Ryanair’s cancellation crisis will cost it at least €125m

Ryanair Tuesday said refunds to passengers and new deals for pilots will cost it €70 million (£61.6 million) over the next six months, in the wake of its cancellation crisis. Ryanair was forced to cancel thousands of bookings in September after what the airline said at the time was a pilot rostering error. Reports later emerged suggesting Ryanair […]

The fat years for U.S. airlines are coming to an end

America’s passenger carriers have discovered that it’s getting more expensive to run an airline these days.  While summertime profits were fine, and travel demand remains robust, a number of airlines are facing higher bills from a variety of factors: labor contracts, significant airport renovation projects, technology spending and fleet upgrades. The increase in expenses is creeping into 2018 […]

British Airways owner sees jump in yearly profits on healthy demand

British Airways parent group IAG Friday forecast a 20-percent jump in operating profit this year thanks to rising demand and falling costs. IAG said in a statement that its underlying operating profit — stripping out exceptional items and fluctuations in fuel prices and exchange rates — was expected to hit 3.0 billion euros ($3.5 billion) […]

Delta hits milestone on Lagos-Atlanta route, records 1-millionth passenger

The lucrative Lagos, Nigeria – Atlanta, United States non-stop air passenger route operated by Delta Airlines recorded its first one millionth passenger at the weekend when Gbemisola Abudu boarded the flight bound for Atlanta, after a short recognition ceremony at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Bobby Bryan, Delta’s commercial director for East and […]

British Airways set to power fleet with fuel converted from household waste

British Airways Monday announced that it has entered a partnership to design a series of waste plants that convert household waste into renewable jet fuel to power its fleet. The first plant will take hundreds of thousands of tons of household waste per-year, destined for landfill or incineration, including nappies, plastic food containers, and chocolate […]

Delta takes over Arik’s Lagos-New York route, becomes sole carrier from Nigeria to US

Delta Air Lines Monday announced it was introducing three weekly nonstop flights from Lagos to New York-JFK, starting March 25, 2018, effectively taking over a route that was previously operated by Arik Air, the Nigerian operator currently under receivership following debts owed Nigeria’s bad bank, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). Delta already runs […]

Air Berlin files for insolvency, Lufthansa waits in the wings

Air Berlin Plc filed for insolvency after leading shareholder Etihad Airways PJSC withdrew its financial support, marking the second failure of a major European airline in four months after the Persian Gulf carrier pulled the plug on funding Italy’s Alitalia SpA in May. The insolvency comes as thousands of Germans are enjoying their summer holidays and just ahead of […]

Qatar Air targets other U.S. investments after American spat

Qatar Airways hasn’t given up on investing in the U.S. after scrapping plans to buy a stake in American Airlines Group Inc. amid opposition from the Fort Worth, Texas-based company. “We have other opportunities, both in America and North America, which we will consider,” Akbar Al Baker, the Persian Gulf carrier’s chief executive officer, said […]