Airlines & Lessors

UK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic plans to relaunch services to 17 more destinations in August, building on five previously announced routes scheduled to return in late July.

PARIS—French airline Corsair is negotiating a rescue plan which could involve new shareholders, a source has told Aviation Daily, confirming information initially reported by online publication La Tribune.

LOT Polish Airlines has confirmed that it has applied for a second air operator’s certificate (AOC) for a subsidiary that is also named “LOT Polish Airlines.”

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said the airline has made ample preparations to avoid a grounding, in case an extraordinary general assembly rejects the company’s multi-billion bailout on June 25 and the airline is forced to file for insolvency proceedings.

Spirit Airlines is planning to operate around 550 daily flights in July—an aggressive restoration of more than 80% of last year’s scheduled capacity.

Austria’s Ryanair subsidiary Laudamotion plans to become a wet-lease carrier; however, it will have to implement several survival measures deemed necessary to face post-COVID-19 competition.

LATAM Airlines Group’s decision to indefinitely exit Argentina’s domestic market reflects the tough conditions the country’s remaining airlines face

Spanish LCC Volotea expects in the next few days to continue restarting commercial flights in several countries and to create 200 additional jobs.

Iberia is to retire its fleet of Airbus A340s this year, several years earlier than planned, as it seeks to right-size its fleet amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delta Air Lines plans to continue reshaping its network by adding 1,000 daily departures in August, building on a similarly sized expansion of July’s timetable, before “taking a pause” and evaluating fall demand trends, CEO Ed Bastian said.

Denver-based Frontier Airlines is expanding its domestic network by launching three routes and adding frequencies on seven others.

Qatar Airways resumed flights from its Doha hub to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport on June 19, with plans to restart services to Boston, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles on July 1.

Following Hong Kong government’s HK$39 billion ($5 billion) recapitalization for flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, the territory’s third-largest operator, struggling Hong Kong Airlines (HX) hopes the government will extend its aid.

The Thailand government on June 17 approved a THB22.4 billion ($719 million) domestic-tourism stimulus for locals and medical personnel, with the government subsidizing hotel stays, domestic flight fares, inter-provincial bus fares and car rental fees.

Austrian Airlines hopes to be operating at least a basic hub again at Vienna by the end of July.

Japan Airlines (JAL) intends to raise another ¥300 billion ($2.8 billion) in financing to help it operate through the COVID-19 crisis.

Cathay has gained short-term relief through government support but now must turn its attention to reassessing business and fleet plans.

JetBlue Airways will add 30 routes to its domestic network over the next few months in a bid to capitalize on a modest expected upswing in leisure travel demand.

Air-service incentives were a big deal before the COVID-19 pandemic decimated demand.

Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker has told both Airbus and Boeing the carrier will not be taking any aircraft this year or next due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to UK-based Sky News.

Qantas has canceled all international flights until late October, with the potential exception of routes to and from New Zealand.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown of air traffic on European aviation has worsened in recent weeks, IATA warned, as it called for a coordinated restart of air travel through border openings and continued financial and regulatory support.

Wizz Air has revealed plans to station three Airbus A320s at Dortmund Airport (DTM) in Germany—its third new base announcement in three days

Canadian ULCC Swoop has issued a request for proposals (RFP) on Route Exchange seeking new airport partners in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Japanese LCC Peach is poised to become the latest airline to resume flying its full domestic network, and it has set a target date to restore all frequencies on these routes.