Aviation Daily Roundup: Nov. 23

IATA Pushes For Border Openings; Waiting For Vaccine ‘Not An Option’

Credit: IATA via Twitter

Airlines cannot afford for governments to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine to be widely available before opening up borders, IATA said Nov. 23. 

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CAAC Likely To Permit 737 MAX Flights By March 2021

Credit: Boeing

Chinese airlines generally expect the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to withdraw its grounding order on the Boeing 737 MAX no later than March 2021, industry sources said. 

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Daily Memo: French Supply Chain Sees Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Credit: Aubert & Duval

The promise the French industry made this past June to make its supply chain stronger is beginning to materialize.

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Rising Viral Cases Delay Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble Launch

Credit: Hong Kong International Airport

The opening of a highly anticipated air travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong was deferred by two weeks, a day before the first ATB flight was set to depart on Nov. 22.

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Delta Air Lines, WestJet Scrap Joint Venture Plans

Credit: Delta Air Lines

U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines and Canada’s WestJet have pulled the plug on a planned joint venture that would have seen the airlines deepen their existing codeshare partnership and coordinate schedules on transborder routes.

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JetBlue Flight Attendants Reject Tentative Contract

Credit: JetBlue

JetBlue Airways flight attendants voted to reject their first ever contract with the airline, setting the stage for another round of negotiations expected sometime in 2021.

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European Commission Ends Air Nostrum Investigation

Credit: Air Nostrum L.A.M. / Twitter

The European Commission has called off an investigation into Spanish regional carrier Air Nostrum after changed circumstances rendered the inquiry redundant.

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EASA Details Guidelines For 737 MAX Return To Service

Credit: Mark Wagner

With the Boeing 737 MAX’s return to service now under way, and at least a portion of the world’s grounded fleets of airliners scheduled to start flying again in 2021, EASA has published detailed guidelines for operators bringing their aircraft out of storage. 

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KLM Faces Changes To Short-Haul, Night Flights Under New Proposals

Credit: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Just weeks before a new Dutch passenger tax comes into effect, proposals have emerged to cut night flights at Amsterdam Schiphol by 20% and to replace six short-haul routes with rail links.

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Alaska Airlines To Lease 13 New 737 MAXs From Air Lease Corporation

Credit: Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines agreed to lease 13 new Boeing 737-9s from Air Lease Corporation, providing a vote of confidence in Boeing less than a week after the FAA rescinded its grounding of the 737 MAX family.

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IATA To Trial New Digital Travel Pass By Year-End

Credit: ACI Europe

A pilot scheme to test a new electronic document that will give passengers, airlines and governments the necessary confidence to reopen air routes is scheduled to start by the end of 2020, IATA said Nov. 23.

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Southwest Airlines Warns Mechanics Of 400 Potential Furloughs

Credit: Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines warned its mechanics of more than 400 potential furloughs, cautioning that job losses will be unavoidable unless they agree to further cost-cutting measures.

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Mexico Leisure Markets Attractive For U.S. Transborder Airlines

Credit: Aeromexico / Twitter

Transborder routes between the U.S. and Mexico have performed better during the last couple months as Mexico’s more relaxed travel policies have resulted in airlines bolstering their capacity from the U.S. to Mexico’s leisure markets. 

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