AirlinesAir France pilots to strike June 11-14Air France pilots will strike from Saturday, June 11, to Tuesday, June 14, affecting flights operated by Air France aircraft. Air France said 25% of its pilots are expected to strike June 11, but expects to operate more than 90% of long-haul flights, 90% of domestic and around 75% of medium-haul flights to and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) that day. However, there may be last-minute cancellations and delays.
LinkAir New Zealand To Sell Virgin Australia Stock To NanshanAir New Zealand has agreed to sell nearly 20 percent of Virgin Australia in a deal that adds a second Chinese conglomerate to the carrier's boardroom. In a deal worth about AUD$260 million (USD$193 million), Air New Zealand said diversified industrial firm Nanshan Group will buy most of its holding in Australia's second-biggest airline. Previously flagged, the sale cuts Air NZ exposure to a market where intense competition and low fares have hammered profit margins.
LinkEurowings Sees 'Some Viable Options' For ConsolidationEurowings, the unit Lufthansa hopes to use for consolidation among airlines in Europe, has been approached by potential partners but is not interested in restructuring struggling carriers, executives said. "There are some viable options out there," Karl Ulrich Garnadt, a board member at parent Lufthansa and head of Eurowings, told investors at a presentation. "We have a very clear picture of what's in the market, we have been approached, but there are no decisions yet."
LinkLufthansa Cargo To Cut Up To 800 Jobs WorldwideLufthansa Cargo is to cut up to 800 jobs, out of a worldwide workforce of around 4,600, as it reduces costs to remain competitive. Lufthansa Cargo said the plan to cut 700-800 jobs would help it cut costs by EUR€80 million (USD$90 million) a year, but did not say when that would start to take effect. Up to 500 of the job cuts would be in Germany, it said.
LinkLufthansa CFO Simone Menne resignsLufthansa CFO Simone Menne has asked the Deutsche Lufthansa AG supervisory board for an early termination of her contract on the executive board, effective Aug. 31, to pursue other career options. Menne has served as Lufthansa Group executive board member and CFO since July 1, 2012.
LinkNew debris finds to be analyzed for possible MH370 connectionRecent debris finds on the island of Nosy Boraha off the east coast of Madagascar have been sent to investigators at the Australian Air Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for analysis to determine if they could be additional wreckage from missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370. The MAS Boeing 777 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people on board.
LinkSAS Scandinavian Airlines reports mixed half-year resultsSAS Scandinavian Airlines posted a loss after tax of SEK75 million ($9.3 million) for the first half of its financial year, substantially reduced from a loss of SEK361 million for the same period last year. Revenue for the half-year, which ended in April, dipped slightly, to SEK 17.2 billion compared to SEK17.8 billion last time.
LinkSAS Swedish short-haul pilots go on strikeSAS Scandinavian Airlines’ Sweden-based short-haul pilots walked out after salary negotiations ended without agreement. The strike came just 24 hours after the airline agreed on new terms with Norway-based pilots and after the pilots rejected mediators’ proposals for an agreement, the airline said. The proposed contract was on a par with that agreed upon with the Norwegian flight deck crew, it added.
LinkUnited to complete installation of streaming equipment fleet-wideUnited Airlines is close to completing the installation of streaming video services on its last 90 Boeing 737 aircraft. United first launched its streaming service two years ago.
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