The June numbers for Aeromexico

Aeromexico reported its June 2018 operational results earlier this week.

• Grupo Aeromexico transported 1 million 861 thousand passengers in June; a 5.5% year-on-year increase. International passenger numbers increased by 10.5%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 2.9%.
• Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 8.1%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 7.7% year-on-year.
• Aeromexico's June load factor was 82.9%, an increase of 0.3 p.p. compared to June 2017.

The Southwest Airlines Shark Week Fleet

Southwest honours fifth consecutive Shark Week partnership with  Discovery Channel by showcasing shark species with custom 30th anniversary insignia on five aircraft

Southwest Airlines in partnership with Discovery Channel launched a Shark Week Fleet this morning with five aircraft entering the Southwest® network of 99 destinations and operating more than 4,000 daily flights. The five aircraft celebrate the 30th anniversary of Shark Week, one of the most popular and longest-running televised events in history. Each aircraft proudly displays custom artwork featuring a species of shark often showcased in a Shark Week episode. The Great White Shark and Hammerhead Shark aircraft launched from the carrier's home base of Dallas Love Field (DAL); the Tiger Shark aircraft launched from Chicago (Midway) (MDW); the Bull Shark aircraft launched from Houston (Hobby) (HOU); and the Mako Shark aircraft launched from Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX).

WestJet's June Results

Photo: WestJet

WestJet has released its June 2018 traffic results today and the airline managed a load factor of 83.6 percent in June, showing an increase of  0.7 percent over the same period last year.

The airline also disclosed that revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 8.5 per cent year over year, while capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7.5 per cent over the same period. WestJet welcomed an additional 120,000 guests in June, a year-over-year increase of 6.0 per cent.

New app from British Airways for Executive Club members.

British Airways has launched a brand new shiny app for members of its Executive Club so they can discover new ways to spend and collect Avios and check balances. The app won't allow flight booking or seat selection so Exec Club members will still need the usual British Airways app as well. 

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways' Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “We want to offer members more choice in how they interact with the British Airways Executive Club. The app is a great way that members can manage their balance and stay up-to-date with the latest ways to collect and spend Avios anywhere in the world. And with handy tools like the ability to see how many Avios are needed to book reward flights, we hope it’ll help members make the most of their balances.”

The app can be downloaded for free through the App Store or Google Play. Once downloaded members will need their Executive Club details to log in. Over the coming months, more features are planned to be added to the app to further enhance the benefits to members.

Boeing at Farnborough 2018

The mighty American planemaker Boeing has released its plans for its Farnborough Air Show excursion today and it is looking more to the future than it is the presence.

The world-renowned air show at Farnborough is just a few days away now (July 16-22) and Boeing is going to be there in a big way.  The company is bringing its, so far little-wanted 737 MAX 7, which is scheduled to do some flying displays on 16th-19th and the flying display continues with a Biman Bangladesh 787-8.

On the ground, the manufacturer will display an Air Italy 737 MAX 8, a Qatar Airways 777-300ER, CargoLogicAir and Qatar Airways 747-8 Freighters, and a Royal Air Maroc 767 Boeing Converted Freighter, which will be at the Cargo Village from July 16-18. 

The US Department of Defense is scheduled to display several Boeing platforms, including the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, the F-15E Strike Eagle and the C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft.

Icelandair's June Figures

Iceland's full-service friendly airline, Icelandair released its June figures earlyer this week which showed a reduction on the number of passengers it carried on international flights over the same period last year.

480,000 people flew with the carrier in June, which was a 2% reduction over 2017's June. The capacity measured in available seat kilometres (ASK) increased by 2%.  The number of available seats (AS) decreased by 4%.  The difference is more capacity to North America between years resulting in 6% higher average stage length in kilometres between years.   

The airline's load factor was 84.4% compared to 85.7% in June last year, despite a vast increase in competition from its low-cost rivals.  The number of passengers travelling from Iceland increased significantly between years, but passengers on the tourist market to Iceland and on the N-Atlantic market decreased compared to last year.

The number of passengers on domestic and regional flights were around 29 thousand, decreasing by 13% compared to June last year. Flights to Belfast, Aberdeen and between Keflavik and Akureyri stopped mid of May, explaining the reduction in the number of passengers.  The load factor was 69.6% increasing by 2.8 ppt from June last year. Sold block hours in charter flights increased by 21% between years, as a result of new long-term assignments. Freight decreased by 5%. 

Emirates show off the refitted Boeing 777-200LR

Emirates Engineering has successfully completed the reconfiguration of the second Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in its fleet. The conversion of the aircraft from three to two cabin classes was executed fully in-house at the Emirates Engineering hangars in Dubai. 

The reconfigured aircraft also features new, wider Business class seats in a 2-2-2 format, a new social area in business class, as well as a fully refreshed Economy class is designed to give customers a superior in-flight experience.

The whole event was captured on a time-lapse camera.

Nearly 37,400 new aircraft valued at US$5.8 trillion required over 20 years claims Airbus

Airbus thinks the world’s passenger fleet will more than double to 48,000 aircraft in 20 years with traffic growing at a rate of 4.4% per year, which the European plane maker says will mean airlines will need another 37,390 new passenger and freighter aircraft.

The Airbus Global Market Forecast 2018-2037 predicts emerging countries will account for over 60% of economic growth, with trips per capita to multiply 2.5 times for these nations. Combined with evolving airline business models and continuing liberalisation in the airline sector will lead to an increased resilience to regional slowdowns.

KLM to suspend direct flights to Tehran

For commercial reasons, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has decided to suspend its direct flights to Tehran, Iran, at least for the time being. as of 24 September.

The airline has said that because of the negative results and the bleak financial outlook for the Tehran operation, it will halt the direct route with effect from 22 September this year.  Whilst the airline says the suspension of service is a temporary measure, it will not give a date for the possible resumption of services. 

The last flight will depart from Amsterdam on 22 September 2018 and the last return sector will land in Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport the next day.  The airline assures passengers with tickets for a flight from Amsterdam to Tehran or vice-versa on or after 24 September that they will be transferred to the most suitable alternative or financially compensated.

Fire in the cockpit - caused EgyptAir crash in 2016

Fire in the cockpit, that's the probable cause of the crash of EgyptAir flight MS804 in 2016, according to the French investigation team from the BEA. 

The French civil aviation accident bureau said that onboard recorders suggested that the blaze had spread rapidly through the aircraft.  At a press briefing on Friday, the BEA said: "the most likely hypothesis is that a fire broke out in the cockpit while the aeroplane was flying at its cruise altitude and that the fire spread rapidly resulting in the loss of control of the aeroplane".

The investigator's say that the flight crew could be heard discussing a fire on the cockpit voice recorder and that systems on board had detected smoke inside the aircraft. Sixty-six passengers and crew died when the flight from Paris to Cairo came down over the eastern Mediterranean.

The findings and from the BEA directly contradicts an earlier statement from Egyptian officials that had claimed explosives had been found on victims' remains, which in turn suggested the aircraft had been brought down by a bomb.  They said at the time that it was likely to have been a terrorist incident, especially as it came just seven months after a Russian plane was brought down by a bomb over the Sinai peninsula. 

The BEA and the rest of the world now have to wait for the Egyptian investigators to issue their final report into the incident to learn fully the differences in information processed and the conclusions each nation has come to. 

Vietjet Air launches Cam Ranh/Nha Trang – Da Nang route

Starting late September this year Vietjet Air will launch a new domestic air service between Cam Ranh/Nha Trang and Da Nang.  The service will be flown by an Airbus A321 leaving at 1145 local time and arriving Da Nag at 1245. The return of the daily service will leave at 1320 from Da Nang with an arrival scheduled for 1420 in Cam Ranh/Nha Trang.

Fiji Airways becomes the 100th airline to to serve Tokyo's Narita Airport with new direct flight

Fiji Airways has launched direct flights to Japan with a service from Nadi International Airport to Tokyo's Narita International Airport.

With the launch of the services on 3rd July, Fiji Airways became the 100th airline to serve Narita Airport.

At Nadi International Airport departure gate, an inaugural ceremony was held in celebration of the launch of the new direct route, where passengers were given a taste of Japan with a sushi and green tea station. Onboard each passenger received commemorative gifts and a special inaugural flight dining experience.

Fiji’s National Airline Managing Director and CEO Andre Viljoen said the three-times-weekly flights make Fiji and the South Pacific more accessible to Japanese tourists than ever before.  “We are excited to share with Japan the untouched beauty of our 333 islands. Fiji’s unparalleled hospitality and warmth offers Japanese tourists a unique, culturally immersive experience – much more than just another beach getaway. Our flights have been designed to ensure guests get the most of their time in Fiji. The flight from Narita arrives into Nadi in the morning, with convenient domestic connections on our subsidiary Fiji Link to major tourism spots like Savusavu and Taveuni. Additionally, guests can also easily do boat transfers after arrival to the many wonderful resorts in the beautiful Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups,” 

Ethiopian Airlines takes delivery of its first 737 Max 8 aircraft

Ethiopian Airlines has received its first 737 MAX aircraft this week from the American manufacturer, Boeing. "We are glad to include the Boeing 737 MAX 8, the latest in Boeing's single-aisle series, in our young and modern fleet of over 100 aircraft with an average age of less than five years," said Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr Tewolde GebreMariam. 

"The Boeing 737 MAX 8 features the new Boeing sky interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness ultimately boosting our customers' experience. Since it is more fuel efficient than the current 737-NG, it has less carbon emission to the environment. As a customer-centric airline with a high adaptability to emerging technologies, Ethiopian has been pioneering latest-technology aircraft into Africa throughout its 72-year history. In line with the airline's growth targets under Vision 2025, we will keep on investing in further expansion of our fleet in acquiring the latest aircraft the industry has to offer."

BA cabin crew member gets £13,000 after a spider bite

Terry O’Driscoll, a British Airways flight attendant claimed he was bitten by a venomous spider on a flight from Heathrow to Denver has won  £13,000 in damages following a court case that concluded recently.

O’Driscoll, says he felt a nip to his finger whilst getting out of the bunk in the crew rest area on the flight to the US and whilst he told no-one of the bite and no spider was located, he still won the court case after suing the airline for damages, alleging they failed to keep him safe at work.

Despite the possibility that the cabin crew member could have been bitten anywhere and even if it was on the flight, passengers often bring on bugs and nasties with them, the court still found in his favour and the flyer is quids in.

A British Airways spokesperson said aircraft are regularly checked “we always ensure our crew are able to rest in a safe and clean environment” it was also reviewing the judgment. 

Top paying routes for airlines...... The Top Ten

Top 10 Revenue Routes

Have you ever looked at the departures board at an airport and wondered what route out of the hundreds served makes the most money for an airline?

Now, we need to wonder no more as OAG has done the researched and crunched the numbers and have produced a list of the top ten most money making air routes in the world.

Globally one route breaks the billion-dollar threshold and for the airline, it amounts to about 6 percent of its total annual revenue, it is the London Heathrow New York JFK route for British Airways. According to the OAG calculations, the route makes £18,563 / US$24,639 an hour for BA.

Here is the top ten list and some you might find a little surprising, although perhaps learning that Emirates earn more money per hour on its Heathrow - Dubai route than any other airline on any other route may not be a shocker!