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22 June 2022

easyJet first airline partner for Iris program to further reduce aviation’s carbon emissions

Media outlet: Aviation24
21 June 2022

easyJet is the first airline partner for Iris, an air traffic management program that will act as an enabler to systems that shall minimize flight delays, save fuel and help reduce the environmental impact of air travel.
 
The program is led by Inmarsat, a global, mobile satellite communications company, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus. Iris is a key component of modernizing and digitalizing the aviation industry and supports the Single European Sky’s ATM Research (SESAR) master plan for next-generation air traffic management.
 
Until zero carbon emission technologies are available, the airline remains absolutely focused on reducing its current carbon emissions as far as possible, and programs like Iris play a role. The program also supports airspace modernization. Tmost achievable source of carbon reductions right now are more direct flight paths leading to shorter flying times.
 

easyJet agrees to buy 56 Airbus A320neo jets

Media outlet: Reuters
21 June 2022

easyJet will buy 56 Airbus A320neo aircraft and convert a previous order to 18 new A321neo aircraft, the British airline said on 21 June, completing a deferred 2013 agreement with Airbus. Deliveries of the aircraft, which have a list price of $6.5 billion, will begin in easyJet's 2026 financial year to replace the carrier's older A319 and A320 aircraft, easyJet said.
 
easyJet said its order ensures it will be able to replace older aircraft and use more efficient jets that produce lower emissions and less noise, paying substantially less than the list price thanks to concessions granted in the 2013 agreement.
 
The planes will be funded from cash flow, sale and leaseback transactions and debt, easyJet said. Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said the order continued the airline's fleet refresh, providing additional seats and cost efficiencies.
 

Spanish union calls nine-day strike for easyJet cabin crew

Media outlet: Aviation24
21 June 2022

Spanish union USO (Unión Sindical Obrera) on 21 June announced a non-consecutive nine-day strike notice for cabin crew working for easyJet in Spain. The 450 flight attendants, based in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca protest against the delay of the negotiations of the second collective labor agreement.
 
With these actions, the union hopes that easyJet will present a new labor agreement to the cabin crew “that recognizes the same working conditions” as their peers in other countries. USO hopes that by issuing the strike notice, an agreement with easyJet can be quickly reached.
 
“Currently, easyJet cabin crew members in Spain have a base salary of €950, which is €850 less than our colleagues in France or Germany. The variable wage depends on our flight hours. Our bases are very expensive cities and with the base salary we barely cover the rent or the mortgage,” the union said.
 

easyJet obtains TAP's Lisbon slots

Media outlet: Aviation24
21 June 2022

Spanish union USO (Unión Sindical Obrera) on 21 June announced a non-consecutive nine-day strike notice for cabin crew working for easyJet in Spain. The 450 flight attendants, based in Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca protest against the delay of the negotiations of the second collective labor agreement.
 
With these actions, the union hopes that easyJet will present a new labor agreement to the cabin crew “that recognizes the same working conditions” as their peers in other countries. USO hopes that by issuing the strike notice, an agreement with easyJet can be quickly reached.
 
“Currently, easyJet cabin crew members in Spain have a base salary of €950, which is €850 less than our colleagues in France or Germany. The variable wage depends on our flight hours. Our bases are very expensive cities and with the base salary we barely cover the rent or the mortgage,” the union said.
 

Court fines Finnair over expenses dispute with pilots and cabin crew

Media outlet: YLE News
17 June 2022

Finland's Labor Court has ruled against Finnair for breaching collective agreements in a dispute centered around daily expense allowances for pilots and cabin crew. Unions representing pilots and crews argued that the company had violated the terms of the agreement by unilaterally making changes to working hours and per diem payments.
 
The change meant that, in the company's view, daily expense allowances only had to be paid when staff stayed overnight in the destination. More specifically, the allowance was only paid if the pilot or crew stayed overnight at a destination elsewhere in Europe, but not for overnight stays at domestic destinations.
 
Finnair pilots and cabin crew considered the changes to be in breach of the collective agreements and challenged the company's interpretation. In its ruling, the court agreed that Finnair had breached the terms of the collective agreement and fined the company.
 

Belgium-based Ryanair pilots join the strike action of cabin crew

Ryanair pilots based in Belgium have decided to join the cabin crew strike movement on 24 June till 26 June, the Christian union CNE / ACV Puls announced on 19 June. The workers of Ryanair demand respect for Belgian labor law with the guarantee of a minimum wage for all.
 
Belgium-based Ryanair cabin crew announced a three-day strike on 17 July after negotiations over a new collective labor agreement broke down. Discussions have been stalling for many weeks because Ryanair’s proposals do not comply with Belgian labor law, say ACV Puls and CNE, the only unions represented at Ryanair. Pilots have thus decided to join the action with the same demands.
 

Ryanair prevents strike action with British pilots accepting pay deal

Ryanair British-based pilots accepted a new pay deal with the airline, avoiding any potential strike and giving the carrier some relief amid a wave of action from staff across Europe. Ryanair members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association accepted a revised pay offer, a union spokesperson said on 20 June.
 
The association had been in talks with Ryanair to restore pay after accepting so-called mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, Ryanair faces a wave of strikes across Europe on 25 June. Pilots and cabin crew in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium are all seeking improved pay and conditions.
 

Ryanair cabin crew in Italy join Europe-wide strike action

Unions representing Ryanair cabin crew in Italy said on 15 June that they had called a 24-hour strike at the end of June in a dispute with the airline over pay and conditions. The strike has been called to coincide with walkouts arranged by unions representing Ryanair cabin crew in both Spain and Portugal.
 
The FILT-CGIL and UIL Trasporti unions said they had called for their members to strike on 25 June after a four-hour stoppage earlier this month had little effect on negotiations with the airline. Portuguese unions are planning a three-day stoppage on 24 June till 26 June, while Spanish unions have called for six days of strike action on 24 June till 26 June, and then on 30 June till 2 July.
 
The unions claim Ryanair’s stance on the issue is a breach of European laws. Another big sticking point is the use of hiring cabin crew as third-party agency staff, as well as pay and other working conditions. Ryanair says the union’s demands are unrealistic and have pulled out of further talks. Ryanair believes it can continue to operate much of its schedule without major disruption during any strike.
 

Vueling to accept payment in bitcoin

Vueling has become the latest carrier to start accepting payment with cryptocurrencies after teaming up with cryptocurrency payment provider BitPay. It will accept 13 different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, as a form of alternative payment from 2023.
 
From the beginning of 2023, travelers can choose from over a dozen different cryptocurrencies when making their reservations. This option will be available for individuals only. Vueling will be the first low-cost carrier in Europe to accept payment in the form of crypto. Other European airlines, including airBaltic and LOT Polish Airlines, began accepting crypto payments as early as 2014.
 
Jesús Monzó, Manager of Distribution Strategy and Alliances at Vueling, said, "With this agreement, Vueling once again reaffirms its position as a digital airline. We are very pleased to have found in BitPay the best partner to offer our customers the possibility of making transactions with cryptocurrencies with the greatest security and reliability."
 

Wizz Air revisits fuel-hedging policy dropped during COVID-19 pandemic

Media outlet: Flight Global
20 June 2022

Wizz Air is embarking on a return to fuel hedging having abandoned the policy during the pandemic in order to avoid future losses.  Wizz Air says it was among carriers to suffer significant hedge losses during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wizz typically hedged at least 50% of its fuel requirements over a 12-month period prior to the pandemic outbreak in March 2020.
 
The carrier opted to move to a no-hedge policy to avoid heavy losses even though, it says, competitors continued to hedge at lower coverage levels. “Given the sustained and ongoing volatility in commodity prices Wizz Air has decided to reinstate a hedging policy,” says the airline.
 
The airline says the policy will align with those of its main peers, and “mirror” their hedge coverage levels as of fiscal year 2023-2024. Wizz will put in place additional fuel price caps for the second half of the fiscal year 2022-2023, it says, in order to limit exposure in the event of further volatility.
 

Emirates in talks with Airbus for quicker A350 delivery amid 777X jet delays

Media outlet: The National
20 June 2022

Emirates is in discussions with Airbus to take delivery of its A350 wide-body aircraft at a faster pace amid continuing delays with Boeing's 777X program. The airline will seek up to two jets a month, with the first deliveries starting in the summer of 2024, said Tim Clark, Emirates president.
 
The airline had placed an order for 50 of the A350-900 XWB aircraft worth $16 billion at list prices at the Dubai Airshow in 2019. Delivery was planned to start in May 2023 and run until 2028. Tim Clark said Emirates has a tentative delivery date of July 2025 to receive the first of its long-delayed 777X wide-body jets, with new wings and engines.
 
The airline is undertaking a refurbishment of its existing 777s and A380s and phasing them out later than planned to cope with the delayed delivery of its new aircraft. Emirates will meet Boeing in Dubai to seek more clarity on the delivery timeline of the aircraft.  
 

Emirates expects 550,000 passengers in June and July

Media outlet: Gulf News
20 June 2022

Emirates expects anywhere around 550,000 travelers this month and the next on its over 2,400 weekly flights. Emirates will be operating at close to 80% of its pre-pandemic capacity, or over one million weekly seats this summer to serve demand.
 
"As many customers have been waiting for almost two years to travel, Emirates is working hard to ensure it provides an incredible onboard experience, and a seamless journey on the ground," Emirates said in a statement.
 
Daily booking volumes are on the rise as summer holidays come closer, with Emirates suggesting fliers who have not made travel arrangements to “get ahead and book now to ensure they are able to travel on their preferred dates and flights”.
 

Qatar Airways warns industry 2050 net zero target will be challenging to meet

Qatar Airways' chief executive said on 20 June that the industry's net-zero 2050 target, which was set last year, would be difficult for airlines to achieve.
 
It is going to be "very challenging,” Akbar Al Baker told a press conference at the International Air Transport Associations (IATA) annual meeting of airline chiefs in Doha. He added that other stakeholders in the industry, including engine makers and oil companies, would need to contribute to the goal.
 

Qatar Airways swings to annual profit

Qatar Airways swung to an annual profit in its last fiscal year on the back of higher cargo volumes and surging passenger traffic, stemming losses that began in 2017 and worsened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The airline posted a net profit of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended 31 March, compared to a loss of $3.84 billion rials a year earlier. Revenue for the year increased 78% year-on-year to $14.3 billion. Passenger revenue increased by 210% over the past year due to the growth of its network, increase in market share and higher unit revenue, Qatar Airways said.
 
The airline carried 18.5 million passengers during the fiscal year, up more than three times compared to the previous year, but below pre-COVID-19 levels. Qatar Airways would have grown its network at a faster pace, helping the business fundamentals to a greater degree, if additional capacity had been available, said Akbar Al Baker, the airline's group chief executive.

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Qatar Airways plans to add B737 MAX for subsidiary

Qatar Airways is planning to place its impending B737-10s with an unspecified subsidiary, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said. "We have bought those for our subsidiary company - we feel that cancelling the ACV!32Q unilaterally by Airbus is illegal, and we will let the court decide on that issue," he said, clarifying that the B737 MAX and the A321neo were independent plans.
 
Qatar Airways did not provide any further information as to which subsidiary would operate the B737-10s under the new Memorandum of Understanding. The carrier currently holds stakes in IAG International Airlines Group (25.1%), LATAM Airlines Group (10%), and Cathay Pacific (9.6%).

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Oman Air to join oneworld alliance

Oman Air will join the oneworld Alliance, further strengthening the airline alliance’s position in the Middle East. Oman Air is expected to be implemented into oneworld in 2024, following which it will provide the full range of benefits to customers travelling on its flights.
 
Oman Air was elected as a oneworld member designate by the Governing Board, comprising the Chief Executives of all oneworld member airlines. oneworld member Qatar Airways will act as sponsor for Oman Air’s entry into oneworld, providing guidance and support as the airline integrates into the alliance.
 
Oman Air’s entry into oneworld will provide even more flights and destinations to customers planning global travel across the alliance’s members, making oneworld the only global airline alliance with three members in the Middle East after Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian.

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Turkish Airlines to order 30 Airbus A220 or Embraer E195-E2

As demand for air travel soars following the pandemic, Turkish Airlines is on course to order 30 regional aircraft to support its continued growth.
 
While any order has yet to be officially announced, the carrier has opted for the Airbus A220-300, due to its lower operating costs and longer range. These will be added to a fleet with many Airbus aircraft, with Turkish Airlines operating 116 Airbus A320 family aircraft, 50 Airbus A330s, and six Airbus A350-900s. Last month it announced an order for a further six A350s.
 
Carrying up to 160 passengers, and with a range of up to 5,920 km, the Airbus A220-300 is well-suited to Turkish Airlines’ regional operation. Once a Business Class cabin has been installed, the capacity is likely to be lower than 160. This means that the smaller, regional aircraft will also allow the carrier to look at new routes that would be too thin for its larger Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 aircraft.

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Turkish Airlines mulls IPOs and joint ventures for cargo and regional units

Turkish Airlines is considering joint ventures and initial public offerings for its cargo business and regional carrier as it weighs up options to grow both internally and through deals Ahmet Bolat, the chairman of Turkish Airline, said.
 
The airline also plans to participate in international bond markets, including issuing Eurobonds, to finance future investments and growth. "Among those, we are evaluating different strategies such as joint ventures and IPOs", Bolat said, adding this could include a plan to turn AnadoluJet into a no-frills carrier.
 
Turkish Airlines announced last month it had decided to buy six A350-900 type passenger aircraft from Airbus. "In addition to our main brand Turkish Airlines, we're also planning to renew AnadoluJet's fleet with the new-generation narrow body jets," Ahmet Bolat added.

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