US airlines seem bullish on North Atlantic corporate demand as the region shows positive momentum

US carrier results in their Atlantic entities during 3Q2013 reflect an uptick predicted by IATA in the region at the onset of the quarter as business confidence is showing signs of improvement and economic conditions in Europe and the US are showing some positive development.

While the 16-day US Government shutdown in Oct-2013 may put a slight damper on corporate demand, most of the major US airlines believe the North Atlantic will continue to gain momentum as it seems capacity growth appears rational.

American and Delta continue to tout their respective joint venture business arrangements with their respective partners in the oneworld and SkyTeam alliances. Meanwhile US Airways' strategy to grow its corporate revenues across the Atlantic also appears to be bearing fruit. The carrier is actively pursuing corporate accounts in Europe without the benefit of joint sales included in the immunised trans-Atlantic joint ventures operated by the three large global groupings.