All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 224
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NewsGulf blockade on Qatar could ease as Saudi Arabia opens airspace
There are signs that a long-running multinational blockade by Arab states against Qatar might be easing, after an agreement was reached to open airspace and other borders between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The agreement has been disclosed by Kuwaiti foreign affairs minister Ahmed Nasser Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah, on the eve of ...
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NewsGovernment reinforces Air Serbia as turbulence rocks Balkan carriers
Serbia’s government has reinforced its position in flag-carrier Air Serbia, as the air transport system of the former Yugoslavia continues to suffer with the collapse of Montenegro Airlines. Air Serbia emerged in 2013 as the former Jat Airways – a successor to Yugoslav operator JAT – underwent a revamp through ...
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NewsCourt approves BGI’s planned acquisition of Israir
Israeli carrier Israir’s sale trustee has received court approval for BGI Investments’ planned acquisition of the airline, following a drawn-out bidding contest. The Tel Aviv district court has granted approval after Israir bondholders backed the BGI bid and rejected those of two competing suitors. All three had been ordered, in ...
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NewsAvianca A319 arrives at Bogota entangled in ‘balloon’ debris
Colombian investigators are probing an incident in which an Avianca Airbus A319 arrived at Bogota trailing a large quantity of entangled ribbon-like debris from its wings, stabiliser and fin. The airline says flight AV29 from Orlando to Bogota on 31 December was “hit by a hot-air balloon” during its landing ...
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NewsIAG welcomes UK-EU liberalisation clause as it adapts ownership structure
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG has welcomed the recognition of airline ownership liberalisation contained within the text of the new UK-European Union trade agreement. Ownership has been an issue for IAG during the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, because IAG controls both UK and EU carriers. IAG has been ...
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NewsSwedish debt authority grants guarantee to regional carrier BRA
Sweden’s national debt office has given a guarantee for a SKr200 million ($24 million) loan intended for Braathens Regional Airways. The guarantee covers 90% of the principal for the loan, which will run for five years. Sweden’s government has mandated the debt office to provide the guarantees to mitigate the ...
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NewsIsrair trustee seeks court approval for BGI acquisition
Israeli carrier Israir’s sale trustee has sought formal approval from a Tel Aviv court for the acquisition offer put forward by bidder BGI Investments. BGI Investments is a division of the company Shai Odem, controlled by retail entrepreneur Rami Levy and business partner Shalom Haim. After a drawn-out contest for ...
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NewsIsrair poised to be acquired by retail entrepreneur through BGI bid
Retail entrepreneur Rami Levy appears set to take over Israeli leisure carrier Israir, following a convincing backing of BGI Investments’ offer for the airline in a three-way run-off. BGI had been competing in a final bidding round for Israir against rivals YH Dimri and Dor Alon Energy. Bondholders voted on ...
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NewsGovernment urged to direct SAA rescue funds to vaccine resource
South Africa’s political opposition is urging the country’s finance minister, Tito Mboweni, to abandon the R10 billion ($680 million) funding plan to restructure South African Airways and plough the capital into a vaccination programme. The Democratic Alliance has written to Mboweni claiming that the government should “divert” the SAA allocation ...
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NewsVolga-Dnepr starts restoring An-124 fleet to operation
Russian outsize freight specialist Volga-Dnepr is resuming commercial operations with its Antonov An-124 fleet, a month after suspending use of the type. The operator temporarily withdrew the cargo transporter from service after the 13 November accident at Novosibirsk in which one of its An-124-100s suffered an uncontained engine failure and, ...
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NewsEmirates considers refitting A380s with new premium-economy cabin
Middle Eastern carrier Emirates has shown off the new premium-economy cabin fitted to its latest Airbus A380, of which the airline took delivery in mid-December. It comprises 56 seats in a 2-4-2 cross-section, with up to 40in pitch, at the front of the A380’s main deck. Each has a 13.3in ...
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NewsRossiya aims to have nearly 70 Superjets next year
Russian operator Rossiya aims to introduce a fleet of nearly 70 Sukhoi Superjet 100s by the end of next year, as part of a strategic overhaul of Aeroflot Group’s operations. Rossiya says the federal aviation regulator Rosaviatsia has included the Superjet type on the carrier’s air operator’s certificate, ahead of ...
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NewsWizz Air imposes post-Brexit share restrictions to slash non-EU ownership
Central European budget airline operator Wizz Air Holdings is to implement a plan to align its ownership structure to ensure it continues to meet European Union requirements once the UK’s withdrawal from the EU is finalised on 1 January. Wizz Air Holdings says that, if it does not take action, ...
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NewsIcelandair agrees sale-and-lease of two more 737 Max jets
Icelandair Group is selling a pair of Boeing 737 Max jets under a leaseback scheme, ahead their delivery next year. The two Max 9s are due to be introduced to the Icelandair fleet in the second quarter of 2021. Icelandair Group says it has entered an agreement with Sky Aero ...
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NewsIsrair bidders submit final offers ahead of bondholder vote
All three bidders for the Israeli leisure airline Israir have submitted final offers for the carrier, with bondholders set to vote on the proposals on 29 December. The three bidders – BGI Investments, Dor Alon Energy and YH Dimri – had been told to put forward final offers by 28 ...
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NewsUK-EU agreement features review of airline ownership and control rules
Rules governing ownership and control of UK and European Union airlines will be reviewed within 12 months of the entry into force of the new future UK-EU relationship agreement, according to the text of the provisional deal. Under the current situation, EU airlines must be majority-owned by EU interests. Once ...
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NewsStruggling Montenegro Airlines to cease operations
Montenegro Airlines is to cease all operations, attributing the decision to the refusal of the country’s government to continue supporting the carrier. It states that it will “completely suspend” its services from 26 December. Montenegro Airlines has apologised to passengers for the problems this will cause over the next few ...
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NewsAirbus relieved over post-Brexit deal but yet to analyse details
Airbus is yet to assess the consequences of the newly-agreed future relationship between the UK and the European Union. But it believes the “potential disruption” which would have arisen from failure to reach a post-Brexit agreement “has been avoided”. Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury says he “welcomes” the deal, unveiled ...
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NewsYak-40 fitted with propeller for superconducting motor test
Russian researchers are planning to test-fly a Yakovlev Yak-40 modified with a superconducting electric motor and propeller mounted on the trijet’s nose. The Moscow-based Central Institute of Aviation Motors expects the first flights to be carried out in 2021. Siberian aeronautical research centre SibNIA, located in Novosibirsk, installed the electric ...