Aviation

  London / Bloomberg EasyJet Plc joined British Airways owner IAG SA in warning that a drop in travel demand and a slump in the value of sterling following the UK vote to quit the European Union will hurt earnings for the rest of the summer. Shares of Luton, England-based EasyJet fell as much as 19 percent and were priced …

  Washington / Bloomberg Spirit Airlines Inc. wants to eliminate its reputation for late arrivals, but has no illusions it will ever be No. 1 for being on-time. Traditionally saddled with one of the worst on-time performances among U.S. carriers, the ultra-low-cost airline will try to improve its rate by 10 percentage points this year as one of several steps …

  Washington / TNS A lack of staff to train air traffic controllers means it can take six years — twice the norm — for the new hires to become fully certified at the busiest US control facilities, according to industry experts and government reports. The training delays come as the National Air Traffic Controllers Association says it faces a …

  London / AFP Britain’s vote to leave the EU could open a period of turbulence for the country’s airline industry, which has soared under the EU’s Single European Sky system over the last two decades. Among the mass of agreements that Britain will have to renegotiate with Brussels are those governing flights between Britain and the rest of the European …

  New Delhi / TNS It can’t get any cheaper. Major Indian low-fare airlines have slashed fares by at least 30% to beat the lean season. From June to mid-October, it is lean season for airlines, while the summer quarter of April to June is peak travel season as schools close for holidays. “We have noticed that fares have come …

  New York / Bloomberg Veritas Capital, a New York based private-equity firm, is the leading bidder to acquire Airbus Group SE’s aircraft maintenance and repair unit Vector Aerospace Corp., according to people familiar with the matter. If successful, the buyout firm plans to combine the unit, which could fetch as much as $800 million, with its existing portfolio company …

  London / Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. will postpone delivery of 67 Boeing Co. 737 Max 8 aircraft by as many as six years, pushing $1.9 billion of spending on planes into the next decade. The airline also plans to accelerate six 737-800 orders to next year from 2018 to help cover the already announced early retirement of its oldest …

  Washington / Bloomberg United Continental Holdings Inc. reached a tentative deal to bring its 25,000 flight attendants under a single labour contract for the first time since the merger that created the airline almost six years ago. A unified labour contract with flight attendants would address one of the most glaring failures since the 2010 merger of United’s parent …

  Mumbai / Tribune News Service Muscat-based Oman Air is seeking an over 36 percent increase in bilateral flying rights from India as it seeks to compete with West Asian rivals to carry more passengers to and from the country, the world’s fastest growing aviation market. Oman Air, which flies to 11 Indian cities, is competing with three major Gulf …

  London / Bloomberg British Airways owner IAG SA lowered its 2016 profit target as the UK’s vote to leave the European Union threatens to extend a drop in demand that started in June in the run-up to the historic referendum. Operating profit this year will no longer increase at a level similar to the 70 percent surge posted in …