US carriers American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are preparing a “strong retort” to Air Italy’s service additions, calling the Italian carrier’s recent and planned moves into US gateways a “clear violation” of an agreement between US and Qatari government officials, Chicago-based United Airlines’ top executive said.
The decision by Mexico’s newly installed government—led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador—to cancel further construction of its new international airport will cost over MXP100 billion ($5 billion), according to estimates cited by IATA.
Hawaiian Airlines said its fleet refresh is making good progress despite Airbus A321neo delivery delays earlier this year, and the carrier is already looking to the next stage when its Boeing 787 deliveries begin in 2021.
Supported by strong demand for travel and a decline in fuel costs, IATA expects airline industry profits to rise again in 2019 following a dip this year.
Avianca Brazil reportedly filed for bankruptcy protection Dec. 11, stemming from a potential repossession of 21% of its fleet by the aircrafts’ lessor.
Air France has appointed Anne Rigail as its new CEO, taking over from Air France-KLM Group CEO Benjamin Smith who temporarily led the French unit following the resignation of Franck Terner in September.
India’s Jet Airways and Saudia Arabia’s flynas have entered into an extensive codeshare partnership to enhance connectivity between India and Saudi Arabia.
Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines’ joint venture SunExpress will increase capacity by 15% for the summer 2019 season in response to strong demand in Turkey.
Taiwan’s EVA Air plans to add three more destinations in Japan in 2019 and boost capacity by 10% as it reshapes its Japanese market and global network.
Swedish airline Amapola Flyg has acquired several Fokker 50s that became available after Belgian carrier VLM Airlines went into liquidation in August 2018.
European and US regulators have expanded a software-upgrade mandate to CFM International LEAP-1B engines that ensures Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft will not experience engine-fan-speed issues caused by extremely cold weather.
Russia’s Superjet 100 is no longer part of the Sukhoi product line as parent company United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) rearranges its structure to separate its commercial and military aircraft manufacturing assets.
A group representing US airport executives has renewed calls for airlines to end their “short-sighted opposition” to raising the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) cap, arguing that record high revenues from ancillary fees undercuts carriers’ stance against lifting the user fee.
Air New Zealand continues mediation talks with its two engineers’ unions to avoid a pre-Christmas three-day strike. The unions earlier this week announced plans to strike Dec. 21, then later confirmed they have also scheduled strikes Dec. 22 and 23.
Russia’s new Platov International Airport, which serves Rostov-on-Don, has handled 3.2 million passengers within the first year after its launch in November 2017.
A Brazilian appeals court has reversed a lower court’s provisional decision that would have prevented Embraer and Boeing from finalizing terms of their proposed joint venture (JV).
Bombardier expects its commercial aircraft unit to become profitable in 2020 relying solely on CRJ production after the sale of the Q400 program next year.
