Friday Flyer – July 7, 2023

Last week the biggest story in aviation (at least in my opinion) was the operational issues faced by United.  In what seems to be an excellent response by the CEO, Scott Kirby (ignoring an error in judgment to fly private earlier in the week), we get a better explanation of what happened and some details around how they’re planning to address it in the future.  I was impressed by the response, given what a tough week it was for both travelers and front-line employees.  

Stories from this week:

  • Summer travel can be a recipe for success for airlines as demand booms.  However, it can also be a recipe for disaster as that boom in demand can combine with thunderstorm season, causing operational delays, as seen at United.  American is trying to be more proactive in these situations with a new tool they’ve developed called HEAT.
  • For the Houston-based readers, Hobby Airport is set to get a $450M expansion.  It includes new gates (mostly for Southwest), as well as more baggage claim carousels and bathrooms to handle the higher passenger volumes. (h/t: Brent F.) 
  • I spend a lot of time sharing stories about the US aviation market, but the rest of the world is just as interesting.  Here’s a round-up of the facts and figures for the major European airlines from early 2023.
  • If you’re a fan of Back to the Future or the Jetsons, you know that flying cars should already be here or should be right around the corner.  While it may seem like we’re far away, there are companies trying to make this a reality. (h/t: Alejandro M.)

Interesting Aviation Fact

Since I mentioned the impact of thunderstorms on airline operations, I thought it would be interesting to share some information on airport operations.  This FAQ is from the FAA and has some really interesting data represented to answer common questions.

Cool Aviation Photo

Today’s picture is from my own collection.  I took this at Denver International Airport (DEN) on the way home from the PROS Outperform conference in May.  The haze is from a combination of the smoke in the air and a lingering thunderstorm that caused some issues earlier in the day.  I liked the different colors of the tails, along with the Continental retro livery thrown in there.