Qantas : QF : QFA

Qantas Airways has posted an 87% drop in its fiscal full year profits amid what the Australian flag carrier calls the most "volatile and challenging" time for the aviation industry.
Pre-tax profits for the year to 30 June came to A$181 million ($150 million), down 87% from the A$1.4 billion it earned from a year before, says the oneworld alliance carrier. Profits after tax were down 87% as well at A$123 million.
Sales and other income were 7% lower at A$14.55 billion, while expenditure was virtually flat at A$14.35 billion.

Qantas Airways and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (ANZ) hope that an Australian and New Zealand government initiative to streamline travel between the countries will boost passenger traffic.
The two countries say that improvements will be made in the screening and processing of low risk passengers. New Zealand will roll out a 'SmartGate' passenger clearance system and the two countries will launch trials of "direct exit paths for passengers," they add in a joint statement.
"To foster long-term improvements, Australia and New Zealand will explore further streamlining passenger processing through studies on pre-clearing passengers at point of departure and through expanding and integrating SmartGate systems," they say.

Qantas says: "Making it easier to travel between the two countries ...is the only way we can grow the Australia-New Zealand passenger market in the longer-term."

ANZ adds streamlining services "will further assist tourism growth between New Zealand and Australia". "Convenience is such an important motivator for people," it adds.

Qantas has taken delivery of its fourth Airbus A380. Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alan Joyce, said the addition of the aircraft to the fleet would see Qantas A380 services to Los Angeles and London increase from 7
September.
"Our A380 services, which commenced in October 2008, have been incredibly popular with customers and the aircraft has generated extremely positive customer feedback," Mr Joyce said.
"This fourth aircraft will allow us to increase Sydney-Singapore-London A380 services from three to five per week, and Sydney-Los Angeles services from three to four per week.
"Our fifth and sixth A380s are also due for delivery by the end of the year, after which we will offer customers daily A380 services to London and Los Angeles from Sydney and increase Melbourne-Los Angeles services from two to three per week.

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MELBOURNE, Sept 9, 2009 (AFP)

Australian flag carrier Qantas said Wednesday it was considering selling its stake in Fiji's Air Pacific as it moves to fly its budget offshoot Jetstar to the Pacific island nation.

2009 AFP

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La livraison récente d'un quatrième Airbus A380 le 7 septembre 2009 a permis à Qantas d'augmenter ses vols Sydney-Singapour-Londres de trois à cinq fréquences par semaine et de passer de trois à quatre vols hebdomadaires sur sa route Sydney-Los Angeles.

Qantas a commandé 20 A380 auprès d'Airbus ( la plus importante après celle d'Emirates) . Ces commandes devraient être finalisées d'ici 2014.

Les 5ème et 6ème A380s arriveront d'ici la fin de l'année et seront opérés sur les itinéraires Sydney-Londres et de Sydney-los Angeles, qui deviendront quotidiens.
La fréquence du vol Melbourne-los Angeles augmentera de deux à trois vols par semaine.

«Nos clients recherchent cet avion. Nos études indiquent que nous avons d'excellents résultats en terme de performances de l'avion et nos passagers sont extrêmement satisfaits de ce produit. Nous n'avons avant jamais vu d'aussi bons résultats auparavant» nous a confié Allan Joyce, le président de Qantas.

Il affirme que les passagers sont satisfaits dans toutes les classes, « particulièrement en première classe et classe d'affaires ».

L'année prochaine, Qantas prendra la livraison de trois superjumbo, aux voyageurs de la route Melbourne-Hong Kong-Londres d'apprécier ce nouvel avion.
Actuellement, un Boeing B747 est opéré sur cet itinéraire.

A la question de savoir si Qantas prévoyait de changer le départ du vol du début de la matinée depuis Hong Kong vers Londres à un vol de fin de nuit ( ce qui permettrait à plus d'hommes d'affaires de travailler un jour complet ), Joyce a expliqué qu'il y avait encore des problèmes de créneaux horaires à résoudre à l'aéroport de Londres Heathrow.
Cependant, il n'a pas éliminé l'idée d'un second vol quotidien en affirmant : « nous souhaiterions être plus présent sur le marché de Hong Kong à l'avenir. »

Qantas dismissed rumors out of London that it is interested in restarting merger talks with British Airways, stating yesterday that "consolidation is not on the carrier's agenda."
The denial from QF CFO Colin Storrie came at an investor conference in Sydney, where the airline recommitted to its 2010 and 2011 capital expenditure program for 42 aircraft worth A$4.4 billion ($4.05 million). Late last year Qantas and BA discussed a merger at length, but the talks were abandoned in December [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
Over the next two years the airline group will take delivery of eight 450-seat A380s, three A330s, nine 737-800s and six Q400 regional aircraft, while its Jetstar Airways subsidiary will get 17 more 180-seat A320s. In the longer term, QF has firm commitments for a further 92 aircraft, including 50 787s. The Dreamliner is due to make its first flight on Dec. 22.
Last spring, Qantas cut capacity and staff, grounded aircraft and cancelled orders for 15 787s [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], measures that CEO Alan Joyce said no longer are necessary. It also launched a A$1.5 billion cost-cutting program over the next three years, along with its "Airport of the Future" designed to handle more passengers without major terminal expansion [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
Next month it will reveal a reconfiguration of its A380s and 747s to eliminate first class on more routes, decrease the number of business class seats and increase capacity in premium economy and economy cabins. QF's A380s and some of its 747s have the lowest seat count--450 and 305 respectively--in the industry because of the heavy focus by previous management on premium travel.
Despite the reductions, Joyce told ATWOnline this month that he is confident "premium travel will return" and is "upbeat on the recovery" witnessed on domestic routes.

Qantas said it will post a pre-tax profit of A$50-A$150 million ($44.5-$133.5 million) for the fiscal first half ending Dec. 31. The company reported a A$216 million net profit in the year-ago period but suffered a pre-tax loss of A$107 million in the six months ended June 30. "Operating conditions have improved when compared to the second half of 2008-09, with passenger volumes and yield improving," QF said yesterday. Yields during the July-November period were down 8.9% on domestic flights and 23.2% internationally, but it said those numbers are improving.
In November the group reported a 9.7% lift in passengers to 3.4 million and a 3.2% increase in RPKs to 8.28 billion. Capacity fell 2% to 10.07 billion ASKs, lifting load factor 4 points to 82.3%. However, numbers on higher-yield mainline flights are falling. November passenger traffic on Qantas International dropped 22.6% year-over-year while Jetstar International traffic leapt 129.8% to 335,000 passengers. QF did not forecast a full-year result, citing "the uncertain economic outlook, industry capacity, passenger demand and volatile fuel prices and exchange rates." It said Sunday it plans to add more than 340,000 seats over the 12 months from March 29 "as a result of improving demand." It will add 19 mainline return flights across six domestic routes and replace 737s on certain frequencies with 767s.

Qantas vient de recevoir son cinquième A380 et le sixième devrait suivre dans les prochains jours. La compagnie australienne a donc annoncé le lancement d’une nouvelle liaison réalisée par le Super Jumbo le 22 décembre : Melbourne – Londres.

Rendue possible grâce à la livraison des deux appareils, elle sera réalisée une à deux fois par semaine à partir du 18 janvier. Chaque vol comptera une escale à Singapour.

A partir du 29 mars, la liaison en A380 deviendra plus régulière et bihebdomadaire. A cette date, quatre routes seront exploitées par le Super Jumbo d’Airbus : depuis Sydney et Melbourne vers Londres et Los Angeles.

Parallèlement, Qantas a annoncé que la demande commençait enfin à s’améliorer sur ses liaisons domestiques. A partir du 29 mars, elle réintroduira donc des capacités sur plusieurs routes, principalement au départ de Brisbane.

Australia's Jetstar has picked Singapore as its key air hub in Asia, basing its largest number of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] A320s in the region at the island's Changi Airport and commiting itself to introducing long-haul services using Airbus A330s.

Jetstar, which has a Singapore-based associate Jetstar Asia, says that it will increase flight frequencies to existing destinations and offer new services out of Singapore under a three-year agreement with the Changi Airport Group.
"We're committed to growth in Asia and in Singapore," says Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan. "We're able to grow the business aggressively, and can start to evaluate more opportunities."

He adds that Singapore is of "high strategic importance to Jetstar and equally of great importance to the Qantas Group". "We want to make sure our competitive situation in this region remains strong and we grow out of here".

Changi says that it is committed to helping Jetstar grow and keep its costs low by offering it various incentives under its "Growth Initiative".
"By hubbing at Changi, Jetstar will gain from inter-lining opportunities with the many airlines that fly here, including its parent, Qantas, which already uses Chanhi as an Asia hub," says Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of the Changi Airport Group.

Jetstar h/as eight A320s based in Singapore with Jetstar Asia and has another four aircraft serving the country from Australia. It will add another two in June, and says that it will continue to build the fleet over the coming year. The carrier is due to receive six A330s over the next three years, including three in the last quarter of 2010, but Buchanan declines to say when the first will be based in Singapore. "It all depends on when we get the rights to begin the long-haul flight," he adds. "We're keen on a few services but we must wait to get approval."

SYDNEY, 1 fév 2010 (AFP)La compagnie nationale australienne Qantas envisage de réduire aux deux tiers le nombre de siège en première classe dans ses appareils dans le cadre d'une retructuration de 350 millions de dollars US de sa flotte long courrier, a rapporté lundi la presse.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] is trying to nudge [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and Rolls-Royce to provide a winglet modification for the flag-carrier's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-300ER fleet, although the relatively small size of its fleet could prove an obstacle.
The airline's fleet of 21 aircraft - of which 13 are in long-haul configuration - are fitted with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, in contrast to the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and General Electric powerplants fitted to almost all other 767s.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh, speaking to ATI at an event in London, said that the airline was "gently pushing" both the airframer and the engine manufacturer for the upgrade.
While there is a supplemental type certificate for winglets on the P&W- and GE-powered 767, the RB211 engines generate a different wing loading, says Walsh.
He wants Boeing to pay for the development, although he says he "understands" that the manufacturer could be reluctant to fund a programme for a limited number of aircraft.
He says that BA's fleet is relatively young, at about 13-14 years, and the 767s could provide at least another six years' service to the carrier.
Winglets would provide a substantial fuel saving, he says, and create a case for retaining the aircraft in the fleet to give BA additional flexibility even as it introduces its intended 767 replacement, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
"Clearly the sooner it's done, the better," he says. "If this [modification] had been available two years ago, we would have done it then."
Qantas operates seven RB211-powered 767s, but the carrier took the twin-jets from the BA fleet. China Eastern Airlines also has a handful of 767s with Rolls-Royce engines

Qantas Airways will embark on a A$400 million ($359 million) revamp of its fleet, including removing first class seats from nine existing Boeing 747-400s and taking delivery of eight Airbus A380s without first class seats.
This move is being made in response to changing worldwide "travel trends", especially in the wake of the economic downturn that began in 2008, says Australia's flag carrier. It is also a commitment to retaining the Oneworld alliance member as a premium airline, adds Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.

"While some travel markets are recovering from the economic crisis, our assessment of longer-term travel trends, which pre-dates the economic crisis, shows that international premium travel demand is changing," says Joyce.
"Just as Qantas was quick to respond to the downturn, we are now ensuring that we are best placed to take advantage of the recovery and continue to invest in fleet, product and service."

Under the changes, nine 747-400s will be upgraded and fitted with the newer seats that are available on the carrier's A380 fleet. The first class cabins will be removed and business seats installed in their place. This three-class configuration will offer 359 seats, an increase of 52 overall. This includes 58 business seats, 36 premium economy and 265 economy seats. A new Panasonic on-demand in-flight entertainment system will also be installed in all classes.
This will "add the equivalent capacity of more than three 747-400s, ensuring we can support future growth while reducing the need to purchase additional aircraft", says Qantas. The carrier operates 22 747-400s and it expects the nine that will be refurbished to be in service until 2020.

Within Qantas' A380 fleet, the six that are already in service and six more that are due for delivery up till mid-2011 will continue to fly with a four class configuration. However, these will be refitted to reduce business seating and increase premium economy and economy seating.
The remaining eight A380s that are on order and due to be delivered from 2012 will come in a three-class configuration with no first class cabins. The A380 seat numbers will be confirmed after discussions with Airbus and suppliers, says Qantas.

"The split A380 fleet will give Qantas greater flexibility to schedule the right aircraft, and the right configuration, on the right route, based on market demand," says the carrier.

First class seats will remain on main routes such as those from Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles and London, it adds. The increased seat density on the aircraft will help increase revenues, says the carrier.
The upgrade and reconfiguration programme will begin at the end of 2011 and will be completed by the end of 2013, says Qantas.
"These changes will ensure we remain competitive in terms of aircraft configuration, product and service and that we are better able to ensure capacity is more closely aligned with demand," says Joyce.

Qantas Airways reported a 72 percent slide in first-half net profit and paid no dividends as it was forced to cut fares to fill its planes.
The airline, which survived the airline industry's worst downturn better than some peers such as Singapore Airlines, said on Thursday there were signs of a recovery evident by the end of the second quarter.
Net profit fell to AUD$58 million (USD$52 million) for the six months to December from AUD$210 million a year earlier.
Underlying profit before tax rose to AUD$267 million, compared with the company's forecast of between AUD$50 million and AUD$150 million.

(Reuters)