Kenji Hashimoto, who took over as president of AA Cargo in May, told Air Cargo World that although global airfreight volumes have been trending downward recently, the situation appears to be improving. “We remain optimistic that airfreight will continue to rise over the long term, and American Airlines is committed to providing our cargo customers with a robust network and the highest-quality product and service offerings,” he said.
Fleet renewal is a manifestation of this, Hashimoto explained. In December, American Airlines will begin taking delivery of the Boeing 777-300ERs it ordered in 2011; these planes offer more freight capacity than any other aircraft currently in the carrier’s fleet.
The Boeing 777-300ERs will also augment AA’s passenger business, a segment that took a hit in the second quarter of 2012. Although the carrier’s unit passenger revenue and mainline passenger unit revenue increased 9.1 percent and 8.7 percent, year-over-year, respectively, in the second quarter, AA cut capacity by 2.4 percent, year-over-year, during this period.
Overall, the carrier incurred a net loss of $241 million during the second quarter of 2012, a byproduct of bankruptcy restructuring costs. Even so, AA officials said this a marked improvement from the $286 million loss the carrier saw during the second quarter of 2011. They also cite the carrier’s second-quarter revenue of $6.5 billion — the highest quarterly revenue in AA’s history — as a sign of good things to come.
Hashimoto holds a similarly optimistic view. “Until we emerge from the restructuring process, we will continue to focus on our customers in a business-as-usual approach,” he told Air Cargo World. “Looking ahead, the work we are doing will build a stronger airline. We expect to compete well, invest well and deliver additional customer value on many levels.”
In April, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, along with two other unions expressed support for merging American with US Airways. Last week, the union expressed support for a letter from AMR chairman Tom Horton hinting that a merger between American and another carrier might be possible.
“Mr. Horton’s letter represents an important milestone by acknowledging what we have believed for some time — that consolidation involving American Airlines is essential for all of the airline’s stakeholders,” Dave Bates, president of APA, said in a statement. “It’s an affirmation that consolidation represents the most promising path for our airline’s future.”
Kenji Hashimoto, who took over as president of AA Cargo in May, told Air Cargo World that although global airfreight volumes have been trending downward recently, the situation appears to be improving. “We remain optimistic that airfreight will continue to rise over the long term, and American Airlines is committed to providing our cargo customers with a robust network and the highest-quality product and service offerings,” he said.
Fleet renewal is a manifestation of this, Hashimoto explained. In December, American Airlines will begin taking delivery of the Boeing 777-300ERs it ordered in 2011; these planes offer more freight capacity than any other aircraft currently in the carrier’s fleet.
The Boeing 777-300ERs will also augment AA’s passenger business, a segment that took a hit in the second quarter of 2012. Although the carrier’s unit passenger revenue and mainline passenger unit revenue increased 9.1 percent and 8.7 percent, year-over-year, respectively, in the second quarter, AA cut capacity by 2.4 percent, year-over-year, during this period.
Overall, the carrier incurred a net loss of $241 million during the second quarter of 2012, a byproduct of bankruptcy restructuring costs. Even so, AA officials said this a marked improvement from the $286 million loss the carrier saw during the second quarter of 2011. They also cite the carrier’s second-quarter revenue of $6.5 billion — the highest quarterly revenue in AA’s history — as a sign of good things to come.
Hashimoto holds a similarly optimistic view. “Until we emerge from the restructuring process, we will continue to focus on our customers in a business-as-usual approach,” he told Air Cargo World. “Looking ahead, the work we are doing will build a stronger airline. We expect to compete well, invest well and deliver additional customer value on many levels.”
In April, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, along with two other unions expressed support for merging American with US Airways. Last week, the union expressed support for a letter from AMR chairman Tom Horton hinting that a merger between American and another carrier might be possible.
“Mr. Horton’s letter represents an important milestone by acknowledging what we have believed for some time — that consolidation involving American Airlines is essential for all of the airline’s stakeholders,” Dave Bates, president of APA, said in a statement. “It’s an affirmation that consolidation represents the most promising path for our airline’s future.”