Aviation Daily Roundup: Mar. 30, 2021

Daily Memo: Early Feedback Suggests Biden Administration Is In Listening Mode
Credit: Oliver Contreras Pool / Getty Images
Open dialogue between the aviation industry and senior government officials is always beneficial.

New Research Backs Rapid Antigen Testing As Key To Air Travel Restart
Credit: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images
A new study, commissioned by IATA and performed by economics research specialist Oxera and Edge Health, has identified rapid antigen tests as a viable solution for the safe reopening of air travel.

ASL Launches UK Cargo Airline Startup
Credit: Boeing
LONDON—Cargo startup ASL Airlines United Kingdom (ASL UK) has secured its air operators certificate (AOC) and performed its first ATR 72-200 freighter flight from East Midlands to Belfast International.

Norwegian Startup Flyr To Take First Aircraft In May
Credit: Flyr
Norwegian startup Flyr has struck an agreement to acquire its first Boeing 737-800, which is currently being painted in Flyr colors ahead of a May delivery.

Prolonged Pandemic Deals Cebu Pacific A Nearly Half-Billion Loss
Credit: Chen Chuanren
LCC Cebu Pacific reported a PHP22.2 billion ($458 million) net loss for 2020 as the Philippines struggles to fully suppress the coronavirus pandemic.

CommutAir Opens Denver Hub For United Express
Credit: Joe Pries
U.S. regional airline CommutAir has started operations from its new hub in Denver (DEN). The United Express carrier will initially serve 13 destinations from the airport, flying to the likes of Albuquerque (ABQ), New Mexico; Dickinson (DIK), North Dakota; and Midland-Odessa (MAF), Texas.

German Anti-Trust Watchdog Flags Anti-Competitive Lufthansa Behavior
Credit: Ina Fassbender / AFP / Getty Images
FRANKFURT—Lufthansa now plans to extend a special pro-rate (SPA) agreement with leisure airline Condor beyond the summer after Germany’s competition watchdog Bundeskartellamt said the airline group had taken advantage of its dominant market position.

Project Fresson Switches From Batteries To Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Credit: Cranfield Aerospace
Cranfield Aerospace has changed the power source of its Project Fresson zero-carbon aviation initiative to hydrogen fuel cells after batteries were deemed too heavy.

Former Airbus Americas Head Joins ESTOL Startup Airflow
Credit: Airflow
Allan McArtor, retired chairman of Airbus Americas, has joined electric cargo aircraft startup Airflow as an advisor.
From new research backing rapid antigen testing as key to restarting air travel to ASL UK launching a cargo airline startup. Take a look at the daily roundup of air transport news.
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