Aviation

Bloomberg The resurgent Covid-19 pandemic is pushing back the recovery in air travel, turning winter into a survival test for carriers now pinning hopes on a spring rebound. Airlines are urging governments to introduce more testing and travel bubbles to help spur demand. The industry is on track to burn through an estimated $77 billion in cash the second half. ...

Bloomberg French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari isn’t shying away from a possible temporary nationalisation of airlines hit by the travel slowdown caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Nationalising airlines is “a technical option, temporarily, but you need a project, a strategy,” Djebbari said on Europe 1 radio. “Nationalising a company, entering the company’s capital, it’s a short-term solution.” France and the ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE is preparing to ramp up output next year of its most important jet, the A320neo, in a sign of growing confidence on the part of the European planemaker that jetliner demand is poised to recover. While no decision has been made, suppliers have been told to be ready to support a monthly rate of 47 A320neo-family planes ...

Bloomberg At a time most airlines are shedding jobs, there is one that’s hiring — a new low-cost carrier called Zipair Tokyo Inc. The unit of Japan Airlines Co will take on around 100 employees from the broader JAL group as it launches passenger flights between Tokyo and cities including Bangkok and Seoul, a JAL spokesman said. The budget airline ...

Bloomberg To block or not to block. The middle seat has become a critical issue for airlines as coronavirus-wary leisure travelers straggle back onto planes. Southwest Airlines Co said that it would begin filling middle seats on December 1. The change leaves Delta Air Lines Inc and Alaska Air Group Inc as the only two major US carriers that will ...

Bloomberg A coalition of airline and travel industry groups is urging top US officials to develop standards for rapid testing and other measures to sidestep the growing quarantine restrictions imposed by states. Eighteen states have some type of quarantine for people arriving from Covid-19 hot spots, but “this patchwork of rules is confusing and discourages travel,” the group of 20 ...

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc have scrapped their annual staff Halloween parties because of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending revered traditions amid an unprecedented industry slump. “You all know Halloween celebrations will look differently this year,” Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said in his weekly message to employees. “Please remember to wear your masks while having fun with one ...

Bloomberg Singapore Airlines Ltd will restart 19-hour non-stop flights to New York next month, betting that demand will recover as the coronavirus pandemic eases in its home country. The airline will use its Airbus SE A350 aircraft for the world’s longest flight, with three weekly services starting from November 9 from Changi Airport to John F Kennedy International, according to ...

Bloomberg British Airways is planning to cut the number of flights it operates from London Gatwickas the coronavirus pandemic continues to slam the travel industry, the Mail reported. The carrier aims to shift business to Heathrow — Britain’s largest airport — where it will counter falling demand for business travel by boosting premium leisure flights to long-haul holiday destinations, the ...

Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd will cut 6,000 jobs and close its Cathay Dragon brand, the South China Morning Post reported, as part of a strategic review to combat the deep damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Hong Kong-based airline is expected to officially announce the plan after the market close on Wednesday, the newspaper said. It initially planned ...