All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 203
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NewsEasyJet sells six A320neos to SMBC
Budget airline EasyJet has further reinforced its finances after agreeing a $255 million sale-and-leaseback involving six Airbus A320neos. The carrier states that the deal is part of a plan – disclosed in May – to raise about £500-650 million ($620-807 million) through such transactions. EasyJet has identified SMBC Aviation Capital ...
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NewsFourth MC-21 flight-test aircraft emerges from painting
Irkut’s fourth flight-test MC-21-300 has emerged from painting in Ulyanovsk and returned to join the rest of the certification fleet in Moscow. The aircraft, numbered 73056 and fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines, was transferred to Moscow’s Ramenskoye airfield on 25 June. Source: Irkut Aircraft 73056 bears ...
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NewsGovernment urges support as SAA rescue faces critical creditor vote
South African Airways’ creditors are set to decide the future of the troubled flag-carrier, more than half a year after it entered a business rescue scheme, with the government urging support for a new business plan. At least 75% support from creditor voting interests, following a meeting due to be ...
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NewsIcelandair reaches crucial restructuring pact with cabin crew union
Icelandair Group has achieved a breakthrough in its restructuring efforts, with a provisional productivity agreement with cabin crew representatives. While the company had reached new deals with its pilots and aircraft mechanics, cabin crew union FFI was holding out and Icelandair Group was pessimistic over progress. But it states that ...
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NewsEasyJet to reinforce cash position with expanded share issue
UK budget carrier EasyJet is aiming to raise £400-450 million through issuing new shares equating to just under 15% of the current share capital. Up to 59.54 million shares will be placed through an immediate accelerated bookbuilding process. EasyJet has started restoring flight operations after an 11-week grounding. It says ...
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NewsPIA A320 crew lowered, then raised, undercarriage before gear-up touchdown
Investigators have revealed that the crew of a crashed Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 did attempt to lower the landing-gear during their first approach to Karachi, but raised the gear lever again during the descent. The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan confirms that the A320 touched down on Karachi’s runway ...
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NewsGovernment reviewing funding proposals for restructuring SAA
South Africa’s government is claiming to have received a number of unsolicited proposals to fund a new national airline in the aftermath of South African Airways’ business rescue process. These proposals have been received from private-sector funds, equity investors, and potential airline partners, says the government’s department of public enterprises. ...
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NewsTurkey’s SunExpress to axe German airline operation
German-Turkish leisure carrier SunExpress is shutting its German division as part of a revamp of its operations which includes concentrating on its core business. Although SunExpress has gradually resumed flights since 1 June, restoring both domestic and international services, it says the coronavirus crisis “hit hard” during April and May. ...
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NewsUral Airlines starts restoring fleet to passenger configuration
Russian carrier Ural Airlines has started reconverting aircraft back to passenger configuration, having temporarily modified them to operate as freighters. Ural Airlines says it converted 12 of its 48 jets to cargo configuration as passenger traffic bled away and freighter capacity demand rose during the coronavirus crisis. The operator has ...
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NewsComair rescuers seek time to consider funding offer
South African carrier Comair’s rescue practitioners are exploring a potential offer of funding for the airline, and are seeking a further postponement to publication of a business plan. The practitioners have not identified the group behind the non-binding expression of interest. But they state that the offer of cash funding ...
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NewsEU-Japan pact enables mutual certification recognition
Japanese and European representatives have reached a bilateral agreement on civil aviation safety, through which each side will recognise and accept the other’s regulatory approvals. The agreement will enable reciprocal acceptance of certificates and findings of compliance by either side’s approval organisations and competent authorities. Its primary objective is to ...
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NewsShot-down UIA 737 recorders to be sent to France: Iranian ministry
Iranian authorities appear set to send the flight recorders of the Boeing 737-800 shot down over Tehran to France for download of their data. The issue of reading the data following the event involving the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, operating from Tehran to Kiev on 8 January, has been ...
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NewsRussian researchers start drawing up new supersonic jet concept
Russian researchers have embarked on preliminary investigations into development of a civil supersonic aircraft, nearly four decades after the Tupolev Tu-144 programme ended. The work is being undertaken by the Zhukovsky Institute, a federal collective national research organisation which includes several centres – among them the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, the ...
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NewsLearjet 60 operators told to fit reverser alert 12 years after fatal overrun
Over a decade since a fatal Bombardier Learjet 60 overrun in South Carolina, operators of the type are being ordered to install a voice-command warning system to alert pilots to thrust-reverser malfunctions. The aircraft, operated by Global Exec Aviation, had been departing for Van Nuys from runway 11 at Columbia ...
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NewsSouth Africa’s Airlink bids to have SAA liquidated
South African carrier Airlink is attempting to disrupt plans to convene a creditors’ meeting to discuss whether to approve the rescue plan for South African Airways, and is seeking to have the airline liquidated. The government’s department of public enterprises says Airlink has filed a court motion “aimed at interdicting” ...
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NewsDHL orders freighter conversion of 767s
Germany’s DHL International is ordering conversion of up to four Boeing 767-300ERs to freighters to gain additional cargo capacity in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The twinjets are set to be converted at the facilities of Israel Aerospace Industries. Neither DHL nor IAI has detailed the airframes involved in ...
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NewsSAA rescue plan revises down initial heavy losses
South African Airways’ final business rescue plan considerably revises down the losses projected over the first three years for the restructured carrier. While a draft plan circulated at the beginning of June indicated losses close to R20 billion ($1.1 billion) for the period, the final plan estimates pre-tax losses of ...
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NewsVideo captures vain attempt to halt runaway Q400 at Aberdeen
Surveillance video footage has emerged appearing to show ground personnel vainly attempting to physically stop a Bombardier Q400 from rolling across an apron in Aberdeen, before the turboprop struck a parked regional jet. The former Flybe aircraft (G-JECK), apparently not under power and with its forward passenger airstair open, was ...
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NewsSAA rescue plan sets out initial fleet and personnel requirements
South African Airways’ resurrection plan would involve an initial restart period of eight months, running to January 2021. Over this period the fleet would be gradually built up to around 26 aircraft, comprising seven long-haul jets – about half of which would be in place at the end of this ...
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NewsEl Al wrestles with ministry over proposed financial support
Israeli flag-carrier El Al has put forward amendments to a proposed funding mechanism for the troubled airline, but insists the government has not rejected its basic propositions. El Al had been trying to negotiate a $400 million loan while the finance ministry had countered with an alternative, through which the ...