Asia-Pacific
Air New Zealand Prepares for New Competition from Qantas and Delta
Air New Zealand had the nonstop market between Auckland and New York all to itself for all of five months last year. Then, as a precursor to its own nonstop flights from Sydney, Qantas Airways announced plans to join it...
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Australian Airline Startup Bonza Set to Take Flight as First New National Carrier in Years
Discount carrier Bonza has received approval from Australian authorities to begin revenue passenger flights, clearing the way for the country's first new national carrier in more than a decade. The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority issued Queensland-based Bonza an air...
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Global Airline Traffic Still Just 75 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Worldwide passenger traffic in November reached 75 percent of its November 2019 level, according to new data from IATA, the airline industry’s international trade association. That’s traffic measured by revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), which account for both passenger volumes and...
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Geopolitics Get in Way of Resuming U.S.-China Flights as Demand Surges
The Chinese government will lift Covid-era travel restrictions this weekend, on January 8. While international travel demand to the country is expected to surge, airline schedules will take some time to recover, especially amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and...
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Virgin Australia Uses 737s to Keep Tokyo Slots as Hedge for Future Longhaul Asia Return
Virgin Australia has emerged a much stronger airline from the Covid-19 pandemic than it was at the outset of the crisis. A court-led restructuring of Australia's second largest carrier created a leaner and, executives hope, a much more profitable airline....
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Chinese Plane Manufacturer Comac Delivers Ambitious New Narrowbody Jet to Compete With Boeing, Airbus
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or Comac, delivered its first C919 on Dec. 9, following more than a decade of development. The plane, now in the fleet of Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, will enter revenue service early next year. China...
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AirAsia’s Renewed Southeast Asia Focus to Include Launching a New Airline
The pandemic has wrought big changes on Southeast Asia's largest budget airline, AirAsia. The collection of carriers, primarily owned by Malaysia's Capital A, is preparing to launch a new airline in Cambodia while also on the cusp of a major...
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EasyJet’s Unique Comeback
EasyJet is making good on its recovery plan. From expanding at slot-constrained airports like Lisbon and opening new seasonal bases in Greece, the airline is on its way back to the black. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss EasyJet's results...
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Singapore Airlines Looks to Thai Airways to Expand Southeast Asia Partner Network
Singapore Airlines plans a partnership with its long-troubled neighbor Thai Airways, in a strategic move that comes just days after it revealed plans to take a 25 percent stake in an upsized Air India. The two airlines, both members of...
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Air India Secures Number 2 Spot in India Market with Vistara Merger
The wave of post-pandemic airline consolidation is coming to India. Air India and Vistara will merge under a deal between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines that also secures the latter's foothold in the rapidly growing aviation market. The merger, which...
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Thai AirAsia Benefits From Rapid Recovery in Thailand Tourist Arrivals
Thai AirAsia sees robust travel demand as it rides the surging recovery of Thailand's tourism industry. But the strong U.S. dollar is weighing on its financials. The budget carrier, the Thailand-based affiliate of Malaysia's Capital A, remains far smaller than...
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Singapore Airlines Expects Lift From Reopenings in Japan, Taiwan
Singapore Airlines is adding back flights to meet travel demand at a rapid clip this winter. Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Osaka, Sapporo, and Taipei, to name a few, will all see more frequencies as more East Asian markets ease Covid travel...
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