Why the plane market is unlikely to crash

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TWO YEARS ago at the Dubai Air Show, things were looking rosy for planemakers. The four big Gulf carriers alone, Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai and Qatar Airlines, bought planes worth more than $170 billion, at list prices, from Boeing and Airbus, the world's two biggest planemakers, in one day. Two years later, at the most recent Dubai show, in November 2015, things looked more worrying for them. There was only one big airline order of note, by Vietjet of Vietnam, for Airbus planes worth $3.6 billion.

Spotlight

Abu Dhabi Aviation

Abu Dhabi Aviation is the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East, operating 61 helicopters (15 Augusta Westland AW139s, 23 Bell 412s, 19 Bell 212s and 4 Bell 206s), 3 fixed-wing aircraft (DHC-8).

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AIR TRANSPORT

What 2019 Taught Us About the U.S. Airline Industry

Article | July 6, 2022

For U.S. airlines, the fourth earnings season is now complete. And as is customary these days, all players produced solid profits. Collectively, Delta, American, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Spirit, and Allegiant reached a double-digit operating margin, topping 10 percent on nearly $46 billion in revenues. For all of 2019, they earned 11 percent on $184 billion. The year before: 10 percent on $175 billion. No other country has an airline industry so stable and profitable. What were the highlights of the final quarter of the final year of the decade? Here’s a review:

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DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

What’s Interesting About 2019’s Busiest International Routes?

Article | January 7, 2022

Have you ever thought about which routes around the world see the most traffic? What would your guesses be? Every year, the organization OAG (Official Airline Guide) puts out a publication detailing the world’s busiest routes. Their 2019 report had some interesting findings. Here’s what it revealed.

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BUSINESS AVIATION

Why The Airbus A220 Is The Plane Of The Future

Article | January 28, 2022

The Airbus A220 isn’t really a new aircraft. Bombardier first flew the CSeries in September 2013, with its entry into service in July 2016. And yet, the A220 seems to be answering problems that we’re not quite having yet. Airbus predicts a need for 7,000 A220s over the next two decades, and that’s probably not too overoptimistic. Here’s how the A220 is the plane of the future, today. The landscape of aviation is changing. In the past, airlines operated on hub and spoke models, passengers were happy to fit around schedules and the price of jet fuel was so low that efficiency wasn’t a huge consideration. Clearly, aviation today is very different.

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Why Does Aegean Want To Buy Croatia Airlines?

Article | February 10, 2020

Croatia Airlines is on sale, and Aegean Airlines expressed an interest to buy it. Why did the Greek flag carrier do this, and what plans could it have for Croatia Airlines? For several years now, the government of Croatia has been trying to sell Croatia Airlines. The national airline is loss-making and has not launched a single new route in 2019.

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Spotlight

Abu Dhabi Aviation

Abu Dhabi Aviation is the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East, operating 61 helicopters (15 Augusta Westland AW139s, 23 Bell 412s, 19 Bell 212s and 4 Bell 206s), 3 fixed-wing aircraft (DHC-8).

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AIR TRANSPORT

Alaska Airlines and Air Tahiti Nui announce new partnership

Alaska Airlines | March 30, 2022

With more of us ready to venture out once again to incredible international locations, Alaska Airlines announced today that Air Tahiti Nui is our newest global airline partner – opening a world of adventure, fun and relaxation in the islands of Tahiti. Beginning Oct. 4, Air Tahiti Nui will begin new nonstop service between our hometown airport in Seattle and Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia located on its main island Tahiti. From there, the possibilities are endless for escapes to dozens of other nearby islands. "Who hasn't dreamed of visiting Bora Bora? We're delighted to have Air Tahiti Nui join our array of global airline partners, further connecting the West Coast to the South Pacific," said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines. "Our guests are going to love the convenience of a nonstop flight to this amazing destination on an airline that offers world-class service and amenities flying the beautiful Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft." "It is with great enthusiasm that we are launching this new direct service to the Pacific Northwest. This will help the further development of tourism to French Polynesia, including from the market of Western Canada. Alaska Airlines is the perfect partner for this, and we are looking with great excitement at the new commercial opportunities that lay ahead. This will strongly reinforce the position of Air Tahiti Nui as the leading airline for services to and from Tahiti." Mathieu Bechonnet, managing director at Air Tahiti Nui Air Tahiti Nui has existing daily nonstop service between Papeete and Los Angeles, an additional key Alaska hub airport on the West Coast. There's also another flight for our guests to get excited about: Air Tahiti Nui, with its historical connection to France, provides nonstop service between Los Angeles and Paris – an extremely popular route between two world cities. Starting April 1, Alaska's Mileage Plan members can earn miles on all Air Tahiti Nui flights. (Please allow 6-8 weeks for miles to post in Mileage Plan accounts.) Mileage redemption for Air Tahiti Nui flights is expected to be available later this spring. Tickets for Air Tahiti Nui flights can be purchased now on the airline's website. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With oneworld and our additional airline partners, our guests can earn and redeem miles with our highly acclaimed Mileage Plan program to fly on more than 20 oneworld and partner airlines all around the globe. Alaska remains committed to Next-Level Care for our guests and employees by implementing more than 100 ways to maintain the highest standard of safety – from clean planes to clean air in the cabin with hospital-grade air filtration systems. For everyone's safety on board, Alaska continues to enforce the federally mandated mask policy, even for those who are fully vaccinated.  About Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize Next-Level Care for our guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world.

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AEROSPACE

Eve and Global Crossing Airlines sign Letter of Intent for up to 200 eVTOL aircraft and enable future collaboration for UAM

Global Crossing Airlines | March 21, 2022

Eve UAM, LLC ("Eve"), an Embraer S.A. ("Embraer") company, and Global Crossing Airlines Group, Inc. ("GlobalX") have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to order up to 200 of Eve's electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). This potential sale is included in Eve's current order backlog of up to 1,785 eVTOLs. The company expects to start the deliveries in 2026. The agreement also enables a promising partnership that intends to explore the development of an ecosystem to scale Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and reinforces the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) in Miami-Dade that was announced today. GlobalX's expertise as a flag airline will contribute not only to the formulation of the infrastructure needed to permit eVTOL flights, but also the deployment of Eve's aircraft throughout their network. "We are honored to be working with Eve Air Mobility and believe their affiliation with Embraer ensures Eve will be the best positioned eVTOL OEM. These eVTOLs will enable us to expand our market throughout south Florida, bringing our customers to their flights at MIA and FLL, as well as local flying within Key West and all of the Keys, Naples, and Palm Beach. This will help extend and expand our brand." Ed Wegel, Chair and CEO of GlobalX "We are delighted with this partnership with GlobalX, which will maximize our efforts to structure UAM operations. Their experience as an airline will contribute to the expansion of Eve's eVTOL deployment in North America. The partnership also ensures both companies' commitment to delivering sustainable UAM and providing the community with better and faster solutions," said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. The completion of the transactions contemplated by the LoI is subject to the execution of definitive agreements and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. About Global Crossing Airlines GlobalX is a US 121 domestic flag and supplemental airline flying the Airbus A320 family aircraft. GlobalX flies as a passenger ACMI and charter airline serving the US, Caribbean, and Latin American markets. In 2022, GlobalX will enter ACMI cargo service flying the A321 freighter, subject to DOT and FAA approvals. About Eve Air Mobility Eve is dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer's more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced eVTOL project, a comprehensive global services and support network and a unique air traffic management solution. About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Read More

A Look at the Airline Industry’s Changing Landscape with Next-Generation Aircraft

Airline Geeks | July 07, 2019

The global aviation panorama is undoubtedly changing at a relatively fast pace. Events happening over the last few months, such as Airbus stopping A380 production by 2021 and the recent launch of the extra-long range version of the Airbus A321 at the recent Paris Air Show, have highlighted a shift towards optimization of resources with the use of more fuel-efficient aircraft that enable airlines to effectively serve their networks and help them expand to more destinations. In order to trace how the industry has been leaning towards efficiency optimization with the use of more fuel-efficient and versatile aircraft, we have to have a look at the key impact of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in global air travel patterns. Despite all of its headaches since its delivery to its launch customer Air Nippon Airways in 2011, the aircraft has created significant opportunities for airlines to exploit new markets and move away from the traditional hub-and-spoke network, towards an increasingly point-to-point structure.

Read More

AIR TRANSPORT

Alaska Airlines and Air Tahiti Nui announce new partnership

Alaska Airlines | March 30, 2022

With more of us ready to venture out once again to incredible international locations, Alaska Airlines announced today that Air Tahiti Nui is our newest global airline partner – opening a world of adventure, fun and relaxation in the islands of Tahiti. Beginning Oct. 4, Air Tahiti Nui will begin new nonstop service between our hometown airport in Seattle and Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia located on its main island Tahiti. From there, the possibilities are endless for escapes to dozens of other nearby islands. "Who hasn't dreamed of visiting Bora Bora? We're delighted to have Air Tahiti Nui join our array of global airline partners, further connecting the West Coast to the South Pacific," said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines. "Our guests are going to love the convenience of a nonstop flight to this amazing destination on an airline that offers world-class service and amenities flying the beautiful Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft." "It is with great enthusiasm that we are launching this new direct service to the Pacific Northwest. This will help the further development of tourism to French Polynesia, including from the market of Western Canada. Alaska Airlines is the perfect partner for this, and we are looking with great excitement at the new commercial opportunities that lay ahead. This will strongly reinforce the position of Air Tahiti Nui as the leading airline for services to and from Tahiti." Mathieu Bechonnet, managing director at Air Tahiti Nui Air Tahiti Nui has existing daily nonstop service between Papeete and Los Angeles, an additional key Alaska hub airport on the West Coast. There's also another flight for our guests to get excited about: Air Tahiti Nui, with its historical connection to France, provides nonstop service between Los Angeles and Paris – an extremely popular route between two world cities. Starting April 1, Alaska's Mileage Plan members can earn miles on all Air Tahiti Nui flights. (Please allow 6-8 weeks for miles to post in Mileage Plan accounts.) Mileage redemption for Air Tahiti Nui flights is expected to be available later this spring. Tickets for Air Tahiti Nui flights can be purchased now on the airline's website. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With oneworld and our additional airline partners, our guests can earn and redeem miles with our highly acclaimed Mileage Plan program to fly on more than 20 oneworld and partner airlines all around the globe. Alaska remains committed to Next-Level Care for our guests and employees by implementing more than 100 ways to maintain the highest standard of safety – from clean planes to clean air in the cabin with hospital-grade air filtration systems. For everyone's safety on board, Alaska continues to enforce the federally mandated mask policy, even for those who are fully vaccinated.  About Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize Next-Level Care for our guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world.

Read More

AEROSPACE

Eve and Global Crossing Airlines sign Letter of Intent for up to 200 eVTOL aircraft and enable future collaboration for UAM

Global Crossing Airlines | March 21, 2022

Eve UAM, LLC ("Eve"), an Embraer S.A. ("Embraer") company, and Global Crossing Airlines Group, Inc. ("GlobalX") have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to order up to 200 of Eve's electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). This potential sale is included in Eve's current order backlog of up to 1,785 eVTOLs. The company expects to start the deliveries in 2026. The agreement also enables a promising partnership that intends to explore the development of an ecosystem to scale Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and reinforces the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) in Miami-Dade that was announced today. GlobalX's expertise as a flag airline will contribute not only to the formulation of the infrastructure needed to permit eVTOL flights, but also the deployment of Eve's aircraft throughout their network. "We are honored to be working with Eve Air Mobility and believe their affiliation with Embraer ensures Eve will be the best positioned eVTOL OEM. These eVTOLs will enable us to expand our market throughout south Florida, bringing our customers to their flights at MIA and FLL, as well as local flying within Key West and all of the Keys, Naples, and Palm Beach. This will help extend and expand our brand." Ed Wegel, Chair and CEO of GlobalX "We are delighted with this partnership with GlobalX, which will maximize our efforts to structure UAM operations. Their experience as an airline will contribute to the expansion of Eve's eVTOL deployment in North America. The partnership also ensures both companies' commitment to delivering sustainable UAM and providing the community with better and faster solutions," said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. The completion of the transactions contemplated by the LoI is subject to the execution of definitive agreements and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. About Global Crossing Airlines GlobalX is a US 121 domestic flag and supplemental airline flying the Airbus A320 family aircraft. GlobalX flies as a passenger ACMI and charter airline serving the US, Caribbean, and Latin American markets. In 2022, GlobalX will enter ACMI cargo service flying the A321 freighter, subject to DOT and FAA approvals. About Eve Air Mobility Eve is dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer's more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced eVTOL project, a comprehensive global services and support network and a unique air traffic management solution. About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Read More

A Look at the Airline Industry’s Changing Landscape with Next-Generation Aircraft

Airline Geeks | July 07, 2019

The global aviation panorama is undoubtedly changing at a relatively fast pace. Events happening over the last few months, such as Airbus stopping A380 production by 2021 and the recent launch of the extra-long range version of the Airbus A321 at the recent Paris Air Show, have highlighted a shift towards optimization of resources with the use of more fuel-efficient aircraft that enable airlines to effectively serve their networks and help them expand to more destinations. In order to trace how the industry has been leaning towards efficiency optimization with the use of more fuel-efficient and versatile aircraft, we have to have a look at the key impact of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in global air travel patterns. Despite all of its headaches since its delivery to its launch customer Air Nippon Airways in 2011, the aircraft has created significant opportunities for airlines to exploit new markets and move away from the traditional hub-and-spoke network, towards an increasingly point-to-point structure.

Read More

Events