Sun Country Reports Strong Third Quarter
Sun Country Airlines posted its best fiscal quarter since Q1 2019, long before anyone knew the term social distancing, as it showed a profit of $14 million on operating revenues of $173 million.
The gross revenue improved 123% from Q3 a year ago with profit improving by $375%. Sun Country’s profit was fueled by its strong charter business which reeled in $34 million, a 17% increase from the $29 million it brought in during Q2. The carrier signed a five-year agreement during the quarter with MLS to operate charter service for all 27 teams in the league.
Sun Country also partnered with Caribou Coffee to upgrade its inflight menu, an improvement from the coffee grounds and cup of lukewarm water they used to offer with a biodegradable stirrer.
Cargo revenue was $24 million, a 10% increase from Q2, led by Sun Country’s partnership with Amazon. The carrier ended the quarter with $300 million in liquidity, down from Q2 after it bought two new airplanes. Of the $300 million, it’s holding most of it to renew its Prime membership with Amazon and on Caribou gift cards to keep the coffee flowing on-board.
Canada Opens Additional International Gateways
The Government of Canada is continuing its border reopening process, and the country will now permit international arrivals at eight more airports, bringing the total to 18.
The eight new airports are:
- Abbotsford (YXX)
- Hamilton (YHM)
- Kelowna (YLW)
- Regina (YQR)
- Saskatoon (YXE)
- St. John’s (YYT)
- Victoria (YYJ)
- Waterloo (YKF)
These eight will be open to international passengers on November 30, Canada’s target date to fully phase in its reopening plan. The Canadian government will consider opening additional airports for international arrivals once it figures out if there are any more airports in Canada – it’s a big country and 18 seems like plenty.
California Man Charged in Flight Attendant Assault
Brian Hsu, a 20-year-old man from Irvine, California, was charged with assault and interfering with a flight crew following his, ahem, incident on an American Airlines flight attendant last week. AA Flight 976 was about halfway on its journey from New York/JFK to Orange County when Hsu reportedly began punching a female flight attendant.
According to an affidavit filed to the court, Hsu struck the flight attendant while she was working in the mid-galley section of the airplane, and he attempted to use the restroom while the seat belt sign was illuminated, restricting passenger movement on-board the aircraft. Hsu apparently really wanted to see if AA’s restrooms had the NYC subway tile that its Northeast Alliance partner JetBlue has, striking the flight attendant in order to gain access.
Hsu was then restrained with duct tape and “plastic bonds,” according to the affidavit. He was then fed one of Qantas’s new on-board vegan meals to keep him sedated for the remainder of the flight.
- AirAsiaX is at risk of being delisted from the Malaysian stock exchange after being categorized as a financially distressed firm by external auditors.
- Azul has its sights set on world domination, and its first step is going to be an attempt to take over LATAM. Stay tuned on this one.
- Emirates and TAP expanded their codeshare agreement, adding 23 new destinations to the partnership.
- Eurowings and Smartwings are coming together thanks to a wing and a prayer and will wing it on a codeshare agreement focused on connections through Prague.
- Hawaiian put its ATR fleet for sale. If anyone is in the market for a turboprop aircraft to fly between islands in the Pacific, the planes are conveniently located in northern Idaho.
- JetBlue basic economy tickets will once again have a fee for changes on all bookings made today and going forward.
- Mango‘s bankruptcy administrator proposed that the carrier be spun-off to a private investor.
- Ryanair plans to delist its stock from the London Stock Exchange. Unlike Air Asia X, this isn’t because Ryanair is in danger but rather because it’s a European company, not a British one. That whole Brexit thing…
- United announced a new partnership with Avis offering free status matches and mileage redemptions. Coincidentally, the announcement came just days after the carrier ended its partnership with Hertz.
- Viva Air and Viva Aerobus are living la vida loca signing the first interline agreement between Latin American ULCCs.
What do you get when you cross a baseball pitcher with a carpet?
A throw rug.