Aviation Daily Roundup: Feb. 17, 2021
February 18, 2021
De Havilland To Halt Dash 8 Production As Pandemic Hits Sales
Credit: De Havilland Canada
De Havilland Canada plans to suspend production of the Dash 8-400 regional turboprop, citing the difficulty of securing new orders in current industry conditions.

JetBlue Pilots Reject Tentative Partnership With American Airlines
Credit: Rob Finlayson
JetBlue Airways said it will push ahead with a planned partnership with American Airlines, even after its unionized pilots rejected a tentative agreement viewed as key to implementing the alliance.

SAS Selects CFM LEAP-1A Again For Latest A320neo Order
Credit: SAS
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has once again selected CFM International’s LEAP-1A engine to power its latest order for 35 Airbus A320neo family aircraft placed in 2018.

Asiana Records Third Straight Quarterly Profit On Cargo Growth
Credit: Joe Pries
Asiana Airlines managed to achieve a net profit in the 2020 fourth quarter (Q4) largely thanks to its cargo operation which narrowed its full-year loss amid the pandemic.

Air Malta Situation Critical, Government Minister Says
Credit: Rob Finlayson
Malta’s finance minister has warned that failure by the government to provide funding to Air Malta will see the national carrier swiftly collapse.

Daily Memo: Airbus’ Complicated A330neo Conundrum
Credit: Airbus / N. Hopwood - master films
When China’s HNA Group entered the next stage of its long restructuring—creditors pushing for formal bankruptcy proceedings—concerns rose that the airline conglomerate centered around Hainan Airlines may shed a significant part of its fleet, affecting both manufacturers and a large number of lessors.

Air Canada Casts Uncertainty Over Its Acquisition Of Transat
Credit: Rob Finlayson
Air Canada’s acquisition of Transat has hit a patch of uncertainty after the European Commission (EC) pushed back approving the tie-up.

Groupe ADP Sees Return To Pre-Pandemic Traffic In Paris In 2024-27
Credit: Air France
Groupe ADP, the operator of Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) airports, said pre-pandemic levels of traffic at its Paris airports are not expected to return until 2024-27.

Ryanair Loses European Cases Against French, Swedish State Aid
Credit: Ryanair
PARIS—Ryanair has lost its cases against state aid awarded to French and Swedish airlines, following two rulings by the EU’s Luxembourg-based General Court.

Lufthansa Makes Deep Cuts To Pilot Training
Credit: Lufthansa
FRANKFURT—Lufthansa announced major changes to its ab initio pilot training program Feb. 17, as the airline grapples with the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite COVID-19, U.S. A&D Achieves $43B Trade Surplus In 2020
Credit: U.S. Department of Commerce
The U.S. aerospace industry provided a foreign trade surplus of around $43 billion in 2020, the U.S. Commerce Department reported this month, a notable achievement amid the onset of COVID-19 but almost half the sector’s 2019 level.

Iceland Activates Space-Based ADS-B Surveillance
Credit: UK NATS
Iceland’s air navigation service provider (ANSP) Isavia ANS announced Feb. 17 that it has implemented satellite-based surveillance of aircraft in its airspace.

Gulf Carriers Deepen Cooperation Pact
Credit: Gulf Air
Gulf Air and Etihad Airways have agreed to strengthen their operational links by signing a strategic commercial cooperation agreement (SCCA).

Viva Air Strengthens Medellin Hub, Competition To Mexico Intensifies
Credit: Viva Air Colombia
Viva Air Colombia is adding three new international routes from Medellin, the second-largest city in Colombia, as part of efforts to “decentralize” flights in the country.
De Havilland to halt Dash 8 production as the pandemic continues to hit sales and JetBlue pilots reject a tentative partnership with America Airlines. Take a look at the daily roundup of air transport news.
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