Aviation Industry Updates: December 28, 2021

5,000+ Flights Canceled On Christmas Weekend | How Will This Positively Impact Hiring?

• More than 1,200 US flights were canceled and more than 5,000 were delayed Sunday, according to FlightAware. Globally, there were over 2,000 cancellations. Delta and JetBlue each saw over 100 cancellations Sunday.

• Globally, airlines canceled more than 6,000 flights on Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after Christmas, according to FlightAware. That includes about 1,700 flights within, into or out of the United States.

• Operational snags at airlines are coming as millions are still flying in spite of rising coronavirus cases. The TSA says it screened 2.19 million passengers at airports across the country on Thursday, the highest figure since the uptick in holiday travel started a week ago.

• "The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation," said a United memo obtained by CNN.

• Delta said the cancellations are due to multiple issues including the Omicron variant.

CNN

Transatlantic Narrowbodies | 13 Carriers Plan Europe-US & Canada Flights Next Summer

KEY POINTS:

• December 22nd, SAS’ first long-haul route using the A321LR pushed back, some 47 minutes later than scheduled. While just a one-off service, the carrier will deploy the type fully next summer. SAS will be one of 13 narrowbody operators across the North Atlantic, although only the seventh-largest. United will have more flights than any other operator.

• Some 13 airlines will deploy narrowbodies between the US/Canada and Europe next summer. They include Iceland’s PLAY, which has revealed Baltimore and Boston as its first US destinations. They’ll be served using A321neos, with more capacity and lower-seat mile costs than the new entrant’s other aircraft.

• The 13 airlines will have over 27,000 round-trip flights, analyzing OAG schedules reveals. That’s 35% higher than in summer 2019, primarily because of more flights by United, Air Transat, Aer Lingus, TAP, and JetBlue, among others.

• SAS is due to have three-quarters of the non-stop flights from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to the US, followed by Finnair, Delta, and United. If United is added, Star Alliance has 81% of movements, OAG indicates. Things will change when Norse Atlantic, which took delivery of its first B787 earlier this week, begins flying from Oslo to the US next year.

Simple Flying

UPS Orders 19 More Boeing 767 Freighters

KEY POINTS:

• UPS has placed an order for 19 new Boeing 767 Freighters as the continuing surge in global air cargo demand shows no sign of slowing, the manufacturer said Tuesday. The deal adds to Boeing’s record-breaking year for freighter sales, which included firm orders for 80 new widebody cargo airplanes and orders for more than 80 Boeing Converted Freighters.

• UPS plans to take delivery of the latest batch of new freighters between 2023 and 2025, by which time projections show that the air cargo business will have grown by an average of 4 percent a year.

• “The Boeing 767 is the most versatile aircraft we operate,” said UPS U.S. operations president Nando Cesarone. "Our plan to purchase 19 aircraft and take delivery between 2023 and 2025 aligns with the strategy and capital expenditure forecast shared during our June 2021 Investor and Analyst Day. It also supports our sustainability efforts by making our fleet more efficient and improving reliability.”

• Based on the 767-300ER passenger jet, the 767 Freighter carries up to 52.4 tonnes of revenue cargo with intercontinental range, serving as what Boeing calls a flexible platform for long-haul, regional, and feeder markets. UPS became the launch customer for the 767 Freighter in 1995 and since then has ordered a total of 91 of the aircraft.

• Boeing's 2021 Commercial Market Outlook forecasts an annual increase of 4 percent in freight tonne kilometers over the next 20 years and a 70 percent growth in the global freighter fleet by 2040.

AIN Online

Sun Country Pilots Get New Contract

KEY POINTS:

• Sun Country Airlines pilots on Tuesday approved a new contract that gives them a significant pay increase and an improved scheduling model for the airline's future growth.

• Of the 361 eligible voters, 331 voted in favor of the agreement reached earlier this month by its union, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), and the Twin Cities-based carrier.

• Besides raises of 35% to 45% on average in the first year, the pilots will get some improvements to work rules. The airline got some leverage to recruit pilots.

• The pay range on average for a 737 captain will be $190,000 to $264,000 per year based on seniority versus $120,000 to $230,000 under the old contract, Outlaw said. For a first officer, it will be $78,000 to $173,000. Under the previous contract, that range was $52,000 to $140,000. The contract includes incremental raises.

• By the fourth year of the contract for the most senior captains, the pay rates are above Delta Air Lines' rates for 737s, Outlaw said. Sun Country only flies Boeing 737s for its commercial, cargo and charter flights.

Star Tribune

Weekly TSA Numbers

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