JetBlue Airways is looking for investors and developers to help build a new Terminal 6 at New York JFK, with possible expansion to include a second facility. JetBlue holds exclusive rights to develop the site of JFK’s previous Terminal 6, which was torn down. The project also may involve the replacement of Terminal 7, which was built in 1972, the airline said Friday. “It’s prime real estate in a very congested airport,” CFO Steve Priest said. “It’s got the potential to have great value for JetBlue, our customers and our shareholders.” The carrier, which opened a new Terminal 5 at the airport in 2008, would lead the project, fitting in with New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s US$10b plan to expand or redevelop JFK’s facilities, add new security technology and improve road and rail access to the airport. <br/>
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EasyJet reported a strong balance sheet with net cash of GBP426m (US$553m) as of June 30. As a result, EasyJet raised its profit guidance and expects its pre-tax headline profit for the full-year to reach GBP380–GBP420m, compared with the GBP365m analysts predicted. However, the airline warned low fuel prices would allow capacity to stay in the market, maintaining pressure on yields into the next financial year. Revenue for Q3 ended June 30 was up 16% to GBP1.4m with a significant benefit from the move of Easter to April and higher load factors. Total revenue per seat grew as constant currency increased 2.2% on a reported basis of GBP55.8. Passenger numbers were up 10.8% year-over-year to 22.3m, driven by a capacity increase of 9.5% to 24m seats. Load factor rose 1.1 points to 93.1%. <br/>
EasyJet has opened an investigation after an unaccompanied child was removed from an overbooked flight from London Gatwick. The 15-year-old was taken from his seat on a flight to Toulouse Thursday morning, and left alone at the departure gate. Casper Read was given a boarding pass for seat 9A but after texting his mother to tell her he was aboard, another passenger claimed his seat. With the plane overbooked, Read was told to leave the plane. A spokeswoman apologised “for any inconvenience caused”, adding: “EasyJet is sorry that Casper Read’s flight…was overbooked. We are investigating why he was able to board the aircraft as he should have been informed at the gate. EasyJet has a procedure to protect unaccompanied minors but unfortunately this was not followed on this occasion”. <br/>
Volaris reported a MXN519.9m (US$29m) net loss for Q2 2017, reversed from the airline’s MXN935m net profit in Q2 2016. “We continued to face challenging international market conditions, although [we are] sequentially improving,” Volaris CE Enrique Beltranena said. Volaris’ Q2 net loss was less than half of the company’s MXN1.4b net loss in the 2017 March quarter. “Volaris responded by prudently managing capacity and executing its ULCC model to continue stimulating market demand based on a resilient market and slow, but sustained recovery in international travel,” Beltranena said, adding the company remains cautiously optimistic about improving market conditions. Volaris’ Q2 revenue increased 16.6% YOY to MXN6b as operating expenses jumped 25.3% to MXN5.9b. <br/>