Airlines & Lessors

Source: ATW Research

A British Airways Boeing 747-400 was damaged when it struck a building during taxiing at Johannesburg’s Tambo Airport late Dec. 22.

Emirates Airline has signed a firm order for 50 additional A380s, cementing a commitment that was first announced at the Dubai Air Show in November.

Kazan-based Tatarstan Airlines’ air operator’s certificate (AOC) will be withdrawn from Dec. 31.

Cathay Pacific Airways has become the first Asian airline to order the Boeing 777X, signing a deal for 21 of the -9X variants at a list price of HK$58 billion ($7.5 billion), the Hong Kong-based oneworld carrier said Friday.

Germany’s Intro Aviation has put in a firm offer for Air France’s Irish regional airline CityJet following months of discussions.

Alitalia confirmed Friday it has raised a €300 million ($410 million) cash infusion to safeguard its immediate future.

Air New Zealand, which delivered a record-breaking profit for the 2013 financial year, credited the restructuring of its long-haul network for the turnaround.

Turkish Airlines has confirmed to ATW it will lease eight additional Airbus A330-200s.

Emirates is planning to refine and upgrade its Airbus A380 interiors and is still considering a move to an 11-abreast layout in economy class.

Russia’s UTair Airlines expects to carry 13 million passengers in 2014, up 43% from 2013.

Star Alliance member Aegean Airlines and Etihad Airways have signed a wide-ranging codeshare agreement.

US scheduled passenger airlines employed 381,178 full-time workers in October, a drop of 0.8% year-over-year, according to recently released figures from the US Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

* Ranked by reports per 1,000 passengers. Source: US DOT Aviation Consumer Protection

Ranked by complaints per 100,000 passengers. Source: US DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Division Air Tavel Consumer Report.

Etihad Airways has confirmed it is in talks with Alitalia, which will announce it has met its €300 million ($413 million) funding target Dec. 20.

British Airways (BA) says it is the first carrier in Europe to allow passengers to use their personal electronic devices (PED) throughout all flight phases.

The Scandinavian SAS Group reported a net income of SEK179 million ($27.3 million) for the year ended Oct. 31, reversing a loss of SEK3 billion in the year-ago period.

Ethiopian Airlines, which is in the middle of an aircraft delivery program that will run through 2017, hopes to make a decision about its future fleet in January.

Finnair has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global aircraft leasing and financing company Novus Aviation Capital for the sale and leaseback of two Airbus 330 aircraft.

US commercial aircraft sales in 2013 are expected to reach $67 billion, an almost $5 billion improvement over 2012, and are forecast to hit $72 billion in 2014.

European antitrust regulators have cleared Swissport’s 100% acquisition of Servisair, subject to the disposal of ground handling activities at four airports.

Spring Airlines has received approval from Japanese aviation authorities to launch subsidiary Spring Japan.

This chart represents the most recent 13 months, displayed as percent changes from the previous year, for Scheduled Passenger Airline Full-time Equivalent Employees* by Airline Group. Source: US Dept. of Transportation Footnotes: * Full-time Equivalent Employee (FTE) calculations count two part-time employees as one full-time employee. ** Includes network, low-cost, regional and other carriers. Other carriers generally operate within specific niche markets, i.e. Hawaiian Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.

According to the latest US Department of Transportation (DOT) and Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Air Travel Consumer Report, in October, no US airlines reported a domestic flight experiencing a tarmac delay exceeding three hours.