United Airlines has not leveraged collateral in Avianca Holdings that could see it take control of the Colombian carrier following loan-covenant violations by majority shareholder BRW Aviation, which put up its ownership stake to guarantee a loan from the Chicago-based carrier.
An April 30 deadline for the presentation of a new business plan to rescue Alitalia looked set to be extended after Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), which is expected to lead the relaunch, said it had discussed the possibility of an extension at a board meeting.
Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines reported a 2019 first-quarter net loss of €99 million ($111 million), widened from a €73 million loss in the year-ago quarter.
Boeing chairman, president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg appears likely to keep all those titles after company shareholders opted April 29 not to make the chairmanship an independent position.
Italy’s deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio said more private investors are making offers for Alitalia and would play a role in the bankrupt airline’s relaunch.
Japan Airlines (JAL) achieved healthy growth in net profits for its fiscal year through March 31, although it is projected to decline in the current fiscal year.
UK regional carrier Eastern Airways declined to comment on its future in light of the financial problems facing its parent company, US-based Bristow Group.
American Airlines reported a 2019 first-quarter net profit of $237 million, down 23%. The Boeing 737 MAX grounding is projected to cost Dallas/Fort Worth-based American about $350 million in full-year income, assuming its current plan to have the aircraft back in revenue service by Aug. 19 holds, the carrier reported.
Winter storm-related disruptions and a drop in close-in bookings held Alaska Air Group’s net income flat at $4 million in the 2019 first quarter, the same as the year-ago period.
Kuwait-based hybrid carrier Jazeera Airways reported a 2019 first-quarter net profit of KD1.5 million ($4.9 million), reversed from a net loss of KD0.3 million in the year-ago quarter.
Florida-based LCC Spirit Airlines reported a 2019 first-quarter net income of $56.1 million, reversed from a net loss of $44.9 million in the year-ago quarter.
A trio of unusual events took a toll on Southwest Airlines’ first-quarter financial performance and is driving unit costs up, but long-term fundamentals remain strong, as does the carrier’s confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX.
The FAA projects passenger growth for US carriers will advance at an average annual rate of 1.8% over the next 20 years—about 0.1% lower than last year’s forecast—increasing by 48% or roughly 424 million passengers from 2018 levels by 2039.
MAX operators in the US and elsewhere are emphasizing a need to plan for the busy summer season to set schedules well ahead of whenever the groundings are lifted.
The growing number of small US airlines may suggest the industry is on the cusp of a regional airline renaissance, but regional executives say such descriptions are premature.
African LCC fastjet expects to post a $41.2 million operating loss for 2018, nearly four times its $11.2 million prior-year loss, deepened by $23.9 million in one-off impairments from its December 2018 capital increase.
Latvian carrier SmartLynx Airlines has secured an air operator’s certificate (AOC) for its new Maltese airline, which it will use as a platform for further growth.
Hong Kong Airlines is offering pilots the option of transferring to alternative airlines as the company faces a surplus of pilots as a result of the delayed delivery of the Airbus A330 and A350.
Norwegian Air Shuttle reported a widening first-quarter loss and said it was still assessing the financial impact of the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX, but that it could cost it up to NOK500 million ($57.5 million) in 2019.
