While airlines continue to wrestle with ways to create happy customers, the latest North America Airline Satisfaction Study suggests that it may be easier to achieve than they think.听听

According to the latest annual survey, released on May 8, 2024, airlines that performed best were those with friendly staff who are simply nice to their passengers.  

Against the backdrop of crowded airports, expensive fares and annoying fellow travelers the study found that carriers making big investments in staff training and trying to improve the overall flight experience were the ones with the happiest flyers.  

鈥淭here are many aspects to the overall air travel experience that airlines cannot control, but one area in which they can profoundly influence is the positive effect that airline staff has on passengers The big takeaway from this year精东影业 study is the power of people to positively influence the overall flight experience,鈥� Michael Taylor, Senior Managing Director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, said. 

Taylor added: 鈥淎irlines that are investing in staff training and recruitment are finding ways to overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by being nice to their customers.鈥� 

The study also discovered that the two biggest factors driving overall airline customer satisfaction are ease of travel and trust and while the cost of a ticket was important a seamless journey was more of a priority.  

The top performing airlines were also those that made substantial investments in the people side of their business and the level of trust passengers have in their carrier is correlated to media coverage about that airline.听

Study results

The two big winners for customer satisfaction in this year精东影业 JD Power study were Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines with Air Canada and Frontier Airlines performing worst.  

For customer satisfaction in the first and business segment, Delta received a score of 743 out of 1,000 and JetBlue Airways (736) ranked second. 

Delta was top for a second year running in the premium economy segment with a score of 716. Alaska Airlines (687) ranked second and American Airlines (684) in third place. 

In the economy segment Southwest claimed first place with a score of 716, while Delta (651) came second and Allegiant Air (633) third. 

The study, fielded from March 2023 through March 2024, was based on 9,582 passengers that had flown on a major North America airline within the preceding month. 

Passengers were asked to use a poor-to-perfect six-point rating scale and rate the carriers on airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, level of trust, on-board experience, pre/post-flight experience and value for price paid.听 听

Full results听of study

First and business segment:听听

• Delta: 743
• JetBlue: 736
• United: 698
• Alaska: 695
• American: 676
• Air Canada: 629

Premium economy segment:听

• Delta: 716听听
• Alaska: 687听听
• American: 684听听
• JetBlue: 667听听
• WestJet: 664听
• United: 641听
• Air Canada: 628听

Economy segment:听听

• Southwest: 685听
• Delta: 651听
• Allegiant Air: 633听
• Alaska: 630听
• JetBlue: 630听
• American: 611听
• WestJet: 591听
• United: 585听
• Air Canada: 542听
• Spirit Airlines: 507听
• Frontier: 472听

Exploring the use of robotics and automation to enhance airport ground handling

• Aviation Technology and Innovation

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-07-06

The Canadian airline, described as a 鈥渄isrupter鈥� to the aviation industry, said it had seen extremely positive results since it introduced the Embraer E195-E2 in 2023.听听

Porter already has an existing order for E195-E2s, so the total order now stands at 75 jets, with an option for 25 more further down the line.  

The deal is valued at $2.1 billion and deliveries from this additional order are set to start in 2025.  

Porter has already taken delivery of 24 E195-E2s, and recently announced new flights to Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles with Mexico and the Caribbean also planned for the future.   

鈥淎t Porter, we entered a new era when we began operating the E195-E2 earlier this year. The jet is exceeding our expectations, especially in terms of fuel use, and delivering an incredible level of customer satisfaction to our passengers with a quiet, comfortable ride. These additional 25 orders enable us to continue extending our reach throughout North America, with more exciting new destinations,鈥� Michael Deluce, president and CEO, Porter Airlines said. 

The aircraft are currently deployed from Eastern Canada across the country, with a focus on Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW).  

Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Montr茅al-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) are also seeing new services with the E195-E2. 

Porter has chosen to configure the 146-seat aircraft in a comfortable 132-seat all-economy configuration. 

鈥淧orter Airlines is an exciting disrupter delivering an elevated passenger experience that精东影业 shaking up the North American market. Choosing the E2 to deliver an upgraded service is a huge endorsement of the jet精东影业 comfort and capabilities, and a further endorsement of the E2 – the world精东影业 quietest and most fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft,鈥� Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said. 

Porter also recently announced it will partner with Air Transat to integrate their respective route networks more effectively.听 听听

The move represents an extension of a partnership that has been in place since October 2022, and sees the two Canadian carriers code-sharing on a number of routes.听 听

Air Transat and Porter Airlines form joint venture to compete for Canadian market听

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2023-11-28

To help them in their quest, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will use some of its assets to track down Santa on Christmas Eve. The organization took on this special duty back in 1955.

According to legend, a child was trying to reach Santa精东影业 hotline, created by the chain of department stores Sears, misdialed the number and instead called Colonel Harry Shoup, on duty that night at the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). NORAD鈥橲 predecessor, CONAD was founded in 1954 during the Cold War, tasked with continuously monitoring US airspace for any air or space attack. Shoup, who became known as the Santa Colonel, saw an opportunity to bring public recognition to their year-round mission.

Just before Christmas 1955, a press release was sent to the Associated Press, stating: 鈥淐ONAD, Army, Navy, and Marine Air Forces will continue to track and guard Santa and his sleigh on his trip to and from the US against possible attack from those who do not believe in Christmas.鈥�

From that moment, a special hotline was created for children eager to know if the gift delivery is going well. In 1958, when NORAD took over as a bi-national organization in charge of defending both the US and Canada, it inherited the seasonal duty now called 鈥淣ORAD Tracks Santa.鈥�

Years went by, and innovations made Santa increasingly trackable, overcoming some of his sleigh精东影业 stealth properties. According to NORAD, defense satellites equipped with infrared sensors can track the heat signature of Rudolf精东影业 nose with pinpoint accuracy. To ensure Santa succeeds in distributing his gifts to Northern American children, NORAD scrambles two F/A-18 fighters to provide him with an escort.

For the 67th year now, NORAD is gearing up to carry out its unique duty. From December 24, 2022, children 鈥� and adults 鈥� will be able to access a special website () to know Santa精东影业 whereabouts through an interactive map, or by calling NORAD精东影业 hotline.

The website is available to trackers from around the world, in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.

“This expanded order for the A220, built up the road from our Montreal headquarters, is an important development in the modernization of our fleet and a clear indication that we are emerging from the pandemic solidly positioned for the future,鈥� announced Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada (ADH2), in a statement on October 26, 2022.  

Air Canada (ADH2) first made an initial order for the A220 in 2016, back when it was known as the Bombardier C Series. The deal was comprised of a firm order for 45 aircraft and 30 options.  

The Canadian flag carrier currently operates 31 A220s, with two more due to arrive before the end of 2022. A further six aircraft will be delivered in each of 2024 and 2025.  

The 15 aircraft from the exercised options are due to be delivered in 2026. 

All of Air Canada (ADH2)’s A220s are built in Mirabel, the Montreal-based airline highlighted in the statement. 

Air Canada unveils expanded international network for summer 2023

• Airlines

byVictoria Bryan

2022-10-14

Like other airlines, Air Canada (ADH2) has been forced to cut back on its planned flying this summer after it became apparent that the aviation industry was unable to cope with the huge bounce-back in demand for travel following the COVID-19 pandemic.  

鈥淎ir Canada (ADH2) continues to work with its partners to address the issues disrupting the air transport ecosystem in Canada,鈥� the flag carrier said in an update on August 17, 2022. 鈥淓vidence of the success of these joint efforts is a marked decrease in delays and cancellations for airlines, contributing to increased overall stability in Air Canada (ADH2)’s operations.鈥�  

Air Canada CEO says disruptions 鈥榰navoidable鈥� as airline trims summer schedule

• Airlines

byMichael Jonga

2022-06-30

The airline said there was a 77% reduction in the number of canceled flights during the week of August 8, 2022 compared with the week of June 27, 2022. In addition, there was a 48% reduction in flights experiencing a delay of more than one hour. 

Flight delays overall are reducing, the carrier added. The average arrival delay during the week of June 27 was 28 minutes longer than the same week in 2019, but as of the week of August 8, this had improved to 12 minutes.   

The carrier said the biggest improvement was in baggage handling.  In the week of June 27, 2022, mishandling rates were 2.5 times what they were in 2019. By the week of August 8, 2022, the airline, which handles more than 650,000 bags per week, said it was back to a baggage handling success rate of 98%, similar to 2019 levels.  

“At Air Canada (ADH2), we know how much our customers value travel and their reliance on us to transport them safely, comfortably and without disruption,鈥� Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive of Air Canada (ADH2), said in the update. 鈥淭his is always our goal and we share with them their disappointment that, coming out of the pandemic, the global industry faltered due to the unprecedented challenges of restarting after a two-year, virtual shutdown.鈥� 

Rousseau said there was more to be done: 鈥淲hile I am very satisfied with the progress to date, and I thank our employees for their unrelenting efforts, we all continue to work hard on behalf of our customers to complete our recovery.” 

Overall, Air Canada (ADH2) said it expects to fly 79% of its pre-pandemic capacity in summer 2022. 

For the period June 27 to August 14, Air Canada (ADH2), which operates nearly 1,100 flights a day on average, carried approximately 6.4 million customers, It currently has approximately 34,000 employees compared to 34,700 prior to the pandemic, but is continuing to hire new employees.  

The agreement includes three firm orders and one option for the medium widebody freighter.

Saltchuk Aviation placed its first order with Boeing for four firm 767-300BCF in early 2021. The first 767-300BCF was delivered in early July 2022.

“We continue to see long-term air cargo trends that support fleet growth in the markets served by our three air cargo brands, and are excited to expand our partnership with Boeing,鈥� President and CEO of Saltchuk Aviation Betsy Seaton said in a dated July 21, 2022. 

Seaton added:鈥淐onverting these 767-300ER will bring highly-reliable capacity to our network, and backed by Boeing精东影业 OEM expertise, we expect these freighters to operate in our fleet for the next 15-20 years.鈥�

鈥淲e are honored that Saltchuk Aviation has again selected the highly-versatile 767-300BCF as its freighter of choice to unlock global air cargo opportunities,鈥� Kate Schaefer, vice president of Boeing’s commercial modifications, engineering & specialty products business said.

鈥淲ith our OEM advantage, we are committed to providing Saltchuk Aviation with the capacity it needs for growth now, and supporting their Boeing Converted Freighter fleet well into the future,鈥� Schaefer concluded.

Seattle-based Saltchuk Aviation is a family of transportation and distribution companies specializing in industry-related services. The company is known for their three cargo operating brands: Aloha Air Cargo, Northern Air Cargo and StratAir. Its main region of services are to Hawaii and Alaska, and various destinations throughout North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

Since 2016, Saltchuk Aviation精东影业 carriers have operated B767 converted freighters in their respective fleets alongside B737 freighters.

Boeing adds another 767-300BCF conversion line amid growing freighter demand

• Air Cargo

byVictoria Bryan

2022-02-15

 

IATA now expects the industry to deliver financial losses of $9.7 billion in 2022, an improvement from its previous forecast for a loss of $11.6 billion. Passenger numbers are expected to reach 83% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, driven by strong pent-up demand and lifting of travel restrictions.  

Airline industry losses totaled $42.1 billion in 2021, down from earlier estimates of $52 billion, and $137.7 billion in 2020 when the pandemic effectively grounded airlines worldwide.  

The industry may even return to profitability overall in 2023, IATA predicted in its latest industry outlook, which it gave on June 20, 2022, during its annual meeting, being held this year in Doha, Qatar.  

鈥淎irlines are resilient. People are flying in ever greater numbers. And cargo is performing well against a backdrop of growing economic uncertainty,鈥� IATA Director General Willie Walsh commented in a statement. 鈥淟osses will be cut to $9.7 billion this year and profitability is on the horizon for 2023. It is a time for optimism, even if there are still challenges on costs, particularly fuel, and some lingering restrictions in a few key markets.鈥� 

IATA predicts North America will be the only region returning to profitability this year, supported by the large US domestic market. While the war in Ukraine is disrupting travel patterns in Europe, it is not expected to derail the recovery in that region.  

Credit: IATA

In his speech at the meeting in Doha, Walsh also noted current economic challenges, such as rising inflation and energy costs.  

鈥淭here is no way to sugar coat the bitter economic and political realities we face. But the desire to travel and the necessity of moving goods are both solid,鈥� he declared. 

The news came days after a near-miss at Mexico City精东影业 Benito Juarez Airport (MEX) when a Volaris Airbus A320 had to perform a last-minute go-around to avoid landing on an aircraft that was lining up on runway 5L.   

Aviation safety in the country has come under scrutiny after Mexico opened a new airport in the capital, with global pilots鈥� association IFALPA issuing a safety bulletin on May 4 for MEX. 

With MEX over capacity, Mexico decided to utilize the Santalucia military airbase to the northeast of Mexico City and convert it to a mixed-use airport. That hub, Felipe Angeles Airport (NULU), opened on March 21, 2022.  

However, IFALPA said it had been made aware of 鈥渟everal incidents鈥� since the new airport opened. The pilots鈥� association cited aircraft arriving at MEX with low fuel due to unplanned holding, excessive delays and also alerts from ground proximity warning systems, where one crew almost hit terrain.  

鈥淚t would appear that with the opening of this newly converted airport, ATC has apparently received little training and support as to how to operate this new configuration in the airspace,鈥� IFALPA commented in .  

In the latest incident, Volaris flight VOI 799, from Mazatl谩n, registration XA-VRV, was cleared to land on runway 5L on May 7, 2022. However, Volaris Costa Rica flight VOC 4069, also an Airbus A320 with registration N545VL, had been cleared to line up on runway 5L to take off for its flight to Guatemala City (GUA). 

Disaster was averted by another crew warning the Volaris aircraft on approach that the runway was occupied. Video of the incident shows the A320 performing a go-around at low altitude.  

The head of the country精东影业 air traffic service SENEAM, V铆ctor Hern谩ndez Sandoval, has resigned following the incident and Mexico精东影业 transport ministry has into the incident.  

The transport ministry has also set up a group with various aviation bodies, including IATA, IFALPA and unions representing pilots and air traffic controllers to improve safety in Mexican airspace.  

Meanwhile, the Mexican government said in a statement on May 10, 2022 that it wanted to schedule more than 100 daily flights at NLU, with the first stage of the process to start from August 2022. Charter and some cargo flights will also be moved to NLU immediately, according to the statement, which was reported by Reuters. 

In addition, no new flights will be authorized to MEX and slots will not be increased beyond those already planned for the summer 2022 season.  

A roadmap to the Mexican aviation market

• Aviation in North America

byVyte Klisauskaite

2022-04-15

This article was originally published on March 11, 2022.听

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mexico精东影业 aviation market had been growing steadily despite many challenges.听听

听

Interjet has cash for one day of fuel, investors uncertain

• Civil Aviation

byValius Venckunas

2020-11-04

Without Interjet, Mexico currently has seven notable passenger carriers.听听

听

US court approves Aeromexico restructuring plan

• Aviation Economics & Finance

byVyte Klisauskaite

2022-01-30

2021 seemed to be a year of recovery for Aeromexico, not only because the airline was on its way to a financial restructuring but also because it increased its aircraft fleet, narrowed its net loss, and carried more passengers than in 2020.听听

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