Norwegian August 2020 traffic figures heavily influenced by travel restrictions and drop in demand

Norwegian Air Shuttle made this announcement:

Norwegian’s traffic figures for August are heavily influenced by the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent travel restrictions and drop in demand. In August, capacity was 94% lower than last year, while the flights that were operated had a load factor of 62.1%.

From July 1 Norwegian reopened 76 routes and put an additional 15 aircraft into service, throughout the summer frequencies and routes were adjusted in accordance with variations in passenger demand linked to changing government travel restrictions and advice.

Compared to the same period last year total capacity (ASK) decreased by 94 percent while total passenger traffic (RPK) decreased by 96 percent. Load factor was 62.1 percent, down 27.9 percentage points. The total number of customers carried in August was 313,316 a decrease of 91 percent.

Norwegian on August 28, 2020 reported its results for the first half year of 2020. The figures are as expected heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with a net loss of NOK 5.3 billion. During the first half of 2020, 5.31 million customers travelled with the company; a decrease of 71 percent compared to the same period last year. Norwegian successfully converted debt, gained access to state guaranteed loans of NOK 3 billion and conducted a public offering, in addition to implementing a series of cost-reduction measures. Still, Norwegian is facing challenging times ahead.

Before COVID-19, Norwegian had guided the market of a profitable 2020 and the best summer ever. Strict government travel advice and the following drop in customer demand forced Norwegian to ground 140 aircraft and furlough or lay off approximately 8,000 employees. In the second quarter, Norwegian only operated 7-8 aircraft on domestic routes in Norway. Following a successful restructuring process, the company gained access to the Norwegian government’s loan guarantee of NOK 3 billion and an additional NOK 0.3 billion from commercial banks.

“When we entered 2020, we were expecting a positive result and the best summer ever, thanks to successful cost-saving initiatives and a more efficient operation. Then we were hit by COVID-19 and customer demand literally stopped from one day to the next, as government-imposed travel restrictions and travel advice were introduced world-wide. For the past months we have been working tirelessly to make sure that we can emerge from this crisis as a stronger company, well-positioned for future competition. Some of these measures have been painful, but totally necessary if we are to make it through at all. Creditors, bondholders and shareholders have shown us support and trust to find a way forward for the company and our customers are expressing their strong support, for which I am grateful. And not least, I am extremely proud of all our Red Nose Warriors who are keeping up a positive spirit,” said CEO Jacob Schram.

During the first six months of 2020, 5.3 million customers travelled with Norwegian, compared to 18.1 million during the same period previous year. Production (ASK) was down by 69 percent and passenger traffic (RPK) decreased by 72 percent. The load factor was 78.2 percent, a decrease of 6.5 percentage points compared to the first half of 2019. Both load factor and production are adjusted according to the government mandatory blocking of middle seats on domestic routes in Norway in the second quarter of 2020.

Punctuality was at 87.2 percent, an improvement of 7.3 percentage points compared to the first half of 2019.

Poor visibility creates uncertainty ahead

On July 1, Norwegian reopened 76 routes, put an additional 15 aircraft into service and brought more than 600 employees back to work. The market is still highly uncertain, mainly due to changing travel advice from governments across Europe. As the government changes its travel advice, demand is immediately impacted. Going forward the company will continue to adjust its route portfolio in line with demand and government travel advice.

“The COVID-19 crisis has impacted aviation and the travel industry particularly hard, and most companies need government support to survive. We see that many of our main competitors receive considerable liquidity support from their governments as aviation represents the backbone of infrastructure. We are thankful for the loan guarantee made available to us by the Norwegian government which we worked hard to obtain. However, given the current market conditions it is not enough to get through this prolonged crisis,” Schram said.

Southwest is finally coming to Miami and Palm Springs

Southwest Airlines made this announcement:

Southwest Airlines today announced plans to bring its Customers two new destinations later this year by initiating service year-round to both Miami International Airport (MIA), and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), subject to requisite government approvals.

Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly shared news of the additional service points on the carrier’s route map in a weekly video message to the Company’s Employees:

Each airport fits our route system exceptionally well. Palm Springs is a great California destination. Southwest has long carried more Customers to, from, and within the Golden State than any other airline.

Just as we serve multiple airports in metro areas across the country, South Florida is ripe for another. Miami will complement, and augment, existing South Florida service we have in Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and West Palm Beach. Miami already sees some Southwest aircraft on a weekly basis as part of our maintenance program, so adding an ability for our Customers to travel there with us is a win.

United Helps Customers Navigate Travel Restrictions with New Online, Interactive Map

United Airlines today introduces a new interactive map tool on united.com and the United mobile app that allows customers to filter and view destinations’ COVID-19 related travel restrictions. The Destination Travel Guide, a first among U.S. airlines, provides an interactive, color coded map to highlight if a destination is closed, partially open or fully open for travel, and will also note if any tests or self-quarantining is required for travel. Customers can easily filter destinations to view local regulations, such as social distancing and mask enforcement, as well as to see if hotels, restaurants and other leisure outlets are open to the public.

“We know it’s a challenge to keep up with the ever-changing list of travel restrictions, policies and regulations so we are offering a simple, easy tool that helps customers decide where to travel next,” said Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer. “By providing the most up-to-date information on the destinations we serve, customers can compare and shop for travel with greater confidence and help them find the destinations that best fit their preferences.”

The Destination Travel Guide currently highlights travel restrictions and leisure offerings in the U.S. by state, and will expand to include all international destinations the airline serves in the coming weeks. Customers viewing the color-coded map can click on each state to view local regulations and travel guidances. There is also the option to filter the map by state to view specific information on each destination, including:

Medical certificate needed (such as negative COVID test)
Non-essential shops open
Tourism accommodation open
Restaurants open
Bars and cafes open
Museum and heritage sites open
Mask in public required
Physical distancing required

The new map feature follows several recent innovations from United that were designed to enhance the travel experience. As part of its United CleanPlus program, the airline recently introduced touchless check-in, text alerts for passengers on standby and upgrade lists to reduce person-to-person interaction, and a new chat function to give customers a contactless option to receive immediate access to information about cleaning and safety procedures.

Committed to Ensuring a Safe Journey
Through the United CleanPlus program, the airline is committed to putting health and safety at the forefront of every customer’s journey, with the goal of delivering an industry-leading standard of cleanliness. United has teamed up with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to redefine cleaning and health safety procedures from check-in to landing and has implemented more than a dozen new policies, protocols and innovations designed with the safety of customers and employees in mind, including:

Requiring all travelers – including crew members – to wear face coverings and potentially revoking travel privileges for customers who do not follow these requirements, as underscored in a recent video from United CEO Scott Kirby.
Using state-of-the-art high-efficiency (HEPA) filters on most United mainline aircraft to circulate air and remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles.
Using electrostatic spraying before departure for enhanced cabin sanitation.
Adding a step to the check-in process, based on a recommendation from the Cleveland Clinic, requiring customers to acknowledge they do not have symptoms for COVID-19 and agree to follow our policies, including wearing a mask on board.
Offering customers a touchless baggage check-in experience at more than 200 airports across the United States; United is the first U.S. airline to make this technology available.

Ryanair to launch a new Liverpool route to Kosice

Ryanair has announced the launch of its new Liverpool to Kosice route. This twice weekly service, exclusively available with Ryanair, commences from October 25, 2020.

Meanwhile, Ryanair, like other airlines, is offering a fare sale:

Ryanair August traffic falls 53% to 7.0 million guests as COVID-19 restrictions impact traffic

Ryanair Holdings plc has released its August traffic statistics as follows:

	2019	2020	Growth
Ryanair Group	14.9m	7.0m	-53%

Rolling Annual	149.2m	88.9m (91% LF)	-40%

Ryanair operated approximately 60% of our normal August schedule with a 73% load factor.

Emirates and flydubai reactivate partnership offering seamless travel to over 100 unique destinations through Dubai

Emirates and flydubai have announced that customers of both airlines can once again access a wider range of travel options around the world, connecting seamlessly and safely through Dubai.

Following the progressive resumption of passenger flights to global destinations, the two Dubai-based airlines have revived their successful and strategic partnership to offer customers increased connectivity, convenience and travel flexibility. Emirates customers can now travel on codeshare flights to over 30 destinations on flydubai, while flydubai customers have over 70 destinations they can travel to on Emirates. Some of the favourite flydubai destinations for Emirates passengers include: Belgrade, Bucharest, Kyiv, Sofia and Zanzibar.

Commenting on the renewal of the partnership, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are delighted to announce that our customers can once again take advantage of the complementary strengths of Emirates and flydubai to access an enhanced network of cities on a single ticket and integrated loyalty programme, enjoy a safe, smooth and stress-free transfer experience through Dubai and have their baggage checked through to their final destination.

Emirates and flydubai will offer travel experiences reflecting their individual brands while keeping the health and safety of customers and employees on the ground and in air as their top priority. The two airlines have each implemented extensive safety measures to combat COVID-19 at every step of the customer’s journey including enhanced sanitisation of all touchpoints and advanced HEPA filters fitted in aircraft cabins to eliminate dust, allergens and germs from the cabin air.

Customers transiting through Dubai go through thermal screening at the airport. Transfer desks at Dubai airport have been fitted with protective anti-microbial screens and airport staff dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) are available to provide additional assistance. Several of flydubai’s flights to destinations in Africa, Central Asia and Europe operate from Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, facilitating seamless connections to passengers travelling on Emirates’ flights to and from Dubai.

COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit customers to Dubai further assuring a safe transfer experience through the airport for customers of Emirates and flydubai.

Customers boarding Emirates flights will also be provided with a complimentary hygiene kit containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and anti-bacterial wipes.

Emirates optimistic on network recovery by summer 2021; operates one-off A380 flight to PH’s Clark airport

Emirates indicated optimism that it will be able to operate 100 percent of its network of destinations by summer of next year, returning to serving more than 140 cities, and gradually putting its Airbus A380 fleet back into service on routes with high demand.

Emirates has deployed its flagship A380 aircraft to London, Cairo, Paris, Guangzhou, and Toronto, and recently increased to a second daily service to London, operated with an A380, to meet demand. The UAE carrier also operated a one-off A380 commercial flight to Clark International Airport on August 19, becoming the first scheduled commercial flight, utilizing the iconic aircraft, to operate to the Luzon-based airport.

Carrying 405 passengers from Dubai that include overseas Filipino workers, the one-off A380 to Clark was heartily welcomed complete with a ceremonial water cannon salute, underscoring the international carrier’s celebration of its 30th anniversary of serving the Philippines.

Emirates has seen a huge demand for its six weekly flights from Dubai to Clark as well as in its daily flights to Manila since it resumed operations earlier in August. Emirates also recently resumed operations to Cebu as well.

Saying they are proud to fly their first A380 service to Clark, Country Manager for Emirates-Philippines, Satish Sethi, also thanked the authorities in the Philippinesfor supporting the airline through the years.

“We resumed scheduled passenger services to Clark on 1 August with six weekly flights and have since been witnessing tremendous demand from customers in the UAE and other cities within our network to travel to the Philippines,” the airline executive said.

“In addition to marking a milestone and making its debut to Clark, the highly-popular Emirates A380 aircraft will accommodate more travellers on the flight, while allowing them to experience its unique features and safety protocols we have put in place to protect our customers and crew,” Satish added.

The Philippine government has been stepping up efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its “Build, Build, Build” program forming the cornerstone of economic recovery.

“We have to continue to prioritize the infrastructure program to immediately create jobs, encourage investments, and increase economic activity,” Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said, explaining that “investments in infrastructure have the highest multiplier effect in the economy.”

One of the priority projects is Clark International Airport which is close to 100 percent completion. According to Secretary Dominguez, the international airport will help clear the congestion in the airport in Manila and “anchor the rapid development of Central and Northern Luzon and other districts of Clark, which we expect to become the next investment center in Asia,” the Philippine official said.

Emirates Airline has been serving the Philippines since 1990 and inaugurated its first service to Clark in 2016. In 2014, the Emirates A380 made a one-off trip to Manila, marking its first arrival in the country.

Spirit Airlines adds Orange County, expanding Los Angeles-area flying

Spirit Airlines has made this announcement:

The brightest planes in the sky are soaring over Southern California. Spirit Airlines has announced daily nonstop flights from John Wayne Airport (SNA) to Las Vegas and Oakland beginning November 17.

Spirit touched down in California more than 20 years ago with its first flight to Los Angeles (LAX), launching two decades of growth across the Golden State. In the years that followed, the airline expanded its options for Guests in the L.A. basin with service to Burbank (BUR), and grew to serve Sacramento (SMF), Oakland (OAK) and San Diego (SAN) as well.

Spirit Airlines in California*
Airport:	Flights Available:
John Wayne (SNA)	3x daily
Los Angeles (LAX)	Up to 25x daily
San Diego (SAN)	up to 5x daily
Oakland (OAK)	up to 5x daily
Sacramento (SMF)	up to 3x daily
Burbank (BUR)	up to 2x daily

*Flight Information for November 2020

Spirit’s arrival at SNA opens one-stop access to cities across the country. The airline will offer Guests two daily flights from SNA to Oakland International Airport (OAK) along with daily service to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS). The flight to LAS comes with convenient connections to another 15 major U.S. cities. Vacationers arriving at SNA will find themselves closer to Disneyland than ever, thanks to the airport’s magical location.

Guest Safety

Spirit’s commitment to Safe Travels includes a multi-layered safety approach that requires all Guests and Team Members to wear face coverings. Each passenger agrees to that policy as part of a health and safety acknowledgement prior to boarding the aircraft. Every plane in our Fit Fleet^® uses state-of-the-art, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that capture 99.97% of particles and filter the air for contaminants every 3 minutes.

Between each flight, enhanced cleaning procedures focus on high-touch areas such as tray tables and armrests using hospital-grade disinfectants. Spirit also uses two EPA-registered fogging treatments. The first applies a safe, high-grade disinfectant that’s effective against coronaviruses. The second uses an antimicrobial product that forms an invisible barrier on all surfaces that kills bacteria and viruses on contact for 30 days. Please visit Spirit’s COVID-19 Information Center for more information on safety enhancements.

KLM and TU Delft present successful first flight Flying-V

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines made this announcement:

The scale model of the Flying-V – the energy-efficient aircraft of the future – has flown for the first time. A year and a half ago TU Delft and KLM announced the start of the design of the Flying-V during IATA 2019 and after extensive wind tunnel tests and ground tests it was finally ready. The first successful test flight is a fact.

Last month a team of researchers, engineers and a drone pilot from TU Delft travelled to an airbase in Germany for the first test flight. “We were very curious about the flight characteristics of the Flying-V. The design fits within our Fly Responsibly initiative, which stands for everything we are doing and will do to improve our sustainability. We want a sustainable future for aviation and innovation is part of that. KLM has been among the top three most sustainable airlines worldwide in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for many years. We want to continue to do so in the future. We are therefore very proud that we have been able to achieve this together in such a short period of time,” says Pieter Elbers, President and CEO of KLM.

The Flying-V is a design for a very energy-efficient long-haul aircraft. The design of the aircraft integrates the passenger cabin, cargo hold and fuel tanks in the wings, creating a spectacular V-shape. Computer calculations have predicted that the improved aerodynamic shape and reduced weight of the aircraft will reduce fuel consumption by 20% compared to today’s most advanced aircraft.

Collaboration and Innovation

KLM presented the scale model for the first time during KLM’s 100th anniversary in October 2019. Several partners are now involved in the project, including manufacturer Airbus. Elbers: “You can’t make the aviation sector more sustainable on your own, but you have to do it together,” says Elbers. Collaborating with partners and sharing knowledge takes us all further. That’s why we will further develop the Flying-V concept with all partners. The next step will be to fly the Flying V on sustainable fuel”.

IATA: Sluggish improvement in passenger demand continues in July

IATA issued this report:

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger demand in July (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs), continued at critically low levels–79.8% below July 2019 levels. This was somewhat better than the 86.6% year-over-year decline recorded in June, primarily driven by domestic markets, most notably Russia and China. Market reopening in the Schengen Area helped to boost international demand in Europe, but other international markets showed little change from June. Capacity was 70.1% below 2019 levels and load factor sagged to a record low for July, at 57.9%.

“The crisis in demand continued with little respite in July. With essentially four in five air travelers staying home, the industry remains largely paralyzed. Governments reopening and then closing borders or removing and then re-imposing quarantines does not give many consumers confidence to make travel plans, nor airlines to rebuild schedules,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

JULY 2020 (% YEAR-ON-YEAR)	WORLD SHARE1	RPK	ASK	PLF (%-PT)²	PLF (LEVEL)³
Total Market	100.0%	-79.8%	-70.1%	-27.7%	57.9%
Africa	2.1%	-93.7%	-84.3%	43.4%	29.6%
Asia Pacific	34.6%	-72.2%	-64.9%	-17.2%	65.7%
Europe	26.8%	-81.3%	-72.7%	28.1%	60.9%
Latin America	5.1%	-87.5%	-83.2%	-22.0%	63.1%
Middle East	9.1%	-92.5%	-84.7%	-41.7%	39.6%
North America	22.3%	-80.6%	-63.9%	-41.0%	47.6%

International Passenger Markets

July international passenger demand collapsed 91.9% compared to July 2019, a slight improvement over the 96.8% decline recorded in June. Capacity plummeted 85.2%, and load factor sank 38.9 percentage points to 46.4%.

European carriers’ July demand toppled 87.1% compared to last year, improved from a 96.7% drop in June, year-over-year, reflecting relaxation of travel restrictions in the Schengen Area. Capacity dropped 79.2% and load factor fell by 33.8 percentage points to 55.1%.

Asia-Pacific airlines’ July traffic dived 96.5% compared to the year-ago period, virtually unchanged from a 97.1% drop in June, and the steepest contraction among regions. Capacity fell 91.7% and load factor shrank 47.3 percentage points to 35.3%.

Middle Eastern airlines posted a 93.3% traffic decline for July, compared with a 96.1% demand drop in June. Capacity tumbled 85.6%, and load factor sank 43.4 percentage points to 38.0%.

North American carriers saw a 94.5% traffic decline in July, a slight uptick from a 97.1% decline in June. Capacity fell 86.1%, and load factor dropped 53.0 percentage points to 35.0%, second lowest among regions.

Latin American airlines experienced a 95.0% demand drop in July, compared to the same month last year, versus a 96.6% drop in June. Capacity fell 92.6% and load factor sank 27.1 percentage points to 58.4%, highest among the regions.

African airlines’ traffic dropped 94.6% in July, somewhat improved from a 97.8% contraction in June. Capacity contracted 84.6%, and load factor fell 47.1 percentage points to 25.4%, which was the lowest among regions.

Domestic Passenger Markets

Domestic traffic fell 57.5% in July. This was an improvement compared to a 68% decline in June. Domestic capacity fell 42.2% and load factor dropped 22.9 percentage points to 63.3%.

JULY 2020 (% YEAR-ON-YEAR)	WORLD SHARE1	RPK	ASK	PLF (%-PT)²	PLF (LEVEL)³
Domestic	36.2%	-57.5%	-42.2%	-22.9%	63.3%
Dom. Australia	0.8%	-90.0%	-82.8%	-34.7%	48.5%
Dom. Brazil	1.1%	-77.7%	-74.9%	-9.5%	75.2%
Dom. China P.R.	9.8%	-28.4%	-18.3%	-10.5%	74.4%
Dom. Japan	1.1%	-65.2%	-44.0%	-27.2%	44.6%
Dom. Russian Fed.	1.5%	-17.7%	-0.8%	-15.7%	76.5%
Dom. US	14.0	-72.6%	-50.7%	39.7%	49.6%

China’s carriers’ traffic was down 28.4% compared to July 2019. Recovery had slowed modestly in June amid new virus outbreaks but resumed its pace from mid-July.

Russian airlines’ domestic traffic was down 17.7% in July, dramatically improved compared with 58% decline in June. Demand has been supported by low domestic fares and a boom in domestic tourism.