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Alaska Airlines

The last leg of the U.S. airline recovery is going to be the hardest

Courtney Miller·November 29, 2021

TAC Analysis details its 2022 forecast in two parts, continuing with the obstacles and opportunities facing airlines heading into the new year. The United States traffic doubled in 2021, rebounding as passengers continue to return to the skies, but the remaining recovery will be paced by the airlines’ ability to accept it. Touching 89% of 2019 levels on Thanksgiving weekend, we expect the recovery to stall, ending 2022 still below 100%.

Like it or not, the foundations for single-pilot flying are being laid today

Jon Ostrower·November 21, 2021

A pilot shortage is shaping the debate over single-pilot cockpits, while Airbus CEO grabs aviation’s third rail with both hands.

The journey to green flying is about the diversion, not the destination

Jon Ostrower·November 8, 2021

As it prepares to fly a hybrid-electric demonstrator in 2024, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada says it’s all about designing an aircraft for a bad day.

Climate challenge to aviation sets huge expectations for sustainable fuels

Dan Catchpole and Jon Ostrower·October 5, 2021

Airlines rally new climate targets at IATA’s annual meeting, puts onus largely on sustainable fuel production to meet 2050 carbon neutrality goal.

Three Points: Airbus supplier reintegration, 737 Max grounding grounding, a swift U.S. refleeting

Jon Ostrower·April 27, 2021

Airbus is bringing its biggest aerostructures suppliers home as part of a far-reaching strategy to deeply integrate both its design and supply chain architecture together for future aircraft. A batch of more than 100 recently-delivered Boeing 737 Max aircraft remain grounded following a design change that inadvertently interrupted safe electrical discharge inside areas of the flight deck. And since the start of the pandemic the U.S. has led new aircraft ordering globally by a large margin.

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.

Three Points: Martian first flight, Alaska joins oneworld, saving United 1175

Jon Ostrower·April 2, 2021

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On Dec. 22 Boeing and Alaska Airlines announced a restructured deal for 68 firm 737 Max aircraft.

Alaska maps its 2020s with Boeing and leaves Virgin strategy behind

Jon Ostrower·January 14, 2021

Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber Release DateJanuary 14, 2021Alaska maps its 2020s with Boeing and leaves Virgin strategy...

The Irkut MC-21-310 with Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines made its first flight on Dec. 14, 2020.

Three Points: Russia’s western aerospace uncoupling, the vaccine airlift, U.S. recovery exceeding forecast

Jon Ostrower·December 20, 2020

MC-21-310 first flight with PD-14 engines accelerates Russia's aerospace industry uncoupling with the west. Pratt & Whitney's involvement is "on life support" as U.S.-Russia relations continue to deteriorate. The first approved COVID-19 vaccine is fanning out across the world, kicking off what is possibly the largest humanitarian airlift in the history of aviation. The global effort requires a highly-coordinated logistical and operational dance. The second big wave of COVID-19 cases is causing an expected decline in air travel, but the overall recovery is ahead of forecast.

A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 taxis to the gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in September 2019.

Spike in coronavirus cases reveal signs of stalling U.S. air travel recovery

Courtney Miller·July 2, 2020

The first signs of a slowing recovery in air traffic are beginning to show in the United States just as airlines make their largest capacity increases. Even as screened passenger numbers from the Transportation Security Administration continue their upward trajectory, so do new cases of COVID-19 in states not first hit by the virus. With that growing uncertainty, the spread is showing its first indications of a slowing recovery in the months ahead.

Coronavirus will force airlines to make familiar asks of pilots to stay afloat

Courtney Miller·April 23, 2020

Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber Release DateApril 23, 2020Coronavirus will force airlines to make familiar asks of pilots...

Three Points: U.S.-China tariff fight, 737 Max at two months, WestJet, Onex (& Delta?)

Jon Ostrower·May 13, 2019

Trade War Ping-Pong Diplomacy Before the U.S. stock market opened on Monday, the China’s Ministry of Finance added the latest tit-for-tat escalation...