Five years ago, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines signaled the start of a new era for the troubled US airline industry, which was then mired in the aftermath of a string of Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructurings and years of huge financial losses. Delta alone incurred a $10 billion net loss in just one 24-month period (2005-2006)....More
Onboard life has changed dramatically with Internet, LED and wireless cellular technology delivering what passengers increasingly expect—the same level of connectivity, comfort and entertainment at 30,000 feet as they have in their homes....More
The Level D full flight simulator (FFS) retains its position as the indispensible device for flight crew training and qualification. What’s changing is airlines’ sharpened focus on lowering operating costs and a market in which new players to the commercial business are vying with long-established airline training and simulator providers....More
The majority of engine, airframe and component maintenance is now outsourced. Major questions remain about how much these outsourced shares will grow, which firms will get the business and under what sort of contracts. But the bulk of the heavy work is going outside....More
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has been operating since 1946, but in November it almost disappeared from the European aviation landscape. “It was very serious, I can be open about that,” SAS president and CEO Rickard Gustafson said. “I had the board gathered that weekend. If we didn’t reach an agreement, the board was prepared to wind down the company.”...More
A slowdown in world trade growth and shifts in the freight commodity mix are frequently cited as the two main reasons for the global air cargo market decline in recent years. According to IATA, airfreight markets declined for a second straight year in 2012, falling a further 1.5% in 2012 after a 0.6% decline in 2011. The freight load factor for the year was 45.2%....More
“Now that the uncertainty is out of the way, let the uncertainty begin.” This summarizes the situation surrounding aviation’s inclusion in the European Union’s emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) following the so-called ”stop the clock“ decision....More
Competition was a recurring theme throughout the World ATM Congress conference in Madrid in February, to some extent de-bunking the traditional theory that air traffic management is a natural monopoly....More
With a fleet of more than 190 aircraft flying to 120 destinations in more than 60 countries around the world, Emirates continues its growth trajectory. Over 1,000 Emirates flights depart Dubai and Emirates flights account for nearly 40% of all flight movements in and out of Dubai International Airport. Tim Clark talks about managing future growth of what is already a massive operation....More
