Avolon releases details of 2021 performance

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company has released details of its performance for last year, which showed a net income for the year ended 31 December of $47 million.

 

2021 | FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

INCOME STATEMENT ($ MILLION)	FY 2021	FY 2020	CHANGE
Lease Revenue	2,144	2,279	(135)
Net Income / (Loss)	47	(37)	84

 

BALANCE SHEET ($ MILLION)	FY 2021	FY 2020	CHANGE
Total Available Liquidity	6,256	6,867	(611)
Total Assets	30,984	30,838	146
Secured Debt / Total Assets	20%	25%	(5%)
Net Debt to Equity	2.4x	2.3x	0.1x

 

-       Net Income for the year ended 31 December of $47 million;

 

-       Delivered $2.1 billion of lease revenue and generated $895 million of net cash from operating activities in the year;

 

-       Total available liquidity of $6.3 billion at end of FY2021, including $775 million of unrestricted cash and $5.5 billion of undrawn debt facilities;

 

• Investment Grade rating with Stable outlook affirmed by S&P, Moody’s and Fitch;

 

• Upsized unsecured revolving facility by $1.1 billion to $4.3 billion, extended the maturity date from 2024 to 2026, bringing total revolving debt capacity to $5.8 billion at year end;

 

• Successfully raised $3.7 billion of new debt, at a historically low average cost of 2.5%;

 

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

 

• Ended the year with a secured debt to total assets ratio of 20%, a decrease of 5% in the year, and in excess of $17.5 billion of unencumbered assets.

 

 

Airport Security Market revenue to cross USD 25 Bn by 2028

The airport security market size is anticipated to record a valuation of USD 25 billion by 2028, according to the most recent study by Global Market Insights Inc.  The market growth can be attributed to an increase in the volume of air passengers across the globe.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/367 

The Real-Time Locating System (RTLS) segment in the airport security market will witness growth during the forecast timeline, which is credited to the rising focus on improving passenger flow across the site. To improve operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs & track passengers traffic, airport authorities are investing in RTLS systems at different checkpoints. For instance, in December 2021, Xovis AG received a contract from the Airports of Thailand (AoT) for the supply & installation of passenger tracking systems at three airports including Phuket International, Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) Airport, and Don Mueang International. The agreement includes the deployment of solutions for monitoring, analyzing, and presenting real-time data of travellers.

Major airport security market players include IBM Corporation, Leidos, Axis Communications AB, C.E.I.A. S.p.A., Biosensor Applications AB, FLIR Systems, Hitachi Ltd., Smiths Detection Group Ltd., Westminster Group PLC, Honeywell International, Inc., OSI Systems, Thales Group, Collins Aerospace (Raytheon Technologies), Siemens AG, Auto Clear LLC, and Bosch Sicherheitssysteme GmbH.

The system will collect data from operational data, such as a number of passengers in the arrival, departure & transit areas, and from visual information, to derive data-driven insights. Through this, the organization is focusing on reducing the waiting time during security checks, check-in lines, and passport controls, thus improving the overall customer travel experience. The collected data can also be used to forecast passenger traffic on a day-to-day basis and allocate resources & assets accordingly.

SAS expands its network in North America and will start direct routes to Toronto from Copenhagen and Stockholm in June 2022

SAS expands its network in North America and will start direct routes to Toronto from Copenhagen and Stockholm in June 2022. SAS will operate three weekly flights from Copenhagen and four weekly flights from Stockholm with brand-new A321LR aircraft.

Toronto is the fourth-largest city in North America, an international centre for business and finance, a truly cosmopolitan city with a vast array of experiences for travellers, from major sports and culture events to great outdoor sceneries around the Great Lakes.

"We are happy to announce direct flights from Scandinavia to Toronto, taking the next step in strengthening our North America network.  SAS' new routes will make travel between Scandinavia and Canada easy and convenient for our travellers. Flights depart from Scandinavia at midday and from Toronto in the afternoon enabling good connections in either end to other destinations, says Karl Sandlund, EVP Commercial, SAS.

SAS direct routes to Toronto will start in June 2022, provided that SAS obtains the necessary approval from the authorities. Ticket sales will start soon.

The Toronto routes will be operated by A321LR aircraft in a three-class configuration with 157 seats; 22 seats in SAS Business, 12 seats in SAS Plus (premium economy), and 123 seats in SAS Go (economy).

"SAS aims to be a global leader in sustainable aviation. As we continue to phase in new, fuel-efficient aircraft we now have one of Europe's most modern fleets. The new, state-of-the-art aircraft will give our customers a more pleasant, comfortable and sustainable way of travelling," continues Sandlund.

In the coming summer season, SAS will fly to a total of seven destinations in the US and Canada: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Toronto.

Schedules to and from Toronto:

Copenhagen-Toronto: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday

Toronto-Copenhagen: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Stockholm-Toronto: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

Toronto-Stockholm: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

Facts about Airbus 321LR

The aircraft has 22 Business, 12 Plus and 123 Go, meaning a total of 157 seats in a single-aisle aircraft. The seats are especially chosen for the A321LR to optimize the comfort in all three travel classes. Seats in SAS Business are fully flat seat beds and there are different mood light scenarios in the cabins, as well as hi-speed Wi-Fi. Every seat is equipped with IFE screens, PC-power and/or hi-power USB. The reduced noise level inside the cabin will further enhance the travel experience onboard.

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Aer Lingus Regional to return to Belfast City through partnership with Emerald Airlines

In a bid to increase choice for customers travelling from Belfast and the wider region, Emerald Airlines, the exclusive operator of Aer Lingus Regional route network will expand out of Belfast City Airport, with a new base offering more choice and convenience to customers.  

 

Emerald Airlines intends to operate high-frequency routes from Belfast City to;

Birmingham

Edinburgh

Exeter

Glasgow

Leeds Bradford

Manchester

 

These new routes form part of a long-term deal reached between Emerald Airlines and Belfast City Airport to establish a new home-based carrier at the city-centre airport with ambitious growth plans and further new routes to be announced throughout 2022.

 

Commenting on the announcement, Conor McCarthy, CEO of Emerald Airlines said:   “There is a huge opportunity for Emerald Airlines here; we want to be the airline of choice for customers travelling from Belfast City Airport and we’re eager to build upon our announcement today, with new flights and destinations to follow in the near future.

 

"We are in advanced talks with British Airways and Aer Lingus regarding code sharing and other cooperation so that we can maintain the continuity and benefits of the current services offered by both airlines at Belfast City Airport. Operational set-up continues at pace, with the Belfast City Base, our UK AOC and employee recruitment progressing extremely well.

 

"We’re confident this news will be welcomed by the business community across the region which depend on connectivity more than ever as the recovery continues, and also to all those looking to get away for a much-needed break or to visit friends and family this year.

 

"Meanwhile we have received almost 1,000 applications for our Belfast-based roles and are now in the final stages of our recruiting process with the first round of training commencing in February.”

 

All routes will be operated under an exclusive franchise agreement as Aer Lingus Regional with customers also having the added benefit of a codeshare with British Airways and the ability to earn Avios rewards on all flights.

 

Leaked security camera footage shows US F35 crash.

A grainy and wobbly leaked video of security cameras appears to show a US fighter jet crashing onto the deck of USS Carl Vinson - an aircraft carrier before being engulfed in flames and sliding into the sea, reports Forces.net

Now unofficial reports indicate that US Navy personnel are now desperately heading to the scene to salvage the F-35C Lightning II  which contains highly classified technology before Chinese submarines can get there and steal the wreckage. 

The incident has resulted in seven sailors being injured, with three requiring evacuation to a medical facility in Manila, Philippines, where they are in a stable condition, according to Pacific Fleet.

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Air Canada Unveils Turning Red Themed Aircraft Celebrating Disney and Pixar's All New Film Set In Toronto

Directed by Academy Award™ winner and Canadian Domee Shi

Air Canada unveils its first-ever movie-themed livery on an A220

A contest to win trips to Toronto for the Canadian premiere special event

Turning Red-themed elements throughout the customer journey, including in-flight entertainment, enRoute magazine, and more

Air Canada has today unveiled an aircraft with a themed livery and other surprises for its customers in celebration of the highly anticipated release of Disney and Pixar's Turning Red, an animated film that is set in Toronto and directed by Academy Award™ winner and Canadian Domee Shi.

"As Canada's largest airline and the country's flag carrier, our collaboration with Disney and Pixar for Turning Red, directed by award-winning Canadian filmmaker Domee Shi is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Canadian talent and bring the best of Canada to the world," said Andy Shibata, Vice-President, Brand at Air Canada. "We wanted customers of all ages to be able to enjoy the special livery and be a part of the excitement around this very special Canadian moment."

"I'm absolutely stoked about this collaboration with Air Canada," said Domee Shi. "I made Turning Red a love letter to Toronto and everything Canadian, and now to see the film celebrated on the airline that literally brought my family and me over from China when I was little is especially meaningful to me. I cannot wait for Canadian audiences and people around the world to see the film, and hopefully fall in love with Canada just like I have."

"We are very proud of this unique collaboration with Air Canada and it shows how important this film is to our country," said Quincy Kelman, Vice-President of Marketing, Walt Disney Studios Canada. "Together we are able to transcend this film beyond the screen.  Turning Red is set in Canada, directed by a Canadian and will be treasured by Canadians for years to come."

Disney and Pixar's Turning Red introduces Meilin Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda! Turning Red will premiere exclusively on Disney+ across Canada on March 11, 2022.

Air Canada will be promoting the film through a themed livery that will fly across the country on a Canadian built Airbus A220. You can watch a video of the characters coming to life on our aircraft here.

The airline is also launching Air Canada's Contest Celebrating the Release of Disney and Pixar's Turning Red, offering five prize packages, each featuring a trip for four people to Toronto to attend the Canadian premiere special event of the film on March 8. The contest begins today and runs until February 20 for residents of Canada. To enter the contest, please visit https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/book/special-offers/disneypixar.html.

Starting this month, passengers onboard Air Canada aircraft will enjoy a special Turning Red­ video, inspired by the film's trailer. On select aircraft, passengers can discover director Domee Shi's favourite places in Toronto by exploring Air Canada's seatback city guide, and on aircraft destined for Toronto, an animated landscape of the city will be featured on seatback screens as passengers board.

Next month, the March issue of Air Canada enRoute magazine will feature a custom-illustrated cover of Toronto with Meilin Lee as the panda gazing across the city, as well as a feature interview with director Domee Shi.

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American Airlines and GOL Complete Agreement to Form Exclusive Partnership

American Airlines announced it has signed a definitive investment agreement with GOL, Brazil’s largest airline, deepening the relationship between the two carriers to create the broadest and most rewarding network in the Americas. The combined networks will provide customers with more than 30 destinations in the U.S. served by American and more than 34 new destinations in South America served by GOL.

American has served Latin America since 1942 and offers service to 17 destinations in South America, including Sao Paulo (GRU) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) in Brazil, from its U.S. hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK). American has flown more than 14 million customers between the U.S. and Brazil in the last 10 years — more than twice as many as any other U.S. carrier. GOL serves 63 destinations in Brazil and is the country’s largest airline.

As part of the investment agreement previously announced last year, American will invest $200 million in 22.2 million newly issued preferred shares of GOL in a capital increase, for a 5.2% participation in the company’s economic interest. The execution of the other agreements described in this press release, and the closing of the equity investment, are subject to certain conditions, including government and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Carriers execute investment agreement previously announced in September 2021 to deepen commercial partnership and create the broadest and most rewarding network in the Americas.

Coming soon, American’s AAdvantage® and GOL’s SMILES loyalty programs will create the largest joint frequent flyer program in the Americas with enhanced benefits for customers.

As part of the agreement, American will make a $200 million equity investment in GOL.

The largest network in the Americas will also be the most rewarding for travelers. In 2022, GOL’s SMILES and American’s AAdvantage® loyalty members will gain access to their status benefits on both airlines, such as priority check-in, priority security, priority boarding, a larger checked baggage allowance, lounge access and preferred seats. The two airlines also expect to offer an enhanced joint loyalty offering to give customers more ways to earn and redeem miles.

GOL is Brazil's largest airline, leader in the corporate and leisure segments. Since its founding in 2001, it has been the airline with the lowest unit cost in Latin America, which has enabled the democratization of air transportation. The Company has partnerships with American Airlines and Air France-KLM, in addition to making available to Customers many codeshare and interline agreements, bringing more convenience and ease of connections to any place served by these partnerships. With the purpose of "Being First for Everyone", GOL offers the best travel experience to its passengers, including: the largest inventory of seats and the most legroom; the most complete platform with internet, movies and live TV; and the best loyalty program, SMILES. In cargo transportation, GOLLOG delivers parcels to various regions in Brazil and abroad. The Company has a team of 15,000 highly qualified airline professionals focused on Safety, GOL's number one value, and operates a standardized fleet of 127 Boeing 737 aircraft.

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SmartLynx Airlines adding Boeing 737 MAX 8 to the fleet

SmartLynx Airlines has just signed an agreement with SMBC Aviation Capital to lease first two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, to meet growing demand from European and overseas markets.

This strategic expansion secures our leading position in the EU-based ACMI, charter and cargo operator league and making our fleet the largest in the region. 

The most exciting part for our customers will certainly be the new destinations that are now in range. However, cutting fuel consumption and lowering noise and CO2 emissions is no less important. Besides, this addition of the latest generation aircraft means significant service improvements and unmatched technical reliability across all markets.

Zygimantas Surintas, SmartLynx Airlines CEO comments: "As SmartLynx Airlines continues to modernize its fleet, there's no doubt that the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the right aircraft for us, and we were pleased to work with SMBC to make it happen," "Not only will these aircraft allow us to expand our services and the markets we can cover, it will also allow us to ensure even better-quality service and unmatched technical reliability."

We are delighted to work with SMBC Aviation Capital, one of the biggest global lessors, to make this fleet modernization happen, and partner with Boeing to make the delivery of all new units as smooth as possible.

A recruitment campaign has already been launched to source suitably qualified crews for the newly leased aircraft.

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SKT and Joby Join Forces to Bring Air Taxi Service to South Korea

SK Telecom, South Korea’s leading telecommunications company, and Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing an all-electric, five-seat aircraft that can take off and land vertically (eVTOL), today announced they will work together to introduce emissions-free aerial ridesharing services to cities and communities across South Korea.

SKT’s CEO Ryu Young-sang and Joby’s founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt signed a strategic collaboration agreement at Joby’s manufacturing facility in Marina, California. The agreement will see the two companies work closely on introducing this revolutionary form of transportation in support of the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s “K-UAM” (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Roadmap, first announced in 2020.

With a maximum range of 150 miles (241 kilometers), a top speed of 200 mph (321 km/h), and a low noise profile that will allow it to access built-up areas, Joby's piloted aircraft is designed to make convenient, emissions-free air travel an everyday reality.

SKT has been promoting the development of urban air mobility by leveraging its expertise in telecommunications, autonomous driving, precise positioning, and security to become a leading company in connected intelligence. As a member of the “UAM Team Korea”, SKT is also working together with other major Korean companies to enhance the nation’s competitiveness in the field.

The partners intend to leverage SK’s T Map mobility platform, Korea’s largest mobility platform, and UT ride hailing service to provide multi-modal journeys to customers seamlessly integrating both ground and air travel. UT was established as a joint venture between SKT and Uber in 2021, bringing together SK’s T Map platform and Uber’s ride sharing technology. Joby and Uber have been collaborating since 2019.

Saudi’s first-ever World Defence Show ready for launch

Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show, the global defence and security event to be held in Riyadh under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has officially sold out all exhibition space and is ready to open its doors from 6-9 March 2022. 

On March 5th, as a precursor to the inaugural World Defense Show, the first-ever Riyadh Defense Forum will be conducted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). This high-level, invite-only forum will host hundreds of the most influential military and political figures from across the globe and feature an engaging dialogue on the global defence landscape. The IISS Riyadh Defense Forum will be followed by a city-wide Flying Salute, seeing international military aircraft take to the skies of Riyadh.  

Founded by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), World Defense Show will kick off the first day with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring live demonstrations of interoperable defense capabilities across all key domains. High-level representatives from hundreds of industry giants will be coming to the Kingdom, with those taking substantial space across the 800,000 square metre venue including international partners Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Navantia, BAE Systems, L3 Harris and Norinco. They will join more than 450 firms from around 37 countries demonstrating the latest technologies from air, land, sea, space and security in an optimal networking environment for collaboration and innovation. 

SkyWest announces fourth quarter and annual 2021 profit

SkyWest has reported financial and operating results for Q4 2021, including net income of $4 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $46 million, or $0.93 loss per share, for Q4 2020. SkyWest also reported net income of $112 million, or $2.20 per diluted share, for the 2021 year, compared to a net loss of $9 million, or $0.17 loss per share, for the 2020 year. Adjusted net income in 2021 was $176 million, or $3.46 per diluted share1. SkyWest’s financial results improved from 2020 due to the flying demand recovery from COVID-19.

Commenting on the results, Chip Childs, Chief Executive Officer of SkyWest, said, “We continued to see very strong demand for our product during the fourth quarter. While we are facing new headwinds as the industry prepares to operate in a post-pandemic environment and we work to rebalance staffing, we remain focused on delivering an exceptional product. I want to thank our people for their ongoing flexibility and good work as we navigate this very dynamic period.”

Financial Results

Revenue was $777 million in Q4 2021, up from $590 million in Q4 2020, or 32%, as SkyWest’s Q4 2021 block hours on completed flights were up 30% from Q4 2020.

SkyWest recognized $23 million of previously deferred revenue of fixed monthly payments in Q4 2021, whereas SkyWest deferred recognizing revenue on $12 million of fixed monthly payments in Q4 2020. SkyWest will recognize the remaining $104 million of deferred revenue from the fixed monthly payments on a completed block hour basis over the term of the remaining contracts.

Operating expenses were $744 million in Q4 2021, up from $617 million in Q4 2020, or 21%. The increase in operating expenses was primarily due to an increase in flights operated in Q4 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.

British Airways is introducing new plant-based menus across its lounges.....

The UK's largest legacy carrier, British Airways is introducing new plant-based menus, including a burger at its lounges at London Heathrow. Later the airline plans to take the menu overseas, at its US lounges.   

As part of its commitment to sustainability, across the airline’s Heathrow lounges customers will notice new water stations. Work also continues to remove single-use plastic across the airline, and all plastic water bottles in Heathrow lounges are being replaced with glass, which will be rolled out across the airline’s UK lounges over the next month. Customers in lounges can also continue to order food using their mobile device directly to their table, an initiative introduced by British Airways during the Covid pandemic which it has decided to keep.

Customers travelling in the airline’s Club Europe cabin can expect a more premium service more intune with the pre-covid offering.  The airline is also working on the next phase of its long-haul catering proposition, with exciting changes afoot.

British Airways will be introducing a new baggage tracing system, allowing customers to track their bag via their phone throughout their journey. From automated lounge entry to new digital signage across the airport, British Airways is focused on making the customer journey even more seamless and stress-free. 

Customers can also expect a few changes at check in with dedicated desks for World Traveller Plus customers and a reimagined Skyflyers programme for children travelling with the airline.

Airbus Helicopters and Kongsberg sign long-term collaboration agreement to support Norwegian Armed Forces

Airbus and Kongsberg of Norway have signed a long-term strategic agreement to collaborate over support and services for the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding between Airbus Helicopters, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, and Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services, the companies will work to strengthen the deployment of local maintenance capabilities with the objective to optimize the availability of the NH90 helicopter.

As an initial activity, Airbus is developing and qualifying Kongsberg’s facilities to provide deep maintenance of the NH90 tail gearboxes for the Norwegian fleet and to bring business opportunities for the Nordics where a total of 52 NH90s are operated by Norway, Sweden and Finland. The move will position Kongsberg as prime contractor for this support contract and the first entity outside Airbus to be qualified for the work.

In subsequent steps, Airbus and Kongsberg have identified further paths to exploit a range of additional cooperation opportunities with the objective of enhancing Norway’s support provision.

Airbus Helicopters Regional Director Industrial Cooperation, Damien Lamy said: “This agreement is the beginning of an ambitious partnership with Kongsberg which will strengthen Norway’s autonomy and sovereign support capability in this specialized field.”

EVP of Kongsberg Aerostructures & MRO, Mr Terje Bråthen, says: “Kongsberg has a proven capability in production, manufacturing, repair and overhaul activity for the aerospace industry. Kongsberg is also a strategic partner to the Norwegian Armed Forces for sustainment and logistics. We are looking forward to our enhanced cooperation with Airbus with the overall goal of increased operational capability for NH90 users.”

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Airbus, Air France-KLM, ATR, Dassault Aviation, Groupe ADP, Safran and Thales welcome the Declaration of Toulouse on future sustainability and decarbonisation of aviation alongside European institutions

• With this landmark Declaration, Europe becomes the first region worldwide to have reached an agreement between public authorities and private stakeholders on a broad aviation decarbonisation platform;

• Airbus, ATR, Air France-KLM, Dassault Aviation, Groupe ADP, Safran and Thales confirm their commitment to a collective approach to address the challenges of a transition to sustainable aviation

European industry leaders Airbus, Air France-KLM, ATR, Dassault Aviation, Groupe ADP, Safran and Thales welcome the declaration made in Toulouse by the European Commission and Member States under the French EU Presidency. Together:

• We welcome the commitments of the European Commission and Member States to work with the European aviation industry to achieve the decarbonisation of the sector by 2050 in alignment with the Destination 2050 roadmap.

• We will continue to invest in the maturation, development and implementation of decarbonisation technologies - notably operations, next-generation aircraft and engines, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and synthetic fuels - and look to  institutions to support the development and deployment of innovations, especially through proven public-private research partnership instruments (such as Clean Aviation, SESAR, and CORAC), as well as appropriate support policies to accelerate fleet renewal and SAF incorporation under viable economic conditions for all stakeholders.

 

• We urge the European Commission to implement the launch of industrial alliances that will be critical to align the entire ecosystem around this joint ambition, particularly the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Industrial Alliance, the Alliance for Zero Emission Aviation and the European Raw Materials Alliance.

 

• We also welcome the call for all partners worldwide to work together towards the adoption at the 41st ICAO Assembly of an ambitious long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation.

 

• We call for the commitments taken by the European Union to be adopted globally to accelerate the decarbonisation of our industry. In the meantime, we urge the European Union to implement mechanisms to ensure a level playing field and to avoid any carbon leakage linked to distortion of competition among stakeholders within the global aviation ecosystem.

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640,000 passengers flew with Norwegian in January

                                                                          Traffic figures for January show that almost 640,000 passengers flew with Norwegian during the month. This represents a significant increase compared to the same month last year.

Traditionally January is a quieter period for passenger demand, however, figures were also affected by the rapid spread of the omicron virus and associated government-imposed measures and restrictions.

“We know that there is pent up demand to travel, the latest international announcements regarding the reopening of society and removal of restrictions have had a positive effect on how customers plan and book their travel for the spring and summer. Norwegian is ready to adapt capacity to this increased future demand and we look forward to welcoming our loyal customers on board,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian.

Norwegian had 637,376 passengers in January, compared with 74,224 in January 2021. The load factor was 70 percent. The capacity (ASK) was 1,298 million seat kilometres, while actual passenger traffic (RPK) was 905 million seat kilometres. In January, Norwegian had an average of 45 aircraft in operation, and 99.2 per cent of scheduled flights were operated. Punctuality was 85.9 percent.

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IATA called for end of US pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travelers

 
   
                                                 The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in partnership with Airlines for America (A4A) and 28 US and international aviation and travel and tourism stakeholder groups, urged the US government to remove the pre-departure testing requirement for fully vaccinated air travelers flying to the US. 

The vaccinated traveler population adds no additional risks to the domestic US population. Increased immunity levels, the pervasiveness of COVID-19 in all 50 US states, rising vaccination rates and new therapeutics, all point to removing the testing requirement for fully vaccinated travelers.

“The experience of Omicron has made it clear that travel restrictions have little to no impact in terms of preventing its spread. Moreover, as Omicron is already broadly present across the US, fully vaccinated travelers bring no extra risk to the local population. International travelers should face no additional screening requirements than what is applied to domestic travel. In fact, at this stage of the pandemic, travel should be managed in the same way as access to shopping malls, restaurants or offices,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

More than 74.3 million people -- meaning at least 22% of the US population -- have had COVID-19, and that is almost certainly an undercount owing to asymptomatic infections and limited testing early in the pandemic. When combined with an adult population that is 74% fully vaccinated, it is clear that the US is developing very high levels of population immunity.

Last Year Saw 60% Recovery of Iberia Airport Services’ Passenger Handling Volume, with 47 Million

• 
  Iberia’s airport handling unit, which serves Vueling in Barcelona, was a major contributor to Vueling’s showing as Europe most punctual airline in 2021, and to El Prat’s ranking amongst Europe’s top five airports in flight punctuality.

• Iberia Airport Services put its entire staff back on duty last year, and next month will offer permanent contracts to 800 temporary employees.

• Iberia’s handling unit operates at 29 Spanish airports, where last year it assisted more than 200,000 aircraft and handled nearly 33 million pieces of luggage. 

• The unit last year towed more than 5,000 aircraft with its new electric ground vehicles, which are replacing fossil fuel-powered equipment.

 

Iberia Airport Services, the Spanish airline’s handling unit which serves more than 150 airline clients in 20 Spanish airports, last year assisted 46.8 million passengers, which represented a 59.6% increase on the number served in 2020.

The unit is credited for making a major contribution to Vueling’s showing as Europe's most punctual airline last year, according to industry monitor Cirium. Vueling’s Barcelona hub ranked fifth in Europe for the largest percentage of on-time flights.

Iberia Airport Services serves another 30 airline clients at Barcelona’s El Prat airport, where its handling market share is 70%.  Despite the additional health document requirements and procedures, the unit achieved a 99.78% on-time result for its services to Vueling.

During the pandemic, the unit installed the comprehensive Kepler digital management system, which adds efficiency and speeds real-time decision making during the handling process, as this video shows. 

Iberia’s Airports Manager José Luis de Luna said, “The restriction put in place by every country made 2021 a complicated year, as the figures show. And while they remained lower than those of 2019, they represented a strong recovery from 2020. We’re delighted to have contributed to the impressive on-time rating of both Vueling and of the Barcelona airport, and also that more than 90% of the airlines that began to operate in Spain in 2020 chose Iberia Airport Services as their handling provider. We signed ten new airline clients in the year, and resumed commercial relations with another nine.” 

 

800 New Permanent Employees

Iberia Airport Services ended 2912 with its entire staff back on duty, and in December it hired 1,000 additional staff to meet demand at 19 airports during the holiday season and to compensate for the absences of many employees due to the Omicron variant.

In keeping with an agreement with unions reached prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, before 15 March the unit will change 800 temporary contracts into permanent ones.

 

200,000 Aircraft, 33 million Pieces of Luggage, and Nearly 330,000 Tonnes of Freight

Iberia Airport Services assists passengers at every stage of the airport experience: check-in, boarding, arrival, transits, dealing with incidents, looking after unaccompanied minors, etc.

On the airport ramp, it loads and unloads luggage; tows aircraft; places and operates power equipment, stairways, platforms, and conveyor belts; and prepares aircraft for each flight.

In 2021, Iberia Airport Service assisted 199,038 aircraft –43.8% more than the previous year-- and handled 32.9 million pieces of luggage –81.4% more.

Iberia Airport Services also handled more than 328,600 tonnes of freight –up 32% from 2020.

 

Objective: Reduce Carbon Footprint

To reduce its carbon footprint Iberia Airport Services last year acquired eight new, remote-controlled, electric pushback tractors, which have already been used to tow 5,000 aircraft in the airports of Madrid and Barcelona.

 

Meanwhile, it has been conducting tests of other innovative electric vehicles and ground equipment at the airport of Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga with a view to reducing emissions and noise, and increasing safety and efficiency.

 

New Airport Handling Licences

Handling licences awarded by Spanish airports, which represent an annual business volume of about one billion euros, come up for renewal every seven years, and 2022 will see bids presented to the AENA airport authority by Iberia Airport Services and its competitors. This year Iberia's handing unit is offering many new innovative and sustainable services which make it more efficient and able to offer services tailored to clients’ needs.

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