Europe
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Airline Business
Wizz puts its faith in SAF amid scarcity, mandates and increased momentum
While much of the attention of Wizz Air’s eye-catching investment in a UK firm with ambitions to turn human waste into a biofuel was on the unlikely source of the feedstock, more significant perhaps is the low-cost carrier’s increased interest in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
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Analysis
Turkish Airlines sees growth sustaining with long-haul, cargo and AJet
While inflationary, geopolitical and aircraft availability issues continue to cloud the horizon, Turkish Airlines is still aiming to increase passenger capacity by 10% this year.
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Analysis
European airlines cite Chinese access to Russian airspace as they seek ‘level playing field’
Europe’s airlines are keen for authorities to address the competitive advantage that Chinese carriers currently experience in being able to fly through Russian airspace, as part of a broader push for what they call a “level playing field” with international competitors.
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Newsletter
Europe’s airlines heartened by sharp change in perception of industry
Thanks to its founding mission, Airlines for Europe (A4E) might be naturally inclined towards pointing out things that need improving in the policy and regulatory sphere, but the European airline association also used its annual summit on 20 March to highlight a fundamentally positive development for the region’s carriers.
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Analysis
Freshly listed Air Astana eyes more growth after profitable 2023
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana Group is eyeing further growth this year after continued expansion of its low-cost subsidiary FlyArystan helped it lift its adjusted EBITDA slightly to $301 million in 2023.
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Newsletter
Lagging Asia-Pacific leaves global airline traffic just short of 2019 levels
That the global airline industry is able to record a 17% year on year rise in passenger traffic for January 2024 and still be just below 2019 levels is a reminder of how nascent some aspects of its Covid-19 recovery are.
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Analysis
Asia key opportunity as Lufthansa aims to catch-up on capacity
Recovering Asia-Pacific markets will be a key part of Lufthansa Group plans for a 12% in capacity in 2024, even if ongoing supply chain challenges have prompted it to tone down its growth plans for the year.
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Analysis
Upbeat IAG strikes positive note as BA and Iberia head growth in 2024
After delivering one of the highest operating profits in its history, European airline group IAG offered little by way of firm guidance for the year to come but was in positive mood in its commentary.
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Analysis
Norwegian ‘very pleased’ about full-year profit and potential Wideroe impact
Scandinavian low-cost carrier Norwegian expects its recently completed acquisition of compatriot Wideroe to begin to have an impact on its earnings in 2024, amid signs that the latter might outperform earlier near-term forecasts
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Analysis
Finnair ‘has made it through the crisis’ after capping profit return with strong end to 2023
Finnair’s interim chief executive Jaakko Schildt believes the company has demonstrated that it has made it through the double crisis of the pandemic and impact from the closure Russian airspace after confirming the airline’s first full-year profit since 2019.
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Analysis
Iceland’s Play looks to bolster equity after seismic disruption to profit plan
Icelandic budget carrier Play aims to strengthen its equity through a move onto Iceland’s main stock market as it seeks to build a financial buffer and fuel future growth after a tough end to 2023 as travel demand to Iceland dipped amid concerns around increased seismic activity.
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Analysis
Why growing Ryanair expects European short-haul capacity to fall this summer
Ryanair believes that European short-haul capacity will be down year on year in the coming summer season, leaving it significantly below pre-Covid levels, in a development that will support higher fares.
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Analysis
How is Wizz Air handling impact of Middle East war and GTF groundings?
Few airlines in Europe were more exposed to two of the industry’s biggest headwinds in the final three months of 2023 than Wizz Air.
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Analysis
Despite exceptional 2023 figures, airline safety faces scrutiny after wake-up calls
The airline industry’s exceptional performance in 2023 illustrates how much safety has improved over recent decades – but the new year’s opening week delivered a stark wake-up call.
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Analysis
Aviation industry rallies behind SAF in decarbonisation push
The third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels in Dubai gave a resounding signal that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the big hope to decarbonise air transport.
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Analysis
Smith heralds Air France progress after catching up on profit with KLM
One of the most notable aspects of the improved financial performance Air France-KLM has enjoyed since the pandemic is the extent to which Air France is contributing to the group’s performance.
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Analysis
Walking away from Paris Orly would be ‘a lost opportunity’: Air France-KLM chief on Transavia plan
Air France-KLM chief executive Ben Smith believes the group’s strong slot position at Paris Orly makes for too good an opportunity to walk away from, as it puts its faith in low-cost unit Transavia to deliver a profitable operation from the airport.
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Newsletter
Why airline industry focus is on the margins of profitability
Confirmation from IATA that the airline industry will return to collective profitability this year and that passenger volumes will shortly surpass pre-Covid levels is an indication that the sector has finally normalised.
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Analysis
Walsh takes heart from united front in countering Schiphol capacity cuts
IATA director general Willie Walsh believes other governments will take note of the legal processes to follow after the Dutch government was forced to drop a plan to cut capacity at Amsterdam Schiphol airport amid mounting pressure. The Dutch government had last summer proposed cutting flight capacity at Schiphol – ...
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Analysis
Level to get its own AOC as part of IAG Spanish expansion plans
IAG’s long-haul, low-cost carrier Level is to get its own air operator’s certificate (AOC) and will increase its fleet to eight aircraft by 2026 under growth plans disclosed at the airline group’s Capital Markets day on 21 November.