An Air Asia India Airbus A320 landing in Bengaluru Airport.
(Wikimedia Commons- Venkat Mangudi)
AirAsia Aviation Group Limited, the holding company of Capital A’s group of airlines, today confirmed the signing of an agreement to sell its remaining stake in AirAsia India to Air India, the country’s flag carrier owned by the Tata Group, the Indian industrial conglomerate founded by Jamsetji Tata.
The decision comes amid AirAsia’s growth in other markets, where it will now seek to strengthen its business. According to the company itself, during 2022 it has already operated a total of more than 171.000 commercial flights and carried more than twenty-three million passengers. The company, which follows a low-cost business model, is based in Malaysia, but operates subsidiaries in other Southeast Asian countries and India.
“Since 2014 when we first commenced operation in India, AirAsia has built a great business in India, which is one of the world’s biggest civil aviation markets in the world”, noted Bo Lingam, CEO of Air Asia Group. He also valued the experience of working with the Tata Group (which already held a majority stake) and said: “This is not the end of our relationship, but the beginning of a new one as we explore new and exciting opportunities to collaborate and enhance our synergies moving forward”.
A change in focus
“The pandemic has allowed us to re-examine our priorities, and we felt that it was best suited for AirAsia to develop a Southeast Asia-only business”, Lingam said. There, the company maintains four major brands that have a strong presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Lingam remarked that India will continue to be an important market for the company, which will continue to market scheduled air services through its various airlines. “We will use the experience and knowledge we have gained from operating in the Indian domestic market to grow the Southeast Asia-Indian market in logistics and passenger services to a far greater extent”.
In recent weeks, the transatlantic market in Venezuela has been steadily reactivated with the resumption of operations by multiple airlines. The country will offer 12,464 seats per week in December, representing a 95 percent recovery from pre-pandemic levels.
Almost all international carriers operating to the Atlantic have resumed operations, except for Air France which maintains its suspended services from Paris (CDG). Estelar has also maintained the suspension of its services to Europe.
Currently, the European and Asian countries authorized by the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) are Spain, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, and Iran. All these nations have a non-stop connection with Venezuela.
Spain, Venezuela’s largest European market
On Sunday October 30, Iberia resumed operations between Madrid (MAD) and Caracas (CCS) with three weekly flights, increasing the number of airlines on this route to four as Plus Ultra, Air Europa and Conviasa also operate the route.
By the end of November, Plus Ultra is expected to return to seasonal service between the Venezuelan capital and Tenerife – Norte (TFN). This will be the only non-stop service between the Canary Islands and South America.
Currently, Spain is Venezuela’s main international market measured in seats per kilometers (ASK). According to data compiled by Aena Estadísticas 240,255 passengers and 2,971.9 tons of cargo and mail were mobilized in 2019 between Madrid (MAD) and Caracas (CCS). The Venezuelan capital ranked #14 of the busiest Latin American routes from Adolfo Suarez International Airport (MAD).
Major changes
As Venezuela gradually opens its borders to other countries, several airlines have increased their capacity compared to that offered prior to the pandemic. TAP Air Portugal changed equipment from Boeing 767-300ER to Airbus A330-900neo, this represents a 13.7 percent increase over 2019.
Turkish Airlines resumed daily flights to Venezuela on the Istanbul (IST) – Caracas (CCS) route, including four weekly non-stop flights and three operations a week via Havana (HAV). The company also replaced the Airbus A330-200s that previously operated the route with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, representing a 20% increase in seating capacity compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Beyond long-haul operations from the Venezuelan capital, Porlamar (PMV) is receiving international services from Moscow by leisure operator Nordwind Airlines on Boeing 777-200ERs every 15 days.
With the recent addition of Airbus A340-600s to its passenger fleet, Conviasa is offering transatlantic services to Moscow – Vnukovo (VKO) and Tehran (IKA) on a twice-a-month basis. The Venezuelan flag carrier also plans to operate several charter flights to Doha for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Two New Pacific Airways airplanes at Ontario. (Photo: New Pacific Airways)
AirlineGeeks had the opportunity to talk to the CEO of Northern Pacific Airways(NPA), Rob McKinney, after he completed the airline’s show-and-tell tour in Saipan and revealed the latest updates to the company’s terminal at Anchorage. The startup airline is planning on connecting the US and Asia via Anchorage in Spring 2023 on what the CEO describes as the ‘nicest passenger 757 in the world.’ The airline is putting the final touches on its four Boeing 757-200 airplanes at its maintenance base.
Rendering of the Boeing 757 ceiling reminiscing of the twinkly sky. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)
Route Network
Mr. McKinney discussed the startup’s latest strategy and route network aspirations. As it stands now, the startup is shelving plans for Mexico to give way for the partnership in the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The move helps Northern Pacific to refocus on the Asia Pacific region.
Asia
A Northern Pacific Airways Boeing 757 getting ready to depart on the show-and-tell tour. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)
The airline is still planning on starting Japan and South Korea service next Spring. While the company has two airplanes that have already been retrofitted with new interiors, there are still pending registration changes to put them on the airline’s operation certificate. ‘We are expecting to put that(the route) application in December. That takes anywhere between 30-45 days. Then we can take a look at when we can start selling tickets.’
However, the Russian air space closure added headwinds to the Asia service, as the plane now needs to be ETOPS certified. When asked about the company’s plan for servicing the area, it appears the company’s not only taking Icelandair’s business model but also their planes. The company hopes to launch the service through wet-lease, and Icelandair is the top runner as the provider. ‘Our preference would be a partnership with Icelandair. They’ll be the ideal partner, but they create another level of complexity because now two different countries are trying to partner together. There are some restrictions that we are working through.’
CNMI
Northern Pacific Airways plans to start Service from Saipan to Sydney, Brisbane, and Manila under Northern Marianas Airways. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)
The company is also working on a potential joint venture with a company based in CNMI, which will initially provide service from Saipan to Sydney, Brisbane, and Manila. The company expects to file for regulatory approval in the near future. ‘we are probably a couple of months out from that. If Saipan comes to fruition, it’ll probably be in late March or early April.’ Anything more final would take a little more time.
Saipan is right on the route from Australia to Japan and South Korea, so AirlineGeeks also asked if the carrier’s planning on serving those destinations. Despite having a shorter distance than traveling to Australia, Japan and Korea services will require ETOPS. Therefore they are not an option at launch, but the airline considers those destinations as a second step when it has its ETOPS certification.
The service from Saipan will be on Northern Pacific airplanes operating under the company’s 7H code. However, the planes will wear a slightly different livery where ‘Northern Marianas’ will replace ‘Northern Pacific’ on the Fuselage.
North America
The company also planned on serving Mexico from California as a stop-gap measure before the Asia Service starts. However, the company has pulled back on the effort with the latest opportunity in CNMI. ‘We are still moving forward with regulatory approvals for Mexico, so that can always be an option for us. But at the moment, it’s a better business model for us to go to Saipan than Mexico.’
The Alaska-based carrier plans to fly from Anchorage to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Orlando from the mainland. Notably, the airline will serve the LA area via Ontario International Airport(OIA). ‘Our demographic study shows that there’s a more dense Asian population close to the Ontario airport than LAX.’ On top of that, OIA is actively seeking more international services and has cheaper fees compared to the mega hub LAX.
Future Growth
The CEO also expressed interest in serving several locations in China. However, that can only happen once China opens back up. The Alaskan government had worked on initiating routes from northeastern China even before the inception of Northern Pacific Airways, which would help provide leads should the country opens back up again.
There’s also interest in serving further south to places such as Taiwan. Although, that capability will largely depend on the evolution of the CNMI partnership. Alternatively, it could happen when the company scales up to flying Airbus jets or possibly widebodies.
First look at the new terminal
Entrance of the Navigators Club at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)
Mr.McKinney also shared more details about the $6m renovating project at the airline’s future home in the North Terminal at Anchorage. The company’s renovation is almost done except for some cabinets and ceilings. Some highlights in the company’s leased area include its premium passenger lounge, the ‘Navigators Club’ and a small IMAX theater that will open to all passengers.
Food and drink area in the Navigators Club. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)Food and drink area in the Navigators Club. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)
The compass-shaped lounge logo with Northern Pacific’s bright blue color will greet passengers upon entering the lounge. The lounge features a glamouring bar area with large open spaces. When opened, it’ll provide hot and cold drinks as well as food services. It’ll also provide ample seating options for premium passengers.
A mini-IMAX theater in Northern Pacific Airways’ terminal area will play a promo video of Alaska. (Photo: Northern Pacific Airways)
The IMAX theater is a unique development aiming to attract passengers to spend a few more days on their next pass-through. The theater seats 50 people and will be playing an 8-10 minute movie on a looping basis to show people what the great state of Alaska has to offer.
Like Icelandair, the Alaska-based airline will also offer options for passengers to create a more extended layover to experience the last frontier. Since Ravn Alaska owns the startup airline, ‘It’ll be really easy for us to book the same reservation on the same code. If they(passengers) want to divert, stay here or hop on a dash 8 and see part of Alaska, it’ll be incredibly easy for them to do that.’
Final Thoughts
Like the other newly started airline, Breeze, NPA has to fight for its branding due to the recent BNSF lawsuit on the Northern Pacific name. The former changed its name from Moxee to Breeze due to an infringement with an incumbent Marriott brand. On the other hand, Mr.McKinney is optimistic that the company would prevail since the BNSF branding has not been used commercially for over 50 years.
Even though the airline suffered a few delays in inaugurating services, the delay is nothing out of the ordinary compared to almost all airlines that began services in the last two years, such as Breeze and Avelo. Securing airplanes and regulatory approvals have caused all these companies to postpone services. Nevertheless, Northern Pacific is inching closer to its first passenger flight with two completed planes and a near-finished terminal.
‘Just like any business, we have to pivot and there are bumps in the road, but we are making progress. In the grand scheme of things, I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve made to have two finished airplanes and the opportunities we have. It’s very exciting.’
Full Interview
AG: Since your latest visit was to Saipan, can you tell us what NPA’s plan for the region is?
NPA: ‘We are in talks with some folks down there, maybe creating a joint venture project. It would be headquartered in the CNMI. For flights initially to Sydney, Brisbane, and Manila. They are just talks and plans. Australia and Phillepeans are just like Korea and Japan. We couldn’t make those actual applications until we have the airplanes on our op specs, so we are probably a couple of months out from that. Anything more final would take a little more time. If Saipan comes to fruition, it’ll probably be in late March or early April.’
AG: Is the initial plan to serve only Australia and the Philippians and potentially expand to Japan and Korea in the future?
NPA: ‘Expanding to Japan and Korea would be like a second step. It requires ETOPS, so it means we have to have a partner to do those flights for us until we can acquire our own ETOPS certification.’
AG: There have been reports that Northern Marianas Airways would wet-lease airplanes from Northern Pacific Airways. Will there be more involvement beyond wet leasing?
NPA: ‘We’ll most likely be part owners of it. The actual flights will be on an airplane branded in Nothern Marianas, but they’ll look substantially alike. If you glance at them, they’ll look just like ours: same livery, just Marianas instead of Pacific on the side. It’ll be our code, it’ll still be 7H-coded tickets. Everything will be ours.’
AG: Speaking of branding, what effect does the recent BNSF lawsuit has on your branding?
NPA: ‘We are hopeful not. I can’t really talk too much yet as we are still in the initial phases. It’s a shame that it came to this. The railroad has not used that brand commercially for 52 years. And they are a freight company and we are a passenger airline. It seems unfortunate that it has come to this, but we are hopeful that we will prevail in the end.’
AG: The last question in the CNMI region, Saipan island was a fairly popular destination for Chinese tourists before the pandemic. Do you see the possibility of opening China routes if the country reopens?
NPA: ‘That depends more on China than us. We have our eyes on several places in China regardless of what transpires at CNMI. So we are just like everybody else and waiting to see when China decides to open back up.”
AG: Since your main focus is Asia connections through Anchorage, can you share some updates on that?
NPA: ‘Just like I was describing the application process, we need to have the airplanes on our certificate before we can finalize that complete application. We are expecting to put that application in December. That takes anywhere between 30-45 days. Then we can take a look at when we can start selling tickets and other things. We are still moving forward on that. It’s just that making this big of a jump is a lengthy and complicated process.’
AG: The Russian air space closure adds more headwind to that, right? How has that affected your plans?
NPA: ‘It adds complexity. Now we have to circumnavigate Russia, which requires ETOPS, so it means we have to have a partner to do those flights for us until we can acquire our own ETOP certification.”
AG:Are you working on ETOPS?
NPA: ‘yes, but you have to start flying to work on ETOPS. The request is already there, so the second we start flying the airplanes, then that’s credit towards ETOPS. But you have to be in operation before you start working on ETOPS.’
AG: You talked about needing a partner to operate those routes, so have you already identified potential partners to operate those routes?
NPA: ‘We do, we are in talks with a couple, but our preference would be a partnership with Icelandair. We have had a couple of discussions, and I’ve been to Reykjavik a couple of times. They’ll be the ideal partner, but they create another level of complexity because now two different countries are trying to partner together. There are some restrictions there as well that we are working through.’
AG: Are you still planning on launching the Mexico service in the interim?
NPA: ‘We kind of put a pause on that. We considered that before the opportunity arose from Saipan. We are still moving forward with regulatory approvals for Mexico, so that can always be an option for us. But at the moment, it’s a better business model for us to go to Saipan than Mexico.’
AG: Since your focus is still in Anchorage and you just unveiled some exciting features for your new terminal, how’s the construction going?
NPA: ‘It’s almost done. Some cabinets and ceilings are missing in the premium passenger lounge, but everything else is done. It came out really well.’
AG: How do you plan on using those spaces? How would you promote a stopover in Alaska?
NPA: ‘That is the whole point of the little IMAX theater we’ve installed. It will be for everyone, not just the premium class lounge. That’ll be playing an 8-10 minute movie on a looping basis to show people that if you are only making a connection, this is what you’ve missed. These are some of the cool things you could’ve done if you were to stay in Alaska. To attract them on the next pass-through to spend a few days.’
AG:Will passengers have any flexibility to make the change on the spot and extend their layover in Anchorage?
NPA: ‘Absolutely, especially since we are the same company as Ravn Alaska. It’ll be really easy for us to book the same reservation on the same code. If they want to divert, stay here or hop on a dash 8 and see part of Alaska, it’ll be incredibly easy for them to do that.’
AG: What US destinations do you plan on serving from Anchorage?
NPA: ‘Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando.’
AG: You’ll serve the LA Area from Ontario, why?
NPA: ‘Ontario airport has availability and they were actively seeking new international service. Our demographic study shows that there’s a more dense Asian population close to the Ontario airport than LAX. The airport cost is not even in the same league. So Ontario made a lot of sense for us.’
AG: Why is the airplane you took on the tour back in Ontario?
NPA: ‘Well Ontario airport is our maintenance base. There are always little things that can be tweaked. We still have to install the refreshed ceiling, it’ll be a dark ceiling with twinkle LED lights. I dare say we have the nicest passenger 757 in the world right now. Those are still left to go in. We are working through the FAA conformity process for the Ontario base. The other part is Ontario is a way better place to store an airplane than Alaska.’
AG: China Airlines runs a direct flight from Ontario to Taipei. Any chance you are looking to serve Taipei in the future?
NPA: ‘It depends on how Saipan goes because we can’t get to Taipei from Anchorage. We are not really looking to do Tech Stop routes because that’ll be a competitive disadvantage. Unless we connect out of a Saipan hub, probably not in the short-run until we step up to the widebodies.’
AG: Do you have any plans to upgauge to widebodies?
NPA: ‘I think that’s the natural evolution. Not right out of the gate, our five-year plan shows a scaling to 50 airplanes in seven years, but all narrowbodies.’
AG: How much life do you think you can get out of those airframes, and how do you plan on scaling to 50 airplanes?
NPA: ‘I think we have at least ten more years on these frames. Delta just announced they are extending their 757 fleets. But I’m not delusional to think that we can scale to that with the 757s, so at some, we’ll have to change over, most likely to Airbus. But as it stands right now, we want to stay in the narrowbody space, it’s better for the business model.’
AG: How many airplanes do you have now?
NPA: ‘We have four right now. Two of them are done with retrofitting except for the headliner I described. One is in C check right now and the other one is queued up to go through C check as soon as this one is done.’
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.
All Nippon Airways Posts First Profit Since The Pandemic
An All Nippon Airways 777 in Los Angeles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
After three years of the pandemic, Japan’s aviation industry is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. All Nippon Airways has posted its first profit since 2019.
The largest airline in the country has revealed a net profit of 19.54 billion yen ($132 million) for the first half of the financial year of 2022 (from April to September), compared to the same time last year, the airline posted a loss of 98.8 billion yen. The operating revenue has increased by 83.4% year-on-year and the operating expenses were limited to an increase of 38.8%.
“The perseverance and dedication of our employees is propelling ANA Group to overcome the challenging times and we look forward to seeing the continued increase as customers once again visit Japan.” Kimihiro Nakahori, Executive Vice President and Group Chief Financial Officer attributed its success to the employees.
Japan reopened its borders on Oct. 11. ANA looked forward with optimism and revised its forecast. A net profit of 40 billion yen is projected for the financial year of 2022 instead of the initial forecast of 21 billion yen. Also, the operating revenue is expected to be 1,700 billion yen. Japan is expected to be benefited from a weak yen, attracting more foreign travelers to visit the country.
“We were able to capitalize on the recovering trend.” Koji Shibata, CEO of the airline said.
In the first half of the financial year of 2022, the airline recorded five times increase year-on-year for international travel. The airline has increased its services to North America, Hawaii and Asia. However, flight services to Europe remained limited due to the invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the flight operation between Japan and China were limited because of the travel restrictions in China.
Domestic Travel Demand Surged
ANA currently operates 35% of the international travel of the pre-pandemic levels, forecasting to reach 60% of pre-covid levels by the end of the financial year of 2022. However, it could take a year longer to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Peach Aviation, All Nippon Airways’ low-cost carrier also posted the passenger volume by 2.4 times year-on-year. The no-frills airline has resumed flight operations to South Korea and Taiwan.
Japanese have started returning to the skies following the restrictions that were lifted in late March. The policy has paved the way for recovery. The airline saw a surge in travel demand for the Golden Week Holidays (From the end of April to the beginning of May) and summer holidays. The demand from business travelers was also on the rise.
By popular demand, the carrier operated additional flights during the weekends and holidays. The airline said domestic travel is expected to reach the pre-pandemic level by March, currently at 74% of 2019 levels.
Delta's new Airbus A321neo. (Photo: Delta Air Lines)
As airlines in North America are shrugging off the horrible months of the pandemic and balance sheets start looking rosier again, all the issues that had been put aside to survive the most devastating crisis commercial aviation has ever encountered are now resurfacing and calling for a solution.
On Oct. 31, the overwhelming majority of pilots at Delta Air Lines voted in favor of a strike. According to a statement from ALPA, the Air Line Pilots Association, 96 percent of pilots participated in the ballot and 99 percent of them voted to authorize a strike as a negotiation weapon in the talks about the new pay conditions for cockpit crew at the Atlanta-based carrier.
The current working conditions were negotiated in 2016 and discussions to renegotiate them were started in April 2019 before they were suspended due to the pandemic.
“Today, Delta’s nearly 15,000 pilots sent a clear message to management that we are willing to go the distance to secure a contract that reflects the value we bring to Delta Air Lines as frontline leaders and long-term stakeholders,” Capt. Jason Ambrosi, chair of the Delta Master Executive Council said. “Delta has rebounded from the pandemic and is poised to be stronger than ever, posting record revenues for the third quarter. Meanwhile, our negotiations have dragged on for too long. Our goal is to reach an agreement, not to strike. The ball is in management’s court. It’s time for the Company to get serious at the bargaining table and invest in the Delta pilots.”
Delta’s Profits Soar
A few weeks ago Delta released its quarterly report for Q3 2022 announcing a 3 percent increase in revenue over Q3 2019 for a total $12.8 billion in operating revenue. The operating income was confirmed at $1.5 billion for the quarter generating an operating margin of 11.6 percent. Net profit remains at $695 million though, considerably lower than the $1.5 billion recorded in 2019.
Forecasts for the final quarter of the year are even rosier, with operating margins expected to remain between 9 and 11 percent, but total revenue is expected to increase 5 to 9 percent over the corresponding period in 2019.
Operations will continue as normal for the time being, as rules impose the intervention of the National Mediation Board (NMB) when a strike vote is cast. Its role is to understand whether there is enough margin to reach an agreement between the parties or whether a strike is the only way forward. Furthermore, if any of the two parties reject arbitration, there needs to be a 30-day “cooling off” period before any of the parties can engage in any type of unilateral action.
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.
AirBaltic and Air France Launch flights to Morocco
An airBaltic Airbus A220 on approach into Amsterdam. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
AirBaltic now connects the Baltic countries with Africa — the world’s second-largest continent — through its first flight to Marrakesh, Morocco’s Menara Airport, operating on the morning of Oct. 31. The airline expects increased travel activity for leisure travelers between the Baltic states and Morocco with the new route now offering a great gateway to the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert — which has plenty of places of interest.
Flights between Riga, Latvia and Marrakesh, Morocco will operate twice a week and will be operated by the carrier’s flagship aircraft the Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The new route marks the airline’s official entry into the African market, bringing the total number of destinations served by the Baltic carrier to 50 destinations.
The inaugural celebration was attended by the airline and airport executives. The airline hopes this will be the first of many routes it opens to the African continent, as it continues to expand its route network offering to leisure travelers ,who will have access to more exotic destinations.
The Chief Operation Officer of airBaltic, Pauls Cālītis, shared the company’s excitement for the new route and anticipation of steady demand for the route throughout the winter.
Cālītis said, “We are excited to launch our first-ever scheduled route to Africa. Marrakesh or the so-called Pearl of the South is both an exotic and warm destination and an important center of economics, also for Latvia. Moreover, it has plenty to offer for culture lovers as well. As the leading airline in the Baltics, we continue to build our network, adding more captivating leisure destinations also for the winter season.”
Passengers looking to travel between Riga, Latvia and Marrakech, Morocco can expect the flight to take 5 hours and 30 minutes. Additionally, it will be one of the longest operated on the Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
Air France Relaunches Flights to Morocco
Meanwhile, on Oct. 30, Air France relaunched a route between Paris’ Orly Airport and Casablanca, Morocco after eight years of absence between the two airports, in addition to its departures from Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport.
The French flag carrier will now offer a daily flight between its base in Paris’ Orly airport and Casablanca, Morroco’s Mohammed V airport. The flight is operated on an Airbus A320 that can accommodate 18 passengers in Business Class and 160 in Economy. Departures are scheduled at 15:00 to arrive at 18:05 and return flights leaving Morocco at 19:05 to land at 22:05.
Air France — which had offered this route until March 2014 — is in direct competition with Royal Air Maroc, its low-cost subsidiary Transavia France and TUI Fly Belgium.
At the moment, the SkyTeam alliance airline currently offers four daily flights between Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport and Casablanca, in addition to Transavia’s daily rotation. Air France also serves Marrakech, Morocco and Rabat, Morocco from Charles De Gaulle Airport.
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.
A United 787 Dreamliner descends into Amsterdam. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
United is now the largest airline between North America and Asia-Pacific; as several countries in the region open their borders the U.S. carrier has added new destinations, resumed routes suspended in the wake of the pandemic and expanded existing services thanks to increased passenger demand.
The company has reestablished most of its operations in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan and is resuming operations to Japan and South Korea due to the progressive reopening of its borders. Despite mainland China and Hong Kong services are still largely suspended or in a much-reduced operation, United has quickly added more capacity within the rest of the region.
Landing in Queensland
Last Friday (28), United landed in Brisbane (BNE) with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner-operated service, the carrier’s third destination in Australia and the second North American carrier to offer a nonstop route to Queensland.
Recently, United partnered with Virgin Australia which allows its passengers to make domestic connections on its Australian destinations and earn enhanced mileage redemption benefits in frequent flyer programs.
Flight Itinerary
San Francisco – Brisbane Flight UA 96 SFO 23:30 – BNE 06:30+2 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Brisbane – San Francisco Flight UA 97 BNE 10:30 – SFO 06:40 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Resumption of service in Australia
United resumes two services in Australia suspended due to the pandemic, both of which last operated in March 2020. For this northern winter season, the airline will offer up to three connections to Sydney (SYD) and two from Melbourne (MEL).
The carrier resumed its longest flight on the Houston (IAH) – Sydney (SYD) service, a 13,834 kilometers and 17 hours and 35 minutes route. It is operated on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft and is the only non-stop airline connection between Texas and the South Pacific.
Flight Itinerary
Houston – Sydney Flight UA 101 IAH 21:15 – SYD 07:00+2 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Sydney – Houston Flight UA 100 SYD 10:20 – IAH 10:00 Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
From December 15 this service will increase to daily flights.
On addition to the Sydney route, the carrier has resumed operations between Los Angeles (LAX) – Melbourne (MEL), this service complements its daily service from San Francisco (SFO). Both routes are operated on Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Flight Itinerary
Los Angeles – Melbourne Flight UA 98 LAX 22:35 – MEL 08:30+2 Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Melbourne – Los Angeles Flight UA 99 MEL 10:30 – LAX 06:45 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
From December 15 this service will increase to daily flights.
More flights to New Zealand
On October 28, United also resumed daily flights between San Francisco (SFO) and Auckland (AKL), operated on Boeing 777-200ERs. This represents an 86.8% recovery of seat capacity from pre-pandemic levels.
Flight Itinerary
San Francisco – Auckland Flight UA 917 SFO 22:55 – AKL 08:10+2 daily flights.
Auckland – San Francisco Flight UA 916 AKL 14:50 – SFO 07:05 daily flights.
Back to normal in Singapore
The carrier resumed its second daily operation between San Francisco (SFO) and Singapore (SIN), fully restoring the seat capacity offered prior to the pandemic. United is the only U.S. carrier operating at Changi International Airport (SIN).
Flight Itinerary
San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN)
Flight UA 01 SFO 22:45 – SIN 07:00+2 daily flights.
Flight UA 29 SFO 11:40 – SIN 20:15+1 daily flights.
Singapore (SIN) – San Francisco (SFO)
Flight UA 02 SIN 10:15 – SFO 09:50 daily flights.
Flight UA 28 SIN 22:20 – SFO 22:20 daily flights.
All services are operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
A Cathay Pacific A350. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ben Suskind)
Starting November 1, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific will reinstate some of its routes that involve overflying Russian airspace, as reported by Bloomberg.
In doing so, the airline will resume operations over polar regions for the first time since restrictions were imposed in February following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent restriction on foreign operators flying over the world’s largest country.
Initially, the measure affected European carriers. However, airlines from South Korea and Japan then decided to avoid the airspace for operational safety reasons.
The situation forced the rescheduling of regular flight routes and, in some cases, the suspension of services. The size and location of Russian airspace makes it a critical link, especially thanks to the time savings made possible by using routes close to the Arctic Circle. For this reason, the closure particularly complicated air operations between the Far East, Europe, and North America.
Operators from China, India, Turkey, and the Middle East, however, continued to fly over Russia without major impediments.
Polar routes: less flight time and more operational efficiency
Cathay Pacific will resume using the so-called polar routes from tomorrow. Initially, it will link Hong Kong (HKG) and New York (JFK) airports in an operation that will include overflying part of the eastern sector of Russian airspace. The company cited headwinds and problems carrying the desired payload as the main reason for restoring normal routes.
Cathay Pacific explained that the decision is aimed at achieving «a safer and more efficient operation» for both its staff and customers. The use of polar routes, which require considerably less flight time, optimizes the number of passengers and total cargo carried.
Last March, the airline announced plans to divert its regular route between New York and Hong Kong. The change would include overflying the North Atlantic and then entering European airspace over Britain. The route would then continue over Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This way, the airline would avoid the usual overflight of Greenland, the Arctic Ocean, Russia and Mongolia.
At the time, Cathay Pacific joined many other Asian and European carriers that had already taken similar steps.
A British Airways Airbus A319 on approach to London's Heathrow Airport.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
The International Airlines Group (IAG) Anglo-Spanish multinational holding company formed on January 21, 2011, from the merger of the flag carriers of the United Kingdom and Spain, British Airways and Iberia, published its financial results for the third quarter of 2022 a few days ago. As of September 30, 2022, the Group had total liquidity of 13,488 million euros, including 9,260 million euros in interest-bearing deposits.
In the first nine months of 2022, IAG’s load factor reached 81.3%, increasing once again during the period, reaching 72.2% in the first quarter, 81.8% in the second quarter, and 87.0% in the third quarter, only 0.7 points lower than in the third quarter of 2019.
IAG has been successful in raising financing since the COVID-19 outbreak, having financed all aircraft deliveries in 2020 and 2021, and has continued to successfully finance aircraft in the following nine months through September 30, 2022, continuing to secure aircraft financing with long-term agreements.
Average commodity fuel prices in the nine months to September 30, 2022, were significantly higher than in the previous period, with jet fuel prices nearly doubling from the previous year.
The Group’s financial performance was affected by fluctuations in exchange rates, mainly of the U.S. dollar, euro, and pound sterling. The average exchange rate for the first nine months of 2022 saw the U.S. dollar strengthen by 10% against the euro, and 7% against the pound, compared with the average for the first nine months of 2021. The net impact of transactions and foreign exchange translation for the Group in the nine months was negative €316 million (negative €90 million in the first quarter, €106 million in the second quarter, and €120 million in the third quarter).
New aircraft ordered from Airbus and Boeing
On October 26, IAG shareholders approved the purchase of 50 Boeing 737 and 37 Airbus A320neo aircraft. These aircraft, scheduled for delivery between 2023 and 2028, will replace the current Airbus A320ceo family aircraft.
Boeing on its website announced that 50 Boeing 737-8-200s and 737-10s have been ordered, with options for a hundred more. The order had been firm since November 2021. The Boeing 737-10 is the largest model in the 737 family and can accommodate up to 230 passengers in a single-class configuration with a 3,300-mile range. The Boeing 737-8-200, on the other hand, can be configured to accommodate up to 200 passengers.
The next day, on Oct. 27, Airbus posted the news on its website that it had placed an order for 37 A320neo aircraft, following shareholder approval. The latest order follows previous agreements for 22 A320neo Families (17 A320neo, 5 A321neo) announced in March and June 2022, bringing the year’s total to 59 aircraft.
The two Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families have the latest technologies. The 737 has the latest generation CFM International LEAP-1B engines offering the highest efficiency ever achieved on a Boeing 737. Airbus A320neo aircraft as well have next-generation engines and Sharklets on board, a solution that provides fuel savings of at least 20%. As stated by Airbus itself, with more than 8,500 orders from more than 130 customers, the A320neo Family is the world’s most popular aircraft.
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.
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Intl. from above (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Houston, Texas-based Avelo Airlines has had quite a history, they were originally founded in 1987 as Casino Express Airlines, in 2005 as Xtra Airways, and finally in April of 2021 under its current name Avelo Airlines. Under the leadership of CEO Andrew Levy, they have expanded past their original route network along the west coast and have a substantial network in the eastern portion of the United States.
They opened a second base in New Haven, Conn., and the third base in Orlando, with a fourth, planned in Ft Meyers but has been postponed due to hurricane damage. With its newly opened Orlando base, the airline has expanded into many new destinations, one of which is Kalamazoo, Mich., the topic of this article.
Flights between Kalamazoo and Orlando Intl. will operate twice a week, Mondays and Fridays, with flights arriving at the small Michigan airport late in the evenings around 8 P.M. with a departure back to Florida occurring around 9 P.M. However, during the carrier’s first two weeks in Kalamazoo, the departures are scheduled to occur at 4 P.M., giving those on the inaugural some wonderful daylight scenery en route to Florida.
This Avelo Air flight to Kalamazoo is also Avelo’s first scheduled nonstop flight to anywhere in the state of Michigan, with Lansing, Mich. starting later the same day and having roughly the same schedule. These are also the first scheduled flights to Florida from Kalamazoo since 2012 when DirectAir went bankrupt, the carrier who previously operated this sector.
Days Prior
The week prior to the flight I got a reminder email from the airline, which isn’t unheard of in the industry, making sure passengers actually take their flight as some people forget especially if they book them many months prior. As Avelo is an Ultra Low-Cost Carrier or ‘ULCC’ for short, they also charge for items like seat selection, and carry-on bags, among other things. So in addition to the reminder, they also prompted me to add customization to my trip, as I was only traveling with a backpack and had already selected my seat I skipped this option.
My flight reminder one week before my Avelo flight (Screenshot: Joey Gerardi | AirlineGeeks)
The day before the flight I decided to check in online 24 hours prior to the flight and got a concerning message.
‘Please see an Avelo Airlines check-in agent’, I got worried as to what this could mean, but I tried to check in about 5-hours later and I managed to get a mobile boarding pass which I then put into my wallet on my phone. It must be a temporary glitch on the airline’s website preventing me from checking in, had I not tried to check-in again hours later or not been a seasoned traveler it might cause a bit of panic.
My message during my first check-in attempt (Screenshot: Joey Gerardi | AirlineGeeks)
During my second check-in attempt, I was able to add my TSA PreCheck number to my reservation, as Avelo has joined the PreCheck program since they started operations in April of 2021. While PreCheck won’t be a big deal at the smaller airport like Kalamazoo, it will surely help at the larger airports they fly to like Orlando.
My mobile boarding pass (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
During check-in, they also gave you one last chance to add-on services such as carry-on bags, during the online check-in process they gave you the option to change to any seat you wanted to at no additional charge. That itself was an interesting feature given during booking, seats in the front and back of the cabin had a $47 price difference, but if you wait until check-in they are all free. I choose seat 25A, which cost $15 but I could’ve moved myself up to 1A, a $59 seat, at no additional cost, something to keep in mind when flying the carrier.
I decided to keep myself in 25A, that way I could get shots of the rear of the wing and the flaps. In addition, when flying south at sunset the sun will be on the right side of the plane, meaning I would save myself and my camera from being blinded by the excessive sunlight. Once the flight departure moves back to 9 P.M. the sun will already be down so either side is fine.
Day of the Flight
On the day of my flight, I got to the airport way earlier than I needed to so I could experience the first day of the airline to the fullest, arriving over three hours before the departure time.
Normally Avelo flights will come in and leave within the hour, but on the first day of operations the ground time for the aircraft was over 2.5-hours, this gave the ground crew and agents time to learn and train on the aircraft and the computer systems as well as time to work on any bugs the system might have at a new location. This was because the day of the inaugural was the first time most of them have ever worked for an actual live Avelo flight outside of some training, and they all did a good job of it working the system with no major issues.
The Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Intl. Airport terminal (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Once I walked in there was already a feeling of excitement from the airport and airline employees as preparations were underway for the party the airport was putting on. I went up to the Avelo desk which had a group of people around it, mostly employees of the airline or the company handling their ground handling in Kalamazoo. Boarding passes are free to print at the counter, but they wouldn’t do it until two hours before the flight so I had some time to walk around. The Avelo counter in Kalamazoo is located between American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, where United Airlines used to be located before they pulled out of Kalamazoo in January of 2022.
The check-in desks at the airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
I then went up to look at the very lonely departure board at the airport, prior to the pandemic the airport saw at least 12-daily flights from three different airlines. Now, outside of Avelo’s twice weekly flights, the airport now only sees four flights a day on two airlines; two on Delta to Detroit, and two on American to Chicago O’Hare, each of which is on small 50-seat regional jets. Kalamazoo definitely fits Avelo’s target market, small underserved airports that have lost service.
The departure board at the airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Upstairs near the security checkpoint, the party set up was underway with the airport director and his team setting up balloons, decorations, and putting goodies out for the passengers. Items ranged from playing cards to drawstring bags, all of which had the airport logo on them, and of course, being an AvGeek I helped myself to some of the items.
The goodie table at the inaugural party (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
While set up was happening, around 12 people with instruments showed up who turned out to be members of the Vicksburg High School band. The airport invited them to come in and play for the inaugural party as well as when the first passengers were coming off the flight. It wasn’t long before band music filled the entirety of the small terminal, from the counters and rental car counters to the greeting area upstairs near security.
Vicksburg High School Band warming up for the inaugural party (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
By this time, the inbound aircraft was about ten minutes out, so I went outside to the ramp with an airport employee to get pictures of the water cannon salute. When we got outside there was something interesting waiting on the taxiway, two Western Michigan University or ‘WMU’ Cirrus SR20’s sitting on the taxiway. WMU is a large university located in Kalamazoo that has a flight school, and it turned out that two of their aircraft would be leading in the first Avelo arrival.
Two Western Michigan University SR20’s waiting to lead in the first Avelo flight (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
It wasn’t long before the plane landed, N7837A, 2003 built Boeing 737-700 that belonged to Aeromexico and Southwest before coming to Avelo in June of 2022. The aircraft got a traditional water cannon salute upon taxiing in, led by the two Cirrus SR20’s mentioned above.
Avelo Air’s first flight to Kalamazoo taxiing in (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
After the aircraft taxied in, I headed inside to see the festivities when the first passengers came off. Since I went outside, DiscoverKalamazoo had set up a table for the arriving passengers. They handed out magnets and Kazoos to people coming off of the Avelo flight. They had also cut the two large cakes that they got for the party, both of which were impressive and I managed to get a picture of them before they were cut.
The two cakes the airport got for the inaugural party (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
The first passengers off the Avelo flight came out and the band started playing and the party began. Everyone was talking with each other and hanging out, eating cake, getting pictures, or just sitting. This was a nice environment and probably one of the biggest inaugural celebrations that I have had the pleasure of partaking in. Of course, I got the AvGeeky photo in front of the balloons and signs which a fellow passenger was happy to take for me.
Me, in front of the balloons and signs at the Avelo inaugural (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Shortly after that the crew off the Avelo flight came to join the party, they also got a photo in front of the decorations along with some of the airport staff members.
The Avelo Aircrew and members of airport staff at the inaugural party (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Once the band had stopped playing I headed downstairs to the check-in area to get my printed boarding pass, which looked similar to the mobile boarding pass except the paper pass was in black and white. The PreCheck logo was located at the top next to the airline logo.
At this point, I decided to head through security which didn’t take more than five minutes, as it’s a small airport and I have TSA PreCheck. The gate they use in Kalamazoo is gate 5, the closest gate to the security checkpoint. The gate area isn’t the largest, but the seating area combined with nearby gate 4 has plenty of seats for passengers even if there is a full plane.
Gate 5 at the airport, Avelo’s gate (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
By this time they had moved all of the balloons and most of the decorations to the gate area and a couple of small speeches started. First by the airport director, followed by Avelo’s head of marketing, and finally, someone who sat on the Kalamazoo airport board. Right after that was a ribbon cutting, and luckily I was able to snag a part of the ribbon, which was a real treat.
Ribbon cutting for the Avelo inaugural in Kalamazoo (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Boarding started 30-minutes before the departure time, and all 94 passengers got on, a good number considering its the first flight and its the middle of the week. The airport director mentioned that the second flight, which would occur two days later, was almost full. Another unique feature of these small airports, I could see my car in the parking lot from my seat on the plane while we were at the gate.
Looking towards the parking lot from my seat on the plane (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
We then pushed back from the gate two minutes ahead of schedule at 4:38 P.M. My seat, 25A had two windows due to the alignment of the seats. Passengers on the left side of the plane got a perfect view of the terminal below as we took to the skies out of Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Intl. from above (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
We quickly climbed up to our cruise altitude of 39,000 feet and began to make our way down to Orlando. As this is an Ultra Low-Cost Carrier or ULCC for short, you need to plan on bringing something to do for the over two-hour flight as there is no in-flight entertainment system, no WiFi, and once the flight departure switches to 9P.M., not even any daylight to see stuff out the window.
Climbing up to our cruising altitude (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
I spent most of my time during the flight either looking out of the window or watching my seatmate play games on her phone. At one point during the flight, the person in the aisle and me were watching the person in the middle play games, it was pretty entertaining and she seemed to enjoy the audience.
At our cruising altitude of 39,000 feet (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
In terms of the seat, it was comfortable enough although I wouldn’t want to sit in it for more than a couple of hours. There was a button on the armrest for reclining but it was disabled on all of the seats. No outlets are expected, so if your device loses power quickly and you plan on using it the entire flight you’ll have to bring an external charger for it. Leg room was decent for a ULCC, and wasn’t much less than regular full-service airlines such as Delta, and this is even with a backpack at my feet.
Without the outlets, there was no bulky box under the seats which made more room for a slightly larger bag under the seat. The tray table was much larger than I expected and could fit a small laptop unlike the tables on other ULCC, which usually are only the size of a smartphone. The cabin was ‘Southwest-esq’, and the seat colors reminded me of a Southwest plane, although they probably added more seats since the plane now belongs to a ULCC.
The cabin of the plane from my seat (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
As we went further south I realized something, they didn’t do service, at all for the entire flight. The same flight attendant walked to the front of the cabin and stayed there for around 30-minutes, then went to the back and stayed there for 30-minutes, and that pattern repeated throughout the entire flight. Being it’s a ULCC, I understand that they didn’t have snacks and drinks like a full-service airline, but I was surprised they didn’t try to sell passengers anything like similar ULCCs like Frontier or Allegiant. So it would also be a smart idea to have a refillable water bottle and some snacks packed in your bag if you think you’ll get hungry.
The closer we got to Florida, the further up the wing the shadow went meaning the sun was setting further. With this came some wonderfully colored skies, pink blues and yellows that made the sky look more like a painting than real life.
The sun setting en route to Florida (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
We then began our descent into Florida as the sun set further and the sky turned a dark purple. The pilots came on and told us about the weather in Orlando and the flight attendants came around to collect garbage.
The skies turned dark purple as we began our descent (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
As we got closer to the ground the lights began to turn on as we went into nighttime, the purple winglet went nicely with the gray clouds and the setting sun.
On approach to Orlando Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
We touched down at Orlando Intl. at exactly 7 P.M., after two hours and 11-minutes of flying time from Kalamazoo.
Just after arriving at Orlando Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
After landing we then taxied to and parked at Southwest’s gate area, only fitting as the aircraft we were on was a former Southwest aircraft and has most likely been there in its past operator’s life.
Thoughts
The service was definitely convenient going from a small local airport to a major leisure destination like Orlando and it beats having to connect once or even twice at an intermediate hub for hours. Despite being a ULCC, I was surprised they didn’t have any service as I know people who have been on flights with the airline before and every person I’ve talked to said they gave out at least a small water bottle, especially on inaugural flights.
The inaugural party in Kalamazoo (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
I am overjoyed with the massive celebration and party the Kalamazoo Airport put on before departure and for the arrival into Kalamazoo and they did a great job with its setup and execution. I am disappointed that the airline itself didn’t do anything on board as they have for past inaugural flights of theirs. Also, a little disappointed Orlando didn’t do anything for the first arrival, although for them it wasn’t a huge deal as it was just another city they served among the hundreds they already fly to. Everything celebration-wise in Kalamazoo was arranged and set up by the airport, nothing was the airline except for the short speech the marketing director gave before boarding and the short minute-long announcement the pilot made on board.
The lead-in by the two WMU Cirrus SR20’s was a unique touch as the university has such a huge influence in the Kalamazoo area. I’m glad the airline doesn’t charge for boarding pass printing as they are a nice memento for any AvGeek, especially anyone on an inaugural flight. Despite it being the first flight and the ground crew still training, everything went smoothly in Kalamazoo and the flight arrived early and departed on time.
Avelo Air was a new airline for me, and I would definitely fly on them again if I needed to as it was simple, easy, and it got me there. This was the second inaugural flight out of four that I will be on before the year is over, and I hope the others are as much fun as this one, and hopefully even more.
A video account of this trip report can be found below.
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.
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