Inside the Jewel at Singapore Changi Airport looking at the famous Rain Vortex. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)
Singapore’s aviation sector is like no other in Asia, and its Changi Airport has seen the sign of rebounding after two years of the pandemic. The Asian vibrant hub announced that it had handled 7.33 million passengers in the second quarter (from April to June) of 2022. It comes after Singapore Airlines revealed its big surge in passenger numbers in the first quarter of 2022-23.
The latest figures for the second quarter of the year have shown 43.6% of 2019 and a traffic 14 times higher than the same time last year. The performance of the American market was remarkably good during the second quarter, the passenger traffic to and from American cities has exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 7.13%. This is attributed to the additional flights to Canada since last December. Other markets such as Europe, Oceania, and South Asia also have seen a recovery, reaching over 60% of 2019 traffic levels.
However, airfreight movements have reached 469,000 tonnes, dropping by 1.4% on a year-on-year basis.
“We are encouraged by the steady increase in passenger traffic as it is a sign that we are getting back on the trajectory of growth toward pre-pandemic levels.” Ching-Kiat Lim, Changi Airport Group’s Managing Director for Air Hub Development said.
Changi revealed it had handled 2.93 million passengers in June, posting 50.3% of pre-pandemic levels. Comparing this figure to those reported by neighboring airports, we can see that Kuala Lumpur recorded traffic at 30% of 2019 levels, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at 35%.
Singaporean government’s policies have been paving the way for its rebound, the aviation sector has seen a gradual recovery since 2022. Since the country reopened its border on Apr. 1 Changi has welcomed three new airlines, including Thailand’s Thai Vietjet, Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways, and South Korea’s low-cost carrier T’way. According to Changi, 85 airlines operate over 4,400 weekly scheduled flights as of Jul. 1.
Terminal Four Reopens
After reopening Terminal Two, as a result of the surge in travel demand, Changi has announced its Terminal Four will resume its operation on Sep. 13 after two years hiatus. The airport forecasts Terminal Four can meet the increasing demand and support airlines to launch more flights. Changi announced some airlines will move to Terminal Four: Cathay Pacific and Korean Air will move on Sep.13, becoming the first two airlines to move to the newly-reopened terminal. However, the airport’s new terminal scheme is not for everyone.
According to local media, Jetstar Asia, the no-frills carrier, has “no intention of moving” to Terminal Four due to its code-sharing arrangement with other carriers. Jetstar is currently operating at Terminal One which provides better connectivity and the carrier believes the relocation will impact on its passengers, staff and operations. Changi said the Jetstar is scheduled to move on Oct. 25.
A Delta Connection CRJ-200 in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has made it through the pandemic without starting a single tag route. Other airlines such as United, American, Alaska, and others combined destinations into a single flight to save costs during the pandemic due to severely light passenger loads. SkyWest under the United Express banner combined many smaller EAS communities into a single flight routing this past spring when the airline began to struggle with the pilot shortage. A tag flight is when an aircraft makes a stop in the first city and continues to the next.
For example; United added a tag routing that started in Chicago O’Hare and went to Clarksburg, W.V. then Johnstown, Penn. and finally going onto Washington Dulles. This would use a single plane and crew from start to finish instead of using two different crews and aircraft going to Johnstown and Clarksburg separately. Up until this point, these tag flights with SkyWest have been entirely on the United Express side and Delta Connection has managed to avoid using them, but that will change come September.
The new Delta tag flights will occur in the Midwest from either the carriers Detroit Metro or Minneapolis/St. Paul hub. Cities that will be affected include Pellston (PLN), Alpena (APN), Sault Ste. Marie (CIU), Iron Mountain (IMT), and Escanaba (ESC) all of which are in Michigan; Brainerd (BRD) and Bemidji (BJI) located in Minnesota, and Rhinelander (RHI) in Wisconsin. All of the non-hub destinations that are being affected also happen to be Essential Air Service cities.
A Delta Connection CRJ-200 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
An interesting fact is that due to these all being EAS communities, the carrier that holds the contract and operates these flights, SkyWest, is supposed to file a proposal to alter air service with the Department of Transportation and then they have to approve it. This proposal has yet to be seen on regulations.gov which is the public website to which all of the EAS documents are posted, despite these new tag flights being scheduled to begin in just over a month.
Current Service Communities Receive
Until the change occurs in September, these are the current service offerings for the communities that will eventually be affected:
Alpena and Pellston both receive two daily nonstop flights to Detroit Metro on most days of the week.
Sault Ste. Marie receives one daily nonstop from Detroit which arrives around 11 P.M. and departs in the early morning, as well as one daily nonstop to Minneapolis/St. Paul that occurs in the late afternoon around 4 P.M.
Escanaba receives one daily nonstop from each Detroit and Minneapolis. Detroit departure is early morning and the Minneapolis departure is around 4 P.M. you can connect through this community going west from Detroit to Minneapolis on the same aircraft
Iron Mountain also receives one daily flight from both Detroit and Minneapolis. The Detroit departure is around 5:30 P.M. and the Minneapolis departure is around 11 A.M. due to the timing of the flight, you can connect in this community in either direction between Detroit and Minneapolis. This community you may recognize as I did connect here last fall, the trip report of which can be found HERE.
Rhinelander, Wis. Brainerd, Minn., and Bemidji, Minn. all receive two daily nonstop flights to Minneapolis.
The current service to the eight EAS communities (Screenshot: GreatCircleMapper)
The Service Changes
Each of the eight EAS communities listed will either be losing or gaining something as far as service goes, whether it’s a frequency or destination. All of the following changes will occur starting September 12, 2022, have no end date specified, and are operated onboard SkyWest CRJ-200s.
Brainerd and Bemidji, Minnesota
Brainerd will be the only city that has no obvious effect from these changes, they will still receive two daily nonstop flights to Minneapolis on most days of the week. The only change is the first flight of the day will now depart just over an hour later, leaving at 7:15 A.M. instead of 6:10 A.M.
Bemidji will be losing one of their nonstop flights going down to just a single nonstop in the evenings. They will have a second flight in the early morning, but it will depart two hours earlier than it currently occurs at, and will occur at 6 A.M., and will have an intermediate stop in Brainerd on the way to Minneapolis, this also means the late night arrival into Bemidji will stop at Brainerd first. If someone wishes to they can book a flight solely between Bemidji and Brainerd in the mornings, but the late flight between the two small communities isn’t bookable.
The bookable flight on Delta.com between Bemidji and Brainerd (Screenshot: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Rhinelander, Wisconsin and Iron Mountain, Michigan
This is where it gets interesting, Rhinelander will still have one daily nonstop from Minneapolis but they will also be gaining one-stop same plane service to the Detroit hub with an intermediate stop in Iron Mountain. This does come at the disadvantage of Iron Mountain as it will be losing the one daily nonstop flight to Minneapolis, which will now make an intermediate stop in Rhinelander first.
Here is the flight schedule for the two communities.
Rhinelander and Iron Mountain (AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Another interesting point to note is that the flight between Rhinelander and Iron Mountain will become the shortest flight in Delta’s entire network, coming in a 67-miles. This will overtake the current record holder Lansing to Detroit, which sits at 74-miles. Unlike the two communities in Minnesota, you can book a flight in either direction between the two communities if you want to fly on the airlines shortest flight.
Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Another case of one wins and one looses, Alpena will loose one of its daily nonstop flights to Detroit but they will gain one-stop same plane service to Minneapolis with an intermediate stop through Sault Ste. Marie which is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Meanwhile Sault Ste. Marie already has one nonstop a day to each Detroit and Minneapolis, but the Detroit flight will now be converted into a one-stop flight through Alpena.
Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie (AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Just like the previous two, you can book the short hop between the two EAS communities in either direction
The bookable flight on Delta.com between Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie (Screenshot: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Escanaba and Pellston, Michigan
The final two cities have a very similar flight schedule and path as Alpena/Sault Ste. Marie with planes for both tag routes in the air at the same time. As was the same case with the previous two, one of these communities is located in Michigan’s lower peninsula and one is in the Upper Peninsula. Pellston will be losing one of its nonstop flights to Detroit, but in exchange, it will be gaining one-stop same-plane service to Minneapolis with a stop in Escanaba. Escanaba, however, will be losing its nonstop link to Detroit and the plane will now be making a stop in Pellston, but will retain its one nonstop flight to Minneapolis.
Escanaba and Pellston (AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
And just like all of the other tags with the exception of Brainerd/Bemidji, you can book the flight just between Pellston and Escanaba on the carrier’s website.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier. all flights will be flown on CRJ-200s that are operated by SkyWest. All schedules and flights mentioned in this article are subject to change especially since the carrier has yet to file a proposal to have alternate service offerings with all of the communities mentioned being in the EAS program. These eight cities are the only ones appearing to have tag flights so far on the airline’s schedule, but this article will be updated if more to pop up for the Sept. 12 start date with Delta Connection.
While flights between the communities is definitely a fun trip, another AvGeek aspect of this could be the desire to fly between the two Delta hubs connecting in two communities along the way.
The service changes come Sept. 12, 2022 (Screenshot: GreatCircleMapper)
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.
Dash Air Shuttle's Cessna 402's in Port Angeles, Wash. (Photo: Dash Air Shuttle)
Dash Air Shuttle announced on July 27, 2022, that the company would be delaying the launch of flights due to a DOT complaint filed by Kenmore Air. The company announced its inaugural date less than a month ago from the latest delay.
The Tukwila, Wash-based company has suspended ticket sales and would refund all previously-purchased tickets. In the meantime, the airline is urging community members to comment on DOT’s website. So far, the docket has received more than 200 overwhelmingly supportive comments in Dash’s favor.
The complaint
Kenmore Air’s complaint is mainly around two points.
Financial Fitness
The first is that the newly founded airline is not fit for providing commuter air services under DOT regulations. While Dash likely achieved all necessary safety certificates from FAA for starting service, Kenmore is focusing on financial fitness. The complaint suggests that the company lacks economy fitness approval from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.
The fitness in question seems to be Commuter Air Carrier authority according to 49 USC 41102 and 14 CFR 201. The regulation dictates that an operator operates “small aircraft” and carries passengers on at least five round-trip flights per week on at least one route to acquire a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or a Commuter Air Carrier Authorization. The startup airline’s proposed service uses a 9-seat Cessna airplane and includes 25 round-trip flights per week.
Kenmore Air’s Commuter Authority. (Photo: DOT)
A brief search on regulation.gov did not return a commuter air carrier authority for either Dash Air Shuttle or its operational partner, Backcountry Aviation. While the investigation was not comprehensive and did not mean the parties failed to meet the regulation, it was easy to return Kenmore Air’s application for said authority in contrast.
Interstate Operation
The second issue cited by the Kenmore, Wash-based airline is the nature of the new air service. The airline cited Dash’s interview stating the service’s benefits in connecting to interstate and international services. In its view, Dash’s announcements constitute false advertising because it cannot provide interline agreement on interstate routes.
On a more confusing note, although the latest regional airline will only fly between Seattle and Port Angeles, Wash, which is intrastate, Kenmore argues the operation is interstate because Dash markets it on the internet. The complaint further added that selling tickets to out-of-state residents also violate the interstate rule.
The competition
A Kenmore Air airplane in front of the Space Needle. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)
The main reason Kenmore Air lodges this complaint is that the airline believes Dash Air’s business practice will bear competitive harm to itself.
The float-plane-focused airline pulled out from Port Angeles in 2014 and has previously turned down the city’s request to restart service. Therefore there is no direct competition between the two regional airlines.
There are, however, still a few potential reasons for Kenmore Air to view Dash Air Shuttle as a competitor. Kenmore Air offers charter service in the Pacific Northwest and may potentially lose the lucrative charter flight opportunity between the peninsula and Seattle. Secondly, Port Angeles is the gateway to Olympic National Park, one of Seattle’s top weekend getaway destinations. Kenmore Air’s route network centers around the San Juan Islands, another of Seattle’s top short getaway destinations. The new service can potentially divert passengers.
What now?
While a complaint doesn’t usually necessitate flight cancellations, the startup airline decided to do so to protect its customers. However, this may also protect the company from disciplinary measures by the DOT should the department side with the complainant.
The young airline is preparing responses to the DOT. In the meantime, travelers will need to remain patient. Even though most people want to bring service back to this community, it might be months before it takes off.
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.
Air France-KLM Sees Strong Second Quarter Despite Operational Challenges
An Air France 787-9 begins its takeoff roll at Paine Field. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
Operational difficulties arose in Europe and the United States, mainly due to labor shortages at airports, lots of flight cancellations and understaffed airports grappling with mountains of lost luggage. According to Business Insider over the past seven years, 2022 had the highest percentage of delayed flights (19 percent) and the highest percentage of canceled flights (4 percent), excluding 2020.
Despite these problems, however, according to American Express, 74% of respondents are willing to book a trip for 2022 even if they might have to cancel or modify it later and 62% of respondents agree that they plan on taking 2-4 trips in 2022. Due to these very positive results on tourism, many airlines and airports have recorded higher profits than in pre-pandemic periods. This is the case of Air France – KLM French-Dutch holding company based in Tremblay-en-France, which released last July 29 its results for the second quarter of 2022 with excellent results.
Air France and KLM are among the most active airlines to accommodate the travel recovery, with a second-quarter capacity for network passenger activity at an index of 82%. The yield environment should remain high for the rest of 2022 (significantly positive in the third quarter), for the first time since 2019, with a strong summer demand resulting in yield levels above 2019.
According to the Air France – KLM report, in response to rising fuel prices and other external costs, the group made several fare increases during the first half of the year on all long-haul flights, depending on destination and class of travel. In addition, increased travel demand, the strong performance of premium services, and a solid recovery in corporate traffic led to performance above the 2019 level in the second quarter.
During the second quarter, Air France added three Airbus A350-900s and two Airbus A220-300s while KLM phased in three Embraer 195 E2s. One 777-200, one Airbus A320, three Airbus A319s, two Embraer 170s, and five Canadair Jet 1000s were phased out. The Group will continue to introduce new generation aircraft into its fleet to improve its economic and environmental performance.
As of June 30, 2022, the Group has a strong 11.9 billion euros of liquidity and credit lines at its disposal. Net income amounted to 324 million euros in the Second quarter of 2022, an increase of 1.8 billion euros compared to 2021. The capacity in Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) was 69.4% higher than last year.
Very peculiar to note how Cargo capacity, compared to the pre-COVID 2019 year, in the second quarter was still 8% lower than in 2019. However, thanks to high demand, total revenues in the second quarter of 2022 were 76 percent higher than in 2019.
As for Transavia, an airline of the Air France – KLM group, it is evident that seasonal tourist traffic is increasing sharply but the Operating result was slightly negative at -18 million euros, although improved by 80 million euros compared to the Second quarter of 2021. The fleet of Transavia is approaching 100 aircraft, to further capture the strong demand of leisure traffic in Europe.
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.
A Lufthansa A350 taxis in Munich. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)
After a week of operational chaos for the Lufthansa Group due to a ground crew strike that on 27 July led to the cancelation of over 1,000 flights affecting over 130,000 passengers all around Europe, more trouble may be on the horizon for the German company.
A consultation among all the pilots associated with the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) Union on Sunday revealed that an overwhelming majority of members are in favor of industrial action to obtain “a modern and fair, internationally competitive remuneration structure” said the VC’s negotiator Marcel Groels in an email to BNN Bloomberg.
Walkouts have not been immediately planned, but they could start as early as next week while Lufthansa and all other European airlines are fighting labor shortages at the biggest airports in the Continent and holiday travel is in full swing as passenger numbers continue to rebound strongly after two years of low demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Labour Issues Piling on Operational Chaos
Endless security lines snarling outside airport terminals, piles of undelivered bags clogging arrival areas and mass cancelation to cope with lower-than-expected staffing rates in ground handling departments and at security checkpoints are just some of the problems plaguing airports in Europe and around the world as passenger demands recovered stronger than expected for the 2022 summer season.
Lufthansa has already cut more than 7,000 flights during this current season to cope with these difficult operational circumstances and could be bracing for more disruption as labor negotiations heat up. Pilot’s union VC is demanding a 5.5% pay raise this year for its members and an automatic inflation compensation thereafter, the Globe and Mail reports. Its requests also include a uniform pay structure including all the divisions of the Lufthansa Group, including also its budget carrier Eurowings and the recently created long-haul leisure carrier Eurowings Discover.
Salaries and wages are usually the biggest cost item for airlines and one of the most common strategies to keep it under control is to create separate divisions where younger crewmembers with lower salaries and benefits are hired to operate the flights for the group’s budget carriers. This could lead to colleagues working side by side performing a similar role with significantly different salary schemes and seniority privileges, which can be a significant source of internal tension.
Another airline of the Lufthansa Group, Swiss International Air Lines, has seen its pilots overwhelmingly reject a contract renewal proposal to a labor contract that expired in April, adding another labor front that will require the management’s attention during this already tumultuous period. “If management continues not to recognize the signs of the times and does not immediately offer adequate solutions, then the pilots must show the management even more clearly how dissatisfied they are,” the Swiss labor union Aeropers said on Sunday to the Globe and Mail.
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.
SpiceJet Flights Limited in Light of Safety Issues
A SpiceJet 737 (Photo: Jane Mejdahl [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)])
Earlier in the week, it was announced that Indian aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, ordered SpiceJet to cut its schedule in half for the next eight week. The airline will only be able to fly a maximum of 50 percent of its flights while under “enhanced surveillance” by the DGCA. The news was initially reported by Ajay Awtaney, an aviation journalist based in India, in a tweet on Wednesday.
This comes after a string of issues the airline has been facing in terms of airline safety and operations. SpiceJet aircraft were involved in nearly 10 incidents between June 19 and July 5. These incidents range from severe mechanical issues to smoke filling the cabin in-flight.
Continued Safety Concerns
The decision was made after a number of inspections and other investigations done by the DGCA. The regulatory authority didn’t express confidence in SpiceJet’s handling of the situation and response to the show cause notice sent by the DGCA. In order for the number of flights to be increased during this eight-week period, the airline will need to show that it has “sufficient technical support and financial resources to safely and efficiently undertake such enhanced capacity”.
Previous investigations have also shown the airline lacks adequate safety oversight and has substandard maintenance resulting in degradation of safety. This along with the most recent investigation findings show a systemic issue with SpiceJet that is not being resolved.
SpiceJet insists that there will be no flight cancellations because of this order since the airline is already flying at half capacity due to thin demand during the summer. This also comes at a time when a significant number of travelers are actively avoiding the airline. According to a survey conducted by LocalCircles, 44 percent of fliers surveyed said they are avoiding traveling on SpiceJet due to safety concerns. This is compared to 21 percent who are avoiding Air India and IndiGo.
This is a bit bizarre. If what SpiceJet said is true, then it’s likely the DGCA knew this. If they did, then it’s a laughable attempt at trying to take action. On the other hand if this isn’t true, then it’s just SpiceJet directly lying to passengers.
Other Problems
Adding to these issues are SpiceJet’s financial woes. A DGCA investigation last year showed the airline is habitually late in paying suppliers and vendors which has resulted in a shortage of spare parts. In addition, the lessor of three of the airline’s aircraft is pushing the Indian government to deregister the aircraft due to unpaid lease payments. These three aircraft are formerly Jet Airways Boeing 737s for which SpiceJet took over the leases when Jet Airways suspended operations.
It’s also most likely going to face some legal troubles since the planes also still feature the Jet Airways livery. When SpiceJet took the aircraft the airline simply stuck a SpiceJet decal over the Jet Airways text on the aircraft and covered up part of the Jet Airways logo on the tail.
Jet Airways is currently in the process of coming back to life later this year and has asked the DGCA to compel SpiceJet to remove the Jet Airways livery off of these planes in order to prevent any confusion when the airline restarts operations.
Overall, things aren’t looking that great for SpiceJet. It is facing problems from every direction and it is unclear if it will be able to successfully handle all of the challenges as they come. The airline is continuing to bleed money and its share price is in the gutter.
Hemal took his first flight at four years old and has been an avgeek since then. When he isn't working as an analyst he's frequently found outside watching planes fly overhead or flying in them. His favorite plane is the 747-8i which Lufthansa thankfully flies to EWR allowing for some great spotting. He firmly believes that the best way to fly between JFK and BOS is via DFW and is always willing to go for that extra elite qualifying mile. Hemal's opinions are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.
Aeroméxico Reduces its Losses During the Second Quarter, But Remains in the Red
An Aeromexico Boeing 787 Dreamliner flares for landing. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Grupo Aeroméxico released its final report of its financial results for the second quarter of 2022. After announcing its exit from the Chapter 11 process in March, the company increased revenues by 91.5% compared to the same period of 2021. While losses narrowed by 1.815 billion Mexican pesos, it still recorded a negative balance.
According to the company’s report, all the conditions previously established in the Restructuring Plan (“Plan de Reestructura”), which came into effect on March 17, were met. “The company will continue to comply with its post-exit obligations and covenants, including the covenants under the indenture governing the exit financing,” it said.
The increase in revenues was favored by a greater dynamism in demand and the initiatives carried out to mitigate the impact of the rise in fuel prices, according to the airline’s report, sent to the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV).
Grupo Aeroméxico’s main financial results for the second quarter of 2022 and comparison with the same period in 2021
Revenues reached 19.175 billion Mexican pesos, representing an increase of 91.5%.
The company’s capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), increased by 56.8%.
Revenue measured by available seat kilometers increased 22.2% year on year.
Between April and June, EBITDA was 2.913 million Mexican pesos, an increase of 1.024 million from that reported in the second quarter of 2021.
The final operating result showed a positive balance of 626 million Mexican pesos. The figure represents an increase of 1.840 million.
The cost per seat available per kilometer (CASK) was 0.045 dollars. Thus, it was 23% lower compared to what was recorded between April and June 2021. According to Aeroméxico, the reduction «shows the efficiency the company has achieved in its structural cost».
The cash balance at the end of the quarter stood at 17.786 billion Mexican pesos, approximately 883 million dollars. Excluding restricted cash, the figure was 17.015 million pesos, equivalent to about 845 million dollars.
The company reported a net loss of 947.9 million Mexican pesos, a positive differential of 1.851 million compared to the second quarter of the previous year.
Total fuel expenses amounted to 8.351 million Mexican pesos. The figure represents an increase of 204.2%. The average fuel price was 22.17 Mexican pesos per liter during the second quarter. Compared to the same period in 2021, it grew by 45.4%.
Workforce expense increased 26.1%, mainly due to the sharp growth in the number of operations. Traffic and ground handling expenses increased 61.4%. However, maintenance expenses decreased 14.9%.
Grupo Aeroméxico carried 5.551.000 passengers, up 41.6% compared to the same period in 2021.
Fleet of Aeroméxico
During the second quarter of 2022, it added six new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
As reported by the company, Grupo Aeroméxico’s operating fleet consisted of 140 aircraft as of Jone 30, 22 more than at the same date in 2021.
The average age of the fleet is 7.7 years.
Currently, Aeroméxico operates 98 aircraft (18 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one 737-700, 36 737-800, 31 737 MAX-9 and 12 737 MAX-8). Aeroméxico Connect’s fleet consists of 42 operational Embraer 190.
This story was originally published by Agustin Miguens of Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The terminal at Panama Pacifico (Photo: Photo: Aeropuerto Tocumen)
On Thursday, Panamá Pacífico International Airport (BLB) resumed commercial operations, following the completion of the renovation works on its passenger terminal.
The facility had been closed in March 2020, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Tocumen S.A. moved forward with expansion and modernization works, with the aim of offering an additional option to travelers.
“The reopening of Panamá Pacífico airport marks a key milestone in the process of recovery of Tocumen’s operations as an operating company and for national tourism, because it opens a new door to Panamá as a destination for leisure and shopping,” said Raffoul Arab, General Manager of the airport.
The executive celebrated the completion of the work and said that the renovated building will optimize operational capacity and provide a higher quality service to airlines and their customers.
From now on, the airport will be able to receive up to two aircraft simultaneously. This will reduce waiting times and improve service for all users.
The project, which required an investment of 998.472 dollars, included the expansion of boarding lounges, arrivals and baggage claim areas, adaptation for commercial areas, improvements in check-in and migration posts, renovation of bathrooms, construction of rain gutters, waterproofing of roofs and renovation of air-conditioning systems, among other adaptations.
Importance for low-cost airlines
The restart of services coincided with the return of Ecuadorian airline Aeroregional. Initially, it will operate two weekly charter flights to and from Guayaquil (GYE) on Boeing 737-400 aircraft. Other low-cost airlines, the airport’s main operators, are expected to resume flights in the coming weeks.
Currently, it is the only airport in Latin America dedicated to low-cost airlines, after the Argentinian government closed El Palomar Airport (EPA) in Buenos Aires for commercial operations at the end of 2020.
This story was originally published by Agustin Miguens of Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
A Singapore Airlines A380 coming in to land in Los Angeles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Together with low-cost subsidiary Scoot the airlines of SIA Group carried 5.1 million passengers in Q1 2022-23. This number is a 158.2% increase over the previous quarter when Singapore was restricting travel to the country. Since April the island state has opened fully to vaccinated travelers and as a result, SIA Group is reporting ‘forward sales staying buoyant for the next three months up to October 2022.’
SIA Group, of which flag carrier Singapore Airlines is but one subsidiary, posted a record first-quarter profit of S$556 million ($402 million) for the period from April – June (Q1 2022/23). Unlike the calendar year approach of U.S. business, the financial year in Singapore commences on 01 April and ends on 31 March. The result for the SIA Group is the highest for the first quarter and the second largest quarterly profit in the organization’s history. These impressive results were achieved with capacity at only 61 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
SIA Group reported that by the end of Q1 2022-23 Singapore Airlines was operating a fleet of 127 passenger aircraft and seven freighters. During the quarter one of two recently delivered Airbus A350-900s entered into operation along with three Boeing 737-8’s the airline had received in the 2021/22 financial year. Scoot was now operating 55 passenger aircraft and together the SIA Group’s fleet had an average age of six years and three months.
The airlines of SIA Group were hit particularly hard by the pandemic given there is no domestic market to cater to. Travel restrictions across the globe and the country’s strict entry requirements have constrained an earlier recovery. Restrictions in part of East Asia continue to limit a full restart for the Group in some key markets and prior connectivity from these regions to Europe. Though the group was able to reinstate services in the quarter to Cebu, Davao, Hat Yai, Kota Kinabalu, and Medan in South East Asia.
At the end of the reporting quarter, the passenger airlines of SIA Group were operating to a total of 98 destinations in 36 countries and territories with the cargo network serving 107 destinations. According to the report the pre-pandemic network for the SIA Group consisted of ‘137 destinations in 37 countries and territories, including Singapore’ and it is projected that the Group’s airlines will be at 76 percent of pre-pandemic capacity by the end of 2022.
In the Northern Winter operating season (30 October 2022 to 25 March 2023) as more countries ease or remove travel restrictions, the Group will be seeking to capitalize on the increased passenger demand. Singapore Airlines is planning to increase services to Japan and restore its pre-pandemic network in India in addition to adding flights to Los Angeles and Paris. Scoot is also planning to expand Japanese services with non-stop services to Tokyo-Narita and Osaka and add capacity to existing destinations such as Manila, Seoul and Bangkok.
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.
Beijing Reopens Its Doors to International Flights
An Air China 747-8i at San Francisco International Airport (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
On July 27, Lufthansa resumed its first Beijing flight, LH722, service from Frankfurt. The flight has been suspended for 907 days due to the pandemic. Lufthansa previously served the one-way flight from Beijing to Frankfurt, with the plane entering China in Shenyang, and then repositioning to Beijing. The resumed direct flight will ease the operational challenges posted to carriers, as well as hassles to passengers.
Halted International Flights
Previously, as part of the efforts to reduce the possibility of Covid-19 spreading in the nation’s capital, China rerouted all international flights bound to Beijing to alternative destinations for passengers to complete quarantine first.
Once in 2021, Beijing briefly reopened its border for international flights. However, due to the need to serve massive international flights for the Winter Olympics, the border closed again to commercial flights bound for Beijing.
Make Beijing International Again
Etihad Airways first kicked off its direct flights from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Beijing on June 30, and it has been operating smoothly. Since late July, more and more carriers are planning their flights back to Beijing. As of this moment, Air China, Lufthansa, Air France, ANA, and Korean Air have all announced the resumption of direct international flights to Beijing.
To reduce the effort of inspection and quarantine, all Beijing-bound international flights, and regional flights from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan will arrive at Beijing’s Capital International Airport. Beijing’s Daxing International Airport is still only open to domestic flights.
Departure hall of Beijing Daxing International Airport | Photo: Lei Yan
Begin to Open
Since the pandemic, international travel in and out of China has been virtually non-existent. Strict quarantine rules and testing requirements stopped almost all travelers who do not have an absolute necessity to go to China, and the limited and expensive flights also blocked a lot of passengers from even boarding a plane. Moreover, the government introduced a fusing mechanism, which stops the operations of certain flights, if that flight carries more than 5 or 10 positive Covid-19 cases.
Since June, the Chinese Authorities are revising the regulations and quarantine requirements. Now, it is easier to get tested before boarding, and the quarantine period has shortened from 14 days to 7 days. However, the widely criticized fusing mechanism is still not updated.
Outside of Beijing, carriers are also resuming international flights over major cities in China. Hainan Airlines announced that it is going to resume flights to Madrid, Rome, Moscow, Belgrade, Serbia, and Tokyo; China Southern announced new flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Islamabad, and other Central-Asia destinations. Air China announced new flights from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Athens, Greece, Milan, Italy, and multiple other European destinations.
The resumption of the flights are indicating that China is heading to reopen its border. Not only new destinations have been added to the list, existing destinations, such as Dubai, Helsinki, and Singapore, are seeing frequency increases since earlier this year.
The lockdowns have severely hurt the business environment in China, especially the stability of supply chains. The authority is now slowly experimenting with new measures to open the border while containing the spread of Covid-19 to a relatively small scale. The public is demanding more aggressive change in policy, as most countries in the world reopened their borders.
Lei is from Inner Mongolia, China, and now lives in Guangzhou. He grew up in an aviation family, where his passion began. During his time at Penn State University, he studied Industrial Engineering specializing in operations research, and he graduated with an honor’s thesis on airport gate assignment optimization. Now, he is a Purchasing Manager with Procter & Gamble. In his free time, he enjoys flying, reading, and wandering around the city.
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