British Airways names the destinations for its low-cost EuroFlyer Gatwick airline.

British Airways has revealed the initial destinations for its new low-cost budget Gatwick subsidiary, which is expected to start flying from March 2022. 

The Gatwick based airline will operate in much the same way as the IAG London City Airport standalone airline which operates under the British Airways name but exists as an entirely separate entity. BA's plans took a turn for the worse when unions rejected all options, so the new Gatwick subsidiary will launch much later in 2022, with short-haul services at Gatwick being operated by mainline BA until the new entities’ Air Operators Certificate is issued. According to the plans announced this week, BA will deploy three Airbus short-haul aircraft for March and will rapidly increase fleet size to around 18 Airbus A320 and A321 planes by the end of May.

The new deal will see aircraft in BA colours operate short-haul flights from Gatwick for the first time since the spring of 2020 when the airline axed all flights during the coronavirus lockdown. The new services will initially be operated by British Airways, but by Autumn 2022 the organisation will be managed separately under the company trading name ‘BA Euroflyer’, consistent with its sister subsidiary ‘BA CityFlyer’. The brand name will remain as British Airways but staff contracts will change as well as other finacial amendments. 

The airline says that Club Europe customers will also receive complimentary food and drink and whilst economy Euro Traveller customers will be able to order food from the ‘Speedbird Café', which features a selection of products from a range of British brands.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “Today is a landmark moment for British Airways. The creation of a new British Airways short-haul organisation means Gatwick customers will benefit from access to a premium service from the UK’s flag carrier at competitive prices. We are looking forward to bringing a short-haul network back to Gatwick, with a fantastic flying team in place, to serve our customers from London’s second hub airport, which we feel sure will be a success.”

Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, said: “This significant news will be very welcome for many people connected to the airport.  Despite the ongoing public health situation, today’s announcement is a positive signal that consumer confidence is returning as people start thinking about making travel plans for next summer.

“Given the difficult period we have all just been through, we expect BA’s new and extensive network of services from Gatwick to destinations across Europe to be in high demand and our staff, retailers, restaurants, cafes and bars are all looking forward to welcoming BA passengers back in larger numbers from April next year.”

Gatwick short-haul routes, launching from March 2022:

Destination	Country	Start Date
Amsterdam	Netherlands	29 March 2022
Larnaca	Cyprus	29 March 2022
Paphos	Cyprus	29 March 2022
Seville	Spain	29 March 2022
Tenerife	Spain	29 March 2022
Verona	Italy	29 March 2022
Arrecife (Lanzarote)	Spain	30 March 2022
Faro	Portugal	30 March 2022
Malta	Malta	30 March 2022
Catania (Sicily)	Italy	31 March 2022
Malaga	Spain	31 March 2022
Marrakech	Morocco	31 March 2022
Nice	France	31 March 2022
Alicante	Spain	1 April 2022
Antalya	Turkey	2 April 2022
Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)	Spain	2 April 2022
Bari	Italy	3 April 2022
Dubrovnik	Croatia	4 April 2022
Turin	Italy	4 April 2022
Ibiza	Spain	5 April 2022
Palma (Mallorca)	Spain	7 April 2022
Berlin	Germany	8 April 2022
Venice	Italy	8 April 2022
Mahon (Menorca)	Spain	11 April 2022
Madrid	Spain	14 April 2022
Thessaloniki	Greece	14 April 2022
Bordeaux	France	15 April 2022
Milan Malpensa	Italy	15 April 2022
Santorini	Greece	15 April 2022
Cagliari (Sardinia)	Italy	17 April 2022
Dalaman	Turkey	23 April 2022
Heraklion (Crete)	Greece	24 April 2022
Kos	Greece	24 April 2022
Rhodes	Greece	28 April 2022
Athens	Greece	4 May 2022

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New commercial tie-up for Virgin Australia and United.

Reaching down under, United's new commercial arrangements with Virgin Australia will open up the two nations like never before. The U.S. mega carrier now offers more flights to Australia than any other American carrier.

"The United States and Australia share a special bond and I'm especially proud that United was the only airline to maintain a vital link between these two countries throughout the pandemic," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "Looking ahead, Virgin Australia is the perfect partner for United. Our partnership provides considerable commercial value for both airlines and a shared commitment to offer the best travel experience for our customers."

United currently offers daily direct flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Sydney, while other services including flights from Houston and direct services to Melbourne are expected to resume later in 2022. Under this new partnership, United's customers will now have access to top Australian destinations including Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

In addition to the ability to redeem and earn points/miles, eligible premier MileagePlus and Velocity members will also receive the following benefits when flying on United and Virgin Australia worldwide:

Priority check-in

Priority boarding

Priority baggage delivery and additional baggage check allowance

Priority security clearance

Lounge access

The partnership will also triple Virgin Australia's reach into the U.S., with customers accessing United's vast domestic and international network, connecting at United's multiple Australian gateways.

The partnership is another significant customer enhancement for the relaunched Virgin Australia, that will also see the airline resume the sale of codeshare flights at virginaustralia.com, starting with United services in early 2022, followed by the airline's other international partners. Virgin Australia first paused the sale of codeshare flights on its website at the height of the pandemic, and today's announcement will open a new gateway for travel between Australia and the U.S. and beyond.

"We are grateful to have such a strong partner in United," said Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka. "They have proudly been one of Australia's most loyal and long serving aviation partners and their market strength both to Australia and in the United States brings great value to our guests. We look forward to innovating together on behalf of our guests to ensure they have the very best travel experiences to over 90 destinations in the U.S."

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De Havilland Canada and ZeroAvia Announce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to Develop Hydrogen-Electric Engine Program for Dash 8-400 Aircraft

ZeroAvia, the leading innovator in zero-emission aviation powertrains, and  De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited ("De Havilland Canada") today announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a line-fit and retrofit program for De Havilland Canada's aircraft models, using hydrogen-electric propulsion in both new and in-service aircraft. 

As part of the MOU, De Havilland Canada will be issued options to purchase 50 ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric engines. These options will be confirmed once a definitive agreement has been completed between De Havilland Canada and ZeroAvia.

The companies intend to work together on a service bulletin for the Dash 8-400 type certificate offering ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric engine as a line-fit option for new aircraft, as well as developing an OEM-approved retrofit program for in-service aircraft. This program will target the use of ZeroAvia's 2MW+ powertrain (ZA2000) for Dash 8-400 aircraft. The Dash 8-400 is one of the world's most reliable turboprop aircraft with more than 625 delivered to customers. The global fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft has logged over 11 million flight hours and transported more than 550 million passengers.

Alaska Airlines expands oneworld partnership with new West Coast international flights

Alaska Airlines is expanding its tie-up with oneworld member airlines – including American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia on the West Coast of the U.S. to help expand international connections. 

The new move coincides with the mass transatlantic alliance formed by IAG, Finnair and American Airlines which aims to dominate the North Atlantic air traffic the Seattle based airline announced. 

British Airways will launch a service between Portland and London Heathrow on 3rd June next year and will operate five days a week. This will become the sixth British Airways service to London from a key Alaska market on the West Coast joining Los Angeles; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose, California; and Seattle.

Finnair announced last week its new nonstop flight between Seattle and Helsinki that's scheduled for service three days a week beginning June 1. Finnair's nonstop to Seattle joins its existing service to the Finnish capital from Los Angeles. Finnair will also increase its Los Angeles-Stockholm service to four nonstop flights a week beginning May 1.

From summer 2022, the oneworld partners will offer more than 100 nonstop flights every week from the West Coast of America to Europe including nonstop service to London, Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm and Helsinki  "By deepening our partnerships with oneworld alliance members, we're providing exciting travel opportunities to Europe and beyond," said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines. "Our guests will love the 100 weekly nonstop flights between our West Coast gateway airports and major European cities, enjoying oneworld benefits along the way."

"Since joining oneworld in March, Alaska Airlines has positioned oneworld as the leading alliance on the West Coast," said Rob Gurney, oneworld CEO. "With the new oneworld member airline flights to Europe and extensive connections at Alaska's hubs, the possibilities are endless for customers planning that long-awaited trip to Europe."

oneworld Partner	City Pair	Frequency
American Airlines	Los Angeles – London Heathrow	2x Daily
	Seattle – London Heathrow	Daily
British Airways	Los Angeles – London Heathrow	2x Daily
	San Diego – London Heathrow	Daily
	San Francisco – London Heathrow	2x Daily
	San Jose, CA – London Heathrow	5x Weekly
	Seattle – London Heathrow	2x Daily
	Portland – London Heathrow	5x Weekly
Finnair	Los Angeles – Helsinki	3x Weekly
	Los Angeles – Stockholm	4x Weekly
	Seattle – Helsinki	3x Weekly
Iberia	Los Angeles – Barcelona	4x Weekly
	Los Angeles – Madrid	5x Weekly
	San Francisco – Barcelona	4x Weekly

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How to store liquid hydrogen for zero-emission flight

Hydrogen is critical to Airbus’ aim of developing the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035. This will require an innovative approach to fuel storage. Airbus is now designing cutting-edge liquid hydrogen tanks to facilitate a new era of sustainable aviation

Hydrogen is one of the most promising technologies to reduce aviation’s climate impact. When generated from renewable energy sources, it emits zero CO2. Significantly, it delivers approximately three times the energy per unit mass of conventional jet fuel and more than 100 times that of lithium-ion batteries. This makes it well suited to powering aircraft. 

However, storing hydrogen on-board an aircraft poses several challenges. Hydrogen may provide more energy by mass than kerosene fuel, but it delivers less energy by volume. At normal atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature, you would need approximately 3,000 litres of gaseous hydrogen to achieve the same amount of energy as one litre of kerosene fuel.

Clearly this is not feasible for aviation. One alternative would be to pressurise the hydrogen at 700 bars – an approach used in the automotive sector. In our example, this would slash the 3,000 litres to just six.

This may represent a huge improvement, but weight and volume are critical for aircraft. To go further still, we can dial down the temperature  to -253°C. That’s when hydrogen transforms itself from a gas to a liquid, increasing its energy density even more. Returning to our example, four litres of liquid hydrogen would be the equivalent of one litre of standard jet fuel. 

 

The Airbus Helicopters H145 in Tierra del Fuego

Helicópteros Marinos has been based in Tierra del Fuego in southern Argentina for more than 34 years, operating from the city of Río Grande and the TOTAL AUSTRAL operations base in Río Cullen to provide support for the production and exploration platforms of its customer, Total Energies.

Located between 10 and 50 nautical miles off the coast, the platforms of the concession zone managed by Total Energies comprise the world’s most southernmost offshore oil and gas production field.

Since 2010, Helicópteros Marinos has been providing passenger and cargo transport to the platforms using two four-bladed EC145 helicopters, which have clocked more than 13,000 flight hours. However, customer demand for greater safety, comfort, load capacity and range has prompted the company to renew its fleet.

“One of the reasons for renewing the fleet was that we needed a greater available payload. The new helicopter achieves this due to its lightweight design, offering a greater maximum take-off weight than the earlier version,” explains Marcelo Florio, CEO of Helicópteros Marinos. “Secondly, the five-bladed version provides increased power, ensuring we can keep flying safely in all flight conditions, including situations of engine failure and when operating from offshore platforms or ships.”

“In addition, the Helionix avionics suite – with its four-axis autopilot – considerably reduces crew workloads, especially in instrumental flight conditions, which are very frequent in these latitudes.

The autopilot offers the possibility of hover flight with pinpoint accuracy, allowing our second helicopter, which provides SAR support, to perform rescue winch operations in very low visibility conditions over water,” he adds.

There are no SAR services with immediate response capacity in the region where Helicópteros Marinos operates. Coupled with low water temperatures and strong winds, survival time in the event of a forced water landing is minimal. Due to these hostile conditions, TOTAL has established strict safety protocols, with one of the two aircraft devoted exclusively to SAR support while the main helicopter performs passenger and cargo transport missions to the platforms.

The ideal helicopter for complex logistical conditions

CDB Aviation Signs International Aircraft Lease Agreements for Five A320neo Aircraft with Avianca

CDB Aviation announced it has agreed on aircraft lease agreements with Colombia’s flag carrier Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. Avianca - Avianca for a fleet of five Airbus A320neo aircraft.

With deliveries from the lessor’s order book planned for 2022 and 2023, the aircraft are leased on a long-term basis and configured with three different seat types: Premium, Plus, and Economy.

“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with the longest-running airline in the Americas through a transaction that will help drive the carrier’s new strategy, with environmentally sustainable, new technology aircraft,” commented Luís da Silva, CDB Aviation Head of Commercial, Americas. “These new technology aircraft, featuring lower fuel consumption and superior operating characteristics, will advance Avianca’s commitment to the environment and position the airline for a very bright future amidst the ensuing recovery.”

Francisco Raddatz, Avianca's Vice President, Fleet, said: “We value CDB Aviation´s support and confidence in our new business model and we are happy to continue incorporating new technology aircraft that will support our network growth reducing the environmental footprint.”

CDB Aviation’s commercial team continues to expand outreach to carriers in all aviation markets, pursuing aircraft transactions through placements from its order book as well as identifying opportunities in the sale and leaseback channel.

“With the gradual easing of travel restrictions and accelerating vaccination programs across the Americas, the region’s airlines are increasingly gearing up for a recovery with more versatile fleets that can provide network flexibility, maximize capability while minimizing risk, and improving efficiency and sustainability,” underscored Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation Chief Marketing Officer.

“Our team continues to be focused on availing the carriers of the attractive financing conditions and access to the required capacity to meet a resurgence in demand,” emphasized Goodman. “We are ready and able to execute major, complex transactions in support of our customers to address their rapidly evolving requirements and position their networks for efficient recovery,” concluded Goodman.

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Aer Lingus celebrated the launch of its new Manchester - Orlando service at the weekend.

Aer Lingus, the Dublin based member airline of the International Airlines Group was in party mode at the weekend as it launched its latest route.  The firm celebrated the launch of its very first direct flight, EI 35, from Manchester Airport to Orlando, Florida.

Pictured Aer Lingus passengers with Universal Studios Shrek and Trolls characters at check-in for the Aer Lingus UK inaugural flight from Manchester Airport direct to Orlando, Florida.

Flight EI 35, operated by an A330 to Orlando is the third route launched by Aer Lingus UK as part of its new services from Manchester Airport direct to the United States and the Caribbean. Aer Lingus recently launched direct flights from Manchester to Barbados on 20th October and to New York, JFK on 1st December.

Holidaymakers wanting to visit the ‘Sunshine State’ of Florida, can choose from four weekly flights, with fares starting from £209 each way (including taxes and charges), departing each day at 11:00 every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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AF-KLM has redeemed 500 million euros of the outstanding 4 billion euros bank loan guaranteed by the French State (the “PGE”) and negotiated a revision of the redemption profile with a maturity extended from May 2023 to May 2025

Air France-KLM has redeemed 500 million euros of the outstanding 4 billion euros bank loan guaranteed by the French State (the “PGE”) and negotiated a revision of the redemption profile with a maturity extended from May 6, 2023 to May 6, 2025

Following early signs of a recovery of the worldwide air traffic, combined with an improved access to capital markets, Air France-KLM has agreed with the syndicate of the 9 banks of the PGE and the French State to redeem 500 million euros of the outstanding bank loan notional, bringing it down to 3.5 billion euros and, concomitantly, to amend its redemption profile by substituting the single repayment initially due on May 6, 2023 with a new maturity on May 6, 2025, at the latest, at Air France-KLM’s discretion, as follows:

▪ May 2023: partial redemption of 800 million euros,

which leads to an outstanding amount of 2.7 billion euros,

▪ May 2024: partial redemption of 1.35 billion euros,

which leads to an outstanding amount of 1.35 billion euros,

▪ May 2025: final redemption of 1.35 billion euros.

No more outstanding amount further.

This partial redemption combined with the now amortized redemption profile of the PGE is a new milestone on the restructuring path of the debt profile and of the balance sheet of the Group Air France-KLM, following the 1 billion euros capital increase and the conversion of a 3 billion euros French State loan into 3 perpetual bonds in April 2021, the issuances of 800 million euros dual tranches senior bonds in July 2021 as well as the EMTN (Euro Medium Term Notes) program in September and the solicited ESG rating obtained from Standard and Poor’s in October.

As previously disclosed, discussions are ongoing on further capital strengthening measures at Air France-KLM Group level. These measures could include instruments such as the issuance of equity or quasi-equity instruments, depending on market conditions.

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Delta ranked No. 1 in the annual Business Travel News Airline Survey for the 11th year in a row

Corporate travel professionals have rated Delta No. 1 in the annual Business Travel News Airline Survey for the 11th year in a row by a wide margin, citing the airline’s responsiveness to customers as well as its flexibility-minded approach throughout the pandemic and beyond.

"Delta's historic 11th consecutive Business Travel News award is because of the Delta people who go the extra mile every day for our customers,” said Steve Sear, E.V.P. – Global Sales and Distribution. “We've spent the past year working tirelessly to ensure our customers are comfortable returning to the skies. We continue to prioritize and make investments that improve and elevate the travel experience – from curb to claim – while delivering exceptional service to all of our travelers.”

The survey asks corporate travel professionals to rank airlines on range of key attributes, including customer service, distribution, and pandemic response. Delta not only led all categories – the only airline to sweep for eight consecutive years – it also built on its scores year-over-year.

Based on survey feedback, Delta’s business customers cited the following as most valued in 2021:  

Eliminating change fees, allowing free standby for same-day changes and introducing more refundable fare products.

Extending Medallion Status and key SkyMiles benefits into January 2023 to give the airline’s most loyal customers more flexibility.

Continuing to prioritize health and safety by maintaining and evolving the Delta CareStandard with the help of customer feedback and guidance from Chief Health Officer, Dr. Henry Ting. 

Increasing staffing across the operation by 8,000 people, hiring new employees in Airport Customer Service and Reservations & Customer Care, as well as pilots and flight attendants.

Mesa Air Groups financial performance

 

The U.S. regional air carrier Mesa Air Group with its headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona has released its latest results.   The firm provides scheduled passenger service to 129 cities in 39 states, the District of Columbia, the Bahamas, and Mexico as well as cargo services out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. 

As of September 30, 2021, Mesa operated under the capacity purchase agreements- CPAs and services agreements - FSA, or maintained as operational spares, a fleet of 153 aircraft with approximately 507 daily departures and 3,241 employees. As of September 30, 2021, we also leased 14 aircraft to a third party, for a total of 167 aircraft. Mesa operates all of its flights as either American Eagle, United Express, or DHL Express.

Financial Summary:

• Q4 pre-tax loss of $9.9 million, net loss of $7.5 million or $(0.21) per diluted share
• Q4 adjusted net loss¹ of $2.1 million or $(0.06) per diluted share, which excludes mark-to-market non-cash losses on investments in Archer Aviation’s equity securities

• Full-year pretax income of $22.4 million, net income of $16.6 million or $0.43 per diluted share
• Full-year adjusted net income¹ of $24.6 million, or $0.64 per diluted share

Fiscal Year Q4 Highlights:

• Invested in electric aircraft company, Heart Aerospace (“Heart”)
• Promoted Torque Zubeck to Chief Financial Officer
• Subsequent to quarter end, Mesa announced a new agreement with drone manufacturer SkyDrop (formerly Flirtey)
  

Fiscal Year Q4 Results:

Mesa’s Q4 2021 results reflect a net loss of $7.5 million, or $(0.21) per diluted share, compared to net income of $11.4 million, or $0.32 per diluted share for Q4 2020. Mesa’s Q4 2021 adjusted net loss¹ of $2.1 million was down compared to net income of $11.4 million in Q4 2020 primarily due to an increase of $9 million in heavy airframe maintenance expense, $3 million in maintenance parts and $2 million in increased pilot training expenses.

Revenue in Q4 2021 was $130.8 million, an increase of $22.8 million (21.1%) from $108.0 million for Q4 2020 primarily due to an increase in block hour volumes for its major partners. Mesa’s Q4 2021 results include, per GAAP, the recognition of $1.3 million of previously deferred revenue, versus the deferral of $7.8 million of revenue in Q4 2020. The remaining deferred revenue balance will be recognized as flights are completed over the remaining terms of the contracts.

Mesa’s Adjusted EBITDA¹ for Q4 2021 was $25.8 million, compared to $44.6 million in Q4 2020, and Adjusted EBITDAR¹ was $35.5 million for Q4 2021, compared to $54.2 million in Q4 2020.

Operationally, the Company ran a controllable completion factor of 99.1% for American and 99.8% for United during Q4 2021. This is compared to a controllable completion factor of 99.8% for American and 99.8% for United during Q4 2020. This excludes cancellations due to weather and air traffic control.

With respect to a total completion factor that includes all cancellations, Mesa reported a total completion factor of 97.3% for American and 98.1% for United during Q4 2021. This is compared to a total completion factor of 99.1% for American and 97.5% for United during Q4 2020.

Passengers concerned about increasing airfares if airport slot rules for next summer remain the same

More than half (56%) of people surveyed who are planning to fly in the next 12 months are concerned about airfares increasing if airport slot rules remain the same, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Gatwick Airport and Wizz Air. 

More than a quarter (28%) of these people surveyed also said they are concerned about a reduction in the number of destinations they can choose to fly to, and 24% are worried about a reduction in the number of airlines they can fly with, if airport slot rules remain the same.  

Airport slot rules ensure that UK consumers benefit from effective choice of destination and airline - and fair pricing - by ensuring that the aviation market is competitive. They do this by incentivising airlines to fly – and if not - trade or hand back unused airport slots so that other airlines can fly them instead, including new market entrants. 

The UK’s slot regulations were understandably suspended during the pandemic; however, Gatwick and Wizz Air are calling for them to be urgently reinstated for Summer 2022 now that passenger numbers are expected to rise significantly - following successful vaccination campaigns and the removal of many travel restrictions.  

PLAY carried 16,689 passengers in November......

The Icelandic budget airline with a wow factor, PLAY carried 16,689 passengers during November, with a load factor of 58.3%, the firm has revealed in its latest figures.  In October the airline managed to score a load factor of 67.7% however a new rise in COVID-19 cases in mid-November in Iceland and the European markets served by PLAY inevitably scaled down a highly positive trend in demand for the month. 

Changes to bookings are less than in the last wave of COVID-19 but the last weeks have seen a clear change of dynamic in the markets. Long-term bookings remain strong but short-term bookings for seasonal weekend trips slowed down which negatively affected our load factor in November. This hesitation in the markets is due to rapid changes in travel restrictions, a rising number of COVID-19 cases across Europe, and uncertainty around vaccinations and the Omicron variant.

Only October has had a higher load factor since the beginning of flight operations. Considering the challenging environment with the pandemic and the fact that November has traditionally lower demand in the aviation industry we consider the situation quite acceptable. With vaccination rates in our markets increasing, we are cautiously positive going forward but the uncertainty associated with the pandemic will remain for the foreseeable future. PLAY is well prepared to weather this uncertainty with flexible operations, a very favourable financial position with a strong cash balance, operational cost being lower than expected and no interest-bearing debt. Therefore, the company has significant strength and flexibility to continue its growth and ramp up in the ever-changing market dynamics.