The number of passengers flying on Easyjet planes rose 7.3% in October from the month before to 2.935m.
The Luton-based firm said its load factor, which measures how many seats were filled on its planes, fell 2.4 percentage points to 83.2% in October.
source: Moneyweek.com
Portuguese state air carrier TAP-Air Portugal is set to buy its smaller competitor PGA-Portugalia Airlines for 140 million euros, with the acquisition agreement signed Monday in Lisbon.
source: Macauhub
Air China and Shanghai Airlines are expected to join the Star Alliance next year. Star Alliance, which includes Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Singapore Airlines Ltd, projects that China will account for 8.6 pct of the global airline market by 2020.
source: Forbes
New rules apply to European flights allowing passengers to carry small amounts of liquids and toiletries in hand luggage for the first time since last August when a terror plot was unveiled by the police.There will however be a limit of 100ml per container and all the liquid containers and toiletries should fit in a one-liter (20cm x 20cm) re-sealable plastic bag (per passenger). These bags will then be x-rayed separately.
source: ShortNews.com
Air Canada last month began unbundling flight options through its Web site, allowing travelers to customize bookings by “buying added services or, conversely, to save money by declining benefits normally included in their selected fare type.”
While several large carriers in the United States indicated no immediate plans to follow such an unbundled booking model, some in the industry expect selective merchandizing of airfares to accelerate, as carriers seek to differentiate and monetize offerings. Worldspan, the third largest U.S. global distribution system, said it is seeking new technologies to enable carriers to further merchandize their products.
source: BTNonline
UK airline Flybe bought British Airways’ struggling regional unit on Friday as part of plans to double the size of the airline and cut costs ahead of a stockmarket flotation in two years.
Flybe, a regional carrier based in southwest England, said it had agreed to buy BA Connect, a loss-making unit of British Airways, which it would use to expand its network in Europe.
The airline declined to give details of the deal but British Airways said it had taken a GBP106 million (USD$201.5 million) impairment charge on the sale and would take a 15 percent stake in Flybe under the deal.
source: Airwise
Even as Lufthansa Airlines is focused on establishing itself as the global leader in premier and business travel segment, the world’s biggest carrier ” in terms of the scheduled passengers carried ” is not ready to give up the battle with low-cost carriers for attractive short-haul routes.
“A strong brand needs growth and as the foremost part of our strategy we believe in full assortment of services,†Holger Hatty, member of the board of Lufthansa passenger airlines, said.
source: Financial Express
Several big U.S. air carriers, including Houston-based Continental Airlines, have raised fares on many routes by $10 round trip.
The carriers increased fares Thursday night, and the increase may stick, JPMorgan analyst Jamie Baker said in a research note issued Friday. Whether it remains in place should become clear after the weekend.
Bankrupt Delta Airlines raised its fares in some markets by $5 each way, making it the third time in recent weeks that airlines have tried to push through fare increases.
source: Reuters
Ireland’s Aer Lingus issued a forthright rejection on Friday of a takeover bid by low-cost rival Ryanair and urged its shareholders to snub the offer valuing it at 1.48 billion euros.
In a strongly worded letter to shareholders, Chairman John Sharman reiterated the company’s view that Ryanair’s offer undervalues Aer Lingus and said Europe’s biggest budget carrier lacked the know-how to deal with unionised staff.
source: Reuters
