Aviation

Bloomberg Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was among those overwhelmed on March 14 with passengers, including many returning from Europe, who faced new screening measures hastily announced last week. The crowds of anxious travelers were a stark contrast to the increasingly loud calls for people to practice “social distancing” as a way to get ahead of the spread of the coronavirus ...

Bloomberg Venezuela will temporarily suspend flights from Panama and the Dominican Republic, essentially cutting off the nation from most of the world, Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said. Flights from Europe and neighboring Colombia were already suspended earlier this week, narrowing the country’s remaining air connections to about a handful, including Turkey and Cuba. Rodriguez pleaded with Venezuelans to remain home ...

Bloomberg White House officials are discussing temporarily allowing cash-strapped airlines to keep some taxes and fees they collect from passengers as a way to help as travel plummets due to the spread of coronavirus. The option is being discussed for the 7.5% tax on airline tickets, which provides a substantial part of the $16 billion a year collected for a ...

Bloomberg Federal aviation officials are investigating the cause of a 12-inch-long crack that developed in the top of a Southwest Airlines Co jet during flight, leading to a gradual loss of cabin pressure. Pilots on Southwest Flight 1685 from Las Vegas to Boise, Idaho, descended to 22,000 feet last week after receiving a pressure-drop alert for the cabin, the Dallas-based ...

Bloomberg Air France-KLM is building up cash reserves and preparing a crisis plan to cut costs in response to a dramatic slump in flight reservations through the peak season and President Donald Trump’s ban on trans-Atlantic travel. The carrier is facing “an unprecedented situation” due to the coronavirus pandemic, Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith told staff in an internal video ...

Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc and American Airlines Group Inc walked away from their 2020 forecasts and said they will slash operations because of the coronavirus outbreak, joining carriers across the globe grappling with one of the worst crises in modern air travel. Delta plans to cut domestic capacity as much as 15% and international flights by 25%, the Atlanta-based ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE’s target for record jetliner deliveries this year may be at risk as virus-shocked customers postpone taking new planes, according to people familiar with the matter. Some Chinese airlines have deferred deliveries through April, the people said, asking not to be named discussing private information, while Malaysia’s AirAsia X has already said it will pare handovers. Qantas Airways ...

Bloomberg Vietnam Airlines is disinfecting all of its aircraft that arrive from abroad and checking the temperatures of passengers boarding in Europe after an outbreak of 14 novel coronavirus cases tied to its March 2 London to Hanoi flight. The planes will be disinfected soon after landing in Vietnam, the national carrier said in an emailed statement. The airline will ...

Bloomberg Qantas Airways Ltd and Air France-KLM became the latest airlines to announce massive cuts in flights as the coronavirus impedes travel. Qantas cut almost a quarter of its international flights for six months, grounded most of its giant A380 jets and slashed management pay as the outbreak hammers demand for travel. Air France said it plans to cancel 3,600 ...

Bloomberg Federal regulators hit Boeing Co with proposed fines totalling $19.7 million for allegedly installing unapproved cockpit equipment in hundreds of 737 Max and Next-Generation aircraft. The company put the devices into a total of 791 planes even though the aircraft weren’t certified for the devices, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a press release. The fine would be ...