Airports of Thailand reported (26-Nov-2020) it is expecting 446,986 flights and 47.9 million passengers for FY2021 and 776,763 flights
and 110.8 million passengers for FY2022. The adjusted forecasts are decreases of 10.5% and 11.9% respectively. [more - original PR]
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Exciting news on COVID-19 front-running vaccines is welcome for the world and the global aviation industry. But there will be a long, complex road ahead in the vaccine rollout phase. For anyone dreaming of a rapid snap-back to ‘2019 normal mode’ for the aviation and travel industries, it’s wake-up time. Recovery will be slow, lumpy and challenging.
CAPA offers a regular and predictable programme in these unpredictable times with CAPA Live, our virtual monthly programme spanning the whole of 2021, delivering great content, news, data and opinions from the leaders of the industry.
Premium Analysis
Schiphol Group-Oaktree tie-up seeks N America airport dealsAirport privatisation in the U.S. is at a crossroads, and depends on the as-yet unresolved presidential election for its future direction.
But that has not prevented the slightly unusual pairing of one of Europe’s leading airport operators with a U.S. alternative investment fund which specialises in turning around firms that are on their knees; both of them seeking potential deals in North America.
Unusual, but a sign of the times, and possibly the first of many.
How many such deals will actually arise in the U.S. is unclear, but a new market could emerge in Canada, where many regional airports are in clear and present danger.
IATA launches aviation carbon offsets trading platform, with JetBlue completing first trade
IATA calls on governments to support SAF development
Embraer and EDP enter partnership for electric aircraft research
Lufthansa Cargo commits to five sustainability goals under United Nations framework
United Airlines reports consumers more mindful than ever of environmental impacts
Premium Analysis
Russian aviation: Pobeda's growth will spark LCC competitionRight across the globe, long haul traffic and business travel are suffering the most in the COVID-19 crisis, while short haul and leisure traffic (more specifically, visiting friends and relations) are leading the recovery. This works to the strengths of low cost operators, and Europe's big LCCs (with the exception of Norwegian) are mainly performing better than their full service competitors.
Russia has Europe's biggest domestic market, where capacity grew back above 2019 levels in the peak summer weeks of 2020. This has helped Russia to become Europe's biggest aviation market by total seats, with 50% of 2019 capacity operating in the week of 23-Nov-2020. This is more than any other leading European country, and compares with an average of 26% for all Europe.
The strength of Russia's domestic market, and increased price sensitivity among consumers, has given a boost to Pobeda, Russia's only LCC. Since Jul-2020 the Aeroflot Group subsidiary has achieved positive year-on-year growth in passenger numbers for four successive months. Other Russian airlines are now considering the LCC model too.
Air Arabia CEO Adel Ali is optimistic about travel in the Middle East region, with the coronavirus largely under control. Travel may be down on 2019, but compared to earlier in the summer the LCC is experiencing strong demand.
Testing within the UAE is widespread and compulsory before travelling on Air Arabia. With protocols in place the number of flights the airline can operate is reduced, but that means load factors are high. There is plenty of pent-up demand, and as more flights are able to get online, the capacity is absorbed quickly.
The joint venture with Etihad is working well, as Air Arabia provides a service to those customers who want to pay less but still fly on short and medium haul routes. The LCC currently sees no need to delay long haul narrowbody aircraft orders which are due in 2024, as by then the LCC expects that demand will have recovered, and they will need those aircraft for their expansion.
Talking at the CAPA Live on 11-Nov-2020, Air Arabia’s CEO Adel Ali spoke with CAPA’s chairman emeritus Peter Harbison. Some of the key highlights can be found below.
At a time when the aviation industry is searching for up-to-the-minute market intelligence, news, trend analysis and thought leadership, CAPA - Centre for Aviation delivers a monthly virtual “Summit”, jam-packed with information, data and live interviews. CAPA experts, global airline CEOs and other cutting-edge industry leaders present live from a next-gen virtual event platform.
The next CAPA Live event is in 12 days on 9-Dec-2020, and features the below speakers. Find out more
Darrin Grafton
CEO, Serko
Dr Doug Quarry
Medical Director, Innovation, International SOS
Robert Carey
Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, easyJet
Jens Flottau
Executive Editor, Commercial Aviation, Aviation Week Network
Vladimir Zubkov
former Secretary General TIACA, VZ International Aviation Consulting
Recorded at CAPA Live October, 14 Oct 2020
Travel Tech Corner - your next destination
Johnny Thorsen is the “VP for Strategy and Innovation” for American Express Digital Labs after they acquired Mezi, in January 2018. Prior to joining Mezi in 2017 Johnny was the co-founder and CEO of conTgo, a UK-based startup acquired by Concur in March 2013. Johnny serves as a strategic advisor and board member for multiple startups within the wider travel industry, and is a frequent presenter at travel industry events (physical and virtual).
In this session Johnny is joined by TravelScrum, Co-Founder and Chairman, Gene Quinn.
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27-Nov-2020 2:33 PM
Russia becomes biggest market in Europe, Pobeda grows with support from domestic market
CAPA - Centre for Aviation, in a report entitled: 'Russian aviation: Pobeda's growth will spark LCC competition', stated (26-Nov-2020) Russia is the biggest market in Europe by airline seats in the week commencing 23-Nov-2020, up from sixth place in the equivalent week of 2019, according to data from CAPA and OAG. Total seat capacity to/from/within Russia is at 50% of 2019 levels, marking the highest percentage of 2019 capacity among Europe's top 10 countries by seats for this week. The strength of Russia's domestic market and increased price sensitivity among consumers provided a boost to Russia's only LCC Pobeda. Since Jul-2020, Pobeda achieved positive year-on-year growth in passenger numbers for four successive months. [more - CAPA Analysis]
Mexico's Communications and Transport Secretariat reported (26-Nov-2020) the following traffic highlights for Oct-2020:
- Passengers: 4.1 million, -49.3% year-on-year;
- Domestic: 2.7 million, -41.3%;
- Volaris: 1.1 million, -23.6%;
- Viva Aerobus: 759,000, -22.5%;
- Aeromexico: 375,000, -28.6%;
- Aeromexico Connect: 369,000, -43.4%;
- Interjet: 33,400, -96.0%;
- Magnicharters: 29,800, -48.1%;
- Aeromar: 25,700, -61.1%;
- TAR Aerolineas: 14,900, -63.5%;
- Aereo Calafia: 5600, -71.5%;
- International: 1.4 million, -60.2%;
- Mexican carriers: 360,000, -70.8%;
- Volaris: 202,700, -29.7%;
- Aeromexico: 88,500, -79.5%;
- Viva Aerobus: 44,600, +2.9%;
- Aeromexico Connect: 26,700, -70.1%;
- Aeromar: 1400, +19.0%;
- Interjet: Zero, -100%;
- Foreign air carriers: 990,000, -53.6%. [more - original PR]
- Mexican carriers: 360,000, -70.8%;
- Domestic: 2.7 million, -41.3%;
Emirates Airline announced (26-Nov-2020) plans to reopen lounges around the world, starting with the Emirates lounge at Cairo International Airport and followed in the coming weeks by lounges at New York John F Kennedy International Airport and Manchester Airport. Lounge services will be redesigned to align with health and safety measures, such as contactless menus and regular sanitisation and fumigation. [more - original PR]
flydubai announced (26-Nov-2020) the launch of twice daily Dubai-Tel Aviv service on 26-Nov-2020. flydubai SVP for commercial operations and e-commerce Jeyhun Efendi stated: "Since we announced the launch of operations to Tel Aviv we have seen strong demand for services from both Israel and the UAE. We received our first bookings from both tourists and business travellers shortly after the schedule was published. There is opportunity to further grow our double daily service". [more - original PR]
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27-Nov-2020 10:54 AM
Air India confirms plans to commence services from south India to San Francisco and Chicago
Air India, via its official Twitter account, confirmed (26-Nov-2020) plans to commence the following services to the US in Jan-2021:
- Bangalore-San Francisco: Twice weekly, effective 09-Jan-2021 to 27-Mar-2021;
- Hyderabad-Chicago O'Hare: Twice weekly, effective 13-Jan-2021 to 26-Mar-2021.
The airline will operate both services under India's air travel bubble agreement with the US.
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