Executives at United Airlines predict the slow recovery in air travel demand will reach a ceiling of around half of 2019 levels, at which point they expect traffic to remain broadly static until a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes widely available.
Qatar Airways Group has launched legal action against the four neighboring states that have halted airline movements between them and Qatar for more than three years.
The Malaysian Ministry of Transport is estimating its air transport industry will record a MYR13 billion ($3 billion) loss for 2020 following travel restrictions and a drop-off in demand caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Taiwan’s parliament has passed a proposal to rename and rebrand its flag-carrier China Airlines to prevent further confusion with mainland Chinese airlines.
Airlines for Europe (A4E) is stepping up its efforts to get another slot waiver for the winter timetable, offering to abide by a code of conduct to reach a compromise with airports ahead of a possible approval by the European Commission (EC).
Cathay Pacific has reached a deal with Airbus to extend the delivery window for its A350s and A321neos by two years, and the carrier also confirmed it is talking to Boeing about deferring its 777-9s.
Rwandan flag-carrier RwandAir has announced plans to resume flights to nine destinations by Aug. 1, although COVID-19 precautions differ for each route.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker believes the blockade against the State of Qatar and Qatar Airways failed as it has not served its intended purpose—to isolate the country.
UK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic resumed passenger flights July 20 with an initial service between London Heathrow and Hong Kong, following a three-month suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
IndiGo has made every effort to avoid any impact on employees, even though it is only operating “a small percentage” of its fleet of 250 aircraft, Dutta said. He noted the carrier was one of the few to pay staff full salaries during the months of March and April.
American Airlines, International Airlines Group (IAG), Lufthansa and United Airlines are urging the EU and the U.S. government to introduce a common COVID-19 testing program that would allow airlines to restore a more substantial transatlantic network.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker does not expect to return to profit in the next two or three years as the COVID-19 pandemic is sure to create uncertainty for several years to come, Al Baker said on an Aviation Week webinar July 21.
The chances of involuntary pilot furloughs at Alaska Airlines in the fall have significantly diminished after management and union representatives from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) agreed to a series of incentivized leave and early retirement programs.
Norwegian Air Shuttle has accused Boeing of “gross negligence” and “clumsy production” in a lawsuit in which the LCC is claiming damages to compensate for the grounding of the 737 MAX and 787 engine troubles, Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv has reported.
China Eastern Airlines said it is running more than 80% normal domestic capacity and expects by the end of July to achieve 94% of 2019’s flight numbers for several major cities.
Vietnamese start-up Bamboo Airways is set to lease a pair of Embraer E195LRs from Danish operator Great Dane Airlines to launch new services to the Con Dao archipelago.
Icelandair has signed a new, five-year collective bargaining agreement with its cabin crew, just 48 hours after the airline said it planned to fire all its flight attendants and have pilots take over onboard safety responsibilities.
For the last few weeks, airline executives and analysts have warned of deteriorating booking trends in the U.S., as COVID-19 cases multiply, and state and local governments reinstate restrictions on travel and businesses.
United Airlines will maximize airflow volume for all mainline aircraft high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems during the entire boarding and deplaning process beginning July 27, aiming to help further reduce the spread of COVID-19.
