Aviation

Bloomberg The leader of a French pilots’ union who emerged as a poster boy for strikes at Air France has lost his bid for re-election within the group, heralding a possible unblocking of labour talks at the troubled carrier. Philippe Evain, head of the airline’s powerful SNPL union, lost a majority in an election, a union spokesman said by phone. ...

Bloomberg Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador shouldn’t expect a windfall from his decision to sell the Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner that has transported his predecessor since 2016. The so-called VVIP — very, very important person — aircraft is likely to generate a multimillion-dollar loss on the untested secondary market for customised 787s, according to an analysis by Flight Ascend ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE blamed the European Union for the UK’s decision to quit the Galileo satellite-defense programme, after the country was denied a central role in the 10 billion-euro ($11 billion) project after Brexit. The move will deal a “serious blow to the EU’s common security and defense ambition,” Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said in an Airbus Twitter post. ...

Bloomberg The turbulence in airline stocks is yet to ease as news of fresh production cuts and calming trade concerns sent oil prices surging. US airline shares have traded closely with fluctuations in oil prices over the past few months, especially after several carriers were forced to trim their profit outlook citing soaring jet fuel costs that pressured margins. When ...

Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc. pilots want the carrier to offer more training on Boeing Co.’s 737 Max to better understand new anti-stall software, after a preliminary report on an Indonesia plane crash suggested that aircraft malfunctions left aviators overwhelmed. The Allied Pilots Association made the request after what the union said was an unprecedented meeting with Boeing officials this ...

Bloomberg British Airways (BA) faces a coordinated campaign for bigger salary increases from pilots, cabin crew and ground staff in a challenge to its efforts to beat down costs. The British Airline Pilots Association, Unite and GMB unions are seeking BA’s first-ever joint pay deal, they said in a statement. The three-year plan would feature settlements above inflation, bonuses that ...

Bloomberg US private-equity firm Indigo Partners agreed to invest an undisclosed sum in Iceland’s Wow Air Hf, breathing new life into the discount carrier just hours after another suitor walked away. Indigo is led by William Franke, who has founded or invested in low-fare carriers around the globe. Terms of the preliminary agreement weren’t disclosed in a statement from the ...

Bloomberg After two years of insisting that Brexit has had no impact on flight bookings, UK airlines are starting to see the first evidence to suggest sales are taking a hit. Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and discount operator Jet2 have said demand is being depressed by the weaker pound, a trend that could deepen as UK political opposition threatens to ...

Bloomberg Airline stocks extended this month’s rebound, outperforming the broader market after Spirit Airlines Inc.’s upbeat outlook suggested the industry’s turnaround may be gaining momentum. Spirit surged as much as 22 percent, the most on record, and the S&P Supercomposite Airlines Industry Index was up nearly 2 percent. The S&P 500 Index was little changed. The airline index, which does ...

Bloomberg A malfunctioning sensor at the centre of the investigation into the October 29 crash of a Lion Air jetliner into the Java Sea wasn’t repaired before the fatal flight even though it had failed on the plane’s previous trip, according to a preliminary investigative report. A mechanic worked on other sensors and equipment during a night shift before the ...