American Airlines is the first U.S. global network carrier to warn that rising COVID-19 case numbers are contributing to a softening of demand, but the company has not refined its capacity or financial guidance for the current quarter.
The action has been taken in response to national entry restrictions worldwide as destination countries are increasingly insisting on proof of vaccination for air crews as well as passengers.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana is evaluating the addition of freighters to its fleet as its makeshift Boeing 767-300ER freighter returns to passenger operations.
Delta Air Lines’ decision to up its Airbus A321neo order book by 30 aircraft reflects a larger trend among U.S. carriers that are working to ensure they have optimal fleet flexibility to drive cost and efficiency advantages as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic could turn more uncertain.
For most airlines, 2021 is about working a path back to profitability, or at least reducing losses so that they can enter next year on a firmer financial footing.
Latvia’s airBaltic is set to receive a €90 million ($105 million) equity injection from the state to compensate for the losses incurred during the COVID-19 crisis and to support the carrier’s recovery.
The country will establish vaccination travel lanes with Brunei and Germany, allowing inoculated passengers to travel into the country without the requirement to quarantine.
One irony of the coronavirus era of commercial aviation will be that there is so much financing available to support a new Boeing airliner—just probably not internally.
