Aviation

Bloomberg Heathrow Airport is introducing cleaning robots and other measures to try to reduce the risk of virus transmission at the UK aviation hub as the country eases travel restrictions. The robots use ultraviolet rays to kill viruses and bacteria at night, according to a statement from the airport, which didn’t say how many of the machines were being deployed. ...

Bloomberg EasyJet Plc Chairman John Barton said he expects shareholders to approve the British carrier’s 419 million pound ($524 million) share sale, providing a financial buffer as it contends with a slow recovery from the coronavirus shutdown. The Luton, England-based airline received proxy votes worth 60% of share capital in favour of the conditional part of a 703 pence-a-share equity ...

Bloomberg Boeing Co’s order stockpile shrank further last month as more airlines and lessors backed out of commitments for the grounded 737 Max jetliner in a market devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. The planemaker recorded 60 Max cancellations in June, including 47 that were already announced, according to the company’s website. The tally excluded Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA’s move to ...

Bloomberg London Heathrow airport, normally the busiest in Europe, will close one of its two runways for repairs at the height of the summer season, a reflection of passenger traffic that remains near rock bottom because of coronavirus lockdowns. The landing strip will be shut down over coming weeks to allow preliminary works to take place, before reopening during the ...

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co needs passenger numbers to triple by year-end if it’s going to avoid the carrier’s first ever involuntary job cuts, its chief executive officer said, even as rising coronavirus infections prompt some states to restrict travel. Southwest employees have until Wednesday to apply for voluntary separation or extended time off to help reduce spending on labour, the ...

Bloomberg South African Airways creditors and unions approved a rescue plan that includes at least $1.6 billion in state funding and thousands of job losses. Voters representing about 86% of those eligible supported the package, first proposed by administrators for the bankrupt carrier a month ago. The motion overcame the 75% threshold after most labor groups agreed to sweetened severance ...

Bloomberg US aviation regulators downgraded the safety ranking of Pakistan’s civilian airline system in the latest action following revelations that hundreds of commercial pilots received faked licenses. The Federal Aviation Administration’s action adds another hurdle to Pakistan International Airlines Corp’s ability to operate into the US, effectively blocking any carrier from that country from adding flights. The US Transportation Department ...

Bloomberg Portugal’s decision to oust the chief executive officer of TAP after a rescue of the nation’s leading airline has created an urgent vacancy to fill at a time when a broad overhaul is needed. As the government agreed to boost its holding in loss-making TAP to 72.5% on July 2, it simultaneously ended the tenure of Antonoaldo Neves after ...

Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd’s shareholders approved a plan to raise HK$39 billion ($5 billion) in a government-backed rescue that includes the sale of preference shares and a rights issue. All resolutions put to vote were approved, the airline said in a statement following an extraordinary general meeting in Hong Kong on Monday. When the recapitalisation plan was announced last ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE failed to secure any aircraft orders for a third month this year, as the collapse in global air travel battered demand for new jetliners. The European planemaker attracted zero purchases in June, according to a company statement. The manufacturer suffered one cancellation, a spokesman confirmed, bringing total net orders to 298 aircraft so far this year. The ...