Corporate Travel News For South Pacific

Air New Zealand passenger numbers up 5% - traffic highlights for Mar-2017:

• Passenger numbers: 1.6 million, +5.2% year-on-year;
• • Short haul: 1.4 million, +6.0%;
  • Domestic: 1.1 million, +8.3%;
  • Tasman/Pacific: 332,000, -1.0%;
  • Long haul: 190,000, -0.7%;
  • North America/UK: 112,000, -0.7%;
  • Asia/Japan/Singapore: 78,000, -0.9%;
• Passenger load factor: 81.9%, -2.6ppts;
• • North America/UK: 84.0%, -1.4ppts;
  • Domestic: 83.9%, +1.8ppts;
  • Short haul: 82.3%, -1.8ppts;
  • Long haul: 81.6%, -3.2ppts;
  • Tasman/Pacific: 81.3%, -4.0ppts;
  • Asia/Japan/Singapore: 77.8%, -6.1ppts. [more - original PR]

Air New Zealand: "For the financial year to date, Short Haul passenger revenue per ASK (RASK)* decreased 5.9% and Long Haul RASK* decreased 14.9%. Removing the impact of foreign exchange, Group-wide RASK* decreased 8.6%, and Group-wide yields for the financial year to date decreased 6.6% on the same period last year." Source: Company statement, 27-Apr-2017.

Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) purchased (26-Apr-2017) and immediately leased back one Embraer 190 (MSN 19000202) to Virgin Australia. The aircraft is the first of six to be delivered under a wider agreement signed earlier in 2017. [more - original PR]

Skytrans announced (25-Apr-2017) a new flight schedule which will see same day services introduced into some of the most remote communities around Cape York. Queensland Government Treasurer Curtis Pitt stated the carrier will offer 15 same day return services into seven remote communities including Aurukun, Lockhart River, Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw, Coen, Horn Island and Weipa. Skytrans' new schedule will enable patients from Aurukun, Lockhart River, Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw to fly to Weipa for day treatment at a Health Clinic - as opposed to flying into Cairns - which often requires an overnight stay. Services for the new schedule commence from Tuesday 02-May-2017. [more - original PR]

Australian Airports Association (AAA) discovered (21-Apr-2017) around one third of the 74 Australian regional aerodromes surveyed stated the main challenge in 2017 is raising revenue, followed by the need for major infrastructure investment and declining asset conditions. AAA CEO Caroline Wilkie noted: "Concerns about financial viability for smaller aerodromes have come to the forefront in the last few years, overtaking issues related to regulation and compliance". The nature of regional airport's limited revenue opportunities and high capital and operating costs mean many require financial assistance to continue operation. Ms Wilkie urged "the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments do more to invest in…aviation access for regional and remote communities across Australia". AAA estimates there will be AUD170 million (USD127 million) funding gap over the next 10 years to maintain regional airports. [more - original PR]

New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges announced (26-Apr-2017) appointments and reappointments to the Boards of Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Mr Bridges has reappointed/appointed: Peter Cowper to the Board of MNZ; Vanessa van Uden and professional director Mark Darrow to the Board of the NZTA; Adrienne Young-Cooper to the NZTA Board; and Anna Adams and Grant Lilly to the Board of the CAA. [more - original PR]

Statistics New Zealand reported (26-Apr-2017) international visitor arrivals to New Zealand were stable year-on-year in Mar-2017. Details include:

• Total international visitor arrivals: 343,799, -0.2% year-on-year;
• • Oceania: 138,832, -5.9%;
  • • Australia: 123,856, -7.1%;
  • Asia: 90,768, +2.5%;
  • • China: 42,000, +3.8%;
    • Japan: 12,032, +8.2%;
    • South Korea: 7584, +3.5%;
    • Malaysia: 4928, +33.9%;
    • Singapore: 4272, -12.2%;
    • Hong Kong: 3872, -26.2%;
  • Europe: 55,024, +2.0%;
  • • UK: 23,408, -6.5%;
    • Germany: 11,408, +9.4%;
  • Americas: 51,888, +14.8%;
  • • USA: 38,432, +17.3%;
    • Canada: 7920, +10.7%;
  • Africa and Middle East: 4432, -1.4%;
  • • South Africa: 1808, -9.6%;
• Departures: 192,234, +11.2%. [more - original PR]

Adelaide Parafield Airport received (26-Apr-2017) 'Level 3 Optimisation' Airport Carbon Accreditation by Airports Council International. This accreditation is the third of four levels, Level 4 being the highest achievement whereby an airport is able to absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide as it produces over an entire year. [more - original PR]

Sydney Airport welcomed (26-Apr-2017) Etihad Airways' announcement it will upgauge its second daily Abu Dhabi-Sydney service to the A380 from Oct-2017. Sydney Airport MD and CEO Kerrie Mather stated "We've continued to invest in airport improvements to increase capacity in order to support these larger aircraft, and we're thrilled that Sydney Airport will finish the year as the fourth largest A380 hub in the world". Sydney Airport will be Etihad's third A380-only operation globally and add 123,000 seats per year and see 14 weekly A380 frequencies on the route. [more - original PR]

Australia Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch believes Cairns Airport should target to attract widebody services to enhance the region's agricultural industry, commenting: "I'm confident we will fill the belly of those aircraft up" (Cairns Post, 26-Apr-2017). Mr Entsch agreed with the airport's decision to postpone terminal expansion plans to focus on developing its business. The Minister hopes to attract airlines like Emirates which operates a majority fleet of widebodies.

Townsville Airport COO Kevin Gill said minor terminal upgrades will commence in May-2017 as part of a major AUD40 million (USD30 million) major redevelopment project (Townsville Bulletin, 26-Apr-2017). Mr Gill said the major redevelopment project is still pending confirmation as negotiations with Qantas regarding the proposed AUD3 (USD2.3) increase in passenger charges to fund the project is ongoing. Mr Gill added: "We believe we made a reasonable offer which would deliver a new lounge for them…it's a charge to airport users…not a charge to the airlines… We know people are prepared to pay".