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Analysis

Spirit and Frontier merger is about the search for high-hanging fruit

Courtney Miller·February 21, 2022

In this TAC Analysis, we look at both the benefits and the risks of the proposed merger between Spirit and Frontier. We look beyond the traditional metrics to the futures of the airlines, both together and separate, as well as how the combination of the two ultra-low-cost airlines changes the competitive landscape for the remaining U.S. carriers.

Crunching 16 years of data to examine Boeing’s proposal to end machinist strike

Jon Ostrower·October 21, 2024

Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber HEAR FROM THE AIR CURRENT Leave this field empty if you're human: Release...

Pilot shortage is the X factor in Boeing’s NMA deliberation

Jon Ostrower·August 22, 2018

The second in a series focusing on Boeing’s road to developing its next all-new commercial airplane. What happens if the...

Widebodies finally join the global airline recovery

Courtney Miller·November 18, 2022

Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber Release DateNovember 18, 2022Widebodies finally join the global airline recoveryPurchase a PDF of...

China’s momentary air travel collapse and rebound

Courtney Miller·February 26, 2021

How China shut down its air travel system for Lunar New Year.

Surging coronavirus infection rates aren’t slowing U.S. air travel rebound, yet

Courtney Miller·June 24, 2020

For the first time in over three months, the Transportation Security Administration screened over 600,000 passengers. Yet, as optimistic as the almost seven-fold increase in traffic from its lows may be, it still requires context that overall numbers remain down more than 77% from the same point in 2019 and now facing a surge in new U.S. COVID-19 cases.

The global aircraft fleet recovery is a tale of trifurcation

Courtney Miller·April 21, 2021

The global airline fleet is not recovering evenly. With global scheduled capacity up over 92% from April 2020, that metric serves better to illustrate just how terrible last April was than how good we find it in 2021. Compared to 2019, the global fleet is producing 53% fewer seat-miles. We’re a long way from where we were before the pandemic.

Breaking the statistical link between COVID-19 cases and air travel demand

Courtney Miller·October 27, 2020

The connection between passenger traffic growth and new infections is mathematically meaningless.

Amazon is building an empire in the sky, but it’s no FedEx or UPS

Courtney Miller·May 5, 2021

UPS and FedEx are built around delivering overnight to anywhere. That's not Amazon's game, but the company is building an empire in the sky.

A Norwegian Air Shuttle 737 Max awaits delivery at Boeing Field in 2017. The airline has adopted an hourly-use lease rate with lessors as it restructures.

Aircraft lessors test charging ailing airlines by the hour

Judson Rollins·March 29, 2021

Today's stopgap power-by-the-hour agreements with ailing airlines test the viability of a future all-inclusive leasing model.

Porter returns as startup to compete with Air Canada, WestJet and itself

Courtney Miller and Howard Slutsken·February 16, 2023

Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber Release DateFebruary 16, 2023Porter returns as startup to compete with Air Canada, WestJet...

The missing ingredients in electric aviation’s economic pie

Courtney Miller·September 23, 2021

Following TAC Analysis’s first examination of the limited market size for these new, sub-20 seat electric aircraft, we turn our attention to the new economics of the segment, charting the divergence between the advertised benefits and a more complete picture of what may be expected. Can the current generation of all-electric aircraft deliver the stunning economics required to resurrect a declining 19-seat market segment?