Growth in mainland Chinese airline passenger numbers slowed in 2019, when the industry carried 660 million people, up 7.9% on a year earlier, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said.
With hefty fuel bills, overcapacity and macroeconomic uncertainty increasing pressure on the airline industry, it is no surprise carriers worldwide are focusing attention on driving growth in ancillary revenues to boost their coffers.
Privately owned airlines in China have more than the usual challenges in making money out of widebody aircraft: the big state carriers use their political heft to secure the best routes.
As the air transport market in the Asia-Pacific region becomes more competitive, yields from ticket revenue have fallen and airlines are increasingly turning to ancillary revenue to supplement operating income.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Aero Engines has shipped the first Pratt & Whitney PW1200G from the plant that will act as a second assembly line of the engine, which powers the Mitsubishi Aircraft SpaceJet regional airliner.
Korean Air is set to begin the next phase of its fleet renewal in 2020, which will allow the airline to fulfill its medium-term network plans and introduce new technology for passengers.
Text by Guy Norris, Adrian Schofield and Jens Flottau
Qantas completes the first trial flight of its proposed “Project Sunrise” ultra-long-haul services, but is yet to decide to officially launch such routes.
Boeing is warning that escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China, its largest single market, may soon threaten prospective aircraft sales, particularly those of the company’s lucrative twinjet 777 and 787 families.
