Ethiopian Airlines group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam has reaffirmed his belief in Boeing in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash that claimed the lives of all 157 people on board.
Jet Airways chairman and founder Naresh Goyal has stepped down from his position, clearing the way for the Indian carrier’s major creditors to execute the next stage of its bailout.
Boeing is scheduling a meeting in Renton, Washington on March 27 to update airlines and aviation regulators on its actions to address concerns about the 737 MAX. The manufacturer said it has “invited more than 200 airline pilots, technical leaders and regulators for an informational session” in Renton. “This is part of our ongoing effort to share more details about our plan for supporting the safe return of the 737 MAX to commercial service,” the carrier said in a statement.
The fate of Icelandic ultra-LCC WOW Air seems to increasingly to lie with its creditors, after talks with Icelandair Group collapsed. The two Icelandic carriers resumed talks March 21 following an almost four-month hiatus after negotiations regarding Icelandair’s acquisition of WOW Air ended without agreement. In the intervening period, U.S.-based private equity fund Indigo Partners stepped in, looking to take an initial 49% stake in WOW Air. However, Indigo, which has major stakes in several other LCCs, withdrew from the talks last week.
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The White House in its fiscal 2020 budget request indicated plans to reform the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, opening up a schism between the Trump administration and rural airport operators who depend on the pre-deregulation-era program to make sure carriers continue flying to their communities.
UK-based long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic is to open its first service to South America in 2020, with flights between London Heathrow and São Paulo, Brazil.
Airbus’ Skywise data sharing and analysis platform could double to 100 airline customers this year, top Airbus executives reportedly told an investor conference Mar. 20.
Icelandic ULCC WOW Air has restarted talks with Icelandair Group after long-running negotiations with private equity fund Indigo Partners to take a stake in the fast-expanding LCC collapsed.
Spanish LCC Volotea is considering expanding to 40-60 aircraft by 2022, when it will have completed its transition from Boeing 717s to an all-Airbus A319 fleet.
Garuda Indonesia has informed Boeing it wants to cancel its orders for 49 737 MAX aircraft, and is considering seeking a deal for Boeing widebody aircraft instead.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Mar. 21 that it is stepping up its inflight sustainability initiatives, introducing new efforts to reduce food waste and cut back on plastic products.
Details of Boeing’s plans to upgrade the 737 MAX’s flight control system are increasing the glare on flight-deck human factors breakdowns in the model’s design.
Boeing Commercial Aircraft’s top salesman asserted Mar. 21 that changes to the 737 MAX related to the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 will be approved by U.S. authorities in April, reiterating that safety continues to be the core mission of the embattled manufacturer.
