News from FlightGlobal – Page 484
-
NewsUS House aid bill sets strict labour, consumer, environmental protections
The US House of Representatives says it is willing to support the transportation industry as it works through its losses due to the coronavirus, including offering infrastructure grants to airports and tangible relief for aviation workers. However, it wants airlines to protect their employees and consumers before protecting their own bottom lines.
-
NewsChina’s domestic airline market 'may be at turning point': IATA
China’s domestic passenger airline market is showing signs of improvement as the country’s coronavirus restrictions are lifted, according to IATA.
-
NewsAutothrottle contributed to Belavia 737's long landing and overrun
Ukrainian investigators have determined that the autothrottle of a Belavia Boeing 737-300 was left active before the aircraft touched down long and overran at Kiev Zhulhany. The jet had been operating from Minsk on 12 July last year, and had been descending in darkness and rain to Kiev’s downtown airport. ...
-
NewsAirline passenger revenues to fall $252 billion in 2020 amid coronavirus: IATA
IATA now expects the coronavirus outbreak to reduce airline revenues from passenger operations by $252 billion in 2020 – more than double its earlier worst-case-scenario estimate.
-
NewsNorwegian receives first financing under sector’s rescue package
Low-cost carrier Norwegian has obtained the first 10% of the funding that Norway’s government is guaranteeing for it under a rescue plan for the national airline industry. On 19 March, Norway announced an NKr6 billion ($542 million) bailout for the sector, of which half would go to Norwegian. The state ...
-
NewsThai low-cost carriers suspend international services
Thai low-cost carriers have announced temporary suspensions of international services. Thai AirAsia says its suspension of international flights began on 22 March and will end on 25 April, and that the decision was taken “in accordance with travel restrictions being enforced by various governments and relevant health authorities”. Domestic flights ...
-
NewsKLM summer schedule just 10% of normal
KLM will begin its summer season flying only a small fraction of its normal capacity, as a result of the coronavirus and travel restrictions. Although the Dutch carrier will operate to 57 destinations, it is dramatically paring back its frequencies. “From 29 March until and including 3 May, KLM plans ...
-
NewsAmericas 23 March in review: Boeing shuts Seattle factories; Airlines repatriate citizens
US aerospace companies continue to take radical measures to try to reduce the impact of the coronavirus as politicians negotiate a federal aid package designed to assist the companies through the crisis.
-
NewsUnited reinstates some flights to Europe, Asia
United has stepped back from its plans to cut 95% of its capacity and leave just a skeleton network in place through the coronavirus crisis, now reinstating some daily international routes to Europe, Asia and Australia, while running a few additional flights between now and the end of March to repatriate displaced travelers.
-
NewsAir Canada to reinstate some international routes to repatriate citizens
Air Canada will reinstate some international connections in an effort to repatriate citizens who have become stranded overseas as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.
-
NewsIndia to halt all domestic passenger flights from 25 March
India will suspend all domestic passenger flights from 25 March in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
-
NewsAirbus sees indications of gradual Chinese traffic recovery
Airbus believes there are initial signs of air transport recovery from the coronavirus outbreak in China, from where the first contagion wave spread. Its Tianjin facility had briefly shut production when the outbreak emerged, but has since resumed manufacturing, although Chinese airline operations remain significantly affected. Speaking during a briefing ...
-
NewsTransat to lay off 70% of Canadian staff as it halts flights in April
Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat will suspend all flights on 1 April, while its parent Transat AT is laying off some 3,600 Canadian employees due to the coronavirus crisis.
-
NewsUAE halts all passenger flights for two weeks
All inbound, outbound and transit passenger flights to and from the United Arab Emirates – home to one of the world’s busiest hubs – are to be suspended for two weeks.
-
NewsIcelandair Group shifts nearly all staff to temporary working
Icelandair Group has disclosed that it is operating only 14% of its flight schedule and expects this to reduce further, and that it is taking steps to move 92% of employees to temporary part-time working. But it is also cutting 240 personnel across its divisions. The group employs just over ...
-
NewsSIA grounds almost entire fleet in ‘greatest challenge’ ever
Singapore Airlines will slash schedules and ground almost all aircraft, as the coronavirus pandemic presents “the greatest challenge that the SIA Group has faced in its existence”. Due to the further tightening of border controls globally, SIA will cut 96% of scheduled capacity until end-April and ground 138 of 147 ...
-
NewsNew Zealand implements four-week lockdown
New Zealand will go into lockdown for four weeks starting 25 March to halt the spread of the coronavirus. “These decisions will place the most significant restriction on New Zealanders’ movements in modern history,” prime minister Jacinda Ardern stated in a public address today. “This is not a decision taken ...
-
NewsAustralian carriers plan capacity cut on domestic travel curb
Virgin Australia and Qantas expect further changes to their schedules after the Australian government advised against domestic travel to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Virgin Australia said in statement to the stock exchange today: “The Virgin Australia Group acknowledges the additional Covid-19 related travel restrictions announced by the ...
-
NewsEasyJet cancels 90% of flights from 24 March
EasyJet will ground the majority of its aircraft from 24 March because of the coronavirus-related travel restrictions in force across its network. The carrier will continue to operate rescue flights to repatriate customers, but anticipates this will mostly be complete by 23 March. “These are unprecedented times for the airline ...
-
NewsS&P cuts European airlines’ credit ratings
S&P Global has lowered its ratings for EasyJet, Ryanair, Lufthansa, IAG, British Airways, Air Baltic, Turkish Airlines and SAS, and placed them on alert for further downgrades as the coronavirus hurts their liquidity positions. “The pandemic materially threatens the credit quality of European airlines and poses serious challenges for the ...