News from FlightGlobal – Page 486
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NewsHawaiian to cut flights by 40% during April
Hawaiian Airlines plans to cut 40% of its flights in April, including international routes and those to the continental USA, as the carrier prepares for a prolonged lack of demand and additional government travel restrictions in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The carrier on 18 March announced it will halt ...
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NewsAir Baltic joins calls for sector-wide support
Air Baltic is urging government assistance for the airline industry amid the coronavirus crisis. As the Latvian carrier reported a net loss of €7.7 million ($8.2 million) for 2019, chief executive Martin Gauss noted that, given the sector’s vulnerability to the outbreak, “state support for airlines in general might be ...
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NewsRwandAir to suspend operations for 30 days
RwandAir will temporarily halt all services from 21 March to 21 April, as its looks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The African carrier will operate its last commercial passenger flight from Rwandan capital Kigali to London Gatwick on 20 March at 01:00. The return service will depart from ...
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News‘This is really about industry survival’: EasyJet chief
EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren has warned that the aviation industry is facing its worst crisis in history – one that is threatening many carriers with bankruptcy. “This is really about industry survival,” he told ITV’s Robert Peston in a television interview on 18 March. “What we have been asking ...
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NewsAmerican Airlines to fly cargo-only flights for first time since 1984
Due to lack of demand for passenger transportation, American Airlines plans to start flying scheduled cargo-only flights.
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NewsSenate aims to provide $58b in aid to airlines
The US government has offered its airline industry a package worth $58 billion to assist in supporting the sector as it manages through the coronavirus pandemic that has forced many to reduce schedules, ground aircraft and furlough staff.
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NewsAviation industry coalition asks for coordinated government help
A coalition of 30 aviation industry groups, lobby organisations and professional associations signed a joint letter to the US government insisting it implement urgent and coordinated measures to secure the sector and protect 11 million aviation-related jobs.
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NewsNorwegian offered largest share of airline state guarantee package
Norway’s government is providing a conditional state loan guarantee for its aviation industry amounting to NKr6 billion ($533 million), and is securing a minimum level of flight operations in the country. Half of the funding, NKr3 billion, will be directed at embattled budget operator Norwegian, with another NKr1.5 billion for ...
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NewsCanada’s Sunwing to suspend flights and layoff pilots: union
Canadian leisure carrier Sunwing Airlines will suspend operations on 24 March and layoff all its roughly 470 pilots on 8 April, according the union representing Sunwing’s pilots.
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NewsCompass Airlines to shut down operations
Compass Airlines, which flies regional routes for American Airlines as American Eagle, will shut down completely on 7 April, the second US regional carrier to fall victim to the coronavirus.
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NewsUS government warns against international travel with ‘Level 4’ advisory
The US Department of State has issued a “Level 4” international travel advisory, upping the government’s travel warning to the highest level as part of an effort to urge Americans not to fly overseas.
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NewsSwiss ponders full operational stop amid ‘draconian’ restrictions
Swiss International Air Lines is considering a full suspension of flights, following the lead of other carriers within Lufthansa Group, which as a whole has shed 95% of its planned capacity.
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NewsIATA blasts new EU passenger rights guidance during pandemic
Airline passengers whose flights are cancelled as a result of the coronavirus outbreak will be able to choose between having the cost of their ticket reimbursed or rebooking on to a later flight under new European Union guidelines, a move that has prompted “dismay” at IATA.
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NewsThree runways to close at main Paris airports
Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is set to close two runways within days, providing additional space on which to park aircraft grounded by the coronavirus crisis. NOTAM information issued for the French capital hub on 19 March states that both runway 08R/26L and the parallel 08L/26R will be shut from ...
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NewsJet2 parent pulls profits guidance as carrier suspends flights until May
Parent of UK leisure carrier Jet2 has pulled its full-year financial guidance after the operator was forced to cancel all flying until 1 May following the widespread introduction of travel restrictions across Europe.
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NewsRecurrent hydraulic fault preceded Iran Fokker 100 gear-up landing
Investigators have found that an engine-driven pump’s overheating preceded a hydraulic leak before an Iran Air Fokker 100 was forced to land at Tehran Mehrabad with its main landing-gear retracted. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation found that the aircraft, inbound from Qeshm on 19 March last year, had suffered a series ...
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NewsLufthansa Group parks 700 aircraft in crisis response
Lufthansa Group is unable to predict how much its profit will fall this year as it confirmed a 95% capacity reduction to battle the coronavirus outbreak. “At present, no one can foresee the consequences,” notes chief executive Carsten Spohr in a statement accompanying 2019 earnings. “We have to counter this ...
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NewsThomas Cook failure crippled passengers' protective trust fund
Leisure firm Thomas Cook Group’s collapse resulted in a £481 million drain on the protective Air Travel Trust Fund, leaving the fund with sparse resources, a UK National Audit Office investigation states. While the Civil Aviation Authority expects the fund to remain in surplus, the investigation points out that it ...
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NewsChinese carriers’ February traffic collapse amid pandemic hit
February was a difficult month for China’s three largest carriers as the country battled the coronavirus outbreak and was the subject of travel restrictions globally. In traffic results released on 18 March, each carrier saw capacity and load factors collapse, both domestically and internationally. As with January’s traffic results, ...
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NewsQantas and Jetstar suspend all international flights
Qantas and Jetstar are suspending scheduled international flights from late March, in accordance with the Australian government’s advice. Qantas Group says in a statement: “With the federal government now recommending against all overseas travel from Australia, regularly scheduled international flights will continue until late March to assist with repatriation, and ...