Europe – Page 247
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News
Spain agrees €475m Air Europa aid package
Spain’s cabinet has agreed a €475 million ($552 million) support package for Air Europa, the first funding delivered under a wider scheme established by the government in July. The funds have been released as part of a €10 billion solvency support fund for strategic companies set aside by the Spanish ...
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News
Shift to domestic markets helps Volotea limit crisis impact on traffic
European carrier Volotea is crediting a shift of its network strategy to focus on domestic flights for a July-September traffic performance in which declines in passenger levels were kept to less than a quarter. Volotea says it handled 2.4 million passengers in the third quarter, down only 23% on the ...
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News
Ryanair and Wizz traffic down 70% in October
Traffic data released this morning from European low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air for October shows passenger levels running 70% down on prior-year levels as travel restrictions across Europe took further hold.
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News
Last Avro RJ leaves CityJet fleet
Irish wet-lease operator CityJet has withdrawn the last of its BAE Systems Avro RJ85 regional jets, ending a 27-year association with the type and its predecessor, the BAe146. The operator’s final RJ85, registration EI-RJF, left Dublin on 2 November bound for Reykjavik. The aircraft was en-route to the USA where ...
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News
Ryanair’s O’Leary plots aggressive post-Covid strategy
Ryanair will exit the coronavirus crisis leaner, more competitive and ready for expansion, group chief executive Michael O’Leary has vowed. The low-cost carrier is using the crisis to “rapidly restructure our cost base”, he explained during a 2 November half-year results call. All of the major expense items – wages, ...
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Airline Business
Istanbul airport chief on guiding a new hub through the Covid crisis
The chief executive of Istanbul’s nascent hub describes how the coronavirus crisis hit the business just after a huge capital investment – and how he plans to ensure it emerges from the downturn as a strong global player
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News
Capacity concerns forgotten as embattled Berlin Brandenburg finally opens
One of the ironies of Berlin Brandenburg airport’s much-delayed opening is that the onset of the air transport crisis has brought an excess of capacity to a hub which, at one point, was thought to have a shortage. Combined passenger numbers for Tegel and Schoenefeld airport for the first eight ...
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News
KLM pilots outline concerns after government freezes rescue loan
KLM pilots have requested talks with the Dutch finance ministry after the government suspended a rescue loan to the airline over its failure to meet the attached labour conditions. Pilot union VNV had held off from signing a commitment clause intended to ensure that labour agreements could be extended for ...
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News
Ryanair looks beyond hard winter towards 737 Max arrival
Ryanair envisions taking delivery of 30 Boeing 737 Max jets before the peak of summer 2021, but is expecting to face heavy losses over the upcoming winter season. It is not prepared to forecast full-year performance but states that it is expecting “higher losses” over the second half to 31 ...
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News
KLM urges pilots to sign crucial pact necessary to secure ‘survival’ loan
KLM has urged pilot and cabin crew representatives to join other unions in committing to labour contributions, in order to secure a €3.4 billion ($4 billion) state-backed loan. The Dutch carrier says the cockpit union VNV has not signed a commitment clause, while the FNV union – representing cabin and ...
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News
Vueling pursues better maintenance control via ‘big bang’ project
Spanish budget carrier Vueling is in the process of constructing a spare-parts warehouse at its Barcelona hub as part of a wider project to insource critical maintenance management activities.
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News
Domestic demand bolsters Aeroflot revenue
Russian carrier Aeroflot saw quarter-on-quarter rises in passenger demand and revenue during the three months ended 30 September, underpinned by strong domestic demand. Although third-quarter revenue was down 67% on last year’s, at Rb55.2 billion ($695 million), the carrier notes that load factors and yields were at “comparable levels”. Still, ...
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News
Losses prompt IAG review of fuel hedging
IAG is examining its policy of taking out fuel hedges following massive losses from the financial instruments.
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News
Romanian budget carrier Blue Air to add Heathrow and Frankfurt
Romanian low-cost carrier Blue Air is to switch its London flights to Heathrow from December and launch Frankfurt services next summer as it bids to challenge network carriers in their hubs. Blue AIr has served London Luton airport since 2012, but will begin Bucharest to Heathrow flights from the start ...
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News
‘Debates remain’ with government on bailout deal: KLM chief
KLM chief executive Pieter Elbers says the carrier is continuing discussions with the Dutch government over the approval of its bailout deal, amid reports that the airline’s proposals have been rejected.
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News
IAG looks to seal restructuring agreement with BA cargo operation
IAG is turning to attention to securing personnel agreements with British Airways’ freight-handling operation, in order to round off its cost-saving and restructuring measures. Chief executive Luis Gallego, speaking during a third-quarter briefing, said that the company had achieved substantial savings at the UK flag-carrier but “still has to close ...
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News
Air France-KLM laments fresh lockdown as Q3 loss tops €1bn
The new lockdown imposed by the French government amid rising cases of coronavirus across the region will weigh on Air France-KLM’s performance through the fourth quarter of this year.
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News
British Airways parent IAG takes €275m charge for staff cuts
IAG has recorded exceptional charges of €275 million ($321 million) in the third quarter relating to staff restructuring at British Airways and Aer Lingus. The parent company says the restructuring corresponds to a reduction of 10,000 in employee numbers, of whom over 9,000 had left by the end of September. ...
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News
Rossiya sets up pilot corps to prepare for Superjet 100 operations
Russian carrier Rossiya has established a new flight unit which will second pilots from parent Aeroflot Group to operate Sukhoi Superjet 100s on its network. Rossiya uses a mix of Boeing 747s and 777s for its long-haul services, as well as Boeing 737s and Airbus A320-family jets for short-haul operations. ...
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News
EU targets common protocol for Covid testing of travellers
The European Commission is preparing common passenger testing, quarantine and tracking practices for member states to help ensure safe travel as it battles the Covid-19 pandemic. “Free movement within the EU and the border-free Schengen area are prized achievements of European integration – the Commission is working to ensure that ...