Tag Archives: ERJ 190-100

AeroMexico restores the Monterrey-Houston route on November 3

AeroMexico (Mexico City) is resuming two routes from Monterrey on November 3; to both Torreon and Houston. The Monterrey-Houston route was last operated in January 2011 per Airline Route.

In other news, AeroMexico previously announced a fourth weekly flight between Merida and Miami effective on November 8. This new service will operate on Saturdays and, as the current three frequencies, will be operated with a 99-seat Embraer 190.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. AeroMexico Connect‘s (Aerolitoral) Embraer ERJ 190-100LR XA-ACJ (msn 19000531) arrives in Los Angeles.

AeroMexico:

AeroMexico Connect:

JetBlue Airways to start Washington Reagan National-Jacksonville flights on December 18

JetBlue Airways (New York) today announced new twice-daily nonstop service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Jacksonville, Florida (JAX). The new route will launch on December 18, 2014, the same day the airline also introduces new nonstop service from DCA to two other Florida destinations: Fort Myers (RSW) and West Palm Beach (PBI).

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N339JB (msn 19000490) arrives at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA).

Routes from Washington (Reagan National):

JetBlue Airways:

Republic Airways Holdings’ 2Q income rises to $20.1 million

Republic Airways Holdings Inc. (Indianapolis) reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2014. Key points include:

Republic’s pre-tax income from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2014 was $33.3 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, a 23.3% increase over the previous year. Republic’s income from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2014 was $20.1 million, or $0.38 per diluted share. This is a $4.0 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, increase from the previous year.

Republic’s pre-tax income from continuing operations for the six-month period was $56.1 million, or $1.06 per diluted share, a 21.2% increase over the previous year. Republic’s income from continuing operations for the six-month period was $34.1 million, or $0.65 per diluted share. This is a $6.6 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, increase from the same six-month period of the previous year.

On April 7, 2014, Republic’s Board of Directors authorized management to use up to $75.0 million of unrestricted cash to buy back common shares and/or early retire convertible debt during the following 12 months. Pursuant to the authorization, Republic redeemed a $22.3 million convertible note, leaving $52.7 million remaining on the share repurchase and convertible debt retirement authorization. The repayment of the convertible note reduced the Company’s dilutive share count by about 2.2 million shares for the quarter.

“I am pleased we were able to report improved second quarter financial results, as we remain focused on executing on our strategic plan to simplify and streamline our business,” said Republic’s CFO Timothy Dooley.

“Last Friday, Republic celebrated 40 years of commercial passenger service and our long-term success would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of my 6,500 co-workers. I would like to thank them for their diligence and commitment to our mission to provide safe, clean and reliable service to our airline partners and our guests on board,” said Republic’s Chairman, President and CEO Bryan Bedford.

Operating Revenue Highlights

Operating revenues increased $6.3 million, or 1.9%, from the second quarter of 2013 to $343.0 million in the second quarter of 2014. Fixed-fee service revenue increased $20.2 million, or 6.4%, to $337.1 million due to increased Q400 flying with United Airlines and increased E175 flying with American Airlines. Passenger service revenue decreased $13.8 million because of the removal of E190 aircraft operating under pro-rate agreement with Frontier Airlines.

Operating Expense Highlights

The increase in wages and benefits expenses of 8.6% or $7.3 million was primarily due to an increase in E175 operations, an increase in the cost of benefits we provide to our employees and new pilot flight and duty rest regulations (FAR 117).

Fuel expense for the second quarter of 2014 decreased $6.6 million, or 54.1%, to $5.6 million primarily due to a 57.6% decrease in gallons consumed related to the elimination of pro-rate flying for Frontier. Fuel expense is primarily attributable to our fixed-fee charter operations and is a pass-through to our partner.

Landing fees and airport rents decreased $7.8 million, or 54.2%, primarily due to United Airlines beginning to pay all landing fees in June 2013, coupled with the decrease in our small jet operations.

The increase in depreciation and amortization of 16.9%, or $6.1 million, was primarily related to the increase in the E175 fleet.

Fleet Highlights

As of June 30, 2014, Republic operated a fleet of 237 aircraft. Through June, the Company has removed 23 ERJ aircraft from CPA service, and has taken delivery of 11 E175 aircraft and expects to take delivery of 13 E175 aircraft during the remainder of 2014. As of June 30, 2014, within its fixed-fee and charter agreements, the Company operated 45 aircraft with 44-50 seats and 192 aircraft with 69-99 seats.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

The Company’s total cash balance decreased $14.2 million to $286.5 million as of June 30, 2014, compared to December 31, 2013. Restricted cash increased $0.8 million, to $24.8 million, from December 31, 2013, due to the escrow requirements under fixed-fee charter agreements. The Company’s unrestricted cash balance decreased $15.0 million, to $261.7 million, from December 31, 2013, due to the redemption of the $22.3 million convertible note on April 7, 2014. A consolidated balance sheet and summary cash flow statement have been included in the tables section of this release.

The Company’s debt increased to $2.27 billion as of June 30, 2014, compared to $2.17 billion at December 31, 2013, primarily related to the financing of 11 new E175 aircraft purchased for our American Airlines fixed-fee agreement. As of June 30, 2014, about 97% of the Company’s debt is at a fixed interest rate. The Company has significant long-term lease obligations for aircraft that are classified as operating leases and are not reflected as liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. At a 6% discount factor, the present value of these lease obligations was about $0.53 billion and $0.59 billion as of June 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013, respectively.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. With the sale of subsidiary Frontier Airlines in September 2013, Republic no longer operates Embraer 190s for Frontier as pictured in the past. As a result, revenue dropped by $13.8 million because of the removal of the ERJ 190 aircraft operating under pro-rate agreement with Frontier Airlines. Republic currently operates five E190s for Caesars Entertainment for gambling charters. Now gone, Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N175HQ (msn 19000216) climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport in full Frontier colors.

Frontier Airlines (2nd)-Republic Airlines (2nd):

Azerbaijan Airlines expands Embraer fleet to six E190s

Embraer has signed a firm order for two additional E190 jets with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) (Baku), the national carrier of Azerbaijan. The aircraft will be deployed on the carrier’s international network from Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD).

The total value of the contract is $95.4 million at list prices. This order was already included in Embraer’s 2014 second quarter backlog as an “undisclosed” customer. With this order, now AZAL will now operate six E190s.

Copyright Photo: Javier Rodriguez/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW 4K-AZ64 (msn 19000627) departs from Palma de Mallorca.

Azerbaijan Airlines:

Borajet Airlines to acquire four Embraer 190s

Borajet Airlines (Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen) has ratified an agreement to acquire four Embraer 190s as part of an initiative to gradually upgrade its turboprop fleet, add capacity and frequencies, and grow its network. The airline is acquiring the 100-seat, single-class E190s through a third party lease agreement. The first E190 revenue flight is slated to begin later this month.

The first E190 for Borajet landed at Sabiha Gökçen Airport on June 29, 2014.

Borajet was established in 2008 with three ATR 72-500s.

Copyright Photo: Matt Varley/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100LR EI-FCN (msn 19000263) poses at Norwich before its delivery flight.

British Airways to open the London City-Dublin route on October 26

British Airways (London) on October 26 will start daily London (City)-Dublin flights. The new route will be operated by BA CityFlyer.

In other news, British Airways customers will have access to new destinations and scores more routes when the airline adds its flight code to more than 170 Vueling Airlines (Barcelona) services.

According to the airline, “This significant move for the two International Airlines Group (IAG) airlines heralds the beginning of a closer relationship with more codeshare routes planned for the future.”

British Airways customers will be able to book Vueling flights through all BA sales channels, including ba.com, and collect Avios on these bookings. The codeshare routes are largely centred on Vueling’s operation in Italy with 37 international and 11 domestic routes available from Vueling’s Rome Fiumicino base. These include the destinations, new to BA customers, of Brindisi, Palermo, Lamezia, Valencia, Split and Nantes. Other new routes on offer through the codeshare include Heathrow to Bilbao and La Coruña, Cardiff to Malaga and Alicante, and Edinburgh to Barcelona. Tickets for the codeshare routes go on sale from June 17 for travel from June 24, 2014.

Finally, British Airways has unveiled newly-designed seats and cabin interiors for its short-haul aircraft flying across its European and domestic networks from Heathrow and Gatwick.

Fitting-out work begins this week on the first of the 95 Airbus short-haul aircraft, installing elegant new designs that take inspiration from the airline’s most recent fleet entrants, the A380 and Boeing 787.

According to the airline, “The elegant charcoal grey leather seats are slimmer and ergonomically designed to enable the addition of extra seats in the Euro Traveller (economy) cabin to allow more low fares.

Innovative design maximizes personal space and comfort, with chair backs devised to provide more knee space for the customer behind. Customers can also make use of an eye-level seatback tablet-holder, which can also provide storage for magazines. A four way moveable headrest provides comfort and support. And the seat back table moves in and out to provide optimum positioning.

The new Club Europe, featuring a silver British Airways speedmarque on the front wall, will maintain its 2:2 configuration with the middle seat free. The seats will be bridged with a stylish new ‘central console’ table, providing Club customers with improved functional space. This table provides inlaid leather mats for drinks, snacks and personal devices, freeing up the main table for work or a meal.

Contemporary LED lighting systems, inspired by the airline’s newest long-haul cabins, will include blue tones for boarding, a relaxing candlelit mood for dining and a restful gentle white for cruising and landing.

As part of its investment in short-haul for Club Europe customers, British Airways has also recently invested in significant re-designs of its domestic lounges in Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh.”

The new cabin is a testament to British design. The new seats are manufactured by B/E Aerospace in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, the leather for the seat covers and pads on the ‘central console’ is supplied by Andrew Muirhead & Son Ltd in Glasgow and the decorative stitching on the Club Europe seats has been developed by Prototrim, a car seat design and dressing specialist based in Milton Keynes.

The new interiors, to be fitted across the Airbus fleet over the next 12 months, are the most dramatic of a series of changes to the airline’s short-haul flights. It has already introduced a range of new fare options including hand-baggage only, semi-flex and day returns, which are proving enormously popular with customers. Following the success of day return fares from London, the company will today start rolling out day return fares for European travellers coming to London.

The new cabins will also deliver significant environmental benefits, saving an estimated five per cent in CO2 per passenger/km, contributing toward the airline’s target of reducing net carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.

To enhance its short-haul services British Airways is in discussions with Inmarsat about leading Europe in a new era of broadband in the air. Starting with UK domestic routes they intend to roll-out Europe’s first ground-based 4G broadband network giving customers the internet access they expect on the ground while in the air.

Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100SR G-LCYN (msn 19000392) of BA CityFlyer with the special “7,000 Embraer” sticker taxies at Zurich.

British Airways:

British Airways-BA CityFlyer:

JetBlue today launches seasonal service to Hyannis, Massachusetts

JetBlue Airways (New York) today (June 26) launches seasonal service to Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The Capital of the Cape is the airline’s 86th destination and is JetBlue’s 64th nonstop route from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. JetBlue will be the only airline connecting New York City with Cape Cod, one of the country’s most popular summer destinations, offering seasonal service with one daily flight between June 26 and September 9, 2014.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N178JB (msn 19000004) arrives at the New York (JFK) hub.

JetBlue Airways:

Finnair to add three new routes to Russia this summer, celebrates 90 years of flying

Finnair (Helsinki) is expanding eastward into Russia this summer with three new routes to Kazan (August 18), Nizhniy Novgorod (July 25) and Samara (August 7). The new routes will be operates three days a week with Embraer 190s by Flybe Finland.

The airline issued this statement:

This summer we’ll start operating direct scheduled flights to Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Kazan in Russia.

Flights to Nizhny Novgorod (airport code GOJ) begins on July 25, while flights to Samara (KUF) start on August 7 and to Kazan (KZN) on August 18. The flights will be operated by Flybe Finland three times a week with Embraer E190 aircraft.

On June 2, Finnair celebrated 90 years of the first flight between Helsinki and Stockholm. Finnair, former Aero OY, operated the flight on June 2, 1924. The flight was an adventure and the two and a half hour trip took in total 21 hours. Today, after 90 years of the first service, Finnair has up to 8 daily flights between Helsinki and Stockholm. The poster is from 1925 (see below).

Top Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100LR OH-LKP (msn 19000416) taxies at Sockholm (Arlanda).

Finnair:

1925 Poster (Finnair):

JetBlue Airways and Singapore Airlines file for a codeshare agreement

JetBlue Airways (New York) and Singapore Airlines (Singapore) have filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to enter into a bilateral codeshare agreement.

JetBlue and Singapore Airlines have been interline partners since 2011. The expanded partnership would provide customers seamless connections between the two airlines, combining flights on both carriers and easily facilitating one-stop ticketing and baggage check-in. Flights will become available for sale pending regulatory approval.

Under the proposed codeshare, JetBlue customers would have access to five new cities in Europe and Asia, while Singapore Airlines customers would have access to 16 destinations in the U.S.

Under the proposed agreement, JetBlue would put its ‘B6′ code on Singapore Airlines’ flights to/from the U.S. including:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN)
San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN)
San Francisco (SFO) – Seoul (ICN) – Singapore (SIN)

In turn, Singapore Airlines would add its ‘SQ’ designator code on JetBlue-operated flights beyond its U.S. gateway at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to 16 key destinations:

Austin, Texas
Boston, Massachusetts
Buffalo, New Yorkk
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois (O’Hare)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Florida
Houston, Texas
Jacksonville, Florida
Orlando, Florida
New Orleans, Louisiana
Portland, Maine
Rochester, New York
Syracuse, New York
Tampa, Florida
Washington D.C. (Dulles)
West Palm Beach, Florida

Top Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. JetBlue Airways’ Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N373JB (msn 19000624) in the Barcode tail design lands at Baltimore/Washington.

JetBlue Airways:

Singapore Airlines:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380-841 9V-SKF (msn 012) taxies from the gate at Los Angeles International Airport.

JetBlue responds to Silver Airways, adds Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood-Jacksonville flights

JetBlue Airways (New York) following on the heels of Silver Airways announcement of frequent Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood-Jacksonville turboprop service, has also announced twice-daily nonstop jet service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). Service will launch on October 29, 2014, along with previously announced new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Cartagena, Colombia (CTG); Las Vegas, Nev. (LAS) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PIT).

JetBlue’s presence in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood is growing rapidly. The airline has committed to expand this South Florida BlueCity to 100 daily departures by 2017. With the addition of Cartagena, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh, JetBlue will offer up to 80 daily departures and 33 nonstop destinations from South Florida.

JetBlue’s schedule between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) and Jacksonville (JAX):
FLL to JAX: JAX to FLL:
Depart – Arrive Depart – Arrive
7:00 a.m. – 8:14 a.m. 8:00 a.m. – 9:14 a.m.
6:55 p.m. – 8:09 p.m. 6:45 p.m. – 7:59 p.m.

JetBlue’s flights between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Jacksonville will be operated with its full-size 100-seat Embraer 190 jet aircraft.

Southwest Airlines is dropping the route on November 1 sparking these two announcements.

Can Silver Airways’ SAAB 340B turboprops compete against JetBlue Airways Embraer 190 jets? Someone will blink on this route as the daily traffic cannot support this large number of new seats.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW N228JB (msn 19000030) in the Harlequin tail design prepares to touch down on runway 9L at First Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

JetBlue Airways: