News from FlightGlobal – Page 477
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NewsLufthansa retires six A380s early for reduced post-crisis fleet
Lufthansa is prematurely phasing out six Airbus A380s as part of fleet cuts across the airline group in preparation for an operational restart with reduced capacity when the coronavirus crisis recedes.
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NewsJet2 extends operational shutdown to mid-June
UK leisure carrier Jet2 is now aiming to resume operations on 17 June, after it previously cancelled all flying until 1 May.
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News25 million jobs endangered by airline coronavirus crisis: IATA
IATA has calculated that some 25 million jobs might be at risk amid falling demand for air travel caused by the coronavirus crisis.
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NewsEl Al bailout request rejected by Israeli finance ministry
Israel’s finance ministry has rejected El Al’s request for state aid, prompting the airline to appeal directly to the country’s prime minister for help.
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NewsSAS details staff cuts and warns it may need more state aid
Scandinavian carrier SAS has temporarily laid off 11,000 employees and will make 120 positions in Sweden permanently redundant, and is warning that the state support it is set to receive “will not suffice” if the coronavirus crisis persists.
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NewsOff-centre landing damaged Turkish A330 undercarriage
Nigerian investigators have disclosed that a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300 suffered damage after travelling partially off the runway for a distance of some 400m following a landing at Port Harcourt. The aircraft (TC-LOL), arriving from Istanbul at night on 30 December last year, had been established on the localiser for ...
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NewsEuropean air navigation fee deferral aims to assist struggling airlines
Up to €1.1 billion in European air navigation charge payments is being deferred under an agreement intended to assist airlines struggling under the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Pan-European air navigation organisation Eurocontrol says its members have agreed the deferral as part of a financial package to provide “liquidity support”. ...
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NewsWellington plans reciprocal transit agreements for repatriation
New Zealand will enter into reciprocal transit arrangements with a number of countries to make it easier for both citizens and foreigners to get home. The rapid closure of borders and tightening travel restrictions, along with the resulting decline in commercial airline flights has left many travellers struggling to get ...
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NewsAir New Zealand to lay off 387 pilots: union
Air New Zealand is planning to make 387 pilots redundant amid the coronavirus crisis, their union said today. The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) said it met with the carrier’s chief executive Greg Foran and his executive team several times on 6 April to discuss cost-cutting measures. “NZALPA ...
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NewsEtihad to test contactless medical screening at airport
Etihad Airways will trial new contactless technology that will help it identify passengers with medical conditions, potentially even those with early stages of the coronavirus. The carrier is partnering with Australian technology firm Elenium Automation to test the new concept later this month at its Abu Dhabi hub. ...
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NewsChangi airport to close Terminal 2 for 18 months from May
Singapore’s Changi airport is closing Terminal 2 (T2) for 18 months from May 1 due to the dramatic fall in traffic as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Transport minister Khaw Boon Wan told parliament on 6 April that the impact on Changi was “severe”, describing the airport, which has ...
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NewsIndian regional carrier falls victim to coronavirus pandemic
Air Deccan, a small regional airline that was once India’s largest low-cost carrier, has become the first airline in the country to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Cirium fleets data shows the airline has just two 19-seater Beechcraft 1900Ds but once boasted Airbus narrowbodies and ATR turboprops. It announced ...
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NewsBOC Aviation’s first-quarter collection rate falls to 94%
BOC Aviation reported 100% aircraft utilisation for the three months ended 31 March 2020, though lease payment collection rate for the period was 94%. Data from the company’s historical stock-exchange filings show that since 2008 – the first full-year the company operated as BOC Aviation after Bank of China acquired ...
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NewsSweden’s BRA files for protection to buy time for restructuring
Swedish carrier Braathens Regional Airlines has filed for protection in order to undergo a restructuring exercise. It has suspended all services with effect from 6 April with the intention of gradually resuming flights “after the summer”, it says, when conditions are expected to have improved. BRA says the decision will ...
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NewsHSBC expects European airline consolidation amid Covid-19 crisis
The coronavirus crisis will speed up airline-industry consolidation across Europe as less profitable carriers fail or are taken over by leaner competitors, according to an analysis by HSBC. “We expect financially weak airlines that survive to be… significantly smaller as they exit the outbreak,” the bank writes in an update ...
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NewsIAI ships first cargo-converted 737-800s following certification
Approval adds second variant to existing -700 modification
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NewsEasyJet borrows from UK coronavirus fund as part of liquidity plan
Budget carrier EasyJet has taken steps to borrow funds from the UK government’s corporate financing facility, established to assist companies during the coronavirus crisis. EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren says the airline’s “priority” is to “safeguard short-term liquidity”. He says the company has been successful in issuing £600 million of ...
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NewsIncorrectly-sized parts found after Icelandair 757 gear collapse
Investigators have found incorrectly-sized components on the landing-gear assembly of an Icelandair Boeing 757-200 which suffered a main landing-gear collapse at Reykjavik earlier this year. Icelandic investigation authority RNSA has recommended specific safety checks on four aircraft serviced by Landing Gear Technologies, to ensure that parts which have undergone undersizing ...
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NewsEasyJet founder refuses to inject new funds as he directs ire at CFO
EasyJet founder and shareholder Stelios Haji-Iaonnou has refused to inject any fresh capital into the UK budget airline while a contract to acquire further Airbus jets remains in place, and is turning his wrath on chief financial officer Andrew Findlay. Haji-Ioannou has named Findlay as the second director he aims ...
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NewsIcelandair Group studies options to avoid liquidity depletion
Icelandair Group has recruited advisors to look into options for reinforcing its capital structure, and explore possibilities for strengthening its competitiveness. It states that its liquidity position is still “well above” its minimum level of $200 million. But it adds that – given the assumption of “minimum revenue generation” in ...