Singapore Airlines achieved a 12.3% year-on-year increase in systemwide passenger traffic (RPKs) in May-2010, which handsomely outpaced the 0.5% increase in capacity (ASKs), leading to a 7.9 ppts surge in passenger load factor to 74.8% from a weak base last year. SIA stated, “general improvement in...
Once again Japan has a new prime minister, as the revolving door continues to spin. Mr Naoto Kan is Japan’s eighth Prime Minister to hold office this century (and that includes Junichiro Koizumi, who lasted a remarkable four years). The new incumbent PM is basically an economic reformer while, importantly...
While other legacies were touting their achievements in their long and frustrating march toward a profitability they have yet to achieve, Alaska’s message to the Bank of American Merrill Lynch Global Transportation conference was that it was already there. Indeed, one of the few profitable airlines...
Shares in the Middle East were mixed again on Wednesday (16-Jun-2010) with Air Arabia (-1.8%) and Kuwait National Airways (-1%) down, Royal Jordanian flat and Jazeera Airways (+3.4%) on the rise.
Continental CEO Jeff Smizek echoed his legacy counterparts in saying that, while the industry is still under pressure, it must invest in its product in order to compete. That investment for the industry is coming in the form of refurbishing and replacing current fleet types in order to capitalise on...
WestJet CEO, Gregg Saretsky, at the Merrill Lynch Global Transportation Conference, expressed concerns about the carrier’s lack of brand strength in eastern Canada, stating: “I’m almost embarrassed to say that in the Toronto market, we have lower brand awareness than does Porter, a company with...
North and South American airline stocks declined on Wednesday (16-Jun-2010) after FedEx warned it is expecting higher costs to constrain earnings for FY2011. The Dow was flat as a result, with comments from FedEx outweighing optimism after Apple reported higher-than-expected sales of its new iPhone.
With 90 firm orders and three customers behind it, Bombardier confirmed this week that it would move to lock in the design for its new CSeries aircraft during Aug-2010. The key design freeze has been reached following a long joint definition phase with Bombardier’s suppliers. The manufacturer is now...
The majority of European carriers stocks were down on Wednesday (16-Jun-2010), after IATA warned premium air travel on the continent is likely to weaken, due to government spending cuts in Britain, Germany, Greece, Portugal and Spain, falling consumer confidence and debt worries. A gain in oil prices...
Cargo tonnage at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reached a record-high monthly total of 367,000 tonnes in May-2010, up a massive 41.9% year-on-year, according to Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). Passenger numbers rose 14.4% year-on-year to 4.11 million. AAHK stated the "speedy and significant...
The outlook for business travel in the Asia Pacific region is improving. IATA, in its Premium Traffic Monitor for Apr-2010, commented that premium travel numbers accelerated across the North and Mid Pacific in the month, increasing by 13.3% in Mar-2010 to 15.1% in Apr-2010.
Embraer expects to ramp up regional jet production over the next two years to return deliveries to pre-downturn levels. The manufacturer delivered 162 regional jets in 2008 but cut production to 122 in 2009. It expects to deliver just 90 regional jets this year, essentially matching the 91 deliveries...
Despite criticism that American Airlines’ Flight Plan 2020 programme falls short in the eyes of the investment community, Chair and CEO Gerard Arpey, seemed as combative as such a mild mannered man can be. Speaking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation conference, Mr Arpey's message...
Oil prices ended a three-day rally on Thursday, again triggered by weaker-than-anticipated US economic data. After a three-week slump, which saw the price of WTI crude down to almost USD60 per barrel in late May-2010, oil prices have recovered to spend most of the first two weeks of Jun-2010 around...
Royal Jordanian (-2.4%) fell on Thursday (17-Jun-2010) following a joint announcement with AWAS for the lease of seven new Airbus aircraft to replace six currently in the fleet. The lease involves four A320s, two A321s and an additional A320 to be assimilated into the fleet.
The majority of European airline shares were up again Thursday (17-Jun-2010) as wider markets gained for a seventh consecutive day. Markets were up as Spain completed a successful auction of its bonds, but gains were hampered by a rise in US claims for jobless aid.
North and South American airline stocks were mixed on Thursday (17-Jun-2010) as the Dow (+0.2%) gained only marginally after new claims for jobless aid rose last week. It was also announced during trading that consumer prices also made their largest decline in one-and-a-half years in May-2010.
Shares in easyJet slipped 0.9% yesterday. As the easyJet legal action continues in London, founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou stated that if his dispute with the carrier is not resolved he may withdraw easyJet’s brand licence and offer it to another carrier. Sir Stelios has also suggested he could lease...
AirTran has spent the past decade growing at the expense of legacy carriers moving from a one-airport low-cost carrier competing with Delta at Atlanta to a highly diversified network relying on strengths in the East and Midwest.
Shares in Asiana Airlines soared 6.8% as parent company, Kumho Asiana Group, gained on reports that Moody’s-affiliated Korea Investors Service removed Kumho-related companies from its watch list for a credit downgrade.
Aéroports de Paris (AdP) reports passenger numbers across the group’s airports increased by 3.3% year-on-year to 7.5 million, with 5.2 million at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (+3.5%) and 2.3 million at Paris-Orly (+3.0%). This was a welcome resumption of the growth trend following significant ash-related...
North and South American airline stocks were mixed on Friday (18-Jun-2010). In the US, the Dow (+0.2%) made a modest gain after a strengthening euro boosted confidence in the region’s economic recovery.
The French Government has reportedly rejected requests to permit UAE-based airlines to obtain more landing slots at Paris. Emirates, Etihad and AirArabia were seeking seven new slots. French authorities reportedly agreed to one new landing slot, between Dubai and Lyon.
The majority of European carriers’ shares were up on Friday (18-Jun-2010), as wider markets edged slightly higher, marking an eighth consecutive session of gains. The banking sector pushed shares higher, offsetting losses in the pharmaceuticals sector.
WestJet's shares gained 4.1% on Friday, the day after the Canadian LCC stated it has reduced its full price fares by an average of 25% for all flights across its entire 68-city North American schedule.
“We look at WestJet as being a completely different airline,” President Gregg Saretsky told analysts at the Bank of America Global Transportation conference last week. “It is a value-for-money type of airline; one that focuses on our guests and where 84% of employees are owners. We are at an inflection...
Developments of engines for the next generation of commercial aircraft are continuing, with Rolls-Royce and General Electric announcing several milestones this month.
Hawaiian Airlines’ Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer, Peter Ingram, was not shy about advising analysts to resist the temptation to fit the carrier into the standard airline categories of legacy versus low-cost carrier. Indeed, he was the first speaker at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch...
JetBlue CEO Dave Barger outlined his carrier's strategy for fiscal success at last week's Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation conference with a simple message – cash flow yields sustainable growth. That’s not something JetBlue has focused on in the past, but now, for the New York...
Gatwick Airport Ltd reported a 4.1% year-on-year decline in passenger traffic in May-2010, citing further volcanic ash cloud disruptions on its operations.
