Icelandair Posts Profit, Record Unit Revenue for 2023

Icelandair has posted a profit of $11 million for the 2023 calendar year, a turnaround from the $6 million loss the carrier experienced in 2022.

John Flett

Monday, February 05, 2024 at 06:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Icelandair has posted a profit of $11 million for the 2023 calendar year, a turnaround from the $6 million loss the carrier experienced in 2022. Citing record unit revenue and strong revenue generation, Bogi Nils Bogason, President and Chief Executive Officer for the airline, stated: “It is an important milestone to turn a profit after taxes in 2023 following many challenging years. Revenue generation was very strong during the year with strong demand in all our markets, especially from North America to Iceland.”

The airline’s 23 percent increase in passenger revenue ($1.0476 billion in 2022, $1.2899 billion in 2023) may have been more if not for a drop in the final quarter due to several negative external factors. Volcanic activity in November was widely reported by the world’s press which in turn resulted in ‘weakened demand.’ This drop in revenue was further exacerbated by an Icelandic air traffic controller’s strike and a volcanic eruption in December, bringing about a fourth-quarter result that Bogason said was “below expectations and impacted the full-year results.”

Icelandair’s unique geographical position in the Mid-Atlantic has long been a key strategic competitive advantage. Customers continue to embrace the opportunity to stopover in Iceland as they travel between North America and Europe and vice versa. The airline’s load factor was up 2 percentage points in 2023 to 81.5 percent. Looking ahead to the summer of 2024, Bogason said the airline is “seeing a higher proportion of bookings on the via market than before.” To facilitate greater choice for customers, Icelandair will have 57 destinations on offer with Pittsburgh, Halifax, and the Faroe Islands being added to the network.

In the airline’s results presentation, Icelandair says it ‘is focused on growing capacity in a sustainable way.’ Across the airline’s domestic network and international markets in North America, Europe, and Greenland, more frequency and increased partner connectivity provide for three connecting banks of ‘via’ traffic. The airline cites seven destinations with three flights per day and 15 destinations that offer a double daily service.

To illustrate this strategy, Icelandair was able to offer passengers an additional 15,000 seats to Vancouver. New York saw a similar capacity increase, and Boston added a further 7,000 seats with passengers in both east coast destinations, benefitting from increased connectivity with day flights. The delivery of Airbus A321LR aircraft will begin later in 2024, contributing to an anticipated 11 percent increase in the airline’s schedule in 2024.

Continued Operating Challenges

Recent events in the small island nation have illustrated the challenges that the airline faces on an ongoing basis. Bogason is optimistic about the upcoming year, saying, “We are in a good position to respond to the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead with our flexibility to adapt to the situation at any given time.”

“I look forward to our endeavors in 2024 with our outstanding team of employees and I would like to thank them for their incredible resilience and great work during challenging times in 2023,” he continued

John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry. During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team who created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff balancing a mix of corporate and social content. John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. John has held the positions of course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university. In addition he is contracted as an external instructor for IATA (International Air Transport Association) and has been a member of the Heathrow Community Fund’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.

Airbus A320 Experiences Runway Excursion at Vilnius Airport

Avion Express flight X98242 from Milan Bergamo Airport in Italy to Vilnius Airport in Lithuania got involved in an incident by veering off the runway.

Filip Kopeć

Sunday, February 04, 2024 at 09:31 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Avion Express A320 (Photo: MarcelX42, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

Vilnius Airport was forced to suspend all operations for several hours on Saturday afternoon after an Avion Express Airbus A320 experienced a runway excursion on landing at around 2 p.m. local time.

The Circumstances

Avion Express flight X98242 from Milan Bergamo Airport in Italy to Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania landed on Vilnius’ runway 19. The charter flight, operated by a nine-year-old Airbus A320 registration LY-NVL, was carrying close to 180 passengers onboard along with a crew.

The aircraft veered right off the runway close to its midpoint. Instead of coming to a stop, the pilots were able to bring the machine back onto its track on the runway. This helped the airport tremendously, as the stuck-in-the-mud airplane could require an entire rescue operation with heavy machinery and an airport closure for many hours. Instead, at 5:36pm local time, planes started taking off from the airport again.

Avion Express A320 suffers a temporary runway excursion while landing at Vilnius Airport, Lithuania. pic.twitter.com/ofeFWDb3GN

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) February 4, 2024

A few flights coming to land in Vilnius before the incident dodged the bullet. AirBaltic flight BT1020 from Gran Canaria managed to land ahead of time, just before the Avion Express landing. One flight, the SAS SK1742 from Copenhagen, got diverted to Palanga Airport, another airport in Lithuania. Later flights suffered minor delays.

AvionExpress_X98242_03FEB24_Flightradar (Source: flightradar24.com)

The Aftermath

The reverse thrusts being still active during the excursion added up to the visual effects. Flying pieces of mud do not go well with the aircraft exterior though and even less so with turbofan engines. The once-white aircraft got covered in debris. Sources close to the airline noted damage to the landing gear and surrounding areas, as well as damage to the underbelly fairing. They also reported both engines ingested quite a bit of mud when the aircraft slid around on the soft ground.

The damage is an important implication for Avion Express and the owner of the plane, Zephyrus Aviation Capital. The airplane just recently changed owners, having served close to eight years with Wizzair. Event of such magnitude might require the plane to undergo serious maintenance in order to be able to fly again. The aircraft will probably undergo a C check, the type of maintenance required every 20-24 months. The real question is whether the plane had already gone through a D check while changing the owners.

Such a job is performed roughly every 8-10 years, and changing the owner was probably the perfect opportunity for that. If this particular unit already went through it, a lot of effort is wasted. The D check maintenance on a plane of the likes of Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 may be worth in the proximity of $1 million.

Filip Kopeć

A passionate aviation enthusiast that started off his career as an aerospace engineer, but found his true calling on the commercial side of the airline business. Now as a finance guy among avgeeks and an avgeek among finance guys, he has experience working in the Revenue Divisions of three airlines. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, but admittedly sometimes is more about the journey than the destination.

Livery of the Week: WestJet’s Outgoing Disney Liveries

For the past decade, travelers across North America have been treated to the sight of two distinctive Disney paint jobs from Canada’s second largest airline.

Andrew Chen

Friday, February 02, 2024 at 03:58 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

WestJet's "Disney Magic" Boeing 737-800 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is excited to launch our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.

Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line.

For the past decade, travelers across North America have been treated to the sight of two distinctive Disney paint jobs from Canada’s second-largest airline. After bringing a touch of magic to the skies since the mid-2010s, WestJet’s two Walt Disney World co-branded special liveries are being retired.

The “Disney Magic” Plane

WestJet’s “Disney Magic” special livery (Photo: WestJet)

WestJet’s first Disney-themed aircraft was unveiled on Dec. 2, 2013 and subsequently flew its inaugural flight between Calgary and Orlando – home to Walt Disney World Resort. Since then, the aircraft has been flying all throughout WestJet’s network.

The livery features Mickey Mouse dressed as the sorcerer’s apprentice from Disney’s 1940 film “Fantasia.” Sorcerer Mickey is shown on the tail of the aircraft, casting a spell of stars towards Walt Disney World’s castle at the front of the fuselage. According to the airline, the paint job took a team of 26 people working across 24 days to complete.

The Boeing 737-800 is registered as C-GWSZ and was first delivered to WestJet in February of 2010. Between 2010 and 2013, the aircraft wore another WestJet special livery – called “Care-antee” – that highlighted the airline’s commitment to service excellence.

When the “Disney Magic” livery entered service in 2013, the aircraft was configured with a single-class configuration with 174 economy class seats. WestJet put a special touch in the aircraft cabin by having headrests that featured a set of stars to mark the special plane. However, the aircraft was reconfigured with business class seats in 2015 and the decals have since been removed.

WestJet’s “Disney Magic” plane previously had special headrests, but they have since been removed (Photo: Disney)

WestJet’s Frozen-themed Plane

WestJet’s Frozen-themed special livery (Photo: BriYYZ, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

A second Disney-themed livery joined WestJet’s fleet in 2015 with the introduction of the airline’s Frozen-themed aircraft. This paint job is also on a Boeing 737-800: a 15-year-old aircraft registered as C-GWSV.

The special livery features characters from Disney’s 2013 hit animated film “Frozen”. The tail and rear of the aircraft feature the two sisters at the heart of the story – Elsa and Anna – against a dark blue backdrop. Elsa appears to be casting an icy spell towards the front of the aircraft, which transitions to a warm beachy image. Olaf the anthropomorphic snowman can be seen bathing in the sun. Like WestJet’s first Disney aircraft, the Frozen-themed livery also has Walt Disney World titles and the resort’s distinctive castle – this time in sandcastle form.

The front of WestJet’s Frozen-themed Boeing 737-800 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The paint job took 21 days of 12-hour rotations with painters working around the clock. Approximately 170 gallons of paint in 23 different colors were used, with sparkles added to the paint in some areas of the aircraft.

For the first few years of the special livery’s existence, the interior of the plane also had special Frozen-themed touches. Decals and headrest covers mirrored the cold-to-warm theme on the outside of the aircraft and each overhead bin had a unique themed decal. As is the case with the “Disney Magic” plane, these interior flourishes have since been removed.

The interior of WestJet’s Frozen-themed aircraft previously featured special decals (Photo: Disney)

Liveries To Be Retired

WestJet has confirmed that its two Walt Disney World liveries will be retired later this year. “In this case, the co-branded liveries will be updated following a natural transition in our contract agreements with Disney Parks & Resorts,” the airline said in a statement

Multiple other airlines also have livery partnerships with Disney parks. For example, Alaska Airlines has had eight Disneyland-themed special liveries since 2004, including a Star Wars livery and its latest addition to the lineup, titled “Mickey’s Toontown Express.” Meanwhile, Japan Airlines has a longstanding partnership with Tokyo Disney Resort, leading to several special liveries as well.

Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.

Andrew Chen

Andrew is a lifelong lover of aviation and travel. He has flown all over the world and is fascinated by the workings of the air travel industry. As a private pilot and glider pilot who has worked with airlines, airports and other industry stakeholders, he is always excited to share his passion for aviation with others. In addition to being a writer, he also hosts Flying Smarter, an educational travel podcast that explores the complex world of air travel to help listeners become better-informed and savvier travelers.

SkyWest Acquires Stake in Contour Airlines, Bolsters Charter Presence

The regional operator is continuing its foray into the Part 135 charter market with a recent investment in Contour Airlines.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, February 02, 2024 at 03:46 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft on final approach at O'Hare International Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | Carlos Yudica)

During a fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday, SkyWest, the U.S.’s largest regional operator, announced that it had acquired a 25% stake in Contour Airlines, a Tennessee-based Part 135 operator. The acquisition includes supplying Contour with Bombardier CRJ airframes, engines, and parts. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.

“Shifting gears, we recently completed the acquisition of a 25% stake of Contour Airlines, a small operator in the Part 135 space for $25 million,” said SkyWest President and CEO Chip Childs during the call. “This minority interest stake strategically positions us to further monetize our existing CRJ assets through an asset provisioning agreement and to establish another pipeline for pilot supply.”

Expanding into the Charter Market

Contour Airlines operates over 20 Embraer E-Jets largely to smaller communities, aligning with SkyWest’s newly launched SkyWest Charter (SWC) initiative. With the acquisition, SkyWest is looking for broader access to Contour’s infrastructure, personnel, and operational expertise in the Part 135 charter market.

A Contour Embraer E135 nicknamed “Pride of Contour” (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

“To be candid, Contour is almost exactly like SWC and what we would like to accomplish with SWC,” Childs added. “There is a lot of alignment… with what both of the carriers could do.”

Like many of its regional peers, SkyWest continues to face pilot shortage headwinds, particularly related to captain retention. While the company says this trend has improved, SkyWest executives say that the Contour acquisition will create additional opportunities to manage captain retention.

“Now, the most important part that we probably would tag on to that is we’re working very diligently with partners in creative ways in which we can produce captains faster than what we producing today. That’s the Contour investment. That’s the pilot program investment with United,” Childs continued. SkyWest recently entered into a pilot pathway agreement with United last year.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Delta Expands Winter Service to Latin America and the Caribbean

Delta announced an expansion of its winter service to Latin America and the Caribbean, offering new routes and increased frequencies.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, February 02, 2024 at 10:48 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Delta aircraft parked on the ramp in Boston. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

On Friday, Delta Air Lines announced an expansion of its winter service to Latin America and the Caribbean, offering new routes and increased frequencies to a handful of destinations. The Atlanta-based airline plans to add new service to Barbados, Puerto Plata, and Mazatlán from its U.S. hubs.

New Routes

Starting Nov. 23, 2024, Delta will add daily service from Atlanta to Barbados and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. These flights are set to be operated by the carrier’s 737-800 fleet, which is set to undergo a cabin refresh.

Additionally, Saturday-only flights from New York-JFK to Barbados begin December 21. Three-times-weekly service from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Mazatlán, Mexico also starts on December 21. These new routes will be operated by the carrier’s 737-800 aircraft.

Increased Frequencies

Joining the new route announcement, Delta is also upping its Saturday-only route from Atlanta to Curaçao to daily service starting November 23.

“Delta is establishing vital connections from Atlanta and across the U.S. that allow our customers to reach their dream vacation destinations with ease,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President of Network Planning, in a press release. “This latest schedule gives travelers unparalleled choice, with up to 1,000 weekly flights to distinctive places throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Overall, Delta will serve 50 cities in Latin America and the Caribbean this winter, with connections available from nearly 200 cities worldwide through its Atlanta, New York-JFK, and Minneapolis/St. Paul hubs. The expanded schedule features up to 1,000 weekly flights to various destinations in the region, according to the airline.

Ryan Ewing

How Aircraft Sale and Leaseback Transactions Work

Sale leaseback transactions are a tool airlines can use to help shore up liquidity and manage cash flows relatively quickly.

Hemal Gosai

Friday, February 02, 2024 at 09:20 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Spirit A320neo. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

In the world of commercial aviation, an airline may not always own all the aircraft that it flies. In some cases an airline will purchase aircraft through various financing mechanisms and other times it may lease aircraft from lessors for a fixed regular payment. In simpler terms, the carriers are effectively renting the aircraft.

There are various types of transactions that an airline can undertake when leasing aircraft such as wet and dry leasing, but for this article, we’ll be looking at the sale-leaseback transaction.

The term is relatively self-explanatory, an airline owns an aircraft which it then sells to an aircraft lessor and the aircraft lessor promptly leases it back to the airline. An airline may do this for a couple of reasons, the main one being it needs liquidity relatively quickly.

Unlocking Equity

A sale and leaseback would allow an airline to access the equity it may have had in aircraft. If the airline had initially bought an aircraft for $200 million and has made $100 million in financing payments, the equity in the aircraft is $100 million.

The airline can then attempt to sell the aircraft and use the proceeds from the sale to pay off the remaining debt and pocket the leftover cash. It would then immediately enter a leasing agreement with the lessor and continue using the same aircraft. The only difference now is that the airline no longer owns the aircraft and is now making lease payments instead of financing payments.

The catch there though is that the aircraft still needs to retain some value. If the airline is trying to sell the aircraft they acquired for $200 million with half the value still financed and can only find a buyer at $110 million, the end result isn’t entirely helpful to the airline.

Views above a crowded Pinal Airport with stored jets due to COVID-19. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ryan Ewing)

The opposite holds true as well when it comes to relatively new aircraft. If an airline acquires an aircraft and tries to sell it in a sale and leaseback transaction, it likely won’t have enough equity built up in the aircraft yet to make the transaction worthwhile.

Market values of aircraft and built-up equity need to be appropriate to make these transactions have any sort of meaningful cash release for the airline.

Another benefit of this type of transaction is that it makes managing the airline’s cash flows somewhat easier. The airline would be able to reduce some of its aircraft financing expenses and instead make lease payments. Lease payments would most likely be significantly lower than financing costs.

This is an important benefit for cash-strapped airlines and serves as a tool to raise cash quickly and reduce financing expenses at the same time.

Spirit Airlines

Some notable sale and lease buyback transactions occurred during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when airlines were struggling for cash. More recently Spirit Airlines entered into sale and leaseback transactions for 25 aircraft which netted the airline around $419 million in cash after paying off debt obligations for the aircraft.

The airline will need to get creative as losses continue and Spirit faces mounting losses and a challenging future with many doubting the airline’s ability to survive given the JetBlue merger was shot down by the courts in January. JetBlue and Spirit have filed for an expedited appeal of the ruling in an attempt to reverse the previous court’s decision blocking the merger.

Hemal Gosai

Hemal took his first flight at four years old and has been an avgeek since then. When he isn't working as an analyst he's frequently found outside watching planes fly overhead or flying in them. His favorite plane is the 747-8i which Lufthansa thankfully flies to EWR allowing for some great spotting. He firmly believes that the best way to fly between JFK and BOS is via DFW and is always willing to go for that extra elite qualifying mile. Hemal's opinions are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.

Emirates Launches New Business Class Amenities

Starting February 1, all passengers in business class will receive new inflight amenities in the form of lounge wear, slippers, and eye masks.

Hemal Gosai

Thursday, February 01, 2024 at 04:15 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Emirates 777-300ER. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

On Wednesday, Emirates announced an enhancement for its business class cabins fleet-wide. After a trial period on routes to New York and Boston, starting February 1, all passengers in business class will receive new inflight amenities in the form of loungewear, slippers, and eye masks.

The airline pitches the loungewear as a “flight fit” that can not only be used for sleeping during the flight, but also for lounging around the inflight bar and breezing through arrivals after landing. It’s important to note that the airline wants to focus on the fact that these are loungewear garments and not pajamas.

Emirates notes a difference between the two with loungewear being garments that would be appropriate to be seen in public wearing as compared to pajamas which would raise eyebrows and draw stares.

Passengers on flights nine hours or more will receive the full set of amenities: a loungewear set, slippers, and eye masks. On flights of two and a half hours or more but less than nine hours, passengers will receive slippers and eye masks.

New Emirates loungewear (Photo: Emirates)

Upcoming New Business Class Seats

This comes as the Emirates brand continues to evolve and the airline invests in the next generation of cabins and service offerings. The airline is well underway on a large retrofit project of existing airplanes adding new finishes that align better with the brand’s new image.

Both business and first class cabins have seen meal enhancements such as better curated wine lists and the expansion of dining menus with higher-quality ingredients.

This all comes as the airline is expected to launch a new business class this year. Emirates’ existing Boeing 777-300 fleet will begin a refurbishment program this summer. The refurbishment will introduce a new business class product to the aircraft with seating in a 1-2-1 configuration. While these aircraft are being refurbished, the airline will also be adding a premium economy cabin.

Emirates will also be taking delivery of its first Airbus A350 aircraft this year. The airline has 65 A350-900s on order with the first set for delivery in later 2024. These aircraft should all be delivered by 2028.

While the exact layout of these soon-to-be-delivered aircraft is unknown, it is expected that the retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft and the new Airbus A350s will both receive the new business class seats. It’s expected that the Boeing 777X aircraft the airline also has on order will have the same seats but delivery of these aircraft is unclear given Boeing’s delays finalizing the new aircraft.

Ultimately, the new business class seats will revamp the current Emirates business class product on the Boeing 777 fleet which are angle-flat seats and do not provide all seat aisle access.

Hemal Gosai

American Adds Its Longest Nonstop Route, New Destinations

American Airlines will operate for the first time to Brisbane, Australia from Dallas/Fort Worth, which is set to be the longest route in the carrier's network.

Zach Cooke

Thursday, February 01, 2024 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An American 787-9 Dreamliner. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

This Thursday, American announced multiple international routes to be launched by the Fort Worth-based carrier. Utilizing Boeing 787-9 aircraft, American will begin service to Brisbane, Australia from Dallas/Fort Worth in October of this year. This new announcement comes days after the carrier publicized its intentions to offer nonstop flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport in the coming months.

The new daily seasonal service to Brisbane will launch on October 27 this year. American’s partnership with Qantas will allow significant opportunities for customers to connect throughout Oceana.

The route will be the longest in the carrier’s network, with the distance between the city pair being a whopping 7,216 nautical miles according to gcmap. The carrier is deploying the 787-9 aircraft with an updated interior. The aircraft will have 51 new Flagship Suite seats onboard and 32 Premium Economy seats with additional economy seats. American’s current 787-9 fleet has 30 business class seats and 21 Premium Economy seats.

First announced in 2022, all new 787-9 and A321XLR aircraft will be delivered with the new seats. The carrier’s fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will begin being retrofitted this year.

A rendering of American’s new Flagship Suite premium cabin (Photo: American Airlines)

Additional International Routes

While the launch of a new city is a big announcement, the carrier isn’t stopping there, specifically on October 27. American will also launch new daily service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Rio de Janeiro utilizing Boeing 787-8 aircraft while also expanding JFK to Rio de Janeiro to daily service on the 777-200 aircraft the same day. Los Angeles to Aukland will remain a seasonal flight on the 787-9 aircraft, however will start earlier on December 5 this year.

The international short-haul network will see an expansion from Dallas/Fort Worth this summer as well. The carrier will expand service by offering twice daily flights on Saturdays to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands beginning on June 8. Another new city will be added in June as well, with American launching a route to Veracruz, Mexico from Dallas/Fort Worth on June 12.

Hawaiian Expansion

The Hawaiian Islands will see a boost in service as well. American will increase service to Kahului to twice daily from December 19 to January 6. The carrier will resume service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Kona on a seasonal basis beginning October 27.

“American is thrilled to grow our international network to give customers more ways to escape the cold next winter,” said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning in a press release. “Together with Qantas, customers can enjoy more ways to explore new destinations across one of the most comprehensive networks connecting the United States and the South Pacific.”

Zach Cooke

Zach’s love for aviation began when he was in elementary school with a flight sim and model planes. This passion for being in the air only intensified throughout high school when he earned his Private Pilot Certificate. He then attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, earning his certificates and ratings to later flight instruct and share his passion for aviation with others. He now resides in the North East living out his dream as an airline pilot.

Laser Strikes on Aircraft Hit Record High in 2023, FAA Warns of Dangers

The FAA recently reported a concerning increase in laser strikes on civilian aircraft, reaching an unprecedented peak in 2023.

Tolga Karadeniz

Thursday, February 01, 2024 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Delta 737-900ER in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

In a recent announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed a concerning escalation in the number of laser strikes directed at aircraft, reaching an unprecedented peak in 2023. This poses a significant threat to the safety of both pilots and passengers.

According to the FAA, pilots reported an alarming 13,304 laser strikes in the past year, marking a worrisome 41% increase compared to the figures recorded in 2022.

“The FAA is committed to maintaining the safest air transportation system in the world. Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground at risk,” said FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker in a statement.

Factors Fueling the Rise in Laser Incidents

The rise in reported laser strikes can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, the easy availability and affordability of laser devices contribute significantly, with these devices widely accessible in both physical stores and online platforms. The growing trend of gifting lasers also amplifies their distribution, adding to the potential for misuse.

Technological advancements play a role, with heightened power levels in lasers enabling them to reach higher altitudes and pose a more significant threat to aircraft. The increased visibility of green lasers, compared to red ones, further complicates the issue, making detection more likely and escalating potential risks, particularly in aviation settings.

A crucial factor in the rise of reported incidents is the heightened awareness among pilots. The FAA has launched extensive outreach programs to educate pilots about the dangers of laser strikes and encourage prompt reporting. This increased vigilance has resulted in a surge in reported incidents, highlighting the true scope of the problem.

The FAA’s Multi-Faceted Approach to Combating Laser Strikes

The FAA works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to pursue civil and criminal penalties against people who purposely aim a laser at an aircraft. Shining a laser at an aircraft is not just an irresponsible but a federal crime.

For each incident, offenders face penalties of up to $11,000, with repeat offenders risking even steeper fines reaching $30,800, the FAA emphasized. Additionally, they could face criminal charges from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

In addition to legal consequences, officials emphasize the importance of public awareness and education. They encourage pilots, crew members, air traffic controllers, and individuals to report any laser strikes they witness to the FAA or local law enforcement. The FAA also provides various accessible resources to educate the public about the dangers of laser strikes. Their engaging video showcases the potential consequences and a comprehensive fact sheet offers detailed information on the risks and legal repercussions.

Tolga Karadeniz

Tolga is a dedicated aviation enthusiast with years of experience in the industry. From an early age, his fascination with aviation went beyond a mere passion for travel, evolving into a deliberate exploration of the complex mechanics and engineering behind aircraft. As a writer, he aims to share insights , providing readers with a view into the complex inner workings of the aviation industry.

Avelo Launches First International Service

Avelo officially launched its first international service departing from Lansing's Capital Region International Airport (LAN).

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 11:55 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-800. (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Avelo Air)

On Jan. 27, 2024, Avelo officially launched its first international service. Departing from Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport (LAN), the new venture, undertaken in partnership with Apple Vacations, offers scheduled public charter flights and vacation packages to three popular destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico.

Passengers departing from Lansing can now choose from nonstop connections to Cancun (CUN) with three weekly flights on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) with one weekly flight on Fridays, and Punta Cana (PUJ) with two weekly flights on Sundays and Thursdays.

The ultra-low-cost start-up says this international foray marks a significant expansion and strengthens its presence in Lansing. “These three tropical destinations Avelo will operate for Apple Vacations from Lansing are the perfect debut of Avelo’s international service,” Avelo’s Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said in a press release. “We look forward to offering the same reliable and friendly experience to Apple Vacations’ Customers that we’ve been providing Avelo’s Capital Region Customers since we took flight at LAN 15 months ago. Apple Vacations’ selection of Avelo to operate their flights to these three popular destinations is a testament to positive reputation we’ve built in Michigan and across the country.”

In addition to the international destinations, Avelo currently flies from Lansing to Orlando with twice-weekly service. The airline – which began operations in April 2021 – now serves 43 destinations across its route network.

Avelo has operated private charters to international destinations in the past. However, the carrier stated that this weekend’s flight to Cancun marked its first-ever scheduled international service.

Ryan Ewing