Tag Archives: ARN

Fly Olympic starts operations in Sweden

Fly Olympic (FlyOlympic.se) (Stockholm-Arlanda) is a new Swedish airline and also an affiliate of AeroPacific AB. The company has leased and painted an Airbus A320-231 LY-SPC (msn 415) from Small Planet Airlines. According to its website, the new airline is operating from Stockholm to Asmara, Baghdad, Erbil, London (Gatwick) Mogadishu, Mykonos, Sulaymaniyah and Thira (Santorini). Flights are also operated from Gothenburg.

According to the company, Fly Olympic also teamed up with Germania to launch operations on November 25, 2013 to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.

SAS Group posts its first full-year net profit since 2007

SAS Group (Scandinavian Airlines-SAS) (Stockholm) after fighting to stay out of bankruptcy, has posted its first full year net profit since 2007.

After making massive cuts to positions and salaries, the company reported a net profit of $27.3 million for its fiscal year ending on October 31. The company still remains a high cost airline and it expects weaker conditions to continue.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Read the analysis from the WSJ: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Scandinavian Airlines’ Boeing 737-883 LN-RCY (msn 28324) in the special “Disney Planes – See the Movie” motif arrives at the Stockholm (Arlanda) hub.

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS:

Aeroflot reports net income of $545.2 million for the first 9 months of 2013

Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Aeroflot Group) (Moscow) issued its financial results for the first nine months of 2013:

Aeroflot has announced the consolidated IFRS financial results of Aeroflot Group for the nine months ending 30 September 2013.

Key financial highlights:

Net income for the nine-month period of $545.2 million, an increase of 84.1% versus 9M 2012
Revenue for the nine-month period was up 16.8% year-on-year to $7,032.7 million
Traffic revenue for the nine-month period grew 17.8% year-on-year to $6,259.0 million
Fuel costs for the nine-month period rose 11.4% year-on-year to $1,877.5 million (9M 2012: $1,685.0 million)
Non-fuel operating costs for the nine-month period increased 10.1% year-on-year to $4,305.4 million
9M 2013 basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.500 and 0.499, up 63.4% and 64.7%, respectively, from 9M 2012

Operational highlights:

Aeroflot Group passenger traffic grew 14.7% year-on-year in 9M 2013 to 24.0 million people, while revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) rose 16.2% to 65,363.0 million
Aeroflot standalone capacity rose 18.3% year-on-year in the period, while Aeroflot Group capacity was up 15.8% compared to 9M 2012

Aeroflot suspended operations of its cargo plane fleet in 2013, switching to belly cargo operations. This was the main factor driving the 8.6% decline in tons of cargo carried in 9M 2013 vs. 9M 2012

“Aeroflot Group’s strong financial results were driven by three factors. First, we offer clients a premium product at an attractive price. Second, we are managing costs effectively. Third, we are optimising the operations of our subsidiaries that are being integrated into the Group,” said Vitaly Saveliev, Aeroflot’s chief executive officer. “We are on track this year to serve the most customers in Russia’s modern history. At the same time we maintain our relentless focus on safety. This is bolstered by our aircraft fleet, which is the best in Russia and one of the youngest in Europe.”

USD mln, unless otherwise stated	3Q 2013	3Q 2012	*Change*	9M 2013	9M 2012	*Change*
Revenue	2,900.1	2,406.1	20.5%	7,032.7	6,020.7	16.8%
EBITDAR¹	931.6	552.6	68.6%	1,575.4	1,068.9	47.4%
Margin (%)	32.1%	23.0%	9.1 p.p.	22.4%	17.8%	4.6 p.p.
EBITDA²	779.3	407.1	91.4%	1,131.1	654.5	72.8%
Margin (%)	26.9%	16.9%	10.0 p.p.	16.1%	10.9%	5.2 p.p.
Operating Income	682.8	327.0	108.8%	849.8	425.1	99.9%
Margin (%)	23.5%	13.6%	9.9 p.p.	12.1%	7.1%	5.0 p.p.
Net Income	543.7	289.1	88.1%	545.2	296.2	84.1%
Margin (%)	18.7%	12.0%	6.7 p.p.	7.8%	4.9%	2.9 p.p.

(1) EBITDAR = EBITDA + operating lease expenses; (2) EBITDA = operating income + depreciation & amortization + customs duties

Operational performance:

Aeroflot Group reported strong traffic revenue in the first nine months of 2013 of $6,259.0 million, representing a 17.8% increase over the same period in 2012. Group passenger traffic rose 14.7% to 24.0 million people, while revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) was up 16.2% to 65,363.0 million. Aeroflot Group’s seat load factor was relatively flat at 79.1%.

Financial performance:

Aeroflot Group revenue in 9M 2013 increased by 16.8% year-on-year to $7,032.7 million, primarily due to strong growth of 19.3% in the passenger segment, which was balanced by a decline in cargo revenue of 10.9% after Aeroflot suspended its cargo fleet operations. Other revenue increased by 9.0% year-on-year to $773.7 million.

Fuel costs for the nine-month period increased 11.4% year-on-year to $1,877.5 million, driven by the significant growth in passenger traffic and the addition of new routes.

Non-fuel operating costs for the nine months of 2013 also increased in line with the growth in the Group’s operations, up 10.1% to $4,305.4 million, primarily due to year-on-year increases in aircraft and traffic servicing costs (up 17.9% to $1,252.7 million). Staff costs increased 11.7% year-on-year to $1,003.9 million.

Aeroflot Group operating income for 9M 2013 nearly doubled year-on-year to $849.8 million, representing a margin of 12.1%, compared to an operating margin of 7.1% for 9M 2012.

The Group’s net income in 9M 2013 was $545.2 million, up 84.1% from the first nine months of 2012.

Other 2013 highlights:

In the beginning of 3Q, Aeroflot was unveiled as the Official Carrier of Manchester United Football Club. The multi-year sponsorship positions Aeroflot as a premium international brand by aligning it with a global symbol of excellence.

In October 2013 Aeroflot presented plans to launch Russia’s first national low-cost carrier (LCC), a new 100% subsidiary to be known as “Dobrolet”. Ticket prices are expected to be on average 40% lower than mainstream carriers, thus attracting a new customer segment to air travel. Aeroflot views the LCC market as a sizeable growth opportunity and a chance to diversify its business without the risk of cannibalization. Dobrolet is targeting the start of operations in 2014.

In November 2013 Aeroflot announced the roll-out of Aurora Airlines, a new subsidiary focused on the Russian Far East that has been created from Group subsidiaries Vladivostok Avia and Sakhalin Airlines. The launch of Aurora represents a unique opportunity to achieve significant market share in the Far East where there are few alternatives to air travel. Aurora has an annual traffic target of 2.4 million passengers by 2018. The creation of Aurora is part of the process of consolidation and restructuring of subsidiary assets.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 VP-BNT (msn 5614) in the retro 1956 livery lands at Stockholm (Arlanda).

Aeroflot:

Qatar Airways announces a new route to Edinburgh

Qatar Airways (Doha) announced it will begin flights to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh effective May 28, 2014, operating five flights weekly.

The new route will be served by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a two-cabin configuration, offering passengers 22 Business Class and 232 Economy Class seats. The schedule for the new destination is as follows:

Doha to/from Edinburgh:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

QR 027 departs Doha (DOH) at 08:00; arrives Edinburgh (EDI) at 13:15
QR 028 departs Edinburgh (EDI) at 14:45; arrives Doha (DOH) at 23:40

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 128 aircraft to 133 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.

In 2013, Qatar Airways has launched eleven destinations to date – Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Najaf (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chicago (USA), Salalah (Oman), Basra (Iraq), Sulaymaniyah (Iraq), Chengdu (China), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Ta’if (Saudi Arabia) and most recently Clark Manila International Airport (Philippines).

Over the next few weeks and months, the network will grow further with Hangzhou, China (December 20, 2013), Sharjah and Dubai World Central, both in the UAE (March 1, 2014), Philadelphia, USA (April 2, 2014) and Miami, USA (June 10, 2014).

Qatar Airways:

SAS announces seven new routes for the summer season 2014

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) today announced the first seven new routes for the 2014 timetable. From the end of March 2014, SAS will be opening Stockholm (Arlanda)-Visby, Stavanger-Edinburgh, Oslo-Edinburgh, Oslo-Aalborg, Oslo-Aberdeen and Oslo-Chania, as well as Copenhagen-Leeds/Bradford. These launches reflect increased customer demand for new nonstop services.

Earlier this fall, SAS opened two new year-round routes, Copenhagen-Bremen and Copenhagen-Humberside, and announced two routes for the winter season 2013: Oslo-Sochi and Copenhagen-Salzburg. In 2013, SAS launched more than 50 new domestic and European routes, as well as the popular Copenhagen-San Francisco route.

The new routes will go on sale gradually from November 21, 2013. SAS will launch the peak summer timetable on Monday, November 25.

New routes from Sweden
Stockholm to: Visby (starts March 30)

New routes from Norway
Oslo to: Edinburgh (April 10-October 11), Aalborg (starts March 30), Aberdeen (starts March 31), Chania (April 12-October 11)
Stavanger to: Edinburgh (April 10-October 11)

New routes from Denmark
Copenhagen to: Leeds/Bradford (starts March 31)
Aalborg to: Oslo (starts March 30)

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-7BX SE-RES (msn 30737) lands at the Stockholm (Arlanda) hub.

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS:

Is Evergreen International Airlines planning to close its doors on November 30? The company says no but is exploring other options

Evergreen International Airlines (McMinnville, Oregon and Marana, Arizona) despite a public denial by its founder and CEO that the rumors are false, it has been reported in the local Oregon media as planning to lay off 131 employees and ceased operations on November 30. The company recently sold off its helicopter division as we reported as it attempts to reorganize and seek new “strategic alternatives” and partners.

It is unclear if the Evergreen Wings and Waves Waterpark and the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum would also be affected if any final decision is made.

Read the full report from the The Oregonian: CLICK HERE

The company is privately held and issued this statement:

As has been previously reported in the press, Evergreen’s business has been adversely impacted over the past several years by decreased demand in military spending and weakness in global economic markets. Management has moved to aggressively address these challenges, including through the divestiture of businesses and assets and the significant reduction of secured debt. Evergreen is in discussions with its significant constituencies and is exploring available strategic alternatives with those constituencies. While Evergreen generally does not comment on market rumor or conjecture, rumors that a decision has been made to cease operations at this time are false. Evergreen remains committed to continuing to address the current business environment with its customers.

Delford M. Smith
Chief Executive Officer,
Evergreen International Aviation, Inc.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Evergreen International Airlines’ Boeing 747-230F N490EV (msn 24138) touches down in Stockholm (Arlanda).

Evergreen International Airlines:

Emirates is coming to Boston

Emirates (Dubai) has announced a new trans-Atlantic link with the start of flights to Boston from March 10, 2014.

This will be the airline’s 8^th route into the United States, 9^th into North America and 12^th into all of the Americas.

The flight will be operated by a GE-90 engine-powered Boeing 777-200 LR and brings the winner of the Skytrax ‘World’s Best Airline’ 2013 award into Boston Logan International Airport on a daily basis.

From March 10, 2014, flight EK 237 will depart Dubai at 0945 and arrive in Boston at 1515. The return flight, EK 238, will take off from Boston at 2255 and land in Dubai at 1910 the next day. As part of an agreement with JetBlue Airways (New York), Emirates and JetBlue passengers are able to travel on each other’s flights and earn reciprocal miles.

Emirates started flights to America in 2004, beginning with New York. The airline’s current seven U.S gateways form part of a 134-destination network, served by a fleet of more than 200 modern aircraft, including the airline’s flagship Airbus A380. Emirates’ much-lauded hub in Dubai is equipped with the world’s first purpose-built A380 concourse, housing the largest First and Business Class lounges in the industry.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-21H LR (Longer Range) A6-EWA (msn 35572) touches down at Stockholm (Arlanda), a recent new destination for the fast-growing carrier.

Emirates:

Iran Aseman Airlines starts twice-weekly flights to Stockholm

Iran Aseman Airlines (Tehran) launched twice-weekly flights between Tehran and Stockholm (Arlanda) on September 1, delayed from the original planned date of May 2.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A340-311 EP-APA (msn 002) touches down at Arlanda Airport today. The wide body airliner now wears “Sponsor of Iran National Football Team” sub-titles.

Iran Aseman Airlines:

Ethiopian Airlines to increase its Boeing 787 fleet

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) has leased three additional Boeing 787-8s boasting its fleet to 13. The airline is already operating a fleet of five. Despite the problems and grounding with the new type, which affected earnings, the airline wants to add more 787s beyond the 13 according to a report by The Economic Times.

Read the full story from The Economic Times: CLICK HERE

Ethiopian Airlines:

British Airways is set to introduce the Boeing 787 to Toronto

British Airways (London) is preparing to introduce the new Boeing 787-8 on its first long-haul route from London (Heathrow) to Toronto (Pearson) on September 1. The airline has released this statement for the impending new long distance service:

British Airways is debuting its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with an inaugural long-haul flight between London (Heathrow) and Toronto (Pearson) on September 1 . The flight will arrive from London on Sunday afternoon at 14:55 local time and depart the same evening at 19:20, marking the first long-haul service for the airline’s new fleet.

Canadians will now be able to enjoy new levels of comfort and reduced jet-lag on their trips to Europe thanks to improvements in air quality, mood lighting, quieter cabins, and lower air pressure. The Dreamliner will fly exclusively between Toronto and London in September and beginning in October, between New York and London .

British Airways plans to add 24 new Dreamliner 787s to its fleet over the next four years. This is part of the airline’s investment of more than £5 billion worldwide in new aircrafts, smarter cabins, elegant lounges and new technologies to make life more comfortable in the air and on the ground.

The new aircraft accommodates 214 passengers, 35 in Club World (business class), 25 in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and 154 in World Traveller (economy). The three newly designed cabins feature high quality materials, comfortable seats and increased bag storage. Customers in British Airways Club World cabin can take advantage of wide, full-flat beds and Club Kitchen, a snack bar open throughout the flight.

The 787 also has the largest windows of any commercial airliner, offering customers views of the horizon from every seat. Instead of pull down blinds, each one has its own dimmer switch.

British Airways’ 787 is fitted with the airline’s new Thales entertainment system. Each seat features a television screen and customers can choose from more than 700 hours of movies, TV and music, including 230 TV programs, 70 movies and 400 music albums and interactive games. Travelers can also communicate and play games with friends elsewhere on the aircraft using an in-seat chat system.

As part of its Dreamliner launch, British Airways has partnered with Toronto International Film Festival (T.I.F.F.) sponsor Variety. As part of the airline’s commitment to the entertainment industry, British Airways will co-present the magazine’s popular studio at the festival. Visitors to theVariety Studio will experience signature elements of the British Airways Dreamliner service.

British Airways:

Videos: