In many cases, Latin American airlines may be fierce competitors, but most of them have one thing in common—bad infrastructure. And there is no short-term relief in sight. Airports are quickly becoming a nagging bottleneck as the region's airlines continue their fast-paced growth. The capacity shortfall is seen in almost all major markets, even where facilities are partially privatized. Even though renovation projects are under way in some locations, their completion may be too late to satisfy airline customers.
Fuel costs could be driving more airline aftermarket work to vendors closer to operators' home bases. Although 82% of all airline maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is outsourced, according to TeamSAI, only 21% leaves an operator's region. While “geography is not a prime consideration in the decision process” for selecting maintenance vendors, it “clearly can impact costs both positively and negatively,” says Delta Air Lines spokesperson Ashley Black.
The global airline industry appears to have passed its latest financial peak, and the billion-dollar question now is how far—and how quickly—it will fall before bouncing back. Airlines will be hoping that the dip is a brief one, but the cyclical history of this industry shows that a sustained drop is just as likely.
While mainline airlines are on the decline, their low-cost-carrier (LCC) rivals appear to be faring better as the industry grapples with the prospect of another downturn. This is one of the themes revealed by the latest mid-term update to Aviation Week's Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) study. The charts and analysis below examine the slowdown and reversal of the mainline carrier recovery since 2008. And the three other charts show that while low-cost carriers are under pressure, there is still growth in key regions.
While the economic outlook may have darkened since the last Top-Performing Airlines (TPA) study, the best airlines are still on top. This mid-term update shows the same three carriers ranked first in their sectors by healthy margins, proving that their business models still give them an edge during global uncertainty. Note that these are not full TPA lists—merely a snapshot of the top 10 in each category.
The A318 is a twin-engine, 107-132-passenger narrowbody jetliner. Initial flight occurred in January 2002. In May 2003, the A318 (with CFM56 engines) was certificated by the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA); FAA certification followed a month later. Deliveries began in July 2003. Through 2010, Airbus produced 74 A318s. The A318 is powered by two 21,600-23,800-lb.-thrust turbofan engines, either the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 or the CFM International CFM56-5B. Primary competitors are the Embraer 190 and 195 and Bombardier CSeries.
In December 2010, Airbus announced that it was launching the NEO (new engine option) line of reengined A320 family aircraft. The NEO variants are offered with either Pratt & Whitney PW1100G or CFM International Leap-X engines. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2015. Airbus will continue to offer its baseline A319/A320/A321 models (with the traditional engine options). Including baseline and NEO models, production of 5,251 A319/A320/A321 aircraft is forecast for 2011-20.
The A330 twin-engine, widebody commercial passenger transport was developed by Airbus to replace aircraft such as the A300, DC-10-10 and L-1011. An A330 prototype first flew in November 1992. Deliveries began in December 1993. Customers have a choice of turbofan engines in the 64,000-72,000-lb.-thrust class: the GE CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700. Three A330 models are available. The A330-300 seats 335 passengers in two classes or 295 in three classes. The -200 seats 293 in two classes or 253 in three.
The A340 is a four-engine, intercontinental widebody commercial transport aircraft. A prototype flew in October 1991, and deliveries began in January 1993. The A340-200 and -300 were certificated by the European Joint Aviation Authorities in December 1992 and FAA in February 1993. Both are powered by four 31,200-34,000-lb.-thrust CFM International CFM56-5C4 turbofan engines. Two newer models, the longer-range -500 and stretched -600, are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500s. Typical seating for the -200, -300, -500 and -600 is 262, 295, 313 and 380 passengers, respectively.
In developing the 525-passenger A380, Airbus chose to leap past Boeing's 747 in capacity class. Boeing is marketing the 747-8 to indirectly compete with the A380, but no direct competition exists in the 500-plus-seat market. The A380 is powered by four turbofan engines rated at 70,000-76,500 lb. thrust each, and can be outfitted with either the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or GE/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200. Airbus currently produces only a passenger version of the A380, delaying development of a freighter version until at least 2014.
The C212 made its first flight in March 1971 and deliveries began in May 1974. It is built in Spain by Airbus Military (formerly known as EADS CASA) and under license in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace (IAe). Approximately 474 C212s (of all versions) were built through 2010. The C212 is an unpressurized 21-28-passenger regional turboprop. The C212-200 is powered by two Honeywell TPE331-10R-511C or -512C turboprop engines rated at 900 shp each. The C212-300 used two TPE331-10R-513C turboprops, also rated at 900 shp each.
The An-124 is a four-engine, intercontinental-range heavy-lift cargo transport, while the An-225 is a six-engine, heavy-lift jet designed to carry the Soviet shuttle orbiter Buran. Initial flight of a production An-124 prototype took place in 1982 and commercial operation began in 1986. Both are powered by Ivchenko-Progress D-18T turbofan engines. Fifty-five An-124s and one An-225 have been produced.
The An-148 is a twin-engine regional jet designed to serve the 70-80-seat market. First flight took place in 2004, with type certification by Russia and Ukraine following in 2007. Power comes from two Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofan engines. Seven An-148s were built through 2010 and an additional 151 are forecast for production through 2020. The An-158, a stretched 99-passenger version, first flew in 2010.
The ATR series are turboprop-powered regional transport aircraft. ATR is a joint venture of EADS and Alenia Aeronautica. The ATR 42 was first delivered in 1985 and the ATR 72 in 1989. The latest versions are the ATR 42-600 and 72-600. The latter received European Aviation Safety Agency certification in May 2011. Both -600 variants are powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines, rated at 2,400-2,750 shp each. Through 2010, 940 aircraft in the entire ATR series were produced. Production of 668 is forecast for 2011-20.
The 737 series is a family of twin-engine, narrowbody commercial transports. Seating capacity varies depending on model, though the most typical two-class configurations are 126 passengers for the 737-700, 162 for the 737-800 and 180 for the 737-900ER. All three models, which are the current production versions, are powered by two CFM International CFM56-7 turbofans. The first 737 flew in April 1967 and received FAA certification in December 1967. Through 2010, Boeing produced 7,092 737s.
The 747 is an intercontinental, four-engine widebody commercial transport aircraft. A total of 1,467 747s were produced through 2010. First flight and certification occurred in 1969. In February 2010, Boeing achieved the maiden flight of the 747-8 series, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger model and 747-8 Freighter. Both versions feature four GE GEnx engines rated at 66,500 lb. thrust each. The 747-8I is stretched 18 ft. compared to the 747-400 to accommodate 467 seats in a three-class configuration.
Through 2010, Boeing produced 994 of these twin-engine, widebody commercial transport aircraft. A 767 prototype was rolled out in August 1981, with first flight the following month. Current models include the 767-200ER, -300ER, -400ER and -300F freighter. Typical two-class seating layouts are 224 seats for the -200ER, 269 for the -300ER and 304 for the -400ER. All three models are sold with a choice of GE CF6-80C2 or Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines. The future of the 767 had been heavily dependent on the outcome of the U.S.
The 777 is a twin-engine, widebody commercial transport aircraft. First flight occurred in June 1994, followed by FAA/JAA certification in April 1995 (Pratt & Whitney-powered version). Deliveries began in June 1995. The 777-200ER seats 301-440 and is powered by two PW4000, Trent 800 or GE90 turbofans rated at 84,000-95,000 lb. thrust each. Two newer versions are the -200LR and -300ER. The -200LR, which seats 301 in three classes, is powered by a pair of 110,100-lb.-thrust GE90-110B1 or 115,300-lb.-thrust GE90-115BL turbofans.
Launched in July 2008, Bombardier's CSeries family comprises the CS100, which carries 110 passengers, and the 130-seat CS300. The aircraft will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1000 geared turbofans producing 21,000-22,900 lb. thrust each. Both the CS100 and CS300 are to be available in standard and extended-range versions and the CS300 is additionally to be available in an “extra-thrust” version. CS100 service entry is planned for late 2013, and the CS300 is to arrive about a year later.
This twin-engine turboprop aircraft family was known as the Dash 8 series. The Q100, the original model in the series, made its first flight in June 1983; first deliveries followed in October 1984. The Q100 carried 37-39 passengers and was equipped with 2,150-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120/121 engines. Other models have included the 37-39-passenger Q200 (with 2,150-shp PW123C/D engines) and the 50-56-seat Q300 (with 2,500-shp PW123Bs). Production of the Q100, Q200 and Q300 has ended. The 68-78-seat Q400 (with 6,000-shp PW150As) remains in production.
Initially, the new ARJ21 regional jet from Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac) is to be available in the ARJ21-700 78-90-seat variant, while later introduction of the 98-105-seat -900 is a possibility. Power will be provided by two GE CF34-10A turbofans producing 18,500 lb. thrust each. Rollout of the first ARJ21-700 occurred in December 2007, followed by first flight in November 2008. Four -700s were built through 2010, and 179 are forecast for production through 2020. The ARJ21 faces competition from Bombardier and Embraer.
A twin-turbofan-powered, commercial passenger transport aircraft, the C919 targets the international duopoly of Airbus and Boeing in narrowbody airliner sales. Variants include the baseline C919-200, which seats up to 168 passengers; the C919-100, a 130-seat model that will compete against the Airbus A319; and the C919-300, a 190-seat model designed to compete with Airbus's A321 and Boeing's 737-800/900. Comac has selected the CFM International Leap-X1C engine to power the C919. Service entry is planned for 2016, with 85 aircraft forecast for production through 2020.
The TBM 850 is a single-engine, 4-6-passenger, turboprop-powered aircraft that replaced the earlier TBM 700 in 2006. It is designed to compete with very light jets. Power is provided by a single 850-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D engine. The aircraft has a range of about 1,520 nm. Through 2010, production totaled 222 aircraft. Production of 414 more units is forecast for 2011-20.
This is a family of twin-engine, 70-122-seat regional jet aircraft. The 70-80-passenger 170 made its first flight in February 2002, while the 78-88-seat 175 flew for the first time in June 2003. The 170 and the 175 share a common engine in the 14,200-lb.-thrust GE CF34-8E. The 94-114-seat 190 made its initial flight in March 2004, while the 106-122-passenger 195 first flew in December 2004. The 190 and 195 share a 18,500-lb.-thrust version of the CF34-10E. Through 2010, some 719 aircraft in this series were produced; an estimated 1,038 are forecast for 2011-20.
The ERJ 135/140/145 family is a series of twin-engine, 37-50-seat regional jets. The initial model in the series was the 50-seat ERJ 145, which first flew in August 1995; deliveries began in late 1996. The next model was the 37-seat ERJ 135, which made its initial flight in July 1998; deliveries began in July 1999. The 44-passenger ERJ 140 first flew in June 2000, with initial deliveries in July 2001. All models use variants of the Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan.
