Aviation Daily Roundup: Feb. 24

Air New Zealand has become the latest airline to forecast a significant drop in profits caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, in addition to further capacity reductions.

Air Canada has cut tentative deals to have heavy maintenance for its Airbus A330s and A220s done in Quebec, providing an economic boost to the province that is tied to the completion of its Air Transat acquisition.

Alitalia’s new commissioner Giuseppe Leogrande has presented plans to unions to cut two unprofitable long-haul routes and remove three aircraft from the fleet as part of ongoing attempts to find a way forward for the Italian flag carrier, almost three years after its bankruptcy filing.

The expanded West Coast alliance between American Airlines and Alaska Airlines looks set to deal a big win for both parties and a fresh blow to Delta Air Lines, according to several analysts who commented on the deal.

COVID-19 coronavirus-related disruption and flight cancellations could have a mid-single-digit impact on 2020 earnings for the most exposed European airports, Royal Bank of Canada analysts said in a research note.

Chinese airline operations have recovered somewhat from the lowest levels reached amid the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, though activity remains highly depressed.

Irish LCC Ryanair has teamed up with Aviomar Flight Academy to officially launch a Ryanair-mentored pilot training program in Rome that it hopes will train up to 400 new pilots from across Europe in the next four to five years.