"In the next five-to-10 years, China will embrace an explosive growth period for low-cost carriers,” Hainan Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary Hong Kong Express president Ma Zhimin noted earlier this year.
Nobody wants a surprise during an aircraft flight test program, but if it happens, that’s the right place for it to happen and much can be done to mitigate the impact.
While the alliance game used to be all about scooping up new members and destinations, SkyTeam MD Michael Wisbrun is shifting his focus from the network to the end user. “It has all changed from scale to scope and adding value,” Wisbrun told ATW. The one exception is Garuda Indonesia, which joined SkyTeam in March, adding 40 destinations to the alliance’s network.
On average, nearly 1,000 passengers are boarding flights operated by oneworld member airlines every minute of every day. And where they are boarding is quite important.
You win some, you lose some. For the Star Alliance, this has been a year of losing TAM Airlines and US Airways—the result of industry consolidation—but also seeing London Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 open its doors and become a Star hub.
I last announced my retirement in a column in Air Transport World’s September 2012 issue. But things change, and as it happened I never left. So how do you write a second retirement column? I have discovered this one is more difficult to compose. I titled that first column -30-, which means the end of the story. Okay, so it wasn’t.
After years of missteps, false promises and multiple delays on the 787-8 and A380 programs, Boeing and Airbus are cruising into the Farnborough Airshow able to boast about smooth, successful flight test programs for the 787-9 and A350-900, respectively.
19 Alliance Ambitions Global alliances adapt to meet member and passenger needs. 20 Star turn Star lost two key partners this year, but gained LHR’s T2. By Karen Walker 22 Oneworld’s Growth Spurt Half-dozen new members join in 18-month period. By Aaron Karp 26 Sky Priorities SkyTeam focuses on adding value. By Victoria Moores
UK carrier Virgin Atlantic has firmed up one of its five Boeing 787-9 options and will decide this year whether to cancel or further defer its Airbus A380 order.
Icelandair has downgraded its EBITDA forecast from $140-$145 million to $138-$143 million for the year following May’s industrial action by its pilots.
Air Mauritius has posted a net profit of €7.3 million ($9.9 million) for the year ended March 31, reversing a loss of €3.6 million in the previous 12 months.
Irish low-cost carrier (LCC) Ryanair is considering participating in an initial public offering (IPO) by Spanish national airport and air navigation services provider AENA.
British Airways (BA) has unveiled new seats and cabin interiors for its short-haul fleet, which operate domestic and European services from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Airbus has contracted DHL to transport A319, A320 and A321 aircraft components and general cargo from an Airbus production site in Hamburg to Mobile, Alabama.
Russia’s UTair Express Airlines has signed a technical support agreement with PowerJet for the SaM146 engines that power its fleet of Sukhoi Superjet 100LRs (SSJ100LRs).
