Coronavirus

The successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccine programs across Europe will translate into strong international traffic growth during the upcoming summer season, according to easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren.

Restructuring could bring more ownership changes in HNA Group’s stable of airlines, airports and lessors.

Democratic House lawmakers proposed an additional $26 billion to help struggling airlines, airports and manufacturers survive the air travel downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aer Lingus and Dublin Airports Authority (DAA) have both benefited from financial support from the Irish government.

Lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) foresees a sharp improvement in airlines’ fortunes as early as summer 2021 and remains confident that the industry will regain its pre-pandemic pattern of growth.

With large parts of their fleets still grounded amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe’s airlines might be burning precious little fuel at the moment.

CARGOJET announced fleet expansion plan to add five 767Fs (two for domestic service/three for international) for delivery starting in 3Q21 and two

MESA had $14.1m net income for first quarter ended Dec 31 (vs $10.8m a year ago) on 18% lower revenues, and ended quarter with 136 aircraft in service

DAE had US$250.2m pretax profit on US$1.3b revenues in 2020 vs $413.6m on $1.4b in 2019. It has $2.7b of liquidity.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES GROUP is deferring >S$4b in CAPEX (aircraft deliveries) from FY20/21-FY22/23 to later years; it also converted 14 787-10s to 11 777

Etihad Airways said Feb. 9 that it had become the world’s first airline to have vaccinated all its operating pilots and cabin crew against COVID-19.

Israel has extended the temporary closure of Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International (TLV) as the country looks to keep out new variants of COVID-19.

Air Canada is suspending service on 17 more routes until April 30 at the earliest as it grapples with new travel restrictions imposed by the Canadian government designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

AirAsia Group recorded a strong recovery in passenger volumes in the 2020 fourth quarter (Q4), notably in domestic carriage across Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The big lessors are in much better financial shape than their customers, and their market share and influence will only rise as they provide customers financial help.

AEA (Aircraft Electronics Association) says global business/general aviation avionics sales totaled $2.2b, down 26% vs 2019.

SWISS terminated negotiations with Aeropers pilots’ association on temporary COVID-19 crisis measures without reaching a result, and has terminated

Items of interest to professionals in the business aviation industry.

SAS says it plans to launch 180 direct routes from Scandinavia to Europe in its spring and summer traffic programs (assuming ease of travel

US DOT says US scheduled pax airlines employed 694,638 full-/part-time workers in December vs 752,565 in December 2019.

BOEING delivered 26 aircraft (737NG; 21 MAXs; 767F; three 777s) in January vs 13 (three 737NGs; two 767-2Cs; two 777s; six 787s) in Jan 2020. It

ALLEGIANT AIR announced 34 new nonstop routes in US to begin in mid-2021. It had 34 A319s/61 A320s at end 2020.

Boeing cautioned the White House against pursuing a COVID-19 testing proposal for domestic air travelers, warning such a policy would produce “severe unintended consequences” that far outweigh any potential public health benefits.

International passengers arriving into England will be required to undergo three self-funded coronavirus tests, in addition to being quarantined.

The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic may have acted as a “pressure valve release” on the aviation industry’s pilot shortage, but it has not solved the problem, said Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International, based in San Francisco.