Seraph Aviation Group appoints new Head of Commercial Origination - Aviation Services

Seraph Aviation Group, the specialised aviation asset manager headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, has announced the appointment of Gerry Power to the position of Head of Commercial Origination - Aviation Services.

With over 30 years of aviation industry experience, Gerry has represented numerous airlines, investors, leasing companies and banks and has concluded over 150 aircraft transactions worldwide. His extensive experience and passion make Gerry an ideal person to join Seraph Aviation Group.

Gerry, who started his aviation career with GPA, was previously with Aergo from November 2015 through February 2018 and Standard Chartered Bank Aviation Finance from April 2013 through August 2015. 

"Gerry Power, who has extensive expertise and experience in the aviation finance sector, is a very welcome and complementary addition to our team, as we look towards a positive future," said David Butler, CEO, Seraph Aviation Group.

Seraph Aviation Group is headquartered in Dublin and has offices in Stamford, CT, USA, London, England and Seoul, South Korea.

 

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Finnair releases its year to date figures

Finnair's results so far this year have been heavily affected but the ongoing coronavirus  COVID-19 pandemic.  The airline has implemented a stringent cost-cutting regime as it struggles to improve its equity and cash position in order to survive into 2022. 

'Travel restrictions, which are particularly strict in Finland, have caused the carrier to change its plans regarding the winter flying schedules as well as staffing levels. The airline's boss Topi Manner said: "Demand for cargo flights remained strong, and we were able to re-open scheduled flights to Asia, supported by cargo demand. Cargo’s share of Finnair’s total revenue remained higher than usual. 

During the review period, we continued to take action to strengthen our financial position and equity. We refinanced our previous hybrid bond of 200 million euros, conducted a sale-and-leaseback arrangement for one of our A350 aircraft, and drew a second 200-million-euro tranche of our 600-million-euro pension premium loan. Thanks to these measures, our cash position remains strong and our balance sheet is healthy."

Southwest Airlines launching flights from Chicago O'Hare International and Colorado Springs Municipal airports

Southwest Airlines releases details of initial flight schedules for both Chicago O'Hare International and Colorado Springs Municipal airports as the carrier continues expanding to bring the value and Hospitality of Southwest closer to more travelers and offers more destinations to fly for leisure and business travel.

"We're growing the reach of Southwest as we add more destinations across the United States while bringing our warm Hospitality and iconic Customer Service to more people than ever before," said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President. "These additional investments in Chicago and Colorado provide even more convenience for our current Customers while also making it more convenient for new travelers to choose Southwest as we begin service from their preferred airport."

Hawaiian Airlines reports massive loss for third quarter

Many airlines the world over are reporting losses due to the global pandemic that has caused border closures and various other traffic restrictions. Hawaiian Airlines has been particularly badly affected, as President and CEO Peter Ingram explains: "The COVID-19 pandemic and State of Hawai'i quarantines continued to have a dramatic effect on our business in the third quarter, - Despite these monumental challenges, my colleagues throughout the business have done an incredible job adapting to the evolving environment.  We have taken action to reduce expenses, preserve cash, bolster our liquidity and care for our guests, positioning us to begin the recovery process in earnest with the introduction of the State of Hawai'i's pre-travel testing regime in the fourth quarter."

The State of Hawai'i was under mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for all incoming travellers throughout the third quarter of 2020, and for neighbour island travel starting from August 11, 2020 and as a consequence, the Company operated an extremely limited schedule during the third quarter.

During the quarter, the airline implemented both permanent and extended voluntary leave programs with each of its workgroups, and prepared for involuntary reductions effective October 1 , 2020.  In total, the company reduced its workforce by approximately 2,400 employees, or more than 32 percent of all employees, of which almost 2,100 were through voluntary means.

To increase liquidity, the Hawaiian Airlines closed on approximately $421 million of new financing during the quarter, including:

Silver Airways to start service from Jacksonville International to Tampa and Fort Lauderdale

New nonstop flights will commence on December 21st, 2020 

 

The Floridian boutique regional airline Silver Airways, is to launch nonstop twice-weekly flights from Jacksonville, Florida to both Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. The flights are scheduled to be operated on the airlines ATR42-600 aircraft. 

In addition to nonstop service between North Florida and two of Florida’s most important destinations, these new routes will also provide convenient and seamless connections to Silver’s extensive network throughout the Sunshine State, The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and destinations domestically and worldwide through Silver’s codeshare and interline ticketing partners. Silver serves more intra-Florida destinations than any other air carrier.

“We are delighted to serve Jacksonville and the surrounding North Florida and Georgia communities and in particular, the thousands of men and women of the United States Armed Services stationed in the Jacksonville area“ said Steve Rossum, Chief Executive Officer of Silver Airways. “Beyond its revered military presence, the Jacksonville area offers travelers relaxing beaches, world-class golf courses, unforgettable eco-adventures, professional sports, exciting nightlife, a vibrant and growing business community, world class universities, and deep rooted history including St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, “ added Rossum. “We are excited to be back in JAX.”

"Silver Airways’ new nonstop service to Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale offers a welcome connection between Northeast Florida and other parts of the state,” Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) CEO Mark VanLoh said. “We look forward to working with Silver as they continue to grow at Jacksonville International Airport.”

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More scenic flights from Qantas to try and kick start passenger demand

The Australian airline Qantas will operate a series of scenic getaway flights landing at some of Australia’s key holiday destinations following the success of its recent 7-hour aerial tourism flight while many border restrictions were still in place.

As more domestic borders open, the national carrier will evolve the scenic flight concept to offer an overnight getaway to some of the most iconic Australian spots while still including spectacular low-level flybys.

The first of the Scenic Flight Getaways will take 110 passengers on board a Qantas 737 from Sydney to Uluru to experience one of the country’s most culturally significant sites.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce said there has never been a better time to be innovative in promoting our own backyard and supporting hard hit tourism operators.

“We were overwhelmed with the response to our scenic flight while most border restrictions were still in place. It sold out in 10 minutes and the feedback from people onboard was fantastic. Even the most frequent flyers said they had never experienced Australia from the air quite like that. And our crew loved being back on board.

"Our future is very bright" claims the boss of Spirit Airlines, while the carrier posts a loss of over $99 million in Q3

"Our future is very bright. While the pandemic continues to affect demand for air travel, we do not believe it changes our competitive position." claims the  President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, in the latest update from the firm that lists third-quarter losses of over $99 million. 

There is no doubt that airline has been hit hard by the downturn in business caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and the company continues to try and implement mitigation strategies while working to preserve cash and protect the long-term survival of the airline. Yet, even with much-reduced schedules,  and rock bottom fares,  Spirit is still experiencing low demand, its load factor for the third quarter of 2020 was 68.1%.

For the fourth quarter 2020, Spirit estimates its capacity will be down approximately 25 percent year over year. On a monthly basis, Spirit estimates its capacity for October will be down approximately 36 percent and that November and December will both be down about 20 percent compared to the same periods last year. 

Total operating revenue for the third quarter 2020 was $401.9 million, a decrease of 59.5 percent year over year as demand for air travel remains depressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current demand and level of operation assumptions, Spirit estimates its fourth quarter total operating revenue will be down approximately 43 to 45 percent year over year.

United Airlines revamps its mobile app to make it more accessible

United Airlines Redesigns Mobile App to be More Accessible for People with Visual Disabilities

United increased color contrast, added more space between graphics and reorganized page flows to result in better integration with screen reader technologies;

The redesign also includes faster processing, increased personalization options and more intuitive navigation

United Airlines today launches a redesigned version of its mobile app, with new enhancements intended to make travel easier for people with visual disabilities. Throughout its award-winning app, the carrier has increased color contrast, added more space between graphics and reordered how information is displayed and announced to better integrate with the screen reader technologies like VoiceOver and TalkBack that are built into most handheld devices and read aloud on-screen messages and notifications. By restructuring the way the information is organized on the app, screen readers are better able to convert text to audio in the proper, logical sequence, allowing customers to better understand and navigate the app. According to the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, more than 25 million Americans have self-reported travel-limiting disability. The improved accessibility of the app is just one of the ways United is continuing its commitment to accessibility and inclusion of customers with disabilities.

"The parts of the travel experience that we all take for granted like checking luggage, getting your flight status and accessing a boarding pass can still be a challenge for someone with a visual disability," said Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer, United. "These new accessibility enhancements are part of our continuing commitment to level the playing field, unlock all the customer benefits of our app and give people with disabilities more independence while traveling."

Visually impaired customers will notice that these changes make it easier to manage all aspects of day-of travel, including check in, viewing reservation details and flight status, bag tracking and more. Ray Campbell, a member of United's digital team who's visually impaired and sits on the board of the American Council of the Blind, played a key role in helping redesign the app, and walks through how these changes make flying easier for him in this video.

"Optimizing mobile apps for tools such as VoiceOver and TalkBack has been a game-changer, allowing people with visual disabilities to fully utilize smartphone technology in their daily lives," said Campbell. "It's just as important for someone with a visual disability to easily access day-of-travel information and features as for any other customer. By improving the accessibility of the United app, we are truly living out United's mission of caring for all customers."

Beyond the accessibility changes, the United digital team enhanced the current offering while keeping the features that helped the app win a Webby People's Voice award in 2019.

For our MileagePlus® program members, the app now features a refreshed account experience for members to easily check balances, track Premier® progress, explore MileagePlus benefits, access past activity and more, all in one place.

The airline is also expanding a popular feature previously only accessible to MileagePlus members. Now, all 37 million customers who have the United app will see a contextualized home screen starting 48 hours before their flight which provides dynamic updates based on where a customer is in their travel journey. For example, customers can see the boarding status of their flight on their homescreen, access personal device entertainment onboard with one click, find a link to a map with gate-to-gate directions for connecting flights and click a quick access button to track any checked bags upon arrival.

United made slight tweaks to navigation based on customer feedback to make the app more intuitive, including making the bottom navigation persistent throughout the app. Another example is the "More" menu, which was reorganized and now contains the "Inbox" feature, which includes timely messages about boarding announcements, gate changes and other travel updates.

Customers will notice a new color palette that's consistent with the refreshed branding the airline debuted in 2019. United's digital team also made subtle design adjustments to make things more consistent and easier to find, like always using a purple bar to highlight the main call-to-action on a page and ensuring alerts and flight status icons appear the same way in every page on the app.

All of these changes are underpinned by a new back-end platform, which will ultimately make the app faster and more responsive.

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Oman Air is expanding its route network.

Oman Air adds 3 destinations, increase frequency to Salalah, Khasab & Duqm

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has expanded its scheduled operation with scheduled service to Kuwait, Bahrain and Colombo as well as increasing frequency to destinations in Oman.

The airline will operate 2 weekly flights to Kuwait, 2 to Bahrain and 2 to Colombo.

Oman Air will also increase flight frequency to cities including Salalah, with 3 daily round-trip flights; Khasab, with 6 weekly & Duqm, with 6 weekly flights.

Massive losses for Allegiant

The Las Vegas based US budget carrier Allegiant has reported a massive loss in its latest results filings as the company learns to cope with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The airline has reported it had operating losses of over $33 million for the month of September and more than $257 million for the year to the end of September. 

Despite the gloomy start to this winter season,  the airline has seen a little shoot of recovery - average daily gross bookings increased from just over $2 million per day during the third quarter to over $3 million per day thus far in the fourth quarter. 

ATSG delivers a Boeing 767 Freighter to Astral Aviation of Kenya

Air Transport Services Group, Inc -. a leading provider of aircraft leasing and air cargo transportation and related services has confirmed the delivery by its Cargo Aircraft Management subsidiary of a Boeing 767-200 converted freighter to Astral Aviation of Kenya under a five-year lease. This is the first aircraft ATSG has leased to Astral, as well as the first Boeing 767 that Astral has put into service.

“We are pleased to introduce the B767 freighter into our fleet,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, chief executive officer of Astral. “This aircraft will allow us to better serve the needs of our customers throughout our intra-African and Middle East networks, and ATSG’s support and assistance has been indispensable. Establishing a partnership with the world’s largest lessor of 767’s is something we have been after for some time now. I view this as the start to something special for Astral and all of sub-Saharan Africa.”

Astral currently provides scheduled and charter cargo service to more than 50 destinations in Africa and Europe, with its fleet of Boeing 747, Boeing 727, McDonnell Douglas DC-9, BAE ATP, Fokker 50 and Fokker 27 freighters operating out of bases in Nairobi and Liege.

Mike Berger, chief commercial officer of ATSG, said, “ATSG welcomes the opportunity to help Astral broaden its service offerings by delivering its first 767 aircraft, and we look forward to more opportunities to expand our relationship in the future with Sanjeev and his team.”

 

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A New Airbus A321NEO for Sichuan Airlines

 
AerCap Delivers a New Airbus A321NEO to Sichuan Airlines

 

 AerCap Holdings has announced the delivery of a new Airbus A321-200Neo aircraft, powered by Pratt and Whitney engines, to Chengdu-based Sichuan Airlines. The aircraft is on a long-term operating lease from AerCap's order book with Airbus.

AerCap's President and Chief Commercial Officer Philip Scruggs said, "We are very pleased to continue supporting Sichuan Airline's narrowbody fleet renewal. The Airbus A321neo aircraft will enable Sichuan to expand its short haul network more economically, further enhancing its overall operations and advancing its commitment to maintain a highly competitive, fuel-efficient fleet. We wish Chairman Li Haiying and all the team at Sichuan Airlines every success and we look forward to working with them for many years to come."

Sichuan Airlines' Chairman Li Haiying said, "This delivery clearly demonstrates the strong relationship between our two companies, and I would like to extend my gratitude to AerCap for enabling Sichuan to meet its growth targets, even during such global challenges".

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Finnair having to cut more costs in order to survive beyond 2022

Finnair increases its savings target to 140 million euros 

On 20 May 2020, Finnair said it was aiming for nearly 80 million euros in permanent cost reductions by 2022. Now as the airline faces a very uncertain future,  with deeper holes in its finances, the airline has increased that target to 100 million euros a year by 2022.

The airline says reductions are sought in all areas of the business,  including de savings in such areas as real estate, aircraft leasing, IT, sales and distribution and administration costs, as well as compensation structures. The company will further continue streamlining its organisation and operations and the digitalisation and automation of its customer processes. Additionally, it will renegotiate its supplier and partner agreements.

As a part of the cost savings programme, the company has also completed the co-determination negotiations and the resulting global cut of jobs is c. 700. When retirements and other attrition are included, Finnair’s personnel will decline by almost 1,100 compared to the beginning of 2020. Further, as a part of the programme, the company has concluded agreements with some of its employee groups targeting permanent cost savings. The employee groups committed to the permanent savings target participate in an incentive plan which is rewarding the employees for successful rebuild efforts. Also, the indefinite as well as temporary layoffs will be continued.

Finnair’s current plan still assumes that traffic will recover in 2–3 years to the 2019 level, though the trajectory seems likely to steepen towards the end of the period.

 

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