May 12 – This Week in Aviation: Demand Predictions, AI Integration, and Big Orders
Happy Friday everyone!
Another week has flown by in the world of aviation, and it’s been brimming with captivating stories. A particularly noteworthy one discusses the unpredictability of current demand patterns and the challenges this presents for forecasting passenger demand in revenue management systems. Let’s delve into some of the other major stories from this week:
Starting with Emirates, who has been making headlines for several reasons. First, they announced record profitability with a whopping $2.9B profit, quite the turnaround from a few years back. Cashing in on this success, Emirates announced an impressive profit-sharing payout for their employees. Lastly, they are taking a bold step towards eliminating paper-based boarding passes completely.
On the home front, the Biden Administration outlined proposed new rules to improve consumer protections for air travelers, echoing the EU261 rules safeguarding delayed and cancelled flights. Now it remains to be seen whether this initiative will receive bi-partisan support in Congress.
In the realm of technology, the use of AI is gaining momentum in various aspects of airline operations. This insightful article discusses how airlines are leveraging AI to enhance their systems and services.
Air New Zealand shared some positive news this week. They have retrieved their last Boeing B777 from storage, signifying a return to pre-pandemic levels – a promising sign given New Zealand’s previously stringent restrictions. Furthermore, they’ve announced the introduction of the “SkyNest,” a set of six bunk beds available to Economy and Premium Economy passengers, indicating their commitment to innovation for economy passengers.
Moving to Australia, Virgin Australia reported that their 737MAX deliveries have been delayed. As a result, they’ll use a B737-800 for their Japanese flights, marking a long journey for this aircraft).
The aircraft order scenario has been bustling this week with RyanAir and Turkish placing sizable orders. This influx of orders presents a significant challenge for Airbus and Boeing, as demand for planes currently outstrips supply in the industry.
In the realm of supersonic jets, this article shares some grand ideas for the future. It’s certainly worth watching whether these ideas will take flight.
To conclude this week, an obscure Canadian North B737-200 that’s specially designed to land on gravel runways is retiring after 43 years of service. This fascinating article shares some rich history about this aircraft.
This week’s interesting aviation fact arises from the question, how do airplanes steer while on the ground? This article unravels the answer.
That wraps up this week’s aviation update. Wishing you all a splendid weekend!
Justin