Airlines
ETIHAD PICKS NEW CANADIAN GM
Etihad Airways has appointed James Harrison as its new general manager for Canada. In his new role, Harrison will be based in Toronto where he will be responsible for driving sales and further growing strong relationships with the airline's trade and corporate partners. Harrison most recently served as Etihad Airways' global account manager for American Express, based in London. He has previously worked for Hertz, British Airways and Gulf Air and joined Etihad Airways in 2009 in Manchester before working as the airline's sales manager based in Melbourne. He returned to the UK in 2012 to work...
IATA TAKES HISTORIC STEP
IATA has overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution on Implementation of the Aviation Carbon-Neutral Growth (CNG2020) Strategy during its 69th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in South Africa. The resolution provides governments with a set of principles on how governments could establish procedures for a single market-based measure (MBM) and integrate a single MBM as part of an overall package of measures to achieve CNG2020. Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO, said: "Airlines are committed to working with governments to build a solid platform for the future sustainable development of aviation....
PORTER TAKES THE CHECKERED FLAG
Porter Airlines has been named the official airline for Honda Indy Toronto in 2013 and 2014. This year's race weekend takes place from July 12-14, at its traditional Exhibition Place street course site. "Flying with Porter to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport puts you within one kilometre of the track,"says Porter president Robert Deluce. "It's the ideal way to arrive for a visit to this iconic summer event and then return home from."Porter Escapes vacation packages are also available from any Porter Airlines gateway and include flights, hotel accommodation and three-day event passes. Hotel...
NDC REAFFIRMED
During its 69th annual general meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, IATA re-affirmed its support for the New Distribution Capability (NDC) initiative. NDC will develop an open, XML-based distribution standard for data exchange between airlines and travel agents. In a unanimously approved AGM Resolution, IATA members agreed that, "consumers will benefit from being able to make choices based on enriched content and the ability to compare and transact airline offers in a transparent fashion." Consumers, IATA notes, already have the ability to view rich content when they visit many airline web...
IATA UPGRADES OUTLOOK
IATA has upgraded its global outlook for the airline industry to a $12.7 billion profit in 2013 on $711 billion in revenues. This is $2.1 billion better than the $10.6 billion profit projected in March of this year and an improvement on the $7.6 billion profit generated in 2012. Margins remain weak. On revenues that are expected to total $711 billion this year, the net profit margin is expected to be 1.8%. Indicative of the characteristically razor thin profits of the airline industry, even this small margin will make 2013 the third strongest year for airlines since the events of 2001. In...
DEMAND DELIVERED
IATA reports that global passenger traffic results for April showed a 3.2% increase in demand over the previous April; with emerging markets continuing to lead air travel growth and all regions reporting year-over-year gains. The timing of the Easter holiday (which occurred in March 2013 and in April 2012) is largely responsible for the apparent decline from March performance (when year-on-year demand showed a 6.2% increase). The seasonally adjusted rate for April showed demand up almost 5%, which is in line with the long term historical trend. Tony Tyler, IATA director general and CEO, said:...
THE WORLD FOR LESS
Emirates Airline is offering the world for less this summer. But it's a limited time only offer. Customers who book on http://www.emirates.com/ca can save with special fares to Africa, Asia, the Middle East & India. The offer is applicable for travel before July 24 when booked by June 14 with no blackout dates for holidays. Emirates serves Toronto's Pearson Airport three times a week with service to Dubai and, for travellers in Western Canada, Emirates operates daily flights to Seattle SeaTac...
DUBAI GOES DOUBLE DIGIT
Dubai International has registered nine straight months of double-digit growth according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports this week. Dubai International handled 5,418,946 passengers in April, an increase of 18.7% compared to 4,566,673 during the corresponding month in 2012. April was the fifth consecutive month with more than five million passengers passing through Dubai International. The year to date traffic increased by 16.3% to 21,905,363 compared to 18,828,279 recorded in the first four months of 2012. In April, the top destination countries included India...