Virgin Atlantic wants to grow at London’s Heathrow airport. A lot. This is no secret, of course. The carrier has strongly endorsed a third runway at Britain’s busiest airport for years, hoping to secure a significant boost to its landing slots portfolio should that finally come to pass. This week the company translated that drive into maps, hoping to generate public support for its plans. There’s just one problem: It is almost certainly impossible for Virgin Atlantic to deliver what it is suggesting.
Virgin Atlantic
Can Delta’s pilots derail a joint venture success story?
Delta’s recently approved Joint Venture for transatlantic operations hit a small speed bump as the carrier’s pilots filed an objection. While unlikely to be taken too seriously by the Department of Transportation the filing does highlight challenges the carrier will face in future contract negotiations.
Blue Skies ahead as Delta, KLM, Air France, Virgin Atlantic receive ATI approval
It only makes sense that the Department of Transportation tentatively approved the latest antitrust immunity (ATI) request. After all, the mutual ownership blend across Delta Air Lines, Air France/KLM and Virgin Atlantic lends itself to coordination of operations, marketing and pricing efforts. The DoT did hold back a tiny bit, though it is unlikely that will be sufficiently consolatory for the parties that objected to the deal.
Virgin Atlantic acquisition of Flybe approved
Flybe’s absorbtion into the Virgin Atlantic family receive final approval from the European Commission last week, with conditions applied. At least one competitor will be disappointed at just how limited the conditions are.
Norwegian drops Vegas service. Again.
Norwegian will not fly its 787s from London to Las Vegas this winter. That is one of a dozen routes affected in the latest long-haul LCC shakeup.
Virgin Atlantic returns to Mumbai
Nearly five years ago Virgin Atlantic dropped its services to India’s financial center, Mumbai. Just five months from now the airline will bring it back. Starting 27 October 2019 Virgin Atlantic will fly from London to Mumbai on a daily basis.
Digging in to Global Connectivity Revenues
A pair of recent earnings reports left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.
China Southern quits SkyTeam, seeks stronger partnerships
SkyTeam lost its largest mainland China airline this week. China Southern announced it will quit the alliance in 2019. The non-renewal of the membership contract will see the carrier transition out of its alliance relationships in the coming year. This is not a hard stop of relations; rather, the changes are likely to roll out over time. It is also not a surprise.
