Frontier Airlines (2nd) Airbus A320-251N WL N349FR (msn 8766) (Hops, the Rabbit) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960311.
Frontier Airlines is trimming back on its expanding route map. The fast-growing airline will cut 14 seasonal routes starting on April 18 according to The Points Guy:
Boston – Miami – ends on April 18
Philadelphia – Phoenix – ends on April 18
Hartford/Springfield – Denver – ends on April 20
Orlando – Pittsburgh – ends on May 6
Las Vegas – Memphis – ends on May 8
Las Vegas – New Orleans – ends on May 8
Orlando – Rochester, NY – ends on May 8
Minneapolis/St. Paul – Phoenix – ends on May 8
Baltimore/Washington – Las Vegas – ends on May 10
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood – Las Vegas – ends on May 10
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood – Chicago (Midway) – ends on May 10
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood – Phoenix – ends on May 10
New York (LaGuardia) – Miami – ends on May 10
Houston (Hobby) – Las Vegas – ends on May 10
Top Copyright Photo: Frontier Airlines (2nd) Airbus A320-251N WL N349FR (msn 8766) (Hops, the Rabbit) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960311.
Air Belgium (2nd) Airbus A330-941 OO-ABG (msn 1861) YYZ (TMK Photography). Image: 960297.
Air Belgium (2nd) is suspending its services to the Caribbean (Curacao, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Martinique) for the slow summer season.
Air Belgium celebrates 5 years of flying
Instead the company will concentrate on other regions, cargo flights and ACMI sub-service flights for other carriers.
Top Copyright Photo: Pictured at Toronto operating for Condor: Air Belgium (2nd) Airbus A330-941 OO-ABG (msn 1861) YYZ (TMK Photography). Image: 960297.
Avianca (El Salvador) Airbus A320-251N WL N769AV (msn 8170) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960288.
Avianca Airlines has announced the launch of two new direct routes from Boston and Orlando to San Salvador, capital of El Salvador, a country located in the Central American region.
The Boston – San Salvador route will begin operations on June 1 with four flights a week, while the Orlando – San Salvador route will begin operations on June 11 with four flights a week. The operation will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft with capacity for 180 passengers, with Premium, Plus and Economy seats.
The itinerary for these routes is:
Flight
Route
Departure
Arrival
Frequency
Start
AV445
Boston – San Salvador
17:25
20:50
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
June 1, 2023
AV444
San Salvador – Boston
9:00
16:05
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
AV0423
Orlando – San Salvador
15:50
16:40
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
June 11, 2023
AV0422
San Salvador – Orlando
9:25
14:25
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
*Local Time. Itinerary subject to government approval
Top Copyright Photo: Avianca (El Salvador) Airbus A320-251N WL N769AV (msn 8170) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960288.
Allegiant Air unveiled a special addition to its fleet this week: a one-of-a-kind livery designed by – and for – the airline’s employees.
N197NV
The new design, displayed on the tail and fuselage of an Airbus A320 (N197NV), is one of only six Allegiant aircraft featuring a special livery.
It is not often that Allegiant alters its famous sunburst livery, CEO John Redmond told a crowd of employees during a ceremony at Punta Gorda Airport in Florida Tuesday. But the company wanted to honor employees in a very public and permanent way.
“We wanted to find a way to show the world that our employees are the lifeblood of Allegiant,” Redmond said. “This new livery is more than just a coat of paint, it’s a symbol of the collective strength and resilience of being Allegiant Proud. We hope it serves as a reminder of the incredible things our employees can accomplish when we work together.”
The livery is not only dedicated to Allegiant employees; the design was inspired by them. Employees were asked to submit words describing what they loved about Allegiant. Dozens of their choices, including “bold,” “amazing,” “limitless” and more, adorn the aircraft’s fuselage, surrounding Allegiant’s motto of “Together we fly.”
The aircraft will be based in Punta Gorda, a community that endured the full force of Hurricane Ian when it hit Southwest Florida in September.
Charlotte County, where Punta Gorda is located, is an important region in Allegiant’s network. Millions of passengers have flown Allegiant since the airline started service at Punta Gorda in 2009. Last year, over 1.8 million passengers traveled to and from the area via the airline. Nearby, Allegiant is building Sunseeker Charlotte Harbor, its first resort hotel. It is scheduled to open later this year.
JetBlue Airways today announced new nonstop service between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and two top Caribbean destinations, as the airline unveils new plans to bring more low-fare, high-quality flights to Central Florida.
MCO
Launching in November 2023 and out for sale today, JetBlue will fly from Orlando to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Santiago, Dominican Republic (a). After its planned combination with Spirit, JetBlue expects to reach 200 flights a day in Orlando by 2027.
As a strong advocate for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority’s (GOAA) development of Orlando International Airport’s Terminal C, JetBlue became the terminal’s anchor tenant in October 2022. GOAA’s continued investment in the airport provides an elevated experience for JetBlue customers in Terminal C today and paves the way for continued growth in the region in the years to come.
MCO Terminals
More than 4,000 JetBlue crewmembers are based at the airport and at JetBlue’s Orlando Support Center (OSC), which includes a state-of-the-art training facility featuring classrooms, flight and cabin simulators, a ditch pool and other equipment used both for new crewmember training and for those requiring recurrent training. JetBlue’s Orlando training facility also includes The Lodge at OSC, the airline’s 24/7 dormitory facility dedicated to providing a focused training environment for crewmembers.
Connecting Orlando to Popular Caribbean Destinations
Daily Schedule between Orlando (MCO) and Punta Cana (PUJ) Beginning November 4, 2023
MCO – PUJ Flight #1077
PUJ – MCO Flight #1078
8:35 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
1:10 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Daily Schedule between Orlando (MCO) and Santiago (STI) Beginning November 4, 2023
MCO – STI Flight #1265
STI – MCO Flight #1266
1:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.
5:30 p.m. – 7:10 p.m.
Top Copyright Photo: A retired tail design: JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-232 N527JB (msn 1557) (Dots) MCO (Ton Jochems). Image: 960280.
Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320-214 WL B-LPP (msn 7035) HKG (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 948418.
Hong Kong Airlines will launch four-times weekly nonstop flights connecting Hong Kong and Fukuoka from April 7, 2023. The new service will offer passengers additional flight options to popular destinations in Japan, while also boosting travel flexibility.
Situated off the southwest coast of Japan, Fukuoka is renowned for its beauty, surrounded by the beautiful ocean and picturesque mountains that offer stunning seaside scenery. The harbor city is also named as the metropolis of southern Japan and the gateway to Kyushu. Over the centuries, the city has found a balance of combining modern urbanity with its glorious history, boasting many buildings that have been lovingly preserved from the Meiji period.
Hong Kong Airlines is excited to operate direct flights to Fukuoka for the first time, adding this charming port city to our growing network.
Japan is always listed as the first choice for Hong Kong travellers. With Japan lifting its travel restrictions, the Company believes that the direct flight service to Fukuoka will provide customers with more travel options.
Hong Kong Airlines adjusts its business strategy and network from time to time to respond to changing market conditions. With the anticipated increasing travel demands, the Company also proudly announces that it would resume five-times weekly service to Bali Denpasar and daily service to Shanghai Hongqiao starting from April 17.
Ticket reservation for the route is now available at designated travel agents. Booking at the Hong Kong Airlines website will be announced at a later stage.
Hong Kong Airlines flight schedule* between Hong Kong and Fukuoka is as follows (All times local):
Route
Flight Number
Departure
Arrival
Frequency
HKG – FUK
HX640
1025
1500
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
FUK – HKG
HX641
1600
1835
* Flight number and schedule may change without prior notice
Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines is a full-service airline firmly rooted in Hong Kong. The airline flies to 25 destinations across Asia Pacific, and currently maintains 89 interline and 16 codeshare agreements with multiple airline partners and ferry service providers. Hong Kong Airlines operates one of the youngest fleets in the world. It has been awarded the internationally acclaimed four-star rating from Skytrax since 2011.
Fleet:
Route:
Hong Kong Airlines route map
Top Copyright Photo: Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320-214 WL B-LPP (msn 7035) HKG (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 948418.
Cyprus Airways, the flag-carrying airline of Cyprus, has today announced its winter flight schedule during which it will be operating to 13 destinations with 51 weekly flights.
The Airline will effectively be doubling its number of destinations and capacity offered this winter and to celebrate this milestone it announced the waiving of booking fees across all flights and destinations for a limited period.
CEO Paul Sies
The airline’s winter flight schedule includes a range of new winter destinations across Europe and the Middle East, with flights to and from major cities like Athens, Paris, Tel Aviv, and Rome. With over 400,000 seats on offer, the schedule is designed to meet the needs of business, VFR and leisure travellers by offering convenient flight times and affordable fares. The winter flight schedule starts on October 29th and the Airline will operate to these destinations with the following frequencies:
1. Athens: with double daily flights
2. Tel-Aviv: with daily flights
3. Rome: with two weekly flights
4. Paris: with three weekly flights
5. Yerevan: with three weekly flights
6. Beirut: with daily flights
7. Cairo: with two weekly flights
8. Prague: with two weekly flights
9. Milan: with two weekly flights
10. Zurich: with two weekly flights
11. Thessaloniki: with two weekly flights
12. Heraklion: with three weekly flights
13. Dubai: with two weekly flights
To make travel even more affordable and simple, Cyprus Airways is waiving booking fees across all flights and destinations. This means that customers can save on the cost of their flights, making it easier to plan and book their travels.
Top Copyright Photo: Cyprus Airways (2nd) Airbus A319-114 5B-DCX (msn 1091) ZRH (Andi Hiltl). Image: 943753.
A savings agreement has been reached with Finnair’s cabin crew. As a result, Finnair has today concluded the change negotiations it started in November and discontinued the subcontracting plan for inflight services on routes to/from Thailand and North America. The savings agreement is valid until the end of 2025.
Finnair has earlier agreed on savings with pilots, senior white-collar employees and engineers, and cabin crew based in Japan and Korea, and made local agreements that increase efficiency in Finnair Technical Services and different ground operation units. The savings agreements cover 87% of Finnair’s personnel.
The cabin crew’s agreement includes, among other things, elements to increase the efficiency of cabin crew usage, changes to long-day compensation and, for example, changes to the crew layover hotel rules. With the agreement, cabin crew is included in Finnair’s staff incentive plan 2023-2025, along with all other employee groups who have made savings agreements. The staff incentive plan will produce a payout in the first quarter of 2026 if Finnair achieves the EBIT margin target set in the plan.
About 1,750 employees work as Finnair cabin crew in Finland.
In connection with the savings agreement, it was also agreed that the collective agreement applicable to Finnair’s cabin crew in Finland will be extended by one year, i.e. until January 31, 2025. In addition, a negotiation result was achieved on salary settlement for 2023 and 2024, which follows the general line of the technology industry. The salary settlement is subject to administrative approval.
Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A330-302 OH-LTM (msn 994) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 960269.
JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-231 WL N929JB (msn 6031) (Ribbons) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 929267.
JetBlue Airways and Shell Aviation have announced a new collaboration bringing additional supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), targeting commencement of delivery in the first half of 2023.
Within the terms of the agreement, JetBlue is expected to take delivery of 10,000,000 gallons of blended SAF at LAX over the next two years and an option to purchase up to 5,000,000 gallons more in the third year, either at LAX or other airports in JetBlue’s network.
SAF is a type of renewable fuel that exists today that drops directly into existing aircraft and infrastructure with no impact to safety or performance. SAF can be produced from a wide array of renewable sources such as agricultural wastes and used cooking oils and can lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 80% in its neat form when compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels.
Top Copyright Photo: JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-231 WL N929JB (msn 6031) (Ribbons) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 929267.
Scandinavian Airlines-SAS has announced 10 additional European routes:
To meet increasing demand for travel, SAS adds yet another 10 routes and more frequencies for the upcoming summer and autumn. Starting in June, SAS also resumes traffic to Tokyo.
With summer just around the corner, SAS continues to ramp up by offering customers an additional 10 European routes as well as adding frequencies to popular Mediterranean destinations such as Alicante, Malaga, Mallorca, Split and Sicily. These additional destinations come on top of 20 new, previously announced routes.
SAS continues to plan for a busy summer to Italy with up to seven daily flights from Scandinavia to Milan and more flights from Copenhagen to Florence and Naples. SAS is adding more domestic flights from Oslo to Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and Ålesund as well as more flights from Copenhagen to Ålesund. More seats and flights are also offered between Stockholm and Helsinki.
Continuing to grow presence in the US, SAS starts operating flights from Gothenburg and Aalborg to Newark, New York with an Airbus A321LR.
As of June, SAS resumes traffic to Haneda, Tokyo three times a week. Prior to that SAS will operate several flights to Tokyo in April to accommodate for the high demand around Easter. The route will be operated by Airbus A350 aircraft.
During spring, SAS also adds a third weekly service on Copenhagen-Shanghai.
SAS’ aircraft fleet includes some of the most environmentally friendly aircraft on the market with significantly lower emissions and less noise than previous-generation aircraft – as demonstrated by both the Airbus A350 and A321LR on long-haul routes, and Airbus A320neo on short-haul where emissions are reduced between 15% and 30%.
New routes added to the summer traffic program:
· Stockholm-Florence – new twice-weekly service on Fridays and Sundays from mid-August
· Stockholm-Larnaca – new weekly service on Saturdays from mid-August
· Oslo-Tenerife – new weekly service on Tuesdays from late June to mid-August
· Oslo-Hamburg – up to twice-weekly service resumed from Easter
· Oslo-Berlin – up to five times-weekly service resumed from Easter
· Oslo-Prague – new twice-weekly service on Thursday and Sundays from end-September
· Bergen-Palma de Mallorca – new weekly service on Saturdays from mid-June to mid-August
· Bergen-Manchester – twice-weekly service resumed on Mondays and Fridays from September
· Trondheim-Split – new weekly service on Saturdays from end of May to mid-October
· Oslo-Tallinn – new twice-weekly service on Thursday and Sundays from mid-August
More flights added on multiple routes, such as:
· Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm to Barcelona, Malaga, and Palma de Mallorca
· Stockholm to Beirut (subject to regulatory approval)
· Copenhagen to Catania and Palermo
· Oslo to Alicante and Las Palmas
· Bergen and Stavanger to Alicante
· Bergen and Stavanger to Split
Top Copyright Photo: Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A320-251N WL SE-ROU (msn 9262) SZG (Gunter Mayer). Image: 957907.
Air Greenland Airbus A330-223 OY-GRN (msn 230) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 922693.
Air Greenland’s only Airbus A330-200 (OY-GRN), named “Norsaq”, flew a ferry flight from Copenhagen – on its final flight. Norsaq’s final destination is Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona, but first it will stop in Tucson for customs and immigration clearance.
Many have been eagerly awaiting to know what will happen to Norsaq after its last scheduled flight on February 16, 2023. Now we can reveal this.
– The keys to Norsaq will be passed on to its new owners called AAR SUPPLY CHAIN and Norsaq will thus end up as an “organ donor”, i.e. as a spare aircraft, says Air Greenland’s technical manager for the transatlantic aircraft, Henrik Keil and continues.
– The handover will take place on Monday, March 13, 2023 in a hot desert in Arizona. This is in stark contrast and against Norsaq’s will, he says, pointing out that Norsaq has grown up and been brought up to be a cold-weather aircraft and has only very rarely caused problems due to cold weather.
– Even down to minus 40 degrees. There have sometimes been a few complaints and disagreements, but mostly due to a little too much downtime. Hardly at all during the busy periods.
Some of our colleagues in Copenhagen literally wrote a farewell to Norsaq, on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
Norsaq’s many years of faithful service thus ends after many charter trips with happy sun tourists, flights with soldiers to Kuwait and Calgary and with Greenlandic athletes who have participated in the Arctic Winter Games in various places in Canada. But the day-to-day job was of course to be the lifeline between Greenland and Denmark. Keeping an aeroplane in the air for over 20 years requires a dedicated effort.
– This would not have been possible without a large number of truly dedicated technicians from SAS who have faithfully looked after her night after night, caring for her better than their own car and maybe even a partner back home. Never has there been any whining and complaining. Always Norsaq has received special attention and what in the car world is cleverly called TLC. Tender, Love and Caring, says Henrik.
The flight route that Norsaq flew on Friday, March 10, straight over Nuuk and as we want to ensure the route is as sustainable as possible, it was most obvious that Norsaq went low over Nuuk, which will also be Tuukkaq’s new permanent destination when the new runway opens in 2024.
Video:
https://youtu.be/-l51oO3MD8I
Also in its own ranks, Air Greenland has swept the runway clear so that things were ready and prepared for troubleshooting and planned maintenance of the aircraft.
– This with Peter Bjerre, Lars Christensen, Jens Laurberg, Michael Linder, Mia Mandal, Gert Bo Petersen and Bo Møller who over the years in turn have been a large part of Norsaq’s foster parents.
In Greenland, Johannes Holst, Rudy Mynster, Morten Lanther Larsen, Jan Mejlgaard Larsen and not least our current two technicians Kasper Zeeb Andersen and René Fencker Holm have been ready with headsets on all flight days, asking if everything was OK so that we could fly safely back to Denmark with the up to 140,000 passengers who are flown across the Atlantic every year, he says and puts the farewell to Norsaq in his own words.
– It will be a huge loss, and to my knowledge, there are not many other aircraft in the world that have received the same attention when Norsaq was away from its usual route. It was the red “salami” that all aircraft spotters wanted to have on their lenses, concludes Henrik Keil.
The pilots on the ferry flight will be Michael Madsen (chief pilot A330), who will fly Norsaq’s last trip. He was also the pilot who flew Tuukkaq’s very first flight. Thomas Kjærulff, senior first officer, will be first officer. He is also the pilot with the most flying hours on the right side of an A330.
Technical Manager, Henrik Keil and Michael Linder, Technical Coordinator are also on board for the ferry flight to Arizona together with two representatives from the buyers, AAR SUPPLY CHAIN. The picture is Henrik on the left and Michael on the right and was taken at the handover of Tuukkaq, which now awaits their full attention, care and nurturing.
Did you know this
Norsaq’s flying hours in Air Greenland have totalled 41,364 flying hours and 10,112 take-offs and landings. In other words, it has virtually flown 4800 times up and down the North Atlantic. This has required two undercarriages, two x 2 engine overhauls and 2 APU overhauls as well as a newer APU due to a bearing failure
PLAY Airlines Airbus A321-251N WL TF-PLB (msn 7945) STN (Antony J. Best). Image: 959313.
PLAY Airlines has launched ticket sales for flights from Iceland and the U.S. to Glasgow International Airport in Scotland.
The airline’s inaugural flight to Glasgow from Keflavik will take off on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Glasgow
With flights scheduled four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, Glasgow will now be fully connected to PLAY’s North American routes.
PLAY currently operates flights to Boston, Washington DC, Baltimore, and New York in the United States, as well as Toronto in Canada. Passengers can enjoy a comfortable journey on Airbus A320neo with 180 seats, and this summer, PLAY’s fleet will consist of 10 Airbus A320/321neo, with an average age of approximately 2.5 years.
Top Copyright Photo: PLAY Airlines Airbus A321-251N WL TF-PLB (msn 7945) STN (Antony J. Best). Image: 959313.
Hi Fly Airlines announces the addition of one more Airbus A330-200s to its fleet.
Registered 9H-HFG, the aircraft seats 268 passengers in a three class configuration – 18 high comfort business class seats with flat beds, 36 Premium Economy with extra space and 214 Economy.
Business Class offers a flat-bed that fully extends, designed to optimize comfort and living space for long flight durations. The ergonomic lie flat bed is positioned in a herringbone layout to provide a great sense of individual space and privacy while allowing easy access to the aisle. With relaxing colours and a welcoming atmosphere, the seating system offers each passenger a deluxe suite while maintaining a spacious cabin layout, with a 18-inch video monitor.
Economy Class (Premium with extra legroom and standard) is fitted with 8-abreast configuration seats, all with extra personal space and generous legroom for travelling comfort. Each seat is fitted with individual screen, USB charging ports, and access to shared PC power outlet.
Volaris Airbus A320-271N WL N532VL (msn 7904) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960185.
Controladora Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A.B. de C.V. (Volaris) reported its February2023 preliminary traffic results.
In February 2023, Volaris’ capacity (measured in ASMs) increased by 20.4% year-over-year, while demand (measured in RPMs) increased by 21.2%; the result was a load factor increase of 0.5 pp YoY to 83.2%. Volaris transported 2.5 million passengers during the month, a 17.3% increase compared to February 2022. Demand in the domestic Mexican and international markets increased by 13.7% and 42.4%, respectively.
Enrique Beltranena, Volaris’ President and CEO said: “In line with what was stated in our last earnings call in February 22, we are seeing healthy traffic growth and solid booking curves for the upcoming spring season. In February, consumer demand remained robust across all of our markets, with particular strength observed in international regions. Jet fuel prices were slightly more favorable than the prior guidance provided to the market.”
Feb 2023
Feb 2022
Variance
YTD Feb 2023
YTD Feb 2022
Variance
RPMs (million, scheduled & charter)
Domestic
1,697
1,493
13.7 %
3,630
3,132
15.9 %
International
751
528
42.4 %
1,660
1,197
38.7 %
Total
2,449
2,021
21.2 %
5,290
4,329
22.2 %
ASMs (million, scheduled & charter)
Domestic
2,035
1,736
17.2 %
4,306
3,727
15.5 %
International
908
708
28.2 %
1,932
1,559
24.0 %
Total
2,943
2,445
20.4 %
6,239
5,286
18.0 %
Load Factor (%, scheduled, RPMs/ASMs)
Domestic
83.4 %
86.0 %
(2.6) pp
84.3 %
84.0 %
0.3 pp
International
82.7 %
74.5 %
8.2 pp
85.9 %
76.8 %
9.1 pp
Total
83.2 %
82.7 %
0.5 pp
84.8 %
81.9 %
2.9 pp
Passengers (thousand, scheduled & charter)
Domestic
1,984
1,757
12.9 %
4,208
3,625
16.1 %
International
519
376
38.0 %
1,158
857
35.1 %
Total
2,502
2,133
17.3 %
5,364
4,482
19.7 %
Top Copyright Photo: Volaris Airbus A320-271N WL N532VL (msn 7904) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 960185.
Finnair is hopping into spring with its biggest schedule since 2020, as the airline continues to recover its network and prepares for a busy summer.
During March, the carrier is expected to operate over 8,500 flights, the highest number since February 2020, according to data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The number of scheduled Finnair flights in March 2023 is up by nearly a third (29%) compared to the same period last year, as the Nordic carrier restores routes around the world.
To complement the bumper schedule, Finnair is set to launch four new routes this spring, as the airline gears up for summer, offering customers a greater choice of destinations.
Customers looking to return to Japan can make use of the airline’s outstanding Osaka service which will relaunch on March 26, 2023, while those flying to destinations around Europe can enjoy new services to Bodø, Ljubljana and Milan Linate.
The network expansion means Finnair will serve 19 long-haul destinations this year across North America, Asia and the Middle East.
Finnair Airbus A350-900
From March 26, 2023, Finnair will also introduce their elevated long-haul experience on flights to Chicago, Delhi and Hong Kong, as the airline continues to refit its fleet of widebody aircraft with brand new cabins.
The €200 million investment includes a brand-new Business Class, exciting new Premium Economy cabin, and refreshed Economy Class as part of a major investment to enhance the customer experience.
Finnair’s global services have been specifically timed to allow for easy connections onto the airline’s European destinations – including top UK airports, London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and the Irish capital Dublin.
Finnair offers smooth and easy transfers between flights from as little as 35 minutes, thanks to all flights operating from the same terminal.
Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A319-112 OH-LVK (msn 2124) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 959423.
airBaltic has announced that during the summer season of 2023 it will wet-lease four additional aircraft short-term – to meet the increasing passenger demand and ensure a successful performance of planned flights. To support these efforts, a partnership with the leading narrow-body ACMI and charter operator Avion Express has been established, adding the Airbus A320-232 aircraft of 180 seats to the fleet of airBaltic.
In total, two of the aircraft will operate out of the Riga base, starting from March 26 to October 28, while one will be based in Vilnius and another in Tallinn, from March 1 to October 28.
The wet-leased aircraft will be available in two configurations, with burgundy red leather seats and blue textile seats. The onboard ambiance will feature airBaltic-branded white headrest covers, Baltic Outlook inflight magazine, and the airline’s safety cards. Furthermore, the crew of Avion Express has been instructed to detail, in order to ensure the same high standard of service asairBaltic.
The Airbus A320-232 aircraft of Avion Express (registration numbers: 9H-AMI, 9H-AMK, 9H-MLY, 9H-MLX) have been manufactured in the period from 2008 to 2011.
airBaltic provides flights to more than 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius and Tampere.
Global aviation industry went through a year of increasing geopolitical tensions and global inflationist pressures while facing operational problems following the Covid-19 pandemic. Turkish Airlines closed 2022 with $2.7 billion USD net profit standing out from its competition thanks to its operational agility, wide flight network and highly skilled workforce it maintained during the pandemic. Our company managed to complete its sixth quarter in a row with a net profit despite the difficult operating environment that persisted since 2020.
Total revenue of our company during 2022 was $18.4 billion USD, surpassing that of 2019 by 39% and marking a record high. Constituting 20% of the total revenues, cargo revenues increased by 120% compared to the same period in 2019 and recorded as approximately $3.7 billion USD.
Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat stated: “As Turkish Airlines we are continuing to overcome every obstacle we encounter with our 90 years of experience. Every single one of our colleagues and their team spirit contributed to our post-pandemic success.
With the responsibility and awareness of being the flag carrier, we are standing with our nation just as we did during previous crises. In the aftermath of the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, we utilized all of our resources to operate over 2,400 flights in order to transport 433 thousand search and rescue teams and 16 thousand tons of aid materials to the region while evacuating 430 thousand of our citizens to date.
We are doing our part when it comes to mending the wounds caused by the earthquakes our country faced and we will continue to do so as the aftermath of the disaster continues to unfold. Apart from the 2 Billion TL cash aid donated to Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), we started the work with Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change to provide the necessary support for the construction of 1,000 homes for those rendered homeless due to the earthquakes. We will also plan to employ 1,000 personnel from 1,000 families affected by the earthquakes.”
With one of the youngest and most modern fleet of 394 aircraft, Turkish Airlines carried around 72 million passengers with 85.8% domestic and 80.1% international load factor. In spite of the inflation pressures on the global scale, the flag carrier maintained its effective cost management in 2022 by lowering its unit expenses excluding fuel by 2% compared to 2019. As a result, EBITAR (Earnings before interest, taxes, amortization, and rent), which demonstrates the cash generation potential of the company, realized as $5.4 billion USD.
According to the data published by IATA, the International Air Transport Association, while the global air passenger capacity in 2022 was 28% behind that of 2019, Turkish Airlines became the pioneer of the sector by exceeding its 2019 capacity by 7.5%. As Europe’s leading network carrier in terms of daily number of flights operated for the last three years according to The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), Turkish Airlines recorded remarkable success on a global scale in 2022 by becoming the network carrier offering more international seat capacity than any other. As a result of our country’s investments towards aviation infrastructure, İstanbul Airport was also the busiest airport in Europe.
Quadrupling its market share in air freight market in the last 10 years, our company bolstered its success by ranking fifth among the world’s top air cargo carriers according to IATA’s 2022 data. After moving to SMARTIST, the new cargo operations centre built with high-tech features in İstanbul Airport, Turkish Cargo is aiming to further enhance its position among the leading air cargo brands of the world.
Employing over 75 thousand staff with its subsidiaries, Turkish Airlines is standing by its nation in this challenging period and will continue to proudly fly Türkiye’s flag on the 90th anniversary of its establishment and the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
We sincerely share the pain of our country, express our deepest condolences for our citizens and wish a quick recovery to those injured by the earthquakes.
Top Copyright Photo: Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-231 TC-JRY (msn 5083) (Star Alliance) AYT (Ton Jochems). Image: 960176.
Austrian Airlines issued this financial report for 2022:
First positive annual result 2022 since the pandemic: Adjusted EBIT at EUR +3 million
11.1 million passengers over the whole year – passenger volume in the second half of 2022 almost at pre-crisis level
Good summer performance paves the way for moderate growth in fleet and personnel
CEO Annette Mann: “We have won our guests back with resilience and flexibility. With a solid summer performance we were able to land in the black!”
For the first time since 2019, Austrian Airlines closed the past financial year with a positive result (Adjusted EBIT) at EUR 3 million (2019: EUR 19 million). After two years dripping with red ink (2020: EUR -319 million, 2021: EUR -249 million) a slight positive result was capitalized 2022, despite a weak first quarter, which was still marked by the restrictions of the pandemic. Decisive factors for this positive development were higher average ticket revenues and the steep increase in passengers (2022: 11.1 million). Passenger figures have reached 76% of pre-crisis level over the entire course of the year and doubled compared to the previous year (2021: 5 million).
“Also 2022 has not been an easy year for us. In the first quarter air traffic has in many places still been very limited due to entry regulations, in February expenses for fuel and energy have skyrocketed due to the war at our doorstep“, says Austrian Airlines CEO Annette Mann. “We have won our guests back with resilience and flexibility. With a solid summer performance we were able to land in the black!”
The annual result in detail
In 2022 Austrian Airlines’ revenue rose from EUR 743 million last year to EUR 1.871 billion (+152%) and this amounted to only 11 percent less than the revenue of 2019 (EUR 2.108 billion). The total revenue amounted to EUR 1.949 billion, +152% and the total operating expenditures of EUR 1.946 billion, +90% above the previous year. For the first time since 2019 (Adjusted EBIT: EUR 19 million) Austrian Airlines has generated a positive Adjusted EBIT with a plus of EUR 3 million. With the key date of 31 December 2022 Austrian Airlines employed 5,659 staff.
The increase in passengers combined with higher average ticket revenues drove up the total operating revenue in the past year. With 11.1 million passengers, Austrian Airlines transported twice as many passengers, compared to 2021 (2021: 5 million) und came closer to pre-crisis level (2019: 14.7 million / – 24%). Especially with the second quarter a strong catch-up effect in air travel took place, particularly in the touristic segment. The comparison of the second half year shows a clear recovery of the passenger figures close to pre-crisis level (second half year 2022: 7 million, second half year 2019: 8 million). In 2022 Austrian Airlines almost doubled its offer in seat kilometers from 11.3 billion (2021) to 21.7 billion. The average load factor of 79.4% has reached a value close to the one of 2019 (80.8%).
Early repayment and inflation compensation for all employees
The record result of the third quarter paved the way for the early repayment of the state-backed loan by the end of 2022, which was taken in the course of the Corona pandemic. Good liquidity and the granting of a credit line by Lufthansa Group allowed for Austrian Airlines to fully repay the remaining EUR 210 million of the total loan of EUR 300 million three years earlier than foreseen. Also the salary cut for Austrian Airlines employees agreed in 2020 was ended earlier by the end of 2022. For an additional relief, an inflation compensation of up to a total of EUR 3,000 was payed to all employees.
Moderate growth and new fleet members
After the national carrier had to downsize since 2020 due to the crisis, two of a total of four brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft have been joining the existing fleet since October 2022, laying the foundation for slight growth, also in terms of staff. COO Francesco Sciortino: “The Austrian team deserves to grow. New aircraft and new employees are the reward for a great performance in the past year. In 2022, we were among the top 5 most punctual airlines in Europe – despite immense challenges. With this motivation, we are already preparing for the coming summer!”
Variety in Europe and increased frequencies to Asia this summer
The Austrian Airlines flight schedule in summer 2023 will include over 120 destinations with seven new scheduled routes to Porto, Marseille, Billund, Tivat, Tromsø, Vilnius and Palermo. Like last summer, the US destinations will be served with a dense weekly frequency of up to 33 connections. Thanks to the relaxation of travel regulations to China and Japan, Austrian Airlines is also able to increase the number of flights to Asia. As of March, Shanghai is again served three times a week, while flights to Tokyo will be operated up to five times a week in the summer flight schedule. CCO Michael Trestl: “In 2023, we want to welcome even more passengers with a smile and our world-famous charm. Austrian Airlines offers a piece of Austria above the clouds all around the world!”
Outlook for the financial year 2023
Current bookings and the addition of the remaining two of the four A320neo aircraft to the fleet in early summer have already set the course for a successful new financial year. The continuing upward trend in the tourism segment is now also reflected again in medium- and long-term bookings. “For 2023, we expect a significant improvement in our results”, concludes CEO Annette Mann.
Overview of key facts and figures 2022 (rounded):
1-12 2022
1-12 2021
1-12 2019
Change YOY2021
Change YOY 2019
Revenue in € million
1,871
743
2,108
+152%
-11%
Adj. total operating revenue in € million
1,949
774
2,181
+152%
-11%
Adj. total operating expenditures in € million
1,946
1,024
2,164
+90%
-10%
Adjusted EBIT in € million
3
-249
19
–
–
EBIT in € million
-2
-238
15
–
–
Passengers in thousands
11,142
5,008
14,651
+122%
-24%
Available seat kilometers (ASK) in million
21,700
11,324
28,510
+92%
-24%
Capacity utilization (passenger load factor) in %
79.4
61.9
80.8
+17,5pp
-1,4pp
Number of flights
95,040
56,201
139,230
+69%
-32%
Fleet size (fleet in operation)
63
61
82
+2
-19
Regularity of operation
98.8%
99.5%
99.0%
-0.7pp
-0.2 pp
Punctuality on departure
77.3%
86.0 %
76.6 %
-8.7pp
+0.7 pp
Punctuality on arrival
83.2%
89.9 %
80.6 %
-6.7pp
+2.6 pp
Overview of key facts and figures Q4 2022 (rounded):
The Lufthansa Group is purchasing more state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft. The Group Executive Board has resolved to order
ten Airbus A350-1000 passenger aircraft
five Airbus A350-900 passenger aircraft
seven Boeing 787-9 ‘Dreamliner’ passenger aircraft
The orders were approved today by the Supervisory Board of parent company Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The aircraft concerned will be delivered to the Lufthansa Group from the mid-2020s onwards. Based on list prices, the order is worth a total of about 7.5 billion US dollars and is in line with Group’s mid-term financial planning.
The Lufthansa Group is also in advanced negotiations to acquire further long-haul aircraft which could be made available at shorter notice.
With today’s orders included, the Lufthansa Group will take delivery of 108 state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000, the Airbus A350-900, the Boeing 787-9 and the Boeing 777-9 over the next few years. In doing so, the Group will operate the quietest, most profitable and most economical long-haul aircraft that are currently in service. On average the new aircraft consume just 2.5 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometers – some 30 percent less than their predecessor aircraft types.
The new long-haul aircraft will also replace older aircraft types. In the medium-term future, six such subfleets will be taken out of service: the four-engined Boeing 747-400s, Airbus A340-600s and Airbus A340-300s and the two-engined Boeing 777-200s, Boeing 767-300s and Airbus A330-200s. This will reduce the quadjet contingent within the Lufthansa Group fleet to under 15 percent: prior to the pandemic, quadjets made up some 50 percent of the groupwide aircraft fleet.
In addition to the agreement on the purchase of the new aircraft, Airbus and Lufthansa have also signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ to further strengthen their cooperation in the field of sustainability and future technologies. This includes the intensified use of sustainable aviation fuels, the further optimization of operations through a more efficient flight management and exploration into the use of hydrogen.
In total, and including the advanced short- and medium-haul aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family, the Lufthansa Group currently has over 200 firm orders for new aircraft of the latest generation which will be delivered over the next few years.
Lufthansa Airbus A350-1000
The Airbus A350-1000
The Airbus A350-1000 will be a new addition to the Lufthansa Group fleet. The aircraft is 73.8 meters long and offers some 15 percent more capacity than the Airbus A350-900. The ten A350-1000s on order should primarily be deployed in premium-heavy markets. Therefore all these aircraft will be equipped with a First Class cabin.
The Airbus A350-900
Lufthansa already operates 21 of these aircraft with sizeable success. With the five aircraft ordered today, the Lufthansa Group will now take delivery of 33 further transports of this long-haul aircraft type.
The Boeing 787-9
Three Boeing 787-9s are presently in Lufthansa Group service. With today’s order included, 36 further Boeing 787-9s will join the Group fleet over the next few years.
