All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 254
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NewsPressured Utair cuts losses but coronavirus impact looms
Russian carrier Utair halved its pre-tax losses in the first quarter, despite initial effects from the coronavirus crisis, but the impact on the second quarter has yet to become clear. The financially-pressured carrier’s passenger numbers in April were down by nearly 90%. Utair disclosed in early March that it was ...
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NewsRussian authority recommends flights operate half-empty
Russia’s federal consumer rights protection authority is recommending that aircraft should not carry more than half their total passenger capacity during the restoration of air traffic. The authority, Rospotrebnadzor, states that, during check-in, passengers should not be seated in “close proximity” to one another – including seats immediately in front ...
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NewsSAA rescuers given deadline to deliver business plan
South African Airways’ rescue practitioners have been instructed to produce a formal business plan for airline within 25 days, after a parliamentary standing committee expressed dissatisfaction with a draft publication. The standing committee on public accounts is also seeking a full schedule of fees from the practitioners, their advisers, and ...
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NewsRyanair Group expects €200m first-quarter loss
Ryanair Group is forecasting a loss of more than €200 million for the first quarter, double the figure it estimated at the beginning of May, with a smaller loss in the second. The company is forecasting that it will transport fewer than 80 million passengers for the fiscal year 2020-21 ...
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NewsRyanair threatens closure of Lauda’s Vienna base
Ryanair Group is warning that it will close the Lauda Airbus A320 base at Vienna at the end of the month if there is no agreement on cost reductions. It says the Lauda division “underperformed” during the fiscal year to 31 March 2020 as a result of competition from Lufthansa ...
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NewsSAA practitioners spent R10bn during five-month rescue effort
South African Airways’ business rescue practitioners spent R9.9 billion ($532 million) in the five months after they were called upon to try to save the loss-making airline. Testifying by video link to a parliamentary committee on 15 May, practitioner Siviwe Dongwana stated that the sum was used between 5 December ...
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NewsOutbreak interrupts El Al 747-400 powerplant sale
El Al is renegotiating the sale of a batch of Boeing 747-400 engines after the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak interrupted the original agreement. The Israeli flag-carrier withdrew its 747-400 fleet from service last year. All the aircraft were fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines. It reached an ...
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NewsEl Al awaiting final 787 as it cancels 737 leases
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has yet to take delivery of its final Boeing 787, while the airline shuffles its current fleet as part of efforts to reduce cash burn. The carrier’s rejig includes cancelling a lease for two more Boeing 737-800s, it has disclosed in a newly-released full-year financial statement. ...
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NewsEl Al still discussing loan with carrier's survival at stake
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has warned that the survival of the airline is uncertain as it seeks to secure urgent funding to cope with the coronavirus crisis. In its belated full-year financial statement, El Al says a loan is “essential” and that the are “significant doubts” about the continued existence ...
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NewsPIA 777 taxied without all-clear from ground crew
UK investigators have determined that a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-200LR incorrectly assumed that ground-support equipment had been removed before commencing to taxi, striking the towbar which was still in front of the jet. The tug and towbar had been disconnected from the aircraft (AP-BGZ), which was preparing to depart ...
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NewsBA A321 low-thrust take-off traced to temperature entry error
British Airways has highlighted to crews the importance of avoiding distraction while conducting take-off calculations, after a low-thrust incident involving an Airbus A321’s departure from Glasgow. The aircraft, bound for London Heathrow on 24 November last year, was being prepared for a full-length take-off from runway 05. As part of ...
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NewsRussian government grants subsidies to coronavirus-hit airlines
Russia’s government is allocating Rb23.4 billion ($317 million) to the country’s carriers to provide financial support as the coronavirus crisis begins to affect their operations substantially. Passenger traffic among Russian airlines was down by 93% in April. Aeroflot, Rossiya and Ural Airlines passengers numbers fell by 92-95%, while Utair’s and ...
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NewsEASA to set out ‘safety protocol’ for restoration of air transport
Europe’s aviation safety authority is to set out, in the next few weeks, technical operational guidelines to enable the air transport industry to adopt a co-ordinated approach to restoring airline travel.
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NewsCarriers should enhance voucher appeal to relieve refund pressure: EU
European Union regulators have laid out guidelines intended to reduce the pressure on airlines to refund passengers for flights cancelled through the coronavirus crisis, by enhancing the appeal of voucher schemes. The European Commission’s executive vice-president, Margrethe Vestager, stated during a briefing on travel and tourism strategies on 13 May ...
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NewsTUI Group to ‘right-size’ airlines as cuts affect 8,000 staff
Leisure giant TUI Group is aiming to cut or avoid recruiting around 8,000 personnel as it looks to overhaul its global activities in response to the coronavirus crisis. TUI Group says it will “right-size” its airlines and its order book, as well as divest non-profitable businesses. It is intending to ...
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NewsBA CityFlyer looks to rejig Edinburgh crew base and cut pilot numbers
British Airways’ CityFlyer division is looking at changes to its Edinburgh crew base and cutting 72 pilots as part of restructuring being introduced in response to the coronavirus crisis. CityFlyer primarily operates out of London City and Edinburgh, using a fleet of Embraer 190s and 170s. The airline has formally ...
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NewsRosaviatsia prominent in new Russian accident investigation legislation
Russian authorities appear to be reinforcing the position of federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia in the role of air accident investigation, proposed legislation from the ministry of transport indicates. An extensive draft document setting out the rules for investigation of civil aircraft accidents and incidents, seen by FlightGlobal, has been ...
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NewsRyanair aims to re-open most of its network from 1 July
Ryanair is to reinstate flights across some 90% of its network from the beginning of July, with an ambitious bid to restore an air transport operation demolished by the coronavirus crisis. While much of the network will be available, with most bases active, the overall schedule – around 1,000 daily ...
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NewsSlovenia to lift international air transport ban
Slovenia’s government is lifting restrictions on passenger air transport in the country, having imposed a comprehensive ban in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The government says it will “withdraw the measures” on 12 May after deciding “not to extend” the limitation. It says the decree prohibited provision of international ...
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NewsIAG’s Walsh pessimistic and puzzled by UK quarantine scheme
IAG chief Willie Walsh is pessimistic over the potential impact of a quarantine measure for inbound air passengers floated by the UK government. Prime minster Boris Johnson stated on 10 May that the quarantine – intended to prevent coronavirus re-infection from abroad – would apply to passengers arriving “by air”. ...