Finnair releases its annual report......

The Helsinki-based national carrier of Finland - Finnair has released its annual report for 2022 which tells how the airline's total revenue increased year-on-year as the COVID-19 impact was more significant in the comparison period. Unit revenue (RASK) increased by 8.6 per cent and amounted to 7.53 cents (6.93). The RASK increase was caused by the higher passenger yields and improved passenger load factor despite the higher number of cargo-only flights in the comparison period, as these flights do not generate any ASKs and, thus, have a positive RASK impact.

Passenger traffic 

Even though the passenger traffic figures continued to improve year-on-year, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions was still clearly visible in the 2022 figures and especially in H1. Further, the Russian airspace closure had a negative impact on the figures in 2022. Passenger revenue increased by 306.5 per cent and traffic capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased by 158.8 per cent overall against the comparison period. 

The number of passengers increased by 218.9 per cent to 9,095,800 passengers. Traffic measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPK) increased by 308.6 per cent and the passenger load factor (PLF) increased by 24.8 percentage points to 67.6 per cent. The distance-based reported traffic figures do not take into account longer routings caused by the airspace closure as they are based on the Great-Circle distance.

In Asian traffic, the number of scheduled passenger flights remained limited because of the pandemic impacts. Moreover, Finnair cancelled multiple flights to and from Asia in March following the Russian airspace closure even though it was able to continue operating most of the routes by using longer routings. The number of scheduled passenger flights was nevertheless clearly more than in the comparison period as in Q4 2021 travel opened to e.g., Thailand, Singapore and India, and as Finnair commenced flights from Sweden to Thailand which were, however, discontinued at the end of October 2022. Therefore, ASKs grew by 100.6 per cent and RPKs by as much as 484.1 per cent. PLF increased by 41.0 percentage points to 62.4 per cent. As PLF was still weak and capacity clearly lower than pre-pandemic, it resulted in low passenger revenue compared to 2019. Revenue overall was, however, supported by the strong cargo operations. 

One man’s passion inspires the power of flight for local school kids

One man’s passion inspires the power of flight for local school kids

Jaime Gates remembers the moment he knew he wanted to become a pilot. It was a summer trip in 1997, 12-year-old Jaime and his Boy Scouts of America troop got to tour New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The up-close perspective of the aircraft made an ever-lasting impression on him.

“As soon as I went up to the air traffic control tower and watched the planes land and take off — I was hooked,” he said. Today, Jaime works with 12-year-old (and younger) students in his free time to help them realize their dreams of working in the aviation industry.

He strives to inspire young people in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, to soar to new heights by sharing his passion for aviation because he knows how access is the key to igniting the spark that can shape their futures.

Jaime pursued his passion for flying after he graduated college in Charlotte, North Carolina, continuing his journey into aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. When the recession hit in 2008, Jaime knew he had to put his aspirations of becoming a pilot on hold to meet his financial needs. He decided to pursue a career in computer science for more immediate stability and joined American as a Customer Service Manager in 2011, giving him the opportunity to work in the industry he loves.

“I knew I wanted to be a pilot very early on, but there weren’t many resources for me at the time,” Jaime said. “I had no idea what path to take, and I didn’t have a mentor to guide me on my journey … that along with creating more financial stability is why I had to set my dreams aside.”

Jaime’s mother, Dr. Lena Gates, has been the principal of the Ronald E. McNair Public School 5 in Brooklyn for more than 30 years. She was inspired to start an aviation program at her elementary school as she watched Jaime’s love for aviation grow.

Jaime recalled sitting down with his mom and thinking through the barriers he faced in embarking on his own pilot career, wondering how they could better support students’ journeys into aviation and what hurdles they could help flatten?

They started with access. If you can see yourself there, you can be there. “We begin to dream as early as elementary school,” Jaime said. “So, if we provide the seed at the early stages of students’ liv es, they may plant their roots and grow a career in aviation.”

At a management meeting in April 2022, Jaime and his fellow team members were called on by American Airlines leadership to be intentional and impactful by reaching out to underrepresented communities to search for its next generation of aviators.

“That’s when the light bulb went off for me. I boldly asked if American would be open to supporting the aviation program at my mother’s school,” Jaime said. “Everyone was on board and wanted to get started immediately — and I was absolutely thrilled.”

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In October 2022, the American Airlines Aviation Recruiting team and New York Flight office partnered with the Ronald E. McNair Public School 5 to rebrand the school’s aviation center. American is helping the school expose its students to the power of flight at an early age and encouraging them to dream big.

Corporación América Airports S.A. Reports January 2023 Passenger Traffic

Total passenger traffic up 42.7% YoY reaching 90% of pre-pandemic levels;

Armenia and Ecuador above January 2019 levels, while Argentina and Brazil at 93% and 85%, respectively

Corporación América Airports a leading private airport operator in the world, reported today a 42.7% YoY increase in passenger traffic in January 2023, reaching 89.9% of January 2019 levels.

Passenger Traffic Overview

Total passenger traffic grew 42.7% compared to the same month of 2022, supported by an ongoing recovery in travel demand after the Covid-19 pandemic, as reflected by higher load factors and the gradual resumption of routes and frequencies across all countries of operations. Overall passenger traffic reached 89.9% of January 2019 levels, up from the 87.2% posted in December, with international and domestic passenger traffic reaching 89.8% and 90.8% of January 2019 levels, respectively.

In Argentina, total passenger traffic continued to recover increasing 57.7% YoY and reaching 93.0% of January 2019 levels, up from the 92.1% posted in December. International passenger traffic reached 77.7% of pre-pandemic levels, down from the 82.7% recorded in December 2022, mainly as a result of a tough comparison due to a particularly strong January 2019. Domestic passenger traffic surpassed –for the first time– pre-pandemic levels, by 2.1%.

In Italy, passenger traffic grew 121.7% versus the same month of 2022, when traffic was heavily impacted by the Omicron variant. When compared to pre-pandemic levels, total traffic stood at 91.9% of January 2019, up from the 85.4% posted in December 2022, with international passenger traffic, which accounted for almost 75% of total traffic, reaching 92.6% of January 2019 levels.

In Brazil, total passenger traffic increased 4.3% YoY, and reached 85.3% of January 2019 levels, up from 84.3% recorded in December. Domestic traffic, which accounted for almost 60% of total traffic, improved to 86.0% of pre-pandemic levels whereas transit passengers reached 85.2% of January 2019 levels.

In Uruguay, total passenger traffic, which is largely international, increased 61.0% YoY and reached 74.4% of January 2019 levels, down from the 79.0% posted in December, partly impacted by a weaker-than-expected seasonal tourism, in Punta del Este.

In Ecuador, passenger traffic increased 48.8% YoY and surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 2.3%. International passenger traffic exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 9.3%, supported by routes to Europe, as well as the US and Panama, whereas domestic passenger traffic reached 96.6% of January 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

In Armenia, passenger traffic surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the ninth consecutive month, at 171.0% of January 2019 figures, improving from the 141.1% and 147.7% recorded in November and December, respectively. On a YoY basis, passenger traffic increased 69.8%.

Ameriflight signs intent to purchase agreement with sabrewing aircraft for 35 VTOL air cargo drones

Ameriflight, the US cargo airline, has signed a letter of intent to purchase 35 VTOL air cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft Company, Inc., a U.S. corporation designing and producing a new generation of regional cargo UAV that offers high-efficiency, all-weather operation with vertical landing and takeoff (VTOL) capabilities. The agreement is for the Rhaegal-A aircraft, also known as “Alpha”, the world’s best-in-class, highest fuel and maintenance efficiency cargo UAV on the market. Ameriflight expects to take delivery following type certification of the aircraft.

The Sabrewing partnership and Rhaegal-A purchase will enable Ameriflight to enter into new business opportunities in distribution center logistics. Using the VTOL capabilities to carry over a ton of cargo to off-airport alternative landing zones, the new cargo aircraft will allow Ameriflight to aid customers in developing a faster and more efficient warehouse distribution network. For Ameriflight, this will be a complementary service, not replacing their current flying operation, aircraft, or pilots. The company’s goal is to build diversified aviation services, and this fits well with that vision.

Norwegian reports an operating profit of NOK 1,502 million for 2022

Norwegian reports an operating profit (EBIT) of NOK 1,502 million for 2022

Norwegian has reported its results for the fourth quarter of 2022 and the preliminary full-year results for 2022. For the full-year of 2022, Norwegian delivered an operating profit (EBIT) of NOK 1,502 million. The airline limits losses before tax (EBT) to NOK 80 million in a quarter characterised by seasonally softer demand, demonstrating Norwegian's ability to adjust capacity and conserve liquidity when moving from the busy summer season and into the quieter winter trading period.

For the fourth quarter of 2022, the company delivered an operating loss of NOK 39 million. Profit before tax (EBT) amounted to negative NOK 80 million in the quarter. Continued liquidity discipline led the company to conclude the year with a cash position of NOK 7.8 billion. At year-end, the Norwegian fleet comprised of 70 aircraft.

"We now close a chapter on 2022, a year where our operations have performed well, in spite of sweeping industry challenges across European airports. For the full year, we delivered an operating profit (EBIT) of NOK 1,502 million despite record-high fuel prices and a strong US dollar," said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Norwegian had 4.6 million passengers, up from 3.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Production (ASK) was 6.9 billion seat kilometres, while passenger traffic (RPK) was 5.7 billion seat kilometres. The load factor increased to 81.4 percent from 77.0 percent in the same period last year.

Most punctual Nordic airline

Condor and Bentour transport relief supplies to Turkey

The airline Condor and the tour operator Bentour have jointly organized a special flight with relief supplies for the earthquake region in Turkey and Syria. In cooperation with the Turkish Embassy in Berlin and with the Turkish Consulate General in Frankfurt, flight DE8120 took off at 8:00 this morning. On board the Boeing 767 were, among other things, generators, winter jackets and sleeping bags.

"The scale of the disaster is so indescribably huge that every possible help is needed here," said Deniz Ugur CEO Bentour Reisen.

Christian Schmitt, COO of Condor: "After the terrible earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, Condor has examined all possibilities to support at short notice. Numerous employees have been working flat out to set up this special flight and a great many have volunteered to offer their help. We remain in constant contact with relief organizations on the ground to explore the possibility of additional flights." 

The flight lands at Adana Airport, in the western part of the major city of the same name. It is currently being used to transport incoming aid supplies from there to the crisis regions.

JetBlue to offer more than 250 daily flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.... New route to Tallahassee

JetBlue has announced a new service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) beginning in January 2024, as the airline lays out new plans for more low-fare, high-value flights in South Florida. After its planned combination with Spirit, JetBlue expects to reach more than 250 flights a day at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood by 2027.

“As a customer-centric alternative to the high-fare legacy airline that dominates South Florida, we have achieved rapid growth in Fort Lauderdale and are ready to turbocharge further expansion once we combine with Spirit,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “You shouldn’t have to choose between a low fare and a great experience. JetBlue offers both, and that’s why we are uniquely positioned to challenge the Big Four airlines and boost competition in Florida and across the country.”

Broward County’s master plan for further development of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport would enable JetBlue to grow to more than 250 daily flights. JetBlue has already committed support for a new Terminal 5 and is ready to partner with the airport on further expansion to increase capacity.

“We commend JetBlue for expanding and providing more direct flights between the capital and South Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “These new low-fare flights will further benefit Florida’s thriving economy by bringing more jobs to our communities, and adding more choices for affordable air travel within the state. We look forward to JetBlue’s continued expansion in Fort Lauderdale.”

For the seventh year, Delta has been ranked the top airline on Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work" list.

For the seventh year, Delta has been ranked the top airline on Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work" list.

Each year, Glassdoor reviews the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback on their daily jobs, benefits, interview experience and work environment to determine the top 100 large companies.

"Delta’s place on this list is a testament to our people, who are the Delta Difference,” said Joanne Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer. “We’re powered by our people and strive to put those words into action by centring the employee experience in our business.”

Glassdoor determines which companies make the list during a year-long eligibility period, where employees must meet certain criteria. Employers considered for the U.S. large companies list must have received at least 75 ratings for each of the nine workplace attributes – overall company rating; career opportunities; diversity and inclusion; compensation and benefits; culture and values; senior management; work-life balance; recommend to a friend; and six-month business outlook. The final list is compiled using Glassdoor's proprietary awards algorithm, led by its Economic Research Team, and takes into account the quantity, quality and consistency of reviews.

This year, Finavia celebrates the major anniversaries of two of its airports. Ivalo and Oulu airports will celebrate their 80th and 70th anniversaries, respectively.

This year, Finavia celebrates the major anniversaries of two of its airports. Ivalo and Oulu airports will celebrate their 80th and 70th anniversaries, respectively.

“The airports of Oulu and Ivalo have served passengers and airlines for decades and have developed into important hubs for tourism and business. Both airports ensure good connections and accessibility for the area,” says Jonna Pietilä, Finavia’s VP Northern Finland airports.

Over the past ten years, Finavia has made significant investments in the development of both Ivalo and Oulu airports. The company has invested tens of millions of euros in improving the infrastructure and services at its airports.

Ivalo Airport – the northernmost airport in Finland

“Ivalo Airport is the northernmost airport in Finavia’s airport network and in all of Finland. The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year at our airport, as tourists from all over the world come to admire the magic of Lapland,” says Jarmo Pyhäjärvi, Finavia’s Airport Manager of Ivalo Airport.

Pyhäjärvi says that the 80th anniversary is an important milestone for the airport. Ivalo Airport was originally completed in 1943 but was destroyed in the Lapland War in 1945. After the war, the airport was rebuilt. The gold rush in Lapland in particular gave an impetus to the rebuilding of the airport.

“Over the years, we have extended Ivalo Airport several times to serve the growing number of passengers. In 2016, 1,000 square metres of extra space was added to the terminal, and in 2018, the apron was extended, which doubled the number of aircraft stands, among other things. The latest extension took place in 2019, when the arrivals hall was completed.”

Airbus selects Thomas Toepfer as future Chief Financial Officer

Airbus selects Thomas Toepfer as future Chief Financial Officer

Airbus has appointed Dr. Thomas Toepfer, 50, to succeed Dominik Asam, 53, as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Thomas Toepfer, currently CFO of Covestro AG – a DAX40 company and one of the world’s leading suppliers of premium polymers – will join Airbus on 1 September 2023.

Dominik Asam will leave Airbus on 3 March. Xavier Tardy, Executive Vice-President Finance for Airbus Defence and Space, will ensure continuity during the interim period in addition to his current role.

“We are very pleased to have Thomas joining Airbus as CFO at this important time for the Company. Thomas is a highly regarded CFO in the DAX40 and I am looking forward to working with him on the Airbus Executive Committee as we continue to ramp-up production and secure our long-term ambitions in a complex operating environment,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “I sincerely thank Dominik for everything he has brought to Airbus. Together with his team he helped the Company navigate the most severe crisis of its history, ensuring we are well positioned to manage the recovery and prepare our sustainable future. I wish Dominik all the best for his new challenges at SAP.”

London Stansted kicks-off 2023 with strongest passenger performance since pandemic

Stansted served 1.82 million passengers in January, equal to 94% of pre-pandemic levels

Highest percentage achieved since the lifting of travel restrictions last year

12-month passenger total now stands at more than 24.4 million

London Stansted began the new year as it ended 2022 with another strong passenger and operational performance.

The airport welcomed more than 1.82 million passengers in January 2023, up 173% on the same month last year.

The monthly total was equivalent to 94% of the passengers passing through the airport in January 2019, and the highest monthly percentage achieved in its rapid recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.

The number of passengers using London Stansted in the 12-months ending January 2023 reached 24.4 million, up 217% on the previous year.

Operational performance in January also remained strong, with 99% of departing passengers passing through security in 15 minutes or less.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:  “I’m really pleased the team here at London Stansted delivered yet another the strong passenger performance in January, achieving 94% of passenger volumes for the same month pre-pandemic, and building on the positive growth we experience last year after travel restrictions we lifted.

 I’m equally delighted we continue to provide a smooth and efficient security operation for our passengers, which we aim to maintain as we welcome many more passengers this week as they head off on half-term breaks, and as we build up to the peak summer months.

To meet rising passenger demand, we are recruiting even more colleagues to join our teams, as are many of our business partner across the airport. Last week’s jobs fair proved to be huge success, attracting hundreds of eager job seekers, so our plans to offer the best passenger experience and service as we continue to bounce back are well on-track.”

Air Canada Cargo joins Pharma.Aero collaboration platform

Air Canada Cargo has become a member of the Pharma.Aero cross-industry collaboration platform. Working with other key stakeholders in the pharmaceutical transportation sector, Air Canada Cargo will contribute to and benefit from the group's knowledge and expertise to further develop its handling of pharmaceutical shipments.  

“As we continue to expand our freighter fleet and with the continued enhancements to our cold chain handling capabilities, this participation in a new avenue for critical insight into pharmaceutical shipments is an important step forward. Pharma.Aero will increase our ability to collaborate with an ever-growing list of industry experts to share ideas and gather knowledge on ways to further strengthen our expertise in shipping this vital cargo,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director – Commercial at Air Canada Cargo.

Babcock has been awarded a six-year contract to manage and operate Skynet, the MOD’s military satellite communications system.

As part of the £400 million Skynet Service Delivery Wrap (SDW) contract, Babcock and their partners will operate and manage the UK MOD’s constellation of military satellites, ground stations and integrate new user terminals.

Skynet operations deliver information to UK and allied forces around the world, enabling a battlefield information advantage anywhere, anytime.

Delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country, this contract is expected to support around 400 UK jobs in Corsham, Bristol and Plymouth. Those benefiting will include engineers, scientists, space technicians and administrative staff.

Their work will ensure that our deployed forces have a world-leading capability to communicate back to the UK, whether on the battlefield, onboard a ship or in the air.

The SDW contract is part of the wider satellite communications SKYNET 6 programme which will provide space-based communications to 2041 and beyond, with an overall government investment of £6 billion.

Airbus reported consolidated Full-Year 2022 financial results and provided guidance for 2023.

Airbus reports Full-Year (FY) 2022 results

661(1) commercial aircraft delivered in FY 2022

Revenues € 58.8 billion; EBIT Adjusted up 16% to € 5.6 billion

EBIT (reported) € 5.3 billion; EPS (reported) € 5.40

Free cash flow before M&A and customer financing € 4.7 billion

Dividend proposal: € 1.80 per share

2023 guidance issued

Airbus reported consolidated Full-Year (FY) 2022 financial results and provided guidance for 2023.

"The industry continued its recovery during 2022, with air traffic increasing and airlines turning to their long-term fleet planning. We delivered solid financials despite an adverse operating environment that prevented our supply chain from recovering at the pace we expected. The Company had to adjust its operations accordingly, which led to lower commercial aircraft deliveries than originally planned. We are adapting our production to match supply,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “As we move forward in 2023 we are focused on our industrial activities and the longer-term transformation of the Company. The solid 2022 financial performance and our confidence in the future lead us to propose a higher dividend payment this year.”

Gross commercial aircraft orders increased to 1,078 (2021: 771 aircraft), with net orders of 820 aircraft after cancellations (2021: 507 aircraft) corresponding to a net book-to-bill ratio significantly above 1. The order backlog amounted to 7,239 commercial aircraft at the end of 2022. Airbus Helicopters registered 362 net orders (2021: 414 units), with a book-to-bill above 1 both in units and value. Helicopter orders were well spread across programmes and included 12 H160s. Airbus Defence and Space’s order intake by value was € 13.7 billion (2021: € 13.7 billion), corresponding to a book-to-bill of around 1.2. Key orders included Demonstrator Phase 1B of the Future Combat Air System, the Eurodrone unmanned aerial system and 20 latest-generation Eurofighters for the Spanish Air Force.

Icelandic airline PLAY turned over USD 140 million last year.

Icelandic budget airline PLAY has released its latest results for last year, which show the carrier turned over USD 140 million, delivered a negative EBIT and experienced strong revenue growth.

PLAY carried 241 thousand passengers in Q4. For the full year of 2022 PLAY carried 789 thousand passengers.

The load factor in Q4 was 80.3%. The load factor was improving throughout 2022 and resulted in 79.7% for the full year.

Q4 was operationally successful with an on-time performance of 91%.

Revenues in Q4 were USD 37.9 million compared to USD 9.7 million in Q4 2021. Full year revenues in 2022 were USD 140 million compared to USD 16 million in 2021.

Positive trends in ancillary revenues in Q4.

Negative effect of weather disruptions in Iceland in December resulted in USD 2.2 million in lost revenues and additional expenses.

The financial position of the company is healthy. Cash on December 31 amounted to USD 36.2 million including restricted cash. The equity ratio was 11.6% and the company has no external interest-bearing debt.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) were negative in 2022 by USD 44 million compared to negative USD 25 million in 2021.

Net income was negative by USD 45.5 million in 2022 compared to negative USD 22.5 million in 2021.

Shareholders’ equity was increased by USD 16 million in Q4 2022.

PLAY’s cost target of being under 4 US cents a unit (CASK ex-fuel), was reached in Q4 and was in line with the target for 2022.

36 destinations are currently on sale.

Strong sales momentum at the beginning of 2023 resulting in forward unit revenue (RASK) being higher than in 2022.

Birgir Jónsson, CEO of PLAY said:   "We are pleased to report strong growth in our revenue base and load factor in the fourth quarter of 2022. For the past months we have been achieving a higher load factor than most of the airlines we compare ourselves with at the same time as our punctuality is world-class. The quarter was operationally successful, with almost 250,000 passengers flown and a load factor of 80.3%. These metrics make all of us at PLAY really proud and confirm that we are being well-received in the market. PLAY has a healthy financial position and a healthy cash balance. In 2022 we were still running the company at a loss but that is to be expected given the fact that we are a start-up company in a steep growth period as adding aircraft, destinations, and staff as well as introducing a new brand into the market is time consuming and capital intensive. We do however see clear and positive signs that show we are on the right track and that we will soon see a return on our investments as we become more established in the market. We have been very successful in controlling our cost level and it is great to see that the revenue is now beginning to grow, creating the perfect cocktail for success. We saw a very positive trend in ancillary revenues in the quarter with airport sales per passenger increasing, the successful ramping up of our cargo operations and have now launched new digital solutions designed to increase our ancillary revenue as well as our service level. The year begins with very strong booking trends and increased unit revenue making us confident that our revenue base is maturing and developing positively. Our capacity in summer 2023 is growing by close to 77% compared to summer 2022 and we are adding four new aircraft to our fleet as well as welcoming around 200 new team members. It is a real pleasure to see the PLAY team continuously growing stronger and working hard on reaching our goals for the year. We enter the new year filled with energy and ambition and a laser focus on reaching our goals. I believe our great team of Players is only just beginning to show the world what they are made of and I am both humble and glad to be a part of this great team of people.”