Airlines
A HEAVY LOAD
WestJet has released its September 2013 traffic results, reporting a 76.6% load factor. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 5.7% year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 9.2% over the same period. The airline flew 4.9 million guests in the third quarter, a year-over-year increase of 7.1% or approximately 330,000 additional guests. Gregg Saretsky, WestJet\'s president and CEO, was clearly pleased with the growth the carrier posted in the third quarter, observing: \"We not only flew a record number of guests, but also achieved our third...
PASSENGER DEMAND STAYS STRONG: IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports global passenger traffic results for August showing a strengthening of the healthy demand trend of the last few months. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 6.8% compared to August 2012. Capacity increases over the year-ago period lagged demand at 5.6%. This pushed the load factor to match the record high of 83.4% set in July 2011. “August was a positive month for passenger travel. Strong demand and capacity discipline saw load factors match the previous record high of 83.4%. The solid performance was also supported by...
ADRIA AIRWAYS JOINS ERA
The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) has welcomed Slovenian airline Adria Airways as a member. Adria Airways joins 50 other European airlines at ERA, taking the total number of airlines in membership to 51. According to CEO and president Mark Anžur, “Membership of ERA will provide Adria Airways with advice on issues that affect regional carriers in terms of the environment, infrastructure, safety, security and competition.” Adria Airways has been in operation over 50 years and connects Ljubljana with more than 20 European cities, \"offering excellent connections from...
EXPANDED COOPERATION
Air Canada and Air China are expanding their long-standing commercial cooperation agreement, enhancing the interline and codeshare services offered via their respective hubs and in the process making it more convenient for customers to travel between Canada and China while extending the Star Alliance partners\' international networks. The new codeshare flights are now available for purchase, and allow seamless bookings and connections for customers and their bags via the carriers\' Vancouver, Toronto and Beijing hubs to six new China destinations and six new destinations in Canada throughout...
IATA GEARS UP TO ASSEMBLE
At the end of this month (October), more than 600 industry stakeholders will be heading to Dublin to talk about some of the key issues in distribution and the travel experience. It\'s all part of IATA\'s third annual World Passenger Symposium (WPS) that takes place Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 at the Dublin Convention Center. Experts from the airline, airport, travel agent and technology communities will be there to identify ways to improve the air travel experience from the booking process to service delivery. Tony Tyler, IATA\'s director general and CEO, observed: \"This year, airlines and airports...
FOLLOW UNITED AND WIN
United Airlines is offering friends and followers of its social media channels 30 ways to win prizes in the next 30 days with the launch of the \"30 Days of Friendly\" social media promotion, celebrating the airline\'s newly launched brand campaign: \"Flyer Friendly.\" Customers who follow @united through Oct. 26, 2013 may enter for chances to win prizes including Economy Plus seats, MileagePlus award miles and domestic roundtrip tickets. The airline will post daily announcements on its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels to encourage friends and followers to visit @united and tweet...
WESTJET ORDERS 65 737 MAX AIRCRAFT
WestJet has entered into a definitive purchase agreement for 65 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing. This order was previously announced on Aug. 29 as a letter of intent to purchase. The purchase agreement includes commitments for 25 MAX 7 and 40 MAX 8 aircraft with substitution rights to the 737 MAX 9, with deliveries scheduled from 2017 through 2027. As previously announced, the airline will substitute 15 of its existing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft orders currently scheduled to deliver between December 2014 and 2018, with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, for a net increase of 50 committed...
ENHANCING AVIATION SAFETY
Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have reached an arrangement to strengthen the safety net around international air travel. Under the arrangement, Transport Canada and EASA will conduct common inspections of foreign commercial aircraft operating within their jurisdictions and share information on inspections. Inspections are conducted to make sure airlines are complying with safety regulations. As a result, Canada will have an effective means of learning about the compliance record of international airlines based on the results of inspections conducted by...