Tag Archives: Baltimore/Washington

American to launch new American Eagle routes from Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) will start daily American Eagle service from its (US Airways) hub to both Jacksonville, FL and New Orleans on September 26. The routes will be operated by Embraer 175 aircraft operated by Republic Airlines (2nd) according to Airline Route.

In addition, American Eagle (operated by ExpressJet Airlines CRJ200s) will launch new daily service from the Dallas/Fort Worth hub to Meridian and Laurel, Mississippi.

Finally American will suspend service on three European routes this winter (resuming next summer): Chicago (“hare)-Dusseldorf, Chicago (O’Hare)-Manchester and New York (JFK)-Dublin per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Operated by Republic Airlines, Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N426YX (msn 17000397) taxies at Baltimore/Washington.

American Airlines (current):

American Eagle-Republic (2nd):

Spirit Airlines and its flight attendants reach a tentative agreement for a new contract

Spirit Airlines‘ (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), announced a tentative agreement with management on a new contract. According to the union, the agreement “includes immediate economic improvements, as well as protection of industry-leading healthcare and key quality of life provisions. The agreement, reached with the assistance of the National Mediation Board (NMB), would cover the nearly 1,400 flight attendants and more as the airline continues to grow.”

Terms of the agreement were unanimously approved by AFA’s Spirit Airlines leadership, will now be sent to the membership for ratification. The leadership unanimously recommends a vote in favor of the agreement. Voting instructions will be mailed on September 10 and the results of electronic balloting will be announced immediately following the vote close on October 1 at Noon Eastern Time. Full details of the tentative agreement will not be made public until the Spirit AFA membership has had an opportunity to review the terms.

According to the union, “This deal follows the overwhelming rejection of an earlier management offer by the union’s membership. The union re-tooled its proposals based on the members’ feedback following that earlier vote, incorporated changes to reflect that membership input and pressed management for substantial economic improvements. AFA credited the NMB’s Senior Mediator Pat Sims and Mediator Mike Tosi with guiding the negotiations to a successful conclusion.”

Spirit Airlines issued this statement:

Spirit Airlines and its flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), announced that they reached a tentative agreement for a five-year contract. The tentative agreement, which is subject to ratification by the flight attendant membership, planned for fourth quarter 2014, was unanimously supported by the union’s leadership. The agreement was reached with the assistance of the National Mediation Board.

“We’re very pleased to have agreed on a tentative agreement that recognizes the contributions of our flight attendants, who play a key role in providing safe, reliable, friendly service to our customers,” said John Bendoraitis, Spirit’s Chief Operating Officer. “I want to thank the National Mediation Board, AFA leadership and the negotiating committees for helping us reach a mutually favorable agreement. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with our AFA partners and Spirit flight attendants.”

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N611NK (msn 4996) lands at Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

Spirit Airlines:

IAG has its best second quarter since 2007

International Airlines Group (IAG) (British Airways, Iberia and Vueling Airlines) (London) reported second quarter net income of €280 million ($376 million) up from €127 million ($170.5 million) net income for the same period a year ago. This is the best second quarter results since 2007.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-336 ER G-BNWD (msn 24336) of British Airways arrives at Baltimore/Washington.

British Airways:

Iberia:

Vueling Airlines:

Spirit Airlines reports record 2Q net income of $66.5 million, up 45.2%

Spirit Airlines, Inc. (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) has reported second quarter 2014 financial results.

Adjusted net income for the second quarter 2014 increased 45.2 percent to $66.5 million ($0.91 per diluted share) compared to $45.8 million ($0.63 per diluted share) for the second quarter 20131. GAAP net income for the second quarter 2014 was $64.8 million ($0.88 per diluted share) compared to $42.1 million ($0.58 per diluted share) in the second quarter 2013.

For the second quarter 2014, Spirit achieved an adjusted pre-tax margin of 21.3 percent compared to 17.8 percent over the same period in 20131. On a GAAP basis, pre-tax margin for the second quarter 2014 was 20.8 percent compared to 16.4 percent in the second quarter 2013.

Spirit ended the second quarter 2014 with $567.2 million in unrestricted cash.

Spirit’s return on invested capital (before taxes and excluding special items) for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014 was 32.0 percent. See “Calculation for Return on Invested Capital” table below for more details.

“The Spirit team delivered another strong quarter. While growing our capacity 17.2 percent year over year, we grew our top line 22.6 percent year over year,” said Ben Baldanza, Spirit’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our efforts to drive operational excellence have produced material improvements in controllable components of our cost structure which contributed to the 3.5 percentage point year-over-year increase in our Adjusted Operating Margin. I want to thank all our team members that contributed to these excellent results. A few months ago, we launched a series of initiatives aimed at better aligning our customers’ expectations with the Spirit business model. We are very encouraged at the early results of this effort, and the Bare Fare™ plus Frill Control™ messaging is resonating well with customers as they see the benefit of only paying for what they truly value. As we continue down this path, we expect ever increasing alignment to a business model that provides the lowest total fares and the highest consumer choice all while maintaining our commitment to deliver value to our customers and to our shareholders.”

Revenue Performance

For the second quarter 2014, Spirit’s total operating revenue was $499.3 million, an increase of 22.6 percent compared to the second quarter 2013. The increase was driven by our growth in flight volume, higher load factors, and higher operating yields.

Total revenue per available seat mile (“RASM”) for the second quarter 2014 was 12.46 cents, an increase of 4.6 percent compared to the second quarter 2013. The calendar shift of Easter occurring in April this year compared to March in 2013 contributed to the strong second quarter 2014 results.

Passenger flight segment (“PFS”) volume for the second quarter 2014 grew 14.7 percent year over year, and the Company’s load factor for the second quarter 2014 increased 1.8 points year over year to 87.5 percent. Total revenue per PFS for the second quarter 2014 increased 6.8 percent year over year to $139.90.

Cost Performance

Total operating expenses for the second quarter 2014 increased 15.7 percent year over year to $394.2 million on a capacity increase of 17.2 percent.

Spirit reported second quarter 2014 cost per available seat mile excluding special items and fuel (“Adjusted CASM ex-fuel”) of 5.95 cents, a decrease of 0.8 percent compared to the same period last year. The primary driver of the decrease was lower passenger re-accommodation expense (recorded within Other operating expense) per ASM as a result of improved operational reliability. The Company also benefited from lower aircraft rent per ASM. These benefits were partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization expense and increased salary, wages, and benefits, as well as higher maintenance, material, and repairs expense per ASM.

Selected Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Items

As of June 30, 2014, Spirit had $567.2 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents. For the six months ended June 30, 2014, Spirit incurred capital expenditures of $7.4 million, paid $94.0 million in pre-delivery deposits for future deliveries of aircraft, net of refunds, and recorded an increase of $14.3 million in maintenance deposits, net of reimbursements.

Fleet

In the second quarter 2014, Spirit took delivery of one new A320 aircraft, ending the quarter with 57 aircraft in its fleet. The Company has eight more new A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery by year-end 2014.

Second Quarter 2014 and Other Current Highlights

• Added/announced new service between (service start date):

– Minneapolis-St. Paul and Houston (5/1/14)2
– Minneapolis-St. Paul and Baltimore/Washington (5/1/14)2
– Chicago O’Hare and Oakland/San Francisco (5/1/14)
– Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit (5/22/14)2
– Chicago O’Hare and Baltimore/Washington (5/22/14)2
– Chicago O’Hare and Portland, OR (5/22/14)2
– Fort Lauderdale and New Orleans (8/1/14)
– Houston and New Orleans (8/1/14)
– Houston and Atlanta (8/1/14)
– Kansas City and Chicago (8/7/14)
– Kansas City and Dallas/Fort Worth (8/7/14)
– Kansas City and Detroit (8/7/14)
– Kansas City and Las Vegas (8/7/14)
– Kansas City and Houston (8/8/14)
– Fort Lauderdale and Houston (9/3/14)
– Houston and San Diego (9/3/14)
– Boston and West Palm Beach (11/21/14)2
– Latrobe/Pittsburgh and Fort Myers (12/18/14)2
– Latrobe/Pittsburgh and Tampa (12/19/14)2

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Spirit Airlines has eight more new Airbus A320 aircraft scheduled for delivery by year-end 2014. Airbus A320-232 N617NK (msn 5387) completes its final approach into Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

Spirit Airlines:

Current Route Map:

FAA proposes a $12 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines, Southwest has 30 days to respond

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (Washington) has issued this statement concerning Boeing 737 maintenance issues by Southwest Airlines (Dallas) and a contractor:

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $12 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines for failing to comply with Federal Aviation Regulations in three separate enforcement cases related to repairs on Boeing 737 jetliners operated by the Dallas-based airline.

The FAA alleges that beginning in 2006, Southwest conducted so-called “extreme makeover” alterations to eliminate potential cracking of the aluminum skin on 44 jetliners. The FAA conducted an investigation that included both the airline and its contractor, Aviation Technical Services, Inc., (ATS) of Everett, Wash. Investigators determined that ATS failed to follow proper procedures for replacing the fuselage skins on these aircraft. FAA investigators also determined that ATS failed to follow required procedures for placing the airplanes on jacks and stabilizing them. All of the work was done under the supervision of Southwest Airlines, which was responsible for ensuring that procedures were properly followed.

Southwest returned the jetliners to service and operated them when they were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations, the FAA alleges. The regulatory violations charged involve numerous flights that occurred in 2009 after the FAA put the airline on notice that these aircraft were not in compliance with either FAA Airworthiness Directives or alternate, FAA-approved methods of complying with the directives. The FAA later approved the repairs after the airline provided proper documentation that the repairs met safety standards

“Safety is our top priority, and that means holding airlines responsible for the repairs their contractors undertake,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Everyone has a role to play and a responsibility to ensure the safety of our transportation system.”

During its investigation, the FAA found that ATS workers applied sealant beneath the new skin panels but did not install fasteners in all of the rivet holes during the timeframe for the sealant to be effective. This could have resulted in gaps between the skin and the surface to which it was being mounted. Such gaps could allow moisture to penetrate the skin and lead to corrosion. As a result of the improper repairs, these airplanes did not comply with Federal Aviation Regulations.

The FAA also alleges that ATS personnel failed to follow requirements to properly place these airplanes on jacks and shore them up while the work was being performed. If a plane is shored improperly during skin replacement, the airframe could shift and lead to subsequent problems with the new skin.

In the third case, the FAA alleges that Southwest Airlines failed to properly install a ground wire on water drain masts on two of its Boeing 737s in response to an FAA Airworthiness Directive addressing lightning strikes on these components. As a result, the aircraft were not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations. The airplanes were each operated on more than 20 passenger flights after Southwest Airlines became aware of the discrepancies but before the airline corrected the problem.

“The FAA views maintenance very seriously, and it will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to follow regulations,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.

Southwest Airlines has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s Civil Penalty letter to respond to the allegations.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-3H4 N363SW (msn 26574) prepares to land at Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

Southwest Airlines:

IAM members ratify three contracts with US Airways

US Airways (part of the American Airlines Group) (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) has issued this statement:

Mechanics and Related, Fleet Service, and Maintenance Training Specialists workgroups at US Airways, represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM), ratified three collective bargaining agreements overing more than 11,000 employees. The agreements will remain in effect for the US Airways employees until a joint collective bargaining agreement covering the 30,000 employees of the new American Airlines has been reached.

“We are pleased we have reached these agreements,” said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of American Airlines. “We want to thank the International Association of Machinists leadership and negotiators for their professionalism and hard work on behalf of their members. We would also like to express our appreciation to the National Mediation Board, Board Member Linda Puchala and Mediator Walter Darr for their assistance in reaching these agreements. These agreements will allow us to focus on the next steps for integrating our airlines, and we can now start the process of bringing these employee groups together with their co-workers from American through joint collective bargaining agreements.”

The ratification continues progress on labor agreements at American Airlines since the merger with US Airways closed on December 9, 2013. Negotiations for joint flight attendant and pilot agreements are underway, and processes are in place to ensure that joint collective bargaining agreements for those groups will be reached soon.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-132 N837AW (msn 2595) in the special NFL “Arizona Cardinals” livery arrives at Baltimore/Washington.

US Airways:

Southwest Airlines starts international flights today

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) today (July 1) launched an international service by inaugurating service to three Caribbean destinations from three of its US gateway cities. Southwest Airlines’ first international departure, flight WN 1804 from Baltimore/Washington to Oranjestad, Aruba, departed on time at 8:30 am EDT, closely followed by Southwest flight WN 906 to Montego Bay, Jamaica, where its first-ever scheduled international arrival was planned for just after 11 am EDT. A midday flight from Baltimore/Washington to Nassau/Paradise Island also brings Southwest Airlines to The Bahamas.

Customers on the carrier’s inaugural international flights from Baltimore/Washington joined those in two other gateway cities of Atlanta, and Orlando who celebrated alongside Employees with commemorative beach balls, snorkels and masks.

At the Company’s corporate headquarters in Dallas, Employees staffed a command center in the pre-dawn hours to monitor operational performance and new technology systems developed in partnership with Amadeus, a leading technology provider to the global travel industry. Its Altea suite of technology solutions is powering Southwest’s reservations, inventory, and departure control functions for international flying.

Read the analysis by Bloomberg Businessweek: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8H4 N8633A (msn 36905) with the new Aviation Partners Boeing Split Scimitar Winglets arrives at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).

Southwest Airlines:

Southwest is trying to improve its on-time average with better aircraft scheduling

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) used to be always near the top for on-time performance. Not any more. As the airline grew to become the largest domestic carrier in the United States that has all changed.

According to this article by Bloomberg Businessweek, “Southwest has ranked near the bottom of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s monthly tally of airline on-time performance for much of the past year, with only 72.9 percent of its flights arriving on schedule during the 12 months through April 30.”

For the August and beyond schedule period, Southwest is tweaking its schedule to improve its performance.

In the past, Southwest purposely avoided congested major airports but that too has changed as it has now entered most of the top markets in the United States and soon will fly to more overseas destinations.

Read the full article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Southwest in the past celebrated its high scores in the top three indexes of passenger satisfaction (best on-time performance, best baggage handling and fewest customer complaints) with it special “Triple Crown” livery on Boeing 737-3H4 N647SW (msn 27717).

Southwest Airlines:

Spirit Airlines announces new seasonal service from Boston to West Palm Beach

Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) has announced new seasonal service between Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), serving West Palm Beach, Florida starting on November 21, 2014.

Spirit offers nonstop service from Boston to seven cities, including Atlantic City, Chicago/O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach, and beginning in November, West Palm Beach.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N618NK (msn 5458) in the special DFW advertising scheme lands at Baltimore/Washington (BWI)>

Spirit Airlines:

US Airways to fly 4 American routes from Miami

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) as part of the integration and cross-fleeting process, is adjusting its routes, aircraft and crews to better match the markets with the aircraft types. As part of this strategy, US Airways will add Airbus A319 aircraft on the following routes starting on September 3 from the American Airlines Miami hub per Airline Route:

Boston 1 daily

Houston (Bush Intercontinental) 1 daily

Newark 1 daily

Washington (Reagan National) 1 daily

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. US Airways has started the rebranding process to the American Airlines 2013 livery. The first aircraft that were repainted were the Airbus A319s that were formerly painted in the now historic Star Alliance livery. US Airways’ Airbus A319-112 N703UW (msn 904) now painted in the American brand arrives at Baltimore/Washington (BWI).

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines (current):

US Airways: