China Eastern Airlines reported a first-quarter net loss of CNY132.4 million ($21.3 million), reversed from a net profit of CNY266.5 million in the year-ago period.
Aeroflot will transfer some flights from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Vnukovo airport in the winter schedule 2013-14 due to infrastructure limitations at Sheremetyevo Airport.
President Barack Obama said the US has none of the world’s top 25 airports and argued that the legislative fix to the air traffic controller furlough issue hinders long-term efforts to improve the nation’s lagging airport infrastructure.
The European Commission has put forward a set of proposals aimed at strengthening the rights of air passengers, and clarifying ambiguities in existing legislation that have exposed a number of legal loopholes.
Etihad Airways’ president and CEO James Hogan has numbers at his fingertips that speak of ambition, growth and deliverability. In 2012, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier recorded a $42 million profit, 200% higher than the previous year; revenues increased 17% to $4.8 billion; passenger numbers grew 23% to 10.2 million; and earnings before interest and tax rose 24% to $170 million.
One of the best pieces of news in aircraft economics recently has been the continued improvement in composites structures. Better materials and more efficient manufacturing methods have allowed composites to substitute for an ever larger portion of aircraft weight and volume.
After the Great East Japan earthquake and the subsequent tsunami and nuclear power disaster, All Nippon Airways executives were faced with a 20% year-over-year drop on domestic routes. Without any government assistance, ANA swiftly made finely tuned adjustments to its capacity and moved up cost-cutting plans so it could not only adapt to the rapidly changed environment, but also could continue with its international expansion plans, such as launching new Haneda-Frankfurt, Narita-Seattle and Haneda-Beijing routes.
More than six years after lodging an initial planning application, London Ashford Airport has been given UK government approval for a new terminal and runway extension.
Orlando International Airport (MCO) was chosen as the first airport in the US to automate the I-94 arrival/departure form used by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). MCO has already seen a 13.7% gain in international traffic this year. The automation, which will be implemented in phases, started April 30. The automation will use traveler information already transmitted electronically and is expected to decrease wait times an average of 20 seconds per passenger. The electronic information will be accessed via a traveler’s passport.
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) last month decided to delay allowing passengers to bring small knives and other objects, such as sporting equipment, aboard commercial aircraft.
After less than two years of intensive effort and just four formal meetings, the Asia-Pacific region is close to finalizing its seamless air traffic management (ATM) plan—a blueprint for addressing the fragmentation that constrains the region’s airspace.
Air New Zealand (ANZ) has received US Customs and Border Protection approval for transit access for passengers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Auckland or London. On completion of US visa requirements, ANZ transiting passengers will receive a token that allows access to the general terminal area, including ANZ’s LAX lounge, for those who are eligible, without clearing security.
Small jet manufacturers are planning to invest heavily in their platforms and increase the size of current aircraft. Superjet International VP business development John Buckley revealed plans at the ISTAT Americas 2013 conference in Orlando in March to stretch the 100-seat Sukhoi SuperJet to 120-130 seats. “As we move forward, we will be stretching the aircraft to 120-130 seats and begin to have a family of aircraft,” he said.
All European airlines have been caught in the eye of the economic storm, but smaller carriers are finding the turbulent market conditions harder to weather than their larger counterparts. This is illustrated in a recent study by Hamburg-based aviation consultancy firm Prologis that revealed a third of Europe’s regional airlines have disappeared over the last five years, with the number of carriers tumbling from 195 to just 130 since 2008, resulting in 12,000 job losses.
Dubai International Airport handled 5.08 million passengersin February, up 11.4% from February 2012. Aircraft movements reached 28,085 in February, up 3.8%. The average number of passengers per aircraft movement was 201, up 4.4% over 2012. The figure increased primarily due to Emirates Airbus A380s serving the airport. Freight traffic at the airport in February was 182,580 tonnes, up 15.9% year-over-year.
The Regional Airline Association (RAA) holds its 38th annual convention May 6-9 in Montreal, the first time the event will be outside the US. Cohen has led Washington DC-based RAA since December 2006.
Like the music after which it is named, Canada’s largest regional airline is versatile and adaptable, operating a diverse fleet of aircraft on one of the more distinctive route networks in the world. Flying as far south as US cities Houston and New Orleans and as far north as remote Canadian destinations Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Goose Bay, Jazz Aviation contends with a wide range of operating environments and serves a varied mix of passengers.
IATA slightly improved its 2013 financial outlook for the world’s airlines in March, citing strong passenger demand and signs that cargo markets are starting to grow again. IATA now expects airlines to produce a combined net post-tax profit margin of 1.6%, up from the previously forecast 1.3%, with a net post-tax profit of $10.6 billion, up from the previously projected $8.4 billion.
