Aviation

Bloomberg Air India Assets Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle that holds part of the state-owned carrier’s debt and assets, is planning its first rupee-denominated bond sale to refinance some debt of the airline. Air India Assets is aiming to raise 220 billion rupees ($3.2 billion) and has sought fee bids from bankers, people familiar with the matter said. Out …

Bloomberg As airlines boost profits by packing more passengers into smaller spaces, lengthy international trips have become increasingly cramped and miserable. Delta Air Lines Inc hopes a refreshing drink and a nicer dinner setting will help make up for all that. Starting from November 5 in the coach class cabin of international trips of more than 6.5 hours, the Atlanta-based …

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co, the largest operator of the grounded Boeing Co 737 Max, said the discovery of a new safety issue with the jetliner is extending its absence “well beyond” what was hoped, forcing the carrier to reassess its schedule for the rest of the year. The latest problem, “unfortunately, is going to delay the timeline for returning the …

Bloomberg It remains the mystery at the heart of Boeing Co’s 737 Max crisis: how a company renowned for meticulous design made seemingly basic software mistakes leading to a pair of deadly crashes. Longtime Boeing engineers say the effort was complicated by a push to outsource work to lower-paid contractors. The Max software — plagued by issues that could keep …

Bloomberg Four of the world’s leading aircraft regulators have agreed in principle to coordinate in restoring Boeing Co’s 737 Max to service once they’re confident that technical updates and new training meet safety standards. The tentative pact is an attempt to avoid the fractious approach taken in grounding the jet after two deadly crashes, people familiar with the discussions said. …

Bloomberg Beijing’s second international airport has been completed — and it’s expected to become one of the world’s busiest. Designed to take the pressure off the overcrowded Beijing Capital International Airport, the new site south of the city will be able to handle 72 million passengers a year by 2025, and 100 million by 2040. Combined, the two airports will …

Bloomberg South Africa’s Bidvest Group Ltd won court approval to sell its holding in Mumbai International Airport to a third party, dealing a blow to majority holder GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd’s bid to increase its ownership. The ruling allowed unit Bid Services Division (Mauritius) Ltd to divest its 13.5 percent stake, dismissing GVK’s effort to exercise its right of …

Bloomberg More than a fifth of all European flights were delayed in May despite the introduction of measures aimed at preventing disruptions that wreaked havoc on travel during last year’s busy summer season. Monthly data from regional air traffic authority Eurocontrol show 22.1 percent of flights were delayed compared with 24.5 percent the same month last year, according to a …

Bloomberg Discount carrier Wizz Air Holdings Plc is considering using a new fleet of long-range narrow-body Airbus SE jets to launch flights from London to Dubai and even central Europe to India in a further challenge to network rivals. The 20 A321 XLR planes ordered will allow Wizz to broaden its footprint and beef up capacity on existing destinations, Chief …

Bloomberg German Efromovich, the ousted chairman of Bolivian airline Avianca, is eyeing a comeback via Italy. Efromovich wants to buy a stake in the bankrupt Italian flag-carrier Alitalia SpA, financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported, citing an interview. “We wrote a letter to Ferrovie dello Stato and the adviser Mediobanca two weeks ago saying we can purchase up to …