Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Spirit Airlines broadens its focus to both legacy entrenchments and classic niche markets

Spirit Airlines executives have concluded consolidation in the US has created a prime opportunity for its ultra low-cost business model to allow the carrier to invade legacy strongholds like Dallas Fort Worth and introduce limited flights that will allow Spirit to grow the market with lower fares instead of poaching passengers and creating a structural shift in the competitive landscape. At the same time, Spirit is also developing its more typical niche markets to round out a network focus dominated by domestic growth during the past couple of years.

Spirit has turned its attention away from growing Caribbean and Central America services from its Fort Lauderdale hub to capitalise on some of the 300 non-stop markets between Canada and the northern region of South America that have more than 200 passengers per day each way. These markets, like northern New York state airports close to Canadian cities, can support the 18% annual seat growth Spirit aims to achieve through 2015.

Beijing briefly assumes title of world’s largest airport as Spring Festival traffic soars

Beijing Capital International Airport, the second busiest airport in 2011, has overtaken the world’s busiest airport by total passenger movements, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, based on capacity (seats) data for the second week of Jan-2012, driven by increased traffic over the Spring Festival travel season, which commenced on 08-Jan-2012. CAAC has forecast a 7% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers to 34.9 million during the 40-day peak travel period, with domestic Chinese carriers' 8000 flights and capacity to transport one million passengers per day. However, Atlanta will regain its position once the Spring Festival traffic spike subsides, and will be the largest airport by passenger traffic in Jan-2012 as a whole. Beijing's temporary hold on the number one spot is a reminder that the title this year will return, and for the long term.

Beijing narrows gap with Atlanta as world's busiest airport while Haneda overtakes Heathrow as #3

The world’s busiest airport by total passenger movements, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, continues to hold off Beijing, the world’s second busiest airport, but it is only a matter of time before Atlanta is dethroned. Only a decade ago, Beijing Capital did not even rate among the world’s top 30 airports, a list that Atlanta has headed since 1998. Beijing only appeared as one of the world’s 30 largest airports in 2004, in 20th position, with passenger growth of over 43% in this year. This week Tokyo Haneda surpassed London Heathrow as the world's third largest airport.

Meanwhile, Airports Council International (ACI) in its Oct-2011 traffic release noted that passenger growth remains in resilient and positive territory despite the challenges in global markets. “The looming risks in major currency markets and economies have not yet affected consumption patterns for air travel,” ACI World’s economics director Rafael Echevarne commented.

FedEx cargo props up Memphis airport, but Delta cuts lower passenger traffic

In our examination of US hubs, Memphis stood out as its geography makes it vulnerable to being downsized. The latest announcements from Delta make that outcome more plausible.

LCCs bolster global airline growth; Asia Pacific hosts seven of the world's largest 20 airports

Growth in scheduled airline operations showed continued signs of moderating in Jul-2011, according to the latest statistics from OAG for Jul-2011. LCC growth, however, continued to rise, with LCCs now having a worldwide scheduled capacity share of 25%, with an additional 7.5 million seats in the gloabl LCC network compared with Jul-2010.