Routes Silk Road

There is little doubt about the potential for growth in the Asian market and China in particular. Air travel has grown sharply in China, amid relatively strong economic growth. This has seen strong growth among Chinese carriers and airports, and an increasing focus on international services.

Chris Seymour, head of market analysis at Flight Ascend Consultancy, examines cargo s mixed fortunes as yields fall, and looks ahead in a 20-year aircraft delivery forecast

Southwest Airlines chief executive Gary Kelly likes to call the airline a maverick. The world s biggest low-cost carrier knows a thing or two about being just that. It stands alone as the only major US carrier that has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in its history no small feat when several of its peers have gone down that route as the US airline industry struggled to get back on its feet following the blows of 9/11 and two recessions.

Airlines appear to be increasingly interested in using new-generation narrowbodies to make thinner long-haul routes more economically viable.

Business aviation services provider, Comlux has become the first company to opt for a retrofit of sharklet wing-tips on an Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) with with the modification carried out in early September.

The varying strategies of US mainline carriers to Asia is a nice contrast to their convergence elsewhere, ranging from inflight amenities to the structure of their frequent flier programmes.