AirlinesHow Finnair is keeping cargo moving with passenger planes On a regular day, Finnair’s Airbus A350 aircraft are full of customers making the journey from Helsinki to major cities across Asia. While they read, sleep or watch a movie, their bags are stashed away beneath them in the hold.
LinkParked but not forgotten, maintaining Finnair’s grounded fleet With Finnair’s capacity cut by 90 percent due to coronavirus, aircraft that would usually be flying routes across Europe, Asia and North America have had to be grounded. But parking an airplane isn’t like leaving a car on the drive. It requires extensive maintenance, not to mention lots of space.
LinkEmirates announces limited passenger flights to more cities Emirates is planning to operate passenger services to Jakarta, Manila, Taipei, Chicago, Tunis, Algiers and Kabul in addition to the already commenced operation to London and Frankfurt. These services will facilitate residents and visitors wishing to return home.
LinkLargest U.S. Airlines Agree to Terms on $25 Billion in Government Aid The U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday that major passenger airlines have agreed in principle to a $25 billion payroll support package meant to help airlines weather the economic impact of the coronavirus on travel demand.
LinkCathay Pacific Considers Cancelling Boeing 777X Order Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific is rumored to be considering the cancelation of its 777X order. Placed in 2013, the order for 21 Boeing 777-9X jets had a total list price of HK$58 billion. Equivalent to US$7.48 billion, adjusting for inflation would put it closer to $8.3 billion in 2020. The airline had plans to fly the aircraft from 2021.
LinkTAP Air Portugal Asks For State Support This week, TAP Air Portugal appealed to the government for funds to ensure its survival post-coronavirus. The airline is operating a severely reduced schedule that poses a direct threat to its future. The airline has not disclosed the amount of aid requested. We take a look at whether it’s time to nationalize TAP.
LinkEntire Lufthansa A340-600 Fleet Bound For Aircraft Graveyard Lufthansa is sending its entire fleet of Airbus A340-600 aircraft to long term storage at a Spanish aircraft graveyard. The airline’s 17 aircraft will each be decommissioned over the next two to three months.
LinkeasyJet To Block Out Middle Seats When Flights Restart As COVID-19 travel restrictions begin to lift, easyJet is planning to block out middle seats on all of its flights. This move should allow for better social distancing once the budget carrier starts flying again.
LinkAustrian Further Extends Flight Suspension Until Mid-May While Austria cautiously began easing its lockdown on Tuesday, its flag-carrier Austrian Airlines has announced it is extending its flight suspension until the 17th of May. The airline said in a statement on Thursday that it stands ready for a slow relaunch, depending on travel regulations.
LinkAir New Zealand Plans To Fire All Boeing 777 Crew Air New Zealand has outlined its plans to remove around 1,000 workers from its team in a bid to cut costs. The airline announced today that all of its Boeing 777 cabin crew would lose their jobs, along with a large portion of the Dreamliner team. This is to tackle what the airline is calling a ‘surplus’ of workers during the current travel downturn.
LinkBrand new Cathay Pacific A350 damaged in a ground collision at Hong Kong airport A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 and a Boeing 777-300 were involved in a ground collision at Hong Kong airport.
The winglet of an Airbus A350XWB has been damaged during a ground collision at Hong Kong airport today.
LinkQantas Criticized For Ignoring Social Distancing On Flight A full Qantas flight on Monday, 13 April, has come under fire for ignoring social distancing protocols. Photos of the domestic service, operating from Townsville to Brisbane, have cropped up on Twitter with at least one passenger unhappy about the lack of personal space.
LinkDelta Air Lines Will Receive $5.4 Billion In Government Aid Delta Air Lines will receive $5.4 billion in government aid according to a memo sent to employees on April 14th from CEO Ed Bastian. The money is earmarked to support the airline’s payroll. Also, the government will have the potential to acquire a one-percent stake in the airline.
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