International market: More than 1/5 Americans plan to travel abroad; supersonic passenger plane is about to fly for the first time
What are the latest developments in the international aviation market this week (8.26-9.1)? The Civil Aviation Resource Network takes you through the relevant news of the past week, allowing you to have a clear overview of important information.
Market dynamics
1. TSA: U.S. airline passenger volume will break record of 262 million passengers in summer
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects the number of passengers passing through airport security this summer to break, if only by a small margin, the previous record of 262 million set four years ago.
TSA stated on August 29 that from Memorial Day to August 29, TSA conducted security checks on nearly 228 million passengers, with an average of approximately 2.5 million security checks per day. TSA predicts that during the six-day Labor Day holiday from September 1 to 6, 14 million passengers will pass through airport security. This means that from Memorial Day to the end of Labor Day, the number of passengers passing through security will reach Around 242 million.
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2. More than 1/5 of Americans have plans to travel abroad
In August, although overall consumer confidence was dragged down by deteriorating inflation expectations, more than 1/5 of Americans still planned to vacation abroad in the near future, which is the highest value on record.
Data released by the Conference Board on August 29 showed that 21.8% of Americans plan to travel abroad in the next six months, which is higher than the 17.7% in June. In addition, the proportion of Americans who have vacation plans is 45.9%, which is the second highest level since the new crown epidemic hit the tourism industry in early 2020.
policy management
3. Due to long delays on the tarmac, DOT issued the largest fine in history to American Airlines
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a $4.1 million fine to American Airlines after several domestic flights carrying passengers waited on the runway for hours without disembarking passengers. According to a statement issued by the DOT on Aug. 28, it is the largest fine it has issued for an airline violating its rules prohibiting domestic flights from being delayed on the runway by three hours or more.
DOT determined through investigation that from 2018 to 2021, 43 American Airlines domestic flights violated the above regulations, and none of DOT's safety and security exceptions applied to these flights.
4. Qantas sued for selling tickets for canceled flights
Australia's competition watchdog sued Qantas on August 31, accusing it of selling tickets for thousands of flights after they were cancelled, a move that put Qantas at risk of hefty fines and reputational damage.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in a court filing that Qantas sold tickets for more than 8,000 flights between May and July 2022 without disclosing that those flights had been cancelled. Breach of consumer laws.
aviation airport
5. TAP Air Portugal turned a profit in the first half of the year
Buoyed by a booming tourism industry and thanks to strong revenue growth, TAP Portugal said on Aug. 30 it would turn a profit in the first half of 2023, posting a net profit of $25 million. It also forecast continued strong performance for the rest of the year.
During the same period in 2022, TAP Air Portugal lost US$219 million. TAP Air Portugal said its operating income rose 44% year-on-year to $2.07 billion. The Portuguese government currently plans to partially privatize state-owned Air Portugal.
6. Qatar Airways is optimistic about the Brazilian and Latin American markets
Qatar Airways is optimistic about Brazil and the Latin American market in general as part of its strategy to expand its global route network.
Qatar Airways disclosed this year that it may expand its destinations from 170 to more than 255, although this will depend on a larger expansion of its fleet. Qatar Airways' expansion plans include Latin America and it will resume flying to Buenos Aires via Sao Paulo. In addition, Qatar Airways will increase its Sao Paulo-Doha route from 14 to 18 flights per week.
7. Schiphol Airport’s passenger throughput increased by 20.5% in the first half of the year
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport announced that the passenger volume and employee situation at the airport began to improve in the first half of 2023. Due to a lack of staff, Schiphol Airport has struggled to cope with the increase in demand after the epidemic in 2022, and has had to implement passenger flow cap measures for a longer period than other major European hub airports.
In the first half of this year, Schiphol Airport passenger throughput growth increased by 20.5% year-on-year to 28.7 million passengers, compared with 23.8 million passengers in the same period in 2022. However, this result is still far lower than the 34.5 million passengers in the first half of 2019, and flight volume is still 15% lower.
8. Birmingham Airport will install more than 12,800 solar panels
Birmingham Airport (BHX) has announced plans to install a total of 12,804 solar panels to help it achieve its goal of net-zero carbon operations by 2033. The installation period will be from September 2023 to May 2024, when the 6.8MW solar project will provide at least 20% of Birmingham Airport’s on-site electricity.
Birmingham Airport said the solar panels would reduce its dependence on the grid and its exposure to market price fluctuations, and accelerate its progress towards the net-zero carbon emissions target it announced in 2019.
9. Mexico City Airport has a cap of 43 flights per hour.
Airlines using Mexico City International Airport (AICM) will once again be restricted in their flight operations at the hub, as the busiest airport in Latin America will be closed every day of the week, according to a decree published by the Mexican government in the Official Gazette on August 31. The hourly flight volume was reduced to 43 sorties.
Last year, the Mexican government imposed a cap on the number of flights at Mexico City's airport, limiting the number of departures and landings to 52 per hour, as officials sought to desaturate the capital's airspace.
product service
10. Qantas cancels the expiry date of epidemic travel points
The Qantas Group announced on August 31 that Qantas would cancel the expiry date of epidemic-related travel points originally scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
Qantas customers with COVID-19 travel credits linked to flight bookings made on or before 30 September 2021 will now have the option to book travel with their points until 31 December 2023 or request a cash refund. Meanwhile, customers of Qantas' low-cost subsidiary Jetstar will be able to use pandemic vouchers to book flights indefinitely.
11. Emirates offers free bus service at Tokyo Haneda Airport
Starting September 1, Emirates will offer a new free bus service to its economy class passengers arriving at Tokyo Haneda Airport.
Emirates says it will be the only airline to offer a free bus service from Haneda Airport to major train stations in Tokyo, guaranteeing its customers a seamless and efficient transport solution to two convenient drop-off points.
12. Oman Air replaces plastic packaging in premium cabins with eco-friendly paper tape
Oman Air has introduced a new service across its fleet, replacing the plastic used to wrap passenger blankets and mattresses in its premium cabins with eco-friendly paper-based products.
According to a press release from Oman Air, the introduction of this paper strip will enable Oman Air to reduce its annual plastic use by up to 21.6 tons.
Aircraft manufacturing and fleet
13. China Airlines is considering ordering A350 or Boeing 777X to replace the 777-300ER
China Airlines is considering its next aircraft order to replace its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
Gao Xinghuang, general manager of China Airlines, said in an interview with Bloomberg News that China Airlines is considering ordering Airbus A350-1000 or Boeing 777X to replace its current Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Relevant data shows that China Airlines currently has 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with an average age of 8.3 years.
14. Lufthansa will return more A380 aircraft to service
Lufthansa recently confirmed plans to return two more A380 jumbo aircraft to service. Lufthansa mothballed its entire fleet of 14 A380s after the coronavirus pandemic began and has since put six of the aircraft up for sale.
With the return of travel demand after the lifting of the epidemic restrictions, in June 2022, Lufthansa announced that it would return some (the exact number) of A380s to service, and its first A380 returned to service in January this year. Now, Lufthansa confirmed in a tweet that more A380 aircraft will return to service.
15. Boom Supersonic, the manufacturer of supersonic passenger aircraft, completes a key milestone towards its first flight.
Supersonic airliner manufacturer Boom Supersonic has completed several key milestones for its technology demonstrator, the XB-1. The XB-1 demonstrator plays a vital role in enabling the development of the supersonic airliner Overture, a sustainable supersonic aircraft designed to fly at Mach 1.7 and run entirely on sustainable aviation fuel.
Boom Supersonic announced last week that in addition to extensive ground testing, the demonstrator has now completed its first round of taxiing tests.
16. Delta Air Lines says its entire active fleet is now 5G compliant
Delta Air Lines said on Aug. 31 that it had updated radio altimeters in its active fleet to address potential 5G C-band interference. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned in June that airlines could face operating restrictions if they did not meet a July 1 deadline to update their planes.
Delta had about 190 aircraft that had not been retrofitted before the July 1 deadline, including its entire fleet of Airbus A220s. Delta said all of its in-service aircraft have now been updated, and several others are undergoing planned maintenance and are out of service, and will also be equipped with 5G-compliant radio altimeters when they return to service.
distribution technology
17. Google adds “cheapest flight booking time” function
On Aug. 28, Google released a "cheapest time to book flights" feature that lets travelers know when they're expected to be able to book the cheapest airfare to their favorite destination.
Google Flights users are already able to see whether search prices are low, normal or high compared to past average prices for the same route, and can set price tracking alerts. Now for searches with reliable trend data, users will also be able to see predictions on when to book the cheapest flights for selected dates and destinations.
other
18. Alaska Airlines pilots will get an 11.2% raise
U.S. airline pilot wages are soaring amid a pilot shortage and dominant unions securing lucrative contracts. So, thanks to the "no one left behind" clause in the contract reached last fall, on Sept. 1, Alaska Airlines pilots will get an 11.2% raise instead of the minimum 4% increase stipulated in last year's contract. To catch up with competitors' pilot wages.
In a message to Alaska Air's 3,600 pilots, Dave Mets, Alaska Air's vice president of flight operations, called the raise "another huge investment" the airline has made.
19. Several aviation organizations urged the Dutch government not to proceed with flight reductions at Schiphol Airport.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the American Air Transport Association (A4A), the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the European Regional Airlines Association (ERA) recently issued a joint statement urging the Dutch government to postpone the reduction of flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Make a decision.
Dutch authorities were allowed to temporarily cap Schiphol's flight capacity in July after an appeals court overturned an initial decision against the cuts. However, around the same time the Dutch government collapsed over disagreements between coalition parties over asylum policy. It is currently run by a caretaker government until elections later this year.
20. Union: American Airlines flight attendants vote to approve strike
American Airlines flight attendants voted to go on strike after American Airlines refused to agree to "reasonable" contract terms, the American Professional Flight Attendants Association (APFA) said on Aug. 30.
According to APFA, which covers more than 26,000 American Airlines flight attendants, an overwhelming majority of 99.47% of the flight attendants represented by the union voted to approve the strike.