BUSINESS NEWS
Tui to start selling in countries across Latin America
Tui announced its entry to the Latin American travel market last week with the launch of a sales platform offering holidays, dynamic packages and experiences. It declared the Latin American
(Latam) market “a new sales region”, but noted the expansion “builds on established partnerships and proven demand”. In a statement, Tui said it had
“been collaborating closely with travel partners in multiple countries to offer vacation experiences tailored to the market” and the launch would capitalise on “the expertise of its Spain and Portugal team”. It said: “Customers, agencies and partners will be able to book
Sebastian Ebel
Europe’s airlines welcome report by Italian PM on sector’s future
tours and holidays, including experiences, directly on a localised Tui website as well as through partners in Latam markets.” Tui chief executive Sebastian
Ebel said: “Tui is a global business with a global footprint, but today we primarily sell to European customers. Latin America represents a significant growth opportunity and, through our digital platforms, we’re poised to scale quickly. We have the expertise, to deliver exceptional vacations for anyone, anywhere.”
Europe’s major airline and airport associations hailed a report on the future of EU competitiveness by former European Central Bank president and Italian prime minister Mario Draghi last week. Airlines for Europe (A4E),
whose members include easyJet, Ryanair, BA owner IAG, Tui and
Jet2.com, called on the European Commission, European Parliament and member states to implement the aviation recommendations in the report “without delay”. It welcomed the report’s
recognition that “air transport is hard to decarbonise” and the cost
o
of energy “a significant driver o
of the competitiveness gap emerging between Europe and the rest of the world” and urged support for “unlocking investment in
decarbonising aviation”, reforming Europe’s airspace and “addressing asymmetric decarbonisation”. Airports association ACI
Europe also welcomed the report, with director general Olivier Jankovec suggesting it “stands as a rebuttal to those who think the way forward for aviation is to reduce demand and impose capacity caps”. The report estimates the cost of
decarbonising European aviation at €61 billion a year.
Boeing strike threatens deliveries Ian Taylor
A strike by 33,000 workers at Boeing plants in Seattle and Portland, who walked out last Friday after rejecting a pay deal, threatens fresh delays to aircraft deliveries which will alarm Ryanair in particular. The strikers overwhelmingly
rejected a 25% pay rise over four years despite a union recommendation to accept and an appeal by new Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg – appointed in July – triggering a fresh crisis at a company struggling to repair its reputation. Those on strike predominantly
work on the 737 Max which is already subject to lengthy production delays. Ryanair is awaiting delivery of more than 50 of these, and recently estimated delays at Boeing
travelweekly.co.uk
had already cost it €500 million in revenue this year. The carrier also has 300 of the
next version of the 737 Max on order, though it’s not in production yet. The Boeing workers’ rejection
of the deal suggests a breakdown of relations between the company and its workforce and between union members and their leaders, which could prolong the strike. The strikers reportedly remain angry about a 2014 deal which ended their pension scheme and capped recent pay increases below the rate of inflation. The last strike at Boeing, in
2008, lasted eight weeks and cost the company $1.5 billion a month. Boeing chief financial officer
Brian West told investors the strike’s impact would depend on its duration but warned it would “jeopardise”
Ryanair is among
carriers awaiting delivery of new Boeing aircraft
the firm’s recovery and insisted: “We want to reach an agreement.” Analysts warned the strike
could bring a fresh downgrade of Boeing’s credit rating, making it more expensive for the company to borrow. In July, Boeing pleaded guilty to misleading the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the fatal crashes of two 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019 in which 346 people died. The company remains under
investigation following the mid-air blowout of a door plug missing several bolts on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max in January. That led the FAA to limit Boeing’s 737 Max production. However, Boeing’s assembly lines have barely met the FAA limit. Boeing had forecast it would do
so by the end of this year, with a plan to raise production from 25 aircraft a month to 38. West said: “Obviously, that is [now] going to take longer.”
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PICTURE: Boeing
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