Aviation Industry Updates: Feb 6, 2024

Lessor Says Boeing One Snag Away From 737 Shutdown

KEY POINTS:

• The US FAA has publicly criticized Boeing's quality procedures, making it clear that "business as usual" is not an option for the company.
• Aviation figure Steven Udvar-Hazy warns that if there is another significant problem, the FAA will stop 737 production, calling for Boeing to show leadership in aircraft design.
• Late deliveries have become the new norm for both Boeing and Airbus, with aircraft sometimes being a year or more behind schedule.
• "I think where the Boeing board and Boeing management have not paid enough attention is to where we go from here, what is the next generation of airplane? What will Boeing be able to produce that will be a step-change improvement in operating economics to what they have today."

Frontier Airlines Is Now Selling Fares Aimed At Business Travellers

KEY POINTS:

• Frontier Airlines launches the "Biz Travel For Less" program to attract corporate travelers with business-friendly perks and affordable airfare.
• The program includes benefits such as free carry-on bags, priority boarding, premium seat assignment, and increased flexibility with fees for flight changes or cancellations.
• Frontier's "BizFare" tickets, aimed at cost-conscious businesses looking to save on travel expenses, are now available for domestic flights within the United States.

Simple Flying

Court Sets June Date to Hear JetBlue, Spirit Appeal Against Blocked Merger

KEY POINTS:

• A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston set a June date to hear the case by JetBlue and Spirit Airlines after their merger was blocked last month.
• The companies hoped to have a date sooner, but an order released Friday said the court said the June deadline is firm and “extensions will be strongly disfavored.
• The court ordered the airlines to file a pre-hearing brief by Feb. 26 with the Department of Justice (DOJ) filing its response by April 11.
• The DOJ filed a lawsuit to block the merger in March 2023, saying it would reduce competition and consumers.
• The merger would have made JetBlue the fifth-largest airline, and while the Spirit acquisition would have made it more competitive against the country’s other major airlines, it would have hurt its toughest competition, which is Spirit. It would have driven up prices for the country’s largest low-cost airline and would have hurt customers who relied on cheaper travel options.

The Hill

As Contract Talks Falter, Some NetJet Pilots Look To Depart For Other Carriers

KEY POINTS:

• Pilots at NetJets say they are increasingly intent on leaving the carrier due to the low pay. But NetJets says pay rates have not increased because the union won’t accept its mid-contract offer of a 52.5% raise.
• In any case, November saw a breakdown in negotiations between the independent union NetJets Association of Share Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) and the Columbus, Ohio-based provider of private jet flights, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway.
• A just-released survey of pilots, taken for the union, shows that two-thirds of respondents no longer view NetJets as a career destination and 40% expect to leave the company within a year due to the failure of negotiations to produce a better contract. About 500 of the company’s 3,100 pilots were surveyed in September and October by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.
• In 2023, pilots at the three global U.S. airlines all signed new contracts that provided substantial wage and quality of life improvements. Many smaller carriers have faced pilot shortages as American, Delta and United easily recruited new pilots.
• Despite the lure of the major carriers, some pilots long preferred to fly for NetJets, said Captain Paulette Gilbert, the union’s vice president and a 22-year NetJets veteran.
• “We have not been a stepping stone, Gilbert said. “I spent 22 years trying to make NetJets the best it could be, but now even people in my demographic are looking at leaving because NetJets does not offer a competitive contract. You might make 60% less” than the majors pay.

Forbes

2024 Job/Industry Fairs