Aviation Daily Roundup: Feb. 22, 2021

Credit: Air France-KLM

Ever since it became obvious that the state loans and guarantees allocated to Air France-KLM to help it survive the COVID-19 crisis would not be enough, executives and ministers in the group’s home countries have been scrambling to come up with a new solution.

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Credit: Joe Pries

A group of major U.S. carriers announced plans to implement voluntary contract tracing for international arrivals, part of a Biden administration effort to better track and contain the spread of COVID-19 through commercial air travel. 

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Credit: Airbus

The Irish government will not allow national carrier Aer Lingus to collapse, the country’s deputy prime minister has said.

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Credit: Joe Pries

Japanese and South Korean carriers have suspended operations of Boeing 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000 series engines, although the limited numbers of these flying mean there have been few schedule disruptions.

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Credit: NTSB

WASHINGTON—The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will decommission and dispose of its TWA 800 reconstruction, which the agency has used as a training aid for nearly 20 years at its Ashburn, Virginia, training academy. 

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Credit: Rob Finlayson

LONDON—UK aviation must have a roadmap out of the depths of the current effective shutdown of international air transport if it is to survive and support the country’s return to normal economic activity, the CEO of London Heathrow Airport has said.

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Credit: Joe Pries

PARIS—France’s government has written to Air France asking it to revise its job cut plan for regional unit HOP! 

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Credit: Joe Pries

LONDON—British Airways (BA) has moved to further bolster its liquidity levels through the finalization or announcement of two financing agreements that will see the flag-carrier increase its available funds by £2.45 billion ($3.43 billion).

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Credit: Joe Pries

Transatlantic competition from Boston Logan (BOS) is set to intensify later in 2021 when United Airlines launches a new route to London Heathrow (LHR).

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Credit: Regional Express Holdings Limited

Australian carrier Regional Express (Rex) plans to embark on “a major revamp of its regional route network” in response to “aggressive predatory moves by Qantas” into thin regional domestic routes.

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Credit: Finnair

Finnair’s CEO says that the flag-carrier will emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as a leaner business and will focus on repaying debt before investing in new narrowbodies. 

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Credit: Airbus / A. Doumenjou

Thai Airways is reportedly looking to acquire 20 to 30 new aircraft in 2025, by when the air transport industry is expected to have recovered. 

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