Airlines & Lessors

São Paulo-based low-cost carrier (LCC) GOL is estimating its 2017 operating margin (EBIT) will be in the 5%-7% range, the airline said Dec. 22.

[UPDATED] Two Libyan hijackers who took over an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 and forced it to fly to Malta Dec. 23 have been taken into custody after releasing all 118 passengers and crew unharmed, according to the Mediterranean island’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Corporate leaders at the major US airlines will be all about returning to positive unit revenue growth after competition helped drive lower fares.

The UK Brexit, repeated terrorist attacks and continuing labor battles all contribute to a volatile European market.

Airlines in Latin America believe transnational JVs are the future of long-haul services while domestic and short-haul flying will be dominated by LCCs.

Deregulation of international air fares helped drive Middle East carriers' market share from just 6% as recently as 1996 to 14.3% in 2015.

Deadline approaches for intra-African liberalization while new new intra-African passport debuts in 2018. RawandAir CEO predicts turnaround within three years.

Growing middle-classes populations in China, India and many Southeast Asia countries are driving passenger traffic growth and new aircraft deliveries.

Jetstar was founded by Qantas in Australia in 2004 and has since grown into a $4 billion pan-Asian low-fares airline group, with joint-venture airlines in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Chapter 1 of 4 of the Flight Operations and Optimizations eBook

Air Canada has named Lucie Guillemette EVP and CCO.

Chinese carriers are expected to transport 480 million passengers this year, up 11% over 432.4 million in 2015, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Russia’s S7 Airlines has agreed to lease 17 used Embraer E170s from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), beginning in the first half of 2017.

Oscar Munoz and a management ‘dream team’ attempt to find the winning solution at United Airlines.

Embraer Commercial Aviation has named Arjan Meijer chief commercial officer.

FedEx Corp. has posted a consolidated net profit of $700 million for its FY2017 second quarter ended Nov. 30, up 1.3% from $691 million net income in the company’s FY 2016 second quarter.

Kurt Hofmann interviewed Mark Schwab in Rio de Janeiro in December, where the Alliance celebrated the opening of a dedicated lounge at Rio’s Galeão–Tom Jobim International Airport. Schwab joined Star from United Airlines in 2011. He retires Jan. 1 and will be succeeded by COO Jeffrey Goh.

Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico have accepted antitrust conditions imposed by US regulators on the carriers’ transborder joint venture (JV), and will move forward to establish the JV.

Chorus Aviation, the parent company of Canadian regional carrier Jazz Aviation, will establish an aircraft leasing subsidiary, Chorus Aviation Capital.

Anticipated higher costs and a sluggish global economy lead IATA forecasters to believe 2017's net profit will be almost $6 billion lower than 2016's.

Fast-expanding low-cost carrier (LCC) Norwegian is examining the possibility of setting up operations in Argentina.

Nigerian carrier Arik Air has resumed operations after a Dec. 20 meeting called by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) addressed concerns between the airline and protesting aviation unions.

Hong Kong Airlines plans to accelerate its intercontinental expansion with the scheduled delivery of its first Airbus A350 in August 2017.

Swedish air accident investigators have concluded that an instrument failure was the root cause of the crash of a Swedish cargo aircraft in January 2016.