AirlinesAir Canada partners with Visit Scotland for travel agent seminarsEngaging with agents and inspiring them to sell Scotland to their clients was the strategic motivation for the Visit Scotland and Air Canada teams to gather a group of 30 select agents for seminars at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, as Scotland launched its global ‘Spirit of Scotland’ campaign. Steve Goodfellow, Air Canada Director of Sales, Eastern Canada said, “Workshops with small groups create outstanding partnerships, and foster relationships between the agents, the destination and airline.”
LinkAir France CEO Frederic Gagey to become AF-KLM Group CFOAir France CEO Frederic Gagey is expected to move to become Air France-KLM Group CFO, as the Franco-Dutch firm prepares to announce its new strategy. Gagey has been Air France CEO since 2013. Sources close to the situation told ATW that Gagey will succeed CFO Pierre-Francois Riolacci, who has already announced plans to step down.
LinkAmerican expands codeshare agreement with Fiji AirwaysAmerican Airlines announced the expansion of its codeshare agreement with Fiji Airways. American can now place its code on Fiji Airways flights between San Francisco International Airport and Nadi, Fiji.
LinkEurowings cabin crew to strike Oct. 27Lufthansa Group low-cost (LCC) subsidiary Eurowings flight attendants, represented by the UFO union, have called for a 24-hour strike on Thursday, Oct. 27. UFO said last week that strikes could be possible at any time for two weeks from Oct. 24, after management negotiations failed. UFO said the latest round of talks held Wednesday were also unsuccessful.
LinkFinnair more than doubles net profit in 3Q; uncertainty loomsFinnair recorded a third-quarter net profit of €87.6 million ($95.6 million), more than doubled from €39 million for the year-ago period. Finnish flag carrier achieved the result on revenue of €640.9 million, up 3% on the comparable period last year. However, the airline said the next few months would see increasing uncertainty. Finnair reiterated its previous assessment that its 2016 capacity would grow by approximately 7% compared to 2015, but revenue would grow more slowly.
LinkJetBlue reports improved revenue trends, expectations for employee pay growthJetBlue Airways on Wednesday reported better revenue and higher costs associated with expected pay raises in the new year and rising jet fuel costs. Hurricane Matthew is expected to be a factor in the company's fourth-quarter results.
LinkSAS Scandinavian Airlines takes delivery of first A320neoSAS Scandinavian Airlines has taken delivery of its first of 30 A320neo aircraft, becoming the first airline in Scandinavia to operate the type. SAS ordered the A320neo as part of its strategy to modernize its fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft, reducing environmental impact such as emissions and aircraft noise. The A320neo will join SAS’s existing Airbus fleet of 25 A320 family aircraft, eight A330s and eight A340s.
LinkSouthwest posts $388 million 3Q net profit despite July outage lossDallas-based Southwest Airlines posted a $388 million net profit for the 2016 third quarter, down 33.6% year-over-year (YOY) from $584 million in 3Q 2015. Southwest board chairman, president and CEO Gary Kelly said the airline benefited from low fuel prices and record traffic levels during the quarter, “especially considering the operational challenges caused by the technology outage in July.” Southwest said the outage cost the company an estimated $55 million in lost revenue.
LinkSwiss International Air Lines orders additional Boeing 777-300ERLufthansa Group subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has placed a new order for one 777-300ER, valued at $339.6 million at list prices. The Swiss airline had previously ordered nine 777s and taken delivery of six this year as it continues to establish the 777-300ER as its flagship. “The 777-300ER will be the backbone of our long-haul fleet for many years to come,” SWISS chief technical officer Peter Wojahn said. “As one of the largest operators of the 777-300ER in Europe, we can offer our passengers unrivaled frequency and passenger comfort to a number of intercontinental markets thanks to this super-efficient, long-haul aircraft.”
LinkUnited breaks ground on operations center at Houston airportUnited Airlines broke ground Tuesday on a $162 million operations center at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The center, slated for completion in 2018, will offer around 200,000 additional square feet of hangar space.
LinkVolaris sees strong 3Q growth; to start Costa Rica operationMexico City-based Volaris reported a 2016 third-quarter net income of MXP1 billion ($55 million), down 7.1% from the year-ago period. But the ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) continued its strong growth path, adding five new international routes, growing passenger numbers by 18.9% and increasing non-ticket revenues by 43.4%. Volaris’ total 3Q operating revenue was MXP6.7 billion for the third quarter, an increase of 29% year over year. Expenses, however, grew with operating costs per available seat mile (CASM) increasing 22.9% year over year to MXP131 cents.
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