News from FlightGlobal – Page 565
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NewsVirgin Australia bailout intensifies local war of words
Qantas does not conceal its distaste for any state support tailored to its rival Virgin Australia, which recently requested a A$1.4 billion ($890 million) bailout from the federal government to ride out the coronavirus-induced downturn. Alan Joyce, Qantas’s chief executive, said in a television interview on 20 March that it ...
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NewsWestJet lays off 1,700 workers amid wage subsidy
WestJet will lay off 1,700 pilots across its mainline carrier, regional subsidiary Encore and low-cost carrier Swoop, while keeping them on payrolls through the duration of Canada’s wage subsidy that ends in June. The Calgary-based airline tells Cirium that the layoffs will be staggered beginning on both 1 May and ...
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NewsUnited sells 22 jets for leaseback including 787s
United Airlines is selling six Boeing 787-9s and 16 737 Max jets in a leaseback deal with the US division of Singaporean lessor BOC Aviation. BOC Aviation has disclosed the details of the transaction to the Hong Kong stock exchange. It states that the transaction covering the 22 aircraft is ...
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NewsEmirates A380 dipped below 400ft as crew mistakenly chased glideslope
Investigators have determined that an Emirates Airbus A380 descended far below the glideslope at Moscow Domodedovo after its crew entered a rapid descent, erroneously believing the jet was too high for the correct approach path. It descended to 504ft above ground – with a rate of descent of 1,600ft/min – ...
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NewsCathay Pacific to close three US bases
Cathay Pacific will close its three US cabin crew bases to preserve cash while the global air transport market remains “virtually halted” by the coronavirus pandemic.
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NewsLATAM extends 95% capacity cuts through May
LATAM Airlines has extended through May its 95% reduction in planned capacity, citing continued travel restrictions and a lack of demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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NewsPorter takes wage subsidies as operations remain halted
Porter Airlines will receive funds from Canada’s wage subsidy programme, allowing the carrier to pay many of the hundreds of workers it furloughed in March after grounding its fleet and suspending all operations until June.
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NewsALPA accuses FAA of cowing to airlines, pleas for health oversight
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) continues sparring with the Federal Aviation Administration over the FAA’s decision not to require airlines to follow health and sanitation guidelines aimed at protecting workers from catching coronavirus.
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NewsGE Capital Aviation Services cancels orders for 69 737 Max
Aircraft lessor GE Capital Aviation Services has terminated orders for 69 Boeing 737 Max, further reducing Boeing’s Max backlog amid a downturn that has hammered airlines and the global aerospace industry.
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NewsCityJet secures breathing space by entering examinership
An Irish court has appointed an interim examiner at regional wet-lease specialist CityJet as the carrier seeks protection during the coronavirus crisis.
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NewsWhat challenges are airlines facing through coronavirus grounding by region
No airline or air travel market has been left untouched by the coronarvirus epidemic, which has all but brought to a halt international scheduled passenger services. IATA if now forecasting airline traffic will be roughly half the levels seen in 2019 as national lockdowns take hold and with the likelihood ...
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NewsBoeing crews warned of misleading pitch guidance from glideslope disruption
Operators of various Boeing aircraft types including the 787 and 777 are being warned of misleading pitch guidance during glideslope interference on ILS approaches. The US FAA is cautioning pilots over the use of autopilot flight-director systems for the twinjets – as well as the 747-400, 747-8, 757 and 767 ...
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NewsIcelandair plans new share issue to prop up financial position
Icelandair Group is preparing to issue new shares to shore up its liquidity and strengthen its financial position during the coronavirus-driven downturn. The company has yet to disclose the size of the share issue planned. But it says the intention of the offer is to ensure its “long-term competitiveness” after ...
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NewsEasyJet argues case against cancelling Airbus deal
UK budget carrier EasyJet is arguing that it cannot terminate its contentious Airbus order by falling back on the argument that the coronavirus outbreak is a situation beyond its control. The airline has been under fire from its founder, and key shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou over the cost of retaining the ...
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NewsVietJet secures repayment deferral on aircraft loans
Low-cost carrier VietJet has managed to secure deferrals of loan repayments for aircraft purchases from most of its lenders. VietJet states that it has been “working hard” with its suppliers, local and foreign financial institutions to cut 30-70% of prices and service fees, and to extend payment terms. ...
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NewsPost-pandemic demand recovery ‘impossible to predict’: Cathay
March proved to be yet another month of weak traffic figures for Cathay Pacific, which states that it is “impossible to predict” when passenger demand will recover from the coronavirus crisis. Commenting on its traffic results for March, Cathay adds that it is not seeing any improvement so far in ...
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NewsAustralian carriers reinstate domestic routes after financial aid
Qantas and Virgin Australia will operate additional routes within Australia after the federal government agreed to underwrite a minimal domestic service during the coronavirus pandemic. The support, for an initial eight-week period and worth up to A$165 million ($105 million), was announced on 16 April by deputy prime minister and ...
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NewsSIA Group flags financial impact of limited passenger network
Singapore Airlines Group expects to extend capacity cuts and warns of material impact to its financial performance in the quarter ended 31 March. Singapore banned short-term visitors from entering or transiting from 24 March, and the group said in a stock-exchange disclosure on 15 April that “capacity was further rationalised ...
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NewsUS DOT denies minimum service exemptions to Spirit, JetBlue
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has largely denied Spirit Airlines’ and Jet Blue Airways’ requests for exemption to minimum service rules required for carriers to accept government aid as they consolidate their networks due to the sharp drop-off in demand following the coronavirus global health emergency.
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NewsFAA extends slot relief at US airports until October
The FAA says it will extend slot relief at seven major US airports through the summer travel season so that airlines will not be penalized as a result of reduced flying schedules caused by the coronavirus pandemic.