Mexico was in the news last week, after a minor political scandal over a U.S. senator's ill-timed vacation. But it was in the news for us for a different reason: Aeromexico and Volaris both reported their earnings, and the two carriers' fortunes couldn't be more different. We take a look in this week's Feature Story.
Elsewhere in this issue, Atlas rides the cargo wave to new highs. Airbus reported earnings that were better than rival Boeing's, but still grim. JetBlue's pilots object to the new alliance with American. And carriers around the world chased sun and leisure traffic with dozens of new routes.
Next week, the major lessors report their earnings. We'll be interested to see how the pandemic affected this segment of the industry.
The Airline Weekly Lounge Podcast
New episodes drop every Thursday and are available wherever you get your podcasts and on AirlineWeekly.com. In the latest podcast, Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan explain why United is channelling "The Jetsons" and how Spirit expects to have its 2019 capacity back by this summer. Listen to the episode.
Verbulence
"Today, as we have entered 2021, it's clear that the crisis is not over, and that it will likely continue to be a reality throughout the year. "
Air France-KLM is optimistic about the strength of its dual Amsterdam and Paris hubs in the coronavirus pandemic recovery. CEO Benjamin Smith described Amsterdam Schiphol as the “best connecting” hub in Europe, and Paris — including Charles de Gaulle and…
Even as competitive concerns swirl and unions balk, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are wasting no time launching their new quasi-joint venture. The carriers unveiled 30 new routes from Boston and New York on Thursday with start dates between June…
Aircraft deliveries will be flat this year, Airbus said, forecasting that the recovery in commercial air transport won’t return to 2019 levels until some time between 2023-2025. The airframer reported a $1.3 billion loss last year.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is one of many airport operators that took advantage of the slowdown in air travel during the coronavirus pandemic to accelerate capital projects. Now with the crisis entering its second year, MWAA is ready to…
Pilots at JetBlue Airways are unhappy with the carrier's new alliance with American Airlines. Cockpit crews rejected a tentative agreement that included scope relief for the new partnership by a narrow 53.7 percent margin against. Leaders at the JetBlue chapter…
Not that many years ago, Aeromexico was sitting pretty. Its main network competition, Mexicana, had gone bust, despite long-running and tortured attempts to revive it. It was the dominant carrier at Mexico City, a congested but coveted airport. It was…
