Air Transport

UNITED AIRLINES says it resumed service on 23 domestic routes and 13 international routes during 3Q21; although it projects 4Q21 capacity to be down

SINGAPORE AIRLINES plans December 1 to resume three-times-weekly Singapore-Manchester-Houston (A350-900).

LUFTHANSA announced its first 787-9 (for delivery in 2022) will be named Berlin; it plans to receive five 787-9s in 2022.

XCELLE AMERICAS was jointly formed by Triumph Group and AFI KLM E&M to overhaul 787, 737 MAX, A320neo and A350 nacelles at Triumph's repair facility

JAPAN AIRLINES agreed to purchase or lease up to 100 Vertical VA-X4s from Avolon to create eVTOL ride sharing business.

AMEDEO signed LOI to purchase 200 19-seat Electric Regional Aircraft (ERAs) from AURA AERO, France.

TALON 1 ACQUISITION (SPAC formed by AVi8 Air Capital) filed for $200m IPO comprising 20m shares at $10 each.

FRANKFURT AIRPORT handled 3.09m pax in September, down 54% vs Sept 2019; cargo rose 7.7% to 188,177 tonnes.

The Machinists union in Wichita is pushing back on a government mandate requiring employees of government contractors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as Textron Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems work to comply.

FRANKFURT AIRPORT handled 3.09m pax in September, down 54% vs Sept 2019; cargo rose 7.7% to 188,177 tonnes.

LONDON HEATHROW handled 2.57m pax in September, down 62% vs Sept 2019; aircraft movements fell 45% to 21,248.

United Airlines said it plans to operate more international capacity next year than in 2019, driven by expectations of a strong business travel recovery and relaxed entry restrictions across the Atlantic and Pacific.

The initiative is part of a wider A$530 million investment plan the New South Wales state government is offering to “supercharge” its tourism and travel economy.

European airline fleet activity is showing signs of a sustained recovery, with both the number of in-service aircraft and their time in the air rising in recent months.

Europe’s travel and tourism industry is calling for a new approach to COVID-19 travel rules in the region, including the elimination of the color-code system introduced in 2020, as European leaders are due to meet in Brussels to discuss the next steps.

French airports have lodged a legal challenge in Brussels over a planned French law that will ban the operation of internal flights on routes for which a rail alternative of 2.5 hours or less exists.

Israeli carrier El Al has started acquisition talks with competitor Arkia Israeli Airlines, although the discussions remain at an early stage.

The parent company of Thai AirAsia, Asia Aviation (AAV), is planning to raise THB17.9 billion ($536 million) as it hopes to position itself for Thailand’s border reopening Nov. 1.

UK LCC easyJet plans to offer passengers lounge access for the first time through a partnership with No1 Lounges at London Gatwick Airport.

Lufthansa and easyJet won backing from a European court over deals they undertook to buy Air Berlin assets, after the court dismissed two cases made by Polish airline LOT.

DHL Air Austria has received its Austrian air operator’s certificate (AOC) and is preparing to launch operations later this in 2021.

Lufthansa says Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) will be the first destination for its new Boeing 787-9s when the aircraft commence operations in 2022.

Some of Europe’s major airlines are planning to expand their winter schedules on transatlantic routes as the U.S. plans to relax restrictions on vaccinated international air travelers starting Nov. 8.

In the run up to COP26, which the UK is hosting later this month in Glasgow, the government has set out a new sustainability strategy, with aviation and—in particular—sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) playing an important role in the broader aim to become a net-zero society by 2050.

Aviation’s existential threat is not COVID; it’s the environment.