Bloomberg Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA slumped to an almost seven-year low after offering heavily discounted shares to raise about 3 billion kroner ($350 million) to shore up its balance sheet. The rights issue, underwritten by investors including John Fredriksen, Nor- way’s richest man, is intended to buy the Oslo-based airline time following the collapse of protracted talks with suitors including ...
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South African Airways to create 3 separate units
Bloomberg South African Airways will create three distinct business units focusing on domestic flights, pan-African travel and other international routes as the debt-laden airline battles to repair its balance sheet. The restructuring will not lead to a full breakup of the state-owned carrier, spokesman Tlali Tlali said by phone. Reuters had earlier reported the plan to separate into three divisions. ...
Read More »Delta, EasyJet mull $452mn Alitalia stake
Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc. and UK discounter EasyJet Plc may invest as much as 400 million euros ($452 million) in the latest attempt to revamp struggling Italian airline Alitalia SpA, according to people familiar with an initial draft of the plan. Investors in a group led by rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato SpA are evaluating the financial needs of ...
Read More »Flybmi’s collapse over Brexit strands passengers in Europe
Bloomberg The collapse of British regional airline flybmi over higher fuel prices and Brexit uncertainty has forced stranded passengers across Europe to fend for themselves, without the prospect of help from the UK government. UK student Mary Ward was in Brussels waiting for a flight to Newscastle when she received the airline’s text that said all flights had been cancelled, ...
Read More »Scrapping A380 gives Airbus’s new CEO a clean slate
Bloomberg The news started coming thick and fast even before the sun was up over Airbus SE’s headquarters in the French city of Toulouse. There was a lot to digest: earnings, writedowns, cancelled and shifted orders, and not least the landmark decision to end production of the A380 doubledecker, an albatross of a plane that had hung awkwardly around the ...
Read More »Air France-KLM tensions rise over fate of Dutch unit’s CEO
Bloomberg Just as Air France-KLM looks set to turn the page on last year’s crippling labour strife, the carrier is facing a revolt by its Dutch arm. A tussle over the reappointment of Pieter Elbers, who leads the KLM unit, sparked a noisy demonstration of support for the executive from staffers, managers and even Dutch officials, including a petition signed ...
Read More »Brazil airlines rise on back of troubles at Avianca Brasil
Bloomberg The sadness of some is the happiness of others. The Brazilian saying seems to apply perfectly to the current scenario for airlines that operate in the South American country. Oceanair Linhas Aereas Ltda, which operates under the Avianca Brasil brand, filed for judicial recovery in December, and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA is the best-performing stock in the Ibovespa ...
Read More »Vietnam’s aviation safety gets approval for US flight
Bloomberg The US Federal Aviation Administration gave its approval to Vietnam’s air-safety system, which will allow the Southeast Asian country’s airlines to fly to the US as it seeks to bolster tourism. Vietnam’s national carrier is planning flights to California. The FAA gave Vietnam a Category 1 rating, meaning US reviewers found that the country adheres to United Nations standards ...
Read More »Ailing Jet Airways gets lifeline from banks in debt-swap deal
Bloomberg Lenders to Jet Airways India Ltd. proposed a bailout of the beleaguered carrier, potentially paving the way for a revival of the airline that was on the verge of collapse. Mumbai-based Jet Airways, which needs 85 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) to help it get back on its feet, will be revamped with banks becoming the biggest shareholders of the ...
Read More »Pilot shortage to cripple Asia’s biggest budget airline IndiGo
Bloomberg IndiGo, an Indian budget carrier, is canceling dozens of flights every day over the next two months as it struggles to find enough skilled pilots following an aggressive expansion binge, according to reports. Pilots at Asia’s biggest low-cost airline by market value have exhausted their annual limit on flying hours earlier than expected, leading to the chaos, the people ...
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