Aviation

Bloomberg South Africa’s government plans to retain a minority shareholding in South African Airways, the national airline that has been in bankruptcy protection for the last six months, while ceding management control to its investors, an official said. “We are not obsessed with control,” Kgathatso Tlhakudi, deputy director-general at department of public enterprises, said in an interview on Johannesburg-based Radio ...

Bloomberg The US government restricted charter flights from India, accusing that nation of “unfair and discriminatory practices” by violating a treaty governing aviation between the two countries. Air India Ltd has been making flights to repatriate its citizens during the travel disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, but also has been selling tickets to the public, the Transportation Department alleged. ...

Bloomberg The outcome of a proposed bailout of flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG that’s meeting resistance from its largest shareholder, will impact the savings of thousands of German investors who hold its debt. The troubled airline has more than 3.7 billion euros ($4.2 billion) in outstanding bonds, loans and Schuldschein debt mostly held by German savings banks, insurers, commercial lenders ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE plans to pursue voluntary job cuts before seeking forced reductions, as it aims to bring down costs without inciting a political uproar in France and Germany, according to people familiar with the matter. The European planemaker will mandate redundancies only as a last resort after looking at voluntary layoffs and early retirement across its manufacturing operations, said ...

Bloomberg London City Airport reopened for passenger flights after a three-month shutdown due to Covid-19, according to a statement by the airport. New safety features include temperature checks, signs and floor markings to help with social distancing and crowd-tracking technology so staff can monitor and direct passengers in large crowds to quieter areas. Passengers are also being asked to wear ...

Bloomberg The final bids for Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd will show how much appetite private investors really have for an airline industry that’s been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Private equity firms Bain Capital LP and Cyrus Capital Partners LP made final and binding offers for the airline on Monday, administrator Deloitte said in a statement. The Australian carrier collapsed ...

Bloomberg US officials rejected additional flights proposed by Chinese airlines but said they would reconsider if the Beijing government adjusts its policies affecting American passenger carriers. In a statement, the Transportation Department said it disapproved service schedules submitted by four China-based carriers that currently are allowed to make four combined flights to the US each week, plus additional proposals submitted ...

Bloomberg France plans to ban commercial air travel on the country’s shortest domestic routes in a bid to prevent low-cost carriers picking up links Air France is being forced to abandon as part of the terms of a bailout package. “If we are asking things of Air France, it’s not so that low-cost companies can come along and start their ...

Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc braced its balance sheet with $3.5 billion in new financing, diverging from its recent reliance on federal aid as the coronavirus pandemic suppresses travel demand. The carrier is selling $750 million of shares and the same amount of senior convertible notes due in 2025, American said in a statement, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report. ...

Bloomberg Grupo Aeromexico SAB is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the US as the coronavirus pandemic ravages the airline industry, said people familiar with the matter. The Mexican carrier is weighing its options and no final decision has been made, the people said, asking not to be named because the discussions are private. The company is working to ...