general

A rebound in bookings and flights has the aviation industry closely watching the ratio of seats being filled, a crucial measure of demand and a guide to profitability. Yet an equally consequential number will need to be tracked if we are to understand whether the sector has truly recovered from the Covid-19 epidemic. Passenger load factor, a commonly used measure that shows the percentage of capacity utilised, stands at 81.3% in Asia for the year to end-September. That is a huge jump from 69.2% a year ago, and roughly in line with the level recorded for the same period in 2019. Yet operators are running well below pre-pandemic levels, so such standard metrics do not tell the whole story, and indicate that while passengers may be returning, economic uncertainty is holding them back from taking as many flights as they used to. Airlines around the region are being hit on multiple fronts. First, they fired so much of their workforces that many now lack enough pilots, cabin crew and ground staff to operate aircraft. Cathay Pacific Airways says personnel levels are sufficient for its current schedule, yet it will add 4,000 people in 2023 and needs to double the number of staff it trained in 2022. Carriers also parked their jets in the desert during lockdowns and are still bringing them back home to run the required checks to get the aircraft back into service. Then there are supply chain bottlenecks caused by the pandemic, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and a shortage of staff across sectors from technology to food service. These compounding issues range from slow delivery of new planes and a recent scandal around spare parts to catering and replacement tap fixtures. To help gauge airline health, the industry has a slew of abbreviations. Among the most cited is RPK, or revenue passenger kilometre, which multiplies the number of fare-paying commuters by the distance each person flew. The cargo equivalent is RTK (revenue tonne kilometres). To chart how many an airline could have flown, it uses ASK (available seat kilometres) and ATK (available freight tonnage kilometres). Story has more.<br/>

The air traffic controller on duty when FedEx and Southwest planes nearly collided earlier this year in Texas told investigators that he expected the airliner to take off more quickly — before the incoming FedEx plane reached the same runway. That is because in his four years working the tower at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the controller said, Southwest planes usually took off as soon as they got permission. “But hindsight being 20/20,” controller Damian Campbell told investigators, he “definitely could have held them,” referring to making the Southwest crew wait. Campbell said in a transcript released Wednesday that he couldn’t even see the Southwest plane through the dense early morning fog on Feb. 4. The FedEx pilots spotted it at the last second and aborted their landing. The planes missed each other by about 100 feet (30 meters). The NTSB released transcripts of interviews and other details of its investigation but did not state a probable cause for the harrowing close call. That determination is expected early next year. The near-disaster in Austin is the scariest among more than a half-dozen close calls that the NTSB has investigated this year.<br/>

The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering airlines to inspect fuel-tank lightning-protection features on all Boeing 747 variants because some components are degrading faster than expected. The FAA issued the requirements in an airworthiness directive released on 29 November. It responds to reports from Boeing that lightning-safety components in 747 engine fuel systems had failed or cracked. The rule takes effect in 16 days and requires airlines to act fast. Once effective, it gives carriers 90 days to inspect passenger 747s and 120 days to inspect cargo variants. Airlines will need to complete repetitive inspections at least once every 12 months. The FAA issued the order as an final rule, not as a proposed rule, reflecting heightened risk. It applies to 211 US-registered 747s of all variants, from -100s to -8s. “The FAA has found that the risk to the flying public justifies forgoing notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule,” the order says. “This is an urgent safety issue, as all fuel feed lightning protection features now have evidence of compromise.” The order requires airlines to follow inspection and repair procedures detailed in “Multi Operator Messages” sent to airlines by Boeing on 13 November. “Boeing supports the US Federal Aviation Administration’s immediately adopted rule, which makes mandatory the guidance we have provided to operators. We remain in communication with the FAA and our customers on this matter,” Boeing says. It adds that operators started inspecting 747s after receiving Boeing’s recommendations, and says the inspections take two to three days.<br/>

Brazilian planemaker Embraer said on Wednesday that Canada's Porter Airlines placed a firm order for an additional 25 E195-E2 aircraft for $2.1b. The deal, which will be added to Embraer's backlog in Q4, adds to a firm order of 50 jets from Porter, with 25 more purchasing rights remaining. Embraer has delivered 24 units of the jet to Porter, which has been flying the aircraft since earlier this year. "These additional 25 orders enable us to continue extending our reach throughout North America, with more exciting new destinations," said Porter CEO Michael Deluce in a statement. The world's third-largest planemaker behind Boeing and Airbus has been trying to make the passenger jet break into the US market by showing carriers it can be used as a "small narrow-body".<br/>

A lack of common measures often causes confusion among airlines' customers and leads to hidden extra costs. Many people find it difficult to understand what size items are allowed on board for free, prompting the Commission on Wednesday to make the request to airlines. Earlier this year, the European Parliament asked for a standardisation of airlines' carry-on luggage rules. But instead of proposing measures, the Commission said it prefers to let the industry come up with the rules itself. "This information should be provided to the travellers from the very beginning to know exactly when you buy a ticket what you are actually buying and what kind of luggage you can bring either on board or in the haul?" Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport told reporters in Brussels. "That being said, we reserve our right that, if nothing happens in a reasonable amount of time, we will step in." At the same time, the Commission also proposed a series of measures to reinforce passengers’ rights legislation, with a special focus on the reimbursement of delayed or cancelled trips, after it discovered gaps when it comes to intermodal trips. One way the Commission is trying to solve this is via a standard EU-wide reimbursement and compensation form. But it will also try to help passengers be more aware of their rights, especially if they are travelling by different means of transport or booked the trip through an intermediary.<br/>

Travellers could get refunds for cancelled flights within two weeks in a proposed shake-up of European Union passenger protections. The European Commission on Wednesday adopted a new proposal designed to bolster passenger rights following widespread rows over airline refund policies sparked by Covid cancellations. Passengers will be entitled to refunds for cancelled flights within 14 days, even if they have bought the ticket as part of a package through a travel agent, if it becomes law. Where airlines offer vouchers, they must clarify that customers can insist on refunds. Airlines’ different approaches to EU refund rules led to anger among people whose flights were cancelled in March 2020, amid a worldwide grounding of air travel to combat Covid’s spread. The commission says the new rules build on lessons learned during the pandemic and from the collapse in 2019 of the Thomas Cook Travel Group, which stranded thousands of holidaymakers. The 14-day rule will also apply to anyone buying flights from a travel agent or as part of a package. In that instance, carriers and other service providers must reimburse the agents in seven days to allow payment to their customers. The proposal gives those using different transport, for example, flights, trains and buses, in one journey the right to better information on cancellations, delays and connection times.<br/>

Spanish labour union UGT is set to call off two days of strikes by baggage handlers planned for next week at all the country's airports, a person familiar with the negotiations told Reuters on Wednesday. UGT was not immediately available for comment. A UGT spokesperson had previously said it would issue a new statement later in the day. Earlier on Wednesday, the union said that baggage handlers at all the country's commercial airports would strike on Dec. 5 and 10, when many Spaniards are expected to travel for two national holidays. The strikes, which the union announced on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, would have coincided with national holidays on Dec. 6 and 8. The union also said in a statement on its website that contractors to state-controlled Aena, which operates all the commercial airports in Spain, do not respect labour conditions. UGT said it was protesting against new contracts for baggage handling services recently signed between Aena and contractors, which imply different conditions.<br/>

It was a busy few hours at Tanzania's Kikoboga Airstrip for all the wrong reasons as two aircraft of the same model suffered gear issues and veered off the runway on the same day. None of the 60 passengers and six crew on both aircraft were hurt in the bizarre circumstances. The first accident occurred when the landing gear of a Unity Air Zanzibar Embraer 120 collapsed as it landed, causing it to veer off the runway. The plane suffered sustained substantial damage, reported The Aviation Herald. But just six hours later, an E120 operated by Sindbard Air saw its nose gear collapse as it was taking off. It also veered off the runway and ploughed into a building where it came to a stop. Video and photos were posted on social media showing that aircraft smoking in the distance close to the first accident site. Kikoboga is the gateway to Tanzania’s Mikumi National Park. In a statement to Xinhua News Agency, Catherine Mbena, Tanzania National Parks senior conservation officer for corporate communications, said: “The pilots worked hard in collaboration with officials of the airstrip to ensure that all passengers on board were safe.” Investigations have been launched into both accidents.<br/>

A 41-year-old man working at Incheon International Airport has been indicted on charges of stealing 366m won (US$280,000) worth of items from passenger luggage, local prosecutors said on Tuesday. The man has been indicted on 208 accounts of larceny from November 2021 to Oct 6, said the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office. The man, who is not named, is accused of taking high-end bags, jewellery and other expensive items from passenger luggage while working as a baggage handler in the airport’s terminals. Police caught the man after investigating reports from passengers who lost their belongings, including one passenger’s claim about a lost Hermes bag worth 40m won. The man told the police that he spent the money he made from reselling the items on living expenses. His job was to load bags into plane cargo holds for a local airline subcontractor. He allegedly stole the items during the smoke breaks of the five other employees he worked with. To avoid being caught, the man took only a couple of items from each piece of luggage in spots without surveillance cameras.<br/>

Air passenger traffic volumes have been on the rise and the anticipated reciprocal visa-free entry agreement between China and Malaysia from December 1 onwards is expected to give it a further boost. Malaysia has also decided to unilaterally extend a similar arrangement to India and the Middle East. According to MIDF Research, the traffic numbers in Q4 2023 will receive additional support from the gradual full fleet reactivation of Malaysia AirAsia (MAA), scheduled for completion in December 2023. The research firm said its passenger traffic projections remain unchanged, aligning well at 75% of its full-year estimate and with an anticipated stronger performance in December 2023. "Our expectation is an 85% recovery this year (domestic: 90%, international: 80%)," MIDF, which has a “neutral’’ stand on the aviation sector, said. It notes that for the month of October, Malaysia’s passenger movements steadily recovered as airlines address fleet shortages caused by supply chain and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) challenges.<br/>

Airbus expects a virtual doubling of the commercial aircraft services market, to $255b, over the next 20 years, driven by digital aircraft capabilities and rising traffic. Maintenance will account for the largest share, around $210b in 2042, while training and operation will generate $17b, and aircraft enhancement another $28b. This will create a demand for 2.2m personnel – comprising 680,000 technicians, 590,000 pilots and 920,000 cabin crew – over the next two decades. Airbus disclosed the prediction in its latest global services forecast on 29 November. It states that China will become the largest market for services by 2042, with an overall value of $54b, ahead of Europe with $48b and North America at $45b. The rest of the Asia-Pacific region will be worth $43b. South Asia, China and the Middle East will experience the fastest growth in the sector, the airframer adds. Airbus points out that nearly 17,200 commercial aircraft are likely to be withdrawn from service over the period.<br/>