Airlines
Better yields for Porter
Porter Airlines has reported a 54.5% load factor for November. That's a decrease from last year of 11.4 points. Figures for the month show 126.5 million Available Seat Miles (ASMs) and 68.9 million Revenue Passenger Miles (RPMs). ASMs grew 6.7% from 118.6 million and RPMs decreased 11.9% from 78.2 million last year. "We are encouraged to see passenger yield improve significantly from recent months," said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. "Advance bookings for December are tracking well compared to last year, and the entire winter season has strong early trends." Go to...
Hogan looks at the future
Development and growth within the airline industry, along with confronting serious challenges, continues to be led by Middle Eastern hubs and airlines, and spearheaded by airline's like Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. That was the message delivered by James Hogan, Etihad Airways' president and CEO, during an address to 200 delegates at the Future of Air Transport Conference that was held in London earlier this week. Hogan spoke in depth about the positive impact the Middle East is having on the global economy and how the focus is shifting from the traditional, more established markets to the...
Another record for WestJet
WestJet reports that it posted a record 82.6% load factor for November 2012. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 8.3% year over year and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 1.7% over the same period. WestJet flew approximately 114,000 more guests this November compared to November of last year. WestJet president and CEO Gregg Saretsky, said "We are very pleased with this month's load factor which exceeds the previous November record set in 2010 by 4.9% points. Our airline partnership strategy and growing number of business travellers are contributing to...
November loads up for AC
Air Canada turned in a system load factor of 78.1% for November 2012, compared to a load factor of 75.9% for November 2011 -- that's an increase of 2.2 percentage points. The carrier's system traffic increased 4.6% on a system-wide capacity increase of 1.7%. The carrier reports its traffic results on system-wide basis, including regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity. Calin Rovinescu, president and CEO of Air Canada, said that: "For the month of November, Air Canada reported a load factor of 78.1%, an increase of 2.2 percentage points from the previous year and our second...
Results Needed
IATA is calling on the European Commission, EU member states and Europe's Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to ensure that Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) are delivering real results. The call came on the deadline date for European states to set up agreements grouping Europe's 27 ANSPs into 9 FABs as a critical step towards creating the Single European Sky (SES). Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO, said: "Whilst the FAB agreements are mostly in place, there are no signs of real consolidation or efficiencies of scale. EU member states have paid lip-service to European...
Sunwing clarifies Mexican regulations regarding minors
Sunwing Airlines has issued a report to clarify that currently there are no restrictions prohibiting unaccompanied minors (under 18 years of age) from travelling to Mexico. Reported changes to Mexican government regulations recently caused confusion in the marketplace and Canadian media reports indicated that some Canadian travellers were denied boarding by at least one other Canadian air carrier. "Sunwing has not refused travel to any minors and will continue with its policy to adhere to the current Mexican government regulations. These currently do not bar minors from travelling to Mexico...
Philippine Airlines now serving Toronto
Philippine Airlines has begun three-times-a-week Manila-Toronto service, with the frequency to be upgraded to four times a week in mid-January and daily in March. And tourism officials hope that the carrier's now serving both Vancouver and the Ontario capital will help the Philippines attract more Canadians to their country, raising the possibility of reopening a tourism office in this country. The Philippines had a Toronto tourism office, but closed it several years ago. "We will seriously look at opening an office here in Toronto,"Benito Bengzon, the country's assistant secretary,...
Etihad launches ‘Etihad Wi-Fly’ connectivity
Etihad Airways has launched its new "Etihad Wi-Fly"inflight Internet and mobile connectivity service, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Suite. The airline's first aircraft equipped with Panasonic's communications technology, an Airbus A330-200, took flight today (Dec. 3) for Brussels, offering high-speed broadband Internet connectivity as well as data and mobile phone services. The A330-200 will be used for long-haul destinations across Etihad Airways' network, such as Brussels, Dublin, Manchester, Munich, Frankfurt and Milan. Etihad president James Hogan noted that,...