Cathay Pacific to resume offering first class on Hong Kong-London Heathrow service from Dec-2022
Cathay Pacific chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam announced the airline plans to resume "our first class offering on our prime London Heathrow flight, CX251/CX252", commencing 05-Dec-2022. Mr Lam reported: "London Heathrow will also see a substantial increase in passenger flights in November and December", stating "An additional 31,500 seats will be offered over the two months and on certain days in December we will be operating four flights a day".
Tokyo Narita Airport CEO: Full recovery 'impossible' until China reopens
Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) president and CEO Akihiko Tamura reported Tokyo Narita Airport has recorded an approximately 10pp increase in arriving international passengers since 11-Oct-2022, when Japan removed its cap on daily international arrivals and permitted visa free individual travel to resume, and is now recording approximately 30% of its pre pandemic arriving international passenger traffic. Mr Tamura said full recovery to pre pandemic international air traffic levels at Narita and in Japan generally will require the suspension of COVID-19 related travel restrictions by China's Government, stating: "To return to 2019 levels, it's not enough just for Japan to open up. Of course, China has to change as well, or it's impossible".
American Airlines to retire first class cabins fleetwide due to low demand: CCO
American Airlines CCO Vasu Raja reported the carrier will retire first class cabins on international and three class transcontinental services. Mr Raja stated customers "aren't buying" first class fares as the quality of the carrier's business class offering has improved dramatically. Mr Raja said that by removing first class from its fleet, American Airlines can provide additional business class seats, noting this is "what our customers most want and are most willing to pay for". American Airlines CEO Robert Isom reported the carrier will introduce flagship suites on its Boeing 777-300ER fleet, in addition to its new 787-9 and A321XLR deliveries. The suites will increase premium seating on American's long haul fleet by over 45% by 2026.
AirAsia X seeing strong forward bookings on post pandemic route resumptions
AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail stated the carrier is seeing strong forward bookings for routes it resumed post-pandemic, and will be resuming more services in core markets including Auckland, Melbourne, Perth, Jeddah, Taipei, Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo in the next two months. Mr Ismail said: "Our forward-booking trends remain very encouraging across all key metrics, with higher year-on-year load factors and average fares through 1Q2023".
LATAM Airlines Group CEO: Industry to return to normality by 2024
LATAM Airlines Group CEO Roberto Alvo said he expects to industry to return to "full normality" by 2024. Mr Alvo added the Latin America and Caribbean region is seeing a "dynamic" recovery, despite being "the only region in the world that did not receive any state support and with macroeconomic variables playing against us".
Ryanair Group CEO: Bookings for mid-term and Christmas 'surprisingly strong'
Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary said the LCC's bookings for the upcoming mid-term and Christmas holidays are "surprisingly strong", adding: "We thought they would begin to ease off but actually forward bookings... are stronger in terms of volume and pricing than they were pre-COVID". Mr O'Leary said airfares "will rise by a mid to high single digit figure for the full year" ended 31-Mar-2023, assuming there is no adverse news related to COVID-19 or the conflict in Ukraine.
JetBlue Airways to announce third A321LR European destination 'very soon'
JetBlue Airways director of route planning Eric Friedman reported the carrier is set to announce a third A321LR European destination "very soon". Mr Friedman said there was "a clear lack of ability in the past" to reach key European markets, noting the choice for JetBlue "always was between a widebody or the LR/XLR" and widebodies "do not make economic sense" for the carrier. JetBlue currently operates transatlantic services to London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport from its Boston and New York City hubs.
Dublin Airport to face 'more unknowns in the wider international economy': MD
Dublin Airport MD Vincent Harrison said the airport will face "more unknowns in the wider international economy" in the short term, adding that "further economic uncertainty lies ahead that has the potential to impact on the pent up demand for travel". Mr Harrison also cited recent Tourism Ireland research indicating that 31% of consumers do not expect rising costs to impact their travel spending, with those who are concerned expecting to travel more in 2023.
United Airlines CEO: Hybrid work resulted in 'permanent structural change in leisure demand'
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, via the carrier's 3Q2022 earnings call, reported hybrid work has resulted in a "permanent structural change in leisure demand". Mr Kirby noted hybrid work allows for additional flexibility to travel, adding Sep-2022 was the third strongest month in the carrier's history, despite normally being an off-peak month. Mr Kirby added the dynamic has become "the new normal".
Iberia CEO: Aviation industry at the starting point of recovery
Iberia CEO Javier Sánchez-Prieto stated the aviation sector has "turned the page" since the COVID-19 pandemic and believes it is now at the starting point of recovery. Mr Sánchez-Prieto said the industry failed in its predictions of prices and how it is will recover from the pandemic, but highlighted positive aspects such as a stronger recovery in corporate traffic. Mr Sánchez-Prieto added the main challenges facing aviation are ensuring the industry is functioning in terms of operations and regulations, understanding it is essential for social and economic development and viewing sustainability as a challenge rather than a threat.
Hawaiian Airlines CEO: High travel demand 'overcoming any sense of economic weakness'
Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram stated high post-pandemic travel demand is "really overcoming any sense of economic weakness". Mr Ingram noted leisure travel demand was "denied for a couple of years" throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAA planning to 'continue with or without a strategic equity partner': CEO
South African Airways (SAA) executive chairperson and CEO John Lamola stated the airline's plans will support continued operations even if the Takatso Consortium's proposed acquisition of a majority stake in SAA is delayed. Mr Lamola said: "The way SAA is managed currently and our plans for fleet and route expansion, which will become evident in the coming months, are with the goal of enabling the airline to continue with or without a strategic equity partner".
Delta Air Lines CEO: Travel economy to be 'very strong' throughout 4Q2022, into 2023
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian reported the travel economy will be "very strong" throughout 4Q2022 and into 2023, with the economy experiencing "significant macro shifts" as consumers spend more on services rather than goods. Mr Bastian noted the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year travel periods are expected to be "busy", attributing the hike to remote and flexible working. Mr Bastian stated the peak travel periods will assist Delta's operational flow.
Philippines President: Tourism one of 'high potential drivers' for economic transformation
Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr stated the tourism industry is one of the "high potential drivers" for economic transformation. Mr Marcos Jr said government must do everything to ensure the industry is used to bring jobs to people and visitors to the country. He added: "Following the pandemic, we need fresh and new ideas to bring back the imagination and confidence of our people - from here and abroad - so they will be encouraged to explore the best destinations that the country can offer".
CEO: Business travel still trailing leisure despite recovery at Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) reported (20-Oct-2022) it handled 950,952 passengers in Sep-2022, an increase of 19.1% year-on-year. Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority CEO Michael Landguth stated: "Business travel continues to trail leisure travel despite the strong recovery RDU is experiencing. As RDU moves into the slower fall months, we are already preparing for a surge of holiday travellers from mid-November through early January".