Aviation Daily Roundup: May 1

COVID-19 has ended Spring Airlines’ year-long run of double-digit quarterly profit increases as China’s largest LCC recorded a CNY227 million ($32 million) loss for Q1 2020.

Troubled Hainan Airlines managed to get back into the black for fiscal 2019, posting a net profit of CNY543 million ($77 million) as it was kept afloat by a series of asset disposals.

With an increasing number of carriers pressing passenger aircraft into service as temporary freighters during the COVID-19 pandemic, Airbus is developing a main cabin cargo-stacking modification for its A330 and A350-family aircraft.

British Airways (BA) could pull out of London Gatwick Airport (LGW) as part of plans to downsize operations once the COVID-19 pandemic subside

The last McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 jetliners will disappear from U.S. skies by summer, as Delta Air Lines prepares to retire both types in June.

ICAO believes that the world airline industry could face a contraction of as much as 1.5 billion international air travelers this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Avianca has operated its first cargo flight between Colombia and China using a Boeing 787-8 passenger aircraft reconfigured to carry general cargo and medical supplies.

Ryanair Holdings is expecting a net loss of over €100 million ($110 million) for its fiscal first quarter (Q1), with further losses during the peak summer season—a direct effect of the precipitous decline in traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Embraer’s commercial operation has shifted focus to realigning with the rest of the company and conserving cash, with new-product development—including a notional turboprop—put on hold while the business regains its footing amid the Boeing deal collapse and coronavirus crisis, Embraer Commercial Aviation president and CEO John Slattery said.