Aviation

Bloomberg Deutsche Lufthansa AG is preparing for more drastic cutbacks in its global workforce and airline fleet than it previously planned, after a hoped-for recovery of air traffic fizzled out. Recent rules that forced travellers into quarantine have had a catastrophic effect on bookings, Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr told staff at a meeting, according to people in attendance. For …

Bloomberg Qantas Airways Ltd is considering shifting its headquarters from Sydney in an effort to cut costs as the pandemic forces it to scale down operations. The carrier announced a three-month review of its property footprint across the country, and said it was seeking to trim its annual A$40 million ($29 million) bill for rented office space. Qantas appointed Colliers …

Bloomberg SpiceJet Ltd, one of the world’s biggest customers for Boeing Co’s now-grounded 737 Max jets, said an interim offer of compensation from the US planemaker is higher than what the Indian budget carrier recognised earlier. SpiceJet, India’s second biggest airline, has been using an unusual accounting method to book income on expected compensation from Boeing in the past few …

Bloomberg Airbus SE is offering French employees a bonus of two months’ salary if they accept voluntary severance by the end of next month, stepping up efforts to thin its ranks with fewer forced layoffs. The pandemic-hit planemaker is also offering to top up monthly wages by as much as 350 euros ($415) for up to a year if workers …

Bloomberg French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he would guarantee the survival of Air France after his Dutch counterpart warned more cost cuts may be needed to get through the deep industry slump. France will “do what is necessary to guarantee the survival of Air France,” Le Maire said on France 2 television. “We’ve already done a lot, and …

Bloomberg When the Covid-19 crisis hit the airline business this year, Deutsche Lufthansa AG was planning to phase out the half-dozen aging MD-11 freighters that remain in its fleet by the end of 2020. Then cargo rates skyrocked. The virus destroyed demand for air travel, and as airlines grounded their fleets they also created a shortage of air-cargo space by …

Bloomberg Flying business class isn’t what it used to be. Efforts to minimise human interaction and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection are taking the shine off the most expensive seats onboard commercial aircraft. Gone are the multi-course banquets and warm personal service, once the hallmarks of carriers like Singapore Airlines Ltd and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. These days, what’s …

Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd is still burning through as much as HK$2 billion ($258 million) a month and will continue to do so until the market recovers from the coronavirus crisis, the company said as it reported dismal August traffic figures and reiterated the need to restructure. “We are weathering the storm for now, but the fact remains that …

Bloomberg Thai Airways International Pcl, the nation’s flagship carrier, got court approval for its business restructuring on Monday. The Central Bankruptcy Court decided that the airline can proceed with its business reorganisation plan, a crucial step forward for the embattled company, which has around 350 billion baht ($11 billion) of debt, according to Chansin Treenuchagron, its acting president. The flagship …

Bloomberg Singapore Airlines Ltd is eliminating about 4,300 jobs, or 20% of its workforce, as the coronavirus outbreak devastates the aviation industry. The cuts will be made at Singapore Airlines and its SilkAir and Scoot units. Discussions are underway with unions and arrangements will be finalised as soon as possible, the carrier said in a statement. “Having to let go …