[straitman]

Aviation Week & Space Technology dated July 5th 2004 arrived today and listed the industry top performers.

The goal of Aviation Week & Space Technology's competitiveness study is to guage how well the worlds publicly traded airlines and aerospace/defense companies employ their resources in their quest for capital growth. -- Aviation Week & Space Technology July 5 2004.

In the Airline categories the results were as follows :

Top Performing Large Airline

1. Southwest Airlines
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Qantas Airways
4. Lufthansa
5. British Airways
6. All Nippon Airways
7. Northwest Airlines Corp
8. SAS AB
9. Continental Airlines
10.Japan Airlines Systems
11.KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
12.Delta Airlines
13.AMR Corp
14.United Airlines

Top Performing Medium Airline

1. Cathay Pacific
2. Air New Zealand
3. Thai Airways
4. Easyjet
5. Express Jet Holdings
6. Alaska Air Group
7. America West
8. ATA Holdings Corp.

Top Performing Small Airline

1. Ryanair Holdings plc
2. World Airways
3. Independance Air
4. Jetblue Airways
5. Westjet Airlines
6. Skywest Inc
7. Airtran Holdings
8. Pinnacle Airlines
9. Mesa Air Group
10,Mair Holdings
11.Midwest Airgroup
12.Frontier Airlines
13.Great Lakes Aviation

Most Improved Large Airline

1. AMR Corp
2. Northwest Airlines Corp
3. United Airlines
4. Continental Airlines
5. All Nippon Airways
6. British Airways

7. Delta Airlines
8. Southwest Airlines
9. Singapore Airlines
10.Qantas Airways -- Negative
11.SAS AB -- Negative
12.Lufthansa -- Negative
13.KLM Royal Dutch Airlines -- Negative
14.Japan Airlines Systems -- Negative
15.Air Canada -- Negative

Most Improved Medium Airline

1. ATA Holdings Corp
2. America West
3. Alaska Air Group
4. Express Jet Holdings
5. Air New Zealand
6. Thai Airways -- Negative
7. Cathay Pacific -- Negative
8. Easyjet

Most Improved Small Airline

1. Great Lakes Aviation
2. Mesa Air Group
3. Airtran Holdings
4. World Airways
5. Pinnacle Airways
6. Jetblue Airways
7. Independance Air
8. Ryanair Holdings
9. Midwest Airgroup
10.Mair Holdings -- Negative
11.Westjet Airlines -- Negative
12.Skywest Inc -- Negative
13.Frontier Airlines -- Negative

[clifford]

Hi Bill,

Looks like I'm the first to respond on this one.

First of all, let me say that I also subscribe to AWAST and have found their accuracy when it comes to commercial airlines (non-US) to be woeful. Last year I had to write to their managing editor pointing out that EasyJet and Ryanair were really quite significant airlines in Europe, and that they should therefore be covered in the AWAST yearbook (which they weren't).

I note from your posting that AWAST classifies EasyJet as a Medium airline, but only classifies Ryanair as a Small airline. My analysis is that Ryanair has more aircraft, more routes and flies more passengers than EasyJet, so I'm not sure how AWAST comes up with their rating (other than both airlines are non-US).

I would advise that AWAST ratings be taken with a pinch of salt.

Regards,
clifford.

[icemann]

I wonder how JetStar rated after last night's near miss....

[toetoes]

Interseting to see QF in the top 3 but negitive in the other

Well at least Vermin Blue was not in the ratings at all. Will they as per the norm now do a press statement that they are in/out of the ratings for good reasons

I think not. It is not the press that they like.