Aviation

Gulf Air cuts losses by 62%

  Dubai / AFP Bahrain’s struggling carrier Gulf Air said on Thursday it reduced losses by 62 percent last year as a result of the company’s restructuring. Losses fell from 62.7 million dinars ($166.29 million) in 2014 to 24.1 million dinars ($63.92 million) last year, Gulf Air said in a statement. “I am delighted with these results. 2015 delivered the ...

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Airlines exit Nigeria on slowing economy

  New York / Bloomberg Iberia suspended its route to Africa’s biggest economy on May 12, followed by United, which informed employees that it would end flights from the US to Nigeria at the end of June because of a lack of demand and trouble collecting payments. British Airways and Emirates have said they are facing difficulties obtaining outstanding air ...

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London Airport expansion risks getting lost

  WASHINGTON / AFP A decision to ease the bottlenecks at London’s airports faces the threat of further delays in the aftermath of Britain’s vote over membership in the European Union on June 23, Heathrow Chief Executive Officer John Holland-Kaye said. “If we leave the EU, the main focus of government will be figuring out what it all means, renegotiating ...

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Russia rolls out new jet to challenge Boeing, Airbus

  Moscow / Bloomberg Irkut Corp., the maker of Su-30 fighter jets, is rolling out Russia’s first new full-sized airliner since the Soviet Union collapsed 25 years ago, in the country’s most direct challenge to commercial-plane industry leaders Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE. The single-aisle MC-21, designed for 163 to 211 seats, was introduced to the public on Wednesday ...

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Thai Airways seeks 10-airline pact to add routes

  Bangkok / Bloomberg Thai Airways International Pcl is seeking an alliance with as many as 10 other Asian carriers in order to add destinations and counter a similar move grouping together several of its low-cost rivals. A series of bilateral accords could unite airlines from across the region to boost connectivity in India and China and smaller markets such ...

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Garuda stalls multibillion-dollar deal in ‘buyers market’

  WASHINGTON / AFP PT Garuda Indonesia is in no hurry to finalize a multibillion-dollar order of as many as 250 aircraft, saying the sluggish global economy will give it more leeway in negotiations with Airbus Group SE and Boeing Co. Decisions by other airlines to push back purchases amid tough operating conditions give Garuda more breathing space, President Director ...

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Southwest Airlines hits 100 daily departures

  Oakland / Tribune News Service Southwest Airlines has hit 100 daily departures from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The airline is the airport’s dominant carrier, with about half the market share, and has its own terminal. Its newest nonstop flights are to Oakland, Calif., Portland, Ore., and Cleveland. St. Louis passengers already could get to Cleveland and Portland directly on ...

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‘Solar Impulse’ delays Statue of Liberty tour

  New York / Bloomberg Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg postponed a flight of his solar aircraft around the Statue of Liberty due to gusty winds. The Solar Impulse project, which is flying an ultralight one-man aircraft around the world, will announce a new flight date later, according to its website. Borschberg, 63, had planned to take off in the fuel-free ...

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Malaysia Air chief backs downsizing

  Kuala Lumpur / Bloomberg Malaysia Airlines Bhd. Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller, midway through a six-month notice period following his surprise resignation in April, said the company should resist unwinding a turnaround strategy that’s cut 6,000 jobs and reduced capacity by almost a third. The Asian carrier is ahead of schedule with its restructuring, having reached break even recently, ...

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Astronauts enter inflatable room at space station

  WASHINGTON / AFP Astronauts entered an inflatable add-on room at the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday for the first time since it was fully installed last month, NASA said. US astronaut Jeff Williams told the US space agency’s mission control that the flexible habitat — known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) — looked “pristine” and was ...

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