Aviation

Bloomberg Air France-KLM Group’s French pilots approved a pay deal, putting an end to last year’s labour conflict and handing Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith more freedom to define his new strategy. The accord, hammered out during months of talks between management and unions, was approved by 85 percent of pilots, the SNPL union said in a phone message. It ...

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. said it would investigate the cause of an operational emergency that’s seen an “unprecedented number” of aircraft taken out of service for mechanical issues, and indicated the groundings may be related to ongoing contract talks with a labour union. The disruptions started February 12, days after the airline’s last contract talks with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal ...

Bloomberg Flybe Group Plc said American Airlines-backed Mesa Air Group Inc. has launched a counter-bid for its business, leading the stock to more than double in price. The approach from Phoenix, Arizona-based Mesa and New York private-equity firm Bateleur Capital LLC is “preliminary and highly conditional,” Exeter, England-based short-haul carrier Flybe said in a statement on Wednesday, without revealing how ...

Bloomberg The US Air Force’s next budget will request funds for eight new F-15 fighter-bombers from Boeing Co., beefing up its inventory with an upgraded version of a plane it last bought in 2001, even as it pursues the more advanced F-35 from rival Lockheed Martin Corp. The F-15s will be proposed in the fiscal 2020 budget, expected around March ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...