Barcelona El Prat Airport

Europe loses four airlines in an unhappy start to 2012

As the economic noose tightens around European airlines, the industry's ranks look set to thin this year. Over late 2011 and the first month of 2012, the industry has witnessed the collapse of four small European carriers as well as the announcement of a merger between Wind Jet and Blue Panorama Airlines by Alitalia. For the time being, it is predominantly smaller, lower capitalised airlines that have failed. The four failed carriers deploy only around 217,000 weekly seats or 0.6% of total European system capacity.

However, the collapses, which follow more than 30 European airline failures over the 2008/09 economic crisis, could in the coming months foreshadow the demise of further carriers or further consolidation, with a number of financially weak carriers operating in the European market. While all but one of the airlines affected so far in 2012 have been based in Continental Europe, there are several weak carriers in Eastern Europe urgently seeking further funding and/or new investors in the near term. Three of the collapsed carriers have been privately owned, but last week's collapse of Spanair shows governments may be willing to let state-supported carriers dither away.

Emirates' Spanish expansion highlights Iberia's long-haul weakness to the east

Emirates' announcement to open a daily service to Barcelona and an additional daily flight to Madrid, after only entering the country in 2010, shows how Spain is unique for Emirates in being a major European market with no incumbent local competition since Iberia operates what it calls a "90 degree hub": its long-haul traffic, a successful operation, is almost entirely to the Americas, leaving Spain's demand for medium- and long-haul services east of Europe to be fulfilled by foreign carriers. Emirates does not target Iberia's Americas network from Spain but does focus on Africa, where Iberia has limited service, the Middle East, where Iberia only serves Cairo and Tel Aviv (the latter of which Emirates will not serve) and Asia-Pacific, where Iberia has no service to at all.

Where are the world's leading LCC airports?

LCCs now account for about a fifth of all flights globally, making it increasingly vital for airports and air traffic management providers to understand the sector and its drivers. Worldwide, of the top 20 airports for LCC aircraft movements, 12 are in the US, four are in Europe and the remainder are in the Asia Pacific region. (By seats, ten are in the US, and five each in Europe and Asia Pacific). As ever, though, the global LCC market is in flux. Airlines expand or contract their operations at airports in relation to their own growth trajectories and the changes in season.

Big guns are lined up for this year’s three big airport transactions

After spending two years distinctly in the doldrums since the fire sale bargain disposal of Gatwick Airport, airport privatisation activities are beginning to make the news headlines again. Currently there are three major transactions – the sale by Hochtief of its concessions division, which includes airports; the concession on Puerto Rico’s Luis Munoz Marin airport, and, the biggest of them all, the concessions to operate Spain’s two main airports at Madrid and Barcelona. This article looks at who is bidding for what and, as far as can be ascertained, why. It considers the possibility that at least one of the processes could still fall at the last hurdle.

Ryanair's presence makes Barcelona Europe’s fastest growing major airport

Barcelona El Prat Airport is Europe’s fastest-growing major airport, eclipsing growth rivals Munich, Istanbul Ataturk and Moscow Sheremetyevo. Now that Barcelona has had a full year of the 'Ryanair effect' since the LCC's arrival at the Catalonian facility, growth rates should start to moderate.

European carriers trending in right direction in first summer month

Europe’s major airlines have made a good start to the northern summer, with strong gains in load factors across the board and almost all carriers reporting year-on-year increases in passenger numbers.