This week we saw airlines taking additional cuts to their fall and winter schedules to right-size for the staffing shortages they are still going to be facing. American, Frontier, and United all made sizable cuts this week. See below for the details.

This week Air Canada, Allegiant, and JetBlue will report their Q2 2022 earnings. See below for links and for transcripts of all prior earnings calls held this quarter.

If you would like a summary of the quarter's airline earnings, please reach out to Marietta.Landon@ailevonpacific.com for more information.

We created a fun new award to celebrate the creativity behind new route announcements and inaugurals called Balloons of the Week! This week's award goes to Eric Frankl and his team at Lexington Blue Grass Airport!

Capacity Update

Alaska cancelled PDX to TPA in November. Service has been suspended since April 17, 2022.

American cancelled 19 domestic markets in October and two domestic markets in November. These reductions brought down American's domestic capacity 4 points week over week to 92% of 2019 levels. They also cancelled Hermosillo (HMO) to DFW in October and November. To see the complete list of cancels, click here.

Avelo announced seven new routes this week: Kalamazoo (AZO) to MCO; Wilmington, NC (ILM) to FLL; Newport News (PHF) to FLL and MCO; Lansing (LAN) to MCO; Lexington, KY (LEX) to MCO and TPA. Congrats to our friends at LEX and ILM on the new service!

Delta announced and filed new service between LAX and MIA starting December 17. They also announced exciting international routes: LAX to Tahiti (PPT); and ATL to Cape Town (CPT) and Tel Aviv (TLV). Late September through early January they are creating four tag Essential Air Service (EAS) routes in MI, WI, and MN. The routes are: Alpena (APN) to Sault Ste Marie (CIU); Bemidji (BJI) to Brainerd (BRD); Escanaba (ESC) to Pellston (PLN); and Iron Mountain (IMT) to Rhinelander (RHI). They will be reducing the number of flights in some of these markets to DTW or MSP by one and in some they will be cancelling them entirely during this time. You can see the list here.

Frontier removed 32 domestic markets and 11 CUN markets from all future schedules. They also cancelled 24 additional markets either in November only or from November through January. You can find the complete list here. Frontier also filed a previously announced new route this week: DEN to HOU.

JetBlue up-gauged from E-190s to A-320s, six southeast markets to FLL in November through mid-December.

Southern Airways Express filed new service starting in August between Saipan (SPN) and Guam (GUM), Rota (ROP), and Tinian (TIQ).

Spirit cancelled MCO to MIA from September 7 through November 16.

United cancelled Eau Claire, WI (EAU) to ORD from December onward. Sun Country will be taking over the EAS contract at that time with service to MSP twice a week and additional service to a leisure market that has not been determined yet. United reduced September domestic capacity 6 points week over week. The biggest reductions were seen in EWR. Additionally, ORD to RNO was cancelled in September; FAT to ORD and HNL to IAD were cancelled in September and October; and GEG to ORD was cancelled in October.

Domestic United States Capacity By Carrier

TSA Update

July finished at 87.9% of 2019 levels. This was 1.2 points below June 2022.

Top 100 United States Airports by Capacity Percent Change

PSP and SRQ are the top two airports when looking at September seat capacity percent change compared to 2019.

Q2 Airline Earnings Calls

Air Canada – Tuesday, August 2, 2022 – Link **This Week**

Alaska - Transcript 

Allegiant - Wednesday, August 3, 2022 4:30 PM Eastern – Link **This Week**

American – Transcript

Delta – Transcript

Frontier - Transcript

Hawaiian - Transcript

JetBlue - Tuesday, August 2, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern – Link **This Week**

Skywest – Transcript

Southwest – Transcript

Spirit – Wednesday, August 10, 2022 8:30 AM Eastern - Link

Sun Country - Tuesday, August 9, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern – Link

United – Transcript

Aviation News From the Past Week

The Americas

• Take to the skies with Air Wisconsin CEO July 27, 2022
• Avelo Airlines adds new routes, expanding in the Midwest and Southeast July 29, 2022
• Delta is launching 4 exciting new routes, including Tahiti, Cape Town and Tel Aviv July 29, 2022
• Frontier Airlines launches a cadet program to create pathway for new pilots July 28, 2022
• Hawaiian Airlines Eyes Recovery Of Japan Routes July 27, 2022
• JetBlue is confident in Spirit deal despite regulatory hurdles, president says July 29, 2022
• Jetblue reaches agreement for US$3.8 bn acquisition of Spirit Airlines July 28, 2022
• By the numbers: A snapshot of the merger between JetBlue and Spirit July 28, 2022
• Southwest Airlines Sees Signs Of Slowdown July 29, 2022
• Southwest Airlines flight credits will no longer expire, an industry first July 28, 2022
• United Launching Washington To Cape Town Flight July 28, 2022
• United adds 120+ flights for college football fans this fall July 26, 2022

EMEA

• Air France KLM boss: strong recovery “putting the entire aviation industry to the test” July 29, 2022
• Norse Atlantic Agrees European, US Connectivity Partnerships July 28, 2022

Asia/Pacific

• Jetstar reconnects Australia and Japan after more than two years July 27, 2022

Other

• US Airports Dominate World’s Busiest Rankings July 26, 2022