Jetstar Airways CEO Alan Joyce claimed Monday that Australia has evolved into "the most competitive market of any aviation market anywhere in the world." Speaking at a breakfast in Melbroune, Joyce said that despite competition from Virgin Blue and now Tiger Airways, Jetstar will generate pre-tax earnings of A$1.6 billion ($1.44 billion) in the 2007-08 financial year. In the prior fiscal year it contributed A$115 million to Qantas's profit.
Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have briefed their pilot groups, both of which are represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., on a proposed merger, according to multiple published reports.
S7 Airlines said it increased full-year turnover 24% in 2007 to more than RUB30 billion ($1.2 billion) as passenger numbers climbed 16% to 5.7 million. The Russian airline reported a net profit of RUB61 million in 2006, down 44.5% from the previous year, but did not divulge its net result for 2007. It did say EBITDA "reached" RUB2.8 billion but did not provide a year-ago comparison. It said the results were based on "preliminary data."
Aeroflot, which celebrated its 85th birthday on Feb. 9, said it carried more than 8 million passengers last year, which represented a 12% increase over 2006. It said it is targeting 9.5 million in 2008 and that it expects to grow domestic passengers by 35.6%. Lufthansa Group airlines flew 11.56 billion RPKs in January, up 30.3% from the year-ago month. Capacity rose 29.4% to 15.12 billion ASKs and load factor was up 0.5 point to 76.5%. The LH mainline flew 9.5 billion RPKs, up 7%, against a 5.6% increase in ASKs to 12.34 billion, lifting load factor 0.9 point to 76.9%.
Big Sky Airlines parent MAIR Holdings reported a $15.2 million loss for the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, widened from a $1.1 million deficit in the year-ago quarter, and confirmed Big Sky will cease operations in the western US on March 8. It ceased flying in the East last month ( ATWOnline, Dec. 21, 2007).
Lufthansa will strengthen its Munich hub with the addition of 180 weekly European frequencies and new services to Bilbao, Klagenfurt and Cluj in the summer schedule beginning March 30. It will base three additional A321s at MUC, increasing its Bavarian fleet to 102 narrowbody aircraft. It plans to operate 5,000 weekly flights from MUC to 90 destinations this summer.
SAS Group nomination committee will propose Fritz Schur as chairman at the company's annual general meeting scheduled for April 9. Egil Myklebust plans to step down, SAS said. Schur has sat on the SAS board since 2001.
British Airline Pilots' Assn. yesterday reiterated that it will not accept any kind of outsourcing at British Airways and stressed its readiness to strike if the carrier goes ahead with its plans to recruit non BA-crew for its new OpenSkies subsidiary, which will operate flights between mainland Europe and the US.
Silverjet announced that TFB Mortgages declined to convert its £10 million convertible loan into new ordinary shares in the all-business-class airline at £0.60 per share ( ATWOnline, Dec. 3, 2007). The loan is due to be repaid on Dec. 17, 2009. TFB said in a statement, "Because of recent market conditions, we have decided not to exercise our right to convert our loan to Silverjet into equity. Instead, we will continue to work with the company and monitor its performance going forward.
Royal Jordanian enjoyed a 17% increase in full-year revenue to a company record JOD524 million ($733.9 million) in 2007, President and CEO Samer Majali said at its annual commercial conference Sunday, adding that RJ will report a profit for the fourth consecutive year. The airline transported more than 2.3 million passengers last year, up 16% over 2006, and saw load factor rise 4 points to 71%. Costs were approximately JOD495 million, with fuel representing one-third of expenses. RJ currently operates 26 aircraft.
JAL Group reported net income of ¥13.1 billion ($122.9 million) for its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, reversed from a net loss of ¥10.8 billion in the prior year period, citing "shifting of resources to high-profit routes" and a sharp reduction in personnel costs.
STAR Capital Partners combined its flight training organizations under the Oxford Aviation Academy name. Oxford predecessor companies are GCAT Flight Academy (formed through the combination of GE Commercial Aviation Training and SAS Flight Academy), Oxford Aviation Academy and BAE Systems Training. Oxford operates 10 training centers in Europe, Asia and North America ( ATWOnline, June 25, 2007).
Lufthansa is filing a lawsuit over restrictions to night operations linked to the future expansion of Frankfurt International. The move follows similar lawsuits by Condor Airlines and TUIfly. As a condition for the expansion approval, the Hesse State Economy Ministry said it would restrict frequencies between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to an average of 17, down from 41. LH is asking for the limit to be raised back to the original threshold, Reuters reported.
American Airlines flew 10.92 billion system RPMs in January, a 0.2% increase from the year-ago month. Capacity dipped 1.5% to 14.26 billion ASMs and load factor rose 1.3 points to 76.6%. American Eagle flew 635.4 million RPMs, a 4% decrease, while capacity fell 5.3% to 972.9 million ASMs. Load factor was up 0.9 point to 65.3%. Delta Air Lines flew 9.08 billion system RPMs in January, 2.5% more than in the year-ago month. Capacity rose just 0.2% to 12.04 billion ASMs and load factor climbed 1.7 points to 75.4%.
Air New Zealand said Friday that an attempted hijacking that morning aboard an Eagle Air Jetstream 32 operated by Air National was a "one-off" but "has naturally given us cause to conduct a thorough review of our safety and security systems and processes on regional domestic flights." According to widespread reports, a 33-year-old Somali woman who was a passenger on the Blenheim-Christchurch flight rushed the cockpit (the flight deck reportedly is separated from the cabin by a curtain) with a knife, threatening to blow up the aircraft. She cut the two pilots before being subdued.
Jazz, which provides regional service for Air Canada, reported net income of C$150.7 million (C$149.5 million) for 2007, up 7.6% over a C$140 million profit in 2006, on an 8.3% lift in revenue to C$1.5 billion. Expenses increased 8.5% to C$1.38 billion and operating income of C$153.2 million was up 6.5% from C$143.8 million in the previous year.
SITA will help Chhatrapati Shivaji International transition to Common Use Self Service kiosks and Common Use Terminal Equipment check-in systems under a five-year deal announced Friday with Mumbai International. Features include standardized self-service, systems management and targeted gate and check-in counter allocations.
Transaero added seven aircraft (one 747-400, one 747-300, four 737-500s and one Tu-214), opened 12 new routes and reported a 51.7% growth in passengers to 3.2 million in what the Russian airline called a "record" 2007. Traffic rose 50.9% year-over-year to 11.76 billion RPKs and load factor was 79.4%. A year-ago comparison was not provided. Transaero, which claims to be Russia's second-largest international carrier, now operates eight 747s, seven 767s, 14 737s and the Tu-214. It employs 3,600.
JetBlue Airways announced the appointment of Swiss International Air Lines CEO Christoph Franz to the LCC's board, effective immediately. Franz will represent Lufthansa, which completed its 19% stake purchase in JetBlue last month ( ATWOnline, Jan. 23).
SkyWest Inc., parent of SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, reported net income of $159.2 million for 2007, a 9.2% increase over the $145.8 million earned the previous year. Revenue rose 8.3% to $3.37 billion and expenses climbed 9.2% to $3.03 billion. Operating income was up 1.6% to $344.5 million from $339.2 million in 2006.
Swiss International Air Lines and Kuoni Travel Holding will launch a comprehensive partnership under which Swiss will acquire Kuoni's leisure carrier, Edelweiss Air, while Kuoni will offer a range of hotel options on Swiss's website beginning next year. "This collaboration is a win/win situation for everyone involved," Swiss CEO Christoph Franz said. The parties agreed not to divulge financial terms, but Swiss media reported last week that Swiss will pay nearly CHF75 million ($68.2 million) for Edelweiss.
CAE reached agreement with the Indian government to become the managing partner of its flight school, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi. It also entered into a JV with the Airport Authority of India to develop the Rajiv Gandhi National Flying Training Institute. IGRUA management activities include aircraft and runway maintenance, flying operations and air traffic control practices. JV calls for RGNFTI ownership to be shared between CAE and AAI and includes flying and maintenance activities. CAE will provide training curriculum, courseware and training methodologies.
Republic Airways Holdings continued its record of strong performance in 2007, reporting net income of $82.8 million, a 4.1% increase over the previous year's $79.5 million. ATW's Regional Airline of the Year, which operates subsidiaries Republic Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines and Shuttle America, reported a 13.1% rise in operating revenue to $1.29 billion and a 14.2% lift in expenses to $1.06 billion. Operating income climbed 8.3% to $230.3 million from $212.6 million.
Air France KLM flew 16.43 billion RPKs in January, a 2% increase on the year-ago month. Capacity rose 4.4% to 21.3 billion ASKs and load factor fell 1.8 points to 77.1%. Continental Airlines reported an estimated 9%-10% year-over-year increase in consolidated RASM in January. It flew 7.22 billion consolidated RPMs, up 2.9% on the year-ago month, against a 2.1% rise in ASMs to 9.4 billion. Load factor lifted 0.5 point to 76.8%.
