Garuda Indonesia said it transported 294,412 passengers across its domestic network in October, up 32% from 222,979 in September.Read More » Revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) rose 28.1% month-on-month. Available seat kilometres (ASK) increased 25.9%. With demand running ahead of capacity, passenger load factor was up half a percentage point at 23%, Garuda said in its monthly traffic report.
There also was a significant improvement at the flag carrier’s subsidiary, Citilink. It flew 432,567 passengers in October, up 42.4% from 303,792 in September. Demand jumped 43.9% and capacity increased 22.3%. Passenger load factor climbed 6.9 percentage points month-on-month, to 46.2%.
Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said today there had been a "vast improvement" in trading conditions in the last month as the easing of domestic travel restrictions had led to a rush on bookings. Qantas and Jetstar domestic demand was expected to reach 68% of pre-COVID-19 levels for December, rising to "nearly" 80% for the three months to March 2021. People were booking several months in advance, which reflected more confidence than “we have seen for some time”, Joyce said in a filing to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
While the domestic market was working its way to somewhere near normal, the company’s international network was expected to remain at a "virtual standstill" until at least June 2021. Even when international flying resumed, it would take years to fully recover, Joyce said. "Overall, the group is still a long way off anything approaching normal," he said.
Korean Air (KAL)president, Woo Kee-hong, told reporters yesterday the carrier would conduct due diligence on takeover target, Asiana Airlines, until March 17, at which time it would unveil a post-merger integration plan, local media reported today. KAL will file applications with antitrust authorities in applicable overseas countries seeking approval for the acquisition by January 14 next year, Woo said.
He expected passenger demand in 2021 to be 65% below pre-COVID-19 levels. Cargo was a bright spot for the company during the pandemic, but KAL’s cargo business would likely be under pressure in 2021 from increased competition, he said.
The Embraer Market Outlook 2020 report, published overnight, has forecast a market for 5,500 new aircraft in the less-than-150-seats category in the next decade from lower demand, traffic patterns favouring short-haul versus long-haul travel and increased pressure from passengers and airlines for connectivity and efficiency. Embraer forecast demand for 4,420 regional jets and 1,080 turboprops. “The short-term impact of the global pandemic has long-term implications for new aircraft demand,” Embraer Commercial Aviation CEO, Arjan Meijer, said. “Our forecast reflects some of the trends we are already seeing - early retirement of older and less efficient aircraft, a preference for more profitable smaller airplanes to match weaker demand and the growing importance of domestic and regional airline networks in the restoration of air service," he said.
Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) has contracted Aircraft Interior Refurbishment España (AIRE) with converting two of its eight A330-300 passenger aircraft for cargo operations. CEB vice president commercial, Alex Reyes, said the converted A330s would allow the LCC to carry more goods more efficiently. "We saw this pandemic as an opportunity to revisit our operations and to improve wherever possible," Reyes said. "Now, more than ever, transport of goods must not be hampered. The A330 reconfiguration will help us address growing demand with a cabin fully dedicated for cargo."
