Aviation Daily Roundup: October 04, 2021

Lufthansa is leasing four additional Airbus A350s to accelerate the retirement of older four-engined aircraft. CEO Carsten Spohr confirmed the move on the sidelines of the IATA annual general meeting in Boston on Oct. 3. Credit: Rob Finlayson

Wizz Air will launch its first routes to Jordan after signing an agreement with the kingdom to begin four year-round services to Amman and four seasonal flights to Aqaba. Credit: Rob Finlayson

Germany has formally inaugurated the first commercial plant for producing carbon-neutral synthetic kerosene from water, captured CO2 and renewable electricity. Credit: Lufthansa

Major aircraft lessor Avolon said it signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which is endeavoring to grow as an independent freighter conversion company, to be IAI’s launch customer for their Airbus A330-300 freighter conversion program. Credit: Airbus

Financial losses across the world’s airlines are expected to total $201 billion for the pandemic-struck years of 2020-2022, IATA said Oct. 4. In a financial outlook update at the opening of the 77th IATA annual general meeting (AGM), held in 2021 as an in-person event in Boston, IATA said net industry losses for 2021 were forecast to total $51.8 billion, worsened from the $47.7 billion loss estimated in April. IATA said the impact will reduce significantly in 2022 to a $11.6 billion loss. Credit: Charles O'Rear / Getty Images

Argentina’s flag-carrier Aerolineas Argentinas believes domestic demand is recovering at a steady clip, and domestic traffic could inch closer to 2019 levels early in 2022. Credit: Eitan Abramovich / AFP / Getty Images

Qantas and Emirates are seeking to extend their joint venture partnership for another five years beyond the expiration of their current agreement. The airlines, which have existing approvals from regulators to operate a joint business until March 2023, will seek re-authorization to continue the core elements of the partnership until 2028. This includes coordination of pricing, schedules, sales and tourism marketing on approved routes. Credit: Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images

Ethiopian Airlines Group is continuing its growth strategy of setting up new airlines across the African continent. In early December, Ethiopian Airlines will start a new carrier in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a fleet of 10 aircraft. Credit: Eduardo Soteras/AFP/Getty Images

An added benefit of IATA’s first in-person annual general meeting (AGM) since 2019 is airlines across all business models can come together to trade stories about riding the waves of the pandemic. Credit: Joe Pries

The major U.S. airlines are taking steps to comply with a directive from the Biden administration ordering large federal contractors to vaccinate their employees by Dec. 8. Credit: Scott Olson / Getty Images

IATA has given its members a new sustainability target of achieving net zero emissions by the year 2050 despite the opposition of its Chinese airline members. All other IATA members passed the resolution brought forward by Director General Willie Walsh at the Boston annual general assembly Oct. 4. It is therefore now becoming the official industry position. Credit: Oli Kellett / Getty Images