All articles by David Kaminski-Morrow – Page 97
-
NewsWizz continues to switch Airbus commitments to A321neo
Wizz Air has converted 21 Airbus A320neo commitments to the A321neo, a further shift of its single-aisle backlog towards the higher-capacity variant. The airline disclosed, as it released full-year final results, that it formalised the conversion in May. Deliveries of these aircraft will be carried out over the course of ...
-
NewsWizz optimistic on restoring low cost levels as inflation adds to airline misery
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air is expecting the current fiscal year to be one “marked by high inflation”, as it looks to return to pre-crisis cost levels and improve its competitiveness. Wizz Air turned in a full-year net loss of €642 million ($686 million) – higher than the previous ...
-
NewsSweden to convert SAS debt but refrains from injecting new capital
Sweden’s government is proposing that it be authorised to enter a debt-to-equity swap to provide financial assistance to flag-carrier SAS. But it will not supply fresh capital to the struggling airline. Swedish trade and industry minister Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson disclosed the proposal on 7 June. It would require the legislature to ...
-
NewsWizz Air to explore hydrogen fleet operations through Airbus collaboration
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air is to explore the potential for hydrogen-powered aircraft operations under an agreement with Airbus. The two sides have signed a memorandum covering analysis of hydrogen operations, intended to provide the carrier with a “deeper understanding” of how such aircraft could change its business model, ...
-
NewsAeroflot A330 returns to Russia after days of detention in Sri Lanka
Aeroflot has retrieved an Airbus A330-300 from Colombo, after several days of wrangling after the twinjet was impounded by Sri Lankan authorities. It departed for Moscow Sheremetyevo on 6 June, apparently after intervention to overturn a court order which led to the detention. Russian federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia confirms ...
-
NewsAzorra picks up 37-aircraft portfolio as lessor NAC exits Chapter 11
US lessor Azorra has acquired a portfolio of 37 aircraft previously owned by Nordic Aviation Capital, the leasing firm which has newly emerged from Chapter 11 protection. Azorra says it has picked up 29 Embraer E-Jet regional aircraft plus ATR and De Havilland turboprops. The aircraft are leased to 13 ...
-
NewsPressure setting suspected after two low approaches by Paris-bound A320
French investigators are probing an incident in which an Airbus A320 descended below the glidepath at Paris Charles de Gaulle during two separate approaches, triggering minimum safe altitude warnings. The aircraft was operated by the Maltese wet-lease specialist Airhub and had been inbound to Paris from Stockholm Arlanda on 23 ...
-
NewsBelavia axes planned revised service to Israel
Belarusian flag-carrier Belavia is having to scrap planned services to Israel, claiming that Israeli authorities have reversed a decision to allow the airline entry to Tel Aviv along a revised route. Belavia says it had received permission to operate from Minsk to Tel Aviv in mid-May and drawn up a ...
-
NewsAirbus and Qatar Airways should encourage regulator to rethink A350 position: judge
Airbus and Qatar Airways should co-operate to persuade the Qatari civil aviation authority to adopt a different position regarding the grounding of the airline’s A350s, the judge overseeing the two sides’ legal dispute has stated. In a detailed ruling which followed the latest High Court session on 26 May, the ...
-
NewsSAS seeks widebody fleet relief from lessors as Asian routes stay closed
Scandinavian operator SAS has stressed that it needs to relieve the financial pressure from its long-haul fleet, owing to limitations in its ability to operate to Asian destinations. Chief executive Anko van der Werff, speaking during a second-quarter briefing, said the airline had “too many” widebody aircraft. He says SAS ...
-
NewsSAS cuts back summer flight programme to avert ramp-up bottlenecks
SAS is aiming to achieve 80% of pre-crisis capacity deployment during the summer season, although the airline has cut a large number of planned flights in order to ensure stability. The Scandinavian operator says it is experiencing “positive” market development and “strong” ticket sales in the run-up to summer. But ...
-
NewsSAS could seek court assistance to help with crucial financial restructuring
Scandinavia’s SAS is prepared to utilise court-based restructuring proceedings in order to assist with resolving its financial problems and help push through parts of its ambitious ‘SAS Forward’ transformation plan. It is looking to raise at least SKr9.5 billion ($970 million) in fresh equity – expecting to source this from ...
-
NewsEmbraer accelerates Brazilian renewable electricity commitment
Embraer has accelerated an energy-purchase plan which will ensure that all the electricity it acquires in Brazil will be drawn from renewable sources. It has brought forward this plan by a year and will achieve it from 2024 rather than the original commitment of 2025. Two-thirds of the total electric ...
-
NewsNorse Atlantic to open London-New York from mid-August
Start-up long-haul carrier Norse Atlantic Airways has opened bookings for services between the UK and USA, with a London-New York link set to commence on 12 August. Norse Atlantic will operate between Gatwick to JFK daily using Boeing 787s. It will also be offering a temporary service between Gatwick and ...
-
NewsJudge rules Airbus-Qatar A350 case must head for early trial
Airbus’s legal clash with Qatar Airways over A350 skin-paint degradation appears likely to go to trial in summer 2023, after a judge ruled that the case should be tried at the earliest opportunity. Qatar Airways is claiming a degree of success from securing the expedited hearing but the airframer – ...
-
NewsUK operator Jota to be liquidated after pandemic and Brexit setbacks
Liquidators have been appointed to wind up UK operator Jota Aviation, based at London Southend, which had formerly conducted specialist passenger charter and freight services. The UK Civil Aviation Authority listed Jota Aviation as having a valid air operator’s certificate in a May update, with approvals for British Aerospace 146s ...
-
NewsUS FAA alleges string of safety violations by operator of ditched Transair 737 freighter
Ten months after a Boeing 737-200 freighter ditched in the sea off Hawaii, US regulators are alleging a series of serious safety violations by operator Rhoades Aviation and are poised to cancel its air carrier certificate. But Rhoades Aviation is disputing the FAA’s proposed action and has requested meeting with ...
-
NewsGTLK assists Azimuth and other Russian carriers with debt restructuring
Russian carriers have been restructuring debts owed to state leasing firm GTLK in response to the economic problems emerging from sanctions on the air transport industry. GTLK expects domestic traffic this year will remain at last year’s level but overall Russian airline passenger transportation will fall by 10%. Rostov-based airline ...
-
NewsEASA lays out preliminary framework for supersonic aircraft noise and emissions
European regulators are preparing an initial environmental-protection certification framework aimed at addressing the emergence of new supersonic transport aircraft designs towards the end of this decade. The measures are being laid out in an advanced notice of proposals by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. EASA states that a new ...
-
NewsAirbus to set up UK hydrogen technology centre for zero-emission aircraft
Airbus is to establish a specialist hydrogen technology centre in the UK to advance its efforts to put a zero-emission aircraft into service by the middle of next decade. The Zero Emission Development Centre, complementing its UK research platforms as well as work in Spain, France and Germany, will be ...