Aviation

Regional Australian airline Rex said operating costs on short flights will drop as much as 50% with the introduction of electric- and hydrogen-powered aircraft in coming years. Rex plans to start trials in early 2024 using King Air 200 planes, retrofitted with the new power trains, before later tests with Saab 340 aircraft, Deputy Chairman John Sharp said at a ...

Bloomberg Air India Ltd is planning to triple its fleet of 113 aircraft over five years as the money-losing carrier prepares to transform the business following its takeover by India’s largest conglomerate, the Tata group. “The airline is in discussions with aircraft and engine manufacturers on procuring new aircraft,” Air India Chief Executive Campbell Wilson said in New Delhi. “I ...

  Bloomberg Britain’s first-ever space launch is on track to take place before the end of November, according to billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, whose Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc. will undertake the mission. “We plan to launch our first satellite into space from European soil within six weeks,” Branson said at a press conference in Milan. “We are pretty much ready.” ...

  Bloomberg Airbus SE is targeting the US with its smallest A220 business jet in a bid to make up for Russian sales lost after the invasion of Ukraine. The European planemaker will put extra resources into promoting the A220 when the corporate version, or ACJ, enters service in the first half of next year, betting that the aircraft is ...

  Bloomberg Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is further limiting passenger numbers until the end of March as it continues to struggle with staff shortages. The Dutch arm of Air France-KLM said the newly announced caps will mean a reduction of as much as 22% for the winter season and the period up until March. The airport operator had already reduced the ...

  Bloomberg Spirit Airlines Inc shareholders approved the carrier’s $3.8 billion cash sale to JetBlue Airways Corp, a milestone for a deal that’s poised to eliminate the largest US carrier offering deeply discounted fares. More than half of outstanding shares were voted in favour of the combination, according to preliminary results disclosed by the companies. JetBlue and Spirit still expect ...

  Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said the discount carrier’s ability to gain market share from rivals in a looming economic slowdown is at risk from delays to Boeing Co. jetliner deliveries. O’Leary said he’s concerned the US planemaker may ship only 12 or 13 of the 21 Max aircraft that Ryanair is due to get ...

  Bloomberg The aviation sector’s burning of fossil fuels isn’t the only way it contributes to climate change: Contrails, the white clouds that trail behind airplanes, are known by researchers to trap heat from the Earth’s surface in the atmosphere. They are formed when water vapour from engine exhaust mixes with cold air, and their environmental impact is significant. Delta ...

  Bloomberg China’s biggest airlines are planning more international flights, a sign the government is aware of the country’s growing isolation as it persists with lockdowns and mass testing internally — hallmarks of its Covid Zero policy. China Eastern Airlines Corp., which was severely impacted by virus lockdowns in Shanghai, will operate 108 international flights a week from October 30 ...

Bloomberg The burgeoning market for sustainable jet fuel will soon reach a milestone, with a plant capable of turning out for the first time a lower-emission fuel at the same price as fossil fuel-based options. But this price parity will only come as result of a $50 million grant from Bill Gates-led Breakthrough Energy, alongside support from discounted loans and ...