Aviation

Bloomberg London’s Gatwick airport resumed flights after another reported drone incursion caused a brief interruption on December 21. “The sighting was confirmed, so there definitely was a drone in the area,” an airport spokeswoman said. Military measures “have given us the reassurance we need that it is safe to reopen.” Service had been halted as a precautionary measure while the ...

Bloomberg United Continental Holdings Inc. agreed to acquire a stake in ExpressJet Airlines, one of its regional affiliates, in a $70 million deal that will give the No. 3 US carrier more control over short-distance flying and a fleet of about 150 small jets. By gaining sway over more United Express service, the purchase furthers United’s plan to bolster service ...

Bloomberg Boeing Co. directors authorised a record $20 billion share buyback programme and boosted the company’s dividend 20 percent — a sign the planemaker doesn’t intend to stop showering cash on investors any time soon. The company’s share price has more than doubled since it embarked on a strategy of rewarding shareholders as production of the marquee 787 Dreamliner stabilised ...

Bloomberg Troubled budget carrier FastJet Plc grounded its Tanzanian flights after the nation’s civil aviation agency issued a 28-day notice for the airline to streamline operations or have its license revoked. “FastJet Tanzania would like to inform its customers who had booked a ticket to travel in December and January that it has temporarily halted its operations,” the airline said ...

Bloomberg A breakaway union of Virgin Atlantic pilots that called strikes during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays extended the job action to the first eight weekends of 2019, according to an emailed statement. The Professional Pilots Union sought help from the conciliation service ACAS to resolve the dispute, but Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. won’t negotiate until it calls off ...

Bloomberg The crash of a Boeing Co. plane that killed 189 people in Indonesia is spiralling into a $22 billion feud between the aircraft maker and one of Asia’s most influential aviation bosses. In a rare public dispute between the planemaker and one of its biggest customers, the head of PT Lion Mentari Airlines has threatened to cancel an order ...

Bloomberg HNA Group Co. held preliminary talks to sell its core airline assets to one of China’s top state-run carriers, people familiar with the matter said, a sign little has been off the table as the sprawling conglomerate seeks to pay down its hefty debt load. The talks, which haven’t been previously reported, started late last year, the people said, ...

Bloomberg One year after Ryanair Holdings Plc Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary shocked the airline industry with his decision to finally recognise trade unions, the two sides can’t agree on how much progress has been made in their talks. The Irish budget carrier’s CEO has opened talks with employees in all major markets. That’s led to collective labour agreements with ...

Bloomberg Grupo Aeromexico SAB is investigating whether a drone slammed into a Boeing Co. 737 jetliner as the aircraft approached its destination in Tijuana, Mexico, on the US border. Images on local media showed considerable damage to the nose of the 737-800, which was operating as Flight 773 from Guadalajara. In a cabin recording, crew members can be heard saying ...

Bloomberg Boeing Co. has kicked off its industrial foray into China, handing over the first 737 Max completed in the country to Air China as executives looked past simmering trade tension to a $2.7 trillion market opportunity. The jetliner was the first to be delivered outside the US by the Chicago-based planemaker, although the aircraft for all intents and purposes ...