Bloomberg Europe’s airlines will struggle more than competitors elsewhere to end losses next year as they’re held back by higher expenses and their dependence on overseas routes, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The region’s carriers should achieve seat-occupancy levels averaging 63.8% for the whole of 2020, increasing to 65.6% in 2021. That’s still below the projected break-even ...
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Covid not to sway builder from $2.3b Manila airport plan
Bloomberg The coronavirus pandemic and its devastating impact on global aviation and economic growth isn’t swaying Megawide Construction Corp from its 109 billion peso ($2.3 billion) plan to upgrade Manila’s airport, the main gateway to the Philippines. The company proposed a 10-year plan to double annual capacity at the aging and overcrowded Ninoy Aquino International Airport to 65 million passengers, ...
Read More »Covid passports key to resuming global travel
Bloomberg Global airline lobby IATA is working on a mobile app that will help travellers demonstrate their coronavirus-free status, joining a push to introduce so-called Covid passports to speed up the revival of international travel. The Travel Pass will display test results together with proof of inoculation, as well as listing national entry rules and details on the nearest labs, ...
Read More »Malaysia Airlines seeks financial aid
Bloomberg Malaysia Airlines’ parent company has sought financial aid from its sole shareholder, the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, as debt restructuring talks with creditors drag on, Reuters reports, citing an email from the company. “Malaysia Aviation Group has requested financial support from our shareholder Khazanah Nasional although the company isn’t in a position to comment on amount at this point ...
Read More »FAA faces its own reckoning as it gives Boeing path to fly jet
Bloomberg It’s not just Boeing Co’s 737 Max that needed repairs. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which approved what officials acknowledge was a flawed design implicated in two deadly crashes of the jetliner, found itself facing criticism from regulators around the world — a stunning turnabout for an organisation accustomed to global deference. In the wake of the disasters, ...
Read More »American scraps change fees for few overseas trips
Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc is stepping back from fees of as much as $750 to change tickets for international travel, largely abandoning a widely loathed charge as the company rushes to lure passengers back to its long-distance flights. Change fees will cease on flights originating in North or South America for all but the cheapest “basic economy†fares, American ...
Read More »Interjet in talks to avoid potential tax fraud charges
Bloomberg The founders of troubled Mexican airline Interjet are negotiating a settlement with tax authorities in an effort to avoid potential criminal fraud charges that could be filed as soon as next month, said an official familiar with the matter. Miguel Aleman Magnani, Interjet’s chief executive officer, and his father, Chairman Miguel Aleman Velasco, could face fraud charges, as could ...
Read More »Delta Air sends Airbus jets on world tour to skirt US tariffs
Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc is sidestepping millions of dollars in US tariffs on European jetliners by initially routing them far outside the country to such places as Amsterdam, Tokyo and El Salvador. The US carrier has taken delivery of seven European-built Airbus SE planes since President Donald Trump’s levies took effect in October 2019. Rather than flying them home ...
Read More »737 Max approval set for Wednesday
Bloomberg US regulators plan on Wednesday to unveil the long-awaited final requirements for allowing Boeing Co’s grounded 737 Max to return to service after 20 months, according to a person briefed on the plans. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun notifying the aviation industry of its schedule, said the person, who wasn’t able to discuss the matter publicly and ...
Read More »Covid-19: AirAsia Japan arm files for bankruptcy
Bloomberg AirAsia Japan Co has filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District Court after flagging last month it would cease operations in the country, as the coronavirus pandemic that’s wiped out travel globally took its toll. The arm of Malaysia’s AirAsia Group Bhd then received a provisional administration order from the court on Tuesday, it said in a statement. “Given ...
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