Use the filters below to find the news you're looking for.
Analysis Reports
We employ a global team of highly-experienced analysts who deliver a wealth of commentary about the aviation and travel industry. Our analysts don’t just report the news, they look at the big picture to help you understand how the latest news, issues and trends will affect your business. CAPA’s commitment to independence and integrity means every report is filled with accurate data and actionable insights to help you stay ahead of the game.
Both United Airlines and Alaska Air Group appeared to have cracked the code to create meaningful results in 1Q - typically the weakest quarter for US airlines.
Each airline's profitability in 1Q2024 was wiped out by the grounding of their respective Boeing 737 MAX-9 fleets early in 2024, after the inflight blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737-9.
Hopefully, the aircraft groundings should be a one-time event; but United and Alaska are bullish that profitability in 1Q2024 could become a common occurrence.
Edinburgh Airport – VINCI to take a controlling interest; becomes second largest UK airport operator
Quietly and stealthily, the French airports operator VINCI - with more than 70 assets worldwide, the leading private sector operator - has been building its portfolio in the UK, while all eyes have been on its acquisitions elsewhere.
Having already acquired Belfast International (100%) in 2018 and a majority stake in London Gatwick Airport the following year, VINCI has now moved to take a similar position to that at Gatwick by acquiring 50.01% of the equity at Edinburgh Airport, which serves the Scottish capital city and the second most visited tourist city in the UK.
The transaction should be completed in the summer of 2024, at which time VINCI would become the second largest airport operator in the UK by passenger numbers.
At the same time GIP, the majority shareholder at Edinburgh now, continues the downscaling of its airport activities...except where they concern VINCI, which is becoming the de facto operating partner of the funds manager (which has recently been wrapped up in the giant BlackRock asset manager).
But there are other factors to consider while the deal is secured, such as the position of the minority investors at Edinburgh, which represent major Australian pension funds.
And it does pose the question of whether VINCI might be tempted to go for a 'full house' of UK capital city airports by taking a look at least at what Cardiff Airport has to offer.
With capacity surging in the USA-Taiwan market, competition is set to heat up further as airlines add routes and a new competitor enters the fray.
The United States of America is an important market for Taiwan's airlines, and this is even more true in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Capacity between these two markets has soared well past 2019 levels, dominated mainly by Taiwanese airlines.
EVA Air and China Airlines are still the main players, but they have been joined by the newcomer StarLux Airlines. United Airlines serves Taiwan too, and Delta Air Lines is primed to launch its own direct Taiwan route.
Attention has focused on the Taipei-Seattle route in particular, with three airlines planning to begin service.
The rapid growth in the USA-Taiwan market further highlights the role of the Taipei hub as a connecting point between North America and Asia.
Europe's top dozen low cost airline brands carried 112 million more passengers than the top dozen non-LCCs in 2023.
In 2019, the differential was 26 million.
The top 12 LCCs collectively had 8% more passengers in 2023 than in 2019, whereas the top 12 non-LCCs' 2024 passenger count was still 11% short of 2019 traffic.
Ryanair, Europe's biggest LCC and biggest airline overall by passenger numbers in 2023, had more than twice the passenger count of the next biggest LCC - easyJet.
Both had more passengers than Turkish Airlines, the leading non-LCC in Europe.
This report ranks the top 12 LCC and non-LCC airline brands in Europe by passenger numbers in 2023.
CAPA ANALYST PERSPECTIVE - a series where CAPA - Centre for Aviation's analyst team provide their personal views on a hot topic facing aviation around the world.
Although a major round of consolidation is still likely to occur in the Indian airline industry, the process is taking longer to play out than expected a year or two ago.
Planned mergers between some airlines and the financial and legal struggles of others in the post-pandemic period appeared to presage a significant reduction in the number of airlines in the Indian market.
Around the middle of 2023, Go First had ceased operations, efforts to revive Jet Airways had stalled and Spicejet looked to be in a fragile financial condition as well.
It is still far from clear if, or when, Go First and Jet Airways will re-emerge, but their prospects have brightened somewhat in 2024. And Spicejet has raised funds and reached deals to satisfy many of its creditors.
Meanwhile, the proposed integration of the Tata Group airlines Air India and Vistara is generally on track, despite some pilot workforce issues that have arisen recently at Vistara.
So although there will be fewer airlines in the domestic market - the timing and extent of consolidation in India remains a shifting target. This is largely because of the ongoing regulatory and legal quagmire the smaller airlines are stuck in.
Adrian Schofield, Asia Pacific Chief Analyst at CAPA - Centre for Aviation and Senior Air Transport Editor for Aviation Week Network, shares his observations.
Since the depths of the COVID-19 crisis, seat numbers in the market between Europe and Saudi Arabia have recovered strongly, outpacing the increase in the wider Europe-Middle East market and the overall Saudi Arabian market.
In the week of 8-Apr-2024, Europe-Saudi Arabia seat capacity is at 153% of the equivalent week of 2019, whereas Europe-Middle East is at 99% and Saudi Arabia overall is at 130%.
Saudia and Turkish Airlines lead the Europe-Saudi Arabia market, but their seat share has declined since 2019. Airlines from Saudi Arabia have gained share, thanks to flynas and flyadeal, whereas Western European airlines (British Airways, Lufthansa and KLM) have lost share in this market.
Low cost airline seat share is up strongly, not only driven by flynas and flyadeal, but also by Pegasus Airlines and Wizz Air.
Europe is a key element of the Saudi government's plans to develop the kingdom both as an aviation hub and a tourist destination.
Europe-Saudi Arabia market growth is set to continue.
Vietnam's two main airlines are boosting their service to China, either through new scheduled routes or strengthened partnerships, as they seek to further build on the robust recovery of the country's most important tourist market.
Vietjet is adding to its limited number of scheduled routes to large mainland China markets, augmenting its extensive charter network in China.
Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines is looking to upgrade its partnership with China Southern Airlines to a joint venture.
Mainland China was Vietnam's leading source of annual visitors before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is on track to reclaim the leading spot. While Chinese outbound travel has generally recovered slowly, Vietnam has seen a stronger resurgence in such traffic than many other markets.
This market is in the spotlight at the moment, as a high-level Vietnamese government delegation has visited Beijing to emphasise the strong links between the countries. Both Vietnam Airlines and VietJet have timed announcements to coincide with the visit.
Hungarian government acquisition of Budapest Airport is imminent; VINCI joins the fray, possibly QIA
The almost two decades long saga of the Hungarian political party Fidesz's attempts to renationalise Budapest Airport (BUD), the jewel in the country's logistics and tourism crown, seems to be coming to an end.
Government sources are talking about the deal taking days, although weeks - if not months - are more likely as Hungary seeks to balance its books and reduce a crippling deficit.
It will not be a full nationalisation, as at least one private sector participant (VINCI) looks set to be involved along, possibly, with The Qatar Investment Authority, although the latter's participation remains questionable.
For VINCI it would mean a reduced degree of influence compared to what it is used to.
The loser is AviAlliance, the operator and main investor since 2005, which might be excused for asking "what did we do wrong?"
One thing is for sure: other countries in the region which have seen their airports privatised during the last 20 years will be looking to see if Hungary can fashion a new model which might better suit their circumstances amid a changing political landscape.
BRA - Braathens Regional Airlines completed a restructuring in Mar-2024, securing its financial viability for a more sustainable future.
In the week of 8-Apr-2024 its network comprised 15 routes, of which 13 are domestic and only two are international (Stockholm Bromma to Aarhus and Gothenburg to Lyon-St Exupéry). This compares with 19 routes in the equivalent week of 2019.
As a regional airline focusing strongly on the Swedish domestic market, its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was held back by the slow recovery of this core market.
However, the successful completion of the restructuring now gives BRA a stable platform on which to grow again in domestic Sweden, and to develop its other two business areas - namely charter operations and wet leasing.
New scheme submitted for third Dublin Airport terminal – realistic or flight of fancy? Part two
There are few examples around the world where a publicly operated airport allows a private operator to build and manage a terminal onsite - and especially one sat between two runways. Airlines operate terminals in the US, but that is usually under concession and not the same thing.
Where it does happen, the track record is not high on successful implementation and cooperation.
But that is a conceptual proposal from an Irish company which is founded by part-owners of the land on which such an edifice would be built at Dublin Airport, a 30 million + passenger airport for the Irish capital and a gateway to Europe from the west, which is operated by a state company.
There are numerous complicating factors here, as this CAPA - Centre for Aviation report spells out.
Paramount among them are capacity caps; state and airport ambitions and whether they are up to delivering them; the real motives and desire of the putative private sector developer; the influence of the local authority; the public's abhorrence of interminable queues; where the money is coming from; and the attitude of the principal airlines.
If all the various schemes, public and private, come to fruition then they would transform Dublin into an airport to rival any in Europe.
Or - it could all be just a complete 'nothingburger'.
This is part two of a two-part report.