Irish airline Aer Lingus returned to profit in 2010 despite a 10% drop in passenger numbers but higher fuel prices mean that 2011 operating profit is likely to be lower.
The yield per passenger rose 12% to €107.12 each so there was a 1% increase in overall revenue to €1.22bn. A 10% fall in operating costs helped Aer Lingus swing from a loss of €154.8m to a pre-tax profit of €30.4m in 2010.
source: sharecast.com
British Airways grounded two jumbo jets after a passenger complained of being badly bitten by bed bugs during two separate long-haul flights.
The airline fumigated one of the planes on which it confirmed there had been an infestation and apologised to the woman for her ordeal.
Businesswoman Zane Selkirk revealed her body was “‘crawling’†with bugs and “‘covered with bites’†during a ten-hour transatlantic flight from Los Angeles to London Heathrow in January.
Miss Selkirk, who works for internet company Yahoo!’s media group, said she set up her protest website “‘after two horrendous flights’â€.
She used the site – www.ba-bites.com – to post graphic pictures of the injuries on her body.
source: iol.co.za
Irish Lowcost carrier Ryanair has agreed to display full inclusive ticket prices for its flights upfront on its website from June 1.
Ryanair will join lowcost rivals in improving price transparency including easyJet, Monarch Airlines, bmibaby and Flybe.
The UK regulatory authority said it has been working with airlines to improve the way compulsory fees and taxes are displayed up front.
source: travelweekly.co.uk
The International Air Transport Association trimmed its forecast for airlines’ net profits this year due to a surge in fuel costs, which is being exacerbated by the political unrest in the Middle East.
IATA, which represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international traffic, said Wednesday that it now expects carriers’ combined 2011 net profit of $8.6 billion, down from a previous forecast of $9.1 billion, on revenues of $594 billion.
The industry earned $16 billion in net profits last year as it rebounded from a withering downturn in the global economy that saw dozens of airlines world-wide go out of business.
source: wsj.com
Tim Jeans, former commercial director at Ryanair, said the golden age for ”low, low fares” is coming to an end.
He blamed escalating fuel costs, increased ‘Air Passenger Duty’ and so-called green programmes like the ‘Emissions Trading Scheme’, for impacting on airline profits.
Talking about whether the ”golden era of air trave’l’ was over, Mr Jeans said: ”The only thing that can happen is fares will go up and passengers go down. The vicious circle of decline in our industry will start.”
source: dailymail.co.uk
Air France and Delta are believed to be interested in making a bid for Sir Richard Branson’s 51 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic.
The stake is valued by analysts at anywhere between £500m and £1bn with Singapore Airlines owning the remaining 49 per cent stake, which it bought for £600m in 1999.
In November, Sir Richard hired Deutsche Bank to examine Virgin’s strategic options.
He said at the time he was being forced to review the airline’s position in the wake of British Airways’ merger with Iberia and their transatlantic tie-up with American Airlines.
source: skyport-heathrow.co.uk
Thanks to the new online “‘City Ratings’†application, Lufthansa customers can now rate the airline’s worldwide destinations, share their personal recommendations with other passengers or find inspiration for their next holiday based on other people’s experiences, ideas and travel tips.
The new application, which can be accessed via www.lufthansa.com, will enable users to share their first-hand experiences and impressions – a valuable source of information for travellers before they embark on their journey.
source: di-ve.com
