Icelandic budget carrier Play has turned in a first-half net loss of $25.6m, of which the second quarter accounted for $14.3m. The airine attributes the interim losses to the carrier’s having yet to achieve economies of scale. Play generated revenues of $42.2m over the six months to 30 June, including $32.5m in Q2. But it is expecting a figure of $150-160m for the full year with total passenger numbers of 800,000. The airline has expanded its network to 25 destinations and had six aircraft in operation at the half-year point – comprising three Airbus A321neos and three A320neos. The carrier is set to take four more A320neo-family jets this winter, giving it a fleet of 10 from spring next year. Play says it achieved its initial target of unit cost, excluding fuel, being lower than 4 US cents in May and June. “This is very important for Play as we aim to offer the lowest fares in our markets, and a low cost base is critical in achieving that,” it states. It adds that this figure shows the “underlying efficiency” of the company’s business model and is “an encouragement”. “Over the past few months, we have created a solid foundation which we will use to keep developing Play as a successful company,” says CE Birgir Jonsson. The airline is expecting to achieve a positive operating result later this year. It says it employs 300 personnel and will hire another 200 next year. “We are now coming out of the development phase with a strong financial position and finally the external conditions are in our favour, after strong headwinds these last quarters,” says Jonsson. Play acknowledges that its punctuality in June has suffered, and was “not up to [our] usual high standards”, but says the operational problems at European airports as well as changes to its network have been behind the issues.<br/>
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European budget carrier Wizz Air said Monday its finance chief Jourik Hooghe will step down from his post to pursue opportunities outside the company. The company also named Ian Malin as its next chief financial officer, who will be joining Wizz Air on Oct. 1. Shares of the carrier were down 3.4% in early trade. Hooghe, 45, joined the airline in February 2020, and had to navigate a turbulent time in the aviation industry due to COVID-19 related travel lockdowns. Malin, who is currently the chief strategy and commercial officer at US-based Unical Aviation, has 22 years of experience in the finance field, Wizz Air said. Hooghe will be available during the transition period until Dec. 31, it added.<br/>
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana Group aims to have 59 aircraft by mid-2025, as it aims to increase frequencies to international destinations, particularly in Asia. During the remainder of 2022 Air Astana will receive two additional Airbus A321LRs, bringing its total of the type to 10, says the carrier. Low-cost unit FlyArystan will also add three additional A320neos by the end of the year. Overall, Air Astana Group added 13 aircraft between mid-2020 and March 2022, with 24 more aircraft to enter the fleet by mid-2025. The first seven months of 2022 saw the Air Astana Group carry 3.9m passengers, up 9% from a year earlier. “The network continued to expand with the resumption of flights to destinations including London and Istanbul, together with the launch of new services to Greece,” it says. “In the coming months, frequencies to Dubai, Delhi and Phuket will be significantly increased and services to Bangkok will be resumed, which represents a significant step in re-building the Asian network.” The group also plans to open a new flight crew training facility in Nur-Sultan later this year, which will house Kazakhstan’s first full flight simulator. In 2021, the carrier announced it would acquire an A320 simulator produced by L3Harris. In addition, it will be beef up its in-house maintenance capabilities. “Air Astana has rapidly recovered despite an unprecedented series of operational challenges this year, with passenger traffic up 9% and seat capacity up marginally between January and July compared to the same period last year,” says Air Astana Group CE Peter Foster. <br/>
El Al has reached an agreement with its maintenance and engineering personnel as part of its efforts to tighten the airline’s efficiency. El Al says the pact, signed on 16 August, will run until the end of 2026. It will cover El Al’s plans to introduce wet-leased passenger and freighter aircraft into the fleet, a measure aimed at increasing capacity to meet post-pandemic surges in demand. El Al adds that the agreement refers to implementing actions to “streamline” aircraft servicing processes in hangars, and the possibility of maintenance work being conducted by external parties. Employees, in return for their commitment and industrial peace, will receive additional payments and other benefits. El Al says it foresees “no significant negative impact” on the airline from these extra rights to personnel. “The agreement is an important step and builds trust,” says El Al chief Dina Ben Tal Ganancia. Israeli trade union centre Histadrut supported the co-ordination, and says the agreement will contribute to expanding efficiency measures for the company’s benefit. Transport workers’ union chair Avi Adri says the agreement “does justice” to a personnel group which has demonstrated “excessive responsibility” during the air transport crisis, by working under “unusual” conditions to keep aircraft properly maintained.<br/>
Thai AirAsia is betting that the easing of travel restrictions in Japan and Thailand will translate to strong pent-up demand for flights between the two countries. The airline, along with many others, is adding new routes in the market as the Asian travel recovery picks up. The airline, which is the Thailand-based affiliate of Malaysia’s Capital A, will begin thrice-weekly flights between Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport and Fukuoka with Airbus A320 family aircraft on October 12. It will be Thai AirAsia’s (not to be confused with Thai AirAsia X) first route to Japan. The addition is one new route amid the rapid return of Japan-Thailand flights later this year, which happen to coincide with the easing of travel restrictions in both countries. In addition to Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X resumes flights between Bangkok and Sapporo in September, and Osaka Kansai in October; Tokyo Narita flights resumed in July, Diio by Cirium schedule data show. And Thai Airways returns to Fukuoka in October and Sapporo in December. All in, airlines will fly nearly half of their 2019 Thailand-Japan capacity in the fourth quarter, a 30 point increase from the first quarter and the highest to date since the pandemic nearly grounded all flights in 2020. “Japan is a top leisure favorite destination for Thai travelers, with many intent on visiting the country as soon as it reopens to tourism,” Thai AirAsia CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya said. “Acknowledging this opportunity, [Thai] AirAsia decided to introduce Fukuoka as its first destination in Japan.” But it’s not just pent-up local travelers flying between Japan and Thailand that are taking advantage of flights as they resume. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have both shifted flights, including to and from Bangkok, to Tokyo’s Narita airport to take advantage of strong demand for flight connections between North America and Southeast Asia. Both ANA and JAL cited this transfer demand to markets including Thailand for helping lift their financial results in the June quarter.<br/>