The struggling smaller European low cost carriers, Part 2.

Subscription Required By Vincent Valery Sep. 9, 2019, © Leeham News: In last week’s article, we discussed the context that led to the creation of numerous European low cost and leisure carriers. We also outlined the main reasons for… Read More

Shakeout for Europe’s low-cost airlines

By Bjorn Fehrm October 11, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: Alitalia, Air Berlin and now Monarch have all filed for insolvency since the start of 2017. These are all airlines with an emphasis on low cost flying, with an important… Read More

Air Berlin files for bankruptcy

By Bjorn Fehrm August 16, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: Air Berlin, Germany’s second largest airline, with 85 destinations, 8,000 employees and 72 aircraft, filed for bankruptcy yesterday. We wrote about Air Berlin’s problems in October last year and we’ve… Read More

Etihad Airways: where to now?

By Bjorn Fehrm May 24, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: Etihad Airways appointed a new interim group CEO and CFO on 8th of May. The strategy of James Hogan, Etihad CEO since 2006, to grow the airline through partner alliances,… Read More

2017, a tougher year for European airlines?

By Bjorn Fehrm January 5, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: The last two years have seen increased profits for the airline industry. Lower priced fuel gave the industry time to breath and to finally earn a reasonable Return on Invested… Read More

Air Berlin, Europe’s ninth carrier, announces serious makeover

By Bjorn Fehrm October 06, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: Air Berlin, Germany’s second airline and Europe’s ninth largest carrier by passengers carried, announced that it will wet-lease 40 aircraft to Lufthansa together with many European routes, concentrate all tourist… Read More

UBS raises single-aisle production gap concern in lower oil price analysis

Dec. 17, 2014: There is a production gap for single-aisle Airbus and Boeing airplanes that could be exacerbated by the current dramatic drop in oil prices, writes the aerospace analyst for the investment bank UBS in a research… Read More

“Optimizing” bad news

You have to hand it to the public relations staff for some real chutzpah. Air Berlin has been struggling for years, over-ordering aircraft and canceling some of them (Boeing 787s among them). Today the airline deferred Airbus and… Read More