Aviation

Bloomberg From an initial overture five months ago through a two-day bidding war last week, Alaska Air Group Inc. was determined to acquire Virgin America Inc. as a means toward national expansion – and protection from larger rivals. The combination boosts Alaska’s West Coast might with greater access to California, while providing more service to flight-constrained East Coast cities such ...

Bloomberg Avolon, the aircraft-leasing company acquired by the parent of China’s Hainan Airlines Co., is in talks with carriers keen to add Airbus Group SE’s A330neo to their fleets and may increase orders for the new wide-body jet as Asian travel demand spikes. “We’ve been in discussions with Airbus, as we place more, we may order more,” Chief Executive Officer ...

WASHINGTON /AP A US government-sponsored committee is recommending standards that could clear the way for commercial drone flights over populated areas and help speed the introduction of package delivery drones and other uses not yet possible. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently prohibits most commercial drone flights over populated areas, especially crowds. That ban frustrates a host of industries that ...

Singapore / DPA Asian airports are not rolling out self-service options fast enough, with just over two in 10 travellers having access to do-it-yourself check-in or bag tagging, for example. A global airline body has flagged this as a problem in a region that faces serious infrastructure constraints and an ever-increasing number of air travellers. Getting travellers to do things ...

Bloomberg Alaska Air Group Inc. is close to buying Virgin America Inc., the carrier backed by billionaire Richard Branson, according to people with knowledge of the matter. While negotiations are advanced, the deal could still fall apart and a last-minute bid from JetBlue Airways Corp. may be possible, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details ...

NEWARK / AP The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced it’s easing limits on the number of hourly flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, and the airport’s operator said that should lead to greater competition and lower airfares. The limits at Newark Liberty, which serves the New York City region and is one of the busiest airports in the nation, ...

BERLIN / Reuters Dutch carrier KLM has launched the first in a series of 80 flights from Oslo to Amsterdam using a biofuels blend to power an Embraer E190 jet, in a boost for the biofuels industry that has been held back by weak oil prices. The flights will run over a period of five to six weeks and use ...

Bloomberg AirAsia Bhd. is raising 1 billion ringgit ($257 million) selling stock to a company controlled by its founders as the continent’s biggest budget airline raises cash to finance aircraft purchase and pare down debt. The airline will issue 559 million new shares at 1.84 ringgit apiece to Tune Live Sdn, equally owned by Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes and ...

Colombo / AFP Sri Lanka is seeking foreign assistance to rescue its loss-making national carrier, a minister said, after the government announced the airline was unable to pay back nearly $1 billion in debt. The airline owes at least $933 million but the government last week said the true figure could be much higher. Official sources said Colombo was in ...

Singapore/ Bloomberg China’s three biggest airlines reported soaring net profits in 2015 despite the country’s worst economic growth in a quarter of a century, as more Chinese travelled abroad. Cheaper jet fuel helped the bottom line, but losses from foreign exchange hurt as China’s yuan currency slid against the dollar, they said. “With the slowdown in world economic growth, and ...