Avolon Continues Expansion of its Fleet and Customer Base In 2021

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, issues an update for the fourth quarter and 2021 full year.

Reviewing 2021, Dómhnal Slattery, CEO Avolon, commented: “As we predicted at the start of the year, 2021 was shaped by the rapid distribution and take-up of vaccines, which resulted in the progressive easing of government travel restrictions and a strong rebound in global air travel. The scale of pent up demand for travel, and airlines moving to meet that demand, resulting in our fourth quarter being the most active period for leasing activity in our history. It is clear that the aviation industry will continue to face challenges in 2022 given new variants, but that market backdrop creates opportunities for us, and the fundamentals of the sector remain strong. As we look ahead, we are optimistic that both our platform and our people will continue to meet the challenges we face and seize the opportunities to thrive in the year ahead.

2021 saw Avolon make its landmark investment in zero-emissions aircraft. Both our investment in, and our order book with, Vertical Aerospace – which was successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange in December – will prove to be a game-changer. eVTOLs are the first step towards a revolution in air travel and the strong demand for our VX4 order book from the world’s leading airlines shows that our airline partners share this view. We look forward to continuing to work with our customers to decarbonise air travel and work towards a net-zero carbon economy.”

Last Quarter Highlights

- Executed a total of 95 lease transactions in the quarter comprising of new aircraft leases, follow-on leases and lease extensions;

- Delivered a total of 25 new aircraft to 8 customers and transitioned 6 aircraft to follow-on lessees;

- Entered into Letters of Intent for the sale and leaseback of 40 aircraft;

- Sold 12 aircraft; and

- Fangda Group‘s investment into the HNA group of airlines for an ownership stake of c. 25% recapitalises and strenghtens these airlines which account for 11% of our portfolio.

Stanly County Airport added as a winter satellite for flight training for LIFT Academy

North Carolina airport welcomes up to 15 LIFT Academy aircraft to support extended winter flying for Indianapolis flight school

As winter weather rolls into the Midwest, LIFT (Leadership In Flight Training) Academy, based in Indianapolis, began its winter flight training operations at Stanly County Airport in Albemarle, North Carolina, to give its students not only a warm weather environment conducive for visual flight rules but also an opportunity to train in different topography.

LIFT, which operates a fleet of 40 Diamond DA40-NG and 5 DA42-VI aircraft, is staging up to 15 planes at Stanly County Airport, and over the course of December, January and February, LIFT anticipates that over 100 flight students will benefit from the relocated winter flying.

“We have had incredible success in our mission to prepare airline-ready pilots in our home location at Indianapolis International Airport. Adding Stanly County Airport provides operational relief with more reliable winter weather so our students’ accelerated training program can continue uninterrupted in the harshest winter months,” Ed Bagden, Director of LIFT Operations and Academic Programs, said.

“Beyond the weather, Stanly County Airport was attractive for our operations due to their facilities, infrastructure and welcoming staff who worked with us as we met the FAA requirements to establish the satellite location,” Bagden added.

Lisa Reifer promoted to Head of Finance and Treasury at JetBlue

JetBlue has announced that Lisa Studness Reifer has been named head of finance and treasury on the airline’s senior leadership team. Reifer, who will be celebrating 18 years with JetBlue in February, has served as vice president, infrastructure, properties and development since 2017. Reifer will be responsible for investor relations, treasury, and risk management, including fuel hedging and insurance, in addition to infrastructure. She will also assume responsibility as JetBlue’s treasurer, reporting to JetBlue’s Chief Financial Officer Ursula Hurley.

Since joining JetBlue in February 2004, Reifer has led teams across JetBlue’s organization including strategy, investor relations, legal, and airport affairs. As vice president, infrastructure, properties and development, Reifer has been responsible for managing all of the company’s real estate assets including long-term airport planning and development, design and construction, and facilities planning across 100+ cities.

“Lisa has been a strategic leader on the JetBlue finance team for many years, especially in the past two years as we’ve navigated through the pandemic,” Hurley said. “Under her leadership we’ve secured the infrastructure needed to enable our network growth strategy and create more jobs in the communities we serve while maintaining our low-cost structure. One of our top priorities as we move through our recovery is to build upon what it is already one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry to support the exciting growth we have planned. Lisa’s deep experience positions us well to keep up the momentum to achieve our financial goals in support of our crewmembers, customers, and owners.”

Prior to joining JetBlue, Reifer was an associate at the law firm Shearman & Sterling. Reifer earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

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Alaska Airlines names Neil Thwaites as new regional vice president of California

Alaska Airlines named Neil Thwaites as the new
 regional vice president of California

Alaska Airlines named Neil Thwaites as the new regional vice president of California. In this role, Thwaites will develop and deliver upon Alaska's strategic objectives for California, a market critical to Alaska's long-term growth plan.

An innovative, results-driven leader with diverse and international experience, Thwaites joins Alaska from TripArc, where he was vice president of air procurement in charge of airline supplier strategy and negotiations. Before that, he was at British Airways (a fellow oneworld member) for a decade, where he held various positions in London, New York, and Los Angeles, most recently as the vice president of sales for the western U.S., where he was responsible for the commercial strategy, market development and revenue-generating activities.

Neil will be based in the airlines' Burlingame office (SFO) and report to Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer and executive vice president.  

"Neil's extensive experience working for a global airline, growing market share and driving exceptional performance, will help us accelerate our mission of making Alaska the airline of choice for Californians," said Harrison.

"Alaska is exceptionally positioned to grow in California," said Thwaites. "I'm excited to lead a market strategy that will deliver the very best of Alaska to our guests here as we continue to grow our presence and network in the state moving forward."

Thwaites graduated from the University of Brighton in the U.K. with a double major in International Business & Law. He and his family currently live in Southern California.

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Airbus delivered 611 aircraft in 2021

European planemaker Airbus reported that it delivered an amazing 611 commercial aircraft to 88 customers in 2021, including 50 A220 planes.

“Our commercial aircraft achievements in 2021 reflect the focus and resilience of our Airbus teams, customers, suppliers and stakeholders across the globe who pulled together to deliver remarkable results. The year saw significant orders from airlines worldwide, signaling confidence in the sustainable growth of air travel post-COVID” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “While uncertainties remain, we are on track to lift production through 2022 to meet our customers’ requirements. At the same time we are preparing the future of aviation, transforming our industrial capabilities and implementing the roadmap for decarbonisation.”  

Approximately 25% of commercial aircraft in 2021 were delivered using the established “e-delivery” process, allowing customers to receive their aircraft with minimal need for their teams to travel.  

In 2021, Airbus doubled its gross order intake compared to 2020 with 771 new sales (507 net) across all programmes and market segments demonstrating the strength of the company’s full product range and signaling renewed market confidence. 

The A220 won 64 firm gross new orders and several high profile commitments from some of the world’s leading carriers. The A320neo Family won 661 gross new orders. In the widebody segment, Airbus won 46 gross new orders including 30 A330s and 16 A350s of which 11 were for the newly launched A350F which also won an additional 11 commitments. 

In number of aircraft units, Airbus recorded a gross book to bill ratio above one.

At the end of 2021, Airbus’ backlog stood at 7,082 aircraft.

2021	2020
A220 Family	50	38
A320 Family	483	446
A330 Family	18	19
A350 Family	55	59
A380	5	4
Total	611	566

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Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company delivered, transitioned and sold a total of 91 aircraft and executed 229 lease transactions during 2021.

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company delivered, transitioned and sold a total of 91 aircraft and executed 229 lease transactions during 2021. 

Reviewing 2021, Dómhnal Slattery, CEO Avolon, commented:“As we predicted at the start of the year, 2021 was shaped by the rapid distribution and take-up of vaccines, which resulted in the progressive easing of government travel restrictions and a strong rebound in global air travel. The scale of pent up demand for travel, and airlines moving to meet that demand, resulted in our fourth quarter being the most active period for leasing activity in our history. It is clear that the aviation industry will continue to face challenges in 2022 given new variants, but that market backdrop creates opportunities for us, and the fundamentals of the sector remain strong. As we look ahead, we are optimistic that both our platform and our people will continue to meet the challenges we face and seize the opportunities to thrive in the year ahead.

2021 saw Avolon make its landmark investment in zero-emissions aircraft. Both our investment in, and our orderbook with, Vertical Aerospace – which successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange in December – will prove to be a game-changer. eVTOLs are the first step towards a revolution in air travel and the strong demand for our VX4 orderbook from the world’s leading airlines shows that our airline partners share this view. We look forward to continuing to work with our customers to decarbonise air travel and work towards a net zero carbon economy.”

FLEET HIGHLIGHTS 2021

 

-       Delivered a total of 49 new aircraft and transitioned 23 aircraft to a total of 30 customers;

 

-       Executed a total of 229 lease transactions comprising new aircraft leases, follow-on leases, lease extensions, and sale agreements for 16 aircraft;

 

-       Owned and managed fleet of 592 aircraft at year end, with total orders and commitments for 232 fuel-efficient, new technology aircraft;

 

-       Entered into sale and leaseback Letters of Intent commitments for 45 aircraft;

 

-       Sold 24 aircraft in 2021, 5 of which were managed;

 

-       Added 14 new customers during 2021, for a total of 150 airline customers operating in 62 countries;

 

-       Partnered with IAI to become the launch customer for the IAI A330-300 P2F cargo conversion programme, with a commitment for 30 conversion slots between 2025 and 2028;

 

-       Ground-breaking $2 billion order for up to 500 VX4 eVTOL zero emissions aircraft; and

 

-       Placed 70% (or 350 units) of this VX4 eVTOL order, with GOL and Japan Airlines.

FY FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

-       Maintained strong credit metrics resulting in S&P, Moody’s and Fitch reaffirming Avolon’s Investment Grade credit rating with Stable outlook;

 

-       Upsized unsecured revolving facility by $1.1 billion to $4.3 billion, bringing total revolving debt capacity to $5.9 billion at year end;

 

-       Extended the maturity date of unsecured revolving facility from 2024 to 2026; 

 

-       Successfully raised $3.7 billion of new debt, at a historcally low average cost of 2.5%; and

 

-       Extended $2 billion of unsecured note maturities to 2027 and reduced the weighted average interest rate from 5.31% to 2.53%.

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Iraqi Airways receives its first A220-300

Iraqi Airways, the national carrier of Iraq, has taken delivery of its first out of five A220-300 aircraft from Mirabel, Canada. Upon entry into service, Iraqi Airways will become one of the first airlines to operate the A220 in the Middle East region.

With the A220, Iraqi Airways will benefit from the aircraft’s exceptional technical, economic and environmental performance. Iraqi Airways’ A220-300 features a modern and highly comfortable dual-class cabin that seats 132 passengers; 12 in business class and 120 in economy class. The state of the art aircraft will play an integral part of Iraqi Airways fleet renewal and modernization plan.

The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint and up to 25% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as around 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for regional as well as long distance routes operations.

As of the end of November 2021, over 180 A220s had been delivered to 13 operators, from Asia, North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East - proving the great versatility of Airbus’ new generation single-aisle family member.

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France becomes first H160 law enforcement customer

The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has signed a contract, on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, for the procurement and maintenance of 10 H160s in a law enforcement configuration for the Gendarmerie Nationale. Linked to the contract for the procurement of 169 H160Ms for the French Ministry of Armed Forces, this order is part of the Stimulus plan to support the national aeronautical industry announced by the French government in 2020. 

“The French Ministry of Interior contract is an important milestone for the H160. We now have customers for the offshore transportation, private and business aviation, search and rescue and law enforcement mission segments, showing that the H160 is a truly versatile aircraft,” said Bruno Even, CEO Airbus Helicopters. “Developing this new configuration for the H160 in cooperation with an experienced customer like the Gendarmerie Nationale is key to the success of the programme.”   

France is the first country to order the H160 for law enforcement missions. The H160s for the Gendarmerie Nationale will be equipped with a Safran Euroflir 410 electro-optical system, winching, and fast-roping capabilities. The air force command centre of the Gendarmerie Nationale and Airbus Helicopters are also working closely together to develop a tailored mission management system.

The French Gendarmerie Nationale already operates a wide fleet of Airbus helicopters from the H125, H135 and H145 families. On top of its improved performances and advanced mission systems, the H160 will bring a new troop transport capability for the French Ministry of Interior’s security forces, mainly tactical units, such as the Gendarmerie Nationale’s intervention group (GIGN). The first H160s will be delivered before the Olympic Games that will take place in Paris in 2024.

The first of a new generation of helicopters, the EASA-certified H160 benefits from a low cost of operations and optimized flight safety. With its light maintenance plan aligned between engine and aircraft, the H160 optimizes operating costs and offers a new standard in availability. The Gendarmerie’s H160s will benefit from a global support contract to be managed by Airbus Helicopters including technical support, spare parts stocks on four Gendarmerie bases, and connected services.

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easyJet partners with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) on development of zero-emission aircraft

easyJet, one of Europe’s leading budget airlines has announced it is working with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to support the development of its hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for commercial aircraft, as part of the airline’s ambition to de-carbonise aviation.  

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions is developing its hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system for an existing 9-seat Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, which is planned to be flying by 2023, and is now working with easyJet to understand how the adoption of zero-carbon technologies could integrate with an airline operations for future introduction of the technology.

easyJet will support Cranfield Aerospace Solutions on the project, providing an airline operator's perspective on the development of hydrogen propulsion and internal expertise, to assist in the development of this technology for commercial aviation.

David Morgan, Director of Flight Operations, easyJet, said:

“easyJet remains absolutely committed to sustainable flying and a towards a future with zero-emission flying.  We know that technology is a key driver to achieve our decarbonisation targets with hydrogen propulsion a frontrunner for short-haul airlines like easyJet. We are dedicated to working with industry leading partners to support the development of these promising new technologies and we look forward collaborating with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to support bringing this technology to maturity as early as possible.” 

22 aircraft deal for Azorra - 20 Airbus A220 and 2 ACJ planes

Azorra, a relationship-driven aircraft lessor providing lease, financing, and asset management solutions and aircraft manufacturer Airbus have signed a deal for twenty-two A220 Family aircraft, comprising of twenty A220-300s and two ACJ TwoTwenty aircraft.

Azorra’s purchase is the latest endorsement for the A220 Family aircraft and reaffirms the strong market demand for Airbus’ newest single-aisle aircraft.

“The A220 is ideally suited for Azorra’s growing portfolio. We are excited to partner with Airbus on this popular, next-generation aircraft. We look forward to offering its superior economics and environmental efficiency to our customers,” said John Evans, CEO of Azorra. “We are also thrilled with the opportunity to expand Azorra’s executive jet leasing business with the new ACJ TwoTwenty.  Azorra’s  new partnership with Airbus and unique ability to offer fleet transition solutions for airlines and executive jet leases to business aviation customers are key differentiators that bring significant value to our customers. ”

“We warmly welcome Azorra as a new Airbus partner and salute this decision by a renowned player in the regional aviation space. We have seen a significant market appetite for the A220 Family from a growing and diverse customer base. The addition of Azorra’s capabilities in the regional airline segment is a welcome endorsement for the A220 versatility,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. “This agreement will enhance Azorra’s portfolio strategy of investing in the most comfortable and modern technology aircraft in this segment while it will also enable us to offer A220 Family solutions to an increasingly wider spectrum of airlines”, he added.

Ryanair to pull out of Frankfurt over fees row

The low-fare-high-fee carrier Ryanair will be axing flights from Frankfurt Airport from the end of March over a bitter row over new airport fees. 

Their massive airline's boss Eddie Wilson was quoted by German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.) that Ryanair will close its base at the airport and transfer 5 aircraft to different bases in Europe because the airport authorities would now lower is new fees far enough.

According to the report, airport operator Fraport raised fees by a modest 4.3 percent, an amount regretted by the firm's managers, but a necessary amount given the last couple of years the airport has endured. in a move which a spokesperson for Fraport initially said they regretted.

They say the new fee structure is extremely moderate when compared with other European airports of a similar size. Plus the fees have already been approved by the local Ministry of Economics and Transport.

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Joby Increases Flight Test Capacity in Support of FAA Certification Goal

Joby Aviation, the California-based company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, confirmed it received FAA Special Airworthiness Certification and US Air Force Airworthiness Approval for a second pre-production prototype aircraft in December 2021, as expected.

The first pre-production prototype generated 65 terabytes of test data in 2021, flying more than 5,300 miles, including what is believed to be the longest flight of an eVTOL aircraft to date, at 154.6 miles on a single charge.

As planned, the second aircraft will significantly accelerate Joby’s capacity for flight testing in 2022, further supporting the Company’s ambition to certify its aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) in time to launch commercial operations in 2024. The aircraft is expected to begin flying later this month and will be put into service as part of Joby’s Agility Prime contract with the US Air Force.

Commenting on the milestone, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, said: “Our 2021 flight test program delivered a wealth of information and experience to support our program. With two aircraft flying at the same time, we’ll be able to increase the speed of our learnings as planned, while continuing to fulfill the requirements of our Agility Prime contract.

December was Busiest Month for Air Travel Globally in 2021; Over 59,000 Flights Are Canceled Near Year-End, the Most in a Decade

 Aviation analytics firm Cirium, reveals that December was the busiest month in 2021 for flights globally, totalling 2.43 million, however, the total number of flights cancelled globally between December 24, 2021, and January 3, 2022, was 59,240, some 2.4%.

Cirium’s On-Time Performance Review 2021 reveals December as the busiest month in 2021 for flights flown globally – a total of 2.43 million

Over 59,240 flights have been canceled globally from December 24 to January 3 – the most flight cancelations in December for the past decade

20,500 of these flight cancelations happened over the first three days of the new year

The big four US airlines canceled a total of nearly 7,040 flights between December 24 and January 3

American Airlines flew the most flights in 2021 at around 1,850,050

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was the busiest global airport this year and ranked 15th in the Top 20 Global airports for on-time performance

The number of cancellations over this period is the most cancellations in December for the past decade, six times more than the cancellations in 2019 and two and half times more than 2020. A total of 20,500 flights were cancelled in the first three days of the new year.

The big four US airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, canceled nearly 7,040 flights over this period.

The cancelations are driven by the surging cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and other operational challenges (including winter weather). Airlines rapidly cancelled flights due to staff shortages across crew and ground operations.

Pre-Omicron, global flights flown increased 1.5% week-over-week (December 11-17, 2021). However, global flights are now down 5% compared to the week prior, following the impact of Omicron.

There are large variances between the regions, with the US, Europe and North Atlantic down 9-10%, China up 6%, while Asia-Pacific and Middle East are flat.

Click here to download the complimentary On-Time Performance Review 2021.

Airbus deliver the first ever ACJ TwoTwenty Comlux

The first ACJ TwoTwenty, launched just over a year ago, was successfully delivered to Comlux from the Airbus A220 Final Assembly Line in Mirabel, Canada. The all-new business jet will be joining the Comlux’s  facilities in Indianapolis, USA, for the VVIP cabin completion in the coming days. This first aircraft is expected to enter service with its owner, FIVE, in early 2023.

The ACJ TwoTwenty is a new and unique value proposition to business aviation buyers. This game changer combines intercontinental range enabling the aircraft to fly over 12 flight hours, unmatched personal space providing comfort for each passenger  with 73m2/785 ft2 of floor space. The ACJ TwoTwenty is the only business jet featuring six wide VIP living areas, of around 12m2/130 ft2 each and is at a price point of a ULR bizjet. Equipped with a signature flexible cabin catalogue, this fully completed aircraft is ideal for private and business jet users.

Comlux has been selected as an exclusive outfitting partner for the first 15 ACJ TwoTwenty aircraft.

More than 210 Airbus corporate jets are in service worldwide, flying on every continent, including Antarctica, and more than 1,800 private and business aviation Airbus helicopters are in service worldwide.

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Brits planning spending sprees on more holidays in 2022 ......

British Travellers are planning to spend more money on holidays during 2022 than ever before, according to new research. A third of those surveyed said they would be spending £1000+ more than usual on their 2022 holidays.

More than half of respondents - 55%  say they plan on taking more than two holidays this year, whilst 50% claimed they will go on more holidays in 2022 than they normally would. 47% plan on going on a ‘holiday of a lifetime’ some time during 2022. Beach holidays were the order of the day for around two thirds and Spain remained the premier choice. 

However, the new research from budget airline easyJet was based on a survey sample of just 2000 holidaymakers, following the UK Government confirming the removal of unnecessary and costly pre-departure testing for those returning to the UK and the return to one lateral flow test on arrival. 

easyJet said that in the hours following the government announcement, it saw an almost 200% jump in UK bookings on average compared to the same time last week. Flights to Spanish destinations Tenerife, Alicante, Malaga and Lanzarote proved to be most in-demand, with bookings to Lanzarote being boosted by 427%, week on week.

Sophie Dekkers, Chief Commercial Officer at easyJet, said: “We know that there is pent up demand with many desperate to get away this year, which we continue to see each time restrictions are removed. This survey further underlines the fact that people want make up for lost time as soon as they can and so we welcome the government’s decision to remove the unnecessary and costly pre-departure testing for travellers, now only requiring one lateral flow test on arrival. This will make travel much simpler and easier and means our customers can book with confidence and are hopeful that completely restriction-free travel will return soon."

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Passenger numbers and punctuality fall at budget airline Norwegian

The Oslo based budget airline Norwegian has released its latest results this week which shows passenger numbers and punctuality fell during the last month of 2021.

The airline carried 931,917 passengers in December, down from 1,005,380 in November, although this is an improvement on the same month in 2020. The airline says that whilst its Christmas and New Year flights operated as planned with lower capacity as a result of the positive infection situation and government-imposed travel restrictions.

“I am pleased that we have efficiently balanced the planning and implementation of our route network and production for December. This in turn meant that passengers could book and travel on Norwegian with confidence during the festive period allowing families and friends to be reunited. Lower demand was factored into our schedules during Christmas and the New Year weekend, therefore I am pleased to report that load factors are good for December as well. We have seen an effect on general demand from the spread of the Omicron virus and the subsequent new measures and restrictions in Scandinavia and abroad,” says Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.

The airline also saw a drop in punctuality, with only 83.8% of flights operating within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, down from  91.3 percent in November despite it operating one less aircraft in December. 

“Norwegian was recently named the most punctual Nordic airline and the third most punctual airline in Europe. Despite having gone through a challenging year, I am proud that we have managed to deliver a high-quality product”, continued Geir Karlsen.

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Finnair Traffic Performance in December 2021

Clear improvement in passenger traffic figures, although the COVID-19 pandemic impact still visible in December; cargo continued to excel

In December, Finnair carried 602,700 passengers, which was 551.4% more than in December 2020. The number of passengers in December 2021 was 23.8% more than in November 2021 (month-on-month figures are not fully comparable as there is one fewer day in November).

The COVID-19 impact, including the strict travel restrictions imposed by several countries due to the Omicron variant, still affected all passenger traffic figures. It was particularly visible in the North Atlantic and Asian figures even though travel from both Finland and Sweden to the United States and e.g. Thailand opened in November, thereby increasing the number of passengers carried by Finnair.

The overall capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK), increased in December by 554.4% year-on-year and by 26.8% month-on-month. Finnair operated, on average, 230 daily flights (cargo-only included), which was 206.7% more than in December 2020 and 15.6% more than in November 2021. The differences between capacity figures compared to December 2020 are explained by the longer average stage length of flights operated and by the larger gauge of aircraft operated. Finnair's traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs), increased by 1,081.5% year-on-year and by 49.8% month-on-month. The Passenger Load Factor (PLF) increased by 24.3% points to 54.4% year-on-year and by 8.4% points month-on-month.

The ASK increase in Asian traffic was 334.6% year-on-year. In European traffic, the ASKs were up by 660.9%. The ASKs in domestic traffic increased by 181.1%.

RPKs increased in Asian traffic by 1,261.0%, in European traffic by 919.1% and in domestic traffic by 247.2% year-on-year.

The PLF was 38.9% in Asian traffic and 55.9% in North Atlantic traffic but both were supported by the very strong cargo operations. The PLF was 66.9% in European traffic and 64.5% in domestic traffic.  

Passenger numbers increased in Asian traffic by 1,208.3%, in European traffic by 705.2% and in domestic traffic by 248.9% year-on-year.

In North Atlantic traffic, ASK, RPK and passenger number growth rates year-on-year cannot be calculated as there were no passenger flights in December 2020.

JetBlue Introduces ‘Sustainable Travel Partners’ Program Empowering Corporate Customers to Enhance the Sustainability of their Business Travel

 

 New Initiative Helps JetBlue’s Corporate Travel Partners Fast Track Their Companies’ Sustainable Travel Targets with Options to Help Purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Receive Complimentary Carbon Offsetting and Personalized Emissions Reporting --

-- JetBlue Partners With Launch Customers: Biogen, Deloitte, ICF, and Salesforce to Accelerate the Path Toward Sustainable Aviation and Reducing a Combined 2,730 Metric Tons of CO2e Emissions –

JetBlue announced the launch of its “JetBlue Sustainable Travel Partners” program, and its inaugural customers, Biogen, Deloitte, ICF, and Salesforce, a suite of offerings to help corporate travel customers reduce their business travel emissions and meet their own corporate sustainability targets. In keeping with JetBlue’s customer focus, the airline is approaching sustainable travel as a partnership by providing its corporate travelers with personalized data and resources to help them enhance the sustainability of their travel. JetBlue has a long history of taking meaningful and measurable steps in reducing aviation’s contribution to climate change and is now inviting its corporate partners to join in this mission.

The Sustainable Travel Partners program offers corporate partners the following resources:

1. Business travel emissions reduction through the offering of JetBlue generated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certificates
2. Complimentary carbon offsetting on all domestic flights operated by JetBlue
3. Personalized travel data and analysis for more accurate emissions reporting
4. Consultation and tools for custom planning and target-setting to support in making more sustainable travel decisions

JetBlue Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Certificates

SAF is a synthetic jet fuel produced from renewable biological resources that can be replenished rapidly and without impacting food supply. Compared to traditional petroleum-based Jet-A fuel, SAF can emit up to 80 percent less CO2 over its lifecycle when used in neat form and reduces air pollutants such as particulate matter and sulfur oxides. SAF drops into existing engines and infrastructure and is ASTM certified when blended up to 50-50 with fossil Jet-A fuel. With more than a 10 year track record of safe use in aircraft, SAF is recognized as the most promising solution to mitigate air transport emissions currently available.

JetBlue has been flying regularly on SAF as a component of its fuel supply from its partners Neste out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) since July 2020 and World Energy (SAF producer) and World Fuel Services (logistics supplier) out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) since July 2021. JetBlue recently shared industry-leading plans to speed up its transition to SAF with a deal with its partner SG Preston that will bring 67 million gallons of blended SAF a year to the Northeast over 10 years. Following this agreement, JetBlue leads the airline industry in committed SAF off-take based on a percentage of total fuel at roughly 8% and is on track to meet its goal of converting 10% of its total fuel use to SAF years ahead of its 2030 target.

Through the purchase of SAF certificates, JetBlue customers now have the ability to directly and meaningfully reduce their business travel emissions. Business travel emissions, categorized as “Scope 3” emissions, are indirect emissions customers are not directly responsible for but that exist within the value chain, such as those produced through corporate travel. By purchasing SAF certificates, our corporate customers may reduce their reported carbon footprint, while helping cover the cost premium of SAF that exists today - thereby growing the share of SAF JetBlue is able to source while helping stimulate the emerging SAF market that is critical for the aviation industry to reach its net zero goals. Through the Sustainable Travel Partners program, our partners are helping source roughly 325,000 gallons of SAF, helping reduce 2,730 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

airBaltic moves forward by using more sustainable aviation fuel

airBaltic has announced that in 2021 it continued a path towards greener flying by increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 20%.  airBaltic believes that SAF will play a crucial role in ensuring the future of the aviation industry, as Chief Pilot Gerhard Ramcke explains in the following video.  



Think Green, Fly Green - Sustainability in airBaltic

airBaltic currently flies a single-type fleet of 32 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, which at the moment is the greenest commercial aircraft in the world, as it is the first aircraft to have a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact, helping to reduce CO2 and NOX emissions by 20% and 50% respectively.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “Our vision sees us becoming a sustainable carrier in the EU aviation market. At airBaltic, we believe that SAF will play a crucial role in ensuring the future of the aviation industry and help everyone involved to decrease their impact on the environment. Our use of SAF will increase further in 2022 and beyond.” 

First base outside The Baltics

Recently that airline announced a new base in Tampere, Finland,  its first new base outside the Baltics extending its network in Europe. 

The new base airport will be launched in Tampere, Finland offering direct flights to seven destinations across Europe – Oslo, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Malaga, Rhodes and Riga. Tampere will be airBaltic’s fourth base in addition to bases in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius. To operate the new routes, the base will accommodate one Airbus A220-300 at Tampere airport from May 2022.

By increasing the number of flights between Tampere and Riga, travellers based in the southwest of Finland will have more opportunities to reach more than 70 airBaltic destinations in Europe or the Middle East via Riga airport.

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New Airbus A321neo for STARLUX

As the new year has come, a newborn star has come. STARLUX 6th A321neo has been delivered by Aviation Capital Group. This is the first of three new A321neo’s confirmed to deliver from ACG’s order book with Airbus. We are extremely excited to have another aircraft into our growing network. Welcome to the family, 58209. Get ready, for the sky is going to get way busier in the year of 2022. 

 

Aviation Capital Group was founded in 1989 and is one of the world’s premier full-service aircraft asset managers with approximately 400 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of September 30, 2021, which are leased to approximately 90 airlines in approximately 45 countries. ACG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation. 

STARLUX Airlines was founded in May 2018. Out of his passion for aviation and determination to cultivate the aviation industry, the founder, K.W Chang, established a luxury boutique airline. In order to exceed passenger expectations, the airline is committed to breaking the rigid traditional model and provide intimate and innovative service.

On January 23, 2020, STARLUX launched its inaugural flights from Taoyuan to three destinations—Macau, Da Nang and Penang. With its hub at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, STARLUX Airlines will initially fly routes in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, gradually developing its trans-oceanic routes to North America. STARLUX is introducing in all 13 of a new generation of passenger aircraft—the A321neo—with four are already in place. It plans to introduce another eight A330-900s, ten A350-900s and eight A350-1000s.

STARLUX has received several honours since its establishment. The airline’s uniform collection has been recognized as the “Best New Uniform 2019.” The 3D inflight safety video “STARWONDERERS,” which took the team two years to create has won 7 silver awards in The Telly Awards 2020 and a bronze award in the Busan Ad Stars 2020. The STARLUX inflight meal and wine menu has also received the 2020 Red Dot Award in the category of Brands and Communication Design.

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Ryanair passenger numbers 9.5m in December

The European budget airline Ryanair claimed it carried 9.5 million passengers on the 62,200 flights it operated in December. The unaudited figures indicated the low-fare-high-fee airline achieved a load factor of 81%. 

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