Coronavirus

Finnair has raised its savings target by a further €30 million ($36 million) to €170 million by 2022 as it aims to increase the scale of permanent reductions to its cost base.

The UK CAA has rejected Heathrow Airport’s request for £2.6 billion ($3.6 billion) to cover COVID-19 pandemic-related losses, labeling the claim as “disproportionate and not in the interests of consumers.”

Airports and airlines will need to be “very creative in finding new solutions” to cope with the post-pandemic aviation market, a panel at Routes Reconnected heard on April 26.

As the industry looks for signs of recovery, slot distribution remains a delicate balance for airlines, airports and authorities.

FLIGHTAWARE says China has officially surpassed 2019 commercial flight traffic levels for first time since pandemic began.

The latest survey of more than 40 service providers suggests a shift in MRO spending is well underway.

LCC IndiGo has agreed to a sale and leaseback deal with lessor GECAS covering 14 CFM LEAP-powered Airbus A320neos, as India battles a crippling second wave of coronavirus infections.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES plans May 4 to resume Singapore-Denpasar (737-800).

DELTA AIR LINES has secured $3.1b from US Treasury via Payroll Support Program 3 in exchange for stock warrants.

DELTA AIR LINES plans to begin daily JFK-Athens on May 28 and daily Atlanta-Athens on July 2 (A330).

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS is expected reduce its 777X order from 21 to 10-15 for delivery starting in 2025.

SKYWEST AIRLINES has secured $250m from US Treasury via Payroll Support Program 3 in exchange for stock warrants.

Airlines welcomed comments by European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen in which she said the European Union would allow unrestricted travel for U.S. travelers who have been vaccinated.

AEROMEXICO reached agreement to add 24 new 737 MAXs and four 787-9s in 2021/2022 as part of restructured agreements with Boeing and certain lessors

The European Commission has allowed the transfer of €462 million ($560 million) in COVID-19 pandemic damages from the Portuguese state to TAP Air Portugal but the airline is still waiting on EC approval for its turnaround plan.

ACI World director general Luis Felipe de Oliveira has warned that the industry is still “bleeding” as a result of the pandemic and continues to face an existential threat.

The air travel bubble (ATB) connecting Singapore (SIN) and Hong Kong (HKG) will finally open on May 26, nearly six months after the initial launch was postponed after cases surged in the Chinese special administrative region.

Ask the Editors: Despite pandemic budget challenges, MROs invested in technician-training technology to ensure regulatory compliance.

Business aviation has fared better than commercial travel. With the exception of large jets, all other business jets and turboprops have utilizations

ALASKA AIRLINES expects to reach 100% of 2019 capacity by mid-2022; it is seeing a surge in leisure demand, but business travel continues to be anemic

EMIRATES plans July 2 to resume four-times-weekly Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City (777-200LR).

AVCORP INDUSTRIES is forecasting EBITDA of C$20m on C$24m revenues (46% commercial/54% defense) for 1Q21 with order backlog of $393m (83% commercial

HONEYWELL AEROSPACE earned $762m on $2.6b sales in 1Q21 vs $937m on $3.3b in 1Q20 and $838m on $3.3b in 1Q19.

UNITED plans in June to add >480 daily flights to its US schedule and will fly its largest schedule since before the pandemic (>3,100 total daily

Seven of the top 10 airports for passenger traffic during 2020 were in China, with Guangzhou (CAN) replacing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) as the world’s busiest.