The majority of the UK’s busiest airlines have experienced an increase in significant journey delays, with an estimated 17m passengers affected last year alone. CAA data of 10m flights collected between 2014 and 2018 found 8 in 10 of the busiest carriers witnessed an uptick in delays of more than an hour, according to consumer group Which?. Delays of 1 hour or more on Ryanair have more than doubled in the past 5 years from 3% in 2014 to almost 8% in 2018, while EasyJet delays rose from under 5% in 2014 to almost 9% last year, it found. Many of the carriers criticised by Which? were budget airlines. Thomas Cook customers were the most likely to face a delay of at least 1 hour, with an 11.5% chance of returning from their travels at least an hour late. <br/>
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Shareholders will press Virgin Australia's new CE Paul Scurrah to present a robust strategic plan Wednesday, when the airline is expected to report its seventh consecutive annual loss, on top of US$1.2b worth of red ink over the previous 6 years. With shares trading near all-time lows, Scurrah's options include cutting costs, restructuring management, rebranding its underperforming budget carrier Tigerair Australia, ending loss-making flights to Hong Kong and tightening control over the loyalty division, 7 current and former managers told Reuters on condition of anonymity. But they say that because of decisions by his long-serving predecessor, John Borghetti, Scurrah may lack room to manoeuvre amid a weakening domestic market. <br/>
Virgin Australia has launched a Nervous Flyers programme designed to let passengers self-identify as anxious flyers to receive extra support to cope with coming travel. Passengers can discreetly register in the scheme when booking travel. Those who do so will then receive pre-departure reassurance, positive affirmations via text message and guidance on in-flight relaxation tips such as deep breathing and meditation. More than 11% of travellers experience high levels of nervousness related to flying, says Virgin Australia. The airline has also created a special heart-shaped code that will be printed on the boarding passes of those registered so that cabin crew can check-up on those travellers during the flight. <br/>
Lion Air Group’s Malindo Air has appointed Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri as the LCC’s new CE, succeeding Chandran Rama Muthy from Sept 23. Mushafiz joined Malindo Air in 2013 as a Boeing 737 pilot and is currently director of safety, security and quality of sister company Thai Lion Air. Chandran will continue to stay within the Lion Air Group and will hold the position of group strategic director. He has been the CE since the Malaysian-based carrier launched in 2013. The company said he will be tasked to “drive greater synergy” within the Lion group by overseeing new developments and strategic directions for all of the 5 air operator’s certificates, alongside putting in place financial management systems and developing alternative business streams. <br/>
AirAsia said its customer support hotlines would cease operations by the end of the year, as the carrier places its chatbot at the forefront of customer queries. Since its launch earlier this year, AVA or AirAsia Virtual Allstar, handles some 50,000 messages daily, said Adam Geneave, head of AirAsia's Customer Happiness group. As of August, only 2 of AirAsia's original 10 call centres remain, 1 in Thailand and another in India, he said. Even before AVA's debut, voice call inquiries have decreased "significantly" over the years, he said. The carrier also plans to add more members to its 600-strong customer support staff, Geneave said, which includes the live chat team that handles AVA's unresolved queries. <br/>
Norwegian regional airline Widerøe is looking into the viability of more than 30 routes in its network if the country’s govt goes ahead with an increase in VAT. The airline said any increase would come on top of other recent rises in taxes and charges that have already rendered some of its routes unprofitable. Norway has several rates of VAT—12%, 23% and 25%. Currently, air fares attract the lowest level of tax, but a recommendation from a specialist group is to raise it to either of the higher rates to simplify the tax system. The Norwegian govt has sent the matter to a public consultation process. “We assume and hope that this will not be implemented,” Widerøe VP Terje Skram said. If the higher rate is implemented, he said “most of our domestic commercial routes will no longer be profitable.” <br/>
Before its collapse and liquidation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Eastern Airlines was one of the nation’s “Big Four” carriers. Now it could be taking to the skies again. The airline stopped flying after a 1989 labour dispute ultimately led to the carrier filing for bankruptcy. Now, the carrier is awaiting DoT approval for a rebirth that would see it providing service to the Caribbean, South America and Asia. Eastern Airlines is today owned by a group that bought the intellectual property rights to the name. The airline has previously been focused on charter flights. As part of the ambitious expansion, though, it reportedly plans to launch a fleet composed of second-hand Boeing 767-300 and 777-200 aircraft. It currently has 8t 767s to its name. <br/>
Spirit Airlines has spent 3 years trying to persuade passengers it shed its reputation as a company that hates its customers. Now it’s on the cusp of doing something unthinkable not long ago — it’ll invest in more comfortable seats. “There will be enhancements,” CE Ted Christie said Monday. “There will be some changes to the cushion and to the pre-recline. There will be a full-size tray table.” For any other airline, this might not be a big deal. But under former CE Ben Baldanza, who left in early 2016, Spirit took an almost combative approach toward customer comfort. But preferences change, and Spirit recently has been on a customer-service kick as it seeks to retain customers who might defect to American Airlines, United Airlines or Delta Air Lines, all of which now sell a basic economy fare. <br/>
Spirit Airlines is planning to roll out next month booking services via text message, allowing travellers to buy flights and change reservations through text messaging platform WhatsApp. The service will start Sept 1. and will be available in English and Spanish. Customers will first interact with a chatbot that will provide basic information about the request and then a Spirit agent will take over, said a spokesman. From there, the guest follows a link to complete the booking, outside of WhatsApp. Airlines have been trying to find ways to drive more bookings to their own sites, instead of third-party online travel agencies. Customer service and booking over text isn’t yet widely available but airlines are exploring it. Delta Air Lines this summer said it started trialling text messaging for customer service questions. <br/>
Australian carrier Regional Express reported a flat full-year profit of A$25.2m (US$17m) and expects it to fall by up to 20% in 2020 due to the slowing economic environment and weaker Australian dollar. Passenger revenue for the year ended June 30 rose 7% to $278m, and group revenue rose by a similar amount to $318m. Yield improved by 2.7% and load factor rose 1.8 points to 63.1%. Despite strong efforts with hedging, the airline's fuel costs for the year increased by 30%, and its second half was particularly impacted by the decline of the Australian dollar. Net profit after tax rose 3.6% to $17.5m. Executive chairman Lim Kim Hai commented that the flat result reflected "strong momentum of the first half just about balancing the downward pressures of the second half." <br/>