Airlines & Lessors

A Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 crashed into the sea Jan. 9 after losing contact with air traffic control shortly after taking off from Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Indonesia.

WestJet, citing a drop in bookings following Canada’s new COVID-19 pandemic testing protocols for international passengers, is cutting near-term capacity and staffing.

The Qatar Airways flight QR1365 that took off from Doha (DOH) on Jan. 7 at 8:45 p.m. bound for Johannesburg (JNB) marked a new chapter for the Oneworld alliance member.

Indian LCC SpiceJet is further expanding its domestic and international network as part of a strategy to enhance connectivity between some of India’s biggest cities and key non-metro cities.

Vistara plans to add Frankfurt to its route map from February, becoming the second destination in Europe to be served by the Indian full-service carrier.

A new Italian airline is set to begin operations before the end of the first quarter when EGO Airways takes to the skies.

Airlines and aerospace manufacturers may still face added complications, but a last-minute Brexit deal is good news.

U.S. low-cost carriers have touted nonstop networks and strong leisure bases as buoys in the pandemic, but other advantages are emerging.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is planning to fly 50% of its pre-COVID-19 traffic volumes in the summer season and hopes long-haul routes will play a crucial part in its recovery.

Ryanair cut its traffic forecast for the financial year to March 2021 and said it would reduce its flight schedules from later in January.

Malaysia Airlines appears to be inching closer to gaining approval from creditors for its sweeping debt restructuring plan.

Norwegian Air Shuttle said it was operating nine aircraft after “positive” Christmas bookings, representing a small improvement in its activities from the six aircraft it had been operating in previous weeks.

Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr has begun returning its Antonov An-124 super heavy freighters to operation.

Management insists permanent structural change is needed whereas unions try to return to pre-crisis labor conditions as soon as possible.

WestJet said it plans to resume commercial Boeing 737 MAX operations on Jan. 21, pending clearance from Canadian regulators.

Lessor BOC Aviation has reported a fairly stable year-on-year operational performance for 2020, while AerCap appeared to report a more significant drop in its full-year activity as COVID-19 took its toll.

Air New Zealand has expanded the number of quarantine-free routes it flies to Australia, although airlines are still waiting for a two-way bubble to emerge before a significant rebound in this market can occur.

Eastern Airlines has launched a 2X-weekly flight between Miami International (MIA) and Asunción (ASU), adding direct service to Paraguay’s capital city.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to restore ties with Qatar, ending a blockade that has been in place for more than three years.

The Tata group’s purchase of a larger holding in joint venture AirAsia India (AAI) could help spur consolidation in the Indian airline industry as it rebounds from the COVID-19 crisis.

South Korean LCC T’Way Air has confirmed plans to add Airbus A330s to its fleet late in 2022, allowing it to extend its network reach.

As ATR delivers its first ATR72 freighter to FedEx, Embraer considers an E190 conversion program.

Ethiopian Airlines, DHL and African Electronic Trade Group (AeTrade Group) were among the first companies to transport cargo under the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which became operational on Jan. 1.

Amazon has purchased 11 used Boeing 767s from Delta Air Lines and WestJet, as the online retailer looks to expand the size of its cargo operation to accommodate surging e-commerce and global freight demand.

Nigerian domestic carrier Azman Air is planning to add another Airbus A340-600, three Boeing 737-800s and five regional aircraft, under an ambitious growth strategy for 2021.