All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow
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NewsRussian government places St Petersburg airport operator under new holding company
Russia’s government has ordered a restructuring of the Cypriot-based management company overseeing St Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport, to bring it under a domestic holding. The changes are detailed in a Russian presidential decree, issued on 30 November, which states that “special economic measures” are being applied to the field of air ...
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NewsEl Al takes steps to mitigate conflict impact after profitable third quarter
Israeli flag-carrier El Al expects a 5-10% reduction in capacity over the fourth quarter, as a result of the Gaza conflict, and a fall in load factor, but it has yet to estimate the impact on the first quarter of next year. El Al says it experienced initial high demand ...
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NewsChallenger written off after wing-strike and excursion during London Stansted hard landing
UK investigators believe a Bombardier Challenger 604 crew’s approach to London Stansted was too slow for the crosswind conditions, causing it to land hard – nose-gear first – and strike the ground several times with its wing. The wing remained in contact with the ground and the jet experienced a ...
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NewsSAS to reduce ‘complex’ mainline wet-leasing arrangements next year
SAS is looking to cut back on the number of wet-lease agreements it has entered, in order to simplify its operation as it emerges from US Chapter 11 protection. The airline’s full-year financials show that wet-lease expenditure increased substantially, to SKr2.6 billion ($250 million), compared with pre-crisis figures of around ...
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NewsImproved SAS commercial performance 'cloaked' by fuel and currency effects
Scandinavian carrier SAS has turned in a full-year operating loss of SKr2.7 billion ($260 million) and net loss of SKr5.7 billion, as it enters the final stages of its restructuring programme under US Chapter 11 protection. Revenues for the year reached SKr42 billion, as passenger numbers rose by one-third to ...
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NewsTwo Unity Air EMB-120s suffer separate serious accidents, hours apart, at same airport
Tanzanian regional carrier Unity Air Zanzibar has been involved in a bizarre occurrence during which two of its Embraer EMB-120 turboprops were involved in separate accidents at the same airport within hours. According to conservation organisation Tanzania National Parks, one of Unity Air’s EMB-120s “encountered a technical problem” while landing ...
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NewsIsrair shelves plan for additional A320s at least until Gaza conflict subsides
Israeli leisure carrier Israir Group has suspended plans to introduce another pair of Airbus A320s next year, as a result of the Gaza conflict. The airline has been operating six A320s this year – two owned and four on long-term dry lease – and it tentatively agreed in August to ...
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NewsConnectivity will contribute to 20-year doubling of global services market: Airbus
Airbus expects a virtual doubling of the commercial aircraft services market, to $255 billion, over the next 20 years, driven by digital aircraft capabilities and rising traffic. Maintenance will account for the largest share, around $210 billion in 2042, while training and operation will generate $17 billion, and aircraft enhancement ...
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NewsAvia Solutions expands Asian reach with new Thai division for BBN Airlines
Avia Solutions Group is establishing a new airline operating in Thailand, extending the presence of its BBN Airlines brand following its creation of an Indonesian division. The new operator, BBN Airlines Thailand, is intending to offer wet-lease and passenger charter activity to customers in the region. It will use a ...
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NewsFrench and Saudi investors pick up 25% Heathrow stake as Ferrovial exits
Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial is selling its entire 25% shareholding in London Heathrow airport’s operator, under a £2.37 billion ($3 billion) divestment. The company has disclosed that it will sell its stake FGP Topco – the parent of Heathrow Airport Holdings – to French private equity firm Ardian and Saudi ...
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NewsFirst A321neo emerges from Airbus’s new Toulouse assembly line
Airbus has shown off an A321neo for Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines, the first of the type to roll off the airframer’s new Toulouse production line. The aircraft (TC-RDK) is a CFM International Leap-1A-powered twinjet. “It is the first A321neo fully assembled from our Toulouse final assembly line,” the airframer states. Airbus ...
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NewsAegean shareholders indicate preference for ending Greek government’s right to diluting stake
Aegean Airlines has signalled that its shareholders favour buying back warrants relating to pandemic compensation, rather than allow the Greek government to exercise its right to take a diluting share in the carrier. The Greek government provided €120 million ($132 million) to compensate the company for losses caused by the ...
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NewsNigeria’s Ibom takes first A220 from order for 10
Nigerian operator Ibom Air has received its first new Airbus A220-300, one of 10 ordered by the carrier. Ibom Air has already gained experience with A220s operations after it temporarily leased a pair from EgyptAir in 2021. It subsequently disclosed an order for 10 of the twinjets during the Dubai ...
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NewsProposed UK start-up Ecojet reaches agreement for ZeroAvia engines on electric fleet
Proposed UK start-up carrier Ecojet is intending to equip its fleet with engines from hydrogen-electric propulsion specialist ZeroAvia. Ecojet aims to commence services next year, initially with conventionally-fuelled regional aircraft, with plans to switch to electrically-powered versions once the powerplants are certified. The carrier has reached an agreement covering 70 ...
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NewsAegean adapts operations as it seeks compensation for A320neo engine issues
Greek carrier Aegean Airlines is expecting to reach, by the end of this year, a compensation agreement with Pratt & Whitney over disruption arising from engine inspections on its Airbus A320neo-family jets. Speaking during a 24 November briefing, Aegean chair Eftichios Vassilakis said the airline had been holding “significant discussions” ...
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NewsWet-lease specialist Hi Fly acquires another pair of A330s
Wet-lease operator Hi Fly has acquired a pair of Airbus A330-200s to expand its capacity, placing them on the Maltese register. Both aircraft are identically configured, says the company, with 269 seats – including 18 in the business-class cabin and 251 in economy. “These modern and reliable acquisitions will further ...
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NewsAngolan government invites proposals to manage new Luanda airport
Angola’s government is seeking interested parties to manage the new Luanda Antonio Agostinho Neto international airport under a 25-year concession. The ministry of transport recently opened a formal tender process for the concession, and has set a deadline of 16 February next year for proposals. Parties aiming to obtain the ...
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NewsSchiphol operator highlights environmental credentials of new chief executive
Royal Schiphol Group, the operator of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, has named maritime contracting figure Pieter van Oord as its new chief executive. Van Oord will take up the post in June next year. Current interim chief Ruud Sondag will step down in March, and the company will be managed over ...
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NewsFinnair repays government’s €400m loan following share issue
Finnair has confirmed repayment of a capital loan, with interest, to the Finnish government following a new share issue. The carrier drew down the loan of €400 million ($437 million) last year. Its share issue, conducted in November this year, raised gross proceeds of €570 million. Finnair says the government ...
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NewsIcelandair Group still expecting full-year profit despite seismic activity near Keflavik
Icelandair Group is still expecting a full-year net profit despite the effect of seismic activity on tourism flow to the country. The operator states that the geological situation has not affected flights at its Reykjavik Keflavik hub. But Iceland’s meteorological office has been monitoring the area around Grindavik, some 17km ...