Norwegian Air Shuttle is reaching a size at which it can be profitable, its founder and CEO said Tuesday, while reiterating that he will not block a sale of the budget carrier if other shareholders want out. Both BA owner IAG and Lufthansa have been in contact with Norwegian over a possible deal. CEO Bjorn Kjos said that Norwegian was reaching the peak of its investment phase this summer and was ready to reap the benefits. “We have reached the size that we need to facilitate what we would like to do. Now it’s about refining the business going forward,” Kjos said. In March, the airline raised 1.3b crowns in a share sale to help fund expansion and cope with higher fuel costs after warning of a larger than expected Q1 loss. Kjos repeated that Norwegian had not put itself up for sale. “It’s very good airlines that are interested. We take it as a good thing, that we are doing something right,” he said. Kjos is the airline’s single biggest investor owning about a quarter of the shares. “Everything is for sale if the price is right but I will listen to the other shareholders. If they want to sell, I will not be the one that holds it back,” Kjos said. He said Norwegian was very well run as a standalone business. “But if the owners decide that we should be part of another group then I will listen to them.”<br/>
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Ryanair’s Irish union extended a ballot on industrial action by two weeks on Tuesday, saying its members wanted more time to consider the move, which could lead to a strike. Europe’s biggest budget airline averted widespread strikes before last Christmas by agreeing to recognise trade unions for the first time in its 32-year history. But the airline has since struggled to reach agreement on terms in some countries. The Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) said it would ballot pilots if a new system for dealing with base allocations, promotions, and leave was not introduced. IALPA began the ballot last week, a letter to members Monday showed and the results were due on Tuesday. However, a memo circulated by IALPA later Monday said it had extended the vote to July 3, giving pilots more time to consider “such an important matter” and avoiding a clash with a meeting of Ryanair’s unions across Europe organised by the European Cockpit Association. “It is self-evident that Ryanair and its on-going disputes with pilots across Europe will be a feature on the agenda of the ECA Conference,” it said.<br/>
Flybe reported a smaller pre-tax loss in the 12 months to the end of March on higher passenger numbers and increased revenue per seat, but it also restated its loss for the previous year to more than GBP48.5m. Additional maintenance costs, an “onerous” IT contract and weather disruption in the airline’s fourth quarter meant the company reported losses before tax of GBP9.4m for the latest financial year to March. It restates the previous year’s loss from GBP19.9m due to a lease and impairments. The “Beast from the East” UK cold snap forced the airline to to cancel 994 flights in the quarter. Despite the cold snap, passenger revenue per seat rose 10.1% to GBP53.79 and passenger volumes were up 7.7% to 9.5m. Group revenue rose 6.4% year on year to GBP752.6m. <br/>
Alaska Airlines will add non-stop service between Sacramento and Kona on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. A schedule of three weekly flights will begin on Dec. 20, with Alaska Airlines using Boeing 737 aircraft on the route. The Kona service will give Alaska a second route between the California capital and the state of Hawaii; the carrier already flies between Sacramento and the Kahului Airport on the island of Maui. Alaska’s new Sacramento-Kona route comes ahead of possible service on rival Southwest, which competes fiercely with Alaska Airlines in the California market. Southwest has revealed its intention to fly to Hawaii, though the start of that service will come only after Southwest secures certification to use its two-engine Boeing 737s for the long overwater flights from the US mainland. However, that wait hasn't stopped Southwest from trickling out plans for Hawaii once the certification comes through. Southwest has not revealed any precise routes, but it has said its first Hawaii routes will come from California. Specifically, Southwest says Sacramento, Oakland, San Diego and San Jose will be its first four destinations to land flights to Hawaii. <br/>