Tag Archives: SkyTeam

Delta Air Lines to add three summer routes from Los Angeles starting in June

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will reintroduce three routes for the summer season from Los Angeles in June per Airline Route. Anchorage will be served twice-weekly with Boeing 757-200s effective June 21. Boston will be flown daily also with 757-200s starting on June 10. Finally Spokane service will be added with daily service starting on June 10 and will be served by Bombardier CRJ900s operated by SkyWest Airlines (St. George).

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Ex-TWA/American Boeing 757-231 N722TW (msn 29385) climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport dressed in the special SkyTeam livery.

Delta Air Lines:

AeroMexico posts a net profit of $103.6 million for 2012

Grupo Aeromexico S.A.B. De C.V. (AeroMexico) (Mexico City), the largest intercontinental airline in Mexico, reported consolidated unaudited results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012.

Net income during the fourth quarter 2012 was MXP $612 million ($47.9 million); an increase as compared to the MXP $294 million ($23 million) net income reported for the same period in 2011. Full year net income was MXP $1,323 million ($103.6 million) despite record-high fuel prices and the negative impact of a 5.8% exchange rate depreciation.
Fourth quarter operating profit before other non-operating revenues and expenses was MXP $356 million, with a 3.6% margin. 2012 operating profit before other non-operating revenues and expenses was MXP $2,529 million, with a 6.4% margin. Operating margin was 6.5%, excluding the effect of Aeromexico Cargo consolidation.
2012 EBITDAR was MXP $6,811 million, the second highest annual EBITDAR in the Company’s history, despite negative impacts related to the fuel price increase and the aforementioned exchange rate depreciation. EBITDAR margin was 17.2%; after adjusting for the cargo consolidation effect, this margin was 17.6%.
Grupo Aeromexico reported record revenues of MXP $39,569 million in 2012; 10.5% growth year-over-year. This growth was driven primarily by increased yields, higher passenger flows and an increase in cargo revenues. Fourth quarter revenues reached MXP $9,897 million; a 1.7% increase year on year.
Cost per available seat kilometer (CASK) excluding fuel and adjusting for the accounting effect of consolidating Aeromexico Cargo (AM Cargo), increased 5.4% in 2012 compared to last year. This is primarily due to the exchange rate depreciation. This indicator, expressed in U.S. dollars, decreased 1.7%. CASK in pesos, excluding fuel and the cargo business consolidation, grew 3.7% in the fourth quarter as compared to the same period last year.
During the year, Grupo Aeromexico executed the most ambitious investment program in the Company’s history, making payments of MXP $4,261 million in fixed assets investments, aircraft purchase prepayments, guarantee deposits and the amortization of debt not related to the purchase of aircraft. The Company’s cash position as of December 31, 2012 was MXP $3,452 million.
Grupo Aeromexico took delivery of eight new Embraer-190 in 2012. Six of these were delivered as part of the aircraft acquisition program through the BNDES credit line and two were delivered through operating leases. The Company also took delivery of three Boeing 737-800 through US Ex-Im Bank financing. Three Embraer 170 aircraft also were added to the fleet through operating leases. Additionally, two Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 767-200 and one Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft were re-delivered.

Copyright Photo: Wingnut. Boeing 767-284 ER XA-JBC (msn 24762) in the SkyTeam motif prepares to taxi to the runway at London (Heathrow).

AeroMexico:

Czech Airlines to resume long-haul services with Airbus A330s, will retire the last Boeing 737-500 at the end of the winter season

Czech Airlines-CSA (Prague) is again getting back into the long-haul business with leased Airbus A330s (previously operated with Airbus A310s). The first route will be to Seoul starting in June 2013. The airline is also adding short-range flights to Florence, Nice and Perm (Russia) on March 31, 2013. Czech Airlines is also retiring the last Boeing 737-500 (pictured) at the end of the current winter schedule. The company has issued the following statement:

After a three-year hiatus, Czech Airlines is again including its own long-haul flights in its flight schedule. A wide-body Airbus A330 will join the airline’s fleet, enabling Czech Airlines to launch new scheduled service to Seoul, South Korea, and to initiate more intensive code-share cooperation with Korean Air in operating long-haul flights from Prague via Seoul to the East Asia, based on the model of cooperation being successfully employed with Etihad Airways. The new agreement will also ensure better connections to Czech Airlines flights from Prague to Europe for Korean Air’s clients. In addition to Seoul, Czech Airlines will introduce new service to Perm, Nice, Munich, Zurich and Florence in the 2013 summer season.

The twice-weekly Airbus A330-300 service to Seoul (Incheon) will commence on June 1 per Airline Route. The carrier is expected to also launch A330 service to Almaty, Ekaterinburg and Moscow (Sheremetyevo).

Next June, a long-haul Airbus A330 hired on the basis of operative leasing will join the Czech Airlines fleet. Among other flights, the aircraft will be deployed on Czech Airlines’ new scheduled long-haul service to Seoul. The flights will leave Prague every Saturday and Sunday, and Seoul every Sunday and Tuesday, supplementing the four weekly Korean Air flights. The two airlines will share codes on the route.

Seoul is not the only new destination in the Czech Airlines flight schedule in the 2013 summer season. The airline will open regular service to Perm in Russia, as well as Nice, Munich, Zurich and Florence. To certain destinations, it is introducing a noon flight wave, and increasing the number of flights compared to the 2012 summer season. These destinations include Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Milan, Stockholm and Warsaw. In making a year-on-year comparison, the airline will also offer more weekly flights to Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don and Ufa. Czech Airlines will newly add Brisbane, Singapore and Nairobi to its flight schedule, which will be operated in cooperation with Etihad Airways. Another innovation in the summer flight schedule is a change in the model of operation to Baltic destinations. Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn will remain in Czech Airlines’ offer, and will be operated by airBaltic on a code-share basis.

In the 2013 summer season, only Airbus (A330, A320, A319) and ATR (ATR 72 and ATR 42) aircraft will be deployed on Czech Airlines flights. The airline will have thereby complied with one of its last restructuring tasks – the transition to a fleet of just two aircraft makes. Boeing 737-500 aircraft will be retired from the fleet by the end of the current winter season.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Boeing 737-55S OK-XGE (msn 26543) is currently painted in the SkyTeam colors. The airliner is pictured at Palma de Mallorca.

Czech Airlines-CSA:

Frameable Color Prints and Posters:

Delta Air Lines is in talks to purchase Singapore Airlines’ 49% share of Virgin Atlantic Airways

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is reportedly in discussions with Singapore Airlines (Singapore) to acquire their 49 percent share in Virgin Atlantic Airways (London). If successful, Delta’s European partners, namely Air France-KLM, could then buy some of Sir Richard Branson’s shares to take control of the UK company according to this report by the Financial Times.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. If completed, it would be a bold move by SkyTeam to further increase its presence at slot-controlled Heathrow Airport in London against the Oneworld alliance. Boeing 737-832 N3755D (msn 29627) climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport.

Delta Air Lines:

Virgin Atlantic Airways:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough. Is the Virgin Atlantic brand in danger of becoming history? Boeing 747-41R G-VROC (msn 32746) arrives at New York (JFK) in the updated 2010 motif.

Air France-KLM 2Q net loss expands to $1.1 billion

Air France (Paris) and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam) reported their second quarter net expanded to almost $1.1 billion.

Read the analysis from the Washington Post: CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 777-328 ER F-GZNN (msn 40376) in the SkyTeam motif climbs away from Paine Field near Everett, Washington.

Air France:

KLM:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Paul Denton. KLM’s Boeing 737-7K2 PH-BGN 9msn 38125) taxies at Geneva.

Middle East Airlines (MEA) joins the SkyTeam Alliance

Middle East Airlines-MEA (Air Liban) (Beirut) yesterday (June 28) was welcomed into SkyTeam, the global airline alliance. MEA becomes the 17th member. The flag carrier of Lebanon, MEA becomes SkyTeam’s second Middle Eastern member, offering customers from the region access to an extensive global network.

MEA flies to 30 international destinations throughout Africa, the Middle East and Europe. MEA’s membership of SkyTeam makes it easier for customers to travel to and from Lebanon, whether it’s for business or leisure. This especially benefits the large Lebanese communities living in the US, Canada and Brazil, who will be able to connect via the major hubs Paris CDG and Rome. Beirut is served by SkyTeam members Alitalia, Air France, Aeroflot, Saudia and TAROM, providing additional connections via their hubs in Europe and the Middle East.

China has become an increasingly important trade partner for the Middle East. With members China Airlines, China Eastern and China Southern, the SkyTeam network opens up increased opportunities for commerce in the Greater China Region.

MEA:

Saudi Arabian Airlines introduces its first Boeing 777 SkyTeam logojet

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Jeddah) today (May 27) put into service its first Boeing 777 SkyTeam logojet from Amsterdam. The carrier will join the alliance in June.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems. Boeing 777-268 ER HZ-AKA (msn 28344) taxies at AMS today after being repainted. The jetliner also carries Saudia titles.

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