Skift

Airline industry leaders ask what can be done to improve aviation safety in Africa

IATA CEO Tony Tyler wants to see airlines in Africa, the most aviation-safety-challenged region of the world, avoid the fate of Dana Air flight 992, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 that crashed in June in Lagos, Nigeria, killing all 153 passengers and crew on board, and about 10 people on the ground. While the cause of [...]

British Airways boss says there will never be a third runway at Heathrow

Airlines chief Willie Walsh today renewed his assault on the Government’s tourism policy, warning Heathrow will be eclipsed by faster-growing hub airports and British travellers face tougher travel restrictions from countries frustrated by our visa regime. Walsh said it was “tragic” that Heathrow would never succeed in getting a third runway because of political failure. [...]

Airlines call BS on advocate backed by travel agents and distribution systems

As the world’s airlines attempt to develop a new technology standard for personalizing special offers to frequent flyers, the lobbying battle over the issue in the nation’s capital is heating up. Kevin Mitchell’s for-profit coalition of newsletter subscribers, the Business Travel Coalition, last week published a sample letter to the Department of Transportation designed to kill [...]

Air travel demand continues to climb in 2013, thanks to emerging markets

Global air travel demand continued to recover in February on the back of stronger business optimism, particularly in emerging markets, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Wednesday. “Demand for air travel continues to rise on economic optimism and improved business confidence,” IATA Chief Executive Tony Tyler said in a statement. “Much of the [...]

Asia-Pacific airlines drive IATA’s increased airline profit forecast

IATA, the airlines’ global trade association, erased its December forecast and now envisions airlines making more than $2 billion in additional profits at a modestly higher profit margin in 2013. IATA now forecasts that airlines will earn $10.6 billion in profits at a profit margin of 1.6%, compared with $8.4 billion at a 1.3% profit [...]

Air travel demand is off to a very strong start in 2013

Global air travel demand rose 3.7 percent in January from a year earlier and may pick up pace in 2013, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Tuesday. “Passenger travel is growing in line with business confidence levels. Recent months have seen some positive economic signs emerge in both the U.S. and China, and [...]

New York Times opposes airlines’ new fare model

Airlines could soon start offering customized fares to travelers based on how regularly they fly, where they live and the kind of trip they are taking. The world’s largest airlines have agreed to adopt a new standard for distributing airfare information that could significantly compromise the privacy of customers and allow carriers to charge travelers [...]

Despite increased airline traffic, global carriers posted just a slim profit margin in 2012

IATA reports that passenger traffic grew 5.3% in 2012, a tad slower than the 5.9% growth in 2011, but despite the increased demand in 2012, global airlines produced a net profit margin of a stingy 1%. IATA thus describes a sobering business environment if you are concerned about the ongoing health of the global airline [...]

Consolidation and capacity cuts help lift airline profit outlook by 63 percent

Airline earnings this year are likely to be 63 percent higher than previously forecast as capacity cuts and mergers prompted by the economic slump take hold, the International Air Transport Association said. Industry-wide net income should reach $6.7 billion, versus a forecast of $4.1 billion in October, IATA said. Profit next year may increase to [...]

Airline capacity cuts and mergers help the industry outperform forecasts for 2012

(Updates with comment from IATA CEO in fourth paragraph.)

Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) — Airline earnings this year are likely to be 63 percent higher than previously forecast as capacity cuts and mergers prompted by the economic slump take hold, the Internat…