong (HKG) this summer. American will continue to serve these markets through London Heathrow (LHR) and Dublin (DUB), through American’s Atlantic Joint Business partners, British Airways and Aer Lingus.

Top Copyright Photo: American Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner N876AL (msn 65996) PAE (Nick Dean). Image: 951869.

American aircraft slide show (Boeing):

Alaska Airlines and SkyNRG sign partnership to advance sustainable aviation fuel made from municipal solid waste

Alaska Airlines and SkyNRG Americas today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to increased investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The MOU builds on a long history of Alaska leadership advancing SAF and partners the airline with the global SAF pioneers at SkyNRG Americas.

Under the MOU, SkyNRG Americas will initially focus on the development of dedicated SAF production facilities to supply Western U.S. airports. These facilities will use commercially available technologies that enable the use of municipal solid waste and other waste-based inputs as feedstocks, as well as incorporating green hydrogen and renewable energy for minimizing carbon intensity. Beyond the focus of building out SAF production capacity, SkyNRG Americas and Alaska Airlines will continue to build awareness and understanding of SAF technologies, and advocate for public policies to accelerate the development of the SAF industry and infrastructure.

About Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Aviation is one of the most challenging industries to decarbonize in the transportation sector. While there are exciting opportunities for innovation in electric and hybrid hydrogen-electric aircraft, especially for smaller and regional aircraft, medium and long-haul air travel will continue to require high-quality, low carbon liquid fuel supplies for many decades to come.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel is a low carbon replacement for fossil-based jet fuel that is certified to meet ASTM Standards for jet fuel safety. It is approved for use globally as a drop-in fuel with maximum blending levels of 50% with Jet A fuel. Alaska Airlines has been an early adopter of SAF beginning in 2010 with test flights and continuing use of regular SAF offtake at San Francisco International Airport today.

SAF can be produced using various renewable resources, but this collaboration is focused on SAF made from municipal solid waste (MSW) and other waste-based feedstock sources. With this strategy, SkyNRG’s SAF will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80%, burn cleaner in jet engines, and reduce particulate matter by 90%. There are significant volumes of MSW available throughout the U.S that end up buried in landfills for decades. SkyNRG considers MSW and the associated waste streams that result from landfilling garbage as attractive feedstocks for the production of low carbon SAF. Of critical importance for Alaska and SkyNRG will be the continued work to maximize recycling and reduce waste streams before any conversion of MSW to SAF occurs.

SkyNRG Americas has a strong commitment to best practices in sustainability, including requiring all its production facilities to follow comprehensive and rigorous sustainability standards, such as the Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). SkyNRG Americas will be consistently advised by experts from its independent Sustainability Board and will have its operations and projects certified by RSB.

easyJet expects a first half loss before tax in the range of £690 to £730 million

easyJet (UK) released this financial statement:

Summary

easyJet has operated a disciplined flying program over the winter months whilst continuing to deliver a major restructuring and cost reduction program. As a result, easyJet expects a first half headline loss before tax in the range of £690 to £730 million, which is slightly better than expectations. The effects of the cost-out program will support improved margins and reduce seasonality for the future. Our capacity forecasting has been accurate and disciplined throughout the pandemic, which has allowed for strong cost control. Our focus on cash generative flying over the winter season has minimized cash burn, with cash burn in the second quarter better than guidance.

As at 31 March 2021 easyJet has unrestricted access to c.£2.9 billion of liquidity having raised over £5.5 billion since the beginning of the pandemic¹, and is well positioned to capitalize on the recovery of travel once restrictions are eased across the network.

easyJet has maintained a high level of operational flexibility to respond to rapidly-changing travel restrictions. We will continue to operate a reduced schedule throughout much of Q3 but are ready to ramp up our operations to match the level of demand we see in the market.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said:

“ easyJet has maintained a disciplined approach to flying during the first half of our financial year, resulting in a first half loss and cash burn better than expectations. We continue to have access to significant levels of liquidity alongside easyJet’s major cost-out program which continues to deliver ongoing cost and efficiency benefits. All of this positions us well to lead the recovery.

“We welcome the confirmation by the UK Government that international travel is on track to reopen as planned in mid-May. easyJet was founded to make travel accessible for all and so we continue to engage with Government to ensure that the cost of the required testing is driven down so that it doesn’t risk turning back the clock and make travel too costly for some.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation across Europe and with vaccination programs accelerating, most countries are planning to resume flying at scale in May. We have the operational flexibility to rapidly increase flying and add destinations to match demand. easyJet is ready to resume flying, prepared for the ramp up and looking forward to being able to reunite people with their families or take them on leisure and business flights once again. As a result, we remain well-positioned for the recovery this summer and beyond.”

Revenue

Passenger numbers² for the six months ending 31 March 2021 decreased by 89% to 4.1 million, in line with a decrease in capacity³ to 6.4 million seats, representing 14% of H1 2019 capacity levels. This led to total group revenue for the six months ending 31 March 2021 decreasing by c.90% to c.£235 million, with passenger revenue decreasing by c.91% to c.£165 million and ancillary revenue decreasing by c.87% to c.£70 million.

Cost & Cash Burn

Group headline costs excluding fuel for the first half decreased by c.59% to c.£845 million, driven by a decrease in capacity flown and the material savings achieved across many areas of the business from easyJet’s major cost-out program. easyJet maintained a disciplined approach to capacity and cash management and as a result, total cash burn during the second quarter was c.£470 million, which is better than previous guidance.

The structural cost-out program we announced last year, easyJet’s largest ever, is on track to achieve our targeted cost savings and will position easyJet well to lead the recovery in aviation.

Capacity

During the first half easyJet flew 14% of H1 2019 capacity, in line with our expectations. Our capacity forecasting has been accurate and disciplined throughout the pandemic, which has helped deliver strong cost control.

	January 2021	February 2021	March 2021	Q2 2021
Passengers (thousand) ²	456	367	405	1,228

Seats flown (thousand)	787	612	663	2,062
% of 2019 capacity flown	12%	9%	8%	9%

Load factor ⁴	58%	60%	61%	60%

Network

easyJet remains disciplined in focussing on profitable flying. Our operations, financial and commercial teams are running dynamic schedule updates, on a regular basis, in order to capitalize on all available demand. We retain significant operational flexibility to enable us to capture pent-up demand and are able to ramp up flying quickly when demand returns.

Flexibility

easyJet’s market-leading flexible customer policies are driving trust and confidence to book. We are offering more flexibility than ever before. Our Protection Promise for both flights and holidays means that customers can book now with the confidence that if their plans change, so can their booking.

Ancillaries

Ancillary revenues represent a significant opportunity for easyJet to increase revenue per seat and margins in the coming years.

In January easyJet launched a new fare class called Standard Plus, which is performing well. Our new cabin bag policy came into effect in February and early indications show that this is also on track relative to our revenue expectations, as well as having a positive effect on our On Time Performance metrics. The ability to bring a large overhead cabin bag on board is now bundled with Up front and Extra legroom seating. The seating and bag packages are actively yield managed and dynamically priced from £7.99.

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

easyJet has taken swift and decisive action successfully raising over £5.5 billion in liquidity since the beginning of the pandemic¹, from a diversified range of funding sources.

In March easyJet’s subsidiary easyJet FinCo B.V. issued a €1.2 billion bond under our Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) program. The bond matures in March 2028 and has a coupon of 1.875%. There was good market appetite for the bond, which was heavily oversubscribed. easyJet continues to maintain access to a diverse range of funding sources and continues to review its debt maturity profile.

As at 31 March 2021 easyJet has unrestricted access to c.£2.9 billion of liquidity, comprising cash and cash equivalents, money market funds, money market deposits plus the undrawn portion of the UKEF facility. The first £300 million tranche of easyJet’s borrowings from the CCFF was repaid in March 2021 and the remaining £300 million is due in November 2021. easyJet has no other debt maturities outstanding until FY 2023.

We retain ownership of 56% of the total fleet, with 41% unencumbered. Sale and leaseback transactions on 23 aircraft were concluded during H2 2020, raising £608 million gross proceeds and adding c.£50 million to pro forma per annum headline costs. During H1 2021 transactions were concluded on 35 aircraft, raising £842 million gross proceeds and adding a further c.£90 million to pro forma per annum headline costs.

Photo: IG/speedbirduk

As previously indicated, easyJet will continue to review its liquidity position on a regular basis and will continue to assess further funding opportunities.

Fuel & FX hedging

Due to the sustained lower capacity expected for several months ahead, easyJet has continued to see hedge ratios moving over 100% from both a jet fuel and FX perspective. To mitigate the effects of this, easyJet has taken action to close out over-hedge positions, to mitigate its exposure to volatility in the fair value of discontinued hedges. easyJet continues to hedge contractual exposures (such as leases and capex) and has decreased the amount of operational hedging that is taken out for future periods until there is greater clarity around exposures.

Non-Headline Items

Non-headline items for the six months ending 31 March 2021 are expected to reflect a net c.£55 million credit. This is comprised principally of gains related to sale and leaseback transactions, with a net charge related to fuel hedge discontinuation being largely offset by a release of restructuring provisions. The release of restructuring provisions is based on current expectations of our latest discussions with unions, on which we will provide a further update at the half year results. This will be subject to review by our auditors.

Outlook

Based on current travel restrictions in the markets in which we operate, easyJet expects to fly up to 20% of 2019 capacity levels in Q3 with an expectation that capacity levels will start to increase from late May onwards. We maintain significant flexibility to ramp capacity up or down quickly depending upon the unwinding of travel restrictions and expected demand across our European network.

The group headline loss before tax for the six months ending 31 March 2021 is expected to be in the range of £690 to £730 million.

The group reported loss before tax is expected to reflect the positive impact of the non-headline items discussed above.

easyJet will release half year results for the six months ending 31 March 2021 on 20 May 2021.

At this stage, given the continued level of short-term uncertainty, it would not be appropriate to provide any further financial guidance for the 2021 financial year. Customers are booking closer to departure and visibility remains limited.

KEY H1 FINANCIALS

Six months ended	31 March 2021	31 March 2020	Change Fav./(adv.)
Number of flights	35,100	244,235	(85%)
Peak operating aircraft	161	318	(49%)

Passengers (thousand) ²	4,086	38,566	(89%)
Seats flown (thousand)	6,412	42,702	(85%)
Load factor ⁴	63.7%	90.3%	(26.6ppts)

Total group revenue (£ million)	c.235	2,382	(90%)
Passenger revenue (£ million)	c.165	1,833	(91%)
Ancillary revenue (£ million)	c.70	549	(87%)

Total group headline cost (£ million)	(c.940)	(2,575)	64%

Group headline profit/(loss) before tax (£ million)	(690-730)	(193)	(497-537)