unaligned

Its fleet beset by grounded Airbus A321LRs needing Pratt & Whitney (P&W) geared turbofan (GTF) engine work, Canadian airline company Transat AT is adding both newly leased and previously ordered aircraft to partially offset the lost capacity. “In light of expected grounded A321LR aircraft, we have recently secured three A330 aircraft leases to support network needs for the upcoming year as planned,” CE Annick Guerard said during the company’s 14 March earnings call. The parent of Montreal-based carrier Air Transat also expects to have four new A321LRs delivered within the next several weeks. The carrier currently has 12 A321s in service, according to Cirium fleets data. The fleet additions will partially offset A321LRs grounded due to PW1100G engine issues. Air Transat has reduced its expectations for full-year capacity gains, to an increase of 13% from a previously estimated 19% increase. Transat currently has four of the long-range A321neo narrowbody jets out of service for PW1100G engine work, with that number expected to rise to five or six by the end of the company’s fiscal year on 31 October. ”Due to the operating challenges caused by the Pratt and Whitney engine situation, as well as the problems affecting the Boeing 737 Max, a number of carriers are looking for aircraft,” Guerard says. ”Those issues, combined with an already-stressed to supply chain, are putting important pressures on the availability and the cost of aircraft.” P&W’s recall of hundreds of PW1100G powerplants requires those engines to come off-wing for inspection and repair – a process that takes months. Hundreds of A320neo-family aircraft are grounded globally as a result. <br/>

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s combative CE, called for the sacking of the man in charge of the UK’s air traffic control today, in response to a highly critical report into the handling of problems with the system in August last year. The UK's National Air Traffic Services plunged into chaos for three days during the peak summer travel season. A single flight plan with a data glitch wiped out the automated computer system running the skies over the UK. It meant controllers, many of whom were working from home, had to manually input data. Thousands of flights were cancelled, causing chaos for August Bank Holiday travellers, not least from London Stansted, Ryanair’s main hub in the capital, and its bases at Gatwick and Luton, The Civil Aviation Authority published a “progress report” into an independent review of the incident today. It estimated that over 700,000 passengers were affected, with 300,000 suffering cancellations. Around 95,000 people were hit by “long delays of over 3 hours”. An on-call engineer took over an hour and a half to arrive on site and delays in calling the system’s manufacturer in compounded delays. O’Leary said the detail out today “rubbishes many of the false claims made by NATS” in its own September 2023 report which he called a “whitewash”, adding: “The CAA report confirms (unbelievably) that NATS engineers were sitting at home in their pyjamas on the UK’s August bank holiday weekend”.<br/>

Aer Lingus has warned its 784 Irish pilots if they do not accept a pay deal offered by the airline its parent company IAG will not invest further in growth, and that industrial action will not change that position. This comes as a date for a hearing on the pay dispute at the Labour Court was confirmed for April 22nd. The dispute has involved intensive negotiations for more than a year between the airline and pilots’ union IALPA, with talks breaking down at the Workplace Relations Commission recently. In a letter sent directly to pilots on Wednesday, Adrian Dunne, Aer Lingus’s COO outlined the backdrop to the dispute and closed with a warning that a failure to reach agreement on a pay deal would be interpreted by IAG as the “pilot body wanting an alternative future”. “As already stated during the annual results presentations [on February 16th] IAG will not invest further in Aer Lingus growth as costs, competitiveness and productivity will not attract an investable return,” Mr Dunne’s letter states. “For clarity, this will result in an inability to acquire aircraft through IAG, with new aircraft being allocated to other IAG carriers and the cascading effects of this for current and future employment and career progression for all employee groups.”<br/>

Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator, has announced the launch of its new route from Sharjah to Basra in Iraq. The new direct flights will connect Sharjah International Airport to Basra International Airport with a frequency of three flights per week starting from June 3, 2024. Adel Al Ali, Group CEO, Air Arabia, said: “With the launch of our new route to Basra, Iraq, we continue to broaden our reach across the region, reaffirming our commitment to offering affordable and accessible travel options to our passengers. “The announcement of Air Arabia's new route to Iraq reinforces our commitment to providing travellers with a smooth and enjoyable journey to more enticing destinations." Basra is Air Arabia’s fourth destination in Iraq, alongside Baghdad, Erbil and Najaf. Air Arabia said its commitment to delivering exceptional value and comfort to its passengers is reflected in its fleet of 73 Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR aircraft, the most modern and best-selling single aisle aircraft in the world.<br/>

The State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) has announced that IndiGo Airlines has been approved by the Indian government to start direct flights to Cambodia soon, coinciding with national flag carrier Cambodia Angkor Air’s preparations to launch flights to India. Sinn Chanserey Vutha, undersecretary of state and spokesperson for the SSCA, told The Post on March 13 that following encouragement from both sides, there has been a significant increase in bilateral tourism, trade and investment. He confirmed that both airlines have obtained government approval to operate direct flights between the two countries. “New routes between India and Cambodia have been established with the approval of the relevant Indian authorities, who have already approved the flights of both airlines. These include IndiGo Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air,” he said. Chanserey Vutha noted that each airline must adhere to the specific conditions and requirements of their respective country. He said Cambodia Angkor Air is in the process of completing these formalities, and barring any changes, expects flights to commence between May and June this year.<br/>