Sky News earlier reported British Airways’ย total capacity for its 2022/2023 winter schedule, until March 31, 2023, will be reduced by 8% and impact around 10,000 flights.
Air Astana Group looks to long-term growth and sets out development plan
Air Astana made this announcement:
Air Astana Group experienced strong passenger growth in 2022, with 3.9 million passengers carried during the first seven months of the year, which represents a 9% increase over the same period in 2021.ย The network continued to expand with the resumption of flights to destinations including London and Istanbul, together with the launch of new services to Greece. In the coming months, frequencies to Dubai, Delhi and Phuket will be significantly increased and services to Bangkok will be resumed, which represents a significant step in re-building the Asian network.
With the future outlook continuing to be positive and the Group fully committed to expanding the fleet to 59 aircraft by 2025, it also recognises the need to commensurately develop capabilities in training and maintenance.
Air Astana Group fleet developments during the remainder of 2022 will see Air Astana take delivery of two more Airbus A321LR aircraft, bringing the total to 10, whilst the LCC division, FlyArystan will add three more Airbus A320neo aircraft, bringing the total fleet up to 4. Air Astana Group added 13 new aircraft between mid-2020 and March 2022, with a further 24 aircraft due to join the fleet by mid 2025. This fleet modernisation process will see some older aircraft being gradually replaced.
The Groupโs flight crew training capability will be significantly expanded with the opening of a new centre costing US$10 million in Nur-Sultan later this year. The training centre will be equipped with a first in the country full flight simulator, which will not only improve pilot training efficiency, but also help alleviate the need for expensive training outside Kazakhstan and save up to US$18 million over the next 10 years. The Group is also planning to expand its in-house maintenance capability at regional bases in the near future. These two developments ensure that Air Astana will remain a regional leader in terms of crew training and engineering services.
โAir Astana has rapidly recovered despite an unprecedented series operational challenges this year, with passenger traffic up 9% and seat capacity up marginally between January and July compared to the same period last year,โ said Peter Foster, President and CEO of Air Astana Group. โGiven the strong expectation of continued growth in both international and domestic markets in the future, it is now timely for the Group to be significantly expanding the fleet, together with investing in new pilot training and maintenance facilities, to achieve long-term goals.โ
Air Astana aircraft photo gallery:
Virgin Australia expands Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet and secures access to full-flight simulator in Perth
Virgin Australia has made this announcement:
- Virgin Australia has announced four additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft will join its fleet with delivery starting in the second half of 2023, increasing capacity in line with the airlineโs fleet growth program and journey towards Net Zero.
- Virgin Australia has secured priority access to a Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator in Perth which will deliver a 25 per cent increase in domestic training capacity for more than 200 pilots based in Western Australia who are retraining on the aircraft type as the airline continues its growth of Boeing 737 aircraft.
- Simulator access will be available as soon as April 2023 through a long-term partnership with global aviation training provider CAE.
- With the airline relaunching less than two years ago, Virgin Australia has marked another major milestone this week, celebrating growing its workforce to over 7,000 team members.
Virgin Australia Group has announced four additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and priority access to a Boeing 737NG full-flight simulator that will be deployed in Jandakot, near Perth, as part of a long-term partnership with global aviation training provider CAE.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which are in addition to another four MAX 8 aircraft announced in April 2022, will reduce emissions by 15 per cent per flight* and play an important part in Virgin Australiaโs Net Zero journey. These additional aircraft support capacity increases in-line with Virgin Australiaโs broader growth strategy bringing total Boeing 737 fleet to 92 (consisting of 737-700s, 737-800s and Boeing MAX 8s) an increase of nearly 60 per cent since relaunching in November 2020. First delivery of the additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is expected in 2023.
Virgin Australia aircraft photo Gallery:
Air Wisconsin to go back to American Airlines feeding the Chicago O’Hare hub
Air Wisconsin Airlines is switching sides again. The company is dropping United Airlines as an United Express carrier and will go back to American Airlines as an American Eagle carrier.
The move will take no longer than March 2023.
Derek Kerr of American Airlines wrote in an internal memo:
โWeโre taking another important step to strengthen our network by welcoming Air Wisconsin Airlines to the American Eagle portfolio of regional airline partners,โ
โAir Wisconsinโs fleet of up to 60 Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft will start to enter service no later than March 2023, with most of the flying focused on connecting customers to our Chicago OโHare hub,โ
Air Wisconsin operated as an American Eagle carrier from 2015 to February 14, 2018.
Air Wisconsin currently operates as an United Express carrier with crew bases in Chicago OโHare (ORD) and Milwaukee (MKE).
The company is also celebrating its 57th anniversary.
United Express-Air Wisconsin aircraft photo gallery:
American Eagle-Air Wisconsin aircraft photo gallery:
Air Wisconsin historic photo gallery:
Etihad Cargo to offer additional bellyhold capacity to New York
Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has reinforced its commitment to the US market with the introduction of an additional 50 tonnes of belly capacity via four new weekly direct passenger flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from 15 November 2022. With the addition of these flights, the carrier will offer a total of 11 weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and New York.
In addition to offering 11 weekly flights to JFK, New York, Etihad Cargo provides capacity to other key destinations in the US via freighter and passenger flights to Chicago and Washington D.C. The carrier operates nine flights per week to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and daily flights to Dulles International Airport, Washington. The introduction of additional capacity to Etihad Cargo’s winter schedule brings the total cargo capacity into and out of the US to 1,084 tonnes per week.
Existing daily services will continue on Etihad’s new Airbus 350 aircraft, which has been deployed on the New York route since June 2022. The new flights will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. These aircraft types are two of the most efficient in the world, providing significantly less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin-aisle aircraft. Etihad Cargo also operates two dedicated Boeing 777 freighter flights per week to Chicago via Europe, supported by an offline network.
Etihad Airways aircraft photo gallery:
aha! and ExpressJet Airlines file for Chapter 11 and shuts down
aha! Airlines has issued this notice about filing for Chapter bankruptcy protection and also shut down all operations.
The airline commenced operations on October 24, 2021.
Parent, ExpressJet Airlines, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection in the State of Delaware.
CommutAir pilots sign new letter of agreement for their long-term contract
CommutAir leadership and ALPA are excited to announce sweeping increases to our shared pilot compensation program. Incoming first officers will now start at $72.00/hr and Captains will start at $100.00/hr. Additionally, new sign-on & retention bonuses are now available up to a total of $25,000 for First Officers and $50,000 for Captain qualified pilots.
The opportunities offered by these updates will enable sustained growth for all of our employees. CommutAir pilots will now receive enhanced levels of scheduling, commuting expenses, health insurance, vacation, sick leave and 401k benefits that are among the best in the industry:
Compensation benefits of the agreement include:
- Increase in starting First Officer wages – $72/hr
- Increase in starting Captain wages – $100/hr
- Pilot sign-on bonuses and incentives – $25,000for First Officers and $50,000 for Captain Qualified pilots
- Significant increase to pay override for instructors (Ground, SIM, Line Check Pilots, and Designated Examiners)
- Annual retention bonuses totaling $25,000 for First Officers and $50,000 for Captains for full contract duration
- New Minimum Monthly duty period Guarantee – 76 hours
- Full Compensation for Experience – Longevity credit of 1:1 up to 20 yrs for new hires with prior FAR 121 industry experience
- Increased Commuter hotel allotment for reserve pilots
- Industry leading Commuter travel program including flights from home to base
- Direct flow to United Airlines through the Aviate Program
United Express-CommutAir aircraft photo gallery:
TAP’s second quarter results show strong operational and financial recovery
TAP – Air Portugal issued this financial report:
TAP is recovering from the crisis, with ASK, number of passengers and number of departures reaching between 81% and 92% of pre-crisis 2019 levels, while revenues reached 99% of their pre-crisis level in the second quarter of 2019 (“2Q19”).
PRASK increased by 80.7% and 8.5% compared to 2Q21 and 2Q19, respectively, with Load Factor increasing by 32 percentage points compared to 2Q21 to 80.4%, reaching 96% of pre-crisis 2019 levels.
There was a strong operating result in 2Q22, with positive EBIT and Recurring EBIT amounting to EUR 66.4 million and EUR 47.9 million, respectively, above pre-crisis levels.
The cumulative Net Income for H1 2022 was EUR -202.1 million, still clearly negative, but EUR 291.1 million better than in the same period of 2021 and improving quarter-on-quarter.
There is an increase in the liquidity position to EUR 889.8 million, guarding against the fact that the second semester is seasonally the largest consumer of liquidity.
Christine Ourmiรจres-Widener, TAP Chief Executive Officer,ย said: “The second quarter saw very healthy demand and higher revenue per passenger, which allowed us to offset the increase in costs. Prospects for the fourth quarter and next year remain uncertain. The execution of the restructuring plan remains key.”
An analysis of operations in the second quarter of 2022 shows that the number of passengers carried quadrupled, compared to the same period of 2021, reaching 82% of 2Q19 levels. Additionally, during this period, TAP operated more than twice as many flights as in 2Q21, or 81% of 2Q19 departures.
Capacity (measured in ASK) increased by nearly three times compared to 2Q21, with the Load Factor improving by 32 p.p. when compared to the same period of 2021, reaching 80.4%. Compared to 2Q19, ASK are at 92% and Load Factor at 96% of pre-crisis levels.
Operating revenues were almost four times higher than in the same period last year, increasing by EUR 597.4 million to EUR 830.6 million, representing 99% of 2Q19 operating revenues. This was predominantly driven by increased fares and higher capacity, resulting in an increase in passenger segment revenues by EUR 586.4 million vs. 2Q21 to EUR 740 million and generating a PRASK of EUR 6.16 cents – an 80.7% improvement compared to 2Q21 and 8.5% compared to the same quarter in 2019.
The Maintenance and Cargo areas contributed to the increase in revenues with EUR 7.8 million and EUR 7.3 million, respectively. The Maintenance area ended the second quarter with revenues of EUR 18 million, up 76.9% on 2Q21. In turn, revenues in the Cargo area amounted to EUR 67.4 million, up 12.2% compared to 2Q21.
Recurring operating costs amounted to EUR 782.7 million, increasing by 92.5% compared to 2Q21. This significant increase reflects the higher level of activity, given an ASK increase of 166.5% during this period. Compared to the same period of 2019, recurring operating costs were 4.1% lower, despite an increase in fuel costs of EUR 71.6 million.
The CASK of recurring operating costs recorded a 27.8% reduction compared to 2Q21 to EUR 6.52 cents, which also compares to EUR 6.25 cents in 2Q19 (i.e., +4.4%). Excluding fuel, the reduction in unit costs is even more visible, with CASK ex-fuel reducing by 45.4% vs. 2Q21 and 9.9% vs. 2Q19.
Fuel costs increased by EUR 217.5 million vs. 2Q21, or close to five times, to EUR 277 million. There was, nevertheless, a positive hedging effect of EUR 54.5 million, which partially offset the sharp increase in the market price of jet fuel observed during the quarter.
Recurring EBITDA, recorded for the fourth consecutive quarter a positive figure and reached EUR 156.8 million in 2Q22. This represents an increase of EUR 211.7 million compared to the same period in 2021.
Recurring EBIT reached EUR 47.9 million, an increase of EUR 221.4 million compared to 2Q21. Considering non-recurring items, EBIT was positive by EUR 66.4 million (up EUR 216.1 million vs. 2Q21). Compared to 2Q19, Recurring EBIT and EBIT improved by EUR 29 million and EUR 50 million, respectively.
Non-recurring items, predominantly related to a release of provisions due to a reduced cost estimate for litigation and settlement risks related to the closure of M&E Brazil, in total had a positive impact of EUR 18.5 million on results.
Net Profit improved by EUR 47.6 million compared to 2Q21 to EUR -80.4 million, despite the negative net impact of foreign exchange differences of EUR 58.2 million resulting from the unfavorable evolution of the Euro versus USD.
The Balance Sheet showed a strong cash and cash equivalents position of EUR 889.9 million at the end of the quarter, increasing liquidity levels compared to both 4Q21 and 1Q22.
The cash position on 30 June 2022 was more than 1.5 times higher than at the same date in 2021, reflecting an increase of EUR 347 million. The EUR 990 million contribution approved by the European Commission in TAP’s restructuring plan is still pending and is expected to be executed by the end of the year.
From an operational perspective, a total of seven destinations that were temporarily suspended were reopened (of which four are seasonal from the summer season), such as: Ibiza, Tangier, Djerba, Monastir, Alicante, Boa Vista and Caracas.
With the relaunch of Boa Vista, TAP Air Portugal resumes operations to all international airports in Cape Verde, and with the relaunch of Caracas, operations to all long-haul destinations are now restored. Regarding the operational fleet, during the quarter, TAP recorded a net increase of three aircraft to 96. On 30 June 2022, 66% of the medium and long-haul operational fleet consisted of NEO family aircraft (compared to 63% on 30 June 2021 and 27% on 30 June 2019).
First Half
Looking at the first half year-to-date, revenues reached EUR 1 321.2 million in the period, an increase of 245% compared to 1H21. Together with the higher level of activity (ASK increased by 217%), operating costs also recorded a significant increase of 73% to EUR 1 316.8 million, leading to a positive EBIT of EUR 4.4 million, an increase of EUR 381.7 million compared to 1H21.
Recurring EBIT, excluding non-recurring items of EUR -3 million, was also positive at EUR 1.4 million. Net interest and unfavorable currency developments, particularly in the second quarter, led to a Net Profit at EUR -202.1 million, still EUR 291.1 million better than in the same half of 2021 (“1H21”).
TAP aircraft photo gallery:
PLAY is coming to Washington Dulles
PLAY, a low-cost airline operating flights between the United States and Europe, today announces the expansion of its U.S. footprint with a new destination, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), offering affordable, convenient flights for both Icelandic and European tourists to explore the Washington D.C. area and for Americans traveling to popular European destinations.
When flights begin in 2023, PLAY will be the only low-cost option for flights from IAD to Europe. IAD represents the fourth largest U.S.-Reykjavik passenger market and the premiere gateway for international travel for the national capital region, making the airport a key opportunity for the Icelandic airline. This new route follows PLAYโs first summer of operations in the U.S. which have been strong thus far, having increased the airlineโs load factor by 25% in July for a total of 109,956 passengers flown, more than the total number of PLAY passengers in 2021. As the eighth largest city in North America, Washington D.C. is an important foothold for PLAY as it continues to expand its U.S. presence.
PLAYโs hub-and-spoke model enables the airline to offer affordable rates that will stand out among competitors as passengers plan travel for the upcoming spring and summer months. Flights from IAD will complement PLAYโs flights from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), giving passengers two options for affordable travel between Iceland, Europe, and the U.S.
To serve the local market, PLAY will operate Airbus A321 and A320 aircraft from IAD. PLAYโs passengers will also benefit from the Washington Metroโs Silver Line extension, which will connect the airport to Washington D.C. beginning this fall.
Keflavik base:
PLAY aircraft photo gallery:
Aemetis has announced a multi-year agreement with IAG to supply SAF to help power British Airways and Aer Lingus from San Francisco from 2025.
British Airways made this announcement:
Renewable fuels company Aemetis, Inc. has announced a multi-year agreement with International Airlines Group (IAG) to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to help power both British Airways and Irish flag carrier Aer Lingusโ flights from San Francisco Airport from 2025.
IAG, parent company of both British Airways and Aer Lingus, will purchase a total of 78,400 tons of SAF over seven years, enough to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 248,000 tons (the equivalent of taking over 16,000 cars off the road) across the same time period.
The SAF will be produced at the Aemetis Carbon Zero plant currently under development in Riverbank, California. This plant will be powered by 100% renewable electricity and is designed to sequester CO2 from the production process, significantly reducing the carbon intensity of the fuel.
International Airlines Group was the first airline group in the world to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the first European airline group to commit to using SAF for 10% of its fuel by 2030.
British Airways is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions through a series of short, medium- and long-term initiatives as part of its BA Better World sustainability program.ย In the short-term this includes improving operational efficiency, flying more fuel efficient aircraft, funding carbon offset and removal projects to mitigate emissions on UK domestic flights, and progressively introducing sustainable aviation fuels manufactured using carbon capture technology and waste feedstocks. In the medium to longer term the airline is continuing to invest in the development and scale up of sustainable aviation fuel and accelerating the growth of new technologies such as zero emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft and carbon capture technology.
Aer Lingus is committed to a lower-carbon future. A key focus of delivering Aer Lingusโ sustainability programme, in addition to SAF, is investment in new generation and more fuel-efficient aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo and A32l neo LR. Other significant efforts include establishing a robust carbon offsetting programme, driving operational fuel efficiencies, waste reduction and electrifying our ground operations fleet.
British Airways aircraft photo gallery (Boeing):
You must be logged in to post a comment.