AirAsia Group has moved forward with plans to establish an LCC in Vietnam by signing an MOU with a Vietnamese businessman, reaffirming an earlier joint venture (JV) agreement.
UK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic has no immediate plans to join the SkyTeam alliance, despite being part-owned by US SkyTeam member Delta Air Lines and alliance partner Air France-KLM being in the process of buying a stake in the carrier.
The airline division of UK travel operator Thomas Cook Group weathered summer European aviation disruptions to post a 37% profit growth to £129 million ($150 million) for the financial year ended Sept. 30.
Hawaiian Airlines has adjusted its fourth-quarter (4Q) guidance, reflecting slightly weaker unit revenue and lower costs. The airline now expects 4Q unit revenue will be down 3%-5% year-over-year.
The oneworld global alliance announced Dec. 5 that Royal Air Maroc (RAM) will become its 14th full member airline, likely being inaugurated in mid-2020.
A group of 11 senators have called on the US government to examine whether Qatar Airways’ financial support for Air Italy may violate a commitment by the state-owned airline not to conduct fifth freedom flights to the US.
Mesa Air Group, the holding company for Phoenix-based regional carrier Mesa Airlines, reported net income of $33.3 million for FY2018, up 1.5% from the $32.8 million recorded during FY2017.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) posted an increased net profit for its 2017-18 fiscal year, citing a combination of strong passenger demand, nimble capacity allocation and increased internal efficiencies.
Alaska Air Group—parent of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air—plans to grow capacity 2% next year and accelerate its expansion rate soon after, but will carefully monitor the competitive environment before making firm commitments, the company’s top executive said.
Icelandair Group has announced its interim president and CEO, Bogi Nils Bogason, will assume the role permanently, days after the airline pulled out of a transaction to acquire LCC rival WOW Air.
Latin American carriers Avianca Holdings and Copa Airlines have reached an agreement with Chicago-based United Airlines on a proposed joint business agreement (JBA) plan.
Air New Zealand is undertaking significant cost-cutting efforts in response to higher fuel prices. The carrier has identified about NZ$30 million ($20.6 million) in costs that can be removed before July 1, CEO Christopher Luxon told employees in a memo the week of Nov. 26.
Air France-KLM’s new CEO Ben Smith is said to be contemplating the future of Joon—the LCC hybrid sister airline to Air France launched by Smith’s predecessor—while considering plans to boost the airline group’s profitability.
Aeroflot Group’s net profit for the third quarter (3Q) reached RUB27.7 billion ($422.4 million), up 14.2% as the airline group implemented cost controls in the wake of high fuel costs and currency pressure seen through the year.
Falling fuel prices could trigger a small increase in near-term capacity but not major network additions at United Airlines, in part because of the airline’s success in passing through costs during fuel’s price rise, a top executive said.
Indigo Partners, a US private equity firm that specializes in ultra-LCCs, has emerged as a potential new investor in WOW Air, dramatically changing the fortunes of the Icelandic LCC in the same week that an acquisition attempt by Icelandair collapsed.
The AirAsia Group saw its net profit nearly double in the third quarter thanks to one-off items, but operating profit dropped significantly mainly because of rising fuel costs.
Icelandair Group has abandoned plans to take over fellow Icelandic carrier WOW Air. The decision to scrap the deal was made after it became clear that Icelandair could not fulfill the necessary conditions of the share purchase agreement for WOW before a Nov. 30 group shareholders’ meeting.
JetBlue Airways is opposing a request by Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and Air France-KLM seeking antitrust immunity (ATI) from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a new transatlantic joint venture (JV).
