Air New Zealand optimistic on year ahead after reporting drop in first half profit
Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon says there is reason to be optimistic about the rest of 2016/17 as international capacity growth moderates following a challenging first half where increased competition on long-haul routes led to net profit falling by almost a quarter. The company posted statutory net profit after tax of NZ$256 million
Qantas has reported a decline in first half net profit amid red-hot competition on international routes and a subdued domestic market and announced plans to defer deliveries of Airbus A320neos for Jetstar. The airline group posted net profit after tax of $515 million for the six months to December 31 2016, down 25 per cent
Qantas 787-9s put premium on sleep
Qantas has placed the focus on sleep in the design of its new premium economy seat on the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners scheduled to operate the 17-hour journey from Perth to London. The new seats were unveiled at Qantas’s first half results presentation on Thursday and feature a distinctive adjustable footrest and footnet, an ergonomic
Embraer upbeat on Australia despite Virgin’s E190 withdrawal
Embraer is confident its regional jet lineup will find new homes in Australia when older aircraft need replacing and operators realise the economic benefits of a 100-135 seat aircraft even as Virgin Australia moves to eliminate its E190s. The Brazillian aircraft manufacturer recently appointed a new regional sales manager for Australia and New Zealand and will
Virgin Australia keeping powder dry on Hong Kong details
Virgin Australia plans to lodge its application for a commercial alliance with Chinese shareholder HNA in the coming days with a view to starting nonstop flights to Hong Kong in “mid-2017”. While the airline first raised the prospect of flying to Hong Kong as early as May 2016, there has been little detail about the
Virgin Australia defers Boeing 737 MAX deliveries to 2019
Virgin Australia plans to delay the arrival of the Boeing 737 MAX in its fleet until the end of 2019 and extend leases on its its current 737-800NGs amid subdued market conditions. The decision to postpone first delivery of Boeing’s next generation narrowbody, announced on Friday, means some $350 million of planned capital expenditure related to
