Etihad Airways announced (24-Apr-2024) plans to deploy 485 seat A380 equipment on Abu Dhabi-Paris CDG service from 01-Nov-2024. According to OAG, the carrier currently operates the service daily using A350-1000 equipment. Air France also operates the route. [more - original PR]
easyJet is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its first Berlin flight, which flew to Schoenefeld from Liverpool on 28-Apr-2004. In 2018 easyJet added Berlin Tegel to its airport network when Air Berlin exited, and it soon became the biggest operator by seats in the German capital city.
When Berlin Brandenburg Airport replaced its two predecessors on 31-Oct-2020, easyJet became the first airline to take off from the new airport the following day.
easyJet expects to fly to more than 50 destinations from Berlin this summer, including five new destinations. Moreover, it has demonstrated its commitment to Brandenburg with on-site investments, including a hangar.
Nevertheless, easyJet rationalised its Berlin operations in 2022 and it is far from its pre-pandemic capacity: for the week of 29-Jul-2024 its Brandenburg schedule has only 39% of the seats that it offered across Schoenefeld and Tegel in the equivalent week of 2019.
In 2018 and 2019 easyJet was Berlin's biggest airline. Ryanair assumes that mantle this northern summer.
Branding has become increasingly important as a field of marketing, and noticeably so in the air transport sector - where airlines are no longer assessed by their 'sexiness', as they were 40 or 50 years ago, but by a host of metrics that collectively identify their 'brand value', 'brand equity' and 'brand sustainability'.
A leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy, Brand Finance, has published an annual report on how branding applies to airlines and airports in 2024.
In the former case the biggest brands by all the metrics are also the biggest airlines with few exceptions.
The same is true of airports, with a noticeable paucity of winners among small airports in the sustainability category, where some of them have actually been the most active. Most of the 'leaders' are from cities that are global powerhouses.
Meanwhile, a spat in California between two neighbouring airports over the selection of a new name for one of them demonstrates how, at the end of the day, an airport's name can be its most important feature and benefit of all.
Both United Airlines and Alaska Air Group appeared to have cracked the code to create meaningful results in 1Q - typically the weakest quarter for US airlines.
Each airline's profitability in 1Q2024 was wiped out by the grounding of their respective Boeing 737 MAX-9 fleets early in 2024, after the inflight blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737-9.
Hopefully, the aircraft groundings should be a one-time event; but United and Alaska are bullish that profitability in 1Q2024 could become a common occurrence.
Edinburgh Airport – VINCI to take a controlling interest; becomes second largest UK airport operator
Quietly and stealthily, the French airports operator VINCI - with more than 70 assets worldwide, the leading private sector operator - has been building its portfolio in the UK, while all eyes have been on its acquisitions elsewhere.
Having already acquired Belfast International (100%) in 2018 and a majority stake in London Gatwick Airport the following year, VINCI has now moved to take a similar position to that at Gatwick by acquiring 50.01% of the equity at Edinburgh Airport, which serves the Scottish capital city and the second most visited tourist city in the UK.
The transaction should be completed in the summer of 2024, at which time VINCI would become the second largest airport operator in the UK by passenger numbers.
At the same time GIP, the majority shareholder at Edinburgh now, continues the downscaling of its airport activities...except where they concern VINCI, which is becoming the de facto operating partner of the funds manager (which has recently been wrapped up in the giant BlackRock asset manager).
But there are other factors to consider while the deal is secured, such as the position of the minority investors at Edinburgh, which represent major Australian pension funds.
And it does pose the question of whether VINCI might be tempted to go for a 'full house' of UK capital city airports by taking a look at least at what Cardiff Airport has to offer.
With capacity surging in the USA-Taiwan market, competition is set to heat up further as airlines add routes and a new competitor enters the fray.
The United States of America is an important market for Taiwan's airlines, and this is even more true in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Capacity between these two markets has soared well past 2019 levels, dominated mainly by Taiwanese airlines.
EVA Air and China Airlines are still the main players, but they have been joined by the newcomer StarLux Airlines. United Airlines serves Taiwan too, and Delta Air Lines is primed to launch its own direct Taiwan route.
Attention has focused on the Taipei-Seattle route in particular, with three airlines planning to begin service.
The rapid growth in the USA-Taiwan market further highlights the role of the Taipei hub as a connecting point between North America and Asia.
Upcoming Event
Calgary: CAPA Airline Leader Summit Americas 2024
CAPA returns to North America in 2024 with the CAPA Airline Leader Summit – Americas. To be held in Calgary (Canada) over 9-10 May 2024, the summit will provide unparalleled insight into the strategic landscape of a region that is of vital importance.
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Miami: GAD Americas 2024
The leading conference for airport strategy and finance. The community of airport infrastructure and business developers looks forward to re-establishing its home in Miami 2024. GAD Americas returns to Miami 30-31 May 2024.
Airline Leader Interview - IAG, CEO, Luis Gallego
Key areas of experience: Airline industry, general management Current external appointments: Member of the Board of Governors and Member of the Chair Committee, IATA. Previous relevant experience: Chairman and CEO, Iberia 2013-2020. CEO, Iberia Express 2012-2013. Chief Operating Officer, Vueling 2009-2012. Founder of Clickair 2006-2009.
Etihad Airways to deploy A380 equipment on Abu Dhabi-Paris service from Nov-2024
Sweden's Government proposed (22-Apr-2024) halving the passenger flight tax that would have applied for 2025. Under the new proposal the flight tax will be reduced to between SEK39 (EUR3.36) and SEK259 (EUR22.31), depending on the final destination. The changes are proposed to enter into force on 01-Jan-2025. [more - original PR - Swedish]
Etihad Airways announced (15-Apr-2024) the following changes to its fares and baggage policies:
- Simplified fare types to Basic, Value, Comfort and Deluxe, enabling passengers to tailor ancillaries including flexibility, extra baggage and increased reward miles;
- Simplified baggage allowances across all fare types based on route, ticket type and Etihad Guest Tier Status.
The changes are effective for bookings made from 16-Apr-2024. [more - original PR]
London Stansted Airport reported (11-Apr-2024) it handled 28.5 million passengers in the 12 months to Mar-2024, an increase of 11.8% year-on-year and the "busiest ever 12 month period in the airport's history". The airport handled a record 2.2 million passengers in Mar-2024, as previously reported by CAPA. Top destinations during the 12 months to Mar-2024 were Dublin, Istanbul and Edinburgh, with the most popular countries being Spain, Italy and Poland. MD Gareth Powell added: "I'm really pleased we were able to round-off what was our busiest and most successful winter season at London Stansted with yet another record-breaking month in March, our sixth successive busiest ever passenger month". [more - original PR]
Brazil and UK signed (11-Apr-2024) an air services agreement granting fifth freedom rights to carriers operating passenger services between the nations. The agreement also grants seventh freedom rights for the transportation of cargo between the countries. [more - original PR - Portuguese]
ACI EUROPE: Passenger volumes at regional airports remain 38.6% below 2019 levels
ACI EUROPE reported (11-Apr-2024) passenger volumes at regional airports remained 38.6% below 2019 levels in Jan/Feb-2024. ACI EUROPE deputy director general Morgan Foulkes stated: "There is no escaping the fact that it is now financial crunch time for many of Europe's regional airports. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed with a forward looking and holistic view". Mr Foulkes added: "This requires continued flexibility as regards the ability of smaller regional airports to benefit from operating aid after 2027 under the EU State Aid Guidelines, less regulatory scrutiny when it comes to airport charges regulation at national level and - last but not least - a full range of accompanying measures under the EU Fit for 55 to safeguard regional air connectivity". [more - original PR]
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This report aims to benchmark the performance of the world’s major airlines – to understand their relative carbon emission quantity and intensity with respect to passenger and freight transport.