Airlines & Lessors

Hong Kong Airlines said it had to hire external security personnel and lawyers because of an unfolding spat between shareholders, but insisted it was business as usual for customers.

Etihad Aviation Group CFO Mark Powers has left the Abu Dhabi-based company to return to the US for what the airline described as “personal reasons.”

United Airlines doubled its profit in the first quarter, reporting net income of $292 million, up from $145 million in the year-ago quarter, capping out the best first quarter for the Chicago-based carrier in three years.

UK long-haul operator Virgin Atlantic is planning to use its acquisition of UK regional Flybe and closer ties with new shareholder Air France-KLM to become a more comprehensive competitor to UK incumbent British Airways (BA).

India’s Jet Airways has suspended all remaining flight operations after failing to gain emergency funding.

AirAsia has decided not to pursue its plan to create a joint venture (JV) airline in Vietnam, at least in the short term.

The carrier plans to open the new station at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport in time for its busy summer travel season.

Avianca Brazil has been forced to make more flight cancellations after lessor Aircastle reclaimed all 10 of its Airbus A320-200s on lease to the carrier, cutting the insolvent operator's fleet by 30%.

Lufthansa Group has reported a 2019 first quarter loss as it absorbed the impact of higher fuel costs and overcapacity in the European market.

Icelandair is wet-leasing Boeing 767s and acquiring a Boeing 757 on a temporary basis to compensate for its 737 MAX 8s affected by the global grounding.

Indian carrier Jet Airways has been rebuffed in its latest attempt to secure emergency funds that would allow it to resume more flights.

Asiana Airlines’ largest stakeholder, Kumho Industrial, has decided to sell its entire stake in the South Korean airline as it seeks to improve its liquidity and appease creditors.

Alitalia unions said they were ready to take action to protest the delay in presenting a new business strategy for Alitalia even as the Italian government said there would be good news soon about the airline.

British Airways CFO Steve Gunning will become group CFO, replacing Enrique Dupuy de Lome who is stepping down in June.

Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) will launch a new Arctic airline to perform regional and international flights.

Southwest Airlines has revamped its schedule through Aug. 5 to account for not having its 34 Boeing 737 MAXs as the model’s grounding continues to keep operators shuffling their schedules and fleet plans.

China’s Juneyao Airlines reported a 2018 net profit of CNY1.2 billion ($174.5 million), down 7.7% from CNY1.3 billion in 2017.

Delta Air Lines reported its 2018 first-quarter net income jumped 31% to $730 million from $557 million in the year-ago quarter.

New SriLankan Airlines CEO Vipula Gunatilleka is hoping to reach breakeven within three years by renegotiating aircraft leases, substituting the airline’s Airbus A350 order for A330-900neos, growing the network, and reopening destinations.

India’s Jet Airways continues to cancel all international flights for the near-term at least, as more aircraft are grounded for missing lease payments.

People-April 11, 2019

Air Caraïbes reported a 2018 net profit of €10.4 million ($11.9 million), down 13% from €12 million in the previous year.

Potential bidders have emerged for a strategic stake in India’s Jet Airways, prompting the airline’s creditors to extend a deadline for expressions of interest (EOI).

ATW speaks with new Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss about his first 100 days in the job and his strategy for the airline.

Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft deliveries for 2019 year-to-date, sorted by most-recent delivery date.