AirlinesAirAsia X Fourth Quarter Profit Drops 80 PctMalaysia’s AirAsia X reported an 80 percent drop in fourth quarter net profit as foreign exchange losses hit the bottom line. The long-haul budget carrier saw quarterly net profit drop to MYR39 million ringgit (USD$8.7 million) from MYR197.4 million in the same quarter of 2015. Net operating profit came in at MYR100.6 million, up from MYR75.1 million, before the foreign exchange loss of MYR93.1 million.
LinkAir New Zealand H1 Net Profit Down 24 PctAir New Zealand posted a 24 percent drop in first half net profit to NZD$256 million (USD$184.4 million), as competitors introduced “unprecedented competitive capacity” into the market. Operating revenue for the six months to end December 2016 of NZD$2.54 billion, was a 4.2 percent dip from the previous year.
LinkAtlas Air Worldwide posts $41.5 million 2016 net profitAtlas Air Worldwide Holdings earned a 2016 net profit of $41.5 million, a nearly six-times increase over net income of $7.3 million in 2015, though the 2015 results are skewed by one-time charges related to settling class-action litigation. The Purchase-New York based air cargo operator’s annual revenue was essentially flat in 2016 at $1.8 billion. But president and CEO Bill Flynn called 2016 “historic” for Atlas, which acquired Southern Air for $110 million and entered into a wet-lease contract with Amazon during the year.
LinkCitilink receives Indonesia’s first A320neoCitilink has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo, making it the first Indonesian carrier to operate the type. Configured with 180 seats in a single class, this is the first of 35 A320neos the low-cost arm of Garuda Indonesia will receive, says Airbus.
LinkHawaiian Airlines launches Opinions Take Flight programHawaiian Airlines has launched a new program called Opinions Take Flight, in which passengers can earn loyalty points in exchange for providing feedback about their experiences. Currently the program is running in the US, but Hawaiian plans to expand internationally in the future.
LinkKalitta pilot accused of flying jumbo jet while drunk A Brevard County pilot has been accused of drunkenly flying a Boeing 747 overseas while working for a U.S. armed forces subcontractor, federal court documents said. Daniel R. Criss, who was working as a pilot for armed forces subcontractor Kalitta Air, was charged Wednesday in Orlando federal court with flying the jet between Osan Air Base in South Korea and Yakota Air Base in Japan while drunk.
LinkLOT Polish Airlines expands international services to IsraelLOT Polish Airlines plans to restore international services to several regional airports in its home market. The Polish national carrier will begin services to Tel Aviv from Lublin, Gdańsk, Poznań and Wrocław from summer 2017. There will also be additional services to the Israeli city from Warsaw, giving a twice-daily rotation from the Polish capital.
LinkNorwegian transatlantic 737 flights to begin in JuneNorwegian will begin its long-planned transatlantic Boeing 737 Max service in June, when it connects Hartford, Newburgh Stewart and Providence to five cities across Ireland and the UK. The low-cost carrier's Irish subsidiary Norwegian Air International (NAI) will in June and July start flights from the three US cities to Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Edinburgh and Shannon. It will operate 189-seat 737 Max 8 aircraft on the routes.
LinkQantas unveils new 787 premium economy seatQantas has unveiled the new premium economy seat that will be fitted on its Boeing 787-9s, which it says offers more recline and width over its current product. The Oneworld carrier says that the seat is based on a Thompson Aero Seating prototype, and was “heavily customised” by Australian designer David Caon, who worked on the refurbishment of its 737s and 717s.
LinkQantas First-Half Net Profit Falls 25 PctAustralia's Qantas Airways posted its first half results on Friday, showing a net profit fall of 25 percent to AUD$515 million (USD$396.7 million). The group’s preferred measure, underlying profit before tax, was AUD$852 million, down 7.5 percent from the previous year’s AUD$921 million.
LinkUnited creates self-service information portalUnited Airlines' new United Sales Information Portal will launch next month, providing self-service reports and travel waiver processing for United's corporate clients and travel management company partners.
LinkGrupo Viva Aerobus posts $37 million net profit for 2016Mexican low-cost carrier (LCC) Grupo Viva Aerobus posted a 2016 net profit of MXP765.8 million ($37 million), a 69.2% increase over the company’s MXP452.7 million 2015 net income. The airline’s 2016 net income margin was 12.3%, up 2 points from 2015. In November 2016, the LCC became an all-Airbus operator following the final flights of the remaining Boeing 737-300s in its fleet. As of Dec. 31, 2016, Viva Aerobus’ fleet comprised 19 A320ceos and two A320neos.
Link