Corporate Travel Analysis Reports

Virgin Australia released its Full Year 2017 financial results today, which included information on profit, loyalty programme, and outlook for FY2018.

While we continue to have no idea how Brexit will impact the relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) states or how this will impact the aviation industry, a data study released this summer by aviation economic experts RDC has highlighted that the UK's value within the networks of the increasing low-cost carriers (LCCs) operating across the Continent is actually decreasing.

Australia's Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics released its domestic aviation activity report for Jun-2017 highlighting a 1.7% increase year-on-year equalling 4.90 million passengers. According to BITRE, available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased by 0.6% year-on-year to a total of 7.05 billion. The slight increase didn't quite meet demand and impacted load factors which decreased from 77.6% in Jun-2016 to 77.4% in Jun-2017.

Australia's Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics released its Domestic Airfare Index for Sep-2017 which showed the 'Best Discount Fare' Index (Jul-2003 = 100) for domestic travel fell 3.4% year-on-year to 71.1 in Sep-2017. 'Restricted economy' increased 4.2% year-on-year and 'Business class' declined 0.5% year-on-year.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has improved its position in Australia's corporate travel sector by introducing a premium economy product.

Latin America is enjoying its best ever connectivity, buoyed by the arrival of new generation widebodies like the A350 and Boeing 787 that are allowing longer distance routes to be served more efficiently, analysis completed for the inaugural CAPA - Centre for Aviation Latin America Aviation Summit taking place in Cartagena, Colombia, has showed.

United Airlines capacity in the Australia market will reach a 20 year high as it introduces a nonstop flight from Sydney to Houston. United's Australia traffic should approach 600,000 passengers in 2018, a level last reached in 1997 and 1998.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is significantly improving its position in the Brisbane corporate travel market as it increases business class capacity by over 40% and starts to offer a premium economy option.

Australia's passenger and flight numbers continue to grow according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. 20 years of growth in Australian aviation has seen our airports reap the benefits of healthy tourism, economical advances in aviation and technology improvements. Almost all Australian airports have seen more than 100% growth in passengers and anywhere from 13-70% growth in flights. Tourism Research Australia also released its International Visitor Survey for the year to Jun-2017, reporting international visitor spending finally topped the AUD40 billion mark. It therefore comes as no surprise to see passenger and flight growth as well.

Did you miss our discussion with Association of Travel Management Companies (ATMC) Chairperson Rob Dell? Catch up on the hot topics impacting business travel in Australia, including the need to improve transport to all majors airports and the savings opportunity this could bring to organisations.