Air Astana Converts 767s For New Cargo Division

Credit: Nigel Howarth / Aviation WeekKazakh flag-carrier Air Astana has announced plans to convert its three passenger Boeing 767-300ERs into freighters and create an air cargo division.

EasyJet Finance Chief To Quit Amid Shareholder Spat

Credit: Nigel Howarth / Aviation WeekEasyJet has said its finance director Andrew Findlay will step down in the latest twist of an ongoing dispute between management and the LCC’s founder and biggest shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

Thai Reveals Early Moves To Aid Restructuring

Credit: Thai AirwaysThai Airways has made sweeping changes to its board as it begins its restructuring and the government has reduced its majority stake in the carrier to ease the process.

COVID-19: Middle East And Africa Market Update

Credit: Nigel Howarth / Aviation WeekWelcome to Routes’ weekly look at how the Middle East and African aviation markets are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping you understand the schedule changes and manage the impact so we can navigate through this crisis together. Routes is part of the Aviation Week Network.

IATA Warns Of Uneven Spread Of Government Aid

Credit: Virgin AustraliaAirlines globally have so far received more than $123 billion in various forms of government aid, but IATA warns that the support is spread unevenly leading to massive market distortion in favor of richer economies.

Danes Band Together For Sustainable Fuel Initiative

Credit: OrstedA group of major Danish companies is pressing ahead with plans to create what it describes as one of the world’s largest sustainable fuel production facilities.

Most Passengers Concerned With On-Board Cleanliness, Survey Says

Credit: Delta Air LinesMost airline passengers are concerned with the health environment on the airplane as opposed to the airport, an online survey by Honeywell Aerospace indicates.

Russia Confirms MC-21 Certification Delay

Credit: UAC via TwitterA Russian government official has confirmed that COVID-19 restrictions have delayed the certification of the country’s new Irkut MC-21 narrowbody commercial airliner.

Fiji Airways Slashes Workforce To Stay Afloat

Credit: Fiji AirwaysFiji Airways has decided to lay off half of its employees and seek additional financing to improve its prospects of surviving the COVID-19 crisis

Daily Memo: Should Aerospace Be Protected From Chinese Investment, And How?

Credit: Rob FinlaysonThe U.S. is girding to ward off Chinese tentacles that could reach into the western aerospace ecosystem after COVID-19.

LATAM Airlines Files For Bankruptcy

Credit: Joe PriesLATAM Airlines has become the latest high-profile victim of the COVID-19 crisis as it filed for Chapter 11 proceedings on May 26 at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Airline Representatives Criticize National Quarantine Rules

Credit: Joe PriesQuarantine rules should be based on science and not be politicized, the head of IATA said Tuesday, as he warned that such rules pose a “major obstacle” to the resumption of air travel.