Stories

U.S. Start-Up Northern Pacific Airways Talks Future at Sumptuous California Unveiling

John Flett
Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

New Pacific's first Boeing 757-200 at an unveiling event in Southern California (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Northern Pacific Airways introduced the livery design of its first aircraft at an event in San Bernadino, Calif. on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Boeing 757 aircraft previously operated for U.S. Airways and American Airlines and will be one of 12 757s initially planned for the commencement of services by the Anchorage, Alaska-based carrier. The airline’s parent company also operates commuter airline RAVN Alaska.

Commenting on the livery Northern Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rob McKinney stated: “The livery design captures the Northern Pacific brand and our affection for our Alaskan home. The design echoes our airline’s values – elevated customer service, an esteemed point of view, and an innovative route strategy designed to connect passengers from east to west.”

Mr. McKinney told those at the livery reveal that Northern Pacific currently has six of the planned 12 Boeing 757s. The aircraft was selected as they were readily available, though the Boeing 737 MAX 9 or Airbus A321XLR are on the radar for future fleet enhancement. The choice of which will be determined by what is likely to be available sooner.

In an interview with Airline Geeks at the reveal event, Mr. McKinney discussed the start-up’s strategy and route network aspirations.

“We are looking heavily on the Asia side: Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Seoul,” said Mr. McKinney. “On the U.S. side at L.A., San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando.” However, details of routes and airports to be used were unable to be divulged by Mr. McKinney at this time because the airline “does not have the authorities from the US DOT (Department of Transportation) yet.”

Eyeing an Icelandair-esque Strategy

Northern Pacific will be using Anchorage’s strategic location on the great circle routing between Asia and the U.S. to influence network strategy. This compares much in the same way that Icelandair has leveraged Reykjavik’s geolocation for trans-Atlantic stopovers linking North America and Europe.

Anchorage’s existing tourism draw and RAVN Alaska’s existing operations would be leveraged to facilitate this. Anchorage airport’s empty North terminal will also be providing the base of operations for Northern Pacific “Where else in the world can you find an empty terminal where you can create an airline?” said Mr. McKinney.

Northern Pacific’s first 757-200 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

When discussing the initial focus on Japanese routes rather than those in China, Mr. McKinney cited pent-up demand as a result of the travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic outbound, Japanese tourism had seen minimal growth compared to other Asian markets and inbound tourism from the U.S. to Japan had declined over the last decade.

“We are definitely optimists,” added Mr. McKinney. “Because of the retraction of the industry and the tapering off of travel that provides the opportunity for us even to enter these markets. If we were to have tried to have done this in 2019 it would have been nearly impossible for us to get slots and gates and the infrastructure needed for an airline of this magnitude.”

With regard to the selection of U.S. destinations from Anchorage, Mr. McKinney cited consideration for routes already well served by existing operators. With the example of Anchorage – Seattle, he said that this was already well served by Alaska Airlines and Delta.

Looking Towards a Crypto Future

“There is so much open space out there to serve so to go on top of two big competitors didn’t seem the wisest.” In addition to a ‘really good’ partnership with Alaska, Northern Pacific will be seeking to leverage the existing alliances in place with RAVN Alaska. Mr. McKinney stated that “we expect that those will stay in place.”

The target demographic for Northern Pacific’s customer market for the airline was “going to skew younger than the typical trans-Pacific traveller and cost-conscious people that are looking for better options,” said Mr. McKinney.

“People that like the convenience of clearing customs in Anchorage versus an LAX. Cryptocurrency as a loyalty program is going to skewer to a younger crowd.” The use of cryptocurrency instead of miles or points is seen by Mr. McKinney as the way of the future.

With this target demographic the 757 will be configured in three classes, shared Mr. McKinney. In a broader discussion at the event, he said that the three classes of travel would be Economy, Economy Plus and Business.

In his discussion with AirlineGeeks, Mr. McKinney said, “We are still working on the exact LOPA and about 180 as the total density. As the airline is not seeking to target the typical premium class traveler.” He said that service in the top class of travel “will be fairly minimal with amenities and food and possibly enhanced internet but not lie-flat seats, touch screens or any of those types of things.”

Seating configurations on Northern Pacific Airways (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

Northern Pacific is seeking to commence inaugural operations in Q3 of 2022 though it may be likely that this target date drifts into Q4.

Reporting by AirlineGeeks’ Katie Bailey and John Flett

John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry. During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team who created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff balancing a mix of corporate and social content. John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. John has held the positions of course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university. In addition he is contracted as an external instructor for IATA (International Air Transport Association) and has been a member of the Heathrow Community Fund’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.

American, United Report Net Losses, Project Capacity Again Lower than 2019

Parker Davis
Verified

Edited By:

Parker Davis

A United Boeing 757 departing Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

U.S. airline industry earnings season continued Thursday morning as rival legacy carriers American Airlines and United Airlines released figures from the fourth quarter and all of 2021. The pair of airlines followed competitor Delta Air Lines’ lead with a beat on the top and bottom lines.

United reported a total load factor — a measure of the number of passengers flown divided by available seats — of 72.2% for the full year 2021, falling behind 2019 by almost 12 percentage points. American during the same period posted a load factor of 75.3%. Both significantly lagged Delta, which last week said it had managed to fill approximately 78% of its seats.

The industry continues to reel from the Covid-19 pandemic, and a surge of the Omicron variant in the fourth quarter throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, alike, hampered their goal of returning to sustained profitability. On an adjusted basis, United posted a net loss of $600 million during the fourth quarter, which after adjusting for one-time items remained a net loss of $500 million. Its Fort Worth, Texas-based competitor announced a $931 million net loss, adjusted to $921 million excluding special items.

Both airlines echoed Delta in warning of sustained downward pressure on load factors through the beginning of 2022, though expressed optimism for a busy spring and summer travel season, both in domestic and international markets. Passengers hoping to book international itineraries, however, may have to yield to travel restrictions in some parts of the world.

“The United team has been fighting through unprecedented obstacles to, once again, overcome the new and daunting challenges that Covid-19 is bringing to aviation, and I am grateful to each one of them for their commitment to taking care of our customers,” said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby in a statement. “While Omicron is impacting near-term demand, we remain optimistic about the spring and excited about the summer and beyond. We look forward to beginning to return the Pratt & Whitney 777s to service this quarter and getting the full airline back to normal utilization — as we ramp up along with demand this year.”

Incoming American CEO Robert Isom expressed a similar sentiment in a press release shared before the markets opened Thursday. American, historically the legacy carrier with the most debt, is specifically looking to change that moving into the new year.

“We’re very proud of the way our team delivered throughout 2021,” Isom said. “Looking forward, our focus in 2022 will be to continue running a reliable airline, returning to profitability, and delivering on our long-term plan to deleverage the balance sheet.”

An American Airlines 737 MAX taxies at LaGuardia. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

United also put specific focus on its 52 Boeing 777s using Pratt & Whitney engines, which it grounded after an uncontained engine failure on an aircraft leaving Denver in 2021. The airline said that, as it gradually ungrounds the aircraft moving into the first half of the year, it will experience significant aircraft utilization improvements.

United also said the airline expects to fly lower capacity — measured in available seat miles — in 2022 than it did in 2019. American did not make similar full-year guidance but said investors should look to first-quarter capacity being 8-10% lower than the same period in 2019.

Eyes now turn to American’s crosstown rival, Southwest Airlines, which will share its 2021 traffic and financial figures Jan. 27. With a more domestic-focused route network, Southwest will provide a different look at the industry than the one the three large legacy carriers have given in the past week.

Allegiant Air, another low-cost carrier with a domestic focus, shared recently its December and full-year traffic numbers, which showed the airline was flying more seats — measured by available seat miles — than at the end of 2019. The airline had similar struggles when it came to load factor, which declined nearly 4% compared to the same period two years prior.

American Airlines hosted its earnings call at 8:30 a.m., while United has its call at 10:30 a.m.

Parker Davis

Parker joined AirlineGeeks as a writer and photographer in 2016, combining his longtime love for aviation with a newfound passion for journalism. Since then, he’s worked as a Senior Writer before becoming Editor-in-Chief of the site in 2020. Originally from Dallas and an American frequent flyer, he left behind the city’s rich aviation history to attend college in North Carolina, where he’s studying economics.

Allegiant’s December 2021 Traffic Numbers Exceed 2019 Levels

Daniel Morley
Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Allegiant A319
An Allegiant A319 in Pittsburgh. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air recently announced its December 2021 passenger numbers as well as its overall passenger traffic for 2021. Passenger numbers for the month exceeded the same month in 2019. This was despite operational difficulty over the holiday period mostly related due to crew shortages from the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The airline also managed to post a profit for the third consecutive quarter since the Covid-19 pandemic began. 

Passenger Numbers Rising

Passenger numbers for December 2021 were up 0.9% compared to December 2019, with 1,320,403 flown on the Allegiant system last month versus 1,308,341 two years earlier. Year over year the airline saw a 96.2% increase in passenger numbers, helped by the reduction in restrictions and the wide availability and uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The airline also operated more flights last month than in December 2019, seeing a 4% increase. Despite the higher total passenger numbers, the load factor was down over 2019 by 3.8 points, with an average load factor of 78.8% last month versus 82.6% for the same month in 2019. 

Throughout the month passenger bookings consistently outperformed bookings in 2019, despite passenger cancellations due to the rise of the Omicron variant. The bookings led to revenue of $458 million for the airline for the month of December. With the increase in schedule disruptions, the airline did spend $23 million in irregular operations costs, due to cancellations and crew shortages. Full financial results for the fourth quarter of 2021 and the yearly results will be released at the beginning of next month. 

Substantial Growth

Overall, the total 2021 traffic numbers substantially exceeded 2020. Passenger numbers were up 58.1% and departures were up 33.1%. 13,367,405 people traveled across the Allegiant system in 2021, compared to 8,623,984 in 2020. Compared to 2019, passenger numbers were still down for 2021 by 9.2%, but departures were up by 5.9%. There were 15,012,149 people that traveled across the Allegiant system in 2019. 

Allegiant and other leisure-based carriers have fared much better during the pandemic compared to their business travel-oriented competitors. They have been able to expand service during the pandemic as people sought outdoor destinations to escape indoor lockdowns. Allegiant added multiple destinations over the course of the year, as well as opened two new crew bases in the Midwest.  The airline also resumed construction of its in-house resort in Port Charlotte, Flo. 

As a sign of their recent growth, Allegiant recently announced a large aircraft order for 100 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The order is the first the airline has made for new Boeing aircraft and is also the first new order for next-generation aircraft. The airline previously made an order for new aircraft from Airbus but this was for the older generations, Airbus A320ceo aircraft. The airline also previously operated pre-owned Boeing 757s for short-lived service from the West Coast to Hawaii. 

Daniel Morley

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.

Virgin Atlantic Signs Codeshare With LATAM

Charlotte Seet
Verified

Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

Virgin Atlantic 787-9
A Virgin Atlantic 787-9 departing London Heathrow. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Transatlantic flights are certainly always in season and are considered the backbone business for long-haul airlines, as passengers are always looking for a quick, direct flight or a connecting flight to their favorite destination. Thus, several airlines have consistently made the effort to increase their transatlantic flight operations.

The United Kingdom — with its strategic location, rich culture, shared language — has many airlines that have been holding the podium for transatlantic flights within the European market. As a result, it is an advantage for other carriers to gain through codeshare connections, such as Alaska Airlines and Kenya Airways who have done agreements with British Airways.

British Airways has competitors, especially since the U.K. holds the crown, in terms of popularity and profitable opportunities.

Interline Agreement

Virgin Atlantic — a competitor that has been on the heels of the flag carrier’s radar — had only just recently announced a healthy competition for the London-Austin, Texas route, which is welcoming come-back to the U.S for Virgin Atlantic, but a rival threat to British Airways.

And if one threat for the month is not enough, Virgin Atlantic proves to deal yet another as it signed a codeshare agreement with LATAM Airlines, offering passengers the opportunity to connect effortlessly to Brazil as Virgin Atlantic will be placing its code on LATAM Airlines London-São Paulo Guarulhos route.

This agreement allows for Virgin Atlantic to gain access to 12 airports in Brazil which includes Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Goiania, Londrina, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Vitoria.

“We’re incredibly excited to launch this new codeshare partnership with LATAM Airlines. We also see opportunities beyond Brazil and look forward to expanding our relationship even further to serve destinations throughout South America including Peru and Colombia,” Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, Juha Jarvinen, said. He also adds that Virgin Atlantic is expecting “to capture demand from corporate travel heading to São Paulo, the commercial capital of Brazil as well as other key business hubs in South America.”

Branching Out

Whilst Virgin Atlantic will be branching out in Brazil and in the hopes of beyond, LATAM Airlines will look forward to branching from the U.K into destinations such as Delhi, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and beyond.

The Santiago de Chile-based airline is looking to grow back its capacity this month, with the addition of Neiva, Colombia, and Loja, Ecuador being added to the airline group’s network this month — all alongside the resumption of its seasonal service on the Santiago-Punta del Este,Uruguay route. By the end of this month, the LATAM Airlines Group will connect approximately 132 destinations in 18 countries.

Previously, LATAM Airlines had a long-term partnership with British Airways before it was ended rather prematurely by regulators. Currently with winds blowing from a different direction, LATAM Airlines is partnered with Delta Air Lines instead — the U.S carrier that Virgin Atlantic is also coincidentally partnered with. It simply goes to show just how powerful and profitable this agreement could be for both Virgin Atlantic and LATAM.

Charlotte Seet

Fascinated by aircraft from a very young age, Charlotte’s dream was to work alongside the big birds one day. Pursuing her dream, she went on to achieve her diploma in Aviation Management and is currently working on her degree in Aviation Business in Administration with a minor in Air Traffic Management. When she’s not busy with school assignments, you can find her aircraft spotting for long hours at the airport. In Charlotte’s heart, the Queen of the Skies will always be her favorite aircraft.

Emirates Suspends 9 U.S. Routes Citing 5G Rollout Uncertainty

Ryan Ewing
Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Emirates 777-300ER
An Emirates 777-300ER. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

In view of the launch of 5G C-band mobile networks in the U.S. scheduled for Wednesday and the growing concern about the impact it will have on the safety of air operations in certain scenarios, Emirates will suspend its flights to nine airports.

The Dubai-based airline issued a statement informing that flights to and from Boston (BOS), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Newark (EWR), Houston (IAH), Orlando (MCO), Miami (MIA), Chicago (ORD), Seattle (SEA) and San Francisco (SFO) will be suspended ‘until further notice.’

This communication also instructs bases around the world not to accept passengers with destinations to these airports, while only those with confirmed tickets to New York/JFK, Washington (IAD), or Los Angeles (LAX) will be able to travel to the United States.

The company said it ‘regrets any inconvenience caused’ and that it is ‘working closely with aircraft manufacturers and relevant authorities to alleviate operational concerns’ and hopes to resume service to the United States soon.

Emirates joins a growing list of global airlines suspending some U.S. flights, including All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines, and Air India.

Major U.S. telecommunication firms AT&T and Verizon have agreed to temporarily slow 5G rollout in some regions pending additional research per MarketWatch.

This story was originally published on Aviacionline. 

Ryan Ewing

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.

Malaysia’s Airports Observe Surge in Passenger Traffic

Pete Ainsley
Verified

Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

A Malaysia Airlines 777-200 similar to the one involved in MH370 (Photo: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) — the operator of managing 39 airports including Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s International Airport and Istanbul, Turkey’s Sabiha Gokcen International Airport — has revealed its passenger capacity for December. The airports in the two countries have reported a total of 5.35 million passengers. The airport in Malaysia has a capacity of 3.11 million passengers, while Istanbul handled 2.23 million passengers.

The international passenger movement in Malaysia has skyrocketed by 114%, thanks to the resumption of Umrah travel or Islamic pilgrimage and the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) program between Malaysia and Singapore, allowing both citizens to travel without quarantine. The domestic traffic in Malaysia also increased by 30% to 2.8 million passengers, compare to November.

In addition, MAHB has seen a 21 percent increase in aircraft movement from November to 40,147. International flights also increased by 15% to 6,582 flights. The traffic figures for December were 41.6% of pre-Covid-19 levels.

In December, Kuala Lumpur International Airport — the gateway to the country — saw a sign of recovery. Myanmar Airways resumed its services from Yangon, Myanmar, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last month.

“Looking at the demand generated by the VTL program, as evidenced by the sold-out flights, it is obvious that such programs will be the catalyst for air travel recovery,” Dato Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, the new Managing Director of Malaysia Airports, said.

Malaysia and Singapore have been facing a setback. In response to the Omicron variant, the VTL program is suspended effective from Dec. 23 to Jan. 20.

Langkawi Travel Bubble 

However, there is not every program could make a success. Following the success of the domestic Langkawi travel bubble. Malaysia introduced the scheme to international travelers — welcoming foreigners to the tourist hotspot of the country. Due to the Omicron variant, the travel scheme fell short of attracting leisure travelers to visit Langkawi. The number of international travelers arriving in Langkawi, Malaysia since Nov. 15 was only 15% as the pre-covid levels.

“We have seen a favorable response to Scoot Air’s direct flight from Singapore to Langkawi in the earlier stage, but we are bracing for the numbers to slow down due to the Omicron scare,” Ardi Bahador, the President of Langkawi Tourist Guide Association said.

In the meantime, Malaysia is trying to reach VTL agreement with Brunei during the pandemic, allowing both citizens to the countries without quarantine. According to local media, arrivals from Brunei has plummeted 99.7% in the first half of 2021.

In addition, Malaysia is determined to avoid closing its border despite the threat of Omicron. Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture highlighted how the high vaccination rates could help leave the border open.

Meanwhile, MAHB revealed the passenger movements of Istanbul, Turkey’s Sabiha Gokcen International airport remained two million above the levels from last June As a result of the high vaccination rate and the lifting of interstate travel restrictions.

Pete Ainsley

Ethiopian Predicts Higher Passenger and Cargo Capacity For 2022

Victor Shalton
Verified

Edited By:

Benjamin Pham

Ethiopian A350
An Ethiopian Airbus A350-900XWB. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Ethiopian Airlines — Africa’s largest carrier — is struggling with its passenger operations,  but the airline could make a full recovery by the end of this year, according to the airline’s CEO Tewolde GebreMariam who spoke at a Dubai Expo event on Jan. 11.

As the airline emerges from the devastating Covid-19 downturn, the airline’s s chief acknowledged that he “wouldn’t say that we will fully recover,” this year, but the carrier’s capacity is likely to rise from 70 percent of pre-Covid today to “80%, 90% maybe 100%.”

The projection may be more optimistic than those of other airline chief executives, with most CEOs noting that passenger capacity is unlikely to reach pre-covid capacity until 2023.

However,  according to GebreMarian, cargo operations has been instrumental during the covid crisis period with the split between cargo and passenger operations becoming somewhat of a ‘tale of two cities.’

Rising Cargo Numbers

Surging increase in air cargo business has steered Ethiopian through greater heights above of many peers in its recovery, with GebreMariam reiterating that the Addis Ababa-based carrier is “cash-positive and profitable,” having “not taken any bailout money”.

The carrier’s employees have received salary increases and bonuses, at a time when many carriers have focused on reducing their workforces.

“You see a clear demarcation between airlines that are well diversified into the cargo business and airlines which didn’t have a strong presence in the cargo business pre-Covid”, GebreMariam said.

An Ethiopian Airlines 737-800 in Nairobi (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Parker Davis)

2022 might bring “slightly lower” air freight demand than that seen in 2021, GebreMariam observes, “But still enough for airlines that have pivoted into the cargo business such as Ethiopian Airlines”.

According to GebreMariam, that is crucial when “the tourism part of travel is not yet recovering as much as expected”.

The Star Alliance cargo strategy, therefore, continues to involve the use of passenger jets for freight-only flying, GebreMariam states, including those temporarily converted into freighters.

Digitization of Air Freight

The airline — through its cargo division — recently launched an online cargo booking portal at cargobooking.ethiopianairlines.com.

“We are pleased to offer our customers convenience in their experience of air cargo booking. We are committed to starting walking the long walk of taking out paper from the entire air cargo process by digitalizing the logistics value chain. Taking out paper from logistics value chain is not only convenient and hassle-free service for customers but also it delivers more efficient operational excellence and achieves long term sustainability goals,” GebreMariam said.

Ethiopian Airlines Cargo customers can use the new online system and sign in for booking access to the carrier’s freight network conveniently using the mobile app — available for Android and IOS. On the Mobile App, customers can check flight schedules, submit inquiries, receive notifications when the shipment is ready, book charter flights and track shipments.

“Our online booking platform will be crucial in empowering direct cargo customers and forwarders with reliable access to our cargo capacity inventory. Besides, our cargo division has proved to the world that it is a genuine partner in times of dire need by delivering lifesaving PPE’s (Personal Protective Equipment) and hundreds of millions various vaccines to all major continents of the world,” he added, when describing how the new technology will be convenient and hassle-free for customers.

The operator has reconfigured around 25 passenger aircraft of various types into freighters during the pandemic, in addition to operating its 10 Boeing 777-200Fs and three 737-800SFS. Ethiopian Cargo has also extended its reach to more than 70 destinations globally, versus 10 pre-pandemic, the airline says.

 

Victor Shalton

Victor Shalton's love for aviation can be traced to when he was 11-years-old. As a seasoned aviation writer, he takes pride in providing the best aviation coverage around the globe and is passionate about advancing his skills in the aviation space. In addition, he loves travelling, writing, arts and while his speaking engagements have taken him around the world, he is proud to call Nairobi home.

Avianca Announces Seven New Routes As It Continues Rapid Growth

Juan Pedro Sanchez Zamudio
Verified

Edited By:

Parker Davis

An Avianca A320 in Miami (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The strongest air network in Colombia and one of the largest in Latin America continues to grow. After inaugurating 17 new routes during 2021, Colombian carrier Avianca this week announced seven new routes and the reactivation of two more beginning in March.

In this way, its passengers will be able to travel non-stop from Colombia and Costa Rica to destinations in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Ecuador.

Regarding the new domestic operations, beginning on March 29, Avianca will start flying between Medellín, Colombia and Riohacha, Colombia, and from May 16, the Colombian carrier will start the route from Bogotá to Ipiales, Colombia.

Internationally, starting March 27, Avianca will fly from Medellín to San José, Costa Rica, from Cartagena, Colombia to San José, and from Cartagena to New York. Then, from March 29, the Colombian flag carrier operate services from Medellín to Orlando.

Concerning Avianca’s operations in Central América, the carrier will be flying from March 28 a route between San José and Quito, Ecuador. Finally, Avianca revealed that from March 27, it will be resuming operations on its route from Cartagena to Miami, and from March 28, from Bogotá to London.

The carrier also announced that its Cali, Colombia to Orlando route, one of the most successful direct international routes inaugurated during 2021, will cease to be seasonal and will be part of the permanent offering of its network.

“In 2021, we set out to inaugurate 50 new routes in the next 3 years and we are getting closer to achieve it,” Ana María Copete, Avianca’s Director of Sales, said in a statement. “We continue to provide more and better point-to-point and non-stop connectivity opportunities to our customers so that they can travel to their preferred destinations in America and Europe.”

Avianca Changes the Way to Earn Miles

This year, LifeMiles, Avianca’s frequent flyer program, will update so that more members reach an Elite level thanks to the reduction of the requirements to maintain their status. In addition, the carrier is changing its mileage accrual scheme, allowing miles to be earned based on the size of the ticket purchased.

From this year, Avianca has established that the requirements to achieve and maintain an Elite status will be reduced by up to 41%. The carrier also reported that 25% of the miles that are accumulated with LifeMiles credit card consumption are eligible for Elite Status.

From Feb. 1 and in line with the “Vuela a tu Medida” fare scheme that Avianca implemented last year, LifeMiles members will accumulate their miles according to the size of the ticket they buy for their trip.

With the XS fare, the passenger will not earn miles; with the S fare, three miles will be earned for every dollar; with M and L fare, five miles for every dollar; and, with the XL and XXL, five miles for each dollar spent.

Juan Pedro Sanchez Zamudio

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.

What’s To Come for ITA Airways in 2022

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo
Verified

Edited By:

Parker Davis

An ITA Airways Airbus A320 with the new livery at Milano Linate International Airport. (Photo: Francesco Zangari – lin_planespotting)

On January 12, 2022, ITA Airways President Alfredo Altavilla and CEO Fabio Lazzerini attended a hearing at the Transport Commission of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. During the meeting, they presented the 2021 results of the airline and the future prospects of the Italian flag carrier in 2022.

After approving the business plan in July 2021, the Italian Newco bought the Aviation branch of the former national airline to start flight operations and acquired the Alitalia brand only so that no other airline could use it. To comply with the discontinuity imposed by the European Commission, after the acquisition of the brand, it started flight operations on October 15, 2021, under the name ITA Airways. The inaugural flight AZ 1637 departed from Milan Linate and landed in Bari at 7:35 AM operated with an Airbus A320 in Alitalia livery. On the same day, there was the launch of its own “Volare” loyalty program, as ITA did not purchase Alitalia’s MilleMiglia loyalty program, because of the discontinuity required.

According to the airline’s data, the 52 aircraft in its current fleet in 2021 flew about 23,000 hours and carried 1.26 million passengers. Right now there are about 230,000 members subscribed to the new loyalty program and revenues amounted to 86 million euros, 50% less than those forecast in the business plan. This was due, according to Chairman Altavilla, above all to the pandemic, which negatively affected international routes, and to the fact that ITA Airways’ advertising campaign suffered considerable delays and consequent ticket sales suffered.

The Italian flag carrier, however, ended 2021 with more than 400 million euros in cash, a figure higher than the business plan forecast of 250 million. This came about, the president says, thanks to correct investments and sound service contracts. The airline’s punctuality in 2021 was 90% and Completion Factor 99.8%, making it one of the top airlines in the world.

ITA Route Network

The main hub will remain Leonardo Da Vinci airport in Rome Fiumicino and the second will be Milan Linate. As regards the domestic network, where the new “Superior” class is already active, unprofitable and non-strategic routes have been reduced. From Rome, there will be, in summer 2022, 17 destinations to Northern and Southern Italy, with particular attention to the preservation of routes where there is no competition from low-cost carriers. From Milan, with a similar strategy, there will be 11 domestic routes to Southern Italy.

Regarding the international network with medium-haul routes in Europe and North Africa from Rome and Milan, there will be a total of 45 point-to-point routes, with a reduction in non-profitable routes.

With regard to the intercontinental network, ITA Airways currently only operates the Rome-New York flight. From the beginning of May 2022, ITA Airways will introduce more routes to North America, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles, to South America with Buenos Aires and San Paulo and finally to Tokyo Haneda.

The Fleet

At the moment, the new blue livery has been inaugurated on only 3 aircraft. The first, an Airbus A320, was dedicated to the 1982 Italian world champion footballer, Paolo Rossi, the second, an Airbus A319, was named after Olympic champion Pietro Mennea, while the third, which landed at Fiumicino last night, an Airbus A320, was named after Italian cycling champion Fausto Coppi. 

ITA Airways has also recently signed an agreement with Airbus for 28 new-generation aircraft to renew its fleet, including 7 Airbus A220s, 11 Airbus A320neo and 10 Airbus A330neo. The company finalized an agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC) for 31 aircraft, including 5 Airbus A330neo, 9 Airbus A321neo, 2 Airbus A320neo and 15 Airbus A220 for regional routes. The Italian airline has also chosen to lease 6 Airbus A350s for the long haul, to complete the modernization of the fleet and thus pursue the green objective of cutting fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 25%.

At the end of 2025, the fleet will therefore consist of 17 owned aircraft and 88 leased aircraft. In 2028, 11 Airbus A320neo are expected to be added, so ITA Airways will own 28 aircraft.

An ITA Airways Airbus A320 with the new livery named after “Fausto Coppi” at Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport. (Photo: ITA Airways)

Employees and Cargo

The average age of ITA Airways’ employees is under 50. This average will be further lowered by the entry of young pilots from the ITA Airways Academy, assures Altavilla. If the fleet and network growth assumptions are consistent with the economic scenario envisaged in the business plan, the airline forecasts that it will be necessary to hire around 1,000 new employees in 2022. Among these new hires will be 300 captains and first officers and over 600 flight attendants, to be followed by a large investment in their professional training.

Compared to passenger traffic, Cargo traffic is growing strongly. This counter-trend is obviously due to the pandemic, which has greatly reduced passenger flights and led to the use of many aircraft in “Preighter” configuration, i.e. aircraft whose seats have been removed to make more room inside the passenger cabin. However, this choice is short-term, as ITA Airways will base at Milan Malpensa 2 Boeing 777-200ER aircraft in wet lease available from mid-January until July 2022, with the aim of obtaining 50 million euros in revenues from “full-cargo” operations.

The Italian Transport Commission Is Not Satisfied

ITA Airways underlines President Altavilla, which is not large enough to stand alone in the market and offer extensive coverage of its network. It is necessary to integrate the airline within an alliance to guarantee growth and positive economic results in the long term. SkyTeam agreement has a duration of only one year and therefore ITA Airways can leave it by December 2022 without penalty, by giving at least 6 months’ notice. 

The Chairman of ITA Airways confirmed negotiations have been carried out with both European and non-European operators and that the process of selecting an industrial partner will be completed by the first half of 2022.

Following the hearing and at the end of the PowerPoint presentation, however, there was no shortage of controversy on the part of members of parliament who expressed their dissent over certain unjustified decisions made by the Italian airline. First of all, the “loss” of territorial continuity with Sardinia. This has contributed to the loss of revenues compared to what was foreseen in the business plan, given that the connections with the Peninsula have ended up under the control of the Spanish low-cost company Volotea. Finally, what was highlighted as “offensive” was the failure to deliver the official business plan for the second consecutive time. The 2022 Business Plan is still “always presented in a very quick and confusing way by the management of ITA Airways and the slides cannot be a substitute for a real business plan documentation”. Therefore, the committee requested a third hearing to be held next Wednesday.

Vincenzo Claudio Piscopo

Vincenzo graduated in 2019 in Mechanical Engineering with an aeronautical curriculum, focusing his thesis on Human Factors in aircraft maintenance. In 2022 he pursued his master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Palermo, Italy. He combines his journalistic activities with his work as a Reliability Engineer at Zetalab.

Norse Atlantic Airways Preparing for Launch After Receiving US DOT Approval

Charlotte Seet
Verified

Edited By:

Parker Davis

Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Norse Atlantic Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. (Photo: Norse Atlantic Airways)

Starting up an airline from scratch is no easy feat, especially amidst a worldwide health crisis that has the stability of the aviation industry in its grasp — as the world has once again witnessed with the ongoing Omicron variant wave hitting various countries, causing several airlines to carry out mass cancellations of flights.

The uncertainty in the aviation industry has not once stopped newcomer long-haul, low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways – which has been progressing towards its launch without much of any turbulence. Having only just signed for its initial fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners in August last year, the airline had already received its first aircraft in December and nicknamed it “Rondane.”

Tailwinds have been driving the airline’s progress even further as it was granted a year-end’s present in the form of an Air Operator’s Certificate by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority in late December, which solidifies Norse Atlantic Airways as an airline that has all the assets, personnel and systems in place to meet the expected safety standards and will be allowed to commence commercial flight operations.

Finishing Touches

It would seem that Norse Atlantic Airways is on final approach to commence flying operations as the airline received approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation for its transatlantic flight application.

“We are thrilled by the Department of Transportation’s approval of our affordable transatlantic flights. This significant milestone brings Norse one step closer to launching affordable and more environmentally friendly service to customers traveling between Europe and the United States. We appreciate the USDOT’s constructive and prompt approach, and we look forward to working with them in the months ahead,” said Norse Atlantic Airways CEO and Founder Bjørn Tore Larsen in a prepared statement.

Once operations have commenced, the airline is planning to fly between Oslo and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Ontario, Calif. and Stewart, N.Y. Additionally, Norse Atlantic Airways then has plans to expand to more states in the U.S. and perhaps even to cities in Europe in the future.

Growing Community

Besides progressing the airline’s operation commencement, the approval from the Department of Transportation also opens up a variety of jobs in the U.S for roles such as cabin crews, travel and tourism.

“Our people will be our competitive advantage. We are building a high-performance culture and creating an environment where we value diversity, ensuring that all colleagues feel a sense of belonging. We look forward to start recruiting our new colleagues in the U.S.,” Larsen said.

This goes hand in hand with Norse Atlantic Airways goal of building a community as back in May last year, the airline had reached a historic pre-hire agreement with the U.S Association of Flight Attendants that provided an initiative to create at least 700 positions in the U.S. Ultimately, Norse Atlantic Airways is looking to bridge a positive socio-economic impact for both Norway and the U.S.

The first flights are expected for take-off in the coming spring with the probability of tickets going on sale soon seeming as high for now, but so is the possibility of a delayed or even aborted take-off for Norse Atlantic Airways as the effect of the Omicron variant still lingers within the industry.

Charlotte Seet

Fascinated by aircraft from a very young age, Charlotte’s dream was to work alongside the big birds one day. Pursuing her dream, she went on to achieve her diploma in Aviation Management and is currently working on her degree in Aviation Business in Administration with a minor in Air Traffic Management. When she’s not busy with school assignments, you can find her aircraft spotting for long hours at the airport. In Charlotte’s heart, the Queen of the Skies will always be her favorite aircraft.
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