Airlines

Emirates picks new SVP

Emirates has named Orhan Abbas as its new senior vice-president to head up its commercial operations for the Americas. Abbas was previously vice-president for India and Nepal, overseeing a period of sustained expansion which saw the airline more than double the number of services to the sub-continent in just four years. He has worked for Emirates since 1998, having also held senior commercial positions in Tanzania, South Africa and the Middle East. He has a degree in Business Administration from New York Regents College, Albany, New York. Commenting on his appointment, Abbas said: "The...

Air Canada reports record August load factor

For the month of August, Air Canada reported a record system load factor of 87.9%, versus 87.8% in August 2011. System traffic increased 0.7% on a system-wide capacity increase of 0.6%. Air Canada reports traffic results on a system-wide basis, including regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity. "For the month of August, Air Canada reported an all-time record load factor of 87.9%,"said Air Canada president Calin Rovinescu. "This record load factor result for the month underscores our disciplined capacity management... Led by increases in traffic in the Australia, Caribbean,...

Emirates, Qantas launch global partnership

Emirates and Qantas have introduced a new global aviation partnership designed to give travellers "a seamless international and Australian network, exclusive frequent flyer benefits and world class travel experiences."Under the agreement signed by Emirates president Tim Clark and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Qantas will move its hub for European flights from Singapore to Dubai and enter an extensive commercial relationship with Emirates. The 10-year codesharing partnership is enhanced by integrated network collaboration with co-ordinated pricing, sales and scheduling, as well as a benefits sharing...

WestJet, Porter post record numbers for August

WestJet reports August 2012 traffic results with an all-time record load factor of 88.9%. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 9.2% year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 2.3% over the same period. The airline flew nearly 172,000 more guests this August compared to August of last year. "We are extremely pleased to report the highest single-month load factor in WestJet history,"commented WestJet president and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "The demand environment remains strong and we are seeing a growing contribution from our airline codeshares and...

LAN soars with new 787 Dreamliner

LAN Airlines has become the first airline in the Americas to receive the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. LAN will receive 32 of the new aircraft over the next 10 years, with the first three to be delivered this year. The US$4.9-billion order represents one of the largest investments in the airline's history. The first cities served by the LAN fleet of 787s are Santiago, Buenos Aires, Lima, Los Angeles, Madrid and Frankfurt. The aircraft will begin to fly commercially over the next few months, and those cities will be added gradually during its first year of operation. One of the new features offered...

United’s Dreamliner to start service domestically

United Airlines has announced plans to fly its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on domestic routes starting in November as it prepares to begin previously announced international service in December and January. United expects to take delivery of the first five new Dreamliners this year from its total order for 50 of these aircraft. As the initial aircraft are inducted into the fleet, they will be based at United's Houston hub, with scheduled service phased in between Houston and each of its other domestic hubs beginning Nov. 4. The schedule allows United's 787s to operate more than 470...

Business confidence slowing growth

IATA reports that global traffic growth continued to slow in July. July passenger demand in aggregate was 3.4% higher than the same month last year, compared to a 6.3% increase in June and average growth of 6.5% over the first half of the year. This slowdown in travel growth is being driven largely by the recent fall in business confidence in many economies. The industry association said that airlines have responded to this slower growth environment by reducing the capacity added to markets, a move which has stabilized load factors at relatively high levels and provided some support for...