Benelux

Michael O'Leary, the Chief Executive of Irish budget airline Ryanair, told reporters in Madrid that it believes it will recover its 7% decline in fares from 2024 during this financial year. "The traffic has exceeded the target...Fares are expected to rise by 7% over the course of the year," O'Leary stated, adding that this summer's prices were "pretty close" to those of the summer of 2023. The CEO stated that the full-year results will depend on the pricing of the company's third-quarter, which includes Christmas, and the fourth-quarter, for which the company currently has "very little visibility". He said that...

Portugal's soon-to-be-privatised airline TAP is well-positioned to tap into strong growth potential in Brazil and Africa, Chief Executive Luis Rodrigues said on Wednesday. The airline offers flights to 14 African destinations, including Portuguese-speaking nations such as Angola or Mozambique. He said, "We're fortunate to be able to take on both (Brazil & Africa)", at the World Aviation Festival held in Lisbon. "Brazil's a promising nation, and there is still a lot of opportunity there," he said, pointing out that tourism only represents about 6% in Brazil, whereas it accounts for 16% in Portugal. Rodrigues stated that "Africa is larger than...

Wizz Air aims at ending engine-related groundings for its Airbus aircraft before the end of 2027. The CEO added later that the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney would determine the schedule. These comments are made as the airline industry continues its complaints about supply chain issues around the globe, including major engine manufacturers like RTX's Pratt & Whitney or CFM International. Wizz's Chief Financial Officer Ian Malin stated that the number of aircraft grounded due to long inspection waiting times has dropped from 60 at its peak, down to 38. Wizz reported that 41 aircraft were grounded at the halfway...

Wizz Air aims at ending engine-related groundings for its Airbus aircraft before the end of 2027. However, a senior executive stated on Tuesday that he has not seen an improvement in Pratt & Whitney's bottlenecks which are blamed for the blocking of dozens of jets. Ian Malin, CFO of Wizz Airlines, said that the number of aircraft grounded due to long inspection waiting times has dropped from 60 at its peak. Wizz reported that 41 aircraft were grounded at the halfway point of the year due to GTF engine inspections. The plan is to have the fleet deparked by 2027....

Turkish Airlines (THY), its chief financial officer said on Monday, expects the bottlenecks that have caused dozens of Airbus jets to be grounded for months or longer will continue another two years. Due to Pratt & Whitney's unusually long repair wait times, the Turkish state carrier expects 45 Airbus aircraft will be grounded by 2025. The Turkish state carrier started the year with only 35 jets idle. "Next year it will be the same," Murat Seker, CFO of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading told a European Aircraft Conference hosted by ISTAT. He added that, in the last year,...

Boeing and Airbus executives dampened speculation about imminent decisions to replace the best-selling narrowbody aircraft models by telling an audience of major investors that it would be a while before they achieved the performance jump required. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Boeing is in the early stages developing a successor to the 737. Darren Hulst, the marketing chief at Boeing, told the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading last Monday that a launch was "some time off", while a senior Airbus executive stated it would take "a little bit of patience" to reach the efficiency gains necessary...

Sources told us on Monday that it will take a few weeks to reach a framework agreement between Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo in order to form a major European satellite manufacturer. A person with knowledge of the situation said that key details are still being discussed and the boards of all three companies are trying to come up with a united position. The talks between the two aerospace companies hit a snag after Thales and Leonardo, who were already partners in the industry, asked for more patience. This was reported by French newspaper La Tribune. Leonardo has declined to comment....

Spirit Airlines will shrink its fleet of nearly 100 aircraft, and leave more than 12 U.S. markets in a bankruptcy restructuring process. CFO Fred Cromer announced this on Friday at a virtual meeting for creditors. Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 protection following a long period of financial stress. Cromer, who said that the low-cost carrier currently operates 214 planes, uses bankruptcy tools to eliminate non-profitable routes and shrink its network footprint. Cromer stated that the strategy will save Spirit Airlines "hundreds and millions" of dollars in costs. Spirit announced in a press release that it had filed a court...

Airbus delivered a stronger-than-expected 73 jets in September, a record for that month of the year, as delays in engine deliveries showed signs of easing, industry sources said. Airbus refused to comment on this figure, which was higher than analyst predictions of 69-70 deliveries. Since January, the cumulative total has surpassed the running year-to date tally of 2024 for the first ever. Rob Morris, an independent analyst, said that Airbus must also pull off a record-breaking fourth quarter with 313 deliveries from October to December, an increase of 16% over the last three month of 2024. This is to meet...

Airbus will inaugurate a new assembly line in the United States on October 13, followed by an expansion of another similar facility in China a few days later. The ceremonies are being held back-to-back to avoid a difficult trade climate. Sources say that the planemaker is also in negotiations to sell 500 planes to China. This goal was first reported by the magazine in April. However, it's likely only to receive a portion of the order to coincide with factory expansion. Airbus has declined to comment on the production or orders pending. In order to increase production of the A320neo...

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport announced on Monday that it will freeze airline fees in 2026. The previously planned 5% hike was scrapped following discussions with airlines. Schiphol Airport, Europe's busiest, has increased the fees charged to airlines this year by 41% as part of its three-year plan for funding new investments in the airport. Fee increases will be used for noise reduction, including night flight charges. In a press release, CFO Robert Carsouw stated that "we understand the impact of the 2025 fee increase on airlines". Schiphol has a good financial performance, but some airlines find it expensive. We're talking about...

Director general of the Nigerian civil aviation authority said that they are looking at certifying China’s C919 jets for Nigerian carriers. This is because Nigerian airlines have taken on more aircraft, and relations with Beijing are warming up. COMAC, a Chinese planemaker, is currently producing the C919 narrow-body aircraft to compete with the leading Western planemakers Airbus & Boeing and has had several discussions with Nigeria about the aircraft. This month, the Nigerian aviation minister said that Nigeria is open to COMAC to use the country as an access point to the larger African market. COMAC, the state-owned company, faces...

Allegro, Poland's biggest e-commerce site, announced on Monday that it has signed a new contract with courier DPD to deliver parcels through the company's delivery service. Allegro is scaling and diversifying its logistics. Why it's important Allegro has taken steps to reduce its delivery costs. For example, it increased the merchant co-financing through its loyalty program and developed its own logistic muscle. KEY QUOTES Allegro stated in a filing that the agreement was part of its ongoing efforts to diversify and scale up the Allegro Delivery program by increasing cooperation with its logistic partners. By the Numbers Allegro stated that...

Allegro, the CEO of Polish ecommerce company Allegro, denied on Friday that Allegro was at odds with any of its business partners despite its relationship deteriorating with delivery partner InPost. When asked by reporters about InPost, Allegro CEO Marcin Kusmierz said: "We don't believe that we are in any dispute or business with any entity." InPost's shares dropped around 13% after the company reported a slower volume growth in Poland. The shares of InPost have lost over a third in value this year, but they were up by 9% as of 1340 GMT. Allegro shares were up about 2%. InPost,...

Allegro, the CEO of Polish ecommerce company Allegro, denied on Friday that Allegro was in dispute with its partners despite its relationship with InPost deteriorating in recent months. When asked by reporters about InPost, Allegro CEO Marcin Kusmierz said: "We don't believe that we are in any disputes or business with any entity." At 0945 GMT, InPost shares rose 4.8% after falling around 13% Tuesday, when it reported slower volume growth in Poland. Allegro shares were up 2.6%. Allegro has recently been sued by InPost for breaching their long-term agreement. According to JPMorgan, Allegro gets 30% of InPost's Polish revenues....

Northvolt's new owner Lyten announced on Thursday that it has appointed the former chief operating officer (COO) of the bankrupt Swedish company as the CEO of Lyten Sweden and recruited several other former executives from the failed company. Last month, the Silicon Valley startup Lyten announced that it had acquired Northvolt’s assets. This was a major development for future European battery production of electric vehicles. Matthias Arleth is the new CEO of Lyten Sweden. He joined Northvolt last July, shortly after reports of problems began to surface. Lyten announced that Sami Haikala will return to his former position as the...

InPost, a Polish parcel locker firm, reported on Tuesday a 12.6% increase in earnings for the second quarter. This was due to volume growth both in Poland and abroad. The adjusted earnings before tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which is the profit before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, were 999.5 millions zlotys in the third quarter, as compared to the 887.3 in the previous period. InPost operates in nine countries, including Poland. It is known for its automated package machines, or APMs. These allow customers to pick up or drop off their packages whenever they choose. The company confirmed its...

InPost, a Polish company, announced on Monday that it will buy a majority stake in Bloq.it's parcel locker network along with over 20,000 locker units in order to enhance its last-mile service in Europe. Why it's important InPost has established a dominant position on its native market of Poland, and has increased its international expansion in recent years. Bloq.it follows the acquisitions of Spanish courier company Sending and Yodel, both in Britain. KEY QUOTES In a press release, InPost CEO Rafal Brzoska stated that "our strategic investment in Bloq.it will have a positive effect on our growth trajectory as well...

Austrian Post joined other European postal service groups on Thursday in stopping the standard parcel shipment to the United States, as U.S. Customs Services are planning to charge duties for packages of low value. In a press release, the Austrian state-controlled company said that it will no longer accept consignments of standard parcels bound for the United States as of next Tuesday. The U.S. administration of Donald Trump announced last month that it would suspend global "de minimis", which allows minimal paperwork for international shipments below $800, with effect August 29. This week, there were several postal strikes. The following...

The bankruptcy of Northvolt will result in a large loss of funds for many of its creditors, said the process trustee on Friday. He added that the sale of Northvolt to the U.S. startup Lyten was a major achievement. Northvolt's unsecured creditor list includes its biggest shareholders Goldman Sachs, and Volkswagen, whose brands Scania Porsche and Audi had been customers of the battery manufacturer. Lyten, backed by Jeep owner Stellantis, and FedEx delivery service, announced on Thursday that it would purchase the majority of Northvolt. This move offers a chance for the European firm to regain its former prominence as...

Bpost, the Belgian postal operator, beat expectations for quarterly profits on Friday. The acquisition of Staci last year was a major boost. Bpost also said that it expects its operating earnings will reach the upper range of its guidance in 2025. In February, it forecast earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), which ranged between $175 million and $200 million. This was reaffirmed in June despite the two-week strike in the first quarter that affected results. Bpost's adjusted earnings per share (EBIT) rose by 1% in the second quarter to 58.3 millions euros ($68.3 million), boosted by contributions from Staci, a...

Lyten, a U.S.-based battery startup, has agreed to purchase the majority of the bankrupt Swedish company Northvolt. The announcement was made on Thursday. This could be a chance for Europe's once leading battery manufacturer to regain its former prominence. Lyten, an Silicon Valley startup that develops lithium-sulphur batteries as a cleaner option to lithium-ion cells, is backed both by Jeep owner Stellantis, and U.S. Delivery Services provider FedEx. The deal brings back hope for European battery independence. Northvolt, the continent's possible rival to major Chinese electric car battery makers, filed for bankruptcy in march, becoming one of Sweden's biggest corporate...

InPost, a parcel locker company, has announced that it has acquired Spanish delivery firm Sending in order to expand its presence on the Iberian Peninsula. It will also integrate the 24-hour delivery service provided by Sending. Why it's important InPost has gained traction in other countries after establishing a stronghold on its native market, Poland. Sending is the latest in a strategy of pan-European growth, which began with the acquisition of Yodel earlier this year. By the Numbers InPost, at the end of its second quarter, had 3,000 automated package machines (APMs) and 9,000 pickup and drop-off locations in Spain...

Bookrunners reported on Tuesday that a company controlled by Advent International, a private equity firm, had offered institutional investors an approximately 3.5% stake in the parcel locker firm InPost. AI Prime & Cy S.C.A., a company owned by Advent. InPost offered 17.5 millions shares through an accelerated placement at 13.25 euros per share. This represents a discount by 6% from Monday's closing prices of 14.1 euro in Amsterdam. The bookrunner stated that once the placement is completed, AI Prime will hold a stake of around 6,5% in InPost. In September 2024, the company sold a 4% stake to InPost at...