Aviation

  Bloomberg A new budget carrier meant to be the first international customer for China’s homegrown passenger jet is going with Airbus SE for its first plane, the carrier’s website shows. Indonesian low-cost carrier PT TransNusa Aviation Mandiri may eventually have as many as six Airbus jets in its fleet, with a second due to arrive next month, a person ...

Bloomberg Thailand will scrap a mandatory Covid test on arrival as the Southeast Asian nation rolls back some of the pandemic-era measures seen as deterring global tourists. The RT-PCR tests will be replaced with a voluntary self-administered antigen tests for those entering via air and land borders from May 1, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the nation’s main virus task ...

  Bloomberg Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, is set to launch a flag-carrier airline almost a quarter of a century after the previous one ceased operations in the country formerly known as Swaziland. Eswatini Air will fly from national capital Mbabane to cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town in neighboring South Africa starting later this year, Qiniso Dhlamini, chief ...

  Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd will alter monthly allowances and other perks for pilots as it tries to stem a wave of resignations among crew frustrated by the impact of Hong Kong’s Covid-19 policies on their lives. The changes depend on pilot ranking and come on top of base salaries and hourly flying rates. From next year, the most ...

  Bloomberg Virgin Australia opened three small invitation-only airport lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, renewing its push under new owner Bain Capital into a business-travel market dominated by Qantas Airways Ltd. The lounges are accessed through unmarked doors and have a boardroom for guests and freebies such as meals and refreshments. Together, they seat fewer than 250 people, the ...

  Bloomberg United Airlines Holdings Inc jumped after forecasting a profit this year, overcoming a first-quarter loss as consumers increasingly ditch their pandemic-era habits and resume air travel. The carrier’s operating margin in the second quarter will be about 10%, according to a statement. Fuelled by booming leisure sales heading into the summer and “rapidly returning” business travel, the performance ...

  Bloomberg Violent and unruly airline passengers will continue to face steep fines and potential criminal charges even as rules mandating face coverings fade away. The US Federal Aviation Administration said its zero-tolerance policy against unruly passengers will be made permanent as it attempts to deter bad behaviour. The move came two days after most major US airlines eliminated policies ...

  Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc circled back to the public-relations runway after calling Covid-19 an “ordinary seasonal virus” as the airline announced the end of the mask mandate on flights. The airline used the phrase in a statement saying it was relieved when a court lifted the federal mask mandate on air travel, drawing criticism from Twitter users for ...

Bloomberg Auckland Airport has experienced a bounce in international visitor numbers, and is optimistic of further increases as New Zealand eases border restrictions, Chief Executive Officer Carrie Hurihanganui said. Foreign arrivals at the nation’s busiest airport plummeted when the border was shut in March 2020, but have started to recover following the removal of self-isolation requirements for residents returning home ...

  Bloomberg Most major US airlines are no longer requiring travellers or employees to wear face coverings on domestic and some international flights. The decisions came hours after a US judge overturned a federal mandate for passengers to cover their faces. The US Transportation Security Administration said after the court ruling that it would stop requiring passengers on planes, trains ...