The global economic slowdown is well underway, creating a “difficult environment” for airlines that is not likely to improve soon, IATA chief economist Brian Pearce has warned.
Indonesian carrier Lion Air (JT) will reportedly launch a low-cost carrier (LCC), Malindo, to begin services in May 2013, according to a Bloomberg report.
Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier plans to give more power to local Airbus plant managers to increase efficiency and enable them to make faster decisions as part of sweeping changes that are expected to begin in January.
An Antonov An-28, operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Enterprise, crashed Tuesday morning on approach to Palana, a small town on Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, with 12 passengers and two crew members aboard.
Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services has received European Aviation Safety Agency approval to perform Boeing 777-200 and -300 maintenance. Spirit AeroSystems’ Aftermarket Customer support signed a supply agreement with Lion Air to provide thrust reverser, fuselage and wing component spare parts for the carrier’s fleet of Boeing aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has earmarked S$200 million ($160 million) to provide seed funding to establish research institutes and think-tanks to help turn Singapore into a regional Center of Excellence for Air Traffic Management (ATM).
China Southern Airlines (CZ) and Air China (CA) have agreed to codeshare on the Beijing (PEK) to Paris route using an Airbus A380 from October, according to CA CEO Cai Jianjiang, pending regulatory approval.
Managers of suspended Italian low-cost carrier Wind Jet (IV) will meet with government authorities Friday in a bid to resurrect the airline after a group of business owners came forward with a rescue plan.
Kenya Airways (KQ) said 126 staff members have left the airline, completing the voluntary redundancy phase of its cost-cutting program after a court order was lifted blocking plans to cut jobs.
Qantas (QF) and Air France (AF) will end their codeshare agreement April 1, in a decision triggered by QF’s exclusive global partnership with Emirates (EK) announced last week.
Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) president Greg Principato warned that the US is “at risk [of] being turned into a feeder system for the global aviation network” because its infrastructure is falling behind much of the rest of the world.
Scoot will launch 3X-weekly Singapore-Shenyang-Qingdao Boeing 777-200 service Nov. 27. Druk Air will launch 2X-weekly Paro-Singapore Airbus A319 service Sept. 1. Ethiopian Airlines will launch 3X-weekly Addis Ababa-Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur service Oct. 31.
