Norwegian Air posted a surprise increase Monday of revenues per passenger for July amid efforts to turn around its loss-making operations this year. The airline, the subject of a recent takeover proposal by IAG, is rapidly expanding its long-haul operation as it seeks to become a global carrier. Revenues per passenger carried and kilometres flown rose to NOK0.50 in July from NOK0.49 a year ago, while analysts in a Reuters poll on average had predicted a decline to NOK0.47. The company’s passenger traffic volume meanwhile rose by 33% year-on-year, less than the 35% increase in the airline’s capacity and also slightly lagging analysts’ forecasts. “Our capacity growth is still high, but it is not increasing as rapidly as in previous months, which is in line with our strategy,” Norwegian CE Bjoern Kjos said. <br/>
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Two more Canadian airlines have signed up to participate in the Aeroplan loyalty programme, moves that further distance Aeroplan from reliance on current primary partner Air Canada. Leisure carrier Air Transat and upstart Flair Airlines have both signed deals with Aeroplan owner Aimia to become "preferred" partners in the Aeroplan programme. The new deals with Air Transat and Flair take effect in July 2020. At that time, Aeroplan members will be able to earn and redeem Aeroplan miles on either carrier, Aimia says. Air Transat's existing mileage programme Air Miles will remain effective, that carrier says. The announcement does not specify terms or the significance of the so-called "preferred" partnership. <br/>
Allegiant Travel Company reported mixed traffic numbers for July. Traffic for the total system (including scheduled service and fixed fee contract), measured in RPMs, increased 11.3% on a year-over-year basis to 1.31b. System capacity, calculated in ASMs, expanded 12.1% to 1.51b. With capacity expansion outweighing traffic growth, load factor contracted 60 basis points year over year to 86.8%. Allegiant’s passenger count rose 13.4% in the month. The airline recently released Q2 earnings wherein both the top and the bottom line surpassed estimates. Moreover, the metrics improved on a year-over-year basis. High passenger revenues drove the top line despite delivery delays in May. High fuel costs, however, limited bottom-line growth in the reported quarter. Notably, fuel prices surged 39.2%. <br/>
VLM Airlines will suspend all but 2 of its scheduled routes, intending to concentrate instead on charter and ACMI work. Some of the routes to be suspended were inaugurated only 2 months ago. The airline was resurrected with new investors and management in 2017, having collapsed into bankruptcy the previous year. VLM said it would cease, “in the next few weeks” to operate to Aberdeen and Birmingham in the UK, Cologne-Bonn, Munich and Rostock in Germany, and Maribor in Slovenia. In addition, plans to launch services from Antwerp and Ostend-Bruges to Manchester in the UK in October have been put on hold. The 3X-weekly services to Aberdeen and 5X-weekly services to Rostock and Cologne-Bonn began only in June. <br/>
Edmonton, Canada police are investigating a near miss involving an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, and a WestJet Encore Q400 twin turboprop on approach to Edmonton International July 31. According to Transport Canada, the airplane was descending through 6,500 ft., 9 miles from the airport when pilots spotted “a white drone of undetermined size” off their left wing. According to the airline, pilots saw the drone at about 2,000 ft. below the wing. WestJet did not provide the number of passengers and crew on the Q400, which has capacity for 78 passengers. “Our flight crew continued their approach without incident or impact to operations as they determined there was no risk to the aircraft, guests or crew,” the airline said. <br/>