Aviation

Bloomberg South African Airways, Kenya Airways Plc, Air Mauritius Ltd. and RwandAir are in talks to create an alliance, as they face mounting competition. “Air Mauritius took the initiative to join forces with three other African airlines in a bid to create an alliance that would develop air connectivity in the region,” Chief Executive Officer Somas Appavou said. “In a ...

Bloomberg A majority of bondholders accepted Mexico’s offer to buy back $1.8 billion in debt used to fund the construction of an international airport that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said he’ll cancel. There was “overwhelming” acceptance by bondholders, said Mexico’s Finance Ministry. The acceptance by bondholders will allow the government to avoid a mandatory repayment of all $6 ...

Bloomberg US airports may be just as vulnerable as London’s Gatwick airport to the kind of illegal drone incursions that shut down the UK’s second-busiest hub last week. Counter-drone technology performed so poorly in US government tests in recent years that the systems couldn’t reliably identify rogue unmanned aircraft, casting doubts on whether there’s a viable short-term solution to the ...

Bloomberg As thousands rush to complete journeys disrupted by the recent drone incursions at London Gatwick airport, here’s a guide to how the aviation industry is responding, and what the long-term fallout might be. Airlines have a legal duty to get travellers to their destination, no matter if a flight is halted by the weather, strikes or the appearance of ...

Bloomberg Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA said its cash position is “satisfactory” and a cost-savings plan is bearing fruit as the debt-strapped budget carrier faces disruptions to its long-haul flights during the slow winter season. “To meet the competitive environment in a period with seasonally lower demand in Europe, the company has made several changes to its route portfolio as well ...

Bloomberg The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought Parliament’s approval for an equity infusion of 23 billion rupees ($330 million) in Air India, effectively ruling out an immediate revival of its plan to sell the ailing carrier. Modi’s bid to turn the airline profitable under his watch comes after the government failed to find any takers for its ambitious ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE shares tumbled following a report that the US Department of Justice has officially started an investigation into the European planemaker in parallel with British and French bribery probes. The stock fell 4.4 percent, the biggest drop in 2 1/2 years. Le Monde reported that Airbus was informed at the end of the summer about the move by ...

Bloomberg Bill Franke, who helped pioneer bare-bones airlines in the US and around the world, is expanding into Canada. Franke’s Indigo Partners will join a Canadian investment group that intends to revamp charter airline Enerjet into a low-cost carrier in the mold of Spirit Airlines Inc. and Ryanair Holdings Plc. The first flights are targeted for around September. The plan ...

Bloomberg Virgin Atlantic won a court ruling blocking a strike by a group of its pilots during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Judge Akhlaq Choudhury granted the airline an injunction against the pilots, saying the breakaway union didn’t inform the airline how many captains and first officers were striking. The walkout, which was due to start from December 22, ...

Bloomberg Saudi Arabian discount carrier Flyadeal will defect to Boeing Co. jets from an all- Airbus SE fleet after ordering 30 737 Max narrow-body planes worth $3.5 billion at list prices. The unit of state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines or Saudia announced the purchase this week and said it has options to add 20 more of the aircraft, which feature upgraded ...