Data/Airline Economics Channel

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SITA/ATW Self-Service Survey

By Aaron Karp

Passengers are responding positively to automated interaction with airlines and want more.

Southwest's RNP investment: Is $175 million pledge too far ahead of US government, industry?

By Aaron Karp

Southwest Airlines has committed boldly to investing $175 million to implement Required Navigation Performance fleetwide, an endeavor that includes retrofitting at least 115 737 Classics' cockpits, ensuring its more than 320 737-700s are equipped to be RNP-capable, training its pilots and working with US FAA to develop RNP procedures for the more than 65 airports into which it operates. But will the US government and other airlines similarly move forward, or will SWA within the next 2-3 years have aircraft and pilots capable of operating at a level of efficiency that FAA and much of the rest of the US industry is unable to reach for the foreseeable future?

Liberalizing air transport: Has frustration over ownership restrictions reached a tipping point?

By Aaron Karp and Christine Boynton

As the global airline industry struggles through one of the worst years in its history, with IATA projecting a collective full-year loss of $11 billion, dissatisfaction with restrictive ownership and control regulations is mounting. The complaint that airlines are hamstrung by a limited ability to pursue capital and mergers across borders is certainly not new, but industry leaders believe the current economic environment brings a higher level of urgency to efforts to ease nationality constraints.

High-performance airlines: What distinguishes air transport's consistently successful players?

By Aaron Karp

Consistently generating revenue and earning profits is perhaps more of a challenge in the airline industry than in any other global business. Air transport's high costs, cyclical nature and vulnerability to twists and turns in the general economy leave many carriers searching for answers. But there are a small number that, while not completely immune to financial pressures, have managed through the years to outperform their industry peers in good times and bad.

Forecast 2010: Shuffle the Cards

By Perry Flint

This looks to be a transition year for the struggling airline industry. Profits won't flow but traffic will start to recover.

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IATA: Airline CFOs confident demand, profitability will continue to improve

Tuesday February 9, 2010

IATA said executives from airlines around the world reported "a sharp improvement in the business environment" for the air transport industry in the final months of 2009 and are optimistic that conditions will continue to improve throughout the current year. [more]

Tuesday February 9, 2010

UK airports handled 206.6 million passengers in the January-November 2009 period, down 7.6% from the year-ago period, according to RDC Aviation's UK Passenger and Cargo Monitor. Scheduled passengers decreased 6.2% to 183.2 million while charter traffic fell 17.2% to 23.4 million, RDC reported based on CAA data. London Heathrow maintained its leadership, handling 60.7 million, down just 1.7%, while Stansted saw passenger numbers slip 11.3% to 21 million. Gatwick boardings declined 5.7% to 32.1 million. Belfast City experienced the largest increase of the UK's top 25 airports at 1.2%. Glasgow Prestwick recorded the largest decrease, 24.3%. Edinburgh and Belfast City were the only two airports among the 25 largest to report increases. The US was the most popular destination from London with 13.1 million passengers, down 8.8%, while Spain was the most popular from the UK with 16.7 million, off 14.6%.

Tuesday February 9, 2010

Kenya Airways flew 2.14 billion RPKs in the fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, up 1% year-over-year. Capacity rose 5% to 3.18 billion ASKs and load factor slipped 2.2 points to 67.4%. Passenger numbers rose 4.2% to 773,079.

Short-term improvement will not stop 'record' full-year loss at BA

Monday February 8, 2010

British Airways maintained its stark outlook and warned of "record losses" in its fiscal year ending March 31 despite sharp cost cuts and a better-than-expected third-quarter loss of £37.5 million ($58.9 million), narrowed 52% from the £78 million deficit suffered in the year-ago period. [more]

Steven Udvar-Hazy retires from ILFC

Monday February 8, 2010

Unable to arrange a purchase of the aircraft leasing giant he founded from parent American International Group, ILFC CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy retired from the company Friday. [more]

Finnair annual loss doubles to €102 million

Monday February 8, 2010

Finnair reported a 2009 net loss of €102 million ($142.2 million), more than double the €46.3 million loss it suffered in 2008, citing a "historically difficult year" in which demand and yield plunged. [more]

Growing SpiceJet returns to profit

Monday February 8, 2010

SpiceJet reported a company record INR1.09 billion ($23.5 million) profit in its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, reversed from a INR179.6 million deficit in the year-ago period that resulted largely from a INR187.8 million charge related to a dispute with an investor. [more]

Virgin Blue forecasts A$80-A$110 million full-year profit

Monday February 8, 2010

Virgin Blue estimated that its profit before tax and exceptional items for the fiscal year ending June 30 will be A$80-A$110 million ($69.2-$95.2 million), compared to a loss of A$93 million in the prior year. CEO Brett Godfrey told shareholders in November that Blue expected to return to the black this year (ATWOnline, Dec. 1, 2009). It said the new forecast reflects better operating conditions in the first half of the fiscal year, including a 27.6% year-over-year drop in average fuel price to $92 per barrel and a recovery in domestic yields from the lows seen in early 2009. However, it warned that the unpredictable pace of the economic recovery and competition from Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways could put pressure on yields for the remainder of the year.

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