Airline Weekly Lounge

Air Canada lost money in the first quarter of 2023. But that's no surprise. Wintertime losses are common for the carrier. But the red ink was minimal, setting it up for a strong year. Plus, a discussion about San Francisco's struggling airline market. Jay Shabat is joined by Madhu Unnikrishnan to discuss Air Canada's Q1 earnings and what's going at SFO.Reading List Air Canada Posts a Loss Despite Strong Travel Demand Airlines Face Capacity Scarcity Amid Aircraft and Engine Shortage Chart: Air Hockey Fight

Ryanair gave Boeing a boost, and let bygones be bygones, by ordering up to 300 new 737 Maxes. It’s the European discounter’s largest-ever order. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss the deal. Plus, Air France-KLM and IAG’s first-quarter results.Reading List Ryanair Looks East With New Boeing 737 Maxes From Its Largest Order Ever Air France-KLM Eyes Expansion in Booming South America With Potential TAP Deal Iberia Leads Europe’s IAG to Winter Profits

Alan Joyce took over Qantas Airways just as the Great Recession descended in 2008. He set about turning around its money-losing longhaul business, forging new international ties, and cementing Qantas' dominance of the Australian domestic market. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss Joyce's legacy and the challenges that confront incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson. Plus, Lufthansa's somewhat concerning first-quarter results.Reading List New Qantas CEO Must Build on Predecessor’s Legacy Qantas Picks Finance Chief Vanessa Hudson as First Female CEO Lufthansa Sees Record Summer Revenue Thanks to Capacity Limits

JetBlue has a New York problem. The city that made the airline could hold it back this summer if the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control staffing issues are as bad as forecast. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss. Plus, WestJet pursues a new, least bad strategy.Reading List Q&A With WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech JetBlue Sounds Alarm on New York Flight Delays This Summer Delta, United, JetBlue, American to Cut New York Flights This Summer to Reduce Delays

Airline Weekly’s Jay Shabat is joined by former Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan to discuss United Airlines’ and Alaska Airlines’ first quarter earnings reports from earlier this week. The conversation starts with United’s challenges in January and February, and notes investors will tolerate it if they have a strong March and the rest of the year. United is working to rectify its problems in Florida and has a lot of aircraft coming along in the next few years to put somewhere. The company has also benefited from a trend in premium leisure travel, which has helped fill the seats in the premium cabins. The three big U.S. carriers – United, Delta, and American – are doing well compared to the domestic carriers. They have the advantage of the demand being strong, and a lot of foreign carriers cutting capacity during the pandemic.Next, they discuss Alaska Airlines and mention that the company reported negative 4.6 operating margin for the first quarter, which is not good compared to their positive 2.5% operating margin in 2019. Alaska has historically had weak first quarters, and they sometimes lose money in January and February, but they have been a very successful and profitable airline. They also discuss where Alaska fits in the overall U.S. airline picture, as it is not a low-cost carrier like Frontier nor a full-service airline like Delta and United.Reading List Alaska Airlines Optimistic Despite January and February Stumbles United Sees 2023 as Setting Course for Its Post-Pandemic Future

Delta Air Lines kicked off the first-quarter earnings season this week. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss what they expect. Plus, can American Airlines catch up to the pack?Reading List Delta Margin Recovery to Near Pre-Pandemic Levels in Second Quarter American Airlines Expects a Good First Quarter, the Second Is an Open Question American, Still Less Profitable than Delta and United, Attempts to Catch Up

Atlanta retained its title as the world’s busiest airport last year, shocker we know. But more interesting is the rise of the Denver and Istanbul airports — to third and seventh busiest, respectively — that were not even in the top 10 in 2019. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss, plus the unfortunate shortage of air traffic controllers in the New York-area this summer.Reading List What’s the World’s Busiest Airport? Atlanta, Yet Again Delta, United, JetBlue, American to Cut New York Flights This Summer to Reduce Delays American and United Cut Spring Flights Due to Pilot Shortage, Aircraft Delays

Lufthansa is closer than ever to a deal for Italy's state-owned carrier, Alita..., oops, ITA Airways. But can Lufthansa turn loss-making ITA into a gem? That remains to be seen. Edward Russell and Jay Shabat discuss, plus the Istanbul Airport's impressive growth.Reading List Lufthansa Still Keen on ITA Airways Deal But Wants Price Discounted Over Heavy Losses Can Consolidation Lift Lufthansa? Istanbul Airport Lands EasyJet, Wizz Air Among 15 New Airlines Helping Drive Growth

Big changes are underway in Saudi Arabia and India, with both poised for rapid growth in airline traffic. Each, however, is taking a distinct approach with respect to protecting their domestic airlines. Airline Weekly’s Jay Shabat discusses with Skift’s Asia editor Peden Doma Bhatia. Related Stories How India Is Preparing for Its Goal of 1 Billion Airline Passengers What You Need to Know About Saudi Arabia’s Bet on a New National Airline Skift India Daily: A Billion Air Travelers Expected by 2040 — How Adani Airports Is Preparing Middle East Set to Be One of the Fastest-Growing Airline Markets

U.S. airlines presented at a major investor event in New York last week. What did they say? Airline Weekly's Jay Shabat discusses with special guest Brian Sumers of The Airline Observer. Plus, a look at an airline in the Philippines with a very unique business model... and a very unique aircraft configuration. Related Stories: Rival CEOs at JetBlue, United and American Rally Together to Challenge Justice Department To Hear CEO Ed Bastian, It’s Delta’s World, We Just Live In It