An EasyJet A320 with Sharklets (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
Easyjet, London’s Gatwick-based no-frills carrier, has announced that it will cancel 1,700 flights during the summer, in response to the potential strike from Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB). It is expected 180,000 passengers could be affected, accordint to BBC.
USB is a union representing staff at Eurocontrol, which manages air traffic across Europe. The union is in dispute with management over the recruitment, management and rosters, giving a notice of a potential strike in the next six months. But USB stated the industrial action could take place with only a five-day notice.
However, Eurocontrol said there is no notice of specific industrial action and the firm dates have been received from the union, mentioning “it was making every effort to keep negotiations open and to find a constructive way forward.”
The shortage of air traffic control staff is becoming all too familiar. The union claimed Eurocontrol’s Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC), which plays a key role in navigating the aircraft across Europe, has suffered from a 25% staff shortage and called for more workers to be hired.
The European airspace is being constricted after the invasion of Ukraine last year. The potential strike could put an additional strain on the airlines. Eurocontrol recently sounded the alarm that the demand from the airlines “might get close to capacity” for air traffic control in large parts of Europe, including London, Brussels and Madrid.
Most of Affected Passengers Rescheduled
Easyjet said 95% of the affected passengers have been rescheduled. It is understood that dozens of flights to and from Gatwick were cancelled over the weekend.
“As Eurocontrol has stated, the whole industry is seeing challenging conditions this summer with more constrained airspace due to war in Ukraine resulting in unprecedented air traffic control (ATC) delays, as well as further potential ATC strike action,” A spokesperson of Easyjet said to The Guardian.
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick’s chief executive, said the strikes could be the airport’s biggest headache this summer. Last month, France’s Civil Aviation Authority demanded airlines to scale back flights to and from France. Wingate said the strike often on short notice and it could make for knock-on problems for operations in London.
Ryanair cancelled more than 900 flights across Europe in June, about 1% of its operation, as a result of the strike in France, with air traffic controllers taking 60 days of industrial action thus far in 2023.
The USB strike could be the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile, airlines across Europe could face another setback, with air traffic controllers in Italy set to walk out on July 15.
An Air Algérie 737-600 in Brussels. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
Air Algérie, in its bid to renew its fleet, had secured financing from the Fonds National d’Investissement (FNI), Algeria’s state-owned national investment fund. The financing is expected to support the acquisition of 15 new aircraft, including eight Boeing 737-9 MAX, five Airbus A330-900 NEO, and two A350-1000 aircraft, which were ordered earlier this year. The resource credit agreement was signed between the FNI and Air Algérie on July 3, marking a major milestone in the carrier’s fleet modernization strategy, reports CH-Aviation.
While the specific details of the financing arrangement have not been disclosed, this development underscores the Algerian government’s commitment to supporting the national carrier in its efforts to enhance its fleet and improve its operations.
The fleet renewal plans aim to replace older aircraft and meet the growing demand for air travel in the region. On average, the state airline’s aircraft are 15 years old, but 20 of the current 55 planes are more than 20 years old. The airline is looking to retire twelve Boeing 737-600s and -800s, which are among those over 20 years old. Four 18-year-old Airbus A330-200s will also soon need to be replaced.
Replacing Old Fleet
Four years ago, the Algerian government gave the airline the green light to purchase new aircraft. After the pandemic, the airline began obtaining offers from manufacturers.
In May, Air Algérie announced its order for eight Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft, per Airspace Africa, further solidifying its long-standing partnership with the American manufacturer. Additionally, the carrier signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for two Boeing 737-800(BCF)s, or Boeing Converted Freighters, which will support its cargo operations. The delivery of these new passenger jets is scheduled to commence in 2027, allowing Air Algérie to introduce modern and fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet.
Simultaneously, Air Algérie confirmed its firm order with Airbus for the remaining seven wide-body aircraft, including five A330-900 NEOs and two A350-1000s. The deliveries of these Airbus aircraft are planned to begin in the second half of 2025, with four expected in 2025 and the remaining three in 2026. The addition of these wide-body planes will enable Air Algérie to expand its long-haul operations and offer enhanced services to passengers.
As part of its fleet renewal strategy, Air Algérie also sought to dry-lease additional aircraft. The carrier’s requirements included four General Electric-powered A330-200/-300s, two A330-900 NEOs, two Boeing 737-900s, and two Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft. Bids for this leasing round were recently opened, marking another step in the process of augmenting the airline’s fleet.
Air Algérie has been dependent on government funds for years. Without repeated government cash injections, the airline would have gone under long ago. A former airline chief once summed up the general condition of the airline as follows: negative operating results, high levels of debt, little liquidity, overstaffing, and an inability to finance investments.
With the financing secured from the FNI, Air Algérie is on track to execute its fleet renewal plans and usher in a new era. The modernization efforts will position Air Algérie as a leading player in the region, offering a superior travel experience to its valued passengers.
Victor Shalton's love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.
Massachusetts-based Connect Airlines announced on Saturday it is struggling to complete Federal Aviation Administration certification, pushing its operations launch back by at least a month. The carrier is struggling to complete the proving flights it needs to get its full approval to launch flights.
Connect Airlines has been in and out of the news for a while. It plans to launch flights from northwestern United States cities to Toronto’s Billy Bishop International Airport on a fleet of Bombardier Dash 8 turboprop aircraft.
Connect, FAA Argue Over Airline’s Viability
Connect Airlines was initially required to begin flights this month per its FAA-issued interstate and foreign operation authorizations. Due to this road bump, though, it has sent in a request to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to extend this deadline until October 5.
“It does not appear that Connect Airlines has made satisfactory progress toward obtaining FAA authority,” the Department of Transportation wrote in response. “The FAA notified the department that the proposed airline’s proving flights were terminated. Connect Airlines must provide adequate evidence that it still meets the department’s fitness criteria and that the applicant is making satisfactory progress in obtaining the required safety authority from the FAA.”
Though the FAA issued Connect a stark judgment, the company’s Director of Public Affairs, Scott Brownrigg, told FlightGlobal that the company is still operating its proving flights and is on pace to finish the certification. Brownrigg added that the airline is working alongside the FAA as part of the certification process and is even on the verge of a final FAA review. Additional proving flights should be completed this summer.
(Photo: Connect Airlines)
“There is an error in the DOT letter, as Connect’s certification process is continuing,” he says. “We continue to work with the FAA and as part of the normal certification process. They will be doing final manual reviews very shortly.”
“All along, we have been working with the FAA to ensure we demonstrate all safety performance standards,” he added.
“Connect has diligently prosecuted its FAA application since the department issued its certificates,” an attorney representing Connect wrote in the airline’s certification extension request last month. “This process has been unusually complicated given Connect’s desire to operate interstate, flag, and supplemental services. Accordingly, Connect’s request for additional time to make its certificate effective is well founded.”
Regardless of its status with the FAA, Connect Airlines needs to finish this same certification process with Transport Canada to be able to operate flights into Canada as well. The DOT gave Connect Airlines until early August to prove it is making progress on certification, which would give the company time to get certified with Canada by September as originally required, but if the airline already has hiccups at home, it’s doubtful whether it will get certified abroad on time either.
Connect Airways’ Public Interest
The airline said that its public interest is founded in the added efficiency of turboprops, its ability to connect underserved communities, and the benefits of increased competition at Billy Bishop Airport. The company is a brand under the existing Waltzing Matilda Aviation, which operates Cessna, Bombardier, and Embraer jets around Bedford, Massachusetts.
It is unclear as to whether Connect Airways will ever expand beyond the Toronto market. The company will effectively act as an American company with an operating base in Canada if all of its flights go into and out of Toronto. While it might not have to face the hurdles of actually opening a base in Toronto, this is certainly a unique business model. Connect will likely focus on establishing itself in the Billy Bishop market before expanding onward, but it would be interesting to see the company competing in other small- and midsize markets as Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, and even Red Way do.
Other Potential Markets
Whenever Connect manages to get off the ground, there is certainly a market for it across different pockets of the United States. The last strongholds of turboprops in major American regional airlines are declining, leaving room for Connect to fill the holes that cannot use the jets that older Dash 8s are being replaced with.
If certified, Connect Airways will fill a gaping hole left by Porter Airlines. Porter currently uses Billy Bishop as its main Toronto airport, just as Southwest Airlines prioritizes Midway Airport instead of O’Hare in Chicago. However, Porter is upgrading its fleet from the Dash 8 to the Embraer E190 E2, which will make it impossible to maintain its current operation size at Billy Bishop. When Porter moves some flights to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, Connect Airlines will be able to fill the gap left by Porter quite easily.
If Connect finds the current business model successful, there are other ways to continue expansion in other similar markets. It could, for example, expand into British Columbia on the Pacific coast. With connections from American Pacific Northwest cities such as Seattle, Portland, and more, the company would once again find a niche opened by the retirement of Horizon Air’s Dash 8s.
(Photo: AirInsightGroup)
Like Porter, Horizon, which is Alaska Airlines’ wholly-owned regional subsidiary, effectively removed itself from a number of markets by eliminating the Dash 8 from its fleet. Though the airline will see benefits from better fleet continuity, Connect Airlines might have an easy time using its own Dash 8s to jump into some of the routes whose operational challenges, such as short runways and confined approaches, make jet flights difficult or impossible.
Other regional airlines do still fly turboprops in the United States. Silver Airways is well-known in the Florida region for the ATRs it uses across the southeastern United States. Empire Airlines in the Pacific Northwest uses turboprops as well, but it is primarily focused on cargo operations and lost its main passenger contract after the covid-19 pandemic hit.
Despite its current challenges, Connect Airways has big plans for the future. It currently has orders for up to 100 ATR aircraft converted to run on hydrogen fuel. The airline has a deal with Universal Hydrogen, which itself successfully flew a Bombardier Dash 8 on hydrogen in March, to convert 75 ATRs, with options for an additional 25 more. Deliveries are planned to start in 2025.
John McDermott is a commercial pilot pursuing a career in professional flight. His passion for aviation began in an Ann Arbor bookstore with a tale of enemy pilots during World War 2, and he hasn't looked back. Besides flying and writing for AirlineGeeks, John volunteers with Professional Pilots of Tomorrow and travels whenever he gets the chance.
Merlin Labs announced on July 6 that it completed 25 autonomous test flights in Alaska. The Boston-based company conducted the tests under a $1 million contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to demonstrate a highly-automated flight control system with a safety pilot onboard.
The company operated these test flights with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Everts Air Cargo. All routes originated from Fairbanks at FAA-designated Uncrewed Aircraft System Test Site and flew to Fort Yukon, Galena, Huslia, Tanana, and Prudhoe Bay.
The company claimed, “Over sixty hours of systems-on, autonomous flight time were completed with the Merlin Pilot, allowing for extensive data collection in a real-world environment with complex terrain and inclement weather. Merlin Pilot is the first autonomous system integrated into the National Airspace System.”
New Frontier
Several other companies are also in advanced stages of commercializing autonomous flight systems. Ribbit and Reliable Robotics are other leaders in the field.
Ribbit
On the same day as Merlin’s announcement, Ribbit also revealed that it had signed a $1.3M contract with Transport Canada and Innovative Solutions Canada to begin testing self-flying aircraft in remote regions. The company has completed over 200 hours of hands-free flights on a two-seat airplane.
Under this contract, the Toronto-based company will provide a single aircraft with remote crew and maintenance services to support autonomous cargo flights for one year. Transport Canada plans to use the data to inform future regulations, standards, and policies.
Reliable Robotics
Reliable Robotics’ Cessna 208 test aircraft. (Photo: Reliable Robotics)
Reliable Robotics is another U.S.-based company that works on advancing safer flying technologies for conventional aircraft. The Hollister, California-based company received its certification basis approval from the FAA in August 2022 and is working toward developing a certifiable remote-piloted flying system with a safety pilot onboard for the first development phase.
It also recently announced the completion of a series of test flights with NASA to demonstrate a high-precision, high-integrity navigation system that enables automatic landing and take-off in addition to auto taxiing.
The company also appears to be leading in commercializing its technology. Reliable Robotics has signed a deal with Azul Airlines to study retrofitting its regional airline subsidiary’s Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft fleet in Brazil with flight automation systems. While FedEx has not made any orders with the company, it provided the aircraft and publicly acknowledged its involvement in the company’s technology development.
Conclusion
Existing aircraft can already complete entire flights with little to no human input under nominal conditions. Autonomous technologies will enhance flight safety, augment flight accessibility and potentially reduce emissions. While companies like Wisk Aero are inching toward creating novel autonomous flying machines, retrofitted conventional planes will likely commercialize sooner.
However, that does not mean that self-flying machines will soon fill our sky. All these companies are currently conducting test flights in rural or remote areas, which will likely continue as they enter into services. In addition, all three focus on small cargo-carrying airplanes, which have significantly less impact should the system fail during flight. Although we are still far away from your day-to-day flights operating from gate to gate, these new technologies will undoubtedly start impacting people living in remote communities.
Fangzhong grew up near an OEM airport in northeastern China, where he developed his enthusiasm for aviation. Taking upon his passion, he's now working as an aircraft interior design engineer. Besides working in the aerospace industry, Fangzhong enjoys trying out different types of airplanes and seeing how airplane interiors have evolved. So far, he's flown on over 80 types of aircraft. He also planespots in his spare time. His rarest catches included the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and AN-225.
Finnair Posts High June Load Factor Despite Airspace Closures
Finnair, Finland’s national air carrier, carried 997,200 passengers in June, 9.9% more than in June 2022 and 3.8% more than in May 2023. These are excellent results considering that there was one day less in June than in May. The negative impact of inflation and the closure of Russian airspace, particularly towards Asia, is still evident, even though those related to the COVID-19 pandemic have virtually vanished.
Finland’s national air carrier recently shared its full-year 2023 forecasts on June 13, which showed positive profit due to the anticipated increase in travel demand surpassing previous expectations. Also, thanks to the more-favorable-than-expected fuel price trend, the Finnish airline has readjusted its forecasts, estimating that the operating result will probably reach or even exceed the 2019 level; however, even if the 2023 revenues continue, Finnair still forecasts that they might not get the pre-COVID level of 3,097.7 million euros.
During June 2023, 82% of flights reached their destination on time. Finnair’s traffic, measured by Revenue Passenger Kilometers, increased by 16.4% year-on-year, while overall capacity, measured by Available Seat Kilometers, increased by 15.1% year-on-year. Additionally, there was a 0.9% increase in the Passenger Load Factor compared to the previous year.
While domestic traffic has only slightly increased compared to last year, there has been a significant rise in Asian traffic. This is due to the reopening of the Hong Kong route in July of last year and additional capacity to Japan and South Korea. Furthermore, the route to Mumbai opened in August, contributing to the increase in traffic.
During October 2022, traffic over the North Atlantic decreased due to disruptions in operations between Stockholm and North American destinations. However, European traffic has slightly increased, while there has been a significant rise in the Middle East, thanks to the collaboration between Finnair and Qatar Airways, which started in November 2022. This partnership has led to an increase in cargo operations. With the rise in Asian capacity, cargo operations have improved compared to last year, despite the reduced North Atlantic cargo capacity due to the disrupted operations between Sweden and the United States.
Available line-tonne kilometers increased by 36.7%, and revenue per tonne-kilometer of planned cargo increased by 24.0% year-on-year, representing a 28.3% increase in total tonnes of freight.
Finnair’s goal of achieving a strategic comparable operating profit margin of at least 5% by mid-2024 has been advanced by 12-18 months due to an improved profit outlook. Although the forecasts have improved, Finland’s national air carrier’s operating environment remains uncertain due to the high fuel prices and ongoing closure of Russian airspace.
Traffic statistics for July 2023 will be published on August 8 while the outlook and guidance for the full year 2023 will be posted on July 21, in the following half-yearly report.
Vincenzo graduated in 2019 in Mechanical Engineering with an aeronautical curriculum, focusing his thesis on Human Factors in aircraft maintenance. In 2022 he pursued his master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Palermo, Italy. He combines his journalistic activities with his work as a Reliability Engineer at Zetalab.
Boarding Avelo's first ever commercial flight in Burbank. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Taylor Rains)
On Wednesday, Jun 28, Avelo Airlines made their return to BZN. A flight that I was excited to be on. My experience with the Purple clad airline is limited as I have only flown with them once before, on their airline’s inaugural in April 2021.
As a Bozeman-based writer, my trip started on the return leg from BZN and it was not off to a great start. I received my check-in email about 24 hours before the flight was due to depart and when I attempted to check in I kept getting an error message saying that my reservation was not found. Alarmed, I called Avelo’s customer service number where a prerecorded message says it will cost $20 to make a new reservation or change an existing one. I spoke with an agent named Amy who was incredibly helpful. She told me she would forward the issue to another agent who would hopefully get me checked in. A few hours passed and I was still unable to check myself in, but at about 2 o’clock in the morning, the issue was finally fixed and I could get my boarding passes printed.
A note about customer service: while I had a wonderful experience on the phone, my parents, who traveled on the inbound leg, said they had a pretty miserable experience with phone support. So pre-flight customer experience seems to be a bit hit or miss with Avelo.
Avelo is one of only Two airlines with non stop service to the LA area | Taylor Guglielmino
Celebratory Sunglasses at BZN | Taylor Guglielmino
3-3 Layout | Taylor Guglielmino
Legroom in a Standard Avelo Seat | Taylor Guglielmino
Arriving at Bozeman Airport is always a treat for me, it has grown exponentially since I was a little kid flying in and out on my way to my grandparent’s house, today however, BZN is the busiest airport in the state with seven different airlines regularly serving this destination. Avelo’s check-in desk is in between Southwest’s and JetBlue’s with one lane for bag drop and another for full service. I arrived well before the check-in desk was open, so I made my way straight through security. Avelo is operating out of gate B6, probably one of my favorite gates because of its proximity to the best coffee in the airport. At the gate Avelo had a table of Purple, Gold and Black sunglasses laid across a table for those of us traveling on this flight.
Boarding was prompt, likely due to this plane being about half full. My seat for this flight was 6F a window seat, although I did have the entire row to myself. The legroom at 6F was acceptable, but my knees touched the seat in front of me but in such a way that made my trip horribly uncomfortable. The tray tables are large and sturdy, and each row has air vents. The 737-700 we were flying on was showing its age, though, the plastic surrounding the window was quite yellow and the overhead plane looked like something from the early 2000s.
Food and Service
This is where Avelo loses some serious points. There is no food service, not even a buy-on-board option, and even for a low-cost carrier this is well below par. On a nearly three-hour flight, I would expect at least the option to purchase drinks or snacks. The flight attendant did mention at the end of the safety briefing that there is bottled water available on request, but I never saw anyone take them up on the offer. The last time I flew with this airline there were free snack bags provided with the promise of a buy-on-board menu in the future, but two years on that does not seem to have materialized. The service is hard to rate because, frankly there is not a lot for the crew to do, with no service portion of the flight I rarely saw any of the flight attendants during the entire flight.
If you would like to see the video trip report of this article click here: https://youtu.be/cdjGIlrpP4M
A United Boeing 737 rotating out of Washington Dulles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | Peter Weiland)
As a flyer one of the worst things you can hear is that your flight home has been cancelled. This happened to me, as well as thousands of other passengers, last week. I was in Los Angeles after covering Avelo’s flight to Burbank from Bozeman and as I so often do, booked my return flight on the once daily nonstop flight to Bozeman. This flight alone is the entire reason I am a United Elite. That flight has always been there, and it always leaves on time, or so I thought.
I knew the flight was being canceled about 15 minutes after checking into the H Hotel at LAX. A text message, that I normally would have ignored, followed swiftly by a push notification from the United app, “Due to operational reasons your flight to Bozeman has been canceled.” My heart sank and I immediately got on the app to see if I could rebook on to a flight to Denver and then on to Bozeman – sold out completely. I was now going to be spending two nights in Los Angeles, one completely unplanned. To make matters worse, the H Hotel was sold for the next night. I decided to use my Marriott points to book a room at the Sheraton.
The next morning, I packed my things and prepared to move to my new hotel fully expecting to be flying out the next day, I hung out for the day and ended up ordering dinner. Nothing from United so I assumed the flight would depart to Denver as planned until that unfortunate text message came through at 7 am, “Due to operational issues we have had to cancel your flight to Denver.” This message was shortly followed by a notification explaining that they had rebooked me. I’ll fully admit that I was excited, I still got to go home! Except this rebooking was for the next day and would see me fly from LAX to SAN then onto DEN and finally home to BZN. Being the tired and frustrated passenger that I was, I ended up booking the only seat available on the only available Delta Flight, every other airline was either sold out or priced outrageously. I knew Delta would get me there and I didn’t want to get stuck in either San Diego or Denver. I canceled my United booking and got home safely and on time with Delta.
Ultimately I had to spend well over $2000 on hotels, food and my additional flight purchase and the only response from United, when I submitted all the receipts to them, was that it could take up to 90 days for a reimbursement to be processed if they even deem me eligible to receive one.
I understand that many more people were stranded for much longer periods of time and may or may not have the flying experience that I do but I wanted to write this trip report because I feel it’s important for people to understand what it’s like to be stuck at the mercy of an airline that’s completely melting down internally. United’s CEO Scott Kelly has blamed both the weather and the FAA both for the shortcoming of the airline last but talking to so many employees over that four-day period of time it seems that there is a lot of work internally that needs to be done.
I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to all the United employees that worked tirelessly to help the thousands of stranded passengers last week. You all are the unsung heroes of the airline industry.
A KLM Boeing 777 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
In what will be a blow to KLM and a number of other airlines, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal has ruled that the Dutch government is allowed to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol airport. The ruling comes after a lower court had earlier pronounced a decision against the government’s plans to limit movements at one of Europe’s main hub airports.
The government had announced its intention to lower flight numbers from 500,000 to 460,000 with the intention to cap flights at 440,000 by 2024. Bloomberg News reported that the plan would equate to a 12 percent reduction in capacity at Schiphol and had been fought by airlines including Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, easyJet and airline industry organization IATA (International Air Transport Association).
According to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal’s ruling, the capacity limits at Schiphol can commence at the end of the year and be in place by October 2024. KLM is seeking clarification on how this will be achieved and the impact on its hub operation as the airline will soon be selling tickets for its Summer 2024 schedule.
KLM Responds
KLM responded with the following statement: “The court has ruled on appeal that a temporary experimental scheme would not violate the Aviation Act, provided a number of conditions are met. We are disappointed about the ruling and are studying it. The court does not specify in concrete terms how an experimental regulation can be applied. As a result, it is currently unclear when, how and in what way the ruling will be implemented and what it means for the number of aircraft movements at Schiphol…”
‘KLM will continue to engage with other stakeholders in seeking the best way to reduce the number of people affected by aircraft noise. To this end, we have submitted a plan for cleaner, quieter, more fuel-efficient flight operations on 15 June. We are convinced that these measures will enable us to reduce noise impact and CO2 emissions, while retaining our network. We would very much like to achieve this in cooperation with government and airport authorities, Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) and other stakeholders, within the framework of the balanced approach required by the EU in the context of the noise reduction targets the ministry has set,” the statement adds.
The initial ruling by a local court three months ago determined that the Dutch government had not followed ‘correct procedures’ in its attempts to lower noise around Schiphol by reducing capacity. However, the appeals court overturned the initial ruling with Reuters stating that the court found that ‘any fear by airlines of suffering serious damage as a result of the proposed measures was no reason to arrive at a different outcome.’
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.
Icelandair Set to Phase Out 757 Fleet with A321XLR Order
The Keflavik, Iceland-based carrier will build on its 39-strong fleet with this order in the coming years.
Rendering of A321 in the Icelandair livery
[Photo: Icelandair]
This past Thursday, Icelandic carrier Icelandair announced a firm order of 13 new Airbus A321XLRs and the leasing of four additional A321LRs. This order has the carrier expanding its fleet from predominantly Boeing to include Airbus, as soon as 2025.
The Keflavik, Iceland-based carrier will build on its 39-strong fleet with this order in the coming years. The airline placed a firm order for 13 A321XLRs which Airbus will deliver in 2029. In addition to the firm order, Icelandair also announced the company will be leasing four additional A321LRs to be delivered to the carrier by the summer of 2025, according to a statement released by Airbus.
Bogi Nils Bogason, CEO of Icelandair is enthusiastic about the order and the future of the company’s fleet stating “we are very pleased to announce that we have now finalized the purchase agreement with Airbus. The efficient A321XLR aircraft will further strengthen our business model, increase our flexibility and provide opportunities for future growth, as well as further support our sustainability efforts.”
A Quest for Range
While this announcement confirms the firm order of the A321s for the Keflavik-based carrier, Icelandair had announced previously Airbus aircraft would join the fleet in the future. AirlineGeeks interviewed Icelandair’s Communication Manager for North America, Michael Raucheisen, during the festivities for the airline’s inaugural flight from Detriot. In the interview, Raucheisen touched on the A321 becoming a part of the carrier’s fleet in the coming years. The carrier opted for the A321LR and XLRs for the range of 4,000nm and 4,700nm respectively. The Airbus aircraft will then be able to fly around 500nm and 1,200nm further than the 737 MAX.
An Icelandair 737 MAX 9 landing at Paine Field after a test flight. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)
The LR and XLR ranges are similar to what the Boeing 757 currently offers Icelandair, with the XLR having a slightly greater range. Thus, the A321 will be the 757 replacement for Icelandair. Raucheisen stated that the new Airbus jets will allow the carrier to “broaden [their] destinations.”
The Boeing 757
However, Raucheisen did state that the 757 will be dearly missed when the fleet is eventually retired. Raucheisen was asked what he would do with unlimited funds which included expansion across the globe but highlighted the importance of the 757 and what it has done for the carrier stating “[it] was our dreamchild, it was the perfect plane for our network and if they still made them we would still be buying them, and our friends over at Boeing know that.”
An Icelandair 757-200 (Photo: Kambui (Icelandair Boeing 757-256 TF-ISJ “Keilir”) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons(The longest route the carrier currently offers is from their Keflavik hub to Portland, Ore. The flight covers 3,248nm according to gcmap.com and takes just over eight hours according to Icelandair’s schedule. The implementation of the A321LR and XLR into the carrier’s fleet will enable Icelandair to serve new destinations previously unattainable without a tech stop, such as Los Angeles or Dubai, both of which are a further distance than the carrier’s current Portland route.
While not having disclosed any new destinations, the future is bright for the Keflavik-based carrier, which will be bringing more of the world to and through Iceland.
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.
A Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER at Washington Dulles International Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ben Suskind)
Qatar Airways has reported record revenue for the 2022-2023 fiscal year after ferrying fans to and from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The airline also saw significant increases in capacity, yields and market share, as part of their expansion.
Recently, the Qatar Airways Group reported overall revenue of 76.3 billion Qatari Riyals ($21.0 billion) for 2022-2023 fiscal year, which marked a year-over-year increase of 45 percent. The portion of that revenue derived from passenger operations increased by 100 percent, with the airline stating that it carried 31.7 million passengers throughout the fiscal year with a record load factor of 80 percent.
In addition, the company reported a net profit of 4.4 billion Qatari Riyals for the year. The Doha, Qatar-based carrier also saw an increase in its capacity of 31 percent and an increase in its yield – the average amount of revenue earned for each passenger mile or kilometer – of nine percent.
“This year’s strong financial results are attributed to the strong passenger demand recovery and the team’s ability to cater to this demand, aided by our continuing network growth, market leadership, and the operational efficiencies delivered by our world beating team,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker in a press release. “As the global travel recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we have managed to retain the high levels of trust, reliability and confidence with our customers.”
Turbulent Few Years
The past few years have undoubtedly been a turbulent time for airline performance and financials. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery have had significant impacts on the industry and each airline’s revenue and profits.
While Qatar Airways reported record revenue for the most recent fiscal year, profits actually decreased from the previous year. For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the airline saw a net profit of 5.6 billion Qatari Riyals, higher than the 4.4 billion Qatari Riyals subsequently seen in 2022-2023. In the year before, it saw record profits. The company reported a record net loss in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
The company cited numerous factors behind its recent success. The airline stated that it saw significant growth in its loyalty program, Privilege Club, as well as strong performance from its cargo division, Qatar Airways Cargo. Qatar Executive, the private charter jet division of the company, also saw significant increases in revenue and flying hours.
Perhaps most notably, Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. As the country’s flag carrier, Qatar Airways transported 1.4 million passengers to the popular event from all six continents on board approximately 14,000 flights. Given the one-time nature of this event and the post-pandemic recovery, whether or not Qatar Airways can continue breaking its profit and revenue records remains to be seen.
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.
