Las Vegas To Break Passenger Record, Nears Maximum Capacity

Thursday, February 09, 2023 at 06:00 AM ET

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An Air Canada Rouge 767 in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

In the next few days, Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport is going to release the final passenger figures for 2022, and it is expected that the total number of travelers that passed through the main Nevada airport will be the highest in its history.

Passenger numbers had peaked in 2019 at 51,537,638 before seeing a sharp drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions to travel that eventually led to many casino resorts on the Strip to shut down for a few months. But after a 57% drop in 2020, the traffic rebounded and the figures for 2022 are expected to be close to 53 million, Clark County Department of Aviation Director Rosemary Vassiliadis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“Las Vegas has rebounded faster than any other airport in the country, said Joel Van Over, Senior Director for consultancy company Ailevon Pacific, during a presentation to the Board of Directors. “During 2022 three extra airlines have started flights to the airport, adding 310,000 annual seats.”

There are 36 new markets that have seen the activation of a new non-stop connection to Las Vegas during the past year — 17 of which are domestic.

Capacity Limit To Be Reached by 2030

Long-term forecasts are notoriously tricky, especially in aviation, but if the current trend continues it is expected that the airport will hit its maximum theoretical capacity of between 63 and 65 million passengers per year around 2030.

“In having our consultants work on all of that, we know if everything goes perfectly, with our rate of sustainable growth, we feel that we’re going to start getting hit with delays on the airfield by the end of 2029 or maybe by 2030,” Vassiliadis told the Review-Journal. “Unfortunately, it means painful years for airlines and that we need a second commercial airport.”

“It is a problem that most airports will be envious of”, said Oliver Lamb, managing director at Ailevon Pacific. But problems are still problems and solutions will have to be found quickly.

The short-term solution needs to be found in making better use of the existing facilities: the airport needs to incentivize airlines to fly at off-peak times when the airport is less congested, but that is not always easy as airlines are striving to optimize their schedule and fly to their hubs to maximize connections.

Another strategy is to privilege airlines that serve Las Vegas as a destination instead of encouraging connections at Harry Reid International, but there are already carriers basing aircraft and crews in Las Vegas. The airport could also structure its charges to favor the usage of larger aircraft, like other constrained airports have done in the past, to optimize Nevada’s airspace and increase the number of passengers per movement. Already in February 2023, there will be 10% more seats available at the airport with an increase of only 1% in the number of flights, and this is thanks to the use of larger aircraft by operating carriers.

This strategy would also increase the likelihood that private aviation traffic will start using other facilities, like the Henderson Executive Airport, freeing up space at Harry Reid, although its executive terminal located just a few miles away from the heart of the Strip is too big an attraction for well-heeled customers wanting to live it up in Las Vegas.

Plans For New Airport

The long-term solution to this capacity problem is the construction of a new airport, the so-called Southern Nevada Supplementary Airport (SNSA). Due to be located between the villages of Jean, N.V. and Primm, N.V. in the Ivanpah Valley, this new airport is planned to be built approximately 30 miles south of the current airport, following a project that had already been approved in 2000, with its completion date initially projected for 2017.

However, the drop in traffic caused by the 2008-2009 recession convinced Clark County to put the project temporarily on hold. Currently, the project is going through a very long phase to asses its environmental impact, and the County does not expect it will be possible to have the new structure operational before 2037. This would leave a period of 6-7 years that will see Harry Reid operate at capacity or above, with crowded terminals, chronic delays, and unhappy airlines and passengers.

Vanni Gibertini

Vanni fell in love with commercial aviation during his undergraduate studies in Statistics at the University of Bologna, when he prepared his thesis on the effects of deregulation on the U.S. and European aviation markets. Then he pursued his passion further by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University in the U.K. followed by holding several management positions at various start-up carriers in Europe (Jet2, SkyEurope, Silverjet). After moving to Canada, he was Business Development Manager for IATA for nine years before turning to his other passion: sports writing.

The Slow, Steady Upward Trend of Regional Airlines in India

Devaansh Dhoot

Tuesday, February 07, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Parker Davis

An IndiGo A320 in Mumbai. (Photo: Sean D. Silva via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Airbus_A320-232,_IndiGo_Airlines_JP7457952.jpg)

IndiaOne Air has commenced operations from Kolkata, India to connect Jamshedpur and Bhubhaneshwar via two domestic routes. It is a regional airline based in the western Indian state of Gujarat. However, its operations are focused on the eastern part of the country.

The primary objective of the airline is to cater to Tier II and III cities of the country. Regular destinations are Bhubhaneshwar, Visakhapatnam, Jamshedpur, Jeypore and the metropolitan city of Kolkata.

What distinguishes the airline is that it is the first and only scheduled single-engine operator in India. The small airline has a fleet of 2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX with another one on order. The seating capacity of each plane is nine.

The unique feature about this airline is the fact that there has been no shortage of regional airlines in the country, with most of them going belly up.

The extension of services of the airline is testament to the fact that there is justifiable demand to cater to such smaller cities as the standard of living and the disposable income has increased. Additionally, there is an ongoing trend of businesspeople and professionals having to travel to state capitals.

Additionally, there have been significant enthusiasm and steps taken by the national government in order to bolster regional air connectivity and to stimulate economic growth. To a certain, such policies were successful as the government were providing subsidies to airlines to operate on several low demand routes in order at least kickstart some demand. It did work somewhat at certain select locations and routes only.

LCCs like SpiceJet and IndiGo were also involved in this initiative by the Government of India. Even if their aircraft flew partly empty, airlines still continued to operate as long as they continued to receive subsidies.

Other regional airlines in the country at the moment include Alliance Air, FlyBig and Star Air.

Alliance Air is an airline owned by the Government. Operating a fleet of ATR 42-600, ATR 72-600 and a singular Dornier 228. It has 75 destinations across the country.

FlyBig is a fairly new airline, which commenced flights in December 2020 with an aim to provide connectivity to Tier II cities. It has an active fleet of three ATR 72-500/600s with 10 DHC Twin Otters on order.

Star Air is the second most established regional airline in the country after Alliance Air, serving 17 domestic destinations with a fleet of three active Embraer ERJ 145LR with 4 Embraer 175 on order. The airline has had a steady and consistent growth since its first flight in January 2019.

India has a strong presence of domestic and international airlines, its regional connectivity is also developing, slowly but surely. At this pace, India will continue seeing the boom and growth in its aviation sector, and not just from domestic and international flights, but also from regional activities.

Devaansh Dhoot

Etihad Cargo, Astral Aviation Strengthen Ties, Expand African Network

Victor Shalton

Tuesday, February 07, 2023 at 06:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Parker Davis

Photo provided by Alec Mollenhauer

Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Astral Aviation to expand the partnership between the two parties and enhance cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Nairobi.

The agreement demonstrates Etihad Cargo’s commitment to expanding its global network and providing increased cargo capacity to its customers in the African market.

As part of the agreement, Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation will share up to 50% of all available capacity on additional flights between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi. This expansion of the partnership will further enhance Etihad Cargo’s capabilities in the African market and offer its customers additional cargo capacity out of Nairobi via the introduction of new services from Nairobi to Etihad Cargo’s hub in Abu Dhabi starting April 1, 2023.

Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation first joined forces in 2021, when the carrier signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Astral Aviation to provide reliable and cost-effective air freight solutions for the transportation of pharmaceuticals across Africa. This latest MoU builds on that agreement and further strengthens the relationship between the two companies.

Etihad Cargo’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Cargo, Martin Drew, said the MoU demonstrates both companies’ commitment to joint network development and providing a comprehensive solution to international cargo transportation between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi. He added that the partnership will enable Etihad Cargo to expand its African network and offer increased cargo capacity both into and out of Nairobi, strengthening the connection between the two cities and further developing this critical African gateway.

Astral Aviation CEO, Sanjeev Gadhia, agrees ad he expressed his company’s honor at entering into the MoU with Etihad Cargo, saying it was a part of their strategy to expand their network globally and enhance accessibility and connectivity via Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub. He added that the cooperation would create new opportunities for both companies’ clients and would be a win-win partnership.

Through the MoU, Astral Aviation will operate more flights to Abu Dhabi, supported by Etihad Cargo, and the two companies will share available capacity on the new Nairobi-Abu Dhabi-Nairobi flights, increasing the capacity offered to air cargo and air mail customers. Etihad Cargo will utilize its expansive road feeder service network to transport cargo from Nairobi to destinations throughout the UAE and other offline stations.

The partnership between Etihad Cargo and Astral Aviation is a significant step in expanding the presence of both companies in the African market and providing more comprehensive solutions for international cargo transportation. The agreement will offer increased cargo capacity, enhanced connectivity, and new opportunities for both companies and their clients.

Victor Shalton

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.

Norwegian Set to Lease Additional Aircraft After Promising January Performance

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

Monday, February 06, 2023 at 09:36 PM ET

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AirlineGeeks.com Staff

A Norwegian 737-800 arriving in the snow (Photo: Norwegian)

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, known simply as ‘Norwegian,’ a Norwegian low-cost airline that operates both domestically and internationally, began 2023 with a strong sales campaign, carrying around 1.1 million (1,131,474) passengers and also recording an increase in load factor. January is generally the month of the year when people travel the least, but compared to January 2022 there was a 78% increase in load factor. People typically use this time of year to book their next trips during the school holiday period and long weekends, but this month saw almost a full load of flights to the ‘hottest’ destinations by the Norwegian airline.

Capacity (ASK) was 1.870 million seat kilometers, while actual passenger traffic (RPK) was 1.453 million seat kilometers. In January, Norwegian operated an average of 62 aircraft and 99.5% of scheduled flights were completed. Punctuality, as measured by the number of flights departing within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, was 85.0% in January.

The low-cost airline also observed a positive booking trend after the January period. This year’s summer program includes 300 routes to 114 destinations, including some new ones. With an expanded route network and new aircraft, Norwegian continues to recruit new colleagues.

Last week the Norwegian aviation sector was marked by the bankruptcy of Flyr, a low-cost airline based at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, like Norwegian itself.

Norwegian’s CEO, Geir Karlsen, said he was very supportive of the employees, customers and others affected by Flyr’s bankruptcy, inviting employees to apply for jobs at Norwegian.

Norwegian, as a result of the very positive result in January, decided to lease six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. On Monday, it signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Air Lease Corporation (ALC) for the lease of six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which are in addition to the three 737 MAX 8s that Norwegian had previously agreed to lease from ALC and one of which has already been delivered to Norwegian.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is approximately 14% more fuel efficient than the previous generation aircraft, contributing to Norwegian’s ambitious goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 45% by 2030. The aircraft will be delivered to Norwegian in short order, ahead of the 2023 summer season.

Norwegian had already reached an agreement on May 30, 2022 to commit to the purchase of 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The agreement also included options for a further 30 aircraft.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA reached an agreement in principle with Boeing for a new commitment to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The 50 aircraft were to be delivered between 2025 and 2028.

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

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.

Bristol Airport Expansion Remains Uncertain

Pete Ainsley

Monday, February 06, 2023 at 03:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Parker Davis

Bristol Airport

United Kingdom’s Bristol Airport is facing a challenge again after the High Court gave a green light to an expansion. The original project was banned in 2020 by North Somerset Council which could increase annual passenger capacity to 12 million from 10 million and handle up to 10,420 extra flights. Bristol could attract more international destinations as a result. However, Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) vowed to appeal the High Court’s decision.

Bristol Airport said the expansion would meet the travel demand for South West England in the future. The project includes to expand the terminal, build a multi-story car park and improve the public transport. Earlier, Bristol has started its redevelopment of its departure lounge.

The airport said 800 new jobs will be hired at the airport and up to a further 5,000 jobs will be created across the region, with a focus on the most deprived areas. The expansion could bring an estimated 430 million pounds to the economy of the South West of England and South Wales. In addition, the customers living in the region could avoid going to London airports for traveling abroad.

Bristol Airport handled nearly nine million passengers in 2019 and the airport has seen a speedy recovery after the pandemic. According to Civil Aviation Authority, from Dec 2021 to Nov 2022, it handled 7.7 million passengers. The airport mainly provides the flights to Europe and domestic service.

BANN said the expansion could fall short of protecting the environment and believes “this shows a total disregard for the climate emergency we are in.” However, the airport mentioned that it will meet the target of net zero carbon operation by 2030.

Swiss Touches Down at Bristol

Bristol Airport is determined to develop and expand its route map. Last Saturday, Bristol has welcomed Swiss International Air Lines’ maiden flight from Zurich.

Bristol is Swiss’s the eighth destination in the U.K. and the carrier will operate a weekly flight in the first phase. The airline will increase its frequencies and as of June it will operate three weekly flights.

“This is an incredibly exciting day for Bristol Airport and the region. Swiss is a major global airline and this decision shows confidence in the region. The regular service between Bristol and Switzerland opens up a wide range of European and worldwide connections to our customers.” Shaun Browne, Head of Airline Relation of the airline said.

“Our new Bristol services offers convenient schedules between Bristol and Switzerland’s financial centre and as easy access to our global network of over 110 destinations.” Heinrich Lange, Senior Director Sales Northern Europe Lufthansa Group Airlines said.

The airline will operate with Airbus A220 and the Embraer E190 aircraft of wet-lease partner Helvetic Airways.

Pete Ainsley

Endeavor Air Winds Down Detroit CRJ-200 Operations

Joey Gerardi

Sunday, February 05, 2023 at 02:44 AM ET

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Parker Davis

A Delta Connection CRJ-200 in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Airlines around the world change their schedules constantly, and that’s nothing new. But over the last couple of months, Delta has had a considerable amount of shift in its schedule, most of which includes moving away from its smaller 50-seat CRJ-200 in favor of larger and much more reliable CRJ-700s and CRJ-900s. Endeavor Air, Delta’s wholly owned subsidiary, is slowly winding down its operations with the current smallest plane in Delta’s fleet, the almost unanimously hated CRJ-200.

Back in November of 2022, AirlineGeeks reported that Delta was shifting focus away from its Detroit hub in favor of other hubs, by ending nine routes to small cities more than half of which were not so coincidently operating on the ill-fated CRJ-200. As of the time this article was written, Endeavor Air only has 17 active CRJ-200s in service, a number which continues to go down every week as they fly more of them to Kingman, Ariz. for retirement in the desert.

A Delta Connection CRJ-200 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Endeavor has already ended all CRJ-200 flying from its Minneapolis/St. Paul hub and only five destinations still see the Endeavor Air-operated CRJ-200s out of Detroit-Metro. The cities that still see Endeavor Air CRJ-200s on routes out of Detroit include, Saginaw, Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Marquette all of which are located in Michigan, as well as Chattanooga in Tennessee. All of these cities are scheduled to see their last scheduled Delta CRJ-200 flights on March 8, 2023, according to Delta’s website.

Endeavor Air operated CRJ-200 flights out of Detroit (Photo: GreatCircleMapper)

This will also signal the closing of the Endeavor CRJ-200 base in Detroit, and Atlanta will become the only hub that will still have Endeavor CRJ-200s regularly scheduled from it. Come March 9, all the Endeavor CRJ-200 routes out of Detroit will be upgraded to either CRJ-700s or CRJ-900s and will continue to see the flights all operated by Endeavor. This will be a big capacity boost for these small cities as Saginaw and Lansing will go from 100 daily seats up to 152, Marquette will go from 50 to 76 as they only see one flight a day, and Kalamazoo will go from 100 to 138 daily seats, and Chattanooga will have their Detroit seat number go from 50 up to 76.

Chattanooga also sees 6-8 daily flights to Atlanta on a mix of Boeing 717s, A319s, and CRJ-900s, unlike the other cities mentioned in this article which only see flights from Detroit. Flights from Detroit to Lansing, Saginaw, Marquette, and Chattanooga will all be operated on the CRJ-900, but the flights to Kalamazoo will be operated on the CRJ-700 due to an aircraft noise restriction in the city.

A Delta Connection CRJ-200 in Lansing (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

Endeavor Air will continue to operate the CRJ-200 to a number of small cities out of Atlanta for the time being. In addition, SkyWest still operates flights on board CRJ-200s out of Detroit, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City to a hand full of Essential Air Service communities where SkyWest holds contracts. While it isn’t a massive deal for those that don’t fly to these small communities, it does signal the beginning of the end for one of the most almost unanimously hated commercial aircraft in the skies today.

If you still have a burning desire to fly on this aircraft type, a large number of them operate still operate under the United Express brand and American is even un-retiring the CRJ-200 this spring. All flight and schedule data was pulled directly from Delta’s website and could be changed without notice.

Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.

Icelandair to Announce Future Aircraft Fleet Strategy

John Flett

Friday, February 03, 2023 at 08:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

Icelandair 757-200 "Grábrók" (TF-FIY) at Akureyri International Airport, Iceland. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | John Flett)

Icelandair is close to announcing the airline’s fleet strategy, as it looks to a future without the iconic Boeing 757 aircraft. The Icelandic carrier currently has thirteen 757s in the operation of both the -200 and -300 variants that the airline cites as giving long range and versatility ‘making them ideal for U.S. West Coast and Canada operations’. The Boeing 757-200 aircraft has a total passenger capacity of 184 in a two-class configuration, while the ‘stretched’ -300 variant accommodates 225 passengers.

Icelandair’s current international fleet consists of widebody Boeing 767-300ERs and narrowbody 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft servicing the airline’s network alongside the 757s. The all-Boeing nature of Icelandair’s international fleet is currently ‘perfectly suited to serve Icelandair’s route network’, according to the airline’s online fleet description.

Speaking to the media last week at the airline’s Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow event in Reykjavik, chief executive officer Bogi Nils Bogason discussed Icelandair’s future fleet strategy. Icelandair has recovered well post-pandemic, and in 2021, the airline merged international and domestic operations with Air Iceland Connect. Mr. Bogason said the airline has seen success with the launch of services to Raleigh-Durham, N.C. and will commence operations to Tel Aviv, Israel in May. He also stated that the airline had been supported well during the pandemic leading to the creation of a diverse group of shareholders.

Icelandair’s fleet makeup has been one of the key factors in the success of the airline’s round-trip stopover strategy through the Keflavik, Iceland hub. Passengers from Europe and North America are able to break up their journey and remain in the country for up to seven days. Bogason advised that the 757s would continue to operate in the passenger network until 2025/2026 and that the executive team was weighing up two options when it comes to replacing the aircraft type.

Given that Boeing last year sidelined plans to launch a new midsize airplane program, Bogason said that one option for Icelandair would be to increase the number of 737 MAX aircraft in the fleet and eventually replace the 767-300ER with 787 Dreamliners. This option would retain the all-Boeing nature of the fleet’s composition and retain the simplicity of dealing with a single manufacturer that some airlines maintain for cost-saving and other benefits.

However, according to Bogason, Icelandair is also considering a second option that could introduce Airbus A321LR and Airbus A321XLR aircraft into the international fleet. Though this option would lead to a mix of both manufacturer’s aircraft on the network Mr. Bogason said that this could be for a period of 5-10 years before a possible full replacement of Airbus aircraft.

The future fleet strategy will be announced “within months” and will have an impact on all areas of the airline’s business from a commercial and operational perspective. At the media event, several Icelandair executives including Tómas Ingason (Chief Revenue Officer), Sylvía Kristín Ólafsdóttir (Chief Customer Officer), Jens Bjarnason (Chief Operating Officer), Gísli Brynjólfsson (Global Marketing Director) and Ásdís Ýr Pétursdóttir (Director Communications and Sustainability) were in attendance.

During discussions on the future fleet strategy, it was mentioned that any expansion of Icelandair’s network would be considered within the range of existing aircraft. Icelandair’s 767-300ER has a flight range of up to 4,900 miles and according to Airbus, the A321XLR can reach ‘up to 4,700 nautical miles (nm) in a comfortable two-class layout’ with the Boeing Dreamliners having a maximum range of 6330 nm for the 787-10 up to 7305 nm and 7565 nm for the 787-8 and B787-9. However, the maximum range touted by the manufacturers may be somewhat curtailed by ‘hot and high’ operations to airports such as Denver International Airport, a part of Icelandair’s network.

Other areas of discussion at the event included Icelandair’s alliance strategy with Mr. Ingason saying that Icelandair would be looking to build on the relationships it currently has with North American partners JetBlue and Alaska Airlines and European airlines such as SAS and Finnair. Icelandair has no plans to join one of the three major global strategic alliances, but Mr. Ingason said the airline is instead “exploring opportunities.”

The question of lie-flat beds being introduced into the airline’s Saga Premium business class product was raised. However, the executives were clear that the current level of the hard product fits well with the airline’s route network and flight times. To conclude, Mr. Bogason acknowledged the challenge of Icelandair’s operating environment however it was clear from the last year that people “want to travel.” With Q3 2022 recording record passenger revenue, load factor and high unit revenue the airline’s upcoming annual results should validate this.

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.

Opinion: FLYR’s Bankruptcy Should Send A Signal To Low-Cost Startups That It Is Finally Time to Stop

Ezra Gollan

Thursday, February 02, 2023 at 06:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Parker Davis

Flyr's Boeing 737-800 (Photo: Flyr)

Norwegian ultra-low-cost startup carrier FLYR announced it had plans to file for bankruptcy on Tuesday following failed efforts to raise the cash needed to continue operations.

The carrier had been operating for roughly a year and a half, offering services out of a base in Oslo to both business and leisure destinations throughout Europe.

Unfortunately though, as has been seen around the globe with low-cost carrier startups, money is tight and more often than not, they scuffle until they can scuffle no longer. The company released a statement saying that “The board’s decision is unanimous and is due to the fact that there is no longer a realistic opportunity to achieve a solution for the short-term liquidity situation.” The airline had been searching in recent months for solutions with announcements in early November that there was potentially light at the end of the tunnel.

Norwegian Roots

FLYR’s higher up circle seemed to carry a common theme that is also very present at new point-to-point long haul startup Norse: many had some experience working at Norwegian Air International during its disastrous long haul days. Nothing sets up a startup for financial success quite like hiring a myriad of accountants and executives from an airline that made itself into what was one of many victims of the low-cost startup market in Europe.

FLYR also released reports in December saying load factor numbers looked promising at 77% for the low season though it hoped to increase those numbers going forward. Load factors for the 2022 year however sat at a measly 74%, far too low for any airline, especially a low cost one operating on a finite money line to sustain. It is one thing for a subsidiary of a large European carrier to struggle financially. It is another for an airline backed by little more than some less than confident investors.

The reasons for low optimism didn’t stop at load factors either. A new CEO in Brede Huser was appointed at the end of November as Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid, FLYR’s then CEO, made the decision to step down. You cannot blame Frislid for having little interest in being at the helm of the airline’s downfall though from a morale standpoint, it is hard for things to look worse. Huser, a former Norwegian Air Shuttle executive, could likely do little to save the carrier from what is now bankruptcy.

FLYR operated a fleet of 12 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft during its existence employing 450 individuals at bases in Oslo and at airports around Europe. It is obviously a sad day for the airlines employees who will now be in search of new work in the industry but this is another casualty in the market that should signal the end of the low-cost startup.

Ezra Gollan

Ezra Gollan is a student, photographer and aviation enthusiast based in New York, New York. He has spent over half a decade around New York City’s airports as a photographer.

Boeing Delivers Last Ever 747 to Atlas Air

Fangzhong Guo

Wednesday, February 01, 2023 at 08:46 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

The last Boeing 747 ever built taking off on its delivery flight. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)

On Jan. 31, 2023, Boeing delivered the last Boeing 747 ever built to its owner, Atlas Air. The delivery marks an end to the iconic jet’s 54-year production run at Boeing’s Everett factory, with a total of 1,574 units built. It also marks a real end to an era in aviation regarded by many to be one of the most thrilling.

The final jet is a 747-8 Freighter, registration N863GT. Although the plane represents an important pivotal moment in aviation history, it did not receive much appreciation from its new owner. To the disappointment of the aviation community, the aircraft came out of the paint shop without any reference to its significance or history. Boeing later applied a decal marked Joe Sutter, also known as the father of the 747, to commemorate the moment.

While the delivery meant the shutdown of the 747 production line, it won’t be the last new 747s being delivered. That honor will go to the pair of VC-25s, currently undergoing retrofit to become the future Air Force One presidential aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.

A special decal honoring Joe Sutter, the father of the 747, appears on the nose of the final 747. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)

Delivery Event

The delivery event was an emotional fair. The aerospace giant invited key customers, factory workers, and retirees who worked the 747. In addition, there were also members from the Boeing family and Sutter family to commemorate their forefather’s involvement in this iconic machine.

The event opened up with flag bearers carrying flags of all past and present 747 operators into the podium. The flags stretch from one end to the other in the 300ft wide 747 bay, signifying how many airline customers have flown the iconic jet. Notably, at the center of the stage were Pan Am and Atlas flags, the first and the last customer of the iconic 747. Charles Trippe, the grandson of Pan Am’s founder Juan Trippe, bore the Pan Am logo. At the same time, the Chief Pilot of Atlas’s 747 fleet carried the freight company’s logo.

Flags of past and present 747 operators stretch through the 747 final assembly bay. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)

Airline customers and suppliers are also invited on stage to share monumental moments of their involvement in the 747 program. UPS also took the chance to announce a special decal that will appear on the company’s last 747, delivered a year ago. The manufacturer also invited celebrity pilot John Travolta. “I had to be here in person. As a pilot, I know how great this plane is to fly,” said Travolta, who is licensed to fly the 707, 737, and 747 models.

After taking a trip down memory lane, it was time to deliver the last queen to its new owner. “It is fitting to deliver this final 747-8 Freighter to the largest operator of the 747, Atlas Air, where the ‘Queen’ will continue to inspire and empower innovation in air cargo. We are honored to continue our long history of flying this iconic aircraft for our customers around the world,” said John Dietrich, president, and chief executive officer, of Atlas Air Worldwide.

Atlas Air’s flight plan for the final 747 delivery flight. (Photo: Atlas Air)

Stars of the Show

The main star of the show was, of course, the last 747 ever built. It was revealed through the hangar door and received the attention of everyone attending the event. Everyone, from customers to employees, raced to the stage to take one last photo with the last 747. It was also sentimental to see the hangar door closing after the event, as if the curtain was closing on the 747 glorious production era.

Employees and guests taking pictures of the final 747. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)

However, there were many other stars at the event. The Incredibles, these pioneers were construction workers, mechanics, engineers, secretaries, and administrators. They made aviation history by building the 747 – the largest commercial airplane in the world – in less than 28 months during the late 1960s. They had the chance to share their stories and memorabilia on the 747.

Retired Boeing worker Scott Tompkins sharing stories about his work on the first 747’s passenger payload systems. He was one of the ‘Incredibles’ attending the event. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)

History

The 747 is a four-engined jet aircraft with an iconic second deck in front. Nicknamed the Queen of the Skies, the 747- 100 made its first test flight on February 9, 1969. It was the first airplane with two aisles and marked the first commercial use of the high bypass turbofan engine. It allowed more people to fly farther, faster and more affordable than ever before.

First conceived in the 1960s for Pan-Am, the jet was created in the backdrops of commercial jet transportation, gaining enormous popularity following the Boeing 707. In addition to designing the plane to be larger and more efficient, Boeing also made the 747 adaptable to carry freight in case supersonic jets replace subsonic jets. This design choice moved the cockpit above the main deck, which led to the hump in front. It’s also the critical factor that the 747 family lasted more than half a century.

After a few iterations of the family jet, and several decades of technology advancements, large twin jets have become safer and more efficient, leaving the jumbo jet unpopular among passenger airlines. The latest generation, the 747-8i, only has three airline operators besides a few VIP configurations. However, the raised cockpit design made it popular among cargo operators. It’s one of the few freighter planes capable of carrying oversized freights. The cargo version outsold the passenger version by 59 of the 153 produced.

The last 747 departs with a water canon salute (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

Future of the Everett Factory

Once built for the iconic jumbo jet, the Boeing Everett factory was once the sole home for all its twin-aisle airplanes. However, little is left in the world’s largest building by volume. The Virginia-based company moved all 787 productions to its Charleston, South Carolina factory. The 767 program is producing three planes per month with sunsetting in sight. The popular 777 family’s successor, 777X, is running on limited production until it can deliver the aircraft in at least 2025.

With the exit of 747, the company is sitting on many real estates without a way to generate cash flow. On January 30, 2023, one day before the final 747 delivery, the manufacturer announced that it was adding a 4th 737 production line in the now vacant 787 production space. The latest final assembly will boost the 737 production rate by 25%. In the meantime, the rest of the building will serve as a modification center for reworking the 787s. The rework is expected to extend into late 2024.

Fangzhong Guo

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.

Norwegian Low-Cost Airline Flyr Declares Bankruptcy

Vanni Gibertini

Wednesday, February 01, 2023 at 11:22 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Parker Davis

Flyr Boeing 737-82R landing at Nice Airport (Photo | Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Eric Salard)

After only 19 months of operations, Norwegian low-cost airline Flyr has been forced to suspend all its operations and plans to file for bankruptcy.

“Flyr was unsuccessful with the new financial plan and the board concluded on Tuesday evening that there are no alternatives for further operation. The company will file for bankruptcy on Wednesday morning”, says the airline’s website, specifying that “all flights are now canceled and will not be rescheduled”.

The carrier was founded in 2020 by a group of 30 investors led by Erik Braathens, a former director of Norwegian carrier Braathens SAFE that subsequently merged with Scandinavian Airlines in 2004 after 57 years of operations. The name of the airline is the verb “to fly” in Norwegian, and that represents simplicity, one of the main values of the airline.

The first flight took place on June 30, 2021 from Oslo Gardenmoer to Tromso, in the north of the country. Flyr was planning on focusing on the Norwegian domestic market, at the time served by the incumbent Scandinavian Airlines and struggling low-cost airline Norwegian that was going through financial difficulties exacerbated by all the travel restrictions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

They started operating with three Boeing 737-800 aircraft to which they subsequently added some leased Boeing 737 MAX. As of January 2023 the airline had an all-Boeing fleet of 12 aircraft, six 737-800s and six 737-8 MAX, all configured with 189 economy class seats.

After a summer 2022 season during which Flyr’s network expanded to include 35 destinations in 14 European countries, the airline decided to drastically reduce its network during the winter in order to save cash.

In January the Board of Directors announced that an attempt to secure funding for 330 million Norwegian Crowns ($33.27 million) had failed, Reuters reports. Then, on Jan. 31, the decision to cease trading and declare bankruptcy less than two years after their maiden flight.

A Large, But Sparse Country

The ruggedness of its territory and its sheer size and configuration make air transportation essential in Norway. However, in a country with slightly more than 5 million people scattered on a territory almost the size of California and with the distance between its southernmost town (Kristiansand) and its northernmost islands (Svalbard) being roughly the same as the distance between New York and Houston, it is easy to run into overcapacity problems when a new competitor tries to enter the market.

In addition to that, with the world still reeling from the demand shock caused by the pandemic and the lingering restrictions that delayed Flyr’s first flight until the very last day of the second quarter in 2021, cash flow proved insufficient to get through the second winter and eventually proved, once again, that in the airline business cash is king.

Vanni Gibertini