JetBlue Airways is jumping on the basic economy bandwagon. The carrier is planning to unveil no-frills fares next year, as it competes with similar offerings from larger US competitors. "At JetBlue, we never liked the 'no frills' approach," said JetBlue COO and president Joanna Geraghty in a note to employees. "But with these competitors now offering basic economy on many routes we fly, customer behavior suggests our success is at risk if we do not disrupt this market by lowering fares without sacrificing the experience." JetBlue didn't say exactly what the new fares would strip out, but it hinted that ticket changes and free advance seat selection may not be included. Geraghty said the new fares will still include free on-board Wi-Fi, snacks, soft drinks and a carry-on bag. <br/>
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Thousands of travellers in Europe saw their plans disrupted Friday after Ryanair cancelled more than 200 flights because of strikes by cabin crew in Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. The airline says it had informed passengers of possible disruptions ahead of time, giving them time to adjust. In Tenerife, hundreds of passengers queued at Ryanair counters and dozens more at the Madrid airport as 86 flights of the company from or to Spain were cancelled, affecting some 16,000 passengers. The unions blame the company for breaking talks over the company's ratio of outsourced workers, working conditions and their demand for local contracts instead of Irish ones. Thursday, Ryanair blamed cabin crews of competitors for organising the strikes and blocking "significant progress" in labour negotiations. <br/>
Pacific carrier Air Niugini has disclosed that it is searching for a missing passenger following the crash of a Boeing 737-800 as it attempted to land at Chuuk in Micronesia. The airline had originally stated that all 35 passengers and 12 crew members had been able to evacuate the aircraft safely after it came down in the sea. But Air Niugini has revealed that it is “unable to account” for one of the male passengers on board flight PX073. While Air Niugini had first stated, in the aftermath of the accident, that it “can confirm” that all on board were able to safely evacuate, it now refers to “initial on-scene reports” that had “indicated” as much. “The airline confirms that all other passengers and crew have been accounted for,” says the carrier, without specifying how it has ascertained this information. <br/>
EasyJet is forecasting a full-year pre-tax profit of GBP570-580m (US$745-758m), following a strong Q4, up on the previous year's figure of GBP408m. The carrier says its full-year outlook is in the “upper half” of previous guidance on its financial performance. EasyJet expects passenger numbers for the year – excluding its Berlin Tegel operation – to rise by 5.4% to around 84.6m, supported by a capacity hike of 4.2%. This capacity increase is lower than originally planned, it says, owing to external disruption. But it means the airline’s average load factor for the year will rise by 1 point to 93.6%. Total revenues, including the Tegel operation, will be around GBP5.89b. Costs excluding fuel will total GBP4.13b. Revenues per seat, outside of Tegel, will rise by 6.5% at constant currency while cost per seat will increase by 3.8%. <br/>
Aer Lingus has claimed new hand-held devices designed to streamline its operations at Dublin Airport have been interfered with as a row over redundancies has erupted. Last Tuesday, Aer Lingus director of employee relations and change Sean Murphy wrote to Siptu aviation sector organiser Neil McGowan to say "a number of worrying developments have arisen in Dublin ramp operations in recent days". "Most notably," he wrote, "the interference with a significant number of Netline devices." Siptu had claimed the airline had threatened at a meeting to make redundant more than 40 so-called red caps, who coordinate and handle individual flights on the airport ramp. An Aer Lingus spokeswoman said :"There will be no redundancies and no outsourcing as a result of these changes - it is simply a question of moving with the times". <br/>