Aviation

TEHRAN / AP Iran said that the US has allowed Boeing to have direct talks with Iranian airliners following reports that a Boeing delegation will visit the country, the official IRNA news agency reported. The report quoted Ali Abedzadeh, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, as saying “Boeing intends to launch its talks with Iranian companies with permission from the ...

Bloomberg Air France-KLM Group will enter into talks with an exclusive buyer for its in-flight service unit Servair within the next few weeks, a person familiar with the plan said. The company won’t sell the entire business, said the person, who declined to be identified because the discussions are private. Servair, the world’s third-largest in-flight caterer, was valued at about ...

Managua / AFP Nicaragua is to start a new national airline and expand its international airport under a deal with Russia involving Russian aircraft and a loan of up to $300 million, state media reported. Government officials did not immediately respond to queries seeking to verify the information. According to a report by the online news website 19 Digital, a ...

EMIRATES BUSINESS Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), has announced additional flight frequencies from Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao to key domestic and international destinations, to accommodate passenger demand during the summer peak travel period. The airline also launched an exclusive seat sale for its routes between the GCC region and the Philippines. Travelers looking to book flights between ...

Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc. is nearing a decision on upgrading its single-aisle fleet as four planemakers bid furiously to win the order, people familiar with the matter said. Airbus Group SE, Boeing Co., Bombardier Inc. and Embraer SA are competing for the sale as the second-largest US carrier seeks to replace its McDonnell Douglas MD-88 workhorse jets for shorter ...

Male / AFP The Maldives government has kicked off a controversial $800-million expansion of the country’s main airport by a Chinese company, a move likely to irritate giant neighbour India. President Abdulla Yameen inaugurated construction work in a ceremony this week in the capital city Male. The expansion means the Airbus A380 will be able to land at the airport ...

WELLINGTON / AFP Air New Zealand said it would not resume flights to Vanuatu until the runway of the Pacific nation’s international airport is properly fixed. The Kiwi flag carrier, along with Virgin Australia, suspended services to Port Vila in January, citing safety concerns over the deteriorating runway at Bauerfield International Airport. Qantas also suspended a code-share agreement with Air ...

Bloomberg Singapore Airlines Ltd. raised its stake in Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. a week after future ownership of the A$1.3 billion ($987 million) airline was put in doubt. The Singapore carrier increased the shareholding to 23.11 percent from 22.91 percent, it said in a statement. The airline said it paid A$3.18 million to settle a series of equity swaps, or ...

MONTREAL / Reuters Global airline passenger traffic grew 6.8 percent in 2015, with the Middle East region growing the fastest, preliminary data released on Wednesday by the United Nations’ civil aviation agency showed. US carriers were ranked the top three in the world by revenue passenger kilometer, American Airlines Group taking the top position, the International Civil Aviation Organisation said ...

Bloomberg Air France will invest 140 million euros ($159 million) extending a cabin refurbishment to its Airbus Group SE A330 fleet that will include lie-flat business-class seats from Zodiac Aerospace, the embattled supplier that has struggled to fulfill orders. The upgrade will begin late next year and finish in 2018, the airline said in a statement. Each of the twin-aisle ...