The commecial aviation industry as we once knew it faces a dire situation. And none of the recent data offers much of the way in optimism for the coming months.
EasyJet
American Airlines seeks buyouts of thousands of workers
Thousands of American Airlines employees face a difficult decision in the coming weeks. Federal payroll support funding is running out and some 17,000 employees must now decide if they’re willing to take a buy-out package from the company or risk being laid off.
Inflight social distancing will kill short-haul LCC travel: IATA
Blocking middle seats or even sitting passengers every other row is not a problem when load factors hover in the mid-teens, occasionally peaking at 30% for an especially busy flight. But if social distancing rules remain in place IATA executives believe the LCC market could collapse as a financially unsustainable endeavor.
IndiGo signs for 300 more A320neo aircraft
India’s largest domestic carrier plans to continue it meteoric growth pace. The carrier announced an order for 300 more A320neo family aircraft. This latest order contains a mix of A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR planes. With the new order the carrier’s total book with Airbus reaches 730 frames.
PaxEx Update: World Aviation Festival 2019
So much happening at the World Aviation Festival this year but a few bits stood out above the rest for direct impact on passengers. Here are a few of the highlights from Air Canada, TAP Portugal, EasyJet and more.
Sky-high dreams or firmly grounded: The business of connected aircraft maintenance remains in question
“Inflight connectivity doesn’t just create revenue, it could save the airline industry US$15bn a year.”
That’s a bold claim from Inmarsat and the research it commissioned from the London School of Economics (LSE). Much of the savings comes from better weather forecasting and the associated effects: reducing delays and fuel burn. Part of the forecast savings comes from predictive maintenance opportunities, allowing the plane to track its own performance and use on-board connectivity solutions to report back to headquarters when operations are less than nominal. The so-called Internet of Things for Aviation (IoT/A) has long been held up as the financial savior of the connectivity platforms, delivering the necessary financial support to justify installations. What will it take to realize the $3-46bn in annual savings the research revealed? A lot of work, and it is unclear which connectivity vendors are truly committed to that effort.
LEVEL to launch short-haul operations at Vienna next month
Starting an airline is a long, complicated process. It takes months or even years to pull off. Or maybe you just whip something together in a few weeks and join the LCC fray in Europe. Welcome LEVEL short-haul to the party.
Lufthansa ups its ground game, fights EasyJet inroads
Lufthansa’s Munich operation gets an upgrade for domestic passengers and the carrier faces new EasyJet competition in the domestic market. Can these changes deliver enough to help it keep customers loyal?