Air NZ is on course for a bumper profit of around NZ$600m for the past year after riding the travel boom that's feeding high passenger loads on to its growing domestic and international network. Lower fuel prices and holding costs throughout the business are also helping the airline but the threat of rising oil prices and growing competition are expected to bite into the airline's performance this year. Result for the financial year to the end of June are expected Friday and analysts at Credit Suisse are forecasting a profit spike of around 80% to a record of up to $601m. Pre-tax estimates range from $835m to $858m but both Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse warn that growing competition will affect the airline in the current financial year, especially on Chinese and US routes. <br/>
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SWISS said the first 30 days of Bombardier CS100 commercial operations have gone according to plan, despite minor glitches. The airline is the first operator of the CSeries. SWISS launched the first commercial CS100 scheduled flight from Zurich to Paris Charles de Gaulle July 15. A second CS100 began scheduled operations Aug 18, also from Zurich to Paris Charles de Gaulle. A SWISS spokesperson said: “We are satisfied with the first 30 days since starting entry-into-service [EIS]; of course, there is potential for optimisation.” Some of the glitches were “minor” technical and operational uncertainties—for example, de-icing, air conditioning and ground handling. “These glitches had been in an area what you can expect during EIS. There have been never signs that the entire fleet introduction is in danger.” <br/>
Austrian Airlines plans to launch 3X-weekly Vienna-Isfahan (Iran) services from Sept 4 as part of a new bilateral air transport agreement between Austria and Iran. The carrier said the underlying reason for its second Iran destination is a new bilateral air transport agreement between the two nations, which could be renegotiated for the first time in 30 years. Because of the ongoing coordination process, Austrian recently had to delay the planned commencement Isfahan service from April 2016 to Sept 2016. Vienna-Isfahan services will become 4X-weekly starting from summer 2017. Since March 2016, Austrian expanded Iran operations with the launch of a second daily Vienna-Teheran Imam Khomeini International service. Austrian Airlines will operate up to 17 weekly flights to Iran as of Sept 2016. <br/>
The presidency Sunday denied a rift between president Jacob Zuma and finance minister Pravin over the SAA board chaired by Zuma’s personal friend Dudu Myeni. “The presidency has noted media reports alleging a rift between the presidency and the National Treasury in relation to providing support to the SAA,” the presidency said. “The rumours and gossip published in today’s Sunday Times on the matter are false, and regrettably the presidency was not asked for comment by the newspaper.” The Sunday Times reported that the standoff between Zuma and the National Treasury about who should lead SAA was propelling the airline into an unprecedented crisis, with Hong Kong’s registrar of companies giving SAA until Sept 6 to submit its annual financial statements or face possible deregistration. <br/>
Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of the second of 14 Airbus A350 XWBs, which arrived at Addis Ababa Bole International Aug 16. The carrier launched A350 scheduled services June 30, making it Africa’s first operator of the type. The first A350 has been flying to various destinations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Addis Ababa-London Heathrow route. “Later on, the A350s will operate on seasonality and demand on our long-haul network, like China or the US,” Ethiopian Airlines Group CE Tewolde Gebremariam said. Like the first aircraft, the second A350 is on a long-term lease contract from AerCap. Ethiopian expects to take delivery of the remaining 12 A350s by June 2017. July 28, Ethiopian Airlines contracted Lufthansa Group subsidiary Lufthansa Technik to provide comprehensive component support for its 14 A350s. <br/>
Between all the construction activity and almost nonstop flight simulations, United Airlines’ Flight Training Centre in Denver is a particularly busy place these days. The airline is nearing the halfway mark of a US$40m project to consolidate its global pilot training operations in the Mile High City, transforming its 1960s Stapleton campus into a modern facility that can handle the training needs of all 12,500 United pilots worldwide. Denver beat out Houston and Chicago to win the consolidated flight training centre last year. By the time the consolidation is complete at the end of 2017, United will have nearly doubled the number of flight simulators it has in Denver to 32 — including modules for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 — without adding a single square foot to its building footprint. <br/>