All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 195
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NewsIcelandair: Keflavik hub stands to benefit as non-stop competitors retreat
Icelandair Group has warned that if its operation collapsed, the Reykjavik Keflavik hub would take years to rebuild and, as a result, would cause substantial damage to the country’s economy. The company, which is preparing a $150 million share issue, has outlined the bleak consequences of receivership to potential investors ...
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NewsIcelandair expects four-year recovery as it revises share issue
Icelandair Group expects to start its recovery ramp-up in the second quarter of 2021, but its conservative approach will not return the operator to pre-crisis levels until 2024. The company has detailed its position to potential investors as it prepares for a share offering intended to raise IcKr20 billion ($148 ...
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NewsPalestinian Airlines offers Fokker 50 fleet for sale
Palestinian Airlines has put up for sale its pair of Fokker 50 turboprops, but insists its operation is not closing down. The carrier commenced operations in mid-1997 with pilgrim transport to Jeddah. It subsequently established its base at Gaza airport which opened the following year, but Israeli forces destroyed the ...
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NewsSwedish debt office denies credit guarantee to Norwegian's local operation
Scandinavian budget carrier Norwegian’s Swedish division has been denied a credit guarantee by the Swedish national debt office. The office states that it has “decided to reject” the application because guarantees can only be granted to airlines considered financially viable on 31 December 2019. It says there was a “very ...
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NewsAirbus ditches active moisture-control on A321XLR
Airbus has reversed its decision to offer an active anti-condensation system as an option for the long-range A321XLR, ditching the idea in favour of a passive system. The dry-air generation system, for moisture control, is being removed as an option for the aircraft. Swedish specialist CTT Systems had disclosed in ...
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NewsEl Al chairman resigns for medical reasons
Israeli flag-carrier El Al’s chairman, Eli Defes, has stepped down from his post for medical reasons. El Al states that his decision is effective immediately. Defes took up the position of chairman at the beginning of June 2017, having been a director of the airline since November 2015. The carrier ...
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NewsCockpit union proposals fail to avert Jet2 pilot cuts
Cockpit union efforts to dissuade UK holiday carrier Jet2 from shedding over 100 pilots across its various bases appear to have failed. Jet2 had warned a few weeks ago that it was looking at cutting pilot numbers after reducing its activity in the face of the air transport downturn. Pilot ...
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NewsUral A321 forced-landing probe awaits ornithological group findings
Russian investigators probing the forced landing in a field of Ural Airlines Airbus A321 are awaiting the results of ornithological studies in order to complete a final analysis of the accident. The aircraft came down exactly one year ago, on 15 August 2019, shortly after take-off from Moscow Zhukovsky bound ...
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NewsConcerns emerge as air-data incidents follow revival of stored aircraft
European safety authorities are warning of a spate of incidents linked to contamination of pitot-static ports as aircraft are returned to service following temporary storage. Thousands of aircraft have been parked for extended periods as a result of the air transport crisis, but the European Union Aviation Safety Agency believes ...
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NewsSAS obtains government backing after rejigging recapitalisation
Scandinavian operator SAS has obtained support from the Swedish and Danish governments, as well as its third major shareholder, for a revision to its recapitalisation plan. The plan was originally disclosed on 30 June and covered SKr14.25 billion of equity. SAS says the revision focuses on specific financial details including ...
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NewsA321neo sales lift proceeds of EasyJet leaseback scheme
Budget carrier EasyJet has carried out the sale-and-leaseback of five Airbus A321neo jets, concluding a programme of such transactions covering a total of 23 aircraft. The five A321neos – ranging from five to nine months in age – have been sold to Bocomm Leasing, a division of the Chinese Bank ...
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NewsIsrael-UAE to talk direct flights but airspace issues remain
Normalisation of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates opens the possibility of flights between the two countries – although a timeframe has yet to emerge and other complexities remain unresolved. The UAE and Israeli governments have jointly stated that tourism and “direct flights” will be among the ...
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NewsA350 launch-aid tweaks fail to persuade US to ease tariffs
US authorities are unconvinced by recent Airbus claims that amended A350 launch-aid agreements equate to implementation of a World Trade Organization ruling to remove subsidies. Airbus had aimed in July to bring an end to the long-running transatlantic dispute on civil aircraft subsidies by adjusting French and Spanish A350 launch-aid ...
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NewsChafing protection mystery follows Saab 340 incident
UK investigators have found that anti-chafing measures fitted to a Saab 340 failed to protect an engine condition control cable, leaving the crew unable to adjust its power during a climb out of Carlisle airport last year. The crew encountered difficulties with climb power as the aircraft reached 2,500ft, opting ...
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NewsWizz Air UK to launch leisure routes from new northern base
Wizz Air’s UK division is to establish its second base in the country, opting to station an Airbus A320 at the northern Doncaster Sheffield airport. The airline intends to open another seven routes – adding to 10 it already serves from the airport – and broaden its network to new ...
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NewsGECAS tops up 737-800 converted freighter orders
Lessor GECAS is to take up to 20 more Boeing 737-800 converted freighters, having firmed up orders for 11 of the cargo jets. GECAS’s top-up agreement – its third, and one which includes nine additional options – takes its overall orders for the type to 60 with 14 options. Conversion ...
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NewsFrench pilots strongly back Transavia’s domestic evolution
Air France-KLM Group has secured a vital agreement with pilots which will enable the budget operation Transavia to conduct domestic services in France. French pilot union SNPL has strongly backed the agreement, with members voting over 90% in favour after a turnout of nearly 83%. Air France-KLM says the vote ...
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NewsNordica cleared to take €30m Estonian support package
Estonian operator Nordica has secured approval for a €30 million financial support package which will comprise a share capital increase and a loan with subsidised interest. Nordica is a capacity provider operating regional jets for carriers in northern and eastern Europe, but has been facing the possibility of insolvency before ...
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NewsCathay appears to switch more A350-1000s to -900s
Cathay Pacific appears to have converted a pair of Airbus A350-1000s to the smaller -900 variant, the Hong Kong-based carrier’s half-year accounts indicate. Airbus’s backlog figures to the end of July show Cathay had ordered 46 A350s, a mix of 26 A350-900s and 20 of the larger -1000s. It has ...
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NewsFastjet Group to delist and convert to private company
African budget operator Fastjet Group expects to re-register as a private company by mid-September after shareholders overwhelmingly approved a delisting from the stock exchange. The company will “proceed with the cancellation of trading” of its ordinary shares on the London AIM exchange on 24 August. Shareholders voted on 12 August ...