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IATA AGM: Schiphol and South Africa named and shamed in Walsh warning

aPeaford — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:20:58 +0000

That was the key concern announced by IATA director general Willie Walsh as he gave his annual report on the state of the industry at the association's AGM in Istanbul today.

Walsh selected South Africa, the Netherlands, and the EU for particular attention.

Pointing out that industry had “wafer thin” margins of just $2.25 per passenger – “the value retained by airlines for the average plane trip won’t even buy a subway ticket in NYC” – but this was at risk because of some actions by airports and government actions.

Describing Schiphol Airport as “the worst in the world”, Walsh said: “Schiphol has no shame. After a self-made operational disaster in 2022 the airport continues its three-year 37% charges hike—with 12% this year.

“In South Africa, airports want a 38% charges increase, only to be outdone by ATC demands for a 63% hike.

“And, back to Europe, airlines are paying for a €1.9 billion addition to the air traffic management cost base in 2022. You’d expect good performance. But delays were triple what was anticipated. And capacity and environment targets were missed,” Walsh said.

“With such bad behavior on open display, calls for lighter touch economic regulation of our monopoly suppliers must not be taken seriously by any government,” Walsh said. “Considering these many challenges, that airlines are turning a profit at the industry level is truly impressive.”

Walsh said the financial performances are improving.

“Airline financial performance in 2023 is beating expectations. Stronger profitability is supported by several positive developments. China lifted COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the year than anticipated. Cargo revenues remain above pre-pandemic levels even though volumes have not. And, on the cost side, there is some relief. Jet fuel prices, although still high, have moderated over the first half of the year,” he said.

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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Although airlines are currently moving toward a profitable, safe, efficient and sustainable future after the rigours of the pandemic years, the industry is being hit by governments and airports who are taking unilateral decisions that threaten the financial recovery of the air transport industry.

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ECS Group opens a new Squair Service Centre in India

eNethersole — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:17:29 +0000

As demand for AWB verification outsourcing is increasing, the new team in Mumbai, India, will perform the AWB data capture activity for existing Squair customers and allow for future growth opportunities, especially in Asia.

The new team in Mumbai, India, complements the existing Squair team based in Sofia, Bulgaria that has been providing both AWB verification and customs reporting services to international airlines across 12 countries since 2019.

“There is a growing interest amongst airlines to maximise efficiency in their processes. AWB verification is a necessary, resource-intensive, yet non-revenue-generating activity,” said Adrien Thominet, executive chairman of ECS Group. “ECS Group recognised this opportunity for a new service offering early on and is the first and only GSSA to offer AWB verification as a full quality “ability” since 2019. India is the perfect location for our Verify service expansion as it offers an abundant and skilled workforce with competitive unit costs and increases our time zone coverage”.

“Our Squair team in India underwent two months of intensive training from December 2022, using ECS Group’s internal training platform, Discovery, as well as through a thorough cross-training by their Squair colleagues based in Bulgaria” Ian-Alexandre McMartin, general manager of Squair, explains. “Squair India officially started operating on 01 February 2023, carrying out AWB verification on behalf of a leading airline operating from Spain.” The team since then took over the AWB verification activity from that same airline in the Netherlands and is preparing to extend the geographical coverage in more European countries as the year progresses. “We offer a flexible service that allows for weekend and evening shifts matching our client’s SLAs on AWB verification,” he adds.

“Five new members joined our team in March, enabling this ramp up of operations, and we aim to treble the size of our Squair team in India to 20 by early next year,” said Dimitri Arnaudin, managing director of Squair. “In the initial phase, our team in India is building on the “Verify” expertise of our team based in Bulgaria, where they are familiar with the specifics of the European markets. The long-term plan, however, is to establish dedicated Verify support for airlines located in and serving the Asian markets, operating in the same time zone as our Indian Squair Service Centre.”

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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With the opening of its first Asia-based Squair Service Center, ECS Group is increasing its capabilities related to the AWB Verification service offering (known as “Verify”).

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Virgin Atlantic launches services to Bengaluru and bolsters Dubai

eNethersole — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:01:01 +0000

Since 2019, Virgin Atlantic has increased capacity to India by 250%, the airline’s largest area of growth outside the United States. Launching in Summer 2024, the addition of this new route means the airline will offer 500,000 seats (total) each year between the UK and India, while its growing codeshare with IndiGo, India’s leading airline, flies to 34 destinations across the country. Bengaluru is a rapidly growing tech hub and one of the largest corporate markets in India, whilst intrepid travellers will enjoy the city’s rich culture and beautiful gardens. The new service will offer seamless connectivity and a premium long-haul experience for those customers connecting via London Heathrow to destinations throughout North America including Seattle, San Francisco and New York JFK, with Virgin Atlantic and transatlantic joint venture partner, Delta Air Lines.

The airline has also announced its return to Dubai, operating seasonally from October through to March four times a week.

As well as flying customers, Virgin Atlantic will offer 20 tonnes of cargo capacity on each flight. This fast cargo service will offer new opportunities for companies looking to export and import goods such as fresh produce and high-tech products between the Middle East and prime markets in the UK and US.  

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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Signalling expansion in the country, Bengaluru will become the Virgin Atlantic’s third destination and fourth daily service to India.

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IATA AGM: Roadmaps detail critical steps to achieve net zero by 2050

eNethersole — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:10:57 +0000

The roadmaps address aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, operations, finance, and policy considerations leading to net zero.

And Marie Owens Thomsen, SVP sustainability and chief economist, said: “We believe it is possible to achieve sustainable aviation by 2050 if we all work together. The roadmaps are the first detailed assessment of the key steps necessary to accelerate the transition to net zero by 2050.”

The roadmaps are the first detailed assessment of the key steps necessary to accelerate the transition to net zero by 2050. The roadmaps are not just for airlines. Governments, suppliers, and financiers cannot be spectators in aviation’s decarbonisation journey. The roadmaps are a call to action for all aviation's stakeholders to deliver the tools needed to make this fundamental transformation of aviation a success with policies and products fit for a net-zero world.

Highlights of each roadmap include:

Aircraft Technology: the development of more efficient aircraft and engines. Particularly important are the steps needed to enable aircraft powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen or batteries. All development milestones are backed-up by announced investment and demonstrator programmes. Also included are new engines, aerodynamics, aircraft structures, and flight systems.
Energy and New Fuels Infrastructure: the focus is on the fuels and new energy carrier infrastructure upstream from airports needed to facilitate the use of aircraft powered by SAF or hydrogen. Renewable energy plays a vital role in meeting the aviation sector's energy demand, and the roadmap outlines milestones to enable the necessary infrastructure developments.
Operations: the opportunities for reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency by improving the way existing aircraft are operated. Automation, big data management, and the integration of new technologies are key enablers for optimising air traffic management and enhancing the overall efficiency of the air transportation system.
Policy: the need for globally aligned strategic policies to provide incentives and support for the aviation industry's transition to a net-zero future. As with all other successful energy transitions, collaboration between governments and industry stakeholders is crucial in creating the necessary framework to achieve the decarbonisation goals.
Finance: how to finance the cumulative $5 trillion needed for aviation to achieve net zero by 2050. This includes technological advancements, infrastructure developments, and operational improvements.

The challenges to ramp up SAF production are a good illustration of the importance of these roadmaps. As a drop-in solution, SAF is expected to deliver about 62% of carbon mitigation needed to achieve net zero by 2050. But even though SAF is expected to be fully implementable with future aircraft fleet, it still has major inter-dependencies on policy, aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, financing, and operations for which these roadmaps are critical.

"The roadmaps show where all stakeholders should focus their efforts. There are two certainties. By 2050 we need to be at net zero carbon emissions. And the steps to get there that are outlined in these roadmaps will evolve as the industry’s expertise grows. Policy is particularly important early on as it, to a large extent, sets the scene for private sector investors to move. With that, the private sector can decarbonise at scale and with speed," said Owens Thomsen.

“Without the right policy incentives and bold investments, many of the technologies and innovations simply won’t happen at scale. Everything is related, and that is why we have the five roadmaps to tie all the parallel elements together and give our stakeholders, including governments, a complete understanding of everything that needs to happen,” said Owens Thomsen.

Owens Thomsen added: “I believe, as a European, in the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. Together, we can achieve net zero by 2050."

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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IATA has unveiled a series of roadmaps aimed at providing step-by-step detailing of critical actions and dependencies for aviation to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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IATA AGM: Unruly passenger incidents in post-pandemic increase

eNethersole — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 13:41:36 +0000

IATA called for more states to take the necessary authority to prosecute passengers under Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14).

Latest figures show that there was one unruly incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021. The most common categorisations of incidents in 2022 were non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication. Physical abuse incidents remain very rare, but these had an alarming increase of 61% over 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights.

The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying. Passengers and crew are entitled to a safe and hassle-free experience on board. For that, passengers must comply with crew instructions. While our professional crews are well trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persistent minority of passengers. There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s deputy director general.

Although non-compliance incidents initially fell after the mask mandates were removed on most flights, the frequency began to rise again throughout 2022 and ended the year some 37% up on 2021. The most common examples of non-compliance were:

Smoking of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes and puff devices in the cabin or lavatories

Failure to fasten seatbelts when instructed

Exceeding the carry-on baggage allowance or failing to store baggage when required

Consumption of own alcohol on board

Two-pillar strategy

A two-pillar strategy is in place for the needed zero-tolerance approach to unruly behaviour.

Regulation: Ensure governments have the necessary legal authority to prosecute unruly passengers, regardless of their state of origin and to have a range of enforcement measures that reflect the severity of the incident. Such powers exist in the Montreal Protocol 2014 (MP14), and IATA is urging all states to ratify this as soon as possible. To date, some 45 nations comprising 33% of international passenger traffic have ratified MP14.

Guidance to prevent and de-escalate incidents: Prevent incidents through collaboration with industry partners on the ground (such as airports, bars and restaurants and duty-free shops), including for example awareness campaigns on the consequences of unruly behaviour. Additionally, sharing best practices, including training, for crew to de-escalate incidents when they occur. A new guidance document was published at the beginning of 2022 gathering best practices for airlines and providing practical solutions to governments on public awareness, spot fines, and fixing jurisdiction gaps.

“In the face of rising unruly incident numbers, governments and the industry are taking more serious measures to prevent unruly passenger incidents. States are ratifying MP14 and reviewing enforcement measures, sending a clear message of deterrence by showing that they are ready to prosecute unruly behaviour. For the industry’s part, there is greater collaboration. For example, as the vast majority of intoxication incidents occur from alcohol consumed prior to the flight, the support of airport bars and restaurants to ensure the responsible consumption of alcohol is particularly important.

“No one wants to stop people having a good time when they go on holiday—but we all have a responsibility to behave with respect for other passengers and the crew. For the sake of the majority, we make no apology for seeking to crack down on the bad behaviour of a tiny number of travellers who can make a flight very uncomfortable for everyone else,” said Clifford.

Posted date

Sun, 04/06/2023 - 12:00

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IATA has released a new analysis showing that reported unruly passenger incidents increased in 2022 compared to 2021.

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Emirates’ A380 lands in to Bali

eNethersole — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 20:01:54 +0000

It became the first-ever scheduled A380 service to Indonesia.

Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ senior vice president, commercial operations, Far East, said: “We are extremely excited that our iconic A380 aircraft has arrived in Bali. This has been the result of months of careful planning and execution. The commencement of our A380 operations in Indonesia is also an extension of our long-standing commitment to the market, and a testament to the solid partnership we have with the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport and the local authorities. We look forward to offering our A380’s best-in-class services to our valued customers flying to and from Denpasar, while simultaneously serving the increased demand for international travel with the Superjumbo being one of two daily services to the island.”

Mohammad Al Attar, Emirates country manager for Indonesia, added: “The deployment of our iconic A380 aircraft on flights to Denpasar will significantly contribute to serving the increased customer demand. We’re pleased to achieve this milestone that will greatly strengthen our operations in Indonesia, as well as future commercial plans for the market.”

Emirates launched a non-stop daily service from Dubai to Bali in 2015, adding to its scheduled flights to Jakarta which began in 1992. The airline currently serves Indonesia with 28 weekly flights to both Bali and Jakarta and offers increased connectivity to 29 more domestic cities via the two gateways through its partnership agreements with both Garuda Indonesia and Batik Air.

Posted date

Fri, 02/06/2023 - 12:00

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Emirates’ flagship A380 has achieved a milestone as it made a landmark touchdown at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport earlier today.

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Aviation leaders gather in Istanbul for IATA’s 79th AGM

eNethersole — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:27:04 +0000

The World Air Transport Summit, with Pegasus Airlines as the host airline, will also take place.

The event (4-6 June) attracts the industry’s most senior leaders from among IATA’s more than 300 member airlines, as well as senior government officials, strategic partners, equipment suppliers, and media.

“In a few days, Istanbul will become the aviation capital of the world. Airlines will meet to review the industry’s recovery from COVID-19, to plan the way forward to a more sustainable future, to discuss the opportunities for technology to drive efficiencies from modern retailing to improved facilitation, and to understand the common regulatory challenges they face. Aviation is important. Connecting the world even as geopolitical divides deepen is a vital mission that requires profitable, safe, efficient and sustainable airlines. The outcomes of this AGM must set the direction for even more effective global connectivity,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Pegasus Airlines, and Chair of the IATA Board of Governors Mehmet T. Nane said: “We are enormously proud to be hosting our industry partners in the great city of Istanbul and look forward to welcoming everyone here for the IATA AGM, particularly as we look ahead to our 100th aircraft milestone on the 100th anniversary of Republic of Türkiye later this year. Aviation came together to assist the people of Türkiye to rebuild after the tragic earthquake in February. Now aviation comes together to debate vital issues concerning our pathway to net-zero CO2 in 2050, the diversity of our industry, our operational recovery from the depths of COVID, and many other topics.”

World Air Transport Summit

The World Air Transport Summit immediately follows the AGM.

The ever-popular CEO Insights Panel moderated by CNN’s Richard Quest will feature Greg Foran (CEO, Air New Zealand), Yvonne Manzi Makolo (CEO, Rwandair), John W. Dietrich (President and CEO, Atlas Air Worldwide) and Campbell Wilson (CEO and MD, Air India).

In addition to the updated industry economic outlook, key topics to be addressed include:

A ‘Big Picture’ view of challenges facing the industry with changing energy markets and shifting supply chains

Aviation’s contribution to Türkiye’s earthquake recovery

Advances in sustainability

Learnings from the 2022 operational challenges

A highlight will be the fourth edition of the Diversity and Inclusion Awards sponsored by Qatar Airways. These awards recognise organisations and individuals who are making a difference in helping to drive the industry’s 25by2025 initiative to make the aviation industry more gender balanced.

This will be the second time that the AGM is hosted in Istanbul, which last hosted in 2008. Türkiye is rebounding strongly from the pandemic shut down. In 2022 travel to/from Türkiye increased nearly 60% and it is now the 7th largest international passenger market in the world.

“Since we were last in Istanbul, Türkiye has become an incredible global aviation powerhouse. Its carriers are leading the way in regional and international connectivity, and the magnificent new airport puts some other nations’ lack of airport investment to shame. There’s no doubt that Türkiye’s importance to global aviation will continue to grow significantly,” said Walsh.

Posted date

Fri, 02/06/2023 - 12:00

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IATA has announced that leaders of the global aviation industry are gathering in Istanbul, Türkiye, for the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM).

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IndiGo set to expand international connectivity with six new destinations

eNethersole — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:48:05 +0000

It will connect Nairobi, Kenya and Jakarta, Indonesia, with direct flights from Mumbai in late July / early August. Delhi will get connected in August to Tbilisi, Georgia (3x) & Baku, Azerbaijan (4x) and in September to Tashkent, Uzbekistan (4x), and Almaty, Kazakhstan (3x). IndiGo is therefore adding an impressive 174 new weekly international flights between June and September 2023, including new destinations, routes, and frequencies, catering to the rising demand for international travel from, to and via India.

The execution of this large-scale international expansion is an integral part in IndiGo’s strategy of moving Towards New Heights and Across New Frontiers under the aegis of its CEO, Pieter Elbers, who joined the airline ten months ago. This strategic expansion plan will offer an array of super exciting opportunities for customers to travel worldwide on IndiGo.

Along with this expansive launch of new routes, IndiGo will also be resuming operations daily services from Delhi to Hong Kong in August, further enhancing travel options for passengers. This flight was suspended 3 years ago when Covid19 hit and will now be reinstated. These new flights will unlock remarkable opportunities for both business and leisure travellers seeking seamless connectivity.

Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo said: "We are absolutely excited to embark further on our ambitious international network expansion plans, in line with our commitment to giving wings to the Indian nation. As we steadfastly execute our strategy ‘Towards New Heights and Across New Frontiers’, we are poised to establish unparalleled connections between people and places. The addition of these exciting new destinations, new direct flight routes, enhanced flight frequencies, and strategic codeshare partnerships, will help us expand our footprint across four continents with Africa and Central Asia being penetrated for the first time. With this expansion in our network, we will now be directly touching 32 international destinations (up from 26), next to our 78 domestic destinations.”

Reinforcing stronghold between India and Middle East

IndiGo’s Middle East expansion plans include launching more direct international services bringing the Middle Eastern destinations closer to more Indian cities by connecting Dammam to Lucknow, Chennai, and Kochi; Abu Dhabi to Goa, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad; Ras Al Khaimah to Hyderabad; Bahrain to Kochi and Jeddah to Ahmedabad over the next few months*

Along with this, there will be an array of increased frequencies between Mumbai-Dhaka, in August 2023. These expansions are a testament to IndiGo's commitment to provide travellers with an extensive choice of destinations and convenient flight schedules.

Posted date

Fri, 02/06/2023 - 12:00

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IndiGo is taking a ‘massive step’ in its international expansion strategy with the addition of six new destinations across Asia, and Africa.

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Boeing partners on roadmap for SAF production in Southeast Asia

eNethersole — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 09:01:55 +0000

SAF will play a critical role in enabling sustainable growth and meeting commercial aviation’s goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

SAF has the potential to reduce carbon emissions over the fuel’s life cycle by up to 80% compared to petroleum jet fuel. While the current global SAF supply accounts for only around 0.1% of jet fuel consumption, the Asia-Pacific region can play a crucial role in SAF production with a potential of 40% of global feedstock supply.

Phase one of the study will evaluate whether SAF production could scale sustainably in Southeast Asia based on the availability and sustainability of feedstocks across the region. The study will also assess the sustainable feedstock policy environment, as well as the technical and economic viability of main SAF production pathways. Findings and recommendations will be published in the first quarter of 2024.

“We are excited to start a new partnership with Boeing in Southeast Asia, looking at supporting the regional aviation sector to decarbonise in a way that goes beyond emission reductions and also considers wider sustainability impact on the environment and society,” said Arianna Baldo, programme director for RSB.

Boeing is acting on its commitment to deliver 100% SAF-compatible airplanes by 2030 and expand the SAF supply it’s scaling regionally and globally.

“It’s imperative to expand the supply of SAF to decarbonise aviation, as they are safe and used every day as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based jet fuel,” said Jacqueline Lam, sustainability lead for Boeing in Southeast Asia. “The findings of the study will provide an evidence-based, data-driven set of recommendations for promoting the SAF industry in Southeast Asia.”

Boeing and RSB have established an advisory group of key stakeholders including policymakers, companies and environmental and financial institutions to provide subject matter expertise. Additional stakeholders will be consulted as the study progresses. This project builds on the long-standing partnership between Boeing and RSB to explore SAF feedstock opportunities in different regions of the world including in Ethiopia, South Africa and Brazil.

Posted date

Fri, 02/06/2023 - 12:00

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Boeing and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) will conduct a joint study to scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in Southeast Asia.

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