Breeze Airways A220 with a Viasat Radome. (Photo: Breeze Airways)
JetBlue founder David Neeleman’s low-cost airline Breeze Airways plans to begin operating flights to the West Coast of the United States. The introduction of new routes will operate from the Southeastern region as it aims to expand its network and become a more viable option for travelers looking to flyfrom secondary U.S. markets as well as the airlines’ first routes out of New York. Breeze, however, will not be flying any of the big 3 New York City airports. Instead of operating out of Newark, LaGuardia or John F. Kennedy, Breeze intends to fly from Westchester County Airport, roughly 30 miles north of New York City.
Beginning on September 7, 2022, Breeze will begin flying to Los Angeles followed by services to Las Vegas commencing the following day. Flights to San Francisco will start on November 2. All three flights will be operated by Breeze’s brand new Airbus A220 aircraft featuring a low-density configuration, allowing the airline to operate full flights from Westchester to the West Coast as Westchester County Airport’s runway is not suitable for higher capacity aircraft with its short 6,549-foot runway.
Breeze’s A220 aircraft offers more space, is quieter and more cost-effective for the airline which means lower ticket prices for the passenger. Neeleman said, “the Airbus aircraft embodies the Breeze ideal of merging kindness with technology, pairing unrivaled passenger comfort with eco-friendly efficiency. With the A220, Breeze is giving our Guests the widest cabin, highest ceiling, largest windows and biggest overhead stowage in this class, while still managing to burn 25% less fuel, with half the noise footprint of past generations.” The A220s serving Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco will also have 36 First Class seats for those passengers seeking even more comfort on the cross country trip.
Neeleman’s former airline, JetBlue, has been the largest airline operating out of Westchester since beginning service there in 2007. JetBlue currently flies to five cities in Florida to meet demand and serve as a convenient option for New York City’s suburban upper-class. As Breeze’s new routes begin, JetBlue will become the second airline in Westchester while Breeze will offer services to the Southeast as had been announced back in March. Many residents of the Westchester area have for years needed to drive to one of the big 3 airports in New York City for service to the West Coast but with Breeze’s new routes, this will hopefully change. It’s cheaper, more convenient and in most cases a stronger coach product than what many of the larger airlines operating out of JFK and EWR are offering.
Since its founding in 2018 as Moxy Airways, Breeze has expanded rapidly after beginning commercial services in May of 2021. The airline currently has a firm order for 40 Airbus A220 aircraft with an option for 40 more planning to receive one A220 per month for the next six years.
Ezra Gollan is a student, photographer and aviation enthusiast based in New York, New York. He has spent over half a decade around New York City’s airports as a photographer.
Four of the EAS carriers in this update, TOP: Denver Air Connection and Delta Connection BOTTOM: Air Choice One and American Eagle (Photos: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Essential Air Service (EAS) has been in the news frequently for the past couple of months, and large airports aren’t the only airports that have news to report on. This is a continuation of the series, titled ‘EAS Round up’, and will touch on any news regarding the contracts in the EAS airport community since the last EAS Round-Up which can be viewed HERE.
Whether it is a new airline being selected for a city, the current airline being re-selected to serve the community, or there are noticeable services changed to the current contract, they will be announced in this series.
The past four months have been particularly newsworthy in the EAS community, with SkyWest’s request to terminate 31 EAS communities and Southern Airways Express’ acquisition of Air Choice One. With airline proposals for 29 of SkyWest’s EAS communities originally due on April 11, 2022, and then extended a month until May 11, 2022, this felt like as good a time as any to go over EAS contract changes since the last edition of this article back in October of 2021 before all of the SkyWest community change announcements happen.
Airports With Service Changes
Jonesboro, Arkansas (JBR)
This community located in northeastern Arkansas has re-selected the current carrier Air Choice One for the contract, but with a new additional destination. Back when this contract renewal was announced in December of 2021, it wasn’t known that they would be acquired by Southern Airways Express in a few short months. This was to become Air Choice One’s only EAS contract, but the acquisition by Southern Airways Express means the latter mentioned carrier will now have possession of all four EAS contract communities in the state of Arkansas.
Air Choice One Cessna 208’s in Fort Dodge, a city they no longer fly to (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
The Air Choice One name and brand will be replaced by Southern Airways Express by mid-summer 2022 according to SAE Chief Marketing officer Keith Sisson. This will also be the final contract that will ever be awarded to Air Choice One as that name will not be around once the contract expires in 2026.
Flights will operate to St. Louis 12 times weekly and Nashville six-times weekly. The contract began on March 1, 2022, and will run until Feb. 28, 2026. The subsidy will be $2,217,130 for the first year, $2,283,644 for the second year, $2,352,153 for the third year, and $2,422,718 for the fourth year.
Burlington, Iowa (BRL)
This city in southeastern Iowa was a former Air Choice One city and is now served by Massachusetts-based Cape Air. Flights began on Feb. 1, 2022, and will run until the contract expiration on Jan. 31, 2026. Although the carrier is new to this community, the destinations served from here won’t change and will offer 12-weekly flights to each Chicago O’Hare and St. Louis, for a total of 24-weekly flights.
A Cape Air Tecnam P2012 Traveller (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
The subsidy will be $2,582 for the first year, $2,659,561 for the second year, $2,739,347 for the third year, and $2,821,528 for the fourth year. All flights are scheduled to operate on the Tecnam P2012 Traveller.
Imperial, California (IPL)
This is one of the three EAS airports in the state of California, this one is located along the southern part of the state not more than 10-miles from the US-Mexico border. The community was also the only EAS destination for Hawaii-based Mokulele on the mainland, but since then the Mokulele was bought by Southern Airways Express and now operates under that brand. They currently have flights to LAX airport, but come May 1, 2022, they will be adding a new destination from this community, Las Vegas.
The front of the terminal building in Imperial, Calif. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Flights will operate 18 times a week to LAX and six times a week to Las Vegas. All flights will be operated on the 8/9 seat Cessna 208 Caravan, as previously mentioned the contract will begin on May 1, 2022, and will run until April 30, 2026. The subsidy will be $2,920,934 for the first year, $2,993,957 for the second year, $3,068,806 for the third year, and $3,145526 for the fourth year.
Saranac Lake, New York (SLK)
This EAS community, located inside the Adirondack State Park finally got something they have been requesting for many years, a nonstop flight to the New York City Area. Cape Air still holds the contract at this airport, with 14-weekly flights to Boston and seven weekly flights to JFK Airport in New York City. The flights are scheduled to operate on the Tecnam P2012 according to the contract, although most tend to operate using the Cessna 402.
A Cape Air Cessna 402 in Saranac Lake, N.Y. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
As previously mentioned, this contract began on March 1, 2022, the contract will run for the next four years until Feb. 28, 2026. The subsidy will be $2,557,622 for the first year, $2,634,351 for the second year, $2,713,381 for the third year, and $2,794,783 for the fourth year. This will be the only EAS flight to operate out of JFK Airport, but not the only one in the New York City area as nearby Newark Liberty does have one EAS contract which will be discussed later in this article.
McCook, Nebraska (MCK)
This small city in southwest Nebraska will be the latest city to get a new airline, currently, they have Boutique Air but come June 1, 2022, they will receive Denver Air Connection. Starting on June 1, 2022, until May 31, 2024, they will receive Denver Air Connection with flights to, you guessed it, Denver at a frequency of 12 times a week. Flights will operate using the Metroliner, a once almost extinct aircraft in the United States that will now see its second route along with fellow Nebraskan city Alliance.
A Denver Air Connection Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner in Alliance, Neb. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Denver Air Connection’s route map is starting to look very familiar to Boutique Air’s old route map. This will be the fourth EAS city that DAC will take from Boutique in the past three years, the others being Clovis, N.M.; Theif River Falls, Minn.; and Ironwood, Mich. The subsidy will be $2,910,856 for the first year and $2,969,074 for the second year, with the contract ending on May 31, 2024.
Jackson, Tennessee (MKL)
Another Boutique Air city is going by the wayside, with the only EAS community in the state of Tennessee going to Southern Airways Express. Flights will operate 18 times a week to Atlanta-Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. So while the number of flights a week isn’t changing, they are losing St. Louis as a destination and all flights on the new carrier will be flown to Atlanta using the Cessna 208 Caravan.
The contract begins on June 1, 2022, and will run until May 31, 2024, at s subsidy rate of $2,558,436 for the first year, and $2,622,397 for the second year, with the contract ending on May 31, 2024.
Airports Re-Selecting Current Carrier
Aberdeen, South Dakota (ABR) and Bemidji, Minnesota (BJI)
These next two cities are linked to the same contract and have identical service offerings from each EAS Community. Aberdeen, located in northeast South Dakota, and Bemidji, located in northcentral Minnesota will both have SkyWest service under the Delta Connection brand. Each community will see 14-weekly round trip flights to Minneapolis St. Paul on 50-seat CRJ-200
One of Delta/SkyWest CRJ-200’s at Minneapolis St. Paul (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
The contract began on March 1, 2022, and will run until Feb. 28, 2025. The only difference between the communities will be the subsidy cost; in Aberdeen, the subsidy will be at a rate of $3,207,595 annually, and in Bemidji, the annual subsidy rate will be $1,863,375. This difference in price is due to the flight length, as Aberdeen is a little bit further from Minneapolis.
Waterloo, Iowa (ALO)
This community in eastern Iowa is one of the only four-EAS contracts that American Airlines holds. Unlike most of the EAS contracts that are held by the regional carriers, this one is actually held by mainline American Airlines. What this means is that airlines have increased flexibility when it comes to the EAS communities, and they can serve them on any jet they wish to. Of course, you are not going to see a large jet here ever for obvious reason, but they can use any aircraft type they would like to as long as the contract is completed.
American uses the 50-seat Embraer E145 to serve this community with 13-weekly round trip flights to Chicago O’Hare, and flights are usually operated by Envoy. But due to the nature of who holds the contract, if some type of maintenance issue arises and Envoy is unable to operate flights they can swap out to Piedmont which also operates E145s, or even SkyWest and their CRJ-700.
The contract begins on May 1, 2022, and runs until April 30, 2024, at an annual subsidy rate of $3,986,989. Due to this being the same airline and destinations served at the present time, passengers flying the route will probably not even be aware of the contract renewal come May 1.
Decatur, Illinois (DEC)
Decatur, located in the center of Illinois currently has SkyWest under the United Express brand operating the flights to this community using 50-seat CRJ-200s to Chicago O’Hare. The contract began on Feb 1, 2022, and will theoretically run until Jan 31, 2025, at an annual subsidy rate of $2,572,847. The reason I say “theoretically” is due to the fact that Decatur is one of the 31 EAS communities that SkyWest has requested to terminate.
A United Express CRJ-200 arriving into Chicago O’Hare (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
With the DOT denying the termination of SkyWest’s contract until a replacement carrier is found, and the EAS bidding process in the works, there is a very good chance that this contract will not make it to 2023 let alone the normal ending date of Jan. 31, 2025. The deadline for new carriers to submit their EAS service proposals are due on May 11, 2022, so there is a very high chance this city will be back in the news in the next month or so.
But until a new carrier is chosen and a decision has been made by the DOT, SkyWest under the United Express branding will continue serving Decatur to Chicago O’Hare. Flights to Chicago will operate 12 times a week, on the previously mentioned CRJ-200.
Owensboro, Kentucky (OWB)
This community will also be keeping their current airline, Cape Air, at least for the next two years. The contract began on Jan 1, 2022, and will run until Dec. 31, 2023, at a subsidy rate of $2,128,874 for the first year and $2,192,740 for the second year. Service is scheduled to operate 14-times a week to Nashville, Tenn., and seven times a week to St Louis, M.O., and all flights are scheduled to operate on the carriers Tecnam P2012 Traveller.
The subsidy rate will be $2,128,874 for the first year and, $2,192,740 for the second year.
Cape Air’s brand new Tecnam P2012 Traveller in Manistee, Mich. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Pellston, Michigan (PLN)
This city in the northern part of Michigan’s southern peninsula will be reselecting SkyWest under the Delta Connection brand. It was s super simple decision, the community has had Delta for many years, and Northwest before the merger. The contract began on Feb. 1, 2022, and will run until Jan. 31, 2025, at an annual subsidy rate of $2,313,625 with flights operating 12 times a week to Delta Air Line’s Detroit Metro hub.
My view from my seat on Delta’s CRJ-200 in Detroit (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Watertown, New York (ART)
Another one of American Airlines’ four EAS contracts has been renewed, Watertown is located in northern New York state and is the carrier’s only EAS contract east of the Mississippi River at this current point in time. Flights will operate onboard Embraer E145s to Philadelphia 12 times a week, and currently, most flights are operated by Piedmont. Although flights are operated by Piedmont, because the contract is held directly by American Airlines, they have the ability to switch to any of their regional operators at a moment’s notice.
An American Eagle Embraer E145 departing Watertown, NY (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
The contract began on Feb. 1, 2022, and will run until Jan. 31, 2024, at an annual subsidy rate of $4,701,099.
Hibbing, Minnesota (HIB)
Another SkyWest city being selected for EAS renewal, this city is located in northern Minnesota will continue to receive 12 weekly flights to Minneapolis St. Paul under the Delta Connection brand. All flights are scheduled to operate on 50-seat CRJ-200s. The annual subsidy rate will be $3,889,635 per year, and the contract will begin on June 1, 2022, and will run until May 31, 2024. It is truly interesting to see how many Delta Connection branded SkyWest EAS communities are renewing their contracts, while at the same time SkyWest is requesting to terminate 31 United Express branded destinations.
Cody, Wyoming (COD)
This is another contract being held directly by the major carrier, in this case, United Airlines. United is able to use any aircraft it wishes on the route, again, obviously you will never see an Airbus or Boeing aircraft scheduled on the route, but they do have the ability to switch between aircraft types and regional carriers at will. Flights are contracted to be either on the CRJ-200 or Embraer E145 both of which have 50-seats and will operate from the airline’s Denver hub 14 times a week.
United Express regional jets lined up at its Rocky Mountain hub (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Another unique aspect of this contract is that it isn’t in effect for the entire calendar year, and they are only subsidized for service between Oct. 1 and May 31 each year. United provides unsubsidized service to Cody during the peak tourist months of June through September. Due to the seasonality of the contract, the subsidy rate is relatively low for jet service coming out at $996,968 annually, the contract will begin on June 1, 2022, and run until May 31, 2024.
Clovis, New Mexico (CVN)
This city made the switch from Boutique Air to Denver Air Connection back in 2020, and the community has been happy with the switch to DAC as they have been reselected for the contract here that will run for the next four years. The contract will begin on May 1, 2022, and will run until April 30, 2026, at an annual subsidy rate of $4,804,921.
A Denver Air Connection Dornier 328Jet at Denver Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
The carrier will provide six weekly flights to both Denver and Dallas Ft. Worth, for a total of 12 weekly flights out of Clovis. Flights are contracted to be on either a 30-seat Dornier 328Jet or a 50-seat Embraer E145, meaning the airline has the flexibility to add or reduce seats based on demand and aircraft availability.
Presque Isle, Maine (PQI)
This is another contract that is held directly by United Airlines, and another contract that has many unique aspects to it. First, it is the highest subsidy of any EAS contract in the lower 48 states at an annual subsidy rate of $10,874,142. That number is truly astounding considering the last time the contract was renewed in 2020 the annual subsidy rate was $6,838,045, one of the extreme examples of how the cost of flying and operating aircraft has gone up dramatically since 2020.
United’s CRJ-550 in its new livery (Photo: AirlineGeeks)
And secondly, this is the only EAS route in the lower 48 states that will offer a first-class section on a regular basis, as all flights are scheduled to operate on United Express CRJ-550’s which are operated by GoJet. Flights from Presque Isle will operate to Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, making it the only EAS route to operate out of that airport. This contract will run for the next two years, beginning on June 1, 2022, and going until May 31, 2024.
Thief River Falls, Minnesota (TVF)
For the final community in this update, we have another former Boutique Air city, which was won by Denver Air Connection back in 2020. They along with Clovis, are very happy with the service DAC has provided in the past two years, and so happy that they have recommended they renew the contract for five years. Flights will continue to operate to Minneapolis St. Paul using either the 30-seat Dornier 328Jet or 50-seat Embraer E145, giving them the ability to swap aircraft types if operationally necessary.
A Denver Air Connection Embraer E145 at Chicago O’Hare (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
This is the last time you will probably hear about this community for a long time, as the contract will begin on June 1, 2022, and will run all the way until May 31, 2027. The subsidy rate will be $5,801,566 for the first year, $5,975,603 for the second year, $6,154,871 for the third year, $6,339,517 for the fourth year, and finally $6,529,702 for the fifth year.
With SkyWest requesting to terminate 31 of their EAS cities, and them in the midst of the bidding process currently, this is probably the last time you will see the map below with so many United logos on it as come fall 2022, they all might be operating or planning to operate with a different airline.
This is the updated map, as of April 21, 2022, of all the EAS contracts and their operators in the lower 48 states and Hawaii.
A diagram of the current (April 2022) providers of Essential Air Service in the United States, Excluding Alaska (Diagram: Gerardi Aviation Photography)
All numbers and information in this article come from publicly viewable documents on Regulations.gov
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.
Canadian Carrier Flair Airlines’ Ownership Row Escalates
The new Flair Airlines livery seen on one of the airline's 737-400s. (Photo: Flair Airlines)
The ownership row over Canadian ultra-low-cost carrier Flair Airlines escalated this week with the issuing of a joint statement by two major industry bodies. The National Airlines Council of Canada and the Air Transport Association of Canada are calling on the Canadian federal government to reject the Edmonton-based airline’s request for an 18-month extension to address ownership concerns.
In the statement the two organizations that represent Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and a number of other airline operators and aviation industry suppliers stated: “If granted, this unprecedented request would allow Flair to continue operating outside the bounds of existing Canadian law, setting a troubling precedent while also threatening consumer confidence in the sector, at a time when the travel industry is working hard to provide a strong and sustainable future for air travel for Canadians.”
As reported last month, Canadian law forbids foreign capital to exceed 49 percent of the total stake or 25 percent for an individual. 777 Partners, a Miami-based investment firm, stated that it reached that maximum share, but what is being investigated is Flair’s board composition, as the US firm owns three of the five seats.
The joint statement also alluded to the fact that if Flair is found to have breached the ownership it may lose its license to operate. The statement reads: “By failing to comply with basic, longstanding Canadian ownership and control rules, Flair places considerable uncertainty on the shoulders of travelers, potentially leaving them stranded without a backstop should Flair fail to abide by Canadian ownership and control requirements, as ordered by the Canadian Transportation Agency.”
The row has understandably provoked concern by airline customers and Flair Airlines has been seeking to offer reassurance ahead of the busy summer season. Recent marketing messaging on social media has alluded to the investigation with slogans such as ‘We’re here to stay so you can go’ and ‘We’re not going anywhere, but you can (for less).’
In a pinned tweet the airline makes a direct statement ‘We’ve read the news, and the comments and we understand the sentiment caused by the media. We are a Canadian airline that will be here for years to come.’
In a statement responding to the joint statement, the Financial Post cites Flair Airlines’ chief executive officer Stephen Jones as stating, “Air Canada deployed anticompetitive practices against WestJet and WestJet borrowed from Air Canada’s playbook to launch anticompetitive practices against Flair Airlines. Today, they are teaming up to protect their high fares, which is great for them but not for Canadian families. Without Flair, Canada has some of the highest airfare in the world.”
Flair Airlines have until 3 May to respond officially to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) if the 18-month exemption is not granted by the federal government. In a press conference held on Thursday, Mr. Jones opened with the statement that the airline is ‘here to stay.’ He further added that the airline will meet the deadline in its response to the CTA and there there was ‘zero chance’ that the airline will lose its license on 3 May and customers should be confident in booking with Flair.
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.
Alaska Airlines Reports First Quarter Loss of $143 Million, Sees Second Quarter Strength
An Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
On Thursday, Alaska Airlines released its first quarter earnings for 2022, posting a net loss of $143 million for the quarter ending March 31. The Seattle-based carrier reported a loss of $1.14 per share, compared to a net loss of $131 million, or $1.05 per share in the first quarter of 2021 during a peak of new Covid-19 cases being reported.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, the airline reported net income of $18 million, or $0.14 per share. For the year, the company reported a net profit of $478 million, or $3.77 per share, made possible because of the federal Payroll Support Program that provided $914 million to the airline in the first half of 2021 due to the pandemic.
These results compare to a net loss for the fourth quarter and full year 2020 of $447 million, or $3.60 per share, and $1.3 billion, or $10.72 per share.
“Alaska has a proven track record and a resilient business model that delivers in good times and through challenging ones” said Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci. “March results were particularly strong, marked by our highest cash sales month in history and revenues that exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic began. Our people are working hard to get our airline back to its pre-COVID size and to return to growth from there, all while delivering the operational excellence that we’re known for.”
On a positive note, as air travel continues to recover, Alaska Airlines increased advance bookings in both their leisure and business travel sectors, generating $287 million in operating cash flow for the first quarter. Alaska also ended the quarter with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 50%, within their target range of 40% to 50%.
On average, the airline had a 78.6% load factor on flights in the first quarter of 2022, a 25% increase from the first three months of 2021.
A Positive Outlook
Looking forward, Alaska has plans to rapidly accelerate the transition of its mainline fleet to all-Boeing aircraft, consisting of different models of the Next Generation aircraft.
In an attempt to drive economic benefits through cost savings, the carrier introduced plans to transition the regional fleet of Horizon Air — its regional subsidiary — to all-Embraer jets by the end of 2023. The aircraft will offer operational simplicity and better fuel efficiency, according to the airline.
Alaska received nine Boeing 737-9 aircraft, bringing the total number of 737-9s in its fleet to 20. Additionally, the airline modified its Boeing aircraft order to include six firm orders and 41 options for the Boeing 737-10 in addition to 10 firm orders for the 737-8.
“While recovery in our industry is never linear, our caring and dedicated people and the strength of our competitive advantages position us for success no matter what challenges we face,” Minicucci said.
The carrier continues to look towards the future and is making significant strides in the search for success in the post-pandemic environment.
Chase Hagl grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho. His love and passion for Aviation landed him in Orem, Utah where he obtained a B.S. in Aviation Management with a minor in Business Management from Utah Valley University. Chase currently works as a flight attendant in Charleston, SC and is also the primary Inflight ASAP ERC representative for startup airline, Breeze Airways. His experience in the aviation industry spans back four years, working in areas including agriculture application, customer service, maintenance, and flight ops. In his free time, Chase enjoys road biking, astronomy, and flying.
LATAM Records April’s Operation, Launches New Routes
A LATAM 767-300 arrives in São Paulo/Guarulhos. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | João Machado)
Recently, the LATAM Airlines Group released its projection for passenger operations for April, which was up 70 percent for April, compared to the same month in 2019. The airline’s projection is measured in available seat kilometers (ASK).
In a press release, LATAM Airlines Group stated its flight and cargo operations for this April, and the reports showed an improvement in operations. This projection represents an increase of 2.1 percent from March — the highest figure so far this year.
LATAM Airlines Group has been promoting the reactivation of tourism and the promotion of trade to increase connectivity in the region. The airline plans to operate approximately 1,059 daily national and international flights during April, connecting 132 destinations in 20 countries.
This month also sees the introduction of operations from Lima to Cartagena, Colombia and Rio de Janeiro and a route between Quito, Ecuador and Bogotá, Colombia. With this new international operation, LATAM Airlines is currently connecting Lima with 5 different cities: Bogotá, Colombia; Medellín, Colombia; San Andrés Barranquilla, Colombia and now Cartagena.
The group’s cargo business has almost 1,360 cargo freighter flights, with the delivery of a newly converted freighter, which brings the operating fleet to a total of 13 freighters. These projections are subject to the pandemic’s evolution in the countries where the group operates.
In March 2022, passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was 66.5% in relation to the same period in 2019, based on an operation measured in available seat kilometers (ASK) of 67.9 percent, compared to March 2019.
As a result, the load factor decreased 1.7 percent, down to 81.1 percent. In regards to cargo operations, the load factor was 60.6 percent, which corresponds to an increase of 2.6 percentage points — compared to March 2019.
LATAM’s Operational Estimate for April
Brazil
● 74% projected operation (versus April 2019). March 2021 projection reference: 74%
● 97% domestic and 53% international
● Total April destinations: 49 domestic (equivalent to 503 daily flights on average) and 18 international
o Updates:
▪ International: introduction of the Río de Janeiro/Galeão-Lima route (3 flights/week)
Chile
● 59% projected operation (versus April 2019). March 2021 projection reference: 55%
o 73% domestic and 52% international
● Total April destinations: 15 domestic (equivalent to 115 daily flights on average) and 22 international
Colombia
● 107% projected operation (versus April 2019). March 2021 projection reference: 109%
o 164% domestic and 58% international
● Total April destinations: 17 domestic (equivalent to 177 daily flights on average) and 5 international
o Updates:
▪ International: introduction of Bogotá-Quito (5 flights/week) and Cartagena-Lima (3 flights/week) routes
Ecuador
● 41% projected operation (versus April 2019). March 2021 projection reference: 34%
● 120% domestic and 19% international
● Total April destinations: 8 domestic (equivalent to 39 daily flights on average) and 3 international
The three things Juan Pedro loves most about aviation are aircraft, airports, and traveling thousands of miles in just a few hours. What he enjoys the most about aviation is that it is easier and cheaper to travel around the world and this gives you the opportunity to visit places you thought were too far away. He has traveled to different destinations in North, Central, South America and Asia. Born, raised and still living in Perú, Juan is a lawyer, soccer lover, foodie, passionate traveler, dog lover, millennial and curious by nature.
Bahamian airline Western Air has announced the launch of its first flights to the United States. The San Andros-based carrier will launch flights between the Bahamian capital of Nassau and Ft. Lauderdale on May 19. The flights will be operated on the carrier’s Embraer E145 aircraft and flown twice daily. The flights will be the airline’s first scheduled international flights, previously operating exclusively domestic scheduled flights.
As part of the announcement, the airline also added that approval has been received to operate charter flights from the Bahamas to the United States. For scheduled flights to the United States, Western is offering passengers open tickets, the same ticket style for the airline’s domestic operations. Passengers will have the flexibility to change their flights within six months of purchase with no change or cancellation fees. Travelers will also get a free checked bag with their ticket purchases.
An Alternate to Bahamasair
For Bahamians, Western Air has become an alternative to government-owned Bahamasair for domestic travel. The airline was founded in 2001 and has become the largest privately-owned airline in the country. Headquartered in San Andros, on Andros Island, the airline maintains inter-island hubs in the country’s two largest cities, Nassau and Freeport. In Freeport, the airline runs its own private terminal and maintenance facility.
Western Air’s domestic operations stretch across the island nation. Daily jet flights are operated from Bimini in the west to Cat Island in the east of the country. The airline claims to have the best on-time record in the Bahamas and even offers a reward program of the 11th roundtrip being free for frequent travelers.
The airline started operating with various turboprop aircraft including Fairchild Metro and Metroliners and Saab 340s. In 2018 the airline became the second airline in the country to operate jet aircraft with the announcement of purchasing used Embraer E145 aircraft. Deliveries have continued since then and the E145 has become the backbone of the airline’s fleet with five aircraft in service currently. The airline plans to accept more aircraft deliveries in the coming years and continue to expand operations.
The South Florida market is highly competitive for Bahamian travelers. Locals often travel to Florida to complete shopping at lower prices. They also use the area as a launching point for additional travel across the U.S. The Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau sector is highly competitive. In addition to Western Air’s new service, the route is operated by Bahamasair, JetBlue, Southwest, and Silver Airways.
Going the other direction, tourists use South Florida as a launching point for vacations to the Caribbean country. In addition to competition in Ft. Lauderdale, multiple flights a day are operated from Miami to Nassau, as well as from West Palm Beach.
Daniel has always had aviation in his life; from moving to the United States when he was two, to family vacations across the U.S., and back to his native England. He currently resides in South Florida and attends Nova Southeastern University, studying Human Factors in Aviation. Daniel has his Commercial Certificate for both land and sea, and hopes to one day join the major airlines.
A Kenya Airways 787-8. The airline has decided to lay off half of its pilots. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Kenya has offered its national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) a KES25 billion shillings ($217 million) lifeline on unpaid interest, which will help it survive and sustain operations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airline discloses in its latest annual report for the period to December 2021 that it failed to honor interest payment on the loan, which was issued in two tranches to save it from collapsing.
“As of 31 December 2021, the group and company had not made payments of interest on the government of Kenya loan as set out in the loan agreements. The loan agreements require payment of interest by the 20th day of June every year,” says the airline.
“The group sought and was granted waivers and deferrals on the unpaid interest on the shareholder loan,” it said.
The amount of KES25 billion includes the first tranche of KES11.1 billion ($96.2 million) in 2020 and the second tranche of KES14.4 billion ($124.8 million) in 2021. “The loans are repayable after five years and attract interest at the rate of 3% per annum, the accrued interest being payable by June 20 each year,” according to the financial report.
Additionally, the Kenya Airways Group also obtained waivers from commercial financiers before the end of 2021 on several facilities for the purchase of aircraft and the funding of pre-delivery deposits, the report reveals.
This was in line with the group’s contractual right to defer payment for at least 12 months. Consequently, the balances were not classified as current liabilities in the financial report.
According to the annual report, the Kenyan government has committed, through a letter of support, to continue to provide the required financial support to the Kenya Airways Group to enable it to implement its restructuring plan and meet its financial obligations as they fall due, for at least the next 12 months from December 31, 2021.
Need to Restructure
KQ itself needs to complete a restructuring before it can proceed to create a pan-African airline as well as find a financial backer for a combined airline group with South African Airways which they aim to create next year.
KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka acknowledged, though a round of cost cuts should be done by June 2022, a six-month Seabury Securities consultancy contract that will help the airline cut costs, improve efficiency, and return to growth ends in September.
The Kenyan government is supporting the process but requires the carrier to reduce its network, fleet size, and workforce, Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani said in his budget speech on April 7.
A series of money induced by the government towards the airline’s restructuring has been termed by Kilavuka as “the last shot at making sure that we have a concrete, measurable, realistic structure that will be successful for the airline.”
The two national carriers are reportedly planning a series of investor roadshows to help find a financial backer.
The campaign will see events staged in Africa, London, and the United States to attract a majority investor for a holding company.
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 TSA officer checks a traveler’s ID while wearing a mask and gloves and standing behind an acrylic shield at the airport checkpoint. (Photo: TSA)
One of the most controversial measures that were introduced during the peak of the pandemic was the mandate to wear masks in many public places and on all means of transport, including aircraft.
Last week, the Federal Government extended the mandate until May 3, after it was supposed to come to an end on April 18 and quoted the rising number of COVID-19 cases, due to the rapid spread of the BA.2 variant of the coronavirus, as a reason for the extension.
However, on Monday, April 18, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle from Florida declared the mandate unlawful because it falls outside the scope of the law quoted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to justify the measure.
“Sanitation” means “Cleaning”
According to Judge Mizelle’s 59-page ruling, the mandate was issued following an improper interpretation of the word “sanitation”. Mizelle argued that the 1944 statute mentioned in the measure gives the Federal Government authority to issue regulations regarding “sanitation” to fight the spread of communicable diseases, but the word “sanitation” only refers to “cleaning something”, the CNN explains. Therefore, since masks are not intended to clean anything or to maintain it clean, they cannot be mandated as a result of that regulation.
Furthermore, the Federal Judge suggests that where non-complying passengers are “forcibly removed from their airplane seats, denied board at the bus stops, and turned away at the train station doors” is comparable to “detention and quarantine,” which does not fall within the scope of the statute in question.
This power to conditionally allow individuals to travel or detain them based on their likelihood to transmit communicable diseases can only be applied towards “individuals entering the United States from a foreign country”, continues the CNN quoting the ruling, and therefore is not applicable to domestic travel within the U.S.
It is not clear whether the Justice Department will file an appeal against this ruling or how quickly the mandate can be rolled back.
Airlines Call for the Removal of Restrictions
In response to the federal judge’s ruling on April 18 and the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) decision not to enforce masks, airlines and airports were quick to strike the mask mandate down. Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, United, Delta, American and JetBlue officially announced that masks will be optional for passengers on all of their domestic flights and at major U.S. airports.
Last week, the association Airlines 4 America — an advocacy group representing 10 of the biggest airlines in the United States, including all the major carriers — sent a letter to the CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and the Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra urging to put an end to all the COVID-related restrictions affecting travel including the pre-departure testing for international travelers and the mask mandate for all passengers.
“The public health environment has changed dramatically since those requirements were put into place, in large part due to the Administration’s success in getting our population vaccinated. Hospitalizations and deaths have been falling since mid-January despite a recent uptick in cases in certain cities. These realities, along with the immunity provided by boosters and prior infections, coupled with effective treatments and the high level of safety onboard a plane due to effective ventilation and HEPA air filters provide a rationale for lifting pre-departure testing and mask requirements for air travel,” the letter said.
It is a common opinion among airline executives that the mask mandate is stifling demand for travel, preventing the full recovery of airline traffic to pre-pandemic levels. In February during a press event, Breeze Airways CEO and Founder David Neeleman told Airlinegeeks, “I do believe people are deterred from traveling because of the mask mandate. Every time I get to an airport, I get that sinking feeling of having to wear a mask for the following six hours.”
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.
Italy Takes First Steps Toward Multimodality with Rail, Airport Operator Agreement
Two Italian rail and airport operators agreed two a multimodal transport deal. (Photo credit: EUROCONTROL)
On March 17, FS Italiane Group and airport manager Aeroporti di Roma signed an agreement to begin the integration of sales systems as well as passenger and baggage check-in operations directly at the main Italian railway stations connected to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.
Aeroporti di Roma, an Atlantia Group company, manages the airports of Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino — which is located near Rome — and carries out other activities connected with and complementary to the airport management. Fiumicino has two passenger terminals and is dedicated to business and leisure customers on domestic, international and intercontinental routes, while Ciampino is mainly used by low-cost airlines, express couriers and for general aviation activities.
The FS Italiane Group controls more than 16,700 kilometers of rail infrastructure and a road network of 30,000 kilometers and manages services in rail, road, passenger, freight and public road transport.
According to a June 2021 report by the intergovernmental organization for air traffic control in Europe, EUROCONTROL, rail transport will not be able to effectively replace air transport entirely, but certainly, a multimodal transport solution — on that would combine planes and trains in a more seamless manner similar in ways to airline interline agreements — is very attractive in terms of optimizing sustainability and improving connectivity. Investment in transportation should therefore be balanced between both industries, with each feeding into the other throughout their systems.
The integration of trains and airplanes is just one action to curb climate change and reduce transport emissions, and the aviation industry has said it recognizes the need to go green and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, according to the ambitious goals of the European “Green Deal.”
Looking Ahead
To develop the train-and-air solution in Italy, the first step is the implementation of commercial agreements with air carriers at Fiumicino Airport to integrate the sales and distribution systems with the possibility to carry out passenger and baggage check-in operations directly at the main railway stations connected to the capital city airport. The aim is to board the train at a station and disembark directly at the destination of arrival, even overseas, in a simple, fast and convenient way.
In that way, the station would, in a way, become an extension of the airport terminal, a set-up that is already present in other locations around the world.
According to the press release, the infrastructural development of the Fiumicino Airport station is planned, as well as the development of road transport to improve road conditions and the inclusion of direct nonstop trains from Rome to Fiumicino airport.
The Italian aviation authority, ENAC, has already given the airport management company 300 million euros ($324 million), of which around 110 million euros have been earmarked for Aeroporti di Roma to facilitate the restart.
The agreement also includes, as part of Urban Air Mobility, the design and construction of a vertiport at Rome’s Termini Station, and the first commercial operations between Fiumicino airport and the metropolitan city of Rome are expected in 2024, a year before the 2025 Jubilee. Rome has recently applied to host EXPO 2030 and these are forward-looking choices to prepare the Italian capital.
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 Qantas 787 Dreamliner lifting out of Paine Field in Washington.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
This year’s Easter weekend has seen Australian airports and airlines struggle to manage the highest amount of passengers some airports have seen in over two years. News outlets across the country have been sharing footage of lines extending outside terminals as over 250,000 passengers made their ways through Australia’s major airports on April 14 alone, with Thursday representing just the start of the expected vacation period.
Although a positive sign for Australia’s tourism industry, which has faced two years of economic downturn during Australia’s Covid-19 lockdowns, passengers were far from happy with overloaded customer services. Long waiting times have resulted in airports requesting passengers arrive at least two hours earlier than normal, with security companies desperate to fill rosters and even corporate staff being called in to help.
Staff Shortages A Major Factor
The record amount of passengers moving through airports this weekend have revealed one major shortcoming in Australia’s aviation industry — there simply aren’t enough staff to handle passengers. It’s the most obvious of many teething issues as Australian airlines emerge from the long, Covid-19-induced hibernation of the aviation sector.
Extreme measures have been implemented to maintain security staff at Sydney Airport. Security company Certis has announced it will pay bonuses of 1,000 Australian dollars ($739) for security guards willing to work every rostered shift between April 14 to April 26. The incentive has caused the United Workers’ Union to voice concern that such an arrangement will lead to a Covid-19 explosion, since the requirements for positive cases in Sydney still include seven days of isolation, along with other close contacts.
Airline staff shortages have also added to passenger anger. Qantas flight QF616 from Melbourne to Brisbane was entirely void of luggage, owing to lack of staff. In a statement released by Qantas, the airline stated, “A small number of flights have departed without baggage in recent days. Decisions were made to have these flights depart without baggage to ensure that customers could get to their destination and not face long flight delays or cancellations.”
The statement added, “Qantas will operate a flight this afternoon carrying only baggage (no passengers) between Melbourne and Sydney with one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, helping move baggage that was unable to be carried yesterday.” Despite the plans, many passengers have still found themselves without baggage.
A Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxiing at JFK Airport. (Photo: Shaquille Khan)
These issues were exasperated by Transport Workers’ Union claims that Qantas’ outsourcing of baggage handling roles has led to a panicked response by the airline. Qantas has denied the outsourcing is the cause of disruptions, despite 200 of its own corporate staff being called in to assist passengers.
Into the Spotlight
Qantas has been under increased pressure of late, with consumer advocacy group Choice formally lodging a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over its flight credit policy, which Choice describes as, “potentially misleading and deceptive conduct.”
It comes as the ACCC finalized a three-year long investigation into Qantas’ purchase of a 19.9% stake in Brisbane-based airline Alliance Airlines, which led to no action taken by the consumer watchdog. This recent investigation, along with Qantas’ call centre issues where customers wait hours at a time only to be disconnected, brings Qantas further into the spotlight of public criticism.
The credit policies in place mean passengers were are unable to use credits for flights cheaper than the original, requiring customers to pay more money for airfares despite Qantas holding their previous payments.
Choice explained: “If you have a $500 credit for a Sydney to Melbourne flight and the price is now $475, you wouldn’t be able to use the credit, even if you waived the $25 loss. Instead, you’d have to buy a new ticket and leave your credit untouched.”
The ACCC has invited customers to engage in a consultation, stating: “In particular, we’re interested if the available fare prices for flights are higher when you try to book using your flight credit than when you try to book using other forms of payment (such as cash or credit card) on Qantas’ website.”
The statement follows investigations by Australian media corporation Channel 9 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation into alleged price gouging. The ABC stated that evidence suggests prices were increased when a customer wished to use flight credits.
Last week, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce backtracked over comments he made after suggesting passengers were not “match fit” for flying. Paying passengers have been using social media to vent their negative experiences and anger over perceived lack of customer care and accountability.
The airline did not respond immediately to Airline Geeks’ request for comment.
Mike’s love affair with flight and mechanical objects in the sky began at an early age, fascinated by space documentaries and the vintage Flight Simulator ’95. He currently works as an instructor for UAVs and is training to receive his Private Pilot Licence with the goal of working in manned flight instruction. An avid reader of all things aviation and manned space flight, Mike stays close to developments in aerospace while reminiscing and sharing the rich history of flight with others. He loves writing, engineering and science.
