AirlinesNorwegian delays aircraft sales after MAX groundings LCC Norwegian is delaying the potential sale of six Boeing 737-800 aircraft and preparing to wet-lease capacity to make up the shortfall created by the grounding of the 737 MAX.
Aviation authorities around the world grounded the MAX fleet following two fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. In Europe, Norwegian, which has a fleet of 18 MAXs, is the most affected by the ban, and the airline said March 25 it was taking “precautionary measures to make sure the passengers reach their destination going forward.”
LinkIcelandair-WOW Air talks collapse The fate of Icelandic ultra-LCC WOW Air seemed increasingly to lie with its creditors March 24, after talks with Icelandair Group collapsed. The two Icelandic carriers resumed talks March 21 following an almost four-month hiatus after negotiations regarding Icelandair’s acquisition of WOW Air ended without agreement; in the intervening period, US-based private equity fund Indigo Partners stepped in, looking to take an initial 49% stake in WOW Air.
LinkGermania fails to attract investors; permanently shuts down Bankrupt German leisure airline Germania will be permanently shut down, its administrator Rüdiger Wienberg said March 25.
“It was clear from the beginning given the circumstances that it would be extremely difficult to rescue [the airline],” Wienberg wrote. “Germania was grounded, we had no owned aircraft and no money to pay for lease rates. We rolled out the red carpet for interested parties, but unfortunately no one could or wanted to walk across it.”
LinkRussia restricts Nordwind Airlines’ AOC, cancels ETOPS permits Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, has restricted Nordwind Airlines air operator’s certificate (AOC) from March 25, canceling ETOPS permits.
The decision was made after an unscheduled inspection that alleged noncompliance with mandatory ETOPS pilot training programs, in combination with aircraft not being fully serviced, as well as lack of maintenance personnel, the agency said in a statement.
LinkCEO: Ethiopian Airlines ‘believes in Boeing’ despite MAX tragedy Ethiopian Airlines group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam has reaffirmed his belief in Boeing in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash that claimed the lives of all 157 people onboard.
The 737 MAX, operating as Ethiopian Airlines ET302, crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10. Perceived similarities between the Ethiopian accident and the fatal Lion Air 737 MAX crash in October 2018 subsequently triggered a worldwide grounding of the type.
LinkAlitalia unions join 4-hour strike as industrial plan nears Alitalia unions went on strike March 25 as part of a wider walkout of Italian air transport sector workers, and as the long-running process aimed at saving the bankrupt carrier looked to be advancing with news that a new industrial plan should be presented by April 21.
Gianfranco Battisti, CEO of railway company and potential Alitalia investor Ferrovie dello Stato, said a new industrial plan for the carrier would be presented before Easter, according to local media reports.
LinkFrance forbids Iran’s Mahan Air flights France has banned Iranian airline Mahan Air from operating flights in and out of the country, a diplomatic source said.
“The Iranian airline Mahan Air will no longer be authorized to operate to French territory from April 1,” the source said.
LinkHainan Airlines plans new Shenzhen-Rome service China’s Hainan Airlines will begin a Shenzhen-Rome direct service beginning May 30. The twice-weekly flight will be operated on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, and is the third Rome route for the carrier, after Chongqing and Xian.
LinkAeroflot Group January-February traffic up 15.8% Russia´s Aeroflot Group carried 8.2 million passengers in January and February, up 15.8% year-over-year (YOY).
International traffic grew 16.9% YOY to 3.7 million passengers, and domestic traffic increased 14.9% to 4.5 million. Group RPKs rose to 21.5 billion, up 15.8% YOY, and capacity grew 17.3% to 28 billion ASKs. Group load factor dropped 1 point to 76.7%. Cargo and post increased 3% to 40 tonnes.
LinkGol suspends US service from Fortaleza after 737 Max grounding Brazil's Gol has suspended its nonstop flights to Miami and Orlando from Fortaleza, following the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max.
The Sao Paulo-based carrier continues to operate to Miami and Orlando from Brasilia with Boeing 737-800s, which make a technical stop en-route for refuelling, a Gol spokesperson tells FlightGlobal.
LinkAvianca drops Boston and Chicago in network cuts Avianca will cancel 11 routes beginning 1 May, and stop serving Boston and Chicago O'Hare as part of its plan to improve profitability.
The Star Alliance carrier will suspend service to Boston and Chicago from Bogota from 1 May, and end flights from Cartagena to both Pereira and New York John F Kennedy on the same day.
LinkAmerican 737 Max cancellations to top at least 2,700 flights American Airlines has removed the Boeing 737 Max from its schedules through April, prompting the cancellation of thousands of flights.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier has pre-emptively cancelled roughly 90 flights a day through 24 April, totalling at least 2,700 flights, as a result of the grounding, it said on 24 March.
LinkKalitta 747's engine damaged after striking snow bank Canadian investigators have disclosed that a Boeing 747 freighter suffered engine damage after it manoeuvred away from its taxiway after landing at Moncton.
The Kalitta Air 747-400ERF, with seven crew members on board, had arrived from Chicago O’Hare on 11 March.
It touched down on runway 24 and turned onto taxiway E for the apron, says Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
LinkPICTURES: Lion Air retires Indonesia's last Boeing 747-400 Lion Air retired Indonesia's last Boeing 747-400 from service on 24 March, as it ramps up to receive its first Airbus A330-900s.
The aircraft bore the registration PK-LHG (MSN 24065), and entered service with the low-cost carrier on 23 April 2009. It was configured with 504 seats in two class: 12 business and 492 in economy.
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