All Europe articles – Page 369
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NewsFourth MC-21 flown to Moscow test centre
Russian airframer Irkut has flown its fourth flight-test MC-21-300 to Moscow to participate in the certification campaign for the twinjet. The aircraft, fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines, was ferried with a crew of two pilots to the Gromov institute at Zhukhovsky airfield. It has been fitted with a ...
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NewsOutbreak halts talks on London Southend stake sale
London Southend airport operator Stobart Group has disclosed that it has been negotiating sale of a minority share in the airport, but that discussions have been suspended as a result of the coronavirus uncertainty. The discussions had signalled a value for the airport of £700-800 million, says the company, referring ...
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NewsAirbus halting French and Spanish production for four days
Airbus is to halt production across its French and Spanish facilities for four days to give the company time to implement strict hygiene measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The airframer says the decision follows introduction of new procedures in both countries intended to contain the illness. Airbus says ...
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NewsL-39NG passes key fuselage strength test
Aero Vodochody’s L-39NG has passed fuselage strength tests, as the company works towards certification of the advanced jet trainer. Using the fuselage of aircraft 7002, which is earmarked for static trials, the test saw the structure initially taken to the limit load, which corresponds to the maximum possible load during ...
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NewsEU plans 30-day travel ban and state aid framework
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled proposals for a 30-day restriction of travel to the European Union, as well as development of a framework for state aid to affected businesses. Von der Leyen says EU member states have been taking measures intended to reduce pressure on the ...
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NewsBank expects Lufthansa Group to make €1.5bn operating loss in 2020
Credit Suisse is forecasting that Lufthansa will make an operating loss of €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) this year, and is advocating a move toward leasing aircraft as a means of improving the group’s cash position. The bank had previously predicted an adjusted EBIT of €2.2 billion. Source: Austrian ...
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NewsNorwegian to cancel 85% of flights and temporarily lay-off 90% of staff
Norwegian is suspending a big majority of its services and laying off 7,300 employees as it seeks to weather the coronavirus outbreak. “The Covid-19 situation is escalating by the hour and due to stagnating demand and enforced travel restrictions by authorities worldwide, Norwegian will gradually cancel most of its flights ...
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Airline BusinessEurope’s carriers lurch into full crisis-mode as capacity slashed
From the moment the World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on 13 March stated that Europe was now the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, further drastic cuts to air travel in the region seemed an inevitability.
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NewsVirgin Atlantic to cut 80% of flights and ground 75-85% of fleet
Virgin Atlantic will reduce its flight schedule by 80% and park three-quarters of its fleet by 26 March, in addition to asking staff to take eight weeks of unpaid leave as it seeks to conserve cash and safeguard its future. The UK carrier says it is taking the “drastic measures” ...
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NewsWet-lease operator EuroAtlantic to take 787s
Portuguese wet-lease specialist EuroAtlantic Airways has signed for a pair of Boeing 787-8s, becoming the first operator of the type in the country. The carrier is taking the twinjets from AerCap, the leasing firm states. It says the two used aircraft will be delivered to EuroAtlantic in the spring of ...
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NewsStartled 747 excursion crew delayed cutting power after engine stall
Dutch investigators have concluded that a Boeing 747-400ERF crew was startled by an engine compressor stall during the take-off roll, and consequently failed to reduce thrust in time to prevent a runway excursion. The Turkish-registered MyCargo Airlines aircraft had been operating from Maastricht, bound for Jeddah, on behalf of Saudia ...
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NewsIAG not seeking state aid as Virgin appeals for government credit
IAG has not approached governments for state aid to assist the company through the coronavirus crisis, chief executive Willie Walsh has disclosed. Speaking during a 16 March briefing, Walsh said the company had not followed other individual carriers in seeking financial assistance from governments. “Governments would expect airlines to look ...
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NewsEasyJet may ground ‘majority’ of fleet
EasyJet has warned that the impact of the coronavirus may force it to ground “the majority” of its fleet and threatens the viability of the aviation industry in Europe.
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NewsRyanair may cancel entire April-May schedule
Ryanair expects to park the majority of its fleet over the next week to 10 days as the impact of the coronavirus escalates, and could suspend all of its services for April and May.
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NewsIAG looks at recruiting passenger jets to serve critical freight lines
IAG is considering recruiting some of its passenger aircraft for air freight operations, to ensure that essential cargo supplies are maintained as the coronavirus crisis persists. Chief executive Willie Walsh, speaking during a 16 March briefing, said that governments “need to appreciate” that there is a strong cargo demand, and ...
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NewsIAG to accelerate retirement of older BA and Iberia aircraft
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG is considering accelerating the retirement of older aircraft in the fleet – including some Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-600s – as part of the capacity-reduction measures being introduced to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking during a 16 March briefing, IAG chief executive Willie ...
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NewsTUI seeks state guarantees as travel market collapses
Leisure group TUI is applying for state-aid guarantees to support its business until it can restore normal operations, after suspending most of its travel operations. TUI says it is halting the “vast majority” of its package travel, cruise and hotel activities to assist with the efforts to counter the coronavirus ...
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NewsAir France A380s and KLM 747s grounded amid major capacity cuts
Air France is to ground its Airbus A380s and its Dutch sibling carrier KLM its full Boeing 747 fleet as part of wider capacity cuts the group expects will result in in potential cuts in its ASK capacity of between 70% and 90%.
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NewsIAG delays management changes as it braces for 75% capacity cut
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG’s management team is to remain in place for the time being, to help steer the company through the coronavirus crisis, as it prepares to cut capacity by 75% for April and May. IAG chief Willie Walsh is delaying his retirement, and his successor – ...
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NewsFinnair to slash 90% of capacity as it warns of heavy losses
Finnair has followed neighbouring Nordic carrier SAS in making dramatic operational cuts, slashing 90% of its normal capacity from the beginning of April. The Finnish flag-carrier says the cuts – in response to a substantial fall in demand following the coronavirus outbreak – will be maintained “until the situation improves”, ...