News from FlightGlobal – Page 496
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NewsThai Airways sold six widebodies last year
Thai Airways International sold six widebodies last year as part of its strategy to “continuingly sell decommissioned aircraft”. The flag carrier says in a stock exchange filing that it disposed of five Airbus A330-300s and one Boeing 747-400 in 2019. It did not disclose the names of the buyers. Cirium ...
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NewsSingapore extends entry restrictions to stem coronavirus outbreak
New travel restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus take effect in Singapore today, barring the entry of new visitors who visited South Korea, Iran, or northern Italy in the past 14 days. Citizens and permanent residents returning from these regions will have to self-quarantine for 14 days. ...
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NewsRyanair chief leaves door open to Airbus order
Ryanair group chief executive Michael O’Leary would be open to ordering Airbus A320s – provided the European manufacturer can come up with the right offer. “The A320 is a great aircraft,” he told Cirium at the A4E aviation summit in Brussels, although he stresses that so too is the Boeing ...
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NewsAirline chiefs sanguine on coronavirus impact
Leaders of some the largest airlines in Europe believe that the coronavirus will only have a limited impact on demand for air travel on the continent. Speaking at the A4E aviation summit in Brussels on 3 March, IAG’s outgoing chief executive Willie Walsh acknowledged that the group had seen a ...
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NewsCoronavirus ‘no excuse’ for state aid to failing carriers: Walsh
IAG chief Willie Walsh is firmly rejecting any notion that airlines which were struggling before the coronavirus outbreak should be granted state aid to help cope with its impact. He told the A4E aviation summit in Brussels on 3 March that the outbreak was “not an excuse” for such carriers ...
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NewsIncomplete single EU aviation market costing €37bn annually
Europe’s much-vaunted single aviation market remains an incomplete initiative, costing airlines €37 billion ($41 billion) per year in terms of disunity in legislation and application of regulations, according to an independent air transport research group. Half of this figure – some €17.4 billion – could be saved by implementing an ...
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NewsSAS pulls full-year financial guidance amid coronavirus uncertainty
Scandinavian carrier SAS has withdrawn its full-year financial guidance amid uncertainty around the impact on air travel demand of the coronavirus outbreak.
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NewsAirline failures loom as outbreak spreads: ISTAT panelists
Global airline capacity in 2020 has declined by nearly 3% as of 2 March compared to the same period in 2019, Rob Morris, global head of Ascend by Cirium, disclosed at an ISTAT event today. Through the week ended 1 March, global capacity had declined by 2% year-over-year, Cirium schedules ...
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NewsHNA Group appeals for government help amid heightened liquidity risk
Hainan Airlines’ parent company, the HNA Group, has requested the Hainan provincial government to set up a working group to look into its risk management efforts. HNA states that it has faced increased liquidity risk of late, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, and was unable to manage the risks ...
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NewsVistara receives first Boeing 787
India’s Vistara has taken delivery of the first widebody aircraft in its fleet, a Boeing 787-9. The GEnx-1B powered aircraft, registered VT-TSD, is the first of six 787s that Vistara has on order. Vistara takes first Boeing 787-9 The carrier, a joint venture ...
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NewsCharter provider Wheels Up buys business aircraft operator Gama Aviation Signature
US business aircraft charter company Wheels Up has acquired aircraft operator Gama Aviation Signature, a move that continues fast-growing Wheels Up’s expansion following a recent equity sale to Delta Air Lines.
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NewsDelta announces new routes from Seattle
Delta Air Lines is expanding its service on routes from its West Coast hub of Seattle-Tacoma international airport, bringing the number of destinations it serves from the northwestern US city to 56.
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NewsAeroflot weighs options for long-haul fleet
Aeroflot Group is in the process of reviewing options for expanding its long-haul fleet, as well as how planned short-haul growth can be maintained despite uncertainty on the Boeing 737 Max family’s return to service.
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NewsIATA seeks freezing of slot rules to aid coronavirus capacity cuts
IATA is contacting aviation regulators to request the suspension of rules governing airport slots for the remainder of the winter season and for the upcoming summer timetable as airline pull back capacity in the light of the spread of the coronavirus.
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NewsKenya Airways taps state loan to cover Embraer engines overhaul
SkyTeam carrier Kenya Airways has received a KSh5 billion ($49 million) loan from the government to cover an engine overhaul programme for its fleet of Embraer E190 regional jets.
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NewsLufthansa to cut short-haul operations by up to a quarter to counter coronavirus
Lufthansa Group is to cut its short and medium-haul operations by up to 25% in the coming weeks as it moves to counteract the air travel impact of the coronavirus.
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NewsWizz Air applies for AOC for new Abu Dhabi carrier
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air has reached a firm agreement to establish a new operator in Abu Dhabi, which will commence services in autumn this year. The airline is tying up with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company to set up the Middle Eastern operation. It states that it has ...
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NewsJeju Air closes Eastar Jet acquisition for $46 million cash
South Korea’s Jeju Air will acquire a majority stake in compatriot Eastar Jet as planned for a W54.5 billion ($45.8 million) cash consideration. The amount is lower than the W69.5 billion previously announced. W11.95 billion of the acquisition price has already been paid as down payment for the stock sale ...
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NewsThai Airways 2019 losses widen despite increased traffic
Thai Airways International’s losses widened by Bt3.4 billion ($109 million) to Bt12.4 billion in 2019, as revenues fell despite increased passenger numbers. Operating revenue declined by 7.7% to Bt184 billion, as passenger revenue fell 7% to Bt149 billion while the cargo segment plunged 20.4% to Bt17.8 billion. Among the factors ...
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NewsAir Macau exercises option for A320neo from CALC
Air Macau has exercised the option to purchase one Airbus A320neo from Hong Kong-based lessor China Aircraft Leasing (CALC). The flag carrier was granted the option on 11 March 2019 to buy one A320neo that it was set to take on operating lease from CALC by the end of 2019. ...