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LATAM Airlines was the market share leader among companies flying between Brazil and the US in the quarter ended in October after resuming non-stop flights to Los Angeles, data from local authority ANAC showed on Friday. The Chile-based company, which leapfrogged US majors American Airlines and United Airlines, transported more than 260,000 passengers between the countries in the period. Average load factor in those flights, LATAM told Reuters, reached 89%. LATAM had last led the ranking for three months in a row between November 2019 and January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted air travel around the world, ANAC figures show. Brazil has the US as its No. 1 market for international flights in number of passengers transported, with an 18% share so far this year, above Argentina (15%) and Portugal (12%). "The leadership reflects the sustainable recovery of our international operations and the first year of our joint venture with Delta," LATAM Brasil sales director Aline Mafra said in a statement to Reuters. The results, according to ANAC, secured LATAM a 26% market share for flights between the two most populous countries in the Americas in the August-October period, above American Airlines' 22% and United Airlines' 20%. Year to date, American Airlines still leads the ranking with a 23.7% market share, slightly above LATAM's 22.4%, considering the number of passengers transported. LATAM resumed flights between Sao Paulo and Los Angeles in August, making it the sole non-stop flight between Brazil's largest city and the US West Coast, and hopes to transport more than 110,000 people per year in the route. It had also launched Sao Paulo-Boston flights last year, saying 74,000 people have flown between the two cities so far, with an average load factor of 80%. The carrier also operates flights to Miami, Orlando and New York.<br/>

Icelandair Group is still expecting a full-year net profit despite the effect of seismic activity on tourism flow to the country. The operator states that the geological situation has not affected flights at its Reykjavik Keflavik hub. But Iceland’s meteorological office has been monitoring the area around Grindavik, some 17km southeast of Keflavik airport, where thousands of earth tremors have been detected over the past few weeks. The office states that seismic activity is decreasing but adds that the likelihood of a volcanic eruption “persists” along the length of a magma intrusion north of Grindavik and close to the Blue Lagoon thermal spa, a popular tourist attraction. “We are used to dealing with the natural elements and are well-prepared for various different scenarios,” says Icelandair Group chief Bogi Nils Bogason. “We are in close contact with the authorities and scientists that are closely monitoring the situation.” The company says near-term inbound tourism booking flow has “slowed significantly”. “Bookings during the winter months are made close to the date of travel,” it states, adding that tourism is an important revenue stream for November and December. “The current situation affects revenue generation for the remainder of the year.” Icelandair Group has declared its previous financial guidance – issued in mid-September – invalid. While the uncertainty means an accurate full-year forecast is “not possible”, it says it still expects a net profit for the year.<br/>

Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air has announced that “as a result of a data breach incident targeting its IT system on November 24, some information from its email and client database may have been compromised due to unauthorized access.” “Necessary contingency plans were instantly activated to contain the incident,” Gulf Air said in a statement. “Gulf Air confirms that its operations and critical systems were unaffected and remain fully intact without any disruptions to its flight schedules. “The relevant authorities have been notified and Gulf Air is working with them to investigate the matter thoroughly," stated the national carrier in its statement. “Gulf Air takes such matters extremely seriously and regrets any inconvenience this incident may cause to its valued customers,” it added.<br/>

T’way Air expects to further grow its fleet in 2024 – including adding more widebodies – as its operations surpass pre-pandemic levels. The South Korean low-cost operator outlined plans to take seven more aircraft in 2024, bringing its operational fleet to nearly 40 aircraft. The disclosure comes as T’way saw improvements in its Q3 earnings, swinging to an operating profit of W33.5b ($25.7m) from a W32.6b loss in the year-ago period. On a nine-month basis, T’way states that its revenue - at W810b - has far surpassed the full-year revenue in pre-pandemic 2019. The carrier attributes the improvement to “bold investments and preemptive measures” undertaken amid the pandemic, when travel demand collapsed amid restrictions. These measures included introducing for the first time widebody operations. The carrier adds: “Factors contributing to the increase in performance include diversification of routes through mid- to long-distance operations such as Incheon-Sydney, Singapore, Bishkek, and Ulaanbaatar after the introduction of the [Airbus] A330 large aircraft [in 2022].” “[Profits] have also improved because of route differentiation [sales strategies] compared to [other low-cost operators]”, says T’way. The airline is the country’s second largest low-cost carrier by passenger traffic, and it hopes to become the largest operator. Traffic data from South Korean regulators shows the airline’s passenger volumes in the first 10 months of 2023 about 25% higher than passenger numbers in the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. T’way adds: “[Through] thorough preparations and bold implementation to prepare for the future, we are continuing the fastest growth in the industry…We expect to continue growing next year through efficient equipment operation and route strategies.”<br/>

Airline operator Virgin Australia on Friday said it has added six Boeing MAX-8 aircraft to further expand its fleet and meet travel demand, taking its total order for the planes to fourteen. Australia's second-biggest carrier returned to a profit for the first time in 11 years in fiscal 2023, buoyed by a strong recovery in travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic. "Travel demand remains high and we continue to grow and renew our fleet, enabling us to deliver great value and choice in the market," Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Alistair Hartley said. The six aircraft will be delivered in the second half of 2024, and will reduce emissions by at least 15% per flight, supporting the airline’s ambition of reducing carbon emissions intensity by 22% by 2030, the company said. The MAX-8 aircrafts will enter the domestic and short-haul international routes including Fiji, Bali and Samoa, the carrier said.<br/>