News From The Americas

Richard Maslen March 17, 2011

DELTA INCREASES FLIGHTS FROM LOS ANGELES

US major Delta Air Lines has accelerated a planned ramp-up of activities at Los Angeles, which will see frequencies on the key routes to San Francisco and Las Vegas increased to eleven and nine times daily, respectively. On the Los Angeles – San Francisco route, the carrier had originally planned to boost frequencies from five to eight per day in June, but this expansion will now take place from April, with a further increase to eleven times daily from July 1. The flights will be operated by Mesaba and Pinnacle under the Delta Connection brand using Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 airliners. The Los Angeles – Las Vegas route will be served six-times per week up until July 1, when a further three daily rotations will be added, including a single flight by Delta’s mainline business. Delta is attempting to carve out a greater share of these two markets which accounted for almost two million (Los Angeles -San Francisco) and 992,000 (Los Angeles – Las Vegas) O&D passengers last year. Delta will also inaugurate a seasonal link between Memphis and Appleton from June 9. The daily service will be operated by a Bombardier CRJ200 under the Delta Connection brand for a two-month period until August 15. The US major is the largest operator at Outagamie County Regional Airport in the Wisconsin city with existing flights to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County and Minneapolis - St. Paul International. United Airlines also offers a link to Chicago O'Hare up to 39 times per week, Frontier Airlines has flights to Milwaukee General Mitchell International and Allegiant Air to Las Vegas and Orlando Sanford International.

AMERICAN EAGLE FLIES INTO CHARLOTTESVILLE AND WILMINGTON

American Airlines’ regional operation American Eagle is to serve Charlottesville and Wilmington twice daily this summer from its Chicago O’Hare hub. The new flights will be introduced from June 9 and July 2 respectively and will be operated using Embraer ERJ 140 jets. The Virginian and North Carolinian cities are not currently served from Chicago, with US Airways dominating schedules from both airports. Despite the lack of direct services around 13,000 and 23,000 O&D passengers travelled between Chicago and Charlottesville and Wilmington in the year ending December 2010, a strong market that is certain to grow with the introduction of direct services.

ALASKA AIRLINES SUSPENDS LOS ANGELES LINK TO ARCATA/EUREKA AND REDDING

Alaska Airlines has confirmed that it will terminate services from Los Angeles to the northern Californian cities of Arcata/Eureka and Redding in April. The flights are operated by its sister carrier Horizon Air using Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprops but passenger demand has meant that they are no longer sustainable. “'We tried a variety of alternatives over the past several years to improve the financial performance of these markets,” said Andrew Harrison, Vice President of Planning and Revenue Management, “but unfortunately, we saw no significant change.” The last services will operate on April 17. Horizon Air was the only to serve these markets from Los Angeles, although hub links will be retained through United Airlines’ up to seven times daily flights to San Francisco.

IBERIA CONFIRMS SCHEDULE FOR BARCELONA – SAO PAULO ROUTE

Spanish flag carrier Iberia, now a subsidiary of IAG along with British Airways, has confirmed that it will launch its new Barcelona – Sao Paulo route on June 19. The flight, which will originate in Madrid, will compete directly with Singapore Airlines which will also offer services on the route in partnership with its Star Alliance partner Spanair from March 28. Iberia will use an Airbus A340-300 on the route twice weekly and at the same time will increase its Madrid – Sao Paulo frequency from 14 to 16 flights per week, with the one-stop service. Iberia holds the largest share of the 452,000 passenger O&D market between Spain and Brazil and is already carrying around 14,000 travellers a year between Barcelona and Sao Paulo.

MESA EMERGES FROM CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION

US regional carrier Mesa Air Group emerged from Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in February after just 13 months under administration, one of the quickest reorganisations in aviation history. The airline declares that it is well positioned to compete aggressively in the regional aviation industry, having shed inefficient aircraft, significant debt and extended its partnership with US Airways. “This is a new beginning for Mesa, one that allows the company to build on its almost 30-year history and re-establish ourselves as one of the world’s leading regional airlines,” said Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mesa Air Group. “Upon our exit from bankruptcy, we will take the intensity and effort of the past 13 months and transfer it from the triage of the bankruptcy process to focus on opportunities that exist in our rapidly changing industry.”

SKYTEAM PARTNERS REVISE ATLANTA SCHEDULES

SkyTeam members Air France and Delta Air Lines are to increase their daily Paris CDG to Atlanta service with the introduction of second daily frequencies. Air France will add its second rotation from March 27, while Delta will introduce its additional flight from June 1. Last year 126,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route with Delta holding a 65 per cent share of this traffic.

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