San Salvador Comalapa International Airport

Key decisions loom in 2012 for Avianca-TACA as integration effort nears completion

The spotlight in Latin America this year will primarily be shone on LAN and TAM as the two airline groups complete their landmark merger and begin the integration process. But it is also a key year for Avianca-TACA, which completed their merger in early 2010 and has completed about 90% of its integration process.

The integration of Avianca and TACA will be wrapped up this year as the carrier formally joins the Star Alliance, completing two major milestones for the fast-expanding airline group. Several major decisions also loom for the group in 2012 related to its corporate structure, branding and fleet.

Structurally, a decision will likely be made by the end of this year on whether to bring Avianca Brazil into the publicly traded holding company Avianca-TACA. The Brazilian carrier is still owned by the Synergy Group, the holding company controlled by the Efromovich family which also owned Avianca prior to its merger with TACA (the Efromovich family now has a majority share in Avianca-TACA Holding). As a result, Avianca Brazil remains separate although it has a co-branding arrangement with Colombia-based Avianca.

Narita sees 60% pax decline since Japan earthquake; UK budget shakes shares

The outlook after the Japanese earthquake was still not entirely clear this week even as Narita International Airport Corporation stated all operations at the airport had returned to normal, and Delta reported it was operating its “normal” 40 flights a day to Japan.

Slovenia, Colombia and Eastern Europe among the hottest emerging markets for European travellers

The overall numbers may be small, but the growth in seating capacity is spectacular from Europe to a number of emerging markets around the world this summer. Headlining this list is Slovenia, Tajikistan and Georgia in Eastern Europe; El Salvador, Panama and Colombia in Latin America; Rwanda, The Gambia and Togo in Africa; and Cambodia and Vietnam in Asia.