Airlines in a Crisis

Problem exists because airlines in their wisdom decided that in cattle class every seat should not have its own 2 armrests. There is little help in cleaning the bathroom frequently if the person in the seat beside you leave the virus on the armrest you both share. This could have been prevented if a 3+3 aircraft was 25cm/10inches wider so one could fit 4 more independent armrests. This would give space for extra 5cm/2inch wide armrests and a small gap between the armrests of adjacent seats. A gap that these days could be used for sample a dividing curtain, or a small shield to 100% ensure you don't touch your neighbour, or anything he/she touched, with the hand that soon will inadvertently be touching your face.

Is Easyjet well served by getting on the wrong side of a 30% shareholder in difficult times. Is the continued concentration on growth for the benefit of the shareholders that take all the risk, or for increasing managements incentive packages. There are enough samples of corporate greed where top management walks away with millions even though the results tanks and staff ends up getting laid off. Easyjet management says an outside independent have looked at its dealings with Airbus and found nothing untoward. An independent company is only as independent as the one that pays their bill want them to be. Self-hiring an "independent" is a well known way of getting in ahead of an investigation instigated by somebody else.I am not saying anything will be hung on the current management of Easyjet, but smaybe something will stick on Airbus that could be used for negating the contract without penalties. Even more likely since they have already settled something similar. Easyjet ma

Norwegian worked up a good brand in Low Fares transatlantic and to parts of Asia. Now when they are retracting to the Norway and Scandinavia market, plus probably something to bring those customers to some sun like Spain, Italy, France and similar, it leaves a market, new fleet and crews ready for easy prickings for the right operator. London Gatwick could be losing some of its main operators on the transatlantic market with Virgin shrinking and BA retrenching to Heathrow. So there is an opportunity for a partial ready made market to be exploited when traffic returns. And chances of a head start for they willing to dip a toe in the water, with the potential of real returns. Many have tried and failed in Europe-US low fares. Few had such a chance that now exists to make it also a true Low Cost. Utilizing the worked up brand of Norwegian could give an instant ready supply of potential passengers. Combine that with a great opportunity for exceptional deals on leases, low price on fuel

Airlines should the minute the lockdowns started have realised that all bookings made was on a diferent basis for a world no longer existing. They should then have cancelled all previous bookings, reset their systems and treated it as beginning of time and asked all previous and potential new customers to book again when a new schedule where made available. Only if refunds are made can new customers be convinced that the money they pay for new bookings will not disappear in the same voucher hole as their previous now cancelled bookings. Specially if some of the carefull reopenings are reversed and more flights are again cancelled. Problem is many airlines have been treating funds received for future bookings as a part of their cash reserves. Good accounting practices says they are unearned revenue and should be booked as such, only coming into the earned and profit accounts when travel happens. However many airlines have been tempted to see these amounts that can build up in their bi

Many remember the old class separating curtains used in planes. This could be moved from row to row depending on how many business class customers there was. A similar curtain on every row of seats would be a very good physcial barrier to stop droplets expelled with sneezes, or during conversations, traveling over several rows. An extension could be added down to the armrest between each seat in a row for complete cocooning and removing the need for leaving seats free. When you have taken your seat you sanitize your hands and your are safe even if you touch your face now ad then because your hands will then not touch anything touched by anyone else. Social distancing by walls works in first class so why not. And row separating curtains have been allowed for a long time as a movable class separation. A company has already made a sample: https://simpleflying.com/middle-seat-privacy-screens/ However they could be larger and on the armrest instead of taking a whole seat, to allow full oc

Social distancing must be practiced everywhere els ein corona times, why not on airlines. No business think physical distancing is good for profit but most have to accept it asa necessity in a hopefully temporary new reality. Airline management though seem to find the whole concept difficult. Some of them are so used just for profit to stuff their customers in to the absolute legal limit and without comforts that they don't. Safety is just because accidents are bad for business. In a differnt time they would be landlords sending their tenants on coffinships to America so they could utilize the vacated land better. Problem with that way of thinking arise when low-low prices are no longer the be all and end all for if people want to fly or not. In dangerous times people become price unelastic and will pay what it costs if they absolutely have to fly. And if not necessary they won't no matter how cheap it is. This concept seeems to escape many of todays airline chiefs. Even thoug

The airline have showed impressive adaptability converting some of its currently little needed passenger aircrafts to cargo during the current crisism taking opportunity to make cash out of opportunity. What we expect from a island nation where road freight is not an alternative for international transport. And from a company that is used to take geographical advantage of that one without extra freedoms can legally fly passengers between 2 other countries if one stops over in own country. https://simpleflying.com/icelandair-767-freighter-photos/

The company have been busy reorganizing it's finance side with converting parts of loans and leases to shares to save the company, selling out the existing shareholders in the process. What have been missing is some operational management and ideas. One would think that with only 7 out of 160 planes in the air they would be on top of things, but no. Daily we read new articles about why they can't keep to in Norway mandated social distancing with middle seat free, and ecuses why. Do not say much for either management nor their IT systems or their control on the aircrafts. Since the newish CEO came in we have been waiting for when his operational plan for how Norwegian should be run would be announced. One certainly can't say he hit the ground running in that department. So far everything new is financial and under the former tempe CEO's remit Norwegian could doo so much more out of this crisis. They have 787's that can take air-containerized freight, but have sho

It is not only ppe. I have som packages with tracking on the way from China to Ireland. Anything non medical related just get trurned back by security at the airport in China, goes back to the bus station, gets sent to the airport and same again and again. With a 10 day waiting at each step. 3 times now in 3 months, and not going anywhere. 4 other small packages all medical related just goes missing either in China or on destination airports in Europe. Probably stolen because its something covid related you could use at home and people in the system see what it is due to the declaration description. Or sits at airports in Europe for days and weeks awaiting further handling. Earlier packages often went from China to Europe via Russia. This seems to have stopped completely. And it is not only Cina. A postcard took nearly 2 months from Ireland to Norway, My easter greeting arrived yesterday. There is obviously no effective alternative organized for post even within Europe when planes ha

No matter if they have their planes on pay by the hour, should Norwegian circulate both planes and pilots to keep them in certification and at peek performance. Neither Norway nor Europe is a desert where you can just park you planes and think they are in the same condition after a few months. And pilots need a certain amount of take offs and landings to keep their certificates current. Rotate at least regularly all instructors on both types of aircraft. It isn't a coincidence that Ryanair is starting up again before 4 months has passed, and that they have been doing regular touch and go's at their bases.

Have Ryanair's O'Leary lost the ability to ajust. He is complaining left right and center about why not everything is like before. Why should they have to practise distancing, why is there quarantines and why do the airline have to do any changes instead of somebody else like the airports taking care of all the bothersome stuff. Did he completely forget his schoolyear teachings about price unelastic demand. We see every day reports about people who would be willing to pay a bit more if there just was flights. They who want to and/or are desperate to travel will pay what it costs. But many will not travel for any price because they are scared. Either scared because they don't trust airlines to adapt to the new distancing safety standards or hardline practice the masks thing. Or scared they will be on a plane full of ignoramas who not only will not practice it there but do the same everywhere else and therefor be pestilence carriers. Better sit back and wait for better time