Bloomberg French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he would guarantee the survival of Air France after his Dutch counterpart warned more cost cuts may be needed to get through the deep industry slump. France will “do what is necessary to guarantee the survival of Air France,” Le Maire said on France 2 television. “We’ve already done a lot, and ...

Bloomberg When the Covid-19 crisis hit the airline business this year, Deutsche Lufthansa AG was planning to phase out the half-dozen aging MD-11 freighters that remain in its fleet by the end of 2020. Then cargo rates skyrocked. The virus destroyed demand for air travel, and as airlines grounded their fleets they also created a shortage of air-cargo space by ...

Bloomberg Flying business class isn’t what it used to be. Efforts to minimise human interaction and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection are taking the shine off the most expensive seats onboard commercial aircraft. Gone are the multi-course banquets and warm personal service, once the hallmarks of carriers like Singapore Airlines Ltd and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. These days, what’s ...

Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd is still burning through as much as HK$2 billion ($258 million) a month and will continue to do so until the market recovers from the coronavirus crisis, the company said as it reported dismal August traffic figures and reiterated the need to restructure. “We are weathering the storm for now, but the fact remains that ...

Bloomberg Thai Airways International Pcl, the nation’s flagship carrier, got court approval for its business restructuring on Monday. The Central Bankruptcy Court decided that the airline can proceed with its business reorganisation plan, a crucial step forward for the embattled company, which has around 350 billion baht ($11 billion) of debt, according to Chansin Treenuchagron, its acting president. The flagship ...

Bloomberg Kremlin-backed candidates swept most major contests in Russian regional elections over the weekend but supporters of opposition leader Alexey Navalny claimed wins in two Siberian cities, including the one where he was poisoned last month. “The authorities have shown they control the situation in the country,” said Alexei Makarkin, deputy director of the Center for Political Technologies in Moscow. ...

Bloomberg French President Emmanuel Macron backed Angela Merkel’s demand that Russia clarify the poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, calling the attack an “assassination attempt” as two more European laboratories found traces of nerve agent Novichok. The comments ratchet up tensions between the European Union and Russian President Vladimir Putin over accusations that Navalny was targeted with the weapons-grade substance. ...

Bloomberg Indonesia’s most-populous province of West Java plans to reimpose some movement restrictions in areas near the capital after Jakarta’s implementation of tighter curbs from Monday. Local leaders in Bogor, Depok and Bekasi — cities that share a border with Jakarta — can decide to impose their own restrictions, depending on the virus situation in their areas, West Java Governor ...

Bloomberg Indian lawmakers returned to the nation’s parliament for the first time since the start of the pandemic with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government bracing for a tumultuous session as the country sets new global records in coronavirus infections, and with a tense border standoff with China dominating the headlines. The worst economic slowdown amid major economies is also expected ...

Bloomberg The top US diplomat in China, Terry Branstad, is retiring, the American Embassy confirmed on Monday, after President Donald Trump touted the former Iowa governor’s expected campaign help in a key swing state. The embassy’s statement resolved hours of uncertainty about Branstad’s status after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo thanked the envoy for his service in a series of ...