Aviation Daily Roundup: Nov. 02
November 03, 2020
Berlin’s New Gateway Airport Finally Opens
After years of delays and setbacks, Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (BER) welcomed its first scheduled flights on Oct. 31 with a parallel landing from Lufthansa and easyJet. Credit: Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Daily Memo: Latin America’s Pandemic Paradox
Latin America has been a study in contrasts during the COVID-19 crisis. Several countries in the region have held spots among the top ten countries with the largest number of outbreaks, and borders are just starting to reopen after closing up to stave off the virus. But airlines in Latin America’s two largest markets–Brazil and Mexico–are bullish about their prospects to recover faster than the industry at large. Credit: Rob Finlayson

Delta Retires Last Boeing 777 Following Final Cross-Country Flight
Delta Air Lines officially retired the last of its former widebody workhorse, the Boeing 777, following the final flight of a 777-200LR from New York JFK to Los Angeles International Oct. 31. Credit: Delta Air Lines

Most Chinese Carriers Return To Profitability In Q3
A number of Chinese carriers posted profits for the 2020 third quarter (Q3) between July and September, with China Southern Airlines leading the charge. Strong domestic travel demand also propelled some of the country’s other largest carriers, such as China Express Airlines, LCC Spring Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, into profitability, although the dismal first half (H1) means that most could not register a profit for the first nine months of 2020. Credit: China Southern Airlines

South Africa’s Comair Secures Funds, Competition Clearance
South African carrier Comair has reached an agreement with its lenders and secured competition approval for a new investor, paving the way for flights to resume in December. Privately owned Comair had been profitable every quarter for 73 consecutive years. However, the airline entered business rescue in May 2020, after being hit by a surge of exceptional items, including the Boeing 737 MAX grounding, set-up costs linked with a major maintenance transition, South African Airways’ (SAA) defaulting on a legal settlement and the COVID-19 crisis. Credit: Rob Finlayson

EasyJet Adds German Rail Operator As Connecting Partner
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has become the first rail partner in easyJet’s connecting services network Worldwide, which allows the LCC’s passengers to connect to flights across its network as well as those of partner airlines. EasyJet made the announcement as it took part in the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), with its Airbus A320neo flight EJU 3110 the first to land at the airport on Oct. 31. Credit: Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Indonesia Set To Combine Garuda With Airports, Tour Agencies
Indonesia’s government is reportedly planning to consolidate flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia, the country’s two airport operators and other state-owned tour agencies into a single holding company. The move would be designed to streamline marketing operations, reduce prices and attract travelers to the country and its popular tourist sites. Credit: Garuda Indonesia

UK Bans English Leisure Travel Under New COVID-19 Lockdown
Leisure travel has been banned in England for four weeks from Nov. 5 under a second national lockdown that piles further pressure on the country’s airlines. The new rules were announced by the UK government but only affect England as the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have control over their own COVID-19 restrictions. The other nations have other measures in place to limit international travel. Credit: EasyJet

COMAC Affirms Plan For 2021 C919 Certification
COMAC has reiterated its plan to achieve certification for the C919 narrowbody airliner in 2021, adding that it will try to deliver the first unit in the same year. The state company has also found time in the program’s flight-test schedule to use one of the six prototypes for a flight display at an air show. Credit: State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC)

KLM Restructuring Plan Hits Obstacle Over Wage Commitments
The Dutch government has failed to approve a restructuring plan for flag-carrier KLM after unions refused to agree to make salary commitments for the duration of the planned state aid package. Both the French and the Dutch governments have pledged multi-billion-euro aid packages to Air France and KLM amid the COVID-19 crisis. The two partner airlines have each come up with restructuring plans aimed at helping them to weather the crisis. Credit: KLM

Chinese Online Retailer JD Plans Freighter Fleet For Logistics Base
Chinese online retailing giant JD plans to set up a global logistics center at Wuhu in east-central China. Announcing the agreement with the city government, JD said it plans to have 114 aircraft by 2025 and 501 by 2045. In those years its air freight turnover will be 2.33 million metric tons and 8.1 million metric tons respectively, the company added. Credit: Longhao

Rouge Flights, WestJet COVID-19 Test Trials Begin
Air Canada’s leisure-focused Rouge subsidiary is back flying as the Canadian carrier works to tap into what little demand there is as the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions continue to keep many travelers home. Credit: Air Canada

Arab Carriers Predict Major Slowdown In Deliveries
The body representing Arab airlines believes that around half of all aircraft deliveries to its members scheduled for the next two years will be canceled or deferred and that recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic hinges on a series of government actions to aid the sector. Credit: Rob Finlayson

UK Long-Haul Carrier Flypop Plans 2021 Launch
A project to create a long-haul start-up carrier operating flights between the UK and India has re-emerged following several years’ silence after securing UK government funding. On Nov. 2, flypop said it had secured £250 million ($323.7 million) from the UK government’s Future Fund loan scheme, which aims to support UK-based companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Flypop / Twitter

United Airlines Expands COVID-19 Testing On Newark-London Flight
United Airlines continues its push to convince governments that COVID-19 testing is a viable alternative to quarantines and other travel restrictions—it plans to conduct free rapid testing for passengers onboard select flights between its Newark hub and London Heathrow. Credit: United Airlines

Ryanair Sees Post-Pandemic Opportunities After First-Half Loss
Ryanair Group posted a €197 million ($230 million) net loss for its fiscal 2021 first half (H1) but said it sees opportunities for expanding its network and fleet in a post-COVID-19 landscape of depressed traffic within Europe. Credit: Ryanair / Twitter

China’s YTO Cargo Airlines Establishes Singapore Service
China-based YTO Cargo Airlines has begun as 3X-weekly freighter service between Hangzhou (HGH) and Singapore (SIN), as Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba looks to improve service fulfillment to southeast Asia. The service will be Changi Airport’s fourth new cargo service between Singapore and China since border closure measures began in April. Credit: Changi Airport Group
COMAC affirms plan for 2021 C919 certification, Ryanair sees post-pandemic opportunities after first-half loss, Latin America's pandemic paradox, most Chinese carriers returning to profitability in Q3, UK bans English leisure travel under COVID-19 lockdown and more. A roundup of air transport news powered by Aviation Daily.
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