Aviation

Bloomberg EasyJet Plc is shifting its pilots based in mainland Europe to Austrian and German licenses in an effort to minimise the potential fall-out from a no-deal Brexit. The 1,400 affected will be moved to licenses issued by Austria from November, an official at the Luton, England-based carrier said. German crew will be registered locally, while British pilots operating in ...

Bloomberg The $30 bag fee is gaining traction across US airlines as summer travel winds down and carriers look to boost revenue to offset higher fuel prices. United Continental Holdings Inc. increased the charge for passengers’ first checked bag by $5 last week, matching a move by JetBlue Airways Corp. earlier in the week. The fee changes apply to United ...

Bloomberg An attempt by United Airlines to duck the sticky issue of Taiwan has invited rebuke from China’s foreign ministry. After China told global carriers earlier this year to tweak their websites and list the separately ruled island as part of China — a directive the White House termed “ Orwellian nonsense” — American airlines are still finding themselves in ...

Bloomberg Kenya Airways (KQ) Plc may hire as many as 100 pilots annually as the company grows its fleet and adds as many as 20 new routes in the next five years, Chief Executive Officer Sebastian Mikosz said. Sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest carrier is facing “significant operational challenges” and needs as many as 70 additional first officers and 50 captains to ...

Bloomberg HNA Group Co.’s minority stake in airline Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. is drawing interest from potential bidders as the Chinese conglomerate offloads non-core assets to reduce debt, according to people familiar with the matter. The approximately 20 percent stake could attract bids from existing shareholders in the company as well as other airlines and investment funds if HNA decides ...

Bloomberg As airport time killers, the race for novel concessions inside the terminal is becoming more, well, playful. Especially when it comes to mollifying less-than-happy passengers. Last month, the first US airport video game lounges opened with three dozen Microsoft Corp. XBox rigs at Dallas-Fort Worth International, while John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York is hosting the first ...

Bloomberg Troubled carrier Jet Airways India Ltd. said it will sell a stake in its loyalty program and cut as much as $285 million in costs over the next two years as part of a turnaround plan after years of losses in a competitive aviation market. Announcing the biggest quarterly loss since 2015, the board of the Mumbai-based airline considered ...

Bloomberg It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and by that, I mean the lazy, late days of summer. New insights from Google also reveal that right now—late August—might also be the best time to start thinking about your holiday travels if you want to get the best flight or hotel deal. In fact, flight searches for Thanksgiving will spike ...

Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc signed its first-ever union contract, granting Italian pilots perks such as severance pay and parental leave in a deal the airline hopes to repeat across its network to quell a protracted labour dispute. The agreement also commits Ryanair to making contributions to national healthcare and social-security funds, the Italian pilots union ANPAC said in a statement. ...

Bloomberg JetBlue Airways Corp., which for years let passengers check luggage at no charge, became the first major US carrier to bump the fee for a first checked bag to $30. The $5 increase is effective for trips booked started on Monday. JetBlue also raised the charge for a second checked bag by $5 to $40 and for a third ...