Finnair’s traffic drops by 56.4% in March

Finnair has made this announcement:

In March, Finnair carried 498,600 passengers which is 56.4% less than in the corresponding period of 2019. The overall capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) decreased in March by 39.4%. Finnair’s traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) decreased by 55.2%. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) decreased year-on-year by 20.3% points to 58.0%. All traffic figures were heavily impacted by the coronavirus, related route and frequency cancellations as well as travel restrictions.

The ASK decline in Asian traffic was 43.9%. The North Atlantic capacity decreased by 12.4%. In European traffic, the ASKs were down by 38.1%. The ASKs in domestic traffic decreased by 37.6%.

RPKs decreased in Asian traffic by 58.5%, in North Atlantic traffic by 28.6%, in European traffic by 55.6% and in domestic traffic by 51.7%.

The PLF was 59.0% in Asian traffic, 65.4% in North Atlantic traffic, 56.2% in European traffic and 50.6% in domestic traffic.

Passenger numbers decreased in Asian traffic by 59.6%, in North Atlantic traffic by 32.9%, in European traffic by 57.2% and in domestic traffic by 54.3%.

Available scheduled cargo tonne kilometres decreased by 38.4% year-on-year and revenue scheduled cargo tonne kilometres decreased by 47.0%, both due to the coronavirus impact.

In March, 92.0% of all Finnair flights arrived on schedule (78.6%).

Traffic statistics for April 2020 will be published on Thursday 7 May 2020.

Finnair Traffic Performance March 2020
	Month	% Change	YTD	% Change
Total traffic
Passengers 1,000	498.6	-56.4	2,655.5	-15.6
Available seat kilometres mill	2,264.2	-39.4	9,670.8	-9.4
Revenue passenger kilometres mill	1,312.4	-55.2	7,025.3	-15.9
Passenger load factor %	58.0	-20.3p	72.6	-5.7p
Cargo tonnes total	7,344.2	-47.2	30,092.2	-19.8
Available tonne kilometres mill	336.0	-38.6	1,421.8	-9.6
Revenue tonne kilometres mill	164.2	-53.1	817.5	-17.1

Asia
Passengers 1,000 Asia	80.3	-59.6	465.5	-21.5
Available seat kilometres mill Asia	1,069.3	-43.9	4,673.8	-14.2
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Asia	630.5	-58.5	3,568.4	-20.7
Passenger load factor % Asia	59.0	-20.7p	76.3	-6.2p

Europe
Passengers 1,000 Europe	279.6	-57.2	1,515.6	-14.4
Available seat kilometres mill Europe	845.0	-38.1	3,569.3	-6.7
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Europe	475.2	-55.6	2,457.1	-14.1
Passenger load factor % Europe	56.2	-22.1p	68.8	-5.9p

North Atlantic
Passengers 1,000 North Atlantic	16.4	-32.9	82.2	7.7
Available seat kilometres mill North Atlantic	200.4	-12.4	847.0	16.3
Revenue passenger kilometres mill North Atlantic	131.1	-28.6	647.0	10.1
Passenger load factor % North Atlantic	65.4	-14.8p	76.4	-4.3p

Domestic
Passengers 1,000 Domestic	122.3	-54.3	592.2	-16.3
Available seat kilometres mill Domestic	149.5	-37.6	580.7	-12.9
Revenue passenger kilometres mill Domestic	75.6	-51.7	352.8	-13.9
Passenger load factor % Domestic	50.6	-14.7p	60.8	-0.7p

Cargo Traffic
Europe tonnes	1,686.2	-37.6	6,779.8	-7.2
North Atlantic tonnes	572.5	-21.0	2,513.2	21.2
Asia tonnes	5,049.8	-51.6	20,685.2	-26.1
Domestic tonnes	35.7	-28.2	114.1	-26.0
Cargo scheduled traffic total tonnes	7,344.2	-47.2	30,092.2	-19.8
Cargo flights, tonnes**	0	0	0	0
Cargo Traffic tonnes total	7,344.2	-47.2	30,092.2	-19.8
Available tonne kilometres* mill	89.1	-38.4	362.3	-10.8
Revenue tonne kilometres mill	46.8	-47.0	189.1	-20.6
Available sched. cargo tonne kms*, mill	89.1	-38.4	362.3	-10.8
Revenue sched. cargo tonne kms, mill	46.8	-47.0	189.1	-20.6
Cargo load factor* %	52.5	-8.6p	52.2	-6.4p
– North-Atlantic cargo load factor* %	67.7	5.2p	66.1	5.9p
– Asia cargo load factor* %	57.4	-10.4p	55.8	-8.9p
Scheduled traffic Cargo load factor*, %	52.5	-8.6p	52.2	-6.4p

* Operational calculatory capacity

** Including purchased traffic

Change %: Change compared to the figures of the respective periods in the previous year (p = points).
Available seat kilometres. ASK: Total number of seats available. multiplied by the number of kilometres flown.
Revenue passenger kilometres. RPK: Number of revenue passengers carried. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Passenger load factor: Share of revenue passenger kilometres of available seat kilometres.
Available tonne kilometres. ATK: Number of tonnes of capacity for carriage of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Revenue tonne kilometres. RTK: Total revenue load consisting of passengers. cargo and mail. multiplied by kilometres flown.
Overall load factor: Share of revenue tonne kilometres of available tonne kilometres.

Finnair aircraft photo gallery:

SAS lays off nearly 11,000 employees in Scandinavia

SAS has issued this status report and traffic figures for March 2020:

As an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions imposed by many governments, SAS capacity was reduced by over 45% compared to last year. During April, almost all flights will be canceled except for a few domestic routes in Norway and Sweden.

Just over one month has passed since we started being severely affected by the Coronavirus crisis, and we are now in a situation never before experienced. For the first time in the history of SAS, we are not offering any scheduled international flights. Since Monday this week, we are only operating a limited domestic network in Norway and Sweden. In Norway, we are serving more destinations than in Sweden following an agreement with the Norwegian government.

We remain at the disposal of public authorities and continue to play an important role in providing critical services for the Scandinavian society, including bringing home stranded citizens from various parts of the world and transporting critical medical equipment. It is important for us to contribute when and where we can in these unprecedented and challenging times. However, these flights do not compensate for the significant loss in revenue due to the travel restrictions.

In the light of the sharp decrease in revenue we must continue to adjust our costs to the extent possible. We have been forced to temporarily lay off a majority of our employees. At time of writing, nearly 11,000 employees have been temporarily laid off in Scandinavia. We have also given notice of permanent redundancy for some 120 positions in Sweden.

When the COVID-19 crisis struck with full force, SAS enjoyed a strong financial preparedness. Naturally, this has been beneficial in this difficult situation due to the travel restrictions imposed by the governments. We are pleased that Denmark, Sweden and Norway are providing some financial support, however the earmarked amounts will not suffice to secure and safeguard critical infrastructure if the situation is prolonged.

SAS has safeguarded airline traffic in Scandinavia for over 70 years and we miss being able to welcome our customers on board what we call our second home. I hope to be able to resume safe and reliable operations as soon as possible, but until then I would like to thank our customers for their patience and support, and my colleagues at SAS for their dedication to SAS and our societies during these difficult times, says Rickard Gustafson, CEO SAS.

SAS scheduled traffic	Mar20	Change¹	Nov19- Mar20	Change¹
ASK (Mill.)	2 288	-44.9%	16 462	-9.7%
RPK (Mill.)	1 113	-61.9%	10 710	-13.6%
Passenger load factor	48,6%	-21.7 p.p.	65.1%	-2.9 p.p.
No. of passengers (000)	995	-59.6%	9,149	-12.6%

Geographical development, schedule	Mar20 vs. Mar19		Nov19-Mar20 vs. Nov18-Mar19
	RPK	ASK	RPK	ASK
Intercontinental	-69.9%	-55.6%	-18.4%	-13.0%
Europe/Intrascandinavia	-59.3%	-42.1%	-10.7%	-8.5%
Domestic	-52.4%	-32.2%	-10.1%	-6.2%

SAS charter traffic	Mar20	Change¹	Nov19-Mar20	Change¹
ASK (Mill.)	103	-53.7%	818	-7.6%
RPK (Mill.)	74	-63.5%	731	-9.9%
Load factor	71.4%	-19.3 p.p.	89.3%	-2.3 p.p.
No. of passengers (000)	25	-64.0%	241	-8.6%

SAS total traffic (scheduled and charter)	Mar20	Change¹	Nov19-Mar20	Change¹
ASK (Mill.)	2 391	-45.4%	17 280	-9.6%
RPK (Mill.)	1 187	-62.0%	11 440	-13.3%
Load factor	49.6%	-21.8 p u	66.2%	-2.9 p.p.
No. of passengers (000)	1 020	-59.7%	9 390	-12.5%

¹ Change compared to same period last year p.p. = percentage points

Preliminary yield and PASK	Mar20	Nominal change	FX adjusted change
Yield, SEK	1.02	+3.7%	+4.1%
PASK, SEK	0.50	-28.3%	-28.1%

			Mar20
Punctuality (arrival 15 min)			88.8%
Regularity			86.6%
Change in total CO₂emissions, rolling 12 months			-7.4%
Change in CO₂emissions per available seat kilometer			-3.3%
Carbon offsetting of passenger related emissions			33%

Definitions:

RPK – Revenue passenger kilometers
ASK – Available seat kilometers
Load factor – RPK/ASK
Yield – Passenger revenues/RPK (scheduled)
PASK – Passenger revenues/ASK (scheduled)
Change in CO₂emissions per available seat kilometers – SAS passenger related carbon emissions divided with total available seat kilometers (incl. non-revenue and EuroBonus), rolling 12 months
Carbon offsetting of passenger related emissions – Share of SAS passenger related carbon emissions compensated by SAS (EuroBonus members, youth tickets and SAS’ staff travel)
From fiscal year 2020 we report change in CO₂ emissions in total and per Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) to align with our overall goal to reduce our total CO₂ emissions by 25% by 2030, compared to 2005.

SAS aircraft photo gallery:

Air Canada announces the extension of Altitude Status for all members

Air Canada has announced several updates for Altitude members to ensure their status remains in effect until they are able to resume flying. The changes include the extension of current status until the end of 2021, the ability to share any status achieved in 2020 with a loved one, and new opportunities to qualify for Altitude status and earn Aeroplan Miles from home.

“Loyalty is a two-way street – certainly in good times, but especially so in hard times. Altitude members have shown outstanding commitment to Air Canada, and to provide some certainty during these uncertain times, we are extending members’ current Altitude status to the end of 2021. We’re also making it easier to share status with a loved one, and earn both status and Aeroplan miles from home.” said Mark Nasr, Vice President, Loyalty and eCommerce at Air Canada. “The entire Air Canada team is looking forward to welcoming all customers back in the skies when the time is right.”

In order to provide greater ease and flexibility, changes for Air Canada Altitude customers include:

Automatic extension of 2020 Altitude status
All Altitude status for 2020 will automatically be extended through to the end of 2021. Should a member reach a higher status before the end of this year, they will enjoy it upon qualification, and maintain it through 2021 as well.

Share Altitude status with friends and family
Since Altitude status is secure through 2021, if a member has already achieved status for next year, or does so by the end of 2020, they can gift it to a friend or family member.

Continue to earn Altitude status and Aeroplan Miles – from home
While at home, a member can still earn Aeroplan Miles, progress towards Altitude status and make a difference with their miles. From now until April 30, for every five Aeroplan Miles a member donates to a charity engaged in fighting the COVID-19 crisis, they will receive one Altitude Qualifying Mile – up to a maximum of 25,000 AQM – all of which count towards 2021 status for the member, and a loved one.

These improvements come in addition to other changes for all Aeroplan members already announced:

Cancel any Flight Reward free of charge
Until April 30, all members can cancel any Flight Reward free of charge and receive all of their Aeroplan Miles back in their account, plus a full refund of any associated taxes, fees and surcharges on the unused value of their travel. This is available for flight itineraries departing any date in the future.

Temporary pause to expiration of Aeroplan Miles
We have paused expiry until May 14, 2020. This means that between now and May 14, any Aeroplan Miles which would have expired will not. Effective May 15, our normal expiration policy will once again apply, meaning that miles will expire if an eligible transaction has not been completed prior to this date.

Air Canada aircraft photo gallery:

United Airlines extends status for MileagePlus Premier Members to 2022

United Airlines is announcing a series of key changes to assist customers and MileagePlus members, including extending members’ current MileagePlus Premier status through January 2022. At a minimum, all MileagePlus Premier members will retain the status they earned for 2020, through January 2022*. In addition, for the 2021 status year, United is reducing thresholds for Premier qualification by 50 percent for each status level, to make reaching an even higher status tier easier.

“From the onset of this crisis, we committed to doing what is right and fair for all of our members,” said Luc Bondar, vice president of loyalty at United. “Over the years, our members have placed their trust and loyalty in United, and through the various initiatives we’re laying out today, we are reiterating our mutual commitment and loyalty to them. When they are ready to travel with us again, we will be there for them. And in these unprecedented times where it seems like every day brings new challenges, it’s an honor to share positive news that will – I hope – put a smile on the faces of our loyal customers.”

In addition to extending premier status for members into 2022 and lowering thresholds for each Premier tier, for the first time ever, United is increasing the maximum number of premier qualifying points (PQPs) United Explorer and United Club credit card holders can earn through card spend toward status in 2021. From May 1 through December 31, 2020, United will be offering a promotion that doubles the maximum PQPs for United Explorer credit cardmembers and quadruples the maximum PQPs for United Club cardmembers to help customers achieve a higher level of status. More details on this promotion will be available in the future.

Additionally, United is increasing the ability for Premier members to use their upgrade benefits. First, the airline is offering a six-month extension for all PlusPoints, the currency used for systemwide upgrades, that are set to expire on or before January 31, 2021. United is also expanding the availability of Skip Waitlist– an upgrade option that allows Premier 1K members to confirm upgrades at the time of booking – to significantly more international long-haul flights.

For customers who purchased annual membership and subscription benefits directly from United, the expiration will be extended by six months, ensuring that they receive the full value of their benefits when they are ready to start flying again. This includes United Club℠ memberships purchased directly from United and purchased subscriptions for Economy Plus®, United Wi-Fi℠ and checked bags.

To provide customers with more flexibility, United is extending electronic travel certificates (ETCs) and waiving redeposit fees for members who booked travel using award miles. ETCs will now be valid for two years from the time of booking. The airline is also waiving all redeposit fees for members who have flights booked through May 31, 2020 and will be waiving fees for all members who cancel their flights at least 30 days before departure for the remainder of 2020.

All of the changes mentioned above will be updated automatically and reflected in customers’ accounts in the coming weeks. In recognition that the long-term impacts from COVID-19 remain uncertain, United has committed to making earning status in 2022 easier during 2021 and will be sharing additional details on this commitment later this year.

Reuters: Single passenger flights: The daily woes of airlines, and the crew still working

From Reuters:

“When Reuters photographer Carlos Barria boarded American Airlines flight 4511 from Washington Reagan National Airport to New Orleans on Friday for an assignment, he was the only passenger on the 76-seat jet.”

A flight attendant waits for the departure of a one-passenger flight between Washington and New Orleans as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Washington, U.S., April 3, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Read the full article.

Eastern Airlines continues to operate rescue flights from Latin America to Miami

Eastern Airlines (3rd) has made this announcement:

We are offering the following flights from Central and South America to Miami, USA. To book, please contact your local travel agent or give us a call at any of the numbers below.

4/7/20 El Salvador (SAL) – Miami #230: 5:00 PM DEPARTURE
4/7/20 Guayaquil (GYE) – Miami #121: 2:00 PM DEPARTURE
4/10/20 Guayaquil (GYE) – Miami #121: 2:00 PM DEPARTURE
4/9/20 Haiti (PAP) – Miami #776: 5:00 PM DEPARTURE

The airline has repatriated more than 3,700 Americans since March 13, 2020 with its Boeing 767s.

Photos by the airline.

The current version of the Eastern brand is now based in Wayne, PA.

British Airways joins the community fight against COVID-19, parks 6 A380s

British Airways made this announcement:

British Airways is joining the response against Covid-19 with a company-wide taskforce who will bring their skills and expertise to communities across the UK to help the fight against the COVID-19 virus.

The current reduction in the number of flights means British Airways is in the position of having thousands of cabin and flight crew with more time available and an appetite to volunteer. Their advanced first aid qualifications, combined with their natural passion for looking after people, means that they can bring both technical training and natural kindness to a range of desperately needed roles for a range of organisations, including the NHS.

Other teams in the airline specialise in the logistics that sit behind getting 800 flights a day to 200 destinations around the world and those skills can also benefit the community-at-large.

Louise Evans, British Airways’ Director of External Communications and Sustainability, said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response to our request for volunteers from across British Airways to help in the community fight against coronavirus.

“We’re part of the fabric of Britain and we want to play our role in these unprecedented times. Thanks to the nature of our business, we can contribute a unique set of skills from advanced first aid training, to experience caring for and reassuring people to managing complex logistics – all of which can deliver real care within the community.”

The airline has been in talks with a number of organisations in order to deploy its volunteers most usefully. These include the NHS via their Helpforce team, which organises volunteers for the NHS and could involve working at the Nightingale hospitals being set up in London, Manchester and Birmingham  as well as transporting patients and NHS workers.

British Airways is also pairing volunteers who have first aid training and clinical skills with St John Ambulance to support their emergency response units within the community. Similarly, members from that same highly skilled crew community can apply to volunteer with the London Ambulance Service to take 999 or 111 calls, triaging the caller and placing them in a clinical queue to speak to a qualified medical professional.

The airline already has a partnership with the British Red Crossproviding vital support for their UK response work and will be encouraging more colleagues to sign up to their Community Reserve Volunteer network to provide practical assistance in local communities. Right now, the British Red Cross is mobilising volunteers across the UK to support the response to Covid-19 by, for example, helping out at local foodbanks and supporting NHS hospitals.

Sadly, many older people who are self-isolating are coming into even less contact with their community than normal, leading to a spike in both physical and emotional support being required. Volunteers from around the airline will be encouraged to reach out to older and more vulnerable people with help, for example via Age UK, be that collecting a prescription, dropping-off food or helping to combat loneliness with a daily phone call for a chat.

The airline also has ongoing relationships with a number of food bank providers, including The Trussell Trust where volunteering duties for staff could include sorting and packing food donations, collecting supplies from supermarkets and delivering food to people in greatest need.

British Airways is also donating its on board wash bags, socks and blankets to various NHS Trusts and continues to work with agency partners to offer help where it is most needed. And flying crew from British Airways and other airlines have set up Project Wingman at the Whittington Hospital in North London, where NHS workers are welcomed into a mini first class lounge for a cup of tea and a chat during or after a busy shift.

Money that British Airways’ customers and colleagues have raised through Flying Start, the airline’s partnership with Comic Relief, is also being used towards a covid-19 response, which is enabling Comic Relief to reach out across their network to communities hardest hit and most in need, such as those who are experiencing domestic violence or homelessness.

Further afield, the airline has been collaborating with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to fly people home to their friends and families before borders close and its sister company, IAG Cargo, has been working around the clock to ship essential freight including food and medicines across the globe to communities in need.

In other news, BA is sending six of its Airbus A380s (G-XLEA, G-XLEC, G-XLEF, G-XLEI, G-XLEJ and G-XLEL) to storage in Chateauroux, France this week.

Top Copyright Photo: British Airways Airbus A380-841 G-XLEB (msn 121) LHR (SPA). Image: 940465.

British Airways aircraft slide show (Airbus):

Airbus A350-1000 deployed in fight against COVID-19

Airbus has made this announcement:

Airbus continues to purchase and supply millions of face masks from China, the large majority of which will be donated to governments of the Airbus home countries, namely France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

An Airbus flight test crew has just completed its latest mission with an A350-1000 test aircraft. This is the third of such missions between Europe and China. The aircraft returned to France with a cargo of 4 million face masks on Sunday 5 April.

The A350-1000 left Toulouse, France, on Friday 3 April, reaching the Airbus site in Tianjin, China on 4 April and returning to Hamburg the same day.

Since mid-March, the previous two missions were performed by an A330-800 and an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). Airbus also deployed an A400M and its Beluga fleet to transport shipments of masks between its European sites, in France, Germany, the UK and Spain.

Airbus will continue to support the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic wherever possible.

“I would like to pay tribute to all the Airbus teams, globally, supporting the fight against COVID-19. They’re living our values in assisting those who are saving lives every day”, said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. ”

Airbus is focused on the health and safety of its employees and supporting its customers and the industry eco-system with business continuity. At the same time Airbus is contributing to many vital public and private services and working with partners who rely on aircraft, helicopters, space and security solutions to carry out life-saving missions in support of the global pandemic.

Airbus is deploying its employees, their expertise and know-how and leveraging technology in this fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, for example in designing and manufacturing ventilators and 3D printed visors which are critical resources for hospitals.

The Company is partnering with other organisations in unprecedented ways to achieve this goal as fast as possible.

Boeing extends temporary suspension of Puget Sound production operations

Boeing has made this announcement:

Boeing is extending the temporary suspension of production operations at all Puget Sound area and Moses Lake sites until further notice. These actions are being taken in light of the company’s continuing focus on the health and safety of employees, current assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in Washington state, the reliability of the supply chain and additional recommendations from government health authorities.

During the suspension, the company will continue to implement additional health and safety measures at its facilities to protect employees. These measures include new visual cues to encourage physical distancing, more frequent and thorough cleaning of work and common areas and staggering shift times to reduce the flow of employees arriving and departing work, among many other improvements.

“The health and safety of our employees, their families and our communities is our shared priority,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal. “We will take this time to continue to listen to our incredible team and assess applicable government direction, the spread of the coronavirus in the community and the reliability of our suppliers to ensure we are ready for a safe and orderly return to operations.”

The volunteers who have been supporting essential site and services work should continue to report to their assigned shifts. Puget Sound area and Moses Lake employees who can work from home should continue to do so.

As the suspension of operations continues, Boeing will monitor government guidance and actions on COVID-19 and associated impact on all company operations. Boeing sites that remain open are being monitored and assessed on a daily basis.

Norwegian March traffic figures heavily influenced by COVID-19 measures

Norwegian Air Shuttle made this announcement:

The global outbreak of COVID-19 that took hold across the aviation industry throughout March has heavily influenced Norwegian’s traffic figures. The company experienced a dramatic drop in demand following government-imposed travel restrictions and a general travel decline.

Norwegian immediately responded to this global change in demand and adapted its flight schedule several times during the month. The first step was to cut approximately 15 percent of planned capacity on March 10, this was then reevaluated and adjusted to up to 85 percent of planned capacity from March 16 with most cancellations starting from March 25. Capacity was 40 percent lower than planned while the flights that were operated had a load factor of 72 percent, down 13.8 percentage points compared to the same month previous year.

Compared to the same period last year total capacity (ASK) decreased by 53 percent while total passenger traffic (RPK) decreased by 60 percent. The total number of customers carried in March was 1,153,283, a decrease of 61 percent.

In March, Norwegian operated 77 percent of scheduled flights, multiple rescue flights and continued to maintain a critical regional flying infrastructure.

Jacob Schram, CEO of Norwegian, said: “The speed of the COVID-19 global outbreak throughout March had a profound impact on the entire Norwegian network as cancellations, in line with global travel advice and falling demand, were implemented throughout the month. Norwegian operated multiple rescue flights on behalf of the government to ensure that thousands of Scandinavian passengers could safely return home. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our dedicated colleagues, our customers and members of the public for their continued support. We will provide further financial and business updates to the Oslo Børs when it is appropriate to do so.”