Aviation Daily Roundup: August 25

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) plans to mandate Rolls-Royce-recommended on-wing inspections of certain Trent 900 interstage spacers to find cracked parts in the Airbus A380 powerplants before they trigger in-service incidents.

The Qantas Group is proposing to outsource its ground handling services at Australian airports, which would result in up to 2,500 job losses.

The continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced Indian Ocean carrier Air Austral to extend its suspension of services to most destinations until “at least” Sept. 30.

Administrators for Virgin Australia are recommending creditors vote to accept a proposed takeover of the company valued at A$3.5 billion ($2.5 billion).

China Express Airlines managed to stay profitable for the first six months of an eventful year thanks to its unique operating model as a feeder airline and the quick implementation of cost-saving measures.

Croatia Airlines has been working to renegotiate an order for four Airbus A320neos, but nearly a year’s worth of talks have stalled in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

The continuing U.S. effort to isolate Iranian airlines has expanded to two companies in the UAE being sanctioned for allegedly helping to supply Tehran-based Mahan Air.

A handful of Asia-Pacific governments are taking tentative—yet significant—steps to resume international travel with certain countries.

Delta Air Lines COO Gil West, who played an instrumental role in integrating Northwest Airlines and cementing Delta’s position as arguably the most operationally reliable airline in its class, announced his retirement.

Virgin Atlantic’s creditors have voted in favor of the UK long-haul carrier’s £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) restructuring plan, ahead of two key court hearings to finalize the process on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3.

Germany’s air transport association BDL warned returning to mandatory quarantine for passengers flying in from countries defined as high-risk in the current COVID-19 pandemic would cripple the recovery of air transport in the country.

Finnair has begun negotiations on 1,000 redundancies as a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic remains out of sight.