International market: The number of irregular flights is still much higher than before the epidemic
What are the latest developments in the international aviation market this week (2.3-2.9)? 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. European airlines prepare for record summer passenger numbers
European airlines are bracing for record passenger numbers this summer as people start booking flights despite a poor economic outlook and soaring airfares.
Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air are three of the region's largest low-cost carriers, all of which pointed to early signs of strong demand this summer and rising fares in their recent earnings reports. Signs that consumers are prioritizing travel have prompted airlines to increase summer flights: European airlines will offer 8.175 million seats between April and October this year, a record high, according to OAG.
2. Amadeus: The number of irregular flights is still much higher than the level in 2019
Air travel data provider Infare disclosed in the latest Amadeus irregular flight report that the volume of irregular flights (measured as flight plan changes) in 2023 was approximately three times higher than in 2019.
In the Amadeus research survey, more than half (52%) of airline and airport executives said their irregular flight volumes were above 2019 levels, compared with just three percent who said they were below 2019 levels. one part. Additionally, some 64% of airlines are investing in new technologies to improve their ability to deal with disruptions.
3. Airline technology executives make AI investment a priority
Airline technology chiefs list business intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) as key investment priorities in 2024. The "SITA Air Transport Insights Report 2023" shows that 73% of airlines plan to make significant investments in business intelligence, while 64% plan to make the same investment in AI.
In terms of information technology services, cybersecurity (97%) and cloud services (95%) become the two top priorities for airline chief information officers (CIOs). Both items were up 5% from last year's report. The study also shows that technology spending has been increasing since 2020 and is expected to reach approximately $35 billion in 2023, up from $30 billion in 2022. Additionally, 78% of CIOs believe technology investment will increase in 2024.
【Policy Management】
4. NTSB: Key bolts are missing from the door plug that fell off Boeing 737 Max 9
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said four key bolts were "missing" when a door jam broke off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft mid-flight last month. This was one of the findings of the NTSB's preliminary investigative report released on February 6.
In its 19-page report, the NTSB said that four bolts that were supposed to secure the door jam were not found. However, investigators said the "observed pattern of damage and the lack of contact damage between the door panel and the aircraft itself" suggested that four bolts were "missing" before the door jam became detached from the aircraft.
5. FAA hopes airlines will strengthen aviation information sharing
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker met with airline CEOs on February 7 and asked airlines to share more information to enhance safety and identify potential issues.
The FAA said Whitaker convened a meeting with airline CEOs to "ensure the industry continues to expand safety management systems and find transparent ways to share information to minimize risk and improve safety." The meeting was held The background is that last month, the FAA grounded 171 Boeing MAX 9 aircraft due to a cabin door jam detaching in mid-air on a new Alaska Airlines aircraft.
6. FAA requires inspection of Boeing 737 MAX screw loosening problem
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on February 8 that it would formally require inspections of loose bolts in the rudder control system of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, after Boeing made an inspection recommendation in December last year.
The FAA said that all U.S. airlines completed inspections in early January and found no missing or loose rudder surface bolts. The inspection requirements issued on the 8th fulfilled the United States' international continued operational safety obligations.
7. The EU will not allow the Netherlands to deny JetBlue Schiphol flight slots
The European Commission said on February 5 it would intervene if the Dutch government refused to allocate Schiphol slots to new entrants such as US airline JetBlue, but it was now satisfied passengers would not be deprived of choice.
The commission said the introduction of new operators on transatlantic routes, such as Amsterdam-New York, was needed to offset the distortionary impact on competition from airlines merging routes in joint ventures. Under the Netherlands' original plan to cut flight capacity at Schiphol Airport, new entrants including JetBlue would have lost all their slots. But facing pressure from the United States and the European Union, the Netherlands abandoned the plan last November and announced earlier this year that Schiphol Airport would meet industry demand.
【Airport Airport】
8. Etihad Airways reaches agreement with Air Serbia to expand its European network
Etihad Airways has struck a new codeshare agreement with Air Serbia to boost its connectivity in south-eastern Europe.
The codeshare agreement covers 12 European destinations from Air Serbia's Belgrade hub and will add nine new airports to Etihad Airways' network, including Bucharest, Budapest, Thessaloniki, Tirana, Sri Lanka Kopje and Sofia. Passengers can also connect to Air Serbia flights from Etihad Airways' European gateway airports in Athens, Milan, Rome and Vienna. The codeshare agreement came into effect on February 3 and covers all flights.
9. Scandinavian Airlines will submit a second revised bankruptcy reorganization plan
Scandinavian Airlines said it will submit a second revised bankruptcy reorganization plan to the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on February 5 and said it has received support from the official committee of unsecured creditors.
SAS said it expects to distribute approximately $325 million to general unsecured creditors as part of a revised plan that includes up to $250 million in cash and $75 million in new equity.
10. Istanbul Airport plans to reach 85 million passengers in 2024
As Istanbul Airport unveils its annual investment plan, it has set a passenger throughput target of 85 million in 2024.
Istanbul Airport started operations in 2019 and handled 76 million passengers last year, making it Europe's second busiest hub airport after London Heathrow (79.2 million). Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of Istanbul Airport, said that they plan to invest 656.5 million euros in 2024, which includes the introduction of "Europe's first three parallel runway operations" to increase the airport's capacity.
11. UK airports struggle to meet deadline to install new security scanners
Several major UK airports have admitted they will not be able to fully install new security scanners by the government's June 2024 deadline.
The UK government has set the deadline in December 2022 in a bid to finally end the 100ml limit on liquids in hand luggage, which has been in place since 2006. But that's only if the airport installs new CT scanners at all security lanes. Major airports including London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester are making progress in installing scanners, but admit they will not be able to complete the process by the June deadline.
【product service】
12. United Airlines says eliminating change fees has saved passengers more than $2 billion
United said it has saved customers more than $2 billion since becoming the first legacy airline to permanently eliminate change fees more than three years ago.
It noted that since the policy came into effect in 2020, more than 10 million passengers have changed their flights for free. "This simple policy change has a huge impact on our customers and the overall experience of flying with United," said Linda Jojo, United's chief customer officer.
13. Finnair will start weighing some passengers and luggage
Finnair will voluntarily weigh passengers and their carry-on luggage on flights departing from Helsinki Airport in Finland for three months. The process is anonymous. Only the age, gender and cabin class of the personnel are recorded in the database.
"We will not ask for names or booking numbers. Only the customer service agent working at the measurement point will see the total weight, so you can participate in the study with confidence," Satu Mannukka, Finnair's head of ground processes, said in a press release.
【Aircraft Manufacturing and Fleet】
14. Thai Airways International orders 45 Boeing 787 aircraft with additional options
Industry sources said Thai Airways International has formally ordered 45 Boeing 787 aircraft and may increase the size of the deal to about 80 aircraft through purchase options to meet growing international travel demand.
The deal, which will be officially announced later this month, is already reflected in Boeing's reported order backlog, but as a contract for 45 aircraft with an undisclosed customer.
15. New quality issues will delay the delivery of some Boeing 737 MAX
Boeing said on February 4 that it will have to do more work on about 50 737 MAX aircraft that have not yet been delivered, which could lead to some near-term delivery delays after its supplier Spirit AeroSystems discovered that Two drilling errors.
Boeing confirmed the findings in response to a query from Reuters, after industry sources said some planes had "edge gaps" or spacing issues with drilled holes in window frames. Boeing said safety will not be affected and existing 737 aircraft can continue to fly. Boeing has been criticized by regulators and airlines since a door jam came off on a 737 MAX 9 aircraft on January 5.
16. Airbus issues new delivery delay warning to airlines
Airbus has begun notifying airlines of a new round of delivery delays due to ongoing supply issues, pushing back aircraft originally scheduled for late 2024 and part of 2025 by several months, industry sources said.
An Airbus spokesman declined to comment on delivery plans but said: "We maintain an ongoing dialogue with our customers. We continue to operate in a complex environment."
17. Airbus confirmed the delivery of 30 aircraft in January and received orders for 31 aircraft
Airbus confirmed on February 7 that it delivered 30 aircraft in January, a 50% increase from the same period last year, and announced 31 new orders.
Airbus officially received the latest order from Delta Air Lines for 20 A350-1000 aircraft, and finalized Ethiopian Airlines' order for 11 A350-900 aircraft at the Dubai Air Show.
【Distribution Technology】
18. Finnair will launch new NDC exclusive fares for businesses this month
Finnair will launch a new fare type specifically for corporate customers and can only be booked through direct and NDC connected channels. The fare, called PrioFlex, will be available to Finnair Corporate members from February 27 and will include "all the benefits" of a Finnair Flex ticket, as well as perks such as priority check-in, security and boarding.
Finnair said the new fare type includes baggage and seat selection, and also allows travel date changes and provides refunds if the trip needs to be cancelled. This fare applies to Economy Class on short-haul flights and Premium Economy and Economy Class on long-haul flights, excluding Atlantic and Siberian Joint Business routes. The PrioFlex fare type, which can only be booked through channels directly connected to NDC, is Finnair's latest step towards "modern distribution".
【other】
19. EU aviation industry groups demand more action to promote the development of SAF
European airports and aviation industry groups have urged EU policymakers to do more to ensure the region can develop a world-leading sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.
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After the new medium-term emissions target for the EU's "Net Zero Emissions 2050 Target" was announced this week, five associations, including ACI Europe and the Air Transport Association for Europe (A4E), jointly issued a statement asking EU officials to take more action. In a joint statement, they said the new targets "clearly acknowledge the need to address barriers to large-scale deployment of the SAF."
20. Ryanair wins the dispute over Air France-KLM's government assistance during the epidemic
A recent ruling by the General Court of the European Union stated that the 3.4 billion euros of COVID-19 government assistance provided by the Netherlands to Air France-KLM in 2020 should not be approved. Ryanair welcomed the ruling. This is the second time Ryanair has brought the same case to the EU Court of Justice against the European Commission.
In a lawsuit brought by Ryanair against the European Commission in 2021, the EU General Court ruled that the European Commission's approval of government aid should be revoked on the basis that the EU executive failed to prove that the aid already provided to Air France would not also benefit KLM .