Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of February 12, 2014, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
Norwegian Air Shuttle has received all necessary operating licenses from the Irish authorities for its Dublin-based subsidiary Norwegian Air International (NAI), accomplishing another step in establishing Europe’s first low-cost long-haul business model.
Air Canada’s expansion plans for Rouge, its low-cost leisure subsidiary and key element of its cost-reduction plan, remain on track for 2014, with up to 33 Boeing 767s and A319s destined to be reconfigured and shifted from the mainline operation to the new service by yearend, the carrier’s executives say.
Emirates and Jetstar Airways will start codeshare flights on April 6, and their frequent-flyer programs will be linked starting March 1, under a new but long-expected codeshare deal which will extend Emirates' reach beyond its existing partnership with Jetstar parent Qantas. The Jetstar agreement will expand the number of destinations Emirates can offer, since Jetstar flies to several international points that Qantas does not. Jetstar is also due to grow far more quickly than the Qantas mainline operation.
AirAsia is making progress with its plans to start another low-cost carrier in Japan, with group CEO Tony Fernandes traveling there to advance the project.
SkyWest Inc. (SI) has embarked on an aggressive turnaround plan for its money-hemorrhaging ExpressJet unit that management says will succeed even if it requires shrinking the carrier to shed unprofitable flying. SI, the holding company for regional carriers ExpressJet and SkyWest, doesn’t break out earnings by unit, but CFO Mike Kraupp says ExpressJet lost “in the neighborhood of” $50 million in 2013, dragging down an overall operation that earned $59 million.
Low-cost VietJetAir is acquiring up to 100 Airbus A320s, placing a firm order for 63 aircraft along with 30 purchase rights and leases for a further seven. The deal, the first and only commitment Airbus announced on the opening day of the Singapore airshow, reflects a broader market trend in the region—massive growth of low-cost carriers, partly at the expense of legacy carriers and partly complementing the traditional carriers.
General Electric expects the installed base of commercial engines it either builds directly or through joint venture partners to reach 41,000 units by 2017 compared with 34,000 in 2013 as production ramps up to historic highs in the wake of record orders.
Airbus revised its Asia-Pacific demand outlook upwards by almost 1,000 units over 20 years, reflecting the strong growth the manufacturer expects in the region. The company believes around 10,000 additional aircraft will be needed in Asia to cope with an annual increase in demand of close to 6%. “This is where the action will be in the coming years,” Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier said on the opening day of the Singapore airshow.
Rep. Frank LoBiondo’s (R-N.J.) bill to require FAA to conduct a formal rulemaking process before imposing sleep apnea testing requirements is heading to the Senate for consideration after the House passed the measure, H.R. 3578, by voice vote on Tuesday. LoBiondo, who chairs the House aviation subcommittee, introduced the bill in November after FAA Federal Air Surgeon Frederick Tilton outlined plans to require pilots and air traffic controllers with a body mass index (BMI) to undergo testing for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Regulators should be assessing costs and benefits before imposing security regulations on the aviation industry, says the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. With great success, regulators have improved passenger safety over many decades while weighing potential gains against the disadvantages of new rules, says Andrew Herdman, director general of the association. The calculation is not easy, especially since it implies putting a value on life, but it can be done and is done. According to Herdman, the same approach should apply to security, too.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Dubai - Riyadh, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Dubai - Riyadh, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats/Dept.
Thailand’s air traffic management agency Aerothai has selected Thales to provide a new ATM system to be installed at all of its major facilities, which will enable controllers to use advanced satellite-based surveillance technologies.
Air Canada’s aggressive cost-cutting targets are bearing fruit, and helped the carrier deliver a record annual net income in 2013 despite a significant fourth-quarter revenue hit caused by adverse late-year weather.
Airbus has scored its first major order for the A380 this year, after Amedeo firmed up a memorandum of understanding signed at last year’s Paris Air Show covering delivery of 20 aircraft through the end of the decade. The commmitment from Amedo, formerly a part of Doric Lease Corp., brings Airbus more than half-way to its target of reaching at least 30 additional orders for the aircraft in 2014. The deal was announced at the Singapore Airshow.
Bombardier believes Asian carriers’ desire to grow in the face of slot constraints at capital city airports will lead them to adopt smaller aircraft so they can fly nonstops between secondary cities and help free up slots by bypassing the capital city airports altogether.
Despite continuing political uncertainty in Thailand, Thai low-cost carrier Nok Air is reportedly due to confirm an order for “several” Boeing 737 aircraft at the Singapore Airshow. NOK’s successful IPO last June raised almost $120 million, giving it money to spend on new hardware. Nok CEO Patee Sarasin said at the time he was “excited to expand overseas more,” and the airline indicated it was already looking at acquiring at least four more 737-800s in 2014. Nok has said it was aiming for 20 737 aircraft by the end of this year.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Ankara - Istanbul, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carriers: Ankara - Istanbul, January 15-21, 2014, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats/Dept.
Hawaiian Airlines set March 11 as the launch date for its new Ohana turboprop subsidiary, as regulators have finally completed the approval process that delayed its introduction. FAA-required proving flights are finished, and the appropriate certification has been granted, a Hawaiian Airlines spokeswoman tells Aviation Week. Two ATR-42s bearing the Ohana livery and configured for 48 passengers have arrived in Honolulu, and a third is due “in the next couple of months.”
Click here to view the pdf Aircraft Operating Statistics, 12 Months Ended September 2013, Narrowbody Jets (Sorted By Seats Per Departure) Aircraft Stage Seats/ Aircraft Carrier In Fleet
The European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, are aiming to strengthen their cooperation on civil aviation, with both sides affirming an interest to create an open skies between the regional blocks and ultimately seek convergence of the regulatory frameworks.
