Market Intelligence: North and Central Asia

Sustained Demand for all ATR Aircraft Models Confirmed at Singapore Airshow 2024

At the 2024 edition of the Singapore Airshow, regional aircraft manufacturer ATR reaffirmed its position as a global leader in regional aviation through confirmations of orders and fleet placements.

ATR kicked off the show with the introduction of the first brand new ATR 72-600 aircraft in Central Asia, through Uzbek airline Silk Avia, part of the Uzbekistan Airways Group.

The growing demand for ATR’s reliable and versatile turboprops was underlined by the unveiling of two orders which were part of the manufacturer’s undisclosed commitments of 2023. These include an order for two ATR 42-600 from Maldivian and one ATR 72-600 from Air Tahiti.

The unrivalled capabilities of ATR’s aircraft family to connect regions responsibly, affordably and efficiently was further reinforced by the expansion of Cebu Pacific’s fleet, with two leased ATR 72-600.

The manufacturer also confirmed the placement of two leased ATR 72-600 at Fly91, a start-up regional carrier set to connect unserved and underserved routes across India.

This year’s show was marked by renewed confidence from longstanding ATR supporters and trust from new entrants to the market, endorsing the relevance of ATR’s products and services for all business cases and types of regional operations.

“These aircraft will support our airline partners in providing seamless connectivity to their passengers, bridging gaps in air transportation networks, and bringing communities closer than ever before,” said ATR.

Source: ATR
Photo Credit: ATR (shown as meta image)

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Central Asian Airline Announces Latest Appointment for President & CEO

TezJet, a scheduled airline based in the capital city Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, appointed Arun Kumar Singh as the President & CEO. Mr Singh was previously Chief Executive Officer of a number of operators including Indian operators IndiaOne Air and Air Deccan as well as Cambodian operator Bassaka Air.  Learn more about TezJet or Singh by connecting with him through his LinkedIn profile here.

TezJet currently operates:

  • 2 British Aerospace Avro RJ85
  • 1 McDonnell Douglas MD-83

Source: Arun Kumar Singh (TezJet)
Photo Credit: TezJet (shown as meta image)

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Aircraft Manufacturer Embraer Shares 2024 Perspectives

Brazil-based global aircraft manufacturer Embraer, the third largest commercial jet manufacturer, shared its perspectives for 2024.

  • 64 commercial aircraft deliveries for 2023
  • This is one unit short of its planned 65 to 70 target but it’s still 12% more than 2022
  • Goal is to return to around 90 annual deliveries which we achieved in 2018 and 2019
  • 2023 revenue was nearly the same as 2019, it is still only at 70% of pre-pandemic output
  • Working with suppliers to grow this year’s output target by double digits
  • “One sticking point is the pilot shortage. Fewer available pilots favours interest in bigger narrowbodies, and that creates a gap between those aircraft and the regional fleet. There have been a few soft years but the shortage seems to be resolving itself. That implies that we’ll see more demand for smaller narrowbodies which should fill in that gap. In the meantime, orders for the E175 in the USA remain strong since there isn’t movement on pilot scope clauses.”

Source: Embraer
Photo Credit: Embraer

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Central Asian Airline Silk Avia Expands Fleet with New ATR Aircraft

  • Nordic Aviation Capital delivered first new ATR 72-600 to Uzbekistan’s airline Silk Avia
  • Contract for five new ATR 72-600 was signed in November 2022

Leading regional aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) and ATR, the world’s number one regional aircraft manufacturer, announced the successful delivery of the first new ATR 72-600 to Uzbekistan’s airline Silk Avia. This milestone marks the beginning of a new era for regional connectivity in Central Asia.

The ATR 72-600, which was delivered by ATR to NAC in December 2023, is part of an order announced in November 2022 during the visit of the President of Uzbekistan, Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in Paris. The contract includes a total of five new ATR 72-600 aircraft, with two being provided by NAC and three directly by the manufacturer.

It is the first new ATR aircraft ever delivered to Central Asia. With its advanced technology, superior economics and unrivalled versatility, the ATR 72-600 will contribute to the development of regional connectivity in Uzbekistan and surrounding countries. Silk Avia, now part of Uzbekistan Airways, will integrate these brand new aircraft into its existing ATR fleet, enhancing the airline’s ability to serve a wider range of destinations and meet the growing demand for efficient and low-emission regional air travel.

Shukhrat Khudaykulov, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airways, said “Silk Avia, which has become a part of Uzbekistan Airways Group, has set an ambitious goal to become a leader in air transportation on domestic routes of the country. It is planned to constantly expand the route network, increase the number of flights and efficiently operate them on new ATR 72-600. This type of aircraft will help to provide the necessary conditions for a comfortable flight. Moreover, our common goal, the goal of New Uzbekistan, is to make flights affordable and develop domestic tourism of the country. It will undoubtedly be achieved through flights on ATR brand turboprop aircraft”.

Norman C.T. Liu, President & CEO of NAC, said: “We welcome Silk Avia, part of the Uzbekistan Airways Group, as a customer and are pleased to deliver the first new ATR 72-600 to the airline.”

Alexis Vidal, ATR’s SVP Commercial, said: “We warmly welcome Silk Avia to the ATR family. Their selection of the ATR 72-600 marks an important step as we begin operations in the promising market of Uzbekistan and wider Central Asia. Silk Avia will play a pioneering role in demonstrating the huge benefits affordable and low-emission regional aviation can deliver to this dynamic region. Our advanced ATR 72-600 turboprops are the ideal solution to connect communities and energise the national economy through their efficiency and flexibility. I look forward to following their progress and growth for many years to come.”

About Silk Avia

Silk Avia was established on 6 July 2021 and now is a subsidiary of Uzbekistan Airways Group. Silk Avia fleet consists of medium-haul passenger aircraft ATR 72-600 with a capacity of up to 72 people. These are economical and environmentally friendly aircraft that allow passengers to be transported safely and inexpensively over short distances. Our goal is to connect all regions of Uzbekistan, flying both to the most popular destinations and reviving long-forgotten routes.

About Nordic Aviation Capital

NAC is the global leader in regional aircraft leasing and is expanding into larger narrowbody aircraft leveraging our world class asset management platform.

Source: ATR
Photo Credit: ATR

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IATA: Global Air Travel Demand Continued Its Bounce Back in 2023

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel continued in December 2023 and total 2023 traffic edged even closer to matching pre-pandemic demand.

Total traffic in 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 36.9% compared to 2022. Globally, full year 2023 traffic was at 94.1% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. December 2023 total traffic rose 25.3% compared to December 2022 and reached 97.5% of the December 2019 level. Fourth quarter traffic was at 98.2% of 2019, reflecting the strong recovery towards the end of the year.

International traffic in 2023 climbed 41.6% versus 2022 and reached 88.6% of 2019 levels. December 2023 international traffic climbed 24.2% over December 2022, reaching 94.7% of the level in December 2019. Fourth quarter traffic was at 94.5% of 2019.

Domestic traffic for 2023 rose 30.4% compared to the prior year. 2023 domestic traffic was 3.9% above the full year 2019 level. December 2023 domestic traffic was up 27.0% over the year earlier period and was at 2.3% above December 2019 traffic. Fourth quarter traffic was 4.4% higher than the same quarter in 2019.

“The strong post-pandemic rebound continued in 2023. December traffic stood just 2.5% below 2019 levels, with a strong performance in quarter 4, teeing-up airlines for a return to normal growth patterns in 2024. The recovery in travel is good news. The restoration of connectivity is powering the global economy as people travel to do business, further their educations, take hard-earned vacations and much more. But to maximize the benefits of air travel in the post-pandemic world, governments need to take a strategic approach. That means providing cost-efficient infrastructure to meet demand, incentivizing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production to meet our net zero carbon emission goal by 2050, and adopting regulations that deliver a clear cost-benefit. Completing the recovery must not be an excuse for governments to forget the critical role of aviation to increasing the prosperity and well-being of people and businesses the world over,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

International Passenger Markets

Asia-Pacific airlines posted a 126.1% rise in full year international 2023 traffic compared to 2022, maintaining the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 101.8% and the load factor climbed 9.0 percentage points to 83.1%. December 2023 traffic rose 56.9% compared to December 2022.

European carriers’ full year traffic climbed 22.0% versus 2022. Capacity increased 17.5%, and load factor rose 3.1 percentage points to 83.8%. For December, demand climbed 13.6% compared to the same month in 2022. December traffic was higher than the corresponding month in 2019 for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Middle Eastern airlines saw a 33.3% traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 26.0% and load factor climbed 4.4 percentage points to 80.1%. December demand climbed 16.6% compared to the same month in 2022.

North American carriers reported a 28.3% annual traffic rise in 2023 compared to 2022. Capacity increased 22.4%, and load factor climbed 3.9 percentage points to 84.6%. December 2023 traffic rose 13.5% compared to the year-ago period.

Latin American airlines posted a 28.6% traffic rise in 2023 over full year 2022. Annual capacity climbed 25.4% and load factor increased 2.1 percentage points to 84.7%, the highest among the regions. December demand climbed 26.5% compared to December 2022.

African airlines’ annual traffic rose 38.7% in 2023 versus the prior year. Full year 2023 capacity was up 38.3% and load factor climbed 0.2 percentage points to 71.9%, the lowest among regions. December 2023 traffic for African airlines rose 9.5% over December 2022.

China’s full year domestic traffic rose 138.8% versus 2022, and is now 7.1% above the 2019 level.

Australia (-4.2% compared to 2019) and Japan (-3.2% compared to 2019) are the only major domestic markets yet to recover pre-pandemic traffic demand.

Source: IATA
Photo Credit: IATA

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Regional Aircraft Manufacturer ATR Announces Latest Appointment for Head of Human Resources

ATR, the world’s leading manufacturer of regional aircraft, announced the appointment of Maria Teresa Pedra Bruñó as its new Head of Human Resources, effective February 1, 2024. She succeeds Sadika Moussaoui, who takes on new responsibilities within the Airbus Commercial management team.

In this role, Maria Teresa oversees all human resources strategy and operations for ATR worldwide. She is based at the company’s global headquarters in Toulouse, France, and reports directly to the CEO.

Maria Teresa brings over 20 years of human resources experience to ATR, having held various HR roles of increasing responsibility within Airbus Commercial since 2003. Most recently, she served as Head of Talent and Executive Management, where she focused on promoting diversity, inclusion and leadership development.

“We are delighted to welcome Maria Teresa to our executive team,” said ATR CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude. “Her deep HR expertise and international experience will be invaluable assets as we continue to strengthen our company culture and embrace all the opportunities of a constantly evolving environment. The way we manage our talents will be decisive in maintaining our leadership and relevance on the regional market. I also want to thank Sadika for her precious contribution over the years to develop our people, foster engagement, leadership, collaboration and inclusivity, and wish her the very best going forward.”

Previously, Maria Teresa served as HR Manager in Germany, supporting employees and activities related to the A400M final assembly line in Seville. In France since 2008, Maria Teresa was Head of Recruitment for Airbus in France, playing a key role in hiring for the A350 programme. She also served different businesses like Technology, Commercial and International as Senior HR Business Partner.

Source: ATR Aircraft
Photo Credit: ATR Aircraft

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