easyJet posts first ever annual loss
easyJet released a trading update this week in which it provided guidance on the scale of what will be its first ever annual loss. The company said it lost over £800m pre-tax excluding one-offs, or £1.3 billion including them. The first of the European airlines to provide figures for trading for the July to September quarter, the picture they paint is not a happy one.
Can COVID testing save the airline industry?
Air Canada is running a programme of COVID-19 testing for international passengers arriving in Toronto. One month into the study, they report “encouraging initial results”. What do they tell us about whether testing could replace or limit quarantine requirements?
Lessons from the UK domestic aviation market
What lessons can we learn about the post COVID aviation world from looking at the experience so far in the UK domestic market?
The changing shape of the UK airline market
The UK airline market has changed radically from last year, not only in terms of overall demand but also in terms of which routes have held up better. Which are the biggest markets today and how does that compare to the pre COVID picture?
European traffic in August, as good as it gets for now?
The August numbers are in for European passenger volumes. Things are improving, but can it last?
What are the prospects for a recovery in business travel?
The business travel market has been hit hard by the pandemic. What are the prospects for a recovery, both in the short and the long-term?
Playing the UK’s quarantine lottery
Countries seem to drop on and off the UK government’s 14 day quarantine list in an apparently unpredictable way. I looked at some of the underlying case rate statistics to see if we can predict what changes might be coming next.
Fact checking Boris Johnson’s claim that airport testing would only catch 7% of cases
Boris Johnson rejected industry calls to replace quarantines with airport testing last week, saying that tests would only catch 7% of cases. Where does this statistic come from and does it stand up to scrutiny?
Outlook for European airline revenue in Q3
As we enter the final month of the third quarter, what can we say about how much revenue Europe’s airlines are likely to have earned when they report their next quarterly results?
Tracking the recovery in European airline demand
European airlines have been adding back capacity since June, but has passenger demand kept up? And who are the leaders and laggards amongst Europe’s big hub airports?
Virgin Atlantic rescue deal, a drop in the ocean
Next Tuesday, Virgin Atlantic’s creditors will vote on a restructuring deal aimed at avoiding the company falling into bankruptcy. What is at stake in the vote and will the changes be enough to save the company?
Low-cost long-haul: Is it dead or has its time finally come?
The low-cost business model has been all conquering in short-haul markets, but few have tried to make a go of it in long-haul. With the pandemic triggering high profile failures like Norwegian, is the idea dead, or has its time finally come?
Europe’s big airlines clear the first hurdle
With the second quarter results now in for all the big European airlines, how well did they manage the grounding phase and what kind of financial position are they each in for the restart?
Willie Walsh’s last IAG results
Willie Walsh presented his last set of IAG results before he heads off into retirement at the start of September. How well did the team at IAG do in bringing down costs and managing cash in the face of the worst airline downturn in the history of the industry?
Heathrow pushed into big losses in Q2
Heathrow airport announced big losses in the second quarter, taking losses so far this year to over £1 billion. I looked behind the headline figures to see what the results tell us about what has being going on at the UK’s biggest airport in the middle of the worst aviation downturn in history.
Bleeding out
There was much red ink on display in the big three US network carriers Q2 results. Who did the best job maximising revenue, minimising costs and stemming the cash burn?
Sweet Redemption for JetBlue
We take a look at the value opportunity for JetBlue for its loyalty program TrueBlue following the recent announcement of a strategic partnership with American Airlines.
British Airways cuts a deal with its pilots
Yesterday BA’s pilot union BALPA announced that it was launching a formal consultation with its members over the terms of a deal that has been negotiated with the company to address the massive hit to the airline’s finances from COVID-19. I compare the terms to those that were rumoured at the start of the month.
British Airways sends the 747 into early retirement
British Airways announces the early retirement of its 747-400 fleet. A few statistics and some personal reminiscences.
A big move in the battle for New York
American and JetBlue have announced a long rumoured partnership deal, a hugely significant strategic move for both carriers, with implications also for their other partners.