Aviation Industry Updates: Jan 2, 2024

From FedEx to Airlines, Companies Are Starting To Lose Their Pricing Power

KEY POINTS:

• After years of unbridled consumer spending on everything from home improvement to dream vacations, some companies are now finding the limits of their pricing power.
• Shipping giant FedEx last week said customers have shied away from speedier, pricier shipping options. Airlines including Southwest discounted off-peak fares in the fall. The likes of Target and Cheerios maker General Mills have cut their sales outlooks as more consumers watch their budgets.
• It’s a shift from the recent years when consumers spent at a breakneck pace — and at high prices — lifting corporate revenues to new records. But faced with weakening demand, more price-sensitive consumers, easing inflation and better supply, some sectors are now forced to find profit growth without the tailwind of price hikes.
• The answer across industries has been to cut costs, whether it’s through layoffs or buyouts, or simply becoming more efficient. Executives have spent the past several weeks selling these cost-cutting plans to Wall Street.

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Happy New Year: Aviation's Biggest Trends To Watch In 2024

KEY POINTS:

• 2023 has seen a number of standout trends in the aviation industry, including the ongoing post-pandemic boom in leisure travel, a greater focus on sustainability, and the increased use of narrowbody aircraft such as the Airbus A321LR on long-haul flights. What trends can we expect to see in 2024?
• Greater integration of AI and digital technology into the customer journey
• Etihad Airways was one of the carriers to integrate artificial intelligence into its customer service channels in 2023, and it is unlikely that the full potential of AI has yet been unleashed. For example, this year, we may see airlines making greater use of AI to predict flight delays based on past performance, enabling them to enhance the level of communication and interaction with their passengers.
• 2023 also saw facial recognition technology come into its own at several airports across the world, and the coming year will likely see a continued focus on how to enhance the customer experience through the use of digital technology, both around the airport and onboard.
• Continued focus on sustainability
• The use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will only become more widespread throughout 2024 and the subsequent years. In fact, IATA predicts that by 2050, sustainable aviation fuel will be responsible for 65% of the reduction in carbon emissions, propelling airlines to their net-zero goals.
• Ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine problems
• Pratt & Whitney's well-documented engine problems blighted airlines around the world in 2023, from Air New Zealand to Viva Aerobus and All Nippon Airways.

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Airlines Urge US to Address Flight Delays Caused By Private Planes, Air Traffic Controller Staffing Shortages

KEY POINTS:

• A group representing major passenger airlines on Friday urged U.S. transportation officials to do more to address the impact of private planes and air traffic controller staffing shortages on holiday flight delays and cancellations.
• Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, urged Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Michael Whitaker to “take all possible actions to find the appropriate balance between commercial and private aviation traffic with the goal of minimizing delays and cancellations for the traveling public.”
• The group in a letter also urged “all possible steps be taken to avert additional staffing triggers, particularly in high volume centers” for air traffic control.
• The FAA said airlines, general aviation and others “have a seat at the Command Center, where the FAA monitors the airspace 24/7 and gives updates every two hours.”
• The FAA said “as air travel continues to rebound, the agency is taking immediate action to recruit, train and hire more air traffic controllers” but has acknowledged it is still about 3,000 controllers below optimal levels.
• Preliminary data from December 20—27 show 77% of delays have been due to volume, 19.1% to weather, and 0.9% due to FAA staffing, the agency said.

NBC

How American Airlines Is Using Machine Learning To Reduce Taxi Times By 20%

KEY POINTS:

• Launched back in 2021 for testing, American Airlines’ Smart Gating technology was implemented during the hectic Thanksgiving travel season this year, with the system reducing taxiing times and limiting carbon dioxide emissions.
• According to the airline, Smart Gating, developed by its in-house Technology and Operations team, slashed the time spent on the taxiway at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) by up to 20%, reducing systemwide taxiing time by up to 17 hours each day. The system utilizes a mix of real-time flight information and other operational data to ensure aircraft are assigned the closest gate, limiting the need to taxi further across the terminal and reducing gating conflicts by 50%.
• Smart Gating has since been deployed across its major hubs at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Miami International Airport (MIA), Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), with the system adjusted to meet each airports varying requirements.
• In a statement shared by the carrier, Vice President of Operations Planning and Performance, Anne Moroni, noted American Airlines’ continued commitments to innovating its operations and that it had become a “game changer” at its largest bases.

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