CAPA News Briefs

London Heathrow Airport relaunched (22-Oct-2024) its quarterly Fly Quieter and Greener league table, which ranks the largest 50 serving airlines at the airport on their noise and emissions performance. In 3Q2024 the top five performing airlines were SAS, KM Malta Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines. The airport stated it became the "first airport in the UK to introduce this type of league table back in 2013". [more - original PR]

Lufthansa, via its official Twitter account, announced (18-Oct-2024) "Lufthansa got its first A350 with the new Allegris first class cabin". The cabin offers three luxurious suites and is expected to enter service "soon".

Emirates Airline announced (17-Oct-2024) plans to deploy retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft featuring premium economy cabins on the following routes:

• Dubai-Kuwait: Daily from 27-Oct-2024;
• Dubai-Dammam: Twice daily from 22-Nov-2024.

Dammam will become the second destination in Saudi Arabia to be served with retrofitted 777 equipment following Riyadh. [more - original PR]

VietJet Air operated (17-Oct-2024) two flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provided by Petrolimex Aviation. The flights departed from Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat Airport to Melbourne and Incheon, marking the first time SAF was used for flights departing from Vietnam. [more - original PR - Vietnamese]

PLAY announced (16-Oct-2024) a change to its business model, further increasing its focus on leisure markets out of Iceland while reducing its business of connecting passengers between North America and Europe. The carrier's point-to-point services, mainly between Iceland and southern Europe, have been consistently profitable, however yields on its hub-and-spoke operations across the Atlantic has been disappointing, particularly in 2024, due to increased competition. In response, PLAY plans to reduce its destinations in North America and northern Europe by mid 2025, while expanding its leisure markets in southern Europe. PLAY has therefore applied for an air operating licence (AOC) in Malta to support operating part of its fleet outside of Iceland, with the process expected to be completed by spring 2025. The first aircraft under the Maltese AOC will be based in Tenerife, operating to Reykjavik Keflavík and Akureyri, as well other destinations. Following these changes, PLAY expects to operate six to seven aircraft on its Icelandic AOC and three to four on the Maltese. PLAY emphasised its financial position remains secure, with no current plans to raise capital. However, 2024 EBIT is expected to fall below 2023 levels, due to the increase in capacity across the Atlantic in spring and summer 2024 having a greater negative impact than initially anticipated. Further details will be provided during the carrier's 3Q2024 presentation on 24-Oct-2024. [more - original PR]

avianca announced (16-Oct-2024) plans to introduce business class service on 23 additional routes from Dec-2024, for a total of 34. Features of the service include greater recline, additional legroom, charging ports and complimentary meals. The expansion covers routes including San Salvador (El Salvador)-New York, Medellin-Buenos Aires, Medellin-Lima, Bogota-Montreal and Bogota-Panama City. [more - original PR]

Aerus, via its official LinkedIn account, announced (16-Oct-2024) the launch of daily Monterrey-Brownsville service. The launch marks the start of the airline's international operations.

Cathay Pacific welcomed (16-Oct-2024) the Hong Kong Government's initiatives to strengthen Hong Kong's international aviation hub status by capitalising on the commissioning of the three runway system and expanding the scale of the Airport City. Cathay Pacific Group CEO Ronald Lam stated: "We are a committed enabler of Hong Kong's future through the connectivity we provide and within 2025 the Cathay Group will be flying passengers to 100 destinations ​around the world as we continue to expand our network". Cathay Pacific also welcomed the government's initiatives to support collaboration between Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and Zhuhai Airport to improve the 'Fly-Via-Zhuhai-Hong Kong' passenger service and jointly develop an international air cargo business. Mr Lam added: "We are encouraged by the Government's initiatives to continue developing the HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park, enhancing its processing capacity and facilitating more cargo transshipments via Hong Kong to the rest of the world". [more - original PR]

Malaysia Airlines signed (16-Oct-2024) a codeshare partnership with IndiGo. Malaysia Airlines will add its code on services to Kolkata, Varanasi, Patna, Tiruchirappalli, Goa, Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam and IndiGo will place its code on services from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to destinations including Penang, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Malaysia Airlines Group MD Izham Ismail stated: "This strategic partnership reflects our mutual commitment to boosting tourism growth between our nations, especially with the visa free entry for tourists between the two countries". [more - original PR]

Drukair signed (13-Oct-2024) a purchase agreement with Airbus for three A320neos and two A321XLRs. The agreement is pursuant to an MoU signed by the parties in Jul-2024, as reported by CAPA. The aircraft are anticipated to be delivered starting in 2030, and will aid Drukair in its plans to expand connectivity from Gelephu Airport to Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia. [more - original PR]

EUROCONTROL, via its 'Seven-Year Forecast Update 2024-2030 (Autumn 2024)', reported (15-Oct-2024) the following outlook:

• European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) expects 10.7 million flights in 2024, up 5.1% year-on-year and reaching 96% of 2019 levels. This is broadly in line with the Feb-2024 traffic forecast at the network level. The recovery is stronger in Southeast Europe;
• Traffic is projected to grow by 3.7% in 2025, reaching 11.1 million flights, reflecting the 2024 results, an improved economic outlook and optimistic airline schedules for winter 2024/25. Traffic should return to pre-pandemic levels but with notable local variation;
• On a monthly basis, ECAC states are projected to attain 2019 flight levels during summer 2025, despite notable local variation;
• Beyond 2025, flight numbers are projected to grow at an average of 2% p/a, exceeding 12 million by 2030, in line with previous forecasts;
• For Single European Sky states, flight growth is expected to average 2.3% p/a between 2025 and 2029, representing a slight upward revision from the Feb-2024 forecast. [more - original PR]

EUROCONTROL, via its 'Seven-Year Forecast Update 2024-2030 (Autumn 2024)', reported (15-Oct-2024) airlines posted strong results in 1H2024, despite operational challenges. Major airlines, including IAG and Turkish Airlines, significantly surpassed their 2023 performance, indicating strong market demand and industry resilience. However, geopolitical tensions are affecting airlines' competitiveness on certain flows, particularly to Asia, where re-routings have increased operational costs. Fleet issues, such as groundings caused by Pratt & Whitney engine maintenance and aircraft delivery delays, have slowed some airlines' expansion plans. Despite these challenges, airlines remain optimistic, as reflected in their winter schedules. [more - original PR]