EasyJet will expand its already extensive network in France next year and lift its network to 191 routes at 19 airports, further cementing its position as the second-largest airline in the country.
Rapidly expanding Ethiopian Airlines is boosting its network to include three new destinations: Doha, Dublin and Los Angeles. The Addis Ababa-based carrier has detailed plans to add a new three-times-weekly Boeing 737 service to Doha from Dec. 2, marking its 10th destination to the Middle East. “The new flights to Doha will offer better connectivity and more convenient mobility between the State of Qatar and the continent of Africa,” Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said.
The Nov. 4 midterm elections in the U.S. did not change the balance of power in the House of Representatives, but with the Senate switching to Republican control, the aviation industry is questioning what that means for the FAA. Senate Republicans may be more receptive to changing rules on fare and ancillary revenue advertising, industry groups say. The current FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act expires at the end of Fiscal 2015.
International Airlines Group (IAG) expects to grow capacity 3-4% annually in the 2016-2020 time frame, but says it has great flexibility in its fleet plan should it wish to accelerate or slow down the rate. The parent of British Airways (BA), Iberia, Iberia Express, and Vueling told investors on Friday that it is preparing to pay dividends for the first time since the group was created from 2015. The dividend will amount to a payout of 25% of after-tax profit, according to CFO Enrique Dupuy, who added, “2015 will be the trigger.”
International Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh said that “on balance,” it is “probably a good thing” that Etihad Airways is investing in Alitalia. “Alitalia was not going to go disappear,” Walsh told investors at the IAG Capital Markets Day on Friday, “there would have been an Italian solution to an Italian problem.”
