Aviation Daily Roundup: July 28

JetBlue has tapped Pratt & Whitney to maintain its newer IAE V2500 engines under a 13-year, fixed-price agreement, the last maintenance-related piece in a series of sweeping cost-reduction moves.

JetBlue Airways is capitalizing on the worst downturn in air travel history to reinforce its New York and Los Angeles focus cities, part of a plan to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with an enhanced competitive profile on both U.S. coasts.

Business rescue practitioners acting for South African Airways (SAA) have secured stakeholder clearance for a final element of their business rescue plan, leaving only a few administrative details outstanding.

Shared-use lounge provider Airport Dimensions has acquired fellow-UK airport facilities company Onground Hospitality, which specializes in providing short-term sleeping areas for passengers in terminals.

Spanish LCC Volotea has agreed to a syndicated loan of €150 million ($176 million) to help meet its operational and financial needs following three months of “hibernation” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the main unions representing British Airways (BA) cabin crew has said it is “moving towards industrial action with immediate effect” as the airline continues with plans to cut its workforce.

Commercial aviation’s pandemic-driven downturn appears to have hit its low point during the 2020 second quarter (Q2), but signs point to a slow and unsteady recovery that will last until at least 2024, Raytheon Technologies Corp. (RTX) executives said.

Senate Republican leaders have released a proposal for another round of relief aid that includes a desperately needed $10 billion to help airports deal with the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initial hard data on the scope of the aftermarket’s downturn suggests the immediate drop was less severe than expected, but the climb back to pre-pandemic levels may take longer than initially projected.