News from FlightGlobal – Page 489
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NewsAir Canada to request government help
Air Canada says it is retracting its financial guidance and cutting its operations as the global coronavirus pandemic hits the airlines, while asking the Canadian government to help with the financial losses it expects to suffer in the coming months.
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NewsPilots and United to ask for ‘government assistance’: Pilots union
United Airlines will ask the US government to help airlines as they suffer deep losses following the drop-off in demand as the coronavirus engulfs the industry.
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NewsEU plans 30-day travel ban and state aid framework
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled proposals for a 30-day restriction of travel to the European Union, as well as development of a framework for state aid to affected businesses. Von der Leyen says EU member states have been taking measures intended to reduce pressure on the ...
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NewsBank expects Lufthansa Group to make €1.5bn operating loss in 2020
Credit Suisse is forecasting that Lufthansa will make an operating loss of €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) this year, and is advocating a move toward leasing aircraft as a means of improving the group’s cash position. The bank had previously predicted an adjusted EBIT of €2.2 billion. Source: Austrian ...
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NewsNorwegian to cancel 85% of flights and temporarily lay-off 90% of staff
Norwegian is suspending a big majority of its services and laying off 7,300 employees as it seeks to weather the coronavirus outbreak. “The Covid-19 situation is escalating by the hour and due to stagnating demand and enforced travel restrictions by authorities worldwide, Norwegian will gradually cancel most of its flights ...
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NewsVirgin Atlantic to cut 80% of flights and ground 75-85% of fleet
Virgin Atlantic will reduce its flight schedule by 80% and park three-quarters of its fleet by 26 March, in addition to asking staff to take eight weeks of unpaid leave as it seeks to conserve cash and safeguard its future. The UK carrier says it is taking the “drastic measures” ...
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NewsWet-lease operator EuroAtlantic to take 787s
Portuguese wet-lease specialist EuroAtlantic Airways has signed for a pair of Boeing 787-8s, becoming the first operator of the type in the country. The carrier is taking the twinjets from AerCap, the leasing firm states. It says the two used aircraft will be delivered to EuroAtlantic in the spring of ...
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NewsStartled 747 excursion crew delayed cutting power after engine stall
Dutch investigators have concluded that a Boeing 747-400ERF crew was startled by an engine compressor stall during the take-off roll, and consequently failed to reduce thrust in time to prevent a runway excursion. The Turkish-registered MyCargo Airlines aircraft had been operating from Maastricht, bound for Jeddah, on behalf of Saudia ...
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NewsIAG not seeking state aid as Virgin appeals for government credit
IAG has not approached governments for state aid to assist the company through the coronavirus crisis, chief executive Willie Walsh has disclosed. Speaking during a 16 March briefing, Walsh said the company had not followed other individual carriers in seeking financial assistance from governments. “Governments would expect airlines to look ...
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NewsEasyJet may ground ‘majority’ of fleet
EasyJet has warned that the impact of the coronavirus may force it to ground “the majority” of its fleet and threatens the viability of the aviation industry in Europe.
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NewsRyanair may cancel entire April-May schedule
Ryanair expects to park the majority of its fleet over the next week to 10 days as the impact of the coronavirus escalates, and could suspend all of its services for April and May.
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NewsIAG looks at recruiting passenger jets to serve critical freight lines
IAG is considering recruiting some of its passenger aircraft for air freight operations, to ensure that essential cargo supplies are maintained as the coronavirus crisis persists. Chief executive Willie Walsh, speaking during a 16 March briefing, said that governments “need to appreciate” that there is a strong cargo demand, and ...
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NewsIAG to accelerate retirement of older BA and Iberia aircraft
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG is considering accelerating the retirement of older aircraft in the fleet – including some Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-600s – as part of the capacity-reduction measures being introduced to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking during a 16 March briefing, IAG chief executive Willie ...
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NewsTUI seeks state guarantees as travel market collapses
Leisure group TUI is applying for state-aid guarantees to support its business until it can restore normal operations, after suspending most of its travel operations. TUI says it is halting the “vast majority” of its package travel, cruise and hotel activities to assist with the efforts to counter the coronavirus ...
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NewsAir France A380s and KLM 747s grounded amid major capacity cuts
Air France is to ground its Airbus A380s and its Dutch sibling carrier KLM its full Boeing 747 fleet as part of wider capacity cuts the group expects will result in in potential cuts in its ASK capacity of between 70% and 90%.
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NewsKorean Air utilises passenger aircraft and routes for cargo
Korean Air is using passenger aircraft as freighters on suspended routes, as it seeks “new opportunities in the market amid unpredictable changes such as suspensions of flights and the US’ restrictions on European countries”. On 13 March, the flag carrier transported emergency supplies and agricultural products from South Korea to ...
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NewsVietnam Airlines to take major precautions on European services
Vietnam Airlines has decided it will carry passengers from Europe, but will take significant precautions amid the global coronavirus outbreak. Passenger services from London, Paris, and Frankfurt are part of what the carrier says is an effort “to uphold its national responsibilities.” Source: Vietnam Airlines A Vietnam Airlines ...
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NewsAir NZ triggers trading halt, readies for redundancies
Air New Zealand has triggered a self-imposed trading halt from Monday to allow itself “more time to more fully assess the operational and financial impacts of global travel restrictions”. It does not state when this will be lifted. The airline says in the same statement: “As a result of the ...
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NewsAsia-Pacific carriers prioritise urgent customer queries
Carriers inundated with queries in recent days are appealing for customers to reach out only for urgent flight changes. Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Air New Zealand (Air NZ) stated over the weekend that they have received a high volume of customer enquiries across channels and as a result, both carriers ...
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NewsAir India seeks government-guaranteed short-term loan
Air India is inviting bids for government-guaranteed loans totalling INR4.22 billion ($57.1 million). A tender document on the flag carrier’s website states that the loan tenor will be up to one year, and the full amount will be drawn by 24 March. The carrier asks that banks submit their bids ...