Article • Feature Story

Wizz Air Struggles to Regain Pre-Covid Success

After a bloody first half of 2022, followed by an underwhelming summer, Europe’s Ryanair-wannabe, Wizz Air, reported heavy underlying losses for calendar fourth quarter. Its operating margin? Negative 17 percent. The label “Ryanair wannabe” is not an insult. Wizz in...

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Article • Weekly Skies

Southwest Vows Quick Return to Recovery After Meltdown

Two months. That’s how long Southwest Airlines expects there to be an impact on bookings from its massive holiday meltdown that disrupted millions of travelers over Christmas and New Years. The Dallas-based carrier forecasts a $300-350 million hit to revenues...

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Article • Fleet

Boeing Struggles to Meet 737, 787 Demand

For Boeing, America’s largest exporter, demand for its commercial planes — 737s and 787s, anyway — is robust. The problem is building them. The company says production is “stabilizing for the 737-Maxes, which it’s now turning out at a clip...

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Article • Routes and Networks

Ethiopian Adds Copenhagen Route

Ethiopian Airlines, champion of Africa, announced its 21st European destination last week. Beginning in May, the carrier will fly nonstop from its Addis Ababa hub to Copenhagen with 315-seat Boeing 787-9s, running five times per week. The secret sauce to...

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Article • Landing Strip

Schiphol Lifts Passenger Caps

After nearly a year of capacity restrictions, and one very chaotic summer, Amsterdam's Schiphol airport will sunset its cap on passengers at the end of the IATA winter season on March 26. This will allow airlines, notably KLM, to recover...

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Article • By the Numbers

Q4 U.S. Earnings Scoreboard… So Far

Six U.S. airlines have now reported their fourth quarter results. Here's how they rank. American, which is almost back to its 2019 levels of capacity, now leads the industry in total revenues. United and Delta are still about 9 percent...

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Article • By the Numbers

United’s State: What Are Its Busiest Hubs?

Newark now United's largest hub, boosted by aggressive transatlantic growth. California hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco are struggling to regain their pre-pandemic clout given tech recession and Asia's delayed reopening. — Jay Shabat

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Article • Weekly Skies

Ryanair Sets Booking Record

“This is the biggest growth opportunity I have seen for the last 20 years,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said last week. The airline surpassed 2019 traffic levels in 2022 and predicts robust growth this year as it rapidly pulls out...

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Article • Feature Story

United Sees Prosperity Despite Infrastructure Constraints

Remember United’s old advertising slogan: Fly the Friendly Skies? In 2023, the airline has a different message for investors: Beware of the crowded skies. During United’s fourth quarter earnings call, CEO Scott Kirby warned over and over again that America’s...

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Article • Fleet

SAS Achieves Aircraft Lessor Savings

Bankrupt SAS has achieved its goal of roughly 1 billion Swedish kroner ($97 million) in annual aircraft lease savings. The airline recently reached amended terms on 13 aircraft with Air Lease Corp. and Jackson Square Aviation, which completed its negotiations...

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Article • Routes and Networks

UK Summer Route Bonanza

It was new UK route week last week. EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz Air unveiled a slew of new summer offerings connecting the country to points in Europe. EasyJet will add 11 new routes from nine UK gateways, including Birmingham, Edinburgh,...

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Article • State of the Unions

Does American Regret Regional Pilot Pay Raises?

American may be regretting its decision last year to unilaterally hike regional pilot pay to historically high levels, according to Raymond James analyst Savanthi Syth. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier fundamentally changed the economics of regional flying when it raised pilot...

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