Aviation Daily Roundup: August 20

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has responded to an Aug. 20 Bloomberg report that said the flag-carrier had “burned through” S$4.4 billion ($3.2 billion) of the S$8.8 billion raised in a rights issue in two months, saying its spending has “always been extremely careful and judicious.”

Air BP and Neste are to offer a vastly increased amount of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to airport customers, the two companies said Aug. 19.

Nico Bezuidenhout, CEO of South African LCC Mango, has resigned to take up a new position as CEO of Aurigny Airlines in Guernsey, one of the British Channel Islands.

Eurocontrol may cut its air traffic outlook for September because of COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed across the European region.

AirBaltic and Airbus have agreed to delay delivery of the remaining 28 A220-300s the carrier has on order, with a new plan to complete delivery of all 50 of the type by early 2024.

American Airlines announced plans to drop service to 15 small and mid-sized U.S. cities following the expiration of the Payroll Support Program (PSP) on Oct. 1, further raising pressure on Congress to extend the federal aid program for another six months.

BOC Aviation pivoted to purchase and leaseback (PLB) deals in the first half of 2020 in “proactive support” of its client airlines’ liquidity, the Singapore-based lessor said Aug. 20.

Qantas estimates there is a strong underlying demand for domestic travel in Australia, but it is being constrained by multiple intra-state border closures.

Lufthansa Cargo has opened its Munich Airport Pharma Hub and hopes to obtain CEIV pharma certification from IATA in the fall of 2020.