American to Introduce Barcelona Link from Miami
American Airlines is to add a new service between Miami International and Barcelona this summer, complementing the current operations of its fellow oneworld alliance member Iberia. The US carrier will initially introduce a five times weekly service from April 3, 2012 using a Boeing 767-300ER, but will increase to a daily offering from June 14, 2012. In the past year an estimated 59,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route, which was launched by the Spanish national carrier in March 2011. American Airlines already holds an 11 per cent share of this traffic through its transatlantic co-operation with Iberia and British Airways (BA). Average one-way fares on the route are estimated to be slightly below the $600 mark which is much lower than the Miami International route from the Spanish capital Madrid, where average fares are more than a fifth higher around the $730 mark.
Santa Barbara Ends European Link
Venezuelan carrier Santa Barbara Airlines is set to suspend its four times weekly service between Caracas and Madrid after removing all availability from mid-February 2012. According to the airline’s latest GDS update, the last flight on the route is scheduled to take place on February 22, 2012. The airline is one of four airlines that currently compete between the two capital cities: Iberia has a daily service, Air Europa offers six rotations per week, while fellow Venezuelan operator Conviasa has a twice weekly flight. An estimated 235,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the past year, up 9.4 per cent on the previous 12 months. However, during this period Santa Barbara has slipped from being the market leader with a 32 per cent share of traffic to the number three operator with a 25 per cent share, as all its rivals have grown. Santa Barbara is the largest local carrier in the international market offering 42 international flights to six destinations providing over 8,000 seats from the country’s largest international air gateway, Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas. The airline also flies to Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador; Miami International, Panama City, as well as offering the only Spanish connection away from Madrid with a service to Tenerife Norte.
United Increases Competition on Philadelphia – Los Angeles
United Airlines is to return to the Los Angeles – Philadelphia market this summer further increasing competition on a route that will soon also be served by Virgin America. United will introduce a daily rotation from April 1, 2012 just three days ahead of Virgin America’s debut in the Philadelphia market. US Airways currently offers four daily flights on the route, while Delta Air Lines also has an existing presence in the market. Virgin America will offer a twice daily link from April 4, 2012 and a third rotation will be added from May 1, 2012. Southwest Airlines also operates a direct link between the two cities but with an en route stop. An estimated 492,000 O&D passengers travelled between Philadelphia and Los Angeles last year, up 2.4 per cent on the previous 12 month period. During this period there has been a notable decline in premium demand with Business and First Class traffic declining by 9.4 per cent. However, yields in Economy have strengthened significantly with average one-way fares up 8.1 per cent suggesting that a large number of premium passengers are now flying on more flexible Economy tickets.
New FAA Safety Ratings for Curaçao and St Maarten
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that Curaçao and St Maarten “do not comply with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” following an assessment of each country’s civil aviation authority. As a result, the FAA has assigned both countries an International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 2 rating. Under Category 2 status air carriers from Curaçao and St Maarten will not be permitted to establish any new services to the US, although they can continue existing flights. Both countries were previously part of the Netherlands Antilles, which had a Category 1 rating. The ruling means that countries either lack laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or that its civil aviation authority – equivalent to the FAA for aviation safety matters – is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record keeping or inspection procedures. At the current time InselAir is the only local operator to provide links from the islands to the US with services from Curaçao to Charlotte Douglas and Miami International and from St Maarten to San Juan in Puerto Rico. These routes can continue, although any plans to potentially further expand in the US will have to be put on hold until a new audit is completed or will have to be operated in partnership with an overseas carrier.
Related Content
