German leisure airline TUI fly is considering converting part of its big order for Boeing 737-8s into the larger -10 to have more capacity on dense routes. “We will make that decision this year,” TUI fly MD Oliver Lackmann said on the sidelines of the ITB tourism fair in Berlin Mar. 7.
Qatar Airways will post a loss for its fiscal 2019, but will continue to grow its network nonetheless, CEO Akbar Al Baker said Mar. 6 at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for January 2019 showing traffic (revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 6.5% compared to January 2018. This was the fastest growth in six months. January capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) rose 6.4%, and load factor inched up 0.1 percentage point to 79.6%.
Airliner retirements were reduced greatly in 2018; new analyst reports suggest the upsides/downsides from fewer aircraft parked in desert holding stations.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary sees at least one more airline—ideally an Airbus operator—joining his new holding company within five years, with further large aircraft orders also likely before then.
Aviation accidents in Canada declined 16% last year, according to preliminary statistics released Mar. 6 by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
Air traffic controllers in three months have handled 2,200 flights at Saarbrücken International Airport (SCN) in western Germany from a remote facility 450 km (280 mi.) away, German national air navigation service provider DFS Deutsche Flugischerung said Mar. 6.
EasyJet will convert 3,000 flight attendant licenses and aircraft spare parts into its Austrian air operator’s certificate (AOC) as the UK-based LCC prepares for a no-deal Brexit, easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren told Aviation Daily on the sidelines of the Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) summit in Brussels.
Russia’s largest airline group Aeroflot will slow down its fleet expansion in 2019. The net increase will be just five aircraft compared to 41 a year ago and 40 in 2017, the group revealed in its presentation to investors Mar. 5.
AirAsia is assessing whether to set up its own heavy maintenance operation to accommodate its fleet growth plans, and if so, where it would be located.
Cebu Pacific is likely to make a decision by the end of this year or early 2020 on which widebody aircraft type it will order, and the carrier is also refreshing its narrowbody fleet with several deliveries due in the second half of 2019.
While the long-term impact of the Dutch state’s decision to take a stake in the Air France-KLM Group is unclear, the move demonstrates the government’s “strong commitment” to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the carrier’s CEO said.
Alitalia pilot and cabin crew unions are calling for more clarity over a rescue plan designed to ensure the bankrupt carrier’s future after potential rescuer Delta Air Lines’ CEO said the U.S. carrier had not yet decided whether it would invest.
Other European governments will monitor closely what is happening at Air France-KLM, and consider their own options next time the local airline is in trouble.
Schedule interruptions due to unavailable aircraft are costing Southwest Airlines millions of dollars each week, and the issue’s uncertainty makes providing short-term financial guidance challenging.
Communications by the pilots of Atlas Air Flight 3591 indicated a loss of control of their Boeing 767-300 freighter before it crashed in Trinity Bay, Texas, the NTSB said Mar. 5.
Russia’s Aeroflot Group reported a RUB5.7 billion ($82 million) net profit for 2018, down 75% from RUB23 billion in 2017—a decline the group attributed to higher fuel prices and foreign exchange losses.
Talks between Icelandic LCC WOW Air and prospective investors Indigo Partners have still not reached a conclusion, with a date towards the end of March now being given as the likely time for a deal agreement.
London police are investigating three small improvised explosive devices (IEDs) delivered Mar. 5 to administrative offices at two of the city’s airports and one of the capital’s main rail terminals.
