# MISC | Coronavirus on International Aviation



## sponge_bob

Starting tomorrow or tuesday Delta will

1. Ground 30% of the fleet. 
2. Cut European flights to a single daily LHR-JFK.

United are similar. 

https://www.flightglobal.com/networ...lights-as-us-travel-ban-widens/137275.article

3 x LHR flights a day and one x DUB. (LHR get 1 each from Newark, San Francisco and Washington and DUB is probably ex Newark)

Only US citizens can use these flights and I assume Irish UK or EU citizens eastbound. I don't think even a green card will get you onboard otherwise. J1 visas are canned for students too. 

France, of course, has banned all passengers from the US no matter who they are.


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## hkskyline

* Airlines seek emergency aid as coronavirus brings industry to near-halt *
_Excerpt_

LONDON/PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - Airlines made unprecedented cuts to flights, costs and staffing on Monday, and stepped up calls for emergency government aid, as coronavirus lockdowns and new travel restrictions hit more major routes.

Already battered shares in British Airways parent IAG , easyJet and Air France-KLM plunged again as they scrapped most of their flights for the coming weeks, joining other major carriers that are all but halting operations in the face of the pandemic.

“It is now clear that the coronavirus is by far the biggest crisis in the history of aviation,” Finnair Chief Executive Topi Manner said as the carrier announced a 90% capacity reduction and its second profit warning in three weeks.

The outlook darkened further after Spain declared a state of emergency and the United States extended travel curbs to Britain and Ireland, while Australia and New Zealand began requiring all travellers to self-isolate.

In an unusual joint statement, the world’s three main airline alliances - oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance - called for government aid to alleviate the “unprecedented challenges” faced by the industry.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...us-brings-industry-to-near-halt-idUSL8N2B93LQ


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## hkskyline

* Egypt to halt flights from Thursday to stem spread of coronavirus *
_Excerpt_

CAIRO, March 16 (Reuters) - Egypt will halt all air traffic at its airports from Thursday until March 31 to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Monday.

Egypt will sanitize hotels and tourist sites during the closure, he said in a news conference, adding that tourists now in the country would be able to complete their vacations.

Madbouly said Egypt’s strategic reserves of key commodities would last for months and there was no need for people to stock up.

He said local firms in the aviation sector would suffer losses of 2.25 billion Egyptian pounds ($143 million) due to the latest measures. The last plane allowed to depart would leave on Thursday, March 19, at noon.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...y-to-stem-spread-of-coronavirus-idUSL8N2B95ZQ


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## hkskyline

* Hit by virus, US airlines seek aid far exceeding post-9/11 *
AP _Excerpt_
Mar 16, 2020

With each day that the coronavirus outbreak spreads and claims more lives, the damage to global airlines rises too. U.S. carriers on Monday put a price tag on their pain: They asked the federal government for more than $50 billion in rescue aid.

It is a staggering request for an industry that has chalked up tens of billions in profits over the past decade. It would far exceed the bailout that airlines got after the terror attacks of September 2001.

Airlines CEOs have been making the rounds in Washington and making phone calls to lobby for assistance in the last few days. Airlines for America, the trade group representing all the leading U.S. passenger and cargo airlines, finally provided some details about what the airlines want.

They are asking for $29 billion in federal grants: $25 billion for passenger airlines, $4 billion for cargo carriers. They also want up to $29 billion in zero-interest loans or loan guarantees, split the same way between passenger and cargo carriers. And they want federal excise taxes on fuel, cargo and airline tickets to be suspended through the end of next year and possibly longer.

That package would easily surpass the $5 billion in grants and up to $10 billion in loan guarantees that Congress approved after the terror attacks of September 2001, which temporarily grounded all U.S. flights and led to a long slump in domestic travel.

More : https://apnews.com/700b2481c44d454201f0d76ca3ffeae1


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## hkskyline

* 'Single biggest shock': Airlines, airports battle coronavirus cash crunch *
_Excerpt_
Mar 17, 2020

SYDNEY (Reuters) - As Boeing and other U.S. aviation companies angle for billions in assistance, airlines and airport operators globally are suspending dividends, selling airplanes and flying cargo on passenger jets amid plunging demand caused by the pandemic.

Boeing Co (BA.N) confirmed it is in talks with senior White House officials and congressional leaders about short-term assistance for the entire U.S. aviation sector, including suppliers, airlines and airports.

U.S. airlines and cargo carriers have said they are seeking at least $58 billion in loans and grants along with additional tax changes, while airports have sought $10 billion. European airlines have also stepped up calls for emergency government aid.

“It’s now fair to call this the single biggest shock that global aviation has ever experienced,” Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) Chief Executive Alan Joyce said in a memo to the airline’s 30,000 staff on Tuesday.

Joyce has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, including during the 9/11 attacks, and led Qantas through the global financial crisis in 2008-2009.

The Australian carrier announced plans to cut international capacity by 90% and domestic capacity by 60% until at least the end of May, grounding the equivalent of 150 planes in response to new travel restrictions.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-battle-coronavirus-cash-crunch-idUSKBN2133YT


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## hkskyline

* Virus creates world's longest passenger flight *
CNN _Excerpt_
Mar 17, 2020

The aviation industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with travelers across the world dealing with canceled flights and travel bans as they scramble to get home.

But one unlikely aviation side effect is the creation of a new world aviation record.

On March 14, French airline Air Tahiti Nui flew the longest ever scheduled passenger flight by distance -- transiting 9,765 miles across the world from Papeete, in Tahiti, French Polynesia, to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.
This one off milestone was a direct consequence of the coronavirus-induced US travel restrictions.

This route usually involves a scheduled stopover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). But when an airplane stops over in the US, all passengers must alight the aircraft and proceed through US Customs and Border Protection before they're allowed to advance on with the next leg of their journey.

Current restrictions rendered this part of the journey untenable, so instead, flight TN064 just carried straight on, departing at 3 a.m. local time from Papeete airport and arriving in Paris at 6:30 a.m. local time on March 15.

"This flight was operated on an exceptional basis and within the constraints imposed by the American authorities in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic," an Air Tahiti Nui spokesperson told CNN Travel in a statement.

The flight, which was airborne for just under 16 hours, became the world's longest commercial flight in terms of distance traveled.

More : https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/coronavirus-worlds-longest-flight/index.html


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## FM 2258

The rush to Europe looks pretty thin this evening. hno:


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## cc71

I think there will be airline mergers all right creating a smaller number of large carriers. don't know what form this will take thought.

What do you think?


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## hkskyline

* Airline industry turmoil deepens as coronavirus pain spreads *
_Excerpt_
Mar 19, 2020

SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Airline industry turmoil deepened on Thursday as Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) told most of its 30,000 employees to take leave and India prepared a rescue package of up to $1.6 billion to aid carriers battered by coronavirus, government sources said.

The U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization called on governments to ensure cargo operations were not disrupted to maintain the availability of critical medicine and equipment such as ventilators, masks, and other health and hygiene items that will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Passenger operations have collapsed at an unprecedented rate as the virus spreads around the world, with Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) parking more than 600 jets, cutting corporate pay by as much as 50%, and scaling back its flying by more than 70% until demand begins to recover.

Shares in U.S. airlines fell sharply on Wednesday after Washington proposed a rescue package of $50 billion in loans, but no grants as the industry had requested, to help address the financial impact from the deepening coronavirus crisis.

The Trump administration’s lending proposal would require airlines to maintain a certain amount of service and limit increases in executive compensation until the loans are repaid.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ens-as-coronavirus-pain-spreads-idUSKBN21542J


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## hkskyline

* Qantas seeks to redeploy staff at Woolworths as coronavirus bites *
_Excerpt_ 

SYDNEY, March 19 (Reuters) - Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd is in talks with grocer Woolworths Group Ltd about redeploying some of its workers as coronavirus-hit financial markets brace for expected intervention by the country’s central bank on Thursday.

The flagship airline said it was temporarily laying off 20,000 employees, about two thirds of its workforce, as it suspended all international flights and slashed domestic services by almost two thirds.

Qantas, like other airlines around the world, has been severely impacted as several countries have closed national borders to try halt the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.

“Sadly there’s no work for most of our people,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said, adding the layoffs would last until at least the end of May. “They will maintain their jobs and they will have an opportunity to come back to Qantas.”

Supermarkets, however, have been contending with an influx of shoppers as people, wary that Australia will follow other countries by imposing movement restrictions on its citizens, rush to purchase goods. Supermarket shelves are stripped daily of essentials, including milk, pasta, toilet paper and meat.

More : https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...woolworths-as-coronavirus-bites-idUSL4N2BB5MV


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## hkskyline

* Mideast airlines lose $7B as airports shut to combat virus *
19 March 2020
_Excerpt_

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Seven Middle Eastern countries have suspended all commercial flights due to a fast-spreading new virus as the aviation industry’s largest trade association announced Thursday that airlines in the region have already lost more than $7 billion in revenue.

The International Air Transport Association, which represents around 290 airlines worldwide, said the travel restrictions that countries have imposed to slow down the spread of the virus “have more far-reaching implications than anything we have seen before.”

Since the end of January, 16,000 passenger flights have been cancelled in the Middle East. The financial losses translate into hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk, IATA said.

Already, major carriers like Emirates have urged pilots and cabin crew to take unpaid leave. Reports have emerged that Qatar Airways laid off several hundred employees. The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Job losses in the Middle East have especially far-reaching consequences to the millions of foreign workers who send remittances back home to families in India, Pakistan, the Philippines and eastern European countries. Gulf states like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates rely heavily on foreigners to work as airport support staff, pilots, cleaners and cabin crew.

“A lot of jobs are at risk, economies of the nations are being impacted and airline business in the Middle East is taking a bit hit,” Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s regional vice president for Africa and the Middle East, said in a phone conference with reporters.

“We are suffering, we are struggling. We are bleeding,” he said in his most urgent appeal yet to governments to step in and urgently help many of these state-owned airlines by cutting taxes and offering direct financial assistance.

Late on Wednesday, the last commercial flights arrived in Egypt and Lebanon before a lockdown took place at midnight. They were the latest two countries in the Middle East to shut down airports and suspend all passenger flights. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco had already imposed bans on flights.

More : https://apnews.com/a1c6ddb8d17fc07698ff2ecf7da791e4


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## RyukyuRhymer

with people getting upset over Airline bailouts caused by Covid-19

here is a useful video explaining the fragility of airline finances and operations (especially true for European airlines with its significant seasonalities)


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## hkskyline

* United Airlines slashes international schedule by 95% for April *
Mar 20, 2020

(Reuters) - United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) said on Friday it would slash its international schedule by 95% for April because of government restrictions prohibiting travel in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

United will temporarily suspend all flights to Canada effective April 1 and will draw down its remaining trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific and Mexico operations, the airline said in a statement.

The airline this week had announced a 60% reduction in domestic and international schedules for April, citing the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on travel demand.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...tional-schedule-by-95-for-april-idUSKBN21805I


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## fieldsofdreams

*Philippine Airlines suspends all flights*
_Philippine Airlines says its goal is to resume operations on April 15, 'if warranted by Philippine and international authorities, global public health conditions, and the travel environment'_



> Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is suspending all flight operations starting Thursday, March 26, as it grapples with the worldwide effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
> 
> In a statement on Tuesday, March 24, PAL said all international flights will be temporarily halted starting Thursday, following the suspension of all domestic flights since March 17.
> 
> "Our firm goal is to resume operations starting April 15, if warranted by Philippine and international authorities, global public health conditions, and the travel environment," PAL said.
> 
> According to the flag carrier, it can no longer sustain "even a limited number of international flights" due to strict travel restrictions imposed by more countries, the collapse in travel demand, and staffing challenges in Manila due to the Luzon lockdown.
> 
> The last flight to depart Manila will be PR104 bound for San Francisco on Wednesday, March 25, at 10:10 pm.
> 
> PAL said flights will still continue to arrive in Manila on Thursday from Los Angeles, Tokyo, Narita, and Jakarta; and on Friday, March 27, from New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.





Rich (BB code):


Philippine Airlines suspends all flights


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## hkskyline

* Emirates Airline steps back from suspending all passenger flights after lobbying from governments *
Mar 22, 2020
CNBC _Excerpt_

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai-based Emirates Airline has stepped back from its initial move Sunday to suspend all passenger flights due to the coronavirus crisis after facing pressure from governments.

Instead, it will temporarily suspend “most” passenger flights by March 25 , with flights still operating to several destinations based on demand and border accessibility. 

“Having receiving requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers, Emirates will continue to operate passenger and cargo flights to the following countries until further notice, as long as borders remain open, and there is demand: the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada,” a company statement said Sunday.

“The situation remains dynamic, and travellers can check flight status on emirates.com.”

The company added South Korea to that list shortly after issuing the statement. 

The news comes amid mounting national lockdowns, border closures and flight groundings as coronavirus cases climb around the world. 

Emirates Group said Sunday that it will not cut jobs, but will implement a temporary reduction in basic salary for the majority of its employees for three months, ranging from 25% to 50%.

More : Emirates Airline to temporarily suspend all passenger flights from March 25 as UAE halts all air travel


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## hkskyline

* Singapore Airlines grounds most of its fleet as travel bans bite *
Mar 23, 2020
_Excerpt_

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIAL.SI) announced on Monday that it would cut capacity by 96% and ground almost all of its fleet in response to coronavirus travel restrictions that the carrier said was “the greatest challenge” it had ever faced.

Shares of the airline were down more than 8% by 0129 GMT, while the broader market .STI was down over 7%.

The move comes as global travel hub Singapore closed its borders to travelers and transiting passengers in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

Globally, a shattered airline industry is now seeking state bail-outs to absorb the shock from the pandemic, as widespread travel curbs have forced many to ground fleets and place thousands of workers on unpaid leave to stay afloat.

“This will result in the grounding of around 138 SIA and SilkAir aircraft, out of a total fleet of 147, amid the greatest challenge that the SIA Group has faced in its existence,” Singapore Airlines said in a statement announcing the cut in planned capacity scheduled up to end April.

The airline said its low-cost carrier Scoot will also suspend most of its network, resulting in the grounding of 47 of its fleet of 49 aircraft.

More : Singapore Air's 'greatest challenge' prompts cuts affecting 10,000 staff


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## fieldsofdreams

hkskyline said:


> * Emirates Airline steps back from suspending all passenger flights after lobbying from governments *
> Mar 22, 2020
> CNBC _Excerpt_
> 
> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai-based Emirates Airline has stepped back from its initial move Sunday to suspend all passenger flights due to the coronavirus crisis after facing pressure from governments.
> 
> Instead, it will temporarily suspend “most” passenger flights by March 25 , with flights still operating to several destinations based on demand and border accessibility.
> 
> *“Having receiving requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers, Emirates will continue to operate passenger and cargo flights to the following countries until further notice, as long as borders remain open, and there is demand: the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada,”* a company statement said Sunday.
> 
> “The situation remains dynamic, and travellers can check flight status on emirates.com.”
> 
> The company added South Korea to that list shortly after issuing the statement.
> 
> The news comes amid mounting national lockdowns, border closures and flight groundings as coronavirus cases climb around the world.
> 
> Emirates Group said Sunday that it will not cut jobs, but will implement a temporary reduction in basic salary for the majority of its employees for three months, ranging from 25% to 50%.
> 
> More : Emirates Airline to temporarily suspend all passenger flights from March 25 as UAE halts all air travel


For the United States, it seems that the only gateways that remain open include New York (JFK and Newark), Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and a few others. Although EK has announced flight cancellations to most American destinations, I believe it should provide bare-bones service to the largest hubs, at least on a 3x to daily basis. However, that would entail a very long drive for travelers coming home from those major hubs, especially in places where shelter in place orders are in place.

For the Philippines, on the other hand, Emirates should negotiate with the Philippine government on when it can fly to Manila, especially President Duterte has ordered "all international flights to and from Luzon shall be cancelled from March 20th" until further notice. (Source: No more international flights leaving Luzon starting March 20)


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## hkskyline

* Parking pain: Airlines, airports hunt for storage space as pandemic idles planes *
Mar 24, 2020
_Excerpt_

SYDNEY (Reuters) - As airlines idle thousands of aircraft for which there are no passengers, they are hitting an unprecedented problem: finding a place to park them.

Taxiways, maintenance hangars and even runways at major airports are being transformed into giant parking lots for more than 2,500 airliners, the biggest of which takes up about as much room as an eight-story building with a footprint 3/4 the size of an American football field.

The number of planes in storage has doubled to more than 5,000 since the start of the year, according to Cirium data, with more expected to be parked in the coming weeks as carriers like Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd proceed with further announced cuts to flight schedules.

In Frankfurt, Germany’s biggest airport is a ghost town of silent airliners. Its northwest landing runway, including taxiways and bridges, has been converted to an aircraft parking lot for Lufthansa, Condor and other airlines. Lufthansa brand Swiss has rented parking spots at a military airport close to Zurich.

Similar crowds of planes are parked at other major airports, including Hong Kong, Seoul, Berlin and Vienna as well as traditional desert parking lots in Victorville, California, and Marana, Arizona, according to data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

More : Parking pain: Airlines, airports hunt for storage space as pandemic idles planes


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## RyukyuRhymer

a good video on the crisis the airline industry faces due to COVID


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## hkskyline

*'Apocalypse now': Airlines turn to cargo for revenue as U.S. Senate approves aid package*
Mar 26, 2020
_Excerpt_

SYDNEY/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc and Air New Zealand Ltd said they would offer cargo charter services on passenger planes to boost revenue as the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill to give its carriers $58 billion in aid, including payroll support.

The passenger travel industry has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, with Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd announcing plans to cut 6,000 travel agent roles globally, either temporarily or permanently.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents airlines, said it has written to the heads of governments of 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines for emergency support for carriers.

“Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business,” IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said in a statement. “For airlines, it’s apocalypse now.”

More : 'Apocalypse now': Airlines turn to cargo for revenue as U.S. Senate approves aid package


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## sponge_bob

A lot of airports carry a lot of debt and they need 2019 traffic levels just to service that. Heathrow was taken over in 2006 and was loaded with debt (£13bn) afterwards just to pay for that takeover. With traffic way down they are now in survival mode rather than construction mode, if you ask me.









Heathrow battling debt pile of £13bn - enough to build third runway


Europe’s busiest airport spends more than £500m a year on interest payments alone, accounts for Heathrow Airport Holdings show.




www.thisismoney.co.uk





Dublin was around 1/3 the size of Heathrow during recent years and has a debt under £1bn. The larger Gatwick has £2bn of debt but no big capital spending plans, it also retrenched to 1 terminal, closing the other.

As for small airports like Southampton or Exeter, they are goosed.


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## fieldsofdreams

sponge_bob said:


> A lot of airports carry a lot of debt and they need 2019 traffic levels just to service that. Heathrow was taken over in 2006 and was loaded with debt (£13bn) afterwards just to pay for that takeover. With traffic way down they are in survival mode rather than construction mode, if you ask me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Heathrow battling debt pile of £13bn - enough to build third runway
> 
> 
> Europe’s busiest airport spends more than £500m a year on interest payments alone, accounts for Heathrow Airport Holdings show.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thisismoney.co.uk


A lot of airlines are also on survival mode (or route rationalization) rather than expansion mode. That means, if a major airline really wants to serve their city, they need to rationalize the need to do so, especially during this ordeal. Come to think of it: routes that make boatloads of money carrying premium traffic or on high demand with passengers needing to fly all the time will be the last services standing at the moment, something that airport authorities should definitely consider in wooing more airlines in the future. Perhaps by improving facilities now despite the presence of lockdowns or shelter in place orders (like at Singapore’s Changi Airport) would allow airports to be more competitive once such orders are lifted... and I hope major and regional airports follow suit.


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## sponge_bob

fieldsofdreams said:


> Come to think of it: routes that make boatloads of money carrying premium traffic or on high demand with passengers needing to fly all the time will be the last services standing at the moment, something that airport authorities should definitely consider in wooing more airlines in the future.


We have no idea which end of air travel will bounce back first, will it be LCC/Austere terminals or Majors with luxury terminals like Emirates or BA. I honestly have no idea and I think the European LCC model is in big trouble because they needed lots of the elderly cocooning classes to fly in shoulder season (Aprl-June and September to early November in Europe) . LCC customers are different elsewhere of course.

It is beyond me to predict which sectors will recover, the extent and the timing of that.









McConkey: Quarantining travellers could be new 'normal'


The enforcement of a two-week quarantine for people travelling from areas affected by Covid-19 to non-affected areas could become "the new normal" in the future, according to a leading infectious disease specialist.




www.rte.ie







> *Professor Sam McConkey said in his view in two to three years' time there will be two different worlds - one with no Covid-19 circulating and one where the virus will continue to circulate within the population.*
> 
> Prof McConkey, who is head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at RCSI, said Wuhan in China had already achieved a Covid-free area.
> 
> He added that New Zealand, which has similar attributes to Ireland, was also aiming to achieve this too, which Ireland could aim to emulate.
> 
> Prof McConkey pointed out that New Zealand prevented all non-New Zealand passport holders from entering the country, and forcibly quarantined all domestic passport holders coming in.
> 
> He said "the new normal" in the future could involve anyone coming from non-Covid free areas being forcibly quarantined for two weeks, however he said that he was not advocating that decision.


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## hkskyline

*U.S. airlines nearing acceptance of payroll aid plan: sources*
_Excerpt_ 
Apr 13, 2020

(Reuters) - Some large U.S. passenger airlines are close to accepting the terms of a $25 billion offer for government coronavirus payroll aid, with announcements possible as early as Tuesday, people briefed on the matter said.

Airline industry officials expect all major airlines to accept the grants in coming days, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday he expects decisions to come out “very quickly.”

Brent McIntosh, the Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, told Reuters on Monday the agency was not planning to change the terms laid out on Friday, which require 30% of the funds allotted to each airline to be repaid.

The U.S. government would also receive warrants equal to 10% of the loan amount.

“We’ve attempted to come up with an equitable methodology that works for all passenger air carriers, and we don’t want to engage in individual negotiations that would require us to make changes across the carriers,” he said.

More : U.S. airlines nearing acceptance of payroll aid plan: sources


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## hkskyline

* Jet fuel demand to remain low as airlines buckle up for tough ride *
_Excerpt_
Apr 15, 2020

LONDON/PARIS/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Demand for flights and jet fuel could take years to recover from the coronavirus crisis as airlines struggle to survive their worst downturn, haunted by possible changes in the habits of tourists and business travellers.

Among the various fuels, jet has been hit hardest and industry leaders warn it will take years for all-important airline-industry demand to return to 2019 levels.

“Jet fuel consumption will be impacted for a longer time and maybe not recover fully even next year, as travellers remain concerned about long-haul vacations, and businesses get used to online meetings,” said Per Magnus Nysveen, head of analysis at Rystad Energy, a consultancy.

Exemptions for agriculture and freight from widespread lockdowns have offered some support to diesel and fuel oil, but jet demand remains weak as a significant slice of the world’s 23,000-strong commercial plane fleet is in storage.

Jet fuel prices in Singapore JET-SIN have slumped 61% over the last two months. Refining margins or cracks for jet fuel in Singapore JETSGCKMc1 are currently lingering at narrow premiums over Dubai crude after hitting minus $3.35 per barrel earlier this month, their lowest on record.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing airlines, has already warned of a slower recovery than in past crises. On Tuesday, it raised its forecast for 2020 revenue losses by 25% to $314 billion.

More : Jet fuel demand to remain low as airlines buckle up for tough ride


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## sponge_bob

Ryanair sees price war fuelling rapid travel recovery


Ryanair is steeling for an airline price war that it expects to win once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and passengers flock back to tourist destinations, its chief executive Michael O'Leary has told Reuters.




www.rte.ie







> *Ryanair assumes European flights will stay grounded until a "limited" resumption in June, O'Leary said. After that, a resurgence of intra-European travel will be driven by steep discounts on last-minute holidays in July and August. *
> 
> "Lots of people across northern Europe have been locked up in apartments," he said. "They will all want to go on holiday before the kids go back to school as long as they can do so in reasonable safety."
> 
> Ryanair backs anti-coronavirus measures including masks and temperature checks for passengers and crew, while rejecting calls for planes to fly one-third empty.
> 
> *Before too long, "volumes will be back on a normal footing but on lower pricing" Mr O'Leary predicted. "The minute we're about to start flying again we'll start doing seat sales, and so will every other airline."*


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## sponge_bob

Virgin Atlantic told to resubmit proposal for bailout package: FT


Virgin Atlantic has been told to resubmit its proposal for a 500 million pound ($625.35 million) coronavirus bailout package after the UK government was left unimpressed with its initial bid, Financial Times reported (https://on.ft.com/2xD3Ee5) on Friday.




www.reuters.com







> Virgin Atlantic has been told to resubmit its proposal for a 500 million pound ($625.35 million) coronavirus bailout package after the UK government was left unimpressed with its initial bid, Financial Times reported
> 
> The airline had not done enough to show it had explored other options to bolster cash before asking for state aid, the newspaper added, citing one person familiar with the matter.


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## HS

sponge_bob said:


> Ryanair sees price war fuelling rapid travel recovery
> 
> 
> Ryanair is steeling for an airline price war that it expects to win once coronavirus restrictions are lifted and passengers flock back to tourist destinations, its chief executive Michael O'Leary has told Reuters.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.rte.ie


Honestly I think O'Leary is wrong this time. If anyone is getting any vacation this year, I think people will be staying in their home countries rather than travelling abroad. Especially as Spain and Italy - popular holiday destinations - were hit the hardest in Europe. My parents were supposed to go to Portugal in July and they absolutely ruled out travelling until next year.


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## hkskyline

HS said:


> Honestly I think O'Leary is wrong this time. If anyone is getting any vacation this year, I think people will be staying in their home countries rather than travelling abroad. Especially as Spain and Italy - popular holiday destinations - were hit the hardest in Europe. My parents were supposed to go to Portugal in July and they absolutely ruled out travelling until next year.


All airlines would need to offer dirt-cheap fares to entice people to start flying again. The younger ones are probably more susceptible to these deals and head out before the older people are more comfortable to do so.


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## hkskyline

* U.S. airlines sitting on $10 billion in travel vouchers, lawmakers say *
_Excerpt_
Apr 17, 2020

(Reuters) - U.S. airlines are estimated to be sitting on more than $10 billion in travel vouchers that should have been cash refunds from canceled flights, a group of senators released on Friday.

Many U.S. airlines are cancelling between 60% and 80% of their flights, and under federal law passengers on those flights are entitled to full refunds, Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal said in a statement.

"However, many airlines have been obfuscating this right by offering travel vouchers as the default option, requiring passengers to take burdensome steps to request refunds instead," they said.

The Democratic senators had asked Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines , Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines , Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines to each provide details on their refund policies during the pandemic.

In the airline replies, which were reviewed by Reuters, most did not share the total value of the travel vouchers and credits they have issued during the pandemic.

But JetBlue, which has 5.5% of the domestic market share, said it issued over $20 million per day of travel credits to consumers in the first few weeks of March.

"Assuming a similar trend throughout the industry over the last month, this figure could mean that the airlines are sitting on more than $10 billion in customer cash," the lawmakers said, while inviting airlines to provide more information if they dispute the figure.

More : U.S. airlines sitting on $10 billion owed to consumers for canceled flights, lawmakers say


----------



## sponge_bob

Coronavirus: Branson offers Caribbean island to secure Virgin bailout


Sir Richard Branson pledges Necker Island as collateral to help get a UK government bailout for Virgin Atlantic.



www.bbc.com





This clown is a tax exile billionaire so ....your move first mate.


----------



## sponge_bob

Virgin Australia set for voluntary administration


The Morrison government's refusal of further financial support for Virgin has sealed the carrier's fate, with the airline preparing to go into voluntary administration.




www.smh.com.au


----------



## hkskyline

* Coronavirus sends Air Mauritius into voluntary administration *
Apr 22, 2020
_Excerpt_










NAIROBI (Reuters) - Air Mauritius AIRM.MZ has entered voluntary administration after coronavirus-related disruptions made it impossible for the airline to meet its financial obligations for the foreseeable future, its board said on Wednesday.

Airlines around the world have been forced to ground their planes after governments imposed travel restrictions and locked borders to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 52-year old carrier, which ferries 1.7 million passengers a year to 22 destinations across four continents, said the pandemic had struck just as the company was seeking to change its business model to address existing financial problems.

More : Coronavirus sends Air Mauritius into voluntary administration


----------



## hkskyline

* Air travel resumption will require social distancing, says EU *
_Excerpt_
Apr 22, 2020

BRUSSELS, April 22 (Reuters) - The European Commission will next month present a set of rules for the safe reopening of air travel when coronavirus pandemic lockdowns end, including social distancing in airports and planes, the EU's transport chief said on Wednesday.

Transport Commissioner Adina Valean said that some social distancing rules in airports and planes will have to be respected to guarantee the safety of passengers, adding that measures under consideration would include the wearing of face masks and disinfection of planes and airports.

"All this should be part of those guidelines and probably by mid-May we can put forward this strategy we are working on," Valean said on Twitter.

Airlines have raised concerns that measures to slow the spread of the pandemic could blight profitability long after travel restrictions end. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has estimated that the crisis could cost airlines a total of $314 billion.

Valean said she expects social distancing requirements to remain in place for as long as there is no COVID-19 treatment or vaccine.

"We expect the crisis to stay with us and the virus to stay with us," she said.

More : Air travel resumption will require social distancing, says EU


----------



## hkskyline

* Air France-KLM nears bailout with improved guarantees: sources *
_Excerpt_
Apr 22, 2020

PARIS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Air France-KLM <AIRF.PA> is moving towards a 10 billion euro ($10.9 billion) government-backed rescue deal, sources said, after France agreed to higher guarantees on loans designed to tide the airline group through the coronavirus crisis.

Paris is ready to vouch for 90% or more of the bank loans to Air France, rather than the 70% initially offered, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The increased guarantees were first reported by La Tribune on Wednesday.

Air France-KLM representatives and the French finance ministry declined to comment.

Major airlines including Germany's Lufthansa <LGAG.DE> are negotiating government aid deals as they grapple with the global air travel shutdown and deep uncertainty over the recovery outlook once the pandemic eases.

Banks had been holding out for an improvement on the 70% French guarantees offered for about 4 billion euros in loans to Air France, to be accompanied by close to 2 billion euros in Dutch-backed lending to KLM, Reuters reported on April 3.

The entire package for the Franco-Dutch airline group as a whole now amounts to about 10 billion euros, two sources said, confirming earlier reports in La Tribune and other French media.

In addition to the guaranteed bank loans, Air France is likely to draw on a government emergency fund, increasing its total support to about 8 billion euros, the sources said.


----------



## hkskyline

Earn mileage on Thai Airways for staying home : THAI Stay Home Miles Exchange










_Thai Airways International supports the Thai government efforts to combat COVID-19 by rewarding Thai citizens and residents who stay home to stop spreading of the virus. The campaign “THAI Stay Home Miles Exchange” on an application platform, gives a total of 1,000,000 Royal Orchid Plus miles to participants, rewarding 1 mile for every 4 hours of staying at home during the campaign period or until the miles run out. _


----------



## sponge_bob

O'Leary rips into Branson.









Coronavirus: Ryanair boss O'Leary accuses Branson of trying to 'fleece the taxpayer' over loan


Michael O'Leary accuses rivals of trying to claim state aid they don't need as he reassures passengers over delayed refunds.




news.sky.com





The former COO of Flybe (which collapsed some weeks back ...coronavirus being the final straw) backed him. 









Ex-Flybe chief: Michael O'Leary spot on, public shouldn't save "frail airlines"


An aviation expert believes government bailouts and support should only be given to companies that are well run.




www.lbc.co.uk






The UK may yet have to decide whether Jet2 OR Easyjet should be saved and Easyjet is owned to a large degree by another one of those _non resident_ tax dodging billionaires whereas Jet2 is not.


----------



## hkskyline

That's a political headache, to save a popular (in terms of passenger numbers) but low-cost carrier or a traditional beacon of aviation? Probably won't make sense to give a little to both as it might not make a difference in the end unless it's a full-fledged nationalization.


----------



## sponge_bob

It is a Karma headache too. Branson was quite happy to see BA go to the wall in 2009. Now BA/IAG is very well capitalised and is likely to be the major European carrier with the smallest government bailout in the end....compared to Lufthansa or AF/KLM that is. Perhaps no government bailout at all.









Richard Branson's warning AGAINST bailing out UK airline amid Virgin Atlantic row


VIRGIN ATLANTIC founder Sir Richard Branson has called for a £500million Government bailout to save the company - but the billionaire claimed in 2009 that a rival airline should not receive similar treatment.




www.express.co.uk






Branson had 11 years to get into the habit of running at a profit and building some reserves, and he didn't. As far as I can see there are 4 important and generally profitable candidates to see right in the UK, they are IAG Jet2 Logan (regional) and Easyjet and Virgin is a very distant 5th and probably not worth saving.

Karma is a bitch, but balance sheets are an even bigger bitch.


----------



## mileymc1

Will have a massive effect on Manchester if Virgin goes under. They where due to open an iconic clubhouse at the airport this summer. Over the years Virgin has pushed out and taken over many routes from the big transatlantic three: Delta, United and AA. Thomas Cook long haul has gone, they served destinations including Seattle and San Francisco that still haven't been replaced. Even though short haul, MAN airport was just recovering from the loss of Monarch. Flybe now on top of that, lots of backfill and opportunities for other airlines. IAG comes to mind, BA making a comeback with both short and long haul at MAN. From history, I don't think the airline, airport or Northern public would be overly enthusiastic about that. If Virgin does go under, in the short term Dublin, Heathrow, Amsterdam and Paris schedules will all need ramping up. They will take over the majority of connecting traffic.


----------



## hkskyline

* Egypt's Nile Air urges government to take stakes in private airlines *
_Excerpt_ 

CAIRO, April 26 (Reuters) - Egypt’s Nile Air (IPO-NIAR.TA) on Sunday urged the government to buy stakes in private airline companies to help them survive the crisis caused by the new coronavirus pandemic.

The North African country grounded flights on March 19 until further notice among a raft of measures to slow the spread of the respiratory disease. Private airlines appealed to the government last month to intervene to halt their losses.

Private airlines don’t know how long they can bear fixed costs like salaries, aircraft rent, maintenance costs and aircraft parking fees, Yousry Abdel Wahab, Nile Air’s managing director, told Reuters.

“The state asks the companies to pay employees wages. I am not a charity, I am running a business,” he said.

The government or state banks have to invest in these private companies to retain employees, Abdel Wahab said, adding that “participation between the public and private sectors is what will bring quick results”.

More : Egypt's Nile Air urges government to take stakes in private airlines


----------



## hkskyline

* JetBlue mandates face coverings for customers during travel *
_Excerpt_
Apr 27, 2020

(Reuters) - JetBlue Airways Corp on Monday became the first major U.S. airline to impose a face covering on customers during travel, in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The new policy follows guidelines by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that all individuals should wear a face covering in public.

Starting May 4 all JetBlue customers will be required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning, the low-cost carrier said bit.ly/2SaRY9C in a statement.

More : JetBlue mandates face coverings for customers during travel


----------



## sponge_bob

British Airways are to let 30% of their staff go. 









British Airways planning 12,000 redundancies


Coronavirus has wiped out demand and IAG believes it will take several years for air travel to recover to 2019 levels.




www.dailymail.co.uk


----------



## hkskyline

*EU countries push suspension of air travel refund rights *

BRUSSELS, April 29 (Reuters) - Twelve European Union governments urged the EU's executive body on Wednesday to suspend rules forcing cash-drained airlines to offer full refunds for cancelled flights instead of vouchers for future travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airlines across Europe, including Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, have sought state rescues as coronavirus lockdowns have forced them to ground their fleets for more than a month, with no end in sight.

Transport ministers of Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal have asked the European Commission for a temporary amendment to the rules.

In a joint statement issued before a meeting of EU transport ministers, they said the bloc's executive body should propose the amendment as a matter of urgency. Consumers should be made to accept vouchers instead of refunds with certain conditions.

However, at the meeting, some EU governments opposed changes to the current rules so as not to frustrate the legitimate expectations of passengers. No decision was taken.

More : EU countries push suspension of air travel refund rights


----------



## hkskyline

* Link climate pledges to €26bn airline bailout, say Europe's greens *
The Guardian _Excerpt_ 
Apr 30, 2020 

Airlines are seeking €26bn (£22.7bn) in state aid to deal with the economic fallout from coronavirus, according to environmental campaigners, who accuse governments of failing to attach binding climate conditions to negotiations.

Air France, which has obtained €7bn in loans and loan guarantees from the French government, and Lufthansa, currently negotiating a €9bn rescue package with Berlin, top the charts in the airline bailout tracker compiled by Carbon Market Watch, Greenpeace, and Transport & Environment.

European governments have formally agreed €11.5bn in financial aid for airlines , including a £600m loan from the UK Treasury and Bank of England for EasyJet. A further €14.6bn is under discussion, including £500m Richard Branson is seeking from the British government to aid Virgin Atlantic.

More : Link climate pledges to €26bn airline bailout, say Europe's greens


----------



## sponge_bob

**** the greens, miserabe bastards.


----------



## sponge_bob

BA may not reopen at Gatwick once pandemic passes


The airline has told staff that it cannot rule out keeping the operation closed indefinitely.



www.bbc.com





That would be more seats than Virgin Atlantic has in total every year.


----------



## mileymc1

^^ No major shock from BA. They abandoned it's base and own independent purpose built terminal at Manchester. They have been scaling Gatwick down over the years. They do not represent the United Kingdom as a flagship carrier, at this point they should be rebranded as Heathrow Airways. Heathrow has only ever been it's main focus.


----------



## sponge_bob

Aer Lingus losing 20% of their staff. 









Aer Lingus in talks with unions about 900 job cuts


Aer Lingus is to commence negotiations with unions representing staff at the airline about cuts of up to 900 jobs.




www.rte.ie







mileymc1 said:


> ^^ No major shock from BA. . They do not represent the United Kingdom as a flagship carrier, at this point they should be rebranded as Heathrow Airways.


Correct, the UK was very badly served, in terms of regional connectivity, by British airways, save for a few Scottish and Belfast services. They should rebrand to London and Foreign Airways.


----------



## hkskyline

* Crisis-torn airlines scramble to convert empty cabins to cargo *
_Excerpt_
Apr 30, 2020

MONTREAL/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Once the airline industry’s ugly ducklings, air freighters are now flying high as some of the only airplanes still criss-crossing the skies during the global coronavirus crisis.

While these aerial juggernauts hauled freight for low margins, airlines lavished advertising on business travellers and tourists. But with these customers grounded, airlines are rushing to turn passenger planes into temporary cargo carriers.

Half of air cargo normally travels in the belly of passenger jets rather than dedicated freighters. But the grounding of two-thirds of the world’s fleet has led to a scramble for cargo capacity for medical supplies and other goods.

Airlines saddled with the cost of unused planes are looking to modify cabin interiors to adjust to the new reality. And that is providing a surprise windfall for aircraft maintenance companies deprived of their normal trade of keeping passenger jets flying, industry executives told Reuters.

Germany’s Lufthansa Technik AG (LHAG.DE), Canada’s Avianor, Hong Kong’s HAECO Group and Belgium’s Akka Technologies (AKA.F) are among those stripping out seats or adding nets and storage devices to cabins to cram in cargo instead of tourists.

More : Crisis-torn airlines scramble to convert empty cabins to cargo


----------



## sponge_bob

GE plans to cut aviation workforce by as much as 25% in 2020


General Electric Co said on Monday it was planning to cut its global workforce in the aviation unit by as much as 25% this year, including both voluntary and involuntary layoffs, due to business disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.




www.reuters.com


----------



## hkskyline

* Global airlines body IATA backs face masks for safe flying *
_Excerpt_
May 5, 2020

LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - The body representing global airlines came out in favour of passengers wearing masks onboard on Tuesday, as debate intensifies over how to get airlines flying while respecting social-distancing rules following the coronavirus crisis.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) told reporters that wearing masks would help protect passenger health but came out against leaving middle seats empty on aircraft, a measure it had previously said was likely.

European flights have all but come to a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic. While there is no visibility on when travel restrictions will ease, airlines are considering how to safely restart services and give passengers confidence to fly.

Months without revenues is threatening to force some airlines out of business.

Britain’s Virgin Atlantic said earlier on Tuesday that it would cut 3,150 jobs as it battles to survive, adding to the up to 12,000 jobs British Airways said last week it could shed and putting pressure on regulators to agree rules to help a quick restart when the health conditions allow.

IATA said it was working with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations aviation agency, governments and the World Health Organisation on new rules which would apply internationally.

ICAO could make an announcement on mandatory face masks on flights and other measures in June, IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said at an online news conference.

More : Global airlines body IATA backs face masks for safe flying


----------



## mileymc1

sponge_bob said:


> Virgin atlantic are pulling out of Gatwick and concentrating on Manchester and Heathrow only together with a fleet reduction from 45 to 35.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Coronavirus: Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 jobs and quit Gatwick
> 
> 
> The airline will axe a third of its workforce in response to the "severe impact" of coronavirus.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.com


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. may require masks at airports in changes to limit coronavirus *
_Excerpt_ 

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - The lead U.S. airport security agency is weighing the possibility of requiring masks or face coverings for passengers who pass through checkpoints, according to a U.S. official and two people familiar with the deliberations.

The move is part of a broader rethinking of how to limit the spread of the new coronavirus during air travel, an effort that could bring some of the most significant changes to the industry since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Travelers passing through U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints will see other changes, including additional barriers to protect security officers, more extensive cleaning regimes and upgraded screening equipment to speed travelers through lines faster, according to current and former U.S. officials and industry experts familiar with the plans.

TSA officers are allowed to wear masks at checkpoints but not required to do so. The agency is considering such a requirement, sources said.

News of potential changes came as the Senate Commerce Committee was set to hold a hearing Wednesday on the state of the aviation industry.

More : U.S. may require masks at airports in changes to limit coronavirus


----------



## hkskyline

* Stranded pets, desperate owners split up by coronavirus travel curbs *
_Excerpt_ 

NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - When Guy Nizan flew to Israel with his wife and daughter for a family emergency in March, Gula - their six-year-old German shepherd mix - stayed behind in New York with a pet sitter.

But as the coronavirus outbreak accelerated and airlines began cancelling flights, it became clear the family would not be coming home anytime soon. With airlines scrapping pet transport services, the Nizans became increasingly desperate to have Gula join them until the crisis abates.

"We just couldn't stand the thought of her being alone," Nizan said.

After nearly two months, a pet transportation firm found a spot for her on one of Israeli airline El Al's rare freight flights. She was one of the lucky ones, however.

More than a thousand pets are currently stranded worldwide by the flight cancellations and border closures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to seven international pet transport firms contacted by Reuters.

Major airlines like United Airlines Holdings Inc, which have slashed passenger flights by more than 90%, suspended their pet programs in mid-March, saying the transports no longer made sense financially or could not be continued safely.

Only a handful of carriers, including IAG Cargo, a sister company of British Airways, still transport pets. IAG, which was quick to set up cargo-only flights on passenger aircraft, flies dogs from New York to London on a daily basis.

More : Stranded pets, desperate owners split up by coronavirus travel curbs


----------



## hkskyline

* Australia ties up with airlines to carry produce, seafood to Asian markets *
_Excerpt_
May 6, 2020 

(Reuters) - Australia on Wednesday said it has reached agreements with Singapore Airlines and Qantas Airways Ltd to carry foods to Asian markets, part of a government initiative to help businesses hit hard by the new coronavirus.

Qantas from Thursday will begin a weekly flight from the country's north to Hong Kong carrying seafood and other produce from Queensland state, while Singapore Airlines will carry food from the state of South Australia, the government said.

Australia's trade minister, Simon Birmingham, said the agreements would help re-establish direct freight routes for exporters who have been struggling to ship overseas during the pandemic.

"We recognise the current COVID-19 crisis has placed immense pressure on local seafood exporters, many of whom felt the earliest impacts when overseas demand began to dry up in January," Birmingham said.

The flights will fall under a A$1 bln government fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors affected by COVID-19. Officials did not say whether the fund would pay for or subsidise the routes. 

More : Australia ties up with airlines to carry produce, seafood to Asian markets


----------



## hkskyline

* EXCLUSIVE-U.S. airlines burn through $10 billion a month as traffic plummets *
_Excerpt_
May 5, 2020 

(Reuters) - U.S. airlines are collectively burning more than $10 billion in cash a month and averaging fewer than two dozen passengers per domestic flight because of the coronavirus pandemic, industry trade group Airlines for America said in prepared testimony seen by Reuters ahead of a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Even after grounding more than 3,000 aircraft, or nearly 50% of the active U.S. fleet, the group said its member carriers, which include the four largest U.S. airlines, were averaging just 17 passengers per domestic flight and 29 passengers per international flight.

"The U.S. airline industry will emerge from this crisis a mere shadow of what it was just three short months ago," the group's chief executive, Nicholas Calio, will say, according to his prepared testimony.

Net booked passengers have fallen by nearly 100% year-on-year, according to the testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee. The group warned that if air carriers were to refund all tickets, including those purchased as nonrefundable or those canceled by a passenger instead of the carrier, "this will result in negative cash balances that will lead to bankruptcy."

Separately, Eric Fanning, who heads the Aerospace Industries Association, will ask Congress to consider providing "temporary and targeted assistance for the ailing aviation manufacturing sector," in testimony made public by the group.

More : Exclusive: U.S. airlines burn through $10 billion a month as traffic plummets


----------



## hkskyline

* 'Europe needs a break': EU plots to restart travel and tourism despite COVID *
_Excerpt_
May 9, 2020

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU states should guarantee vouchers for travel cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic and start lifting internal border restrictions in a bid to salvage some of the summer tourism season, the bloc’s executive will say next week.

Tourism, that normally contributes almost a tenth of the European Union’s economic output, is among the sectors hardest hit by the global outbreak that has grounded nearly all travel.

Germany and other member states have urged a suspension of EU rules that force cash-drained airlines and the hospitality industry to offer full refunds for cancelled flights and trips instead of vouchers for future travel.

In response, the European Commission will tell member states to guarantee vouchers to make them more attractive to customers, according to a strategy document seen by Reuters ahead of official publication due on Wednesday.

“To provide incentives for passengers and travellers to accept vouchers instead of reimbursement, vouchers should be protected against insolvency of the issuer and remain refundable by the end of their validity if not redeemed,” the draft document said.

More : 'Europe needs a break': EU plots to restart travel and tourism despite COVID


----------



## sponge_bob

Coronavirus: Virgin Atlantic puts advisers on standby as industry teeters


A&M has been appointed to prepare for a potential insolvency at Sir Richard Branson's flagship airline, Sky News learns.




news.sky.com





Looks like they are preparing for a "prepack" administration with creditors stiffed big time. Virgin have refunded nobody for cancelled flights in the past 8 week, that I know of, so forward booked passengers had better prepare to lose all their money unless they paid by credit card.


----------



## sponge_bob

BA owner says burning cash, quarantine plan will make it worse


British Airways owner IAG has exhausted every avenue to shore up its finances and is burning through cash, its CEO said on Monday, as the aviation industry warned of the fresh damage it would suffer if Britain quarantines international arrivals.




www.reuters.com





Di remember they had €3-4bn in cash before all this started. 



> While Walsh said IAG was not in a position where it had to ask for a specific bailout from the government, he added the quarantine plan would add to the pressure on the group.
> 
> “We’ve probably exhausted every avenue that I can think of at this stage to shore up our liquidity. The cash has been reducing significantly and that will be the case as we go through May, June and July,” he said.


Losing money between June and September will kill airlines, that is when they are supposed to be profitable....whatever about the rest of the year.


----------



## sponge_bob

Branson finally forced to dip into his own pocket. 









Coronavirus: Branson to sell Galactic stake to prop up Virgin


The billionaire hopes to raise $500m to support his businesses including Virgin Atlantic.



www.bbc.com





Up to now he has been talking to Greybull who are probably the last 'investor' that his own staff would ever care to see given their appalling record to date. 









British Steel collapse: the role of Greybull Capital


The secretive investment firm also owned Monarch Airlines and Comet.



www.bbc.com


----------



## mileymc1

Can't see Virgin making it out of this, might be best just to call it day...


----------



## btrs

mileymc1 said:


> Can't see Virgin making it out of this, might be best just to call it day...


Well, I think Virgin is still in better shape than some other legacy carriers.

Let's take the whole Lufthansa scenario: hey governments, give us a blank cheque but we don't want you meddling in our affairs. Paying the loan back ? Haha, what do you think we are, banks ?
The Swiss will undoubtedly see no problems with this to save their beloved airline, they don't want another Swiss(air) going bankrupt again.
As for the Austrian and Belgian governments, well, eventually they will give in as well, as stupid as they are.

For Brussels Airlines, it may also be the time to let go. Even pre-corona, Lufthansa revealed that SN could not face such losses anymore, and had to downscale by at least 2000 employees and at least 10 aircraft (probably A320's) less. 
Certain Belgian aviation "experts" claim that a national carrier at Brussels Airport is invaluable due to its transit and hub function.
I mean, look around: Brussels has no future in a duopoly that is fought between Schiphol and CDG (and maybe DUS/FRA in a smaller role), at least on long-haul flights. And no, this is not changed by the fact for border-hoppers who live closer to BRU than to AMS/CDG (Breda; Lille) choose to fly out of BRU instead. That's just a minority that won't help the greater mass.

Short-haul it has a future, but then the government or some private parties are better off with starting a new small carrier, and grow that in the years to come instead of having that constant interference of a ruthless German airline group.

Also, some other national carriers have to be let go: the never-ending story with Alitalia. Do the same as with SN: go bankrupt, start anew but a lot smaller and with the backing of AF. It will help them much in the long run, and KLM can finally get a divorce in that marriage of convenience they have now.
Consolidation will continue, and KLM will either find a new partner in IAG or in SAS. Both way more compatible concerning business culture than that awkward AF.


----------



## mileymc1

As hard as it's already been, I suppose it's still early days for the aviation industry. The real struggle is going to be over the next 12 month. As you mentioned, many airlines are in the same boat. Will be unfortunate but likely that we might see some familiar faces collapse.


----------



## hkskyline

* Goldman Sachs warns jet fuel demand may never fully recover from the crisis *
CNBC _Excerpt_
May 11, 2020

The coronavirus outbreak will have a lasting impact on the behavior of businesses across the globe, with jet fuel demand unlikely to ever fully recover, according to the head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs.

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant countries have effectively had to shut down, with many governments imposing strict restrictions on the daily lives of billions of people.

Confinement measures — which vary in their application worldwide but broadly include school closures, bans on public gatherings and social-distancing guidelines — have been implemented in 187 countries or territories in an effort to try to slow the spread of the virus.

To date, more than 4.1 million people have contracted Covid-19 worldwide, with 282,727 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The public health crisis has led to an extreme demand shock in energy markets, with world travel brought close to a standstill.

Jeff Currie of Goldman Sachs argued that the severe loss of oil demand came primarily from three sectors: Commuting demand; industrial demand and jet demand.

More : Goldman Sachs warns jet fuel demand may never fully recover from the crisis


----------



## hkskyline

* Ryanair expects Europe travel surge despite masks, quarantine *
May 12, 2020
Reuters _Excerpt_

DUBLIN, May 12 (Reuters) - Temperature checks, masks and quarantine will not deter people from a holiday in the sun after three months "locked up" at home, Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary said on Tuesday as he announced plans for 1,000 flights a day from July.

The Irish low-cost carrier is to make face coverings and temperature checks mandatory for all staff and passengers while the airline, Europe's largest, will scrap cash payments on board and make customers seek permission to use the toilets.

Ryanair is the latest airline to announce measures aimed at reassuring customers they can safely return to planes despite the coronavirus pandemic and to try to get cash flowing again, with compulsory masks by far the most common proposal so far.

"People have been locked up since the middle of March. People are really gagging to get out and I think get abroad for the sunshine," O'Leary told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"We will see a surge of bookings building over the next six weeks up to July 1," O'Leary said, although this had not begun.

O'Leary said he was urging European authorities to make both masks and temperature checks mandatory across the continent, adding the idea of leaving the middle seats on single aisle aircraft empty to allow for social distancing was now "dead".

More : Ryanair expects Europe travel surge despite masks, quarantine


----------



## hkskyline

* The planes in Spain parked neatly on the plain *
May 12, 2020
Reuters _Excerpt_

TERUEL, Spain, May 12 (Reuters) - Dozens of passenger jetliners belonging to European carriers stand idled in neat lines in what has become a giant aeroplane parking lot amid the flat farmlands of eastern Spain.

Teruel Airport specialises in the storage and maintenance of aircraft, and business has boomed since coronavirus lockdowns globally forced airlines across Europe to ground fleets for several weeks. No end is in sight for many.

Planes showing the markings of commercial airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France stand parked, buffeted by the spring wind blowing across the plain.

"Teruel's climate is dry - semi-desert with more than 250 days of sun per year," said airport manager Alejandro Ibrahim.

"Also there is very little air traffic congestion which makes it the ideal place for plane preservation and maintenance."

The airport currently hosts 95 wide-body aircraft, including eight of the world's largest passenger airliners - the Airbus A380. The number of planes arriving per week to be parked in the airport has doubled since the start of the global pandemic.

Two Air France Airbus A380s arrived on April 25, the first ever to be hosted at the airport. Eight of this model are now parked on the lot.

More : The planes in Spain parked neatly on the plain


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. air travel fell 51% in March amid coronavirus pandemic *
May 12, 2020
Reuters _Excerpt_

WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. airlines carried 51% fewer passengers in March amid the massive coronavirus pandemic travel collapse to the lowest air travel level in nearly two decades, the U.S. Transportation Department said Tuesday. 

Airlines carried slightly more total, domestic and international passengers in March 2020 than in September 2001, the month of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. In total, airlines carried 38.7 million passengers in March, down 51% from March 2019. Prior to March, air travel had risen for 29 consecutive months year-over-year dating back to October 2017.

Since then, U.S. air travel has fallen further, down about 94%, while total flights are down by about 70%.

In April, the U.S. Treasury approved $25 billion in cash grants to airlines in exchange for a ban on paying dividends, stock buybacks, limits on executive compensation and a bar on laying off employees through Sept. 30.

In March, domestic travel fell to 34.1 million passengers, from March 2019 when airlines carried 69.6 million passengers International travel fell from 9.9 million in March 2019 to 4.6 million passengers in March as the administration imposed restrictions on travelers from China and Europe.

Last week, Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. airlines including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, said U.S. airlines are collectively burning more than $10 billion in cash per month and averaging fewer than two dozen passengers per domestic flight.

More : U.S. air travel fell 51% in March amid coronavirus pandemic


----------



## hkskyline

* Dubai airport CEO: Global travel still up in air over virus *
_Excerpt_
May 14, 2020

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The CEO of the world’s busiest airport for international travel wants to get the globe flying again, but even he acknowledges everything remains up in the air during the coronavirus pandemic.

Paul Griffiths oversees what now is a much quieter Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates and crucial to East-West travel. The millions that once poured through the airport’s concourses are no longer flying as countries around the world enforce lockdowns and travel bans to fight the virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes.

Though government-owned Emirates plans to restart some flights next week, Griffiths told The Associated Press that the airport has yet to find a workable coronavirus or antibody test to administer on a massive scale to passengers. Until a vaccine or a permanent solution to the virus exists, there could be “quite a low level of activity for quite some time,” he said.

“I think the thing is there are a lot of people that are offering conjecture, whether it’s 18 months or two years or less or more,” Griffiths said in an interview Wednesday. “But the problem is it’s all conjecture. The honest answer is no one really knows.”

The airport known as DXB saw 86.4 million passengers in 2019, 6 million more than second-place Heathrow Airport in London. That’s down 3% from 2018 when Dubai had 89.1 million passengers.

More : Dubai airport CEO: Global travel still up in air over virus


----------



## hkskyline

*Latin America air travel recovery to lag everywhere else in the world -report *
_Excerpt_
May 14, 2020

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Latin America will be the last region in the world to recover to pre-coronavirus air travel levels, which could be a serious blow to its weak airline industry, according to a report by consulting firm ICF set to be published on Thursday.

ICF predicts Latin America will take six years to recover, while the United States, Canada and the Asia-Pacific regions will take no longer than four. Europe would take five and a half years.

Overall, the forecast is significantly more pessimistic than what is held - at least in public - by the airline industry itself. And it cautions that the travel crisis will last much longer than the coronavirus itself.

“We’ve never been in a hole this deep,” said Carlos Ozores, a consultant at ICF who works with airline management teams.

In comparison, a poll by brokerage Cowen earlier this week of travel executives and stock analysts found that 62% of respondents expect air transportation to get back to 2019 levels in no more than three years. Only 12% expect it to take more than four.

More : Latin America air travel recovery to lag everywhere else in the world: report


----------



## hkskyline

* House Democrat wants U.S. airlines to cap seating because of coronavirus *
May 14, 2020

WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday urged U.S. airlines to maintain at least one seat between all passengers and cap seating at 67% of capacity on narrow-body airplanes to address the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to a group representing major airlines including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, Representative Peter DeFazio said airlines should “leave at least one seat-width of spacing between passengers and to dynamically adjust fares as needed to account for the effect on load factors.” 

Source : House Democrat wants U.S. airlines to cap seating because of coronavirus


----------



## hkskyline

* Delta, others wrestle with too many planes, too many pilots *
_Excerpt_
May 14, 2020

(Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) moved to retire its Boeing Co (BA.N) 777 fleet and reduce its pilot ranks on Thursday as it joins other airlines wrestling with the need to shrink their operations to match reduced air travel due to the coronavirus crisis.

After announcing that it would no longer fly its 18 wide-body 777s, Delta told its 14,500 pilots that it expects to have 7,000 more than it needs in the fall, according to a memo to flight operations employees first reported by Reuters.

“I recognize that is an alarming number so it’s important to know that our intent is to align staffing for what we need over the long term,” John Laughter, S.V.P. of flight operations, said in the May 14 memo seen by Reuters.

U.S. airlines are collectively burning more than $10 billion in cash per month and averaging fewer than two dozen passengers per domestic flight in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as they brace for two or three years until air travel will return to pre-crisis levels.

American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) has also announced a large fleet retirement, and United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) has told its pilots to brace for changes.

More : Delta, others wrestle with too many planes, too many pilots


----------



## sponge_bob

Someone headed for the storage in Victorville for a look and found 400 aircraft parked in the desert.


----------



## hkskyline

*LATAM Airlines to lay off 1,400 as coronavirus impact hurts region's carriers * 
_Excerpt_

SANTIAGO, May 15 (Reuters) - LATAM Airlines Group, the region's largest carrier, will lay off 1,400 employees, the company said on Friday, marking the first instance of a major Latin American airline laying off staff because of the coronavirus crisis.

LATAM confirmed the layoffs, representing about 3% of the company's workforce, after Reuters reported on an internal video that was sent to employees.

"Unfortunately, we have concluded that we have no other option but to downsize the company," CEO Roberto Alvo said in the video.

LATAM is the first airline to announce layoffs in the region, although several others are not paying employees but have not formally let them go.

Brazil's No. 3 airline Azul SA has 78% of its employees on unpaid leave. Larger rivals Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes and Avianca Holdings have about half of their employees unpaid.

More : LATAM Airlines to lay off 1,400 as coronavirus impact hurts region's carriers


----------



## sponge_bob

Emirates cutting 30000 staff  









Emirates Considers Cutting 30,000 Jobs, Retire A380s Faster







www.bloomberg.com


----------



## sponge_bob

Ryanair chief accuses UK of mismanaging coronavirus crisis


Michael O’Leary halves passenger forecasts as crisis costs it €40m in lost profits




www.theguardian.com







> O’Leary spoke as the airline, Europe’s largest, published a €1bn profit for the year to 31 March, up from €885m the previous year. It said the pandemic had cost it €40m in lost profits, after travel restrictions in Europe forced it to ground almost its entire fleet.
> 
> The Irish carrier forecast a loss of more than €200m for the first quarter, followed by a smaller loss in the second quarter. It expects to carry fewer than 80 million passengers this year, almost half its original 154 million target.


----------



## sponge_bob

__





Subscribe to read | Financial Times


News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication




www.ft.com





American Airlines probably headed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with *a debt of $34bn*  it will be very difficult for them to emerge as a going concern, I reckon they are either toast or else some private equity scam will keep a zombie AA 'alive' for another 3-5 years before the inevitable.


----------



## sponge_bob

Thai Airways survive....again. 









Thai Airways survives for now as government orders overhaul


Thailand's flagship carrier will be restructured with the help of a bankruptcy court, making it the latest airline to succumb to pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.




edition.cnn.com


----------



## hkskyline

* Empty middle seat? Depends on which country you are flying in *
May 19, 2020
_Excerpt_

SYDNEY/BEIJING/HELSINKI (Reuters) - In Thailand, you cannot have food or water in flight and must wear a mask. In Malaysia and Indonesia, the plane needs to be half-empty. In the United States and Europe, it’s not mandatory for airlines to leave the middle seat open.

Measures to stem the spread of coronavirus have changed how people travel, as Beijing resident Feng Xueli, 26, found when she took a domestic flight this month. The aircraft was full - allowed under the Chinese rules.

“We needed to wear a mask during the flight and there were PA announcements basically asking for our cooperation with these anti-virus measures put in place, which made me a bit nervous,” Feng said. “You also need to go through a lot of temperature checks and security checks when you leave the airport.”

Travellers, airlines and airports are grappling with a hodgepodge of rules put in place during the pandemic that will make flying different in almost every country.

“When flying restarts, you are already working against the clock. There is still a latent fear of travel,” said Subhas Menon, head of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. “It’s not going to be such a smooth passage when you travel because of all of the measures that are going to be introduced.”

More : Empty middle seat? Depends on which country you are flying in


----------



## hkskyline

* Air freight costs start to stabilize as countries reopen, says DHL executive *
May 19, 2020
_Excerpt_

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Air freight costs started stabilizing in late April after a surge due to the COVID-19 outbreak that grounded most passenger flights and forced freight forwarders to resort to chartering cargo flights, said an executive for DHL Global Forwarding.

With some countries such as China and South Korea starting to relax their containment measures for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, Kelvin Leung, CEO Asia Pacific of DHL Global Forwarding, said in an interview with Reuters on Monday that he expected a return to some normalcy in the third quarter.

Leung declined to give any details on freight costs or customer rates that he said are still changing week by week, but he said the peak of disruption to freight industry has past.

Nearly 99% of passenger flights are still grounded, however, part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, and freight operators have had to resort to chartering flights at prices between $1.3 million to $1.7 million each between Asia and United States, Leung said.

That compared with about $500,000 to charter a flight on average during normal times, he said.

More : Air freight costs start to stabilize as countries reopen, says DHL executive


----------



## hkskyline

Today's flight restoration update : 









CORRECTED-FACTBOX-Airlines take off again after coronavirus groundings


Airlines are starting to restore services to some destinations and plan more route openings in an expected easing of travel restrictions around the world. By May, airlines around the world had grounded about 95% of their capacity as air travel all but came to a standstill...




www.reuters.com


----------



## sponge_bob

Daa 'may need' 1,000 redundancies due to Covid-19


The Daa has informed staff that it may need up to 1,000 voluntary redundancies and other cost reductions because of the collapse in passenger numbers at Irish airports due to the Covid-19 virus.




www.rte.ie





Dublin anticipates handling 21m PAX in 2021 down from 33m in 2019, The figure given is for direct staff, not ground handlers, airline staff, franchise retail staff, catering, etc.


----------



## mileymc1

21 million passengers still sounds extremely ambitious!


----------



## sponge_bob

mileymc1 said:


> 21 million passengers still sounds extremely ambitious!


It does. I think it would be 21m if there were a Vaccine, that works!!!!, by 2021. Some more here. 









Fear For Up To 1,000 Airport Jobs After CEO Alert To Staff


SIPTU has demanded urgent talks with the operator of the Dublin and Cork airports over fears up to 1,000 jobs may be threatened.




extra.ie


----------



## sponge_bob

Stelios has called an EGM in Easyjet tomorrow. He wants the fleet slashed to make sure his dividends keep flowing in the short/medium term (rather than buy new planes). His personal cashflow must be shite given all the noise he is making about the company.


----------



## sponge_bob

Stelios lost his EGM, again.

Now Hertz have gone into chapter 11 bankruptcy, most Hertz rentals are at airports.









Hertz files for U.S. bankruptcy protection as car rentals evaporate in pandemic


The more than a century old car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings Inc filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday after its business was decimated during the coronavirus pandemic and talks with creditors failed to result in much needed relief.




www.reuters.com





$19bn in debt 
40000 employees
500000 cars.

Hard to say what the right size for Hertz is in a years time, really really hard. They could be quite a while in Chapter 11.


----------



## hkskyline

Yikes $19 billion? All those cars probably won't be enough to pay that back. How did it rack up so much debt?


----------



## EightFive

They have billions in yearly revenue. Thats how.


----------



## fieldsofdreams

sponge_bob said:


> Stelios lost his EGM, again.
> 
> Now Hertz have gone into chapter 11 bankruptcy, most Hertz rentals are at airports.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hertz files for U.S. bankruptcy protection as car rentals evaporate in pandemic
> 
> 
> The more than a century old car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings Inc filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday after its business was decimated during the coronavirus pandemic and talks with creditors failed to result in much needed relief.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.reuters.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> $19bn in debt
> 40000 employees
> 500000 cars.
> 
> Hard to say what the right size for Hertz is in a years time, really really hard. They could be quite a while in Chapter 11.


My aunt has worked for Hertz for many years, especially when she lived with my family here in the United States. I didn’t expect it to be in a massive debt time bomb, in which it has to dispose of so much property and assets to liquidate and reform that rental car company. That makes me wonder how the other rental companies are doing like Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, and National, among others.


----------



## sponge_bob

Hertz was asset stripped of any real value by 'private equity' over the years. Avis and Budget are one company, that has at least $15bn of debt so I'd say they are headed the same place as Hertz. These companies simply cannot afford any disruption to their cash flow, given their enormous debts. 

In neither case is the fleet of cars worth anything near their debts...in a liquidation scenario for example. They have no assets except the cars.


----------



## fieldsofdreams

sponge_bob said:


> *Hertz was asset stripped of any real value by 'private equity' over the years.* Avis and Budget are one company, that has at least $15bn of debt so I'd say they are headed the same place as Hertz. These companies simply cannot afford any disruption to their cash flow, given their enormous debts.
> 
> In neither case is the fleet of cars worth anything near their debts...in a liquidation scenario for example. They have no assets except the cars.


What I highlighted is the danger of handing over a successful (or struggling) company to venture capitalists who will buy off its debts, sell it cheaply to their investors, and then load it up with “a fusion of new capital” (which I suspect would be even more debt). That will increase the company’s stock value for a short while; similar to a sugar high, however, it will eventually wear off and crash down again, creating a vicious cycle of ownership changes, higher debts, and, eventually, ballooning the company to a point that a terrible pandemic like COVID will cause it to implode and fail. 

I very much suspect that venture capitalists have the motto of “buy low, sell high”, which might afford them perpetual profits; the flip side, however, would be the pervasiveness of arrogance, greed, lust, and selfishness. And I know it’s not just found in the rental car sector; many industries have been captured by such individuals ever since the recovery from the Great Recession.


----------



## sponge_bob

fieldsofdreams said:


> What I highlighted is the danger of handing over a successful (or struggling) company to venture capitalists who will buy off its debts, sell it cheaply to their investors, and then load it up with “a fusion of new capital” (which I suspect would be even more debt). That will increase the company’s stock value for a short while; similar to a sugar high, however, it will eventually wear off


Only enough money to make sure the securitisations last 2-5 years (depending) then the private equity lot are clear away with their cash. 



> And I know it’s not just found in the rental car sector; many industries have been captured by such individuals ever since the recovery from the Great Recession.


Yep, cash flow is king here. Some are loaded with so much debt that they will collapse after 3 months of no cashflow, others might have built a small buffer to manage to cover their interest payments for 6-12 months. Very few can survive more than a year of low or no cashflow. Remember we are only talking interest rates of around 10% at most involved here and as little as 5% in some cases.


----------



## hkskyline

EightFive said:


> They have billions in yearly revenue. Thats how.


Looking at their 2019 financials, total revenues for the year were shy of $9.8 billion, and the net loss narrowed to $58 million. That $17 billion debt looked way out of proportion.





__





Financials







ir.hertz.com





I wonder what killed them? Their debt maturity profile didn't look bad. Did the creditors pull the plug?


----------



## hkskyline

* Fiji Airways to cut more than half its staff, seek aircraft payment deferrals *
_Excerpt_
May 25, 2020

SYDNEY (Reuters) - South Pacific carrier Fiji Airways said on Monday it would cut 51% of its staff permanently as it negotiates with lenders and aircraft lessors for payment deferrals and seeks to arrange more debt financing due to the pandemic-driven downturn.

“The sad reality of prolonged flight suspensions means that we simply do not have work for a large segment of our workforce now, and for the foreseeable future,” Fiji Airways Chief Executive Andre Viljoen said in a statement.

The airline said the staff cuts would affect 758 employees, including 78 expatriate pilots and eight expatriate executives.

Remaining staff will have their salaries cut by 20% permanently effective June 1, and the airline will extend flying cuts to August, the carrier said.

Viljoen said the measures would help ensure the survival of the Fijian airline, which is a backbone of the island nation’s tourism industry.

More : Fiji Airways to cut more than half its staff, seek aircraft payment deferrals


----------



## sponge_bob

Aviation industry facing 'crisis of epic proportions'


The aviation industry is facing a "crisis of epic proportions", according to the CEO of an aviation leasing company.




www.rte.ie







> He said his company is working very constructively on a global basis, but must balance its cash flow needs to repay borrowings.
> 
> He said Avolon entered the crisis in robust health and even based on the most draconian forecasts it can survive it.
> 
> *Mr Slattery said "there will no winners, just survivors" and some airlines and leasing companies will close. *


----------



## sponge_bob

O Leary said last week that Ryanair would resume a substantial schedule from 01 July, today Spain agreed with him. 









Coronavirus: Spain to stop quarantining arrivals from 1 July


The country hopes to save the summer season but UK tourists face quarantine in their own country.



www.bbc.com


----------



## sponge_bob

LATAM declares bankruptcy, thatss the 2 biggest in south America declared Chapter 11, LATAM and Avianca.









Latin America's largest airline, LATAM, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy


LATAM Airlines Group, the largest carrier in Latin America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday, according to a statement released on its website.




edition.cnn.com


----------



## hkskyline

* Global airlines body raises alarm over bailout debts *
_Excerpt_
May 26, 2020

PARIS (Reuters) - Heavy debts inherited from government bailouts and other fund-raising moves will delay the airline industry's recovery from the coronavirus crisis, a trade body said on Tuesday.

Global airline debts are set to rise by more than a quarter to $550 billion by the end of the year after governments announced $123 billion in total support, the International Air Transport Association said.

That includes $67 billion of liabilities that must be repaid and $11.5 billion in equity financing.

On top of the $123 billion from taxpayers, another $52 billion comes from commercial sources such as bank loans.

With the amount of new equity raised dwarfed by debt the airlines have taken on, their balance sheets will on average be weaker when they emerge from the crisis.

That means the industry's woes will last longer than the time it takes for passenger demand to recover, IATA said.

"The treatment is creating a problem with the patient which will need to be dealt with once we get into the recovery period," Chief Economist Brian Pearce told reporters.

"If we don't see any improvement in the restart period, we are certainly fearful that we are going to see a number of failures."

More : Global airlines body raises alarm over bailout debts


----------



## sponge_bob

Gatwick is the most unloved of all London airports since the crisis started. BA and Virgin have pulled out completely and Norwegian is barely alive. It has been around the 10th busiest in Europe for many years now but I can see it dropping to the mid teens next year. It is also the secondary hub, in London, for both Ryanair and Easyjet. 









'It is so quiet': 21 passengers leave Gatwick in one day as air traffic halts


Airport’s desertion sign of vast challenges faced by sector, with two-week quarantine imminent




www.theguardian.com


----------



## sponge_bob

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...from-flying-to-u-s-sources-say-idUSKBN23A248/


> We…conclude that the public interest requires the suspension of all Chinese carrier scheduled passenger air services between the United States and China,” read a Wednesday filing by the U.S. Transportation Department. The suspension will take effect on June 16 and apply to Air China, Hainan Airlines Holding Co., China Eastern Airlines Corp., and China Southern Airlines Co.


Those four airlines have a substantial order each for the 737 MAX and around 40-50 of the MAX aircraft sitting in storage in Boeing hands in the US are due to be delivered to those 4 airlines between them.....good luck.


----------



## hkskyline

* FAA waives minimum flight requirements at some U.S. airports through March *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Oct 5, 2020

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration aid on Monday it would extend temporary waivers of minimum flight requirements at some major U.S. airports through late March 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Airlines can lose their slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA said it would extend the waivers at New York's John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that were set to expire in October.

At four other U.S. airports where the FAA has a formal schedule-review process - Chicago O’Hare, Newark, New Jersey, Los Angeles and San Francisco - the agency proposes to extend credits to airlines for flights that were canceled due to the coronavirus as though those flights were operated through Dec. 31.

More : FAA waives minimum flight requirements at some U.S. airports through March


----------



## hkskyline

* 'All clear' passports aim to let air travellers bypass quarantines *
Daily Telegraph _Excerpt_
Oct 7, 2020

THE world's first Covid-19 passport is launched today to enable people to travel without having to quarantine.

Passengers using United Airlines and Cathay Pacific and travelling through Heathrow will be the first to trial the technology, which is backed by the US.

Volunteering passengers will upload their Covid test results from a validated laboratory on to a digital health pass port up to 72 hours before departure. The airlines and border officials will be able to scan the digital data on the pass to see if they are free of the disease.

If the trials are successful, it will allow passengers to reduce their time in quarantine in line with the self-isolation regulations and health requirements in whichever country they arrive. The aim is to create a standardised global testing system where governments and airlines can trust passengers' results because they are from reputable laboratories and on a recognised health passport. 

More : 'All clear' Covid passports aim to let air travellers bypass quarantine


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. airlines await new shot at federal aid as Pelosi, Mnuchin talk *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Oct 7, 2020

U.S. airlines were again holding out hope for another $25 billion in payroll aid after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discussed the possibility of standalone legislation for the struggling sector on Wednesday.

Their conversation was the latest in a series of turbulent developments on relief prospects in recent weeks for airlines, which last week began the furlough of tens of thousands of employees.

Airline shares jumped on Wednesday after sinking abruptly a day earlier on remarks by President Donald Trump that his administration would abandon talks with congressional Democrats over a major stimulus package until after the Nov. 3 election.

More : U.S. airlines await new shot at federal aid as Pelosi, Mnuchin talk


----------



## hkskyline

* French Airbus workers sign key restructuring deal *
_Excerpt_

TOULOUSE, France, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Major French unions on Monday signed a keenly awaited labour deal with Europe's Airbus covering job reductions and furloughs for production workers affected by coronavirus-blighted demand for passenger jets.

After three months of talks, unions representing a majority of the planemaker's French workers signed an agreement paving the way for 4,200 job reductions in France, including 3,400 in Toulouse, Europe's aerospace capital where Airbus is based.

Unions say the agreement will prevent compulsory redundancies, although Chief Executive Guillaume Faury recently warned staff that voluntary measures would not be enough.

Unions also signed an agreement implementing government-backed furlough schemes for up to 30% of French employees mainly involved in production work.

In total, Airbus is looking for 15,000 job cuts among its more than 130,000 staff and has reaffirmed those plans after aviation markets failed to recover as quickly as expected.

But it has said 1,500 jobs could be spared if government backing remains for furloughs and 500 others could be saved by French government funding on a new carbon-free aircraft project.

More : French Airbus workers sign key restructuring deal


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Airlines and airports in fresh aid package plea


The industry wants current quarantine arrangements to be replaced with a new testing regime.



www.bbc.com


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. screened over one million airline passengers Sunday for first time since March *
Reuters _Excerpt_ 
Oct 19, 2020

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened more than 1 million airline passengers on Sunday for the first time since mid-March.

The number, 1.03 million, is still about 60% lower than the same day last year, but is a dramatic rise from the collapse in air travel demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Screening fell to as little as 87,000 in a single day in April.

The previous high was 1.26 million screened on March 16.

U.S. airlines are collectively burning more than $5 billion in cash a month and have failed to date to convince Congress to approve a new $25 billion bailout that would have kept more than 32,000 workers on the payroll for another six months.

More : U.S. screened over 1 million airline passengers Sunday for first time since March


----------



## hkskyline

* 'Bad math': Airlines' COVID safety analysis challenged by expert *
Reuters _Excerpt_ 
Oct 19, 2020

PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A campaign by coronavirus-stricken aviation giants to persuade the world it's safe to fly has been questioned by one of the scientists whose research it draws upon.

Dr David Freedman, a U.S. infectious diseases specialist, said he declined to take part in a recent presentation by global airline body IATA with planemakers Airbus, Boeing and Embraer that cited his work.

While he welcomed some industry findings as "encouraging", Freedman said a key assertion about the improbability of catching COVID-19 on planes was based on "bad math".

Airlines and planemakers are anxious to restart international travel, even as a second wave of infections and restrictions take hold in many countries.

The Oct. 8 media presentation listed in-flight infections reported in scientific studies or by IATA airlines, and compared the tally with total passenger journeys this year.

More : 'Bad math': Airlines' COVID safety analysis challenged by expert


----------



## hkskyline

*United Airlines testing global health app on UK-U.S. flight in effort to reopen borders *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Oct 21, 2020

United Airlines UAL.O is set on Wednesday to test a digital health pass under a global pilot program seeking to establish a common international standard for COVID-19 test results and eventually vaccine records that could help reopen borders.

The nonprofit initiative, called CommonPass, is backed by the World Economic Forum and Swiss-based foundation The Commons Project. If successful, it could persuade governments to ease the restrictions and quarantines that have slammed air travel since the coronavirus starting spreading across the globe.

The United flight from London Heathrow to Newark Liberty International in New Jersey follows a pilot by Cathay Pacific 0293.HK this month, and other large airlines are also planning international trials in November and December.

More : United Airlines testing global health app on UK-U.S. flight in effort to reopen borders


----------



## hkskyline

* Nonprofit app aims to help unblock global air travel *
Associated Press _Excerpt_
Oct 21, 2020

A nonprofit foundation is testing a smartphone app that could make it easier for international airline passengers to securely show they've complied with COVID-19 testing requirements. It's an attempt to help get people back to flying after the pandemic sent global air travel down by 92%.

The Switzerland-based Commons Project Foundation was conducting a test Wednesday of its CommonPass digital health pass on United Airlines Flight 15 from London's Heathrow to Newark Liberty International Airport, using volunteers carrying the app on their smartphones. Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Customs and Border Protection were observing the test.

The system looks forward to the day when travel may be determined not only by testing but by the need to show vaccination records. The World Health Organization says vaccines may start becoming available by mid-2021, though efficacy and availability to broad parts of the global population remain large question marks.

More : Nonprofit app aims to help unblock global air travel


----------



## hkskyline

* Canada launches pilot program testing travelers to cut down on quarantine time *
_Excerpt_

TORONTO, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The Canadian government and the province of Alberta are launching a pilot program to test eligible returning travelers for COVID-19, allowing them to leave quarantine once they receive a negative result, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said on Thursday.

The move could potentially bring relief to the country's struggling airline and tourism industries, which have lobbied the federal government to ease travel restrictions and a strict 14-day quarantine rule.

Canadian citizens, permanent residents, foreign nationals allowed entry into Canada and essential workers with no symptoms can volunteer to get tested at the Calgary International Airport and one land border crossing starting Nov. 2.

Such passengers can then leave their place of quarantine once they receive a negative result, as long as they commit to getting a second test six or seven days after their arrival, participating in daily check-ins and following other public health measures.

However a federal minister said individuals would have to quarantine between the first and second negative test results.

More : Canada launches pilot program testing travelers to cut down on quarantine time


----------



## hkskyline

* Ryanair, easyJet and others offer refunds after watchdog inquiry *
_Excerpt_

MILAN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust regulator said on Friday that Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling and Blue Panorama were now offering to refund passengers whose flights they cancelled citing the coronavirus outbreak.

The decision follows an inquiry opened by the watchdog last month, which said the cancelled flights were outside periods in which governments had imposed limits on movement between countries and that refunds of the tickets - an option envisaged by European rules - should have been offered.

The choice to request a voucher instead of a refund would be left entirely to the consumer, the antitrust said.

More : Ryanair, easyJet and others offer refunds after watchdog inquiry


----------



## hkskyline

* New business jet travelers help fuel order recovery during pandemic *
_Excerpt_

MONTREAL, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Affluent travelers avoiding commercial flights during the pandemic are helping fuel a recovery in pre-owned corporate aircraft transactions this year and reviving shoots of demand for new planes even as the business aviation industry braces for a slump in 2020 deliveries.

Jets built as corporate aircraft, which can carry from roughly a handful to 19 travelers, tout less risk of exposure to the coronavirus because their passengers can avoid airports and generally select who comes on board.

Private flights have mostly recovered better than those of commercial airlines, with operators like NetJets reporting improved demand this summer.

Corporate planemakers, such as Canada's Bombardier Inc , have been watching to see whether the rebound in leisure flights would translate into new aircraft orders.

Pre-owned jet transactions are bouncing back to near 2019 levels, while lawyers and brokers are seeing orders for new planes trickling in after a pandemic-induced lull, generating cautious optimism for corporate planemakers as they begin reporting quarterly earnings this week.

More : New business jet travelers help fuel order recovery during pandemic


----------



## hkskyline

* Hawaiian Airlines to restart America's longest domestic flight, along with mainland network *
USA Today _Excerpt_
Oct 26, 2020

Less than two weeks after Hawaii began welcoming back visitors from the mainland, Hawaiian Airlines says it's reviving the longest domestic commercial flight in the United States.

The carrier announced in a press release last week that it's bringing back its 5,095-mile Boston-Honolulu route in December, in time for the holidays. The nearly 12-hour flight isn't the only route coming back to Hawaiian's schedule: It will also offer service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Honolulu, along with nonstop service between the islands and five California cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland and Long Beach. In fact, its entire 13-city U.S. mainland network is coming back.

Including their time at the airport, Hawaii-bound passengers could spend close to 14 hours in a mask just to get to the islands, which had been largely off limits since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news: The return flight takes just 10 hours, 15 minutes.

Hawaii also requires visitors to obtain a negative coronavirus test result within the 72 hours before their flight's departure time if they wish to bypass a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

And yet thousands of travelers have already shown they are willing to do so: On the first day alone, 8,000 visitors arrived.

More : Hawaiian Airlines to restart America's longest domestic flight, along with mainland network


----------



## hkskyline

* United Plans Newark-London Virus Testing as Tool to Spur Travel *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Oct 29, 2020

United Airlines Holdings Inc. will offer rapid coronavirus testing on flights to London from Newark, New Jersey, in a bid to show governments that a pre-departure testing regime can provide a way to ease strict quarantine rules.

The pilot program, running from Nov. 16 to Dec. 11, also is aimed at giving customers on the trans-Atlantic route “an added layer of peace of mind,” United spokesman Josh Earnest said.

U.S. and British airlines have been seeking government approvals for an “air bridge” between the New York City area and London’s Heathrow Airport that would relax isolation rules and spur international business travel. Corporate tickets and overseas routes are traditionally among the most profitable and have been especially hard hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re not second-guessing the decisions that government officials are making,” Earnest said on a call with reporters. “This is not sketching out on the back of a cocktail napkin what this would look like. This is actually showing them.”

United will offer the Abbott Laboratories ID Now rapid molecular tests free for passengers booked on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday flight. The program is for one United flight and will be conducted in a terminal lounge at Newark-Liberty International Airport, outside New York. Results from the test, the same one United uses for international crews, will be available within 20 minutes. 

More : United Plans Newark-London Virus Testing as Tool to Spur Travel


----------



## hkskyline

* Japan opens airport coronavirus test lab for departing travellers *
_Excerpt_ 

TOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's largest airport opened a novel coronavirus testing facility on Monday as it takes steps to reopen international travel that has been largely grounded for months by the pandemic.

The Narita International Airport PCR Center is aimed at outbound travellers who need proof that they are virus-free when they arrive at their destinations.

Japan on Friday eased travel curbs for nine Asian countries and regions.

Narita is one of two international hubs serving the Greater Tokyo area.

The testing lab, run by the Nippon Medical School Foundation, is the first at an airport in Japan and can deliver results in six hours, though it expects to get that down to two by the end of the month.

More : Japan opens airport coronavirus test lab for departing travellers


----------



## hkskyline

* Airlines Are Making Money Selling Everything But Tickets *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Nov 14, 2020

With hopes that their season in hell could be approaching an end, airline stocks are on a tear.

Shares in Singapore Airlines Ltd. jumped the most in 21 years Tuesday while those in Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. were up the most since 2008 after Singapore and Hong Kong announced the opening of a travel bubble starting Nov. 22. News of successful trials of a Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE coronavirus vaccine pushed the Bloomberg World Airlines Index up 9.7% Monday in anticipation of an ebbing tide of pandemic.

The cavalry better come quickly. Right now, much of the industry is running short of rations.

With traffic down 73% from a year earlier in September — and international flights running at just 12% of their levels a year ago — the usual path for companies to bring in cash by eking out a margin on their revenue is still blocked. That could remain the case well into next year, given the likely bottlenecks to producing and distributing vaccines in quantities sufficient to reopen international travel.

Still, there’s more than one way to provision your army. If you can’t sell plane tickets, you can still try everything else that’s not nailed down. 


The first thing companies try to sell in a crisis are bits of paper. Airlines have issued $88 billion in bonds so far in 2020, more than half of the $153 billion that the industry sold over the previous four decades put together, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Throw in the value of loans taken out and airlines’ total debt is up by $124 billion since the end of February, the data show.

It’s a similar picture on the equity side.

More : Airlines Are Making Money Selling Everything But Tickets


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. airlines caution on winter challenges as COVID-19 cases rise *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Nov 12, 2020

Delta Air Lines <DAL.N> and Southwest Airlines <LUV.N> on Thursday cautioned that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases may have a negative impact on travel over the winter holidays, a period the sector had hoped would see improved bookings.

The United States on Wednesday reported new COVID-19 infections reached an all-time daily high for a second day in a row and the number of people hospitalized also surged to the highest ever during the pandemic.

"With the U.S. hitting a grim milestone of 10 million positive cases and outbreaks in Europe and other parts of the world, all signs point to a challenging winter ahead," Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in a memo.

The U.S. Transportation Department said the country's airlines carried 65% fewer passengers in September versus the same month last year, the smallest decrease since March. Airlines say travel demand in November remains down 65%.

Airlines are making a renewed push for $25 billion in assistance after a $25 billion program of mostly cash grants for payroll approved by Congress in March expired on Sept. 30.

More : U.S. airlines caution on winter challenges as COVID-19 cases rise


----------



## hkskyline

* These Are the World’s Busiest Airline Routes During Covid Times *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the aviation industry like no crisis before, grounding thousands of planes and drying up travel as restrictions on movement deter people from flying.

International flights have felt the impact most acutely due to border controls and mandatory quarantine requirements; domestic routes are starting to recover as people are generally able to move more freely within their countries. Asia is a standout, home to all 10 of the world’s busiest domestic routes this month, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd.

South Korea has the busiest by far, between its capital Seoul and the island Jeju. The route -- which takes a little over an hour -- has around 1.3 million seats scheduled in November, OAG said. That’s more than the top 10 international routes combined. Jeju-Seoul was the world’s busiest domestic route last year, pre-pandemic, with over 17 million seats, or about 48,000 on average a day.

Of the other top 10 busiest domestic routes, China and Japan have four each and one is in Vietnam. China’s busiest is from capital Beijing to Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport, with 768,184 seats this month, about the same as the top four U.S. routes combined.

International air travel however is severely hamstrung and the November numbers remain measly. The busiest route this month is set to be Cairo-Jeddah with 147,950 seats, which at those levels wouldn’t make it into the top 10 U.S. services.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## hkskyline

* American, British Airways, oneworld to trial COVID-19 tests *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2020

American Airlines, British Airways, and the oneworld alliance will launch a coronavirus testing trial this month aimed at convincing the U.S. and UK governments to introduce testing so that transatlantic travel can restart.

BA was operating 84 flights per week between London Heathrow and New York JFK prior to the pandemic, but last week operated just 21.

BA CEO Sean Doyle said that without a travel testing regime, Britain was being left behind countries such as Germany.

Alongside its partners, BA plans to collect data from at least 500 passengers on flights from three U.S. cities to London Heathrow by asking them to take three free COVID-19 tests as part of their journey: one before departure, one on landing, and one three days after their arrival.

"What we're trying to evidence here is the effectiveness of testing to replace quarantines," BA CEO Doyle, who has been in the role for just six weeks, told reporters on a call. 

More : American, British Airways, oneworld to trial COVID-19 tests


----------



## hkskyline

* Analysis: Airlines scramble to prepare for ultra-cold COVID-19 vaccine distribution *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Nov 18, 2020

Airlines are scrambling to prepare ultra-cold shipping and storage facilities to transport COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, whose doses, which require deep freezing, are likely to be among the first to be distributed.

A recent survey by an air cargo association and a drug shippers' group found only 15% of industry participants felt ready to transport goods near the minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94°F) required by the Pfizer Inc PFE.N vaccine, while around 60% could meet Moderna Inc's MRNA.O less stringent -20°C requirement.

Typically, airlines use containers with cooling materials such as dry ice to transport pharmaceutical products, but some don’t have temperature controls, making products susceptible to unforeseen events such as flight delays.

Airlines are now considering options ranging from a large plug-in freezer that can cost about as much as a small car to a multi-layered canister that uses liquid nitrogen to ship vaccines requiring a deep freeze.

More : Analysis: Airlines scramble to prepare for ultra-cold COVID-19 vaccine distribution


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. lawmaker: airline payroll assistance will be part of COVID-19 measure * 
_Excerpt_ 
Feb 5, 2021 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. House lawmaker told reporters that a COVID-19 relief package would include a new round of payroll assistance for U.S. airline workers.

Representative Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told reporters at the White House the new round of airline government assistance would extend restrictions on executive compensation and stock buybacks.

U.S. airlines have been awarded $40 billion in payroll support since March and airline unions last week asked Congress for another $15 billion to keep thousands of workers on the payroll past March 31, when the current round expires.

Reuters reported Thursday that Democratic leaders in Congress are likely to back $14 billion to extend airline payroll support for six months, keeping nearly 30,000 airline workers on the job.

Flight attendant union leader Sara Nelson said Thursday that $14 billion was being discussed for airlines and $1 billion for contractors. "Congress has to come up with more funds to support these workers," Nelson said.

More : U.S. lawmaker: airline payroll assistance will be part of COVID-19 measure


----------



## hkskyline

* Canada's COVID rules on leisure travel weighing on business, say industry officials * 
_Excerpt_

MONTREAL, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Canada's move to limit inbound flights to four major airports as it seeks to curb the spread of COVID-19 from leisure travel is spilling over to business trips and fueling uncertainty which could delay economic recovery, industry executives said.

Canada, which already has some of the world's toughest travel and quarantine rules, plans to introduce restrictions such as mandatory airport COVID-19 tests and hotel quarantines for up to three days.

Directing flights to four airports -- Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver -- which started Thursday, has created headaches for some companies in smaller cities.

Separately, the hotel quarantines, which were announced last week but await the drafting of formal rules, are creating uncertainty among essential business travelers who normally do not have to self-isolate.

"This kind of approach with business travel is going to hamper our efforts to rebound," said Anthony Norejko, president of the Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA).

More : Canada's COVID rules on leisure travel weighing on business, say industry officials


----------



## hkskyline

* Airlines push White House to reject testing for US flights *
_Excerpt_ 
Feb 13, 2021

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of several major U.S. airlines met online Friday with White House officials to press their case against requiring coronavirus tests for passengers on domestic flights, saying it would undermine the already fragile industry.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki downplayed speculation that the Biden administration could soon impose a requirement that passengers on domestic flights first pass a COVID-19 test. But she stopped short of taking the idea off the table.

“Reports that there is an intention to put in place new requirements such as testing are not accurate,” Psaki said. She described the meeting with CEOs as “brief.”

More : Airlines push White House to reject testing for US flights


----------



## hkskyline

* Air travelers to Canada to isolate at hotels starting Feb 22 *
_Excerpt_ 
Feb 12, 2021

TORONTO (AP) — Air travelers to Canada will quarantine in a hotel starting on Feb. 22 as they await the result of a coronavirus test, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

Trudeau previously announced stricter restrictions would be imposed on nonessential air travelers in response to new, likely more contagious variants.

Government officials confirmed that — with limited exceptions — nonessential air travelers will be required to reserve a three-night stay in a government-authorized hotel at their own expense before they depart for Canada.

More : Air travelers to Canada to isolate at hotels starting Feb 22


----------



## hkskyline

* Europe airport traffic plummets to 1995 levels - industry group *
Reuters _Excerpt_ 
Feb 12, 2021

Europe’s airport traffic last year tumbled to 1995 levels, data from a regional industry group showed on Friday, with hubs in Turkey and Russia faring better than those in Western Europe.

European airports lost 1.72 billion passengers in 2020, or over 70%, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by Airports Council International Europe, bringing traffic back to numbers last seen before the low-cost travel boom.

“No industry can on its own withstand such a shock,” ACI Europe chief Olivier Jankovec said in a statement.

More : Europe airport traffic plummets to 1995 levels - industry group


----------



## hkskyline

* Korean Air offers 'flights to nowhere' amid pandemic *
_Excerpt_ 

SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, has joined other airlines to offer "flights to nowhere" as a way to ride out the coronavirus crisis, the transport ministry said Sunday.

Korean Air plans to use the A380 passenger jet on the route from Incheon to the East Sea, Busan, Jeju Island, the Straits of Korea and back to Incheon on Feb. 27, a ministry official said.

The entertainment-packed flight to nowhere will take two hours and 20 minutes. It is priced at 219,000 won-700,000 won (US$200-$630) depending on cabin classes, he said.

More : Korean Air offers 'flights to nowhere' amid pandemic | Yonhap News Agency


----------



## hkskyline

* Major U.S. airlines will voluntarily collect international contact tracing info *
_Excerpt_ 
Feb 19, 2021

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major U.S. airlines on Friday said they would adopt a voluntary international contact tracing program, months after the White House under then-President Donald Trump blocked a mandatory effort.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and other major airlines said they had committed to collecting contact tracing data from passengers traveling into the United States and to relaying that data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) if travelers provide information.

In August, Trump officials rejected an effort to require airlines to collect contact tracing information from U.S.-bound international passengers after some senior administration officials cited privacy concerns, Reuters reported.

More : Major U.S. airlines will voluntarily collect international contact tracing info


----------



## hkskyline

* Quarantines crushing air travel are getting longer and lonelier *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_ 
Feb 23, 2021

Quarantines continue to frustrate travelers and strangle airlines a year into the pandemic, with the threat from highly infectious coronavirus variants meaning enforced isolations are mostly getting longer and stricter rather than easing up.

Even as vaccines embolden countries like Israel and the U.K. to plot paths to reopening, authorities around the world are tightening the screws to stop Covid-19 mutations slipping through quarantine models designed to contain a less aggressive virus. With questions hanging over the efficacy of vaccines on mutated strains, this new front in the public-health battle is damping hopes of a swift rebound in international air travel.

While U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that foreign travel could start as soon as May 17, triggering a surge in flight bookings, England has only just put in place its toughest border curbs of the pandemic, imposing 10-day hotel quarantines for British and Irish nationals and residents arriving from dozens of countries.

More : Air Travel Quarantines Are Getting Longer and Lonelier


----------



## hkskyline

* A shortage of pilots could keep the airlines from making a real comeback * 
CNN _Excerpt_ 
Mar 2, 2021

An important question facing the airline industry is not whether it will face a pilot shortage, but when it will begin.

With the number of flights reduced to a fraction of what they were before the pandemic, it's hard to imagine that there could be a pilot shortage on the horizon. As of February, global airlines were only flying at about 47% of pre-Covid capacity, based on our own analysis of data from OAG and the International Air Transport Association. But by 2025, after global demand in domestic and international travel expands beyond 2019 levels, we expect a worldwide shortfall of at least 34,000 commercial pilots — almost 10% of the total workforce. That gap, which will begin to be felt as early as next year, is based on a modest recovery scenario. If we were to see a more rapid recovery, that shortage could reach 50,000.

The danger: A pilot shortage could ultimately limit industry growth later in the decade by as much as 10% to 12%, according to our analysis. And thanks to the pivotal role air transport plays in the global economy — aviation accounts for about 4% of global gross domestic product — slower industry recovery could temper economic growth worldwide.

More : Opinion: A shortage of pilots could keep the airlines from making a real comeback


----------



## hkskyline

*U.S. extends $14 billion lifeline to airlines in third government aid package *
_Excerpt_

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday gave final approval to a new $14 billion payroll assistance package to U.S. airlines as part of a COVID-19 relief bill, the third round of government support to the struggling sector since March 2019.

With the latest six-month extension that will keep thousands of workers on payrolls through Sept 30, Congress has awarded U.S. airlines $54 billion for payroll costs since March 2020.

U.S. air passenger travel fell by 60% in 2020 to the lowest level since 1984, down more than 550 million passengers. U.S. passenger airlines are still collectively burning about $150 million daily, and the cash bleed is expected to continue through most of this year as demand remains depressed.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, praised the latest extension, saying it "is vital to have our employees on the job and ready to assist as our nation prepares to move forward from this crisis."

U.S. airline shares have gained around 16% over the past month as domestic travel trends improve amid vaccine rollouts.

More : U.S. extends $14 billion lifeline to airlines in third government aid package


----------



## hkskyline

* South American airlines brace for flight cuts as second wave of virus rages in Brazil * 
_Excerpt_ 
Mar 12, 2021

SAO PAULO, March 12 (Reuters) - South America's airlines are bracing to cut flight capacity in the region beyond original expectations as a second wave of coronavirus infections in Brazil rages on and dampens demand for travel.

Chile's LATAM Airlines, said on Friday it expects flights in March to fall by 65% compared with March 2019, before the pandemic hit.

The new guidance shows how badly the second coronavirus wave is affecting airlines in the region, especially in Brazil, which just this week posted a new record for daily deaths. Many countries have shut borders with Brazil while state governors in recent days have imposed ever tighter lockdowns to try to stop the spread.

More : South American airlines brace for flight cuts as second wave of virus rages in Brazil


----------



## hkskyline

* Airline consolidation set back five years, IATA chief says * 
_Excerpt_

PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) - The large-scale government intervention in airlines triggered by the coronavirus crisis will hold back sector consolidation for up to five years, the head of global industry body IATA predicted on Wednesday.

Alexandre de Juniac, the International Air Transport Association's outgoing director general, made the comments in an interview with Reuters as the organisation called for a new round of subsidies to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Governments have taken big stakes in many of their national airlines, so it will be difficult for them to sell this asset to any foreign actor and explain that to the taxpayer," De Juniac said. "It will be a factor that will prevent consolidation in the coming three to five years."

Airline tie-ups already faced obstacles before the crisis, including ownership rules linked to bilateral aviation treaties. That has not prevented the emergence of multinationals such as IAG, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM that preserve national carriers within their group structures.

Aid has further raised the hurdles by piling up debts, shielding potential targets and tying would-be buyers' hands. EU rules bar recipients such as Lufthansa and Air France-KLM from making acquisitions until bailouts are repaid.

More : Airline consolidation set back five years, IATA chief says


----------



## hkskyline

* U.S. air travelers top 1.5 million for first time since March 2020 *
_Excerpt_
March 22, 2021

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. air passengers screened topped 1.5 million Sunday for the first time since March 2020, as air travel continues to rebound from a pandemic-related drop, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said Monday.

COVID-19 devastated air travel demand, with U.S. airline passengers down 60% in 2020. But with a growing number of Americans getting vaccinated, demand and advanced bookings have started to rise in recent weeks.

TSA said it screened 1.54 million people Sunday, the highest single day since March 13, 2020 and the 11th consecutive day screening volume exceeding 1 million per day.

Screening refers to security checks on passengers entering airports.

Still, U.S. air travel demand was down Sunday about 30% versus pre-COVID 19 levels. International and business travel demand both still remain weak.

More : U.S. air travelers top 1.5 million for first time since March 2020


----------



## hkskyline

* Ignore ministers and book your holiday, Ryanair boss says *
_Excerpt_
March 24, 2021

LONDON (Reuters) - British tourists should go ahead and book foreign holidays despite government warnings not to, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said on Wednesday, as the low-cost carrier announced plans to run 80% of its peak summer capacity.

Vaccine rollouts will tame COVID-19 and reopen travel in time for beach holidays, O’Leary predicted during a news conference in which he also dismissed recent advice from UK ministers that foreign travel is likely to remain off-limits.

“I don’t frankly pay too much attention to it,” he said, citing the UK’s “spectacularly successful vaccine programme” that aims to reach the entire adult population by late July. 

More : Ignore ministers and book your holiday, Ryanair boss says


----------



## hkskyline

* European travel recovery disappointing, industry officials say *
_Excerpt_ 

PARIS, March 30 (Reuters) - Domestic air passenger travel and freight flights are rising in Europe but "normal operations are still severely damaged by the pandemic," the head of European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol said on Tuesday.

Low-cost airline traffic is around 84% below pre-pandemic levels, director general Eamonn Brennan said in a webcast.

Key to reopening markets will be the pace of vaccine rollouts, with progress expected in coming weeks, he added.

More : European travel recovery disappointing, industry officials say


----------



## hkskyline

* Airlines blast Britain's travel restart plan, Jet2 cancels holidays until June *
_Excerpt_ 

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - Major British travel company Jet2 said it was cancelling holidays until late June, blaming uncertainty from UK government plans for restarting international travel that were widely condemned by airlines.

Carriers had been counting on government proposals published on Friday to kick off a summer getaway season, but the industry criticised the release for not including a start date for travel or listing which countries would be open for holidaymakers.

Instead it will give more details in early May, ahead of a possible resumption of international travel on May 17, after a year of severe restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jet2, the UK's third largest carrier by passenger numbers, said it had cancelled flights and holidays to June 24.

"We just don't have enough certainty at the moment with which to commit to a 17th of May start date," Jet2 Chief Executive Steve Heapy told Reuters. 

More : Airlines blast Britain's travel restart plan, Jet2 cancels holidays until June


----------



## hkskyline

*Global Air Travel Is Stuck Way Behind 2019 Levels *
Apr 14, 2021
Bloomberg _Excerpt_ 

Airlines just can’t get the world flying again. Despite a U.S. boom in vaccinations, many countries are battling a resurgent coronavirus. That means carriers are now expected to end 2021 offering about two-thirds the number of seats they did in 2019. Passenger demand could be even lower.

Globally, scheduled capacity is stuck at about 58% of pre-pandemic levels, says John Grant, chief analyst at aviation data specialist OAG. For every market that grows, another seems to fall back, he said.

Using weekly OAG updates, Bloomberg has built a global flight tracker to monitor the pulse of the air travel comeback. It’s not one Grant expects to be quick. Measuring seats on offer shows that carriers currently have some 62 million seats per week, well short of the 2019 benchmark of 106 million.

More : Where Can You Fly Right Now?


----------



## hkskyline

* Empty middle airplane seat could cut coronavirus exposure by up to 57%: CDC *
Reuters _Excerpt_ 
Apr 14, 2021

A vacant middle airplane seat could cut the risk of exposure to coronavirus by 23% to 57% compared with a full flight, according to a study on physical distancing onboard released on Wednesday.

Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kansas State University based their findings on laboratory modeling of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, on single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft in November 2020.

The research is backed by results of a separate investigation of coronavirus transmission on a 10-hour international flight in March 2020, in which 16 people were infected, they said. That study found 75% of infected passengers were seated within two rows of a symptomatic passenger.

More : Empty middle airplane seat could cut coronavirus exposure by up to 57%: CDC


----------



## sponge_bob

India looks like it will be cut off from much of the world shortly. The local covid variant is of great international concern.


----------



## hkskyline

* Bill would create aviation response plan for pandemics and study disease transmission on airplanes*
Apr 23, 2021
Washington Post _Excerpt_ 

Democratic leaders on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced legislation Thursday that would require the transportation secretary to develop an aviation-sector plan for managing disease outbreaks.

The Healthy Flights Act of 2021 - introduced by Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), the committee's chairman; and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the aviation subcommittee chairman - also makes clear that the Federal Aviation Administration has the authority to impose requirements to protect passengers and airline workers during public health emergencies. In addition, it would require that people wear masks on airplanes and in airports, and that airline employees and some FAA personnel be given personal protective equipment during public health emergencies linked to respiratory diseases.

The new requirements would be incorporated into preflight announcements, according to the legislation.

In a statement, DeFazio said the bill would provide "clear, consistent rules and guidelines that give flight and cabin crew the authority they need to keep passengers safe."

"The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious flaws in the federal government's preparedness to keep airline and airport workers and travelers safe amid a public health emergency," he said. "And with tens of millions of people yet to be vaccinated, Congress still can and must do more to protect those on the frontlines of our aviation system from future pandemics like COVID-19."

More : https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2021/04/22/healthy-flights-act/


----------



## hkskyline

* US sets pandemic-era high for air travel, over 1.6 million *
AP _Excerpt_ 
May 4, 2021

The United States set another record for the number of air travelers since the pandemic set in, although passenger numbers remain far below 2019 levels.

More than 1.6 million people were screened at U.S. airport checkpoints on Sunday, according to the Transportation Security Administration. That was the highest number screened since March 12 of last year when air travel began to plummet.

However, it was still 35% below the number of airport travelers reported on the comparable Sunday in 2019, according to TSA figures.

More : US sets pandemic-era high for air travel, over 1.6 million


----------



## hkskyline

* ANALYSIS-Stricken airlines seek lifeline from transatlantic opening *
_Excerpt_ 

PARIS/LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Diplomatic moves to ease transatlantic air travel could unleash fierce competition to entice passengers back into near-empty cabins at a time when tottering airlines can ill afford a price war in the world's richest aviation market.

Talks between Brussels and Washington on resuming mass travel for vaccinated tourists have raised hopes of a summer rebound - further buoyed by new EU reopening proposals.

Airlines are desperate for good news after a year of COVID-19 lockdowns that pushed many to the brink of collapse, or into the arms of governments.

The United States will reopen to Europeans in "a matter of the next two or three weeks", Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr predicted last week.

But the German airline boss also cautioned against any race to the bottom on fares.

More : Stricken airlines seek lifeline from transatlantic opening


----------



## hkskyline

*US sets another pandemic high for air travel at 1.64 million*
AP _Excerpt_ 
May 8, 2021

About 1.64 million people were screened at U.S. airports Thursday, the busiest day for air travel since March 2020, the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

The previous pandemic high for air travel was reached just four days earlier and with the Mother’s Day weekend on the way, this record is likely to be surpassed quickly as well.

Air travel has yet to return to anywhere near the typical levels seen before COVID-19 brought flights almost to a standstill. In April and May, airport crowds were down about 40% compared with the same period in 2019, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration.

More : US sets another pandemic high for air travel at 1.64 million


----------



## hkskyline

* Moody's upgrades outlook for global aviation industry to 'positive' *
Reuters _Excerpt_ 
May 11, 2021

Moody's has upgraded its outlook for the global airlines industry to "positive" from "negative", as the ratings agency expects steady vaccine rollouts across geographies to drive a rebound in commercial air travel.

"While the continuing pandemic means there is a risk of further disruption to air travel in various countries at various times, we expect an increase in vaccinations to lower border restrictions and increase demand for air travel over the next 12 to 18 months," Moody's said in a note on Tuesday.

In terms of domestic air travel, Moody's noted that China, the United States and Australia are leading the recovery.

More : Moody's upgrades outlook for global aviation industry to 'positive'


----------



## hkskyline

* IATA chief says COVID-19 test data support easing of travel curbs *
_Excerpt_ 

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - Global airline body IATA stepped up its pressure on governments to ease travel restrictions on Wednesday, pointing to UK testing data that showed low incidence of COVID-19 in arriving passengers.

"These data tell us we can do better," IATA Director General Willie Walsh said, citing a 2.2% positive rate among 365,895 tests carried out in February-May, according to Britain's National Health Service.

"Universal restrictions on people are no longer needed," Walsh added.

More : Airlines urge G7 to back data-driven travel reopening


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## hkskyline

*Where Can You Fly Right Now? U.S. Grabs China’s Short-Lived Aviation Lead *
June 9, 2021
Bloomberg _Excerpt_ 

The U.S. has taken the lead in the global aviation recovery from China, where a Covid-19 outbreak in Guangdong province has undone months of steady growth in air traffic.

Airlines in the U.S. are taking advantage of a vaccine rollout that’s reached 52% of the population. Looser restrictions have made domestic air travel an almost-routine experience, save for the facemasks, with capacity for flights within the country at about 84% of 2019 levels, based on data from flight-tracking firm OAG.

Until recently, China set the standard, with domestic travel powering a comeback that’s stood above 2019 levels for most of this year. After bringing the virus under control in the first half of 2020, the world’s most populous country was able to quickly restart its economy and went on to displace the U.S. as the world’s largest air-travel market.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## hkskyline

*Crisis-hit EU airlines seek 'more balanced' passenger rights * 
_Excerpt_ 

PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) - European airlines said on Thursday they will seek to weaken passenger compensation and refund rights in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left the industry struggling to reimburse billions of euros in fares for grounded flights.

Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents the region's biggest carriers, said the so-called EU261 regulation had severely exacerbated the financial crisis for many airlines.

"We're looking for a more balanced approach to consumer protection," Air France-KLM Chief Executive Ben Smith said, adding that the European Union's passenger rights law was "one of the most punitive" in the world.

More : Crisis-hit EU airlines seek 'more balanced' passenger rights


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## hkskyline

*Travel rebound: 2 million people go through US airports *
_Excerpt_ 
June 12, 2021

DALLAS (AP) — The airline industry’s recovery from the pandemic passed a milestone as more than 2 million people streamed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday for the first time since early March 2020.

The Transportation Security Administration announced Saturday that 2.03 million travelers were screened at airport checkpoints on Friday. It was the first time in 15 months that the number of security screenings has surpassed 2 million in a single day.

Airline bookings have been picking up since around February, as more Americans were vaccinated against COVID-19 and – at least within the United States – travel restrictions such as mandatory quarantines began to ease.

More : Travel rebound: 2 million people go through US airports


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## hkskyline

* Air travel in Asia won’t return to pre-Covid levels ‘anytime soon,’ says Singapore minister *
CNBC _Excerpt_ 
June 16, 2021

Singapore’s Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said “open and free” air travel in Asia remains unlikely in the near term as parts of the region battle with an increase in Covid-19 infections.

“I am somewhat less sanguine about the prospects for air travel,” Wong told Martin Soong as part of the virtual CNBC Evolve Global Summit.

“The region is still facing rolling waves of infection, and vaccination rates for many countries in the region are still not high enough. So I don’t think we will be able to see open and free travel in the region, in particular, any time soon,” said the minister who also co-chairs Singapore’s coronavirus task force.

More : Air travel in Asia won’t return to pre-Covid levels ‘anytime soon,’ says Singapore minister


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## hkskyline

* COLUMN-Global passenger aviation’s uneven recovery from the pandemic: Kemp *
_Excerpt_ 

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Global passenger aviation is making an uneven recovery from the pandemic, with major differences among countries and domestic, short-haul and long-haul flights, resulting in a patchy pick-up in jet fuel consumption.

Before the pandemic, global fuel consumption of up to 7-8 million barrels per day (bpd) was split roughly equally between short-haul (<1,500 kms), medium-haul (1,500-4,000 kms) and long haul (>4,000 kms) flights.

As the first and second waves of COVID-19 have been brought under control in some major aviation markets and vaccination programmes make progress, there has been a notable increase in passenger flights and numbers.

More : Column: Global passenger aviation’s uneven recovery from the pandemic: Kemp


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## hkskyline

*From burgers to airfare, discount offers stack up for inoculated Indians *
_Excerpt_

BENGALURU, June 23 (Reuters) - Discounts on items ranging from fast food to flights are being offered by Indian firms keen to lure people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, as the economy re-opens gradually from weeks of lockdown.

While businesses in the West make similar offers to dispel vaccine hesitancy, India is badly short of doses for its population of nearly 1.4 billion, and the incentives could serve mainly to attract more customers.

"We feel it is our responsibility to contribute to the national vaccination drive by encouraging more people," Sanjay Kumar, a senior official of Interglobe Aviation, which runs India's biggest airline, IndiGo, said in a statement.

More : From burgers to airfare, discount offers stack up for inoculated Indians


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## hkskyline

* EU air passenger rights not protected during pandemic, auditors say * 
_Excerpt_
June 29, 2021

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European airline passenger rights, which include carriers' legal obligation to pay refunds for cancelled flights, have not been safeguarded during the COVID-19 pandemic, an EU report released on Tuesday said.

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) found that in virtually all cases airlines were able to sidestep rules requiring a cash refund for cancelled flights and offer customers vouchers for future journeys instead.

The ECA, which looks after the interests of taxpayers in the 27-member European Union but does not have legal powers, said travel restrictions led to 7,000 air routes being closed in the European airport network after the pandemic began last year.

More : EU air passenger rights not protected during pandemic, auditors say


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## hkskyline

*Airlines aren't banning vaccinated passengers *
June 30, 2021
USA Today _Excerpt_

As airports in the United States face a return to pre-pandemic air traffic levels due to lifted travel restrictions and reopened tourist attractions, misinformation surrounding flying and vaccines has surfaced online.

Following false reports that British Airways was in "crisis talks" about whether to allow vaccinated pilots to fly, social media posts emerged claiming airlines are beginning to ban vaccinated passengers from flying.

"Airlines begin to ban vaccinated people after pilots die due to vaccine," reads a June 26 Instagram post with more than 1,000 likes. The user captioned the post: "Flying and Clots."

A similar version of the claim, shared to Instagram on June 15, specifically mentions airlines in Spain and Russia, claiming they are "addressing the problem of blood clots and recommending vaccinated people not to travel." The image appears to have been captured from a Sky News Australia segment.

But airlines in Spain and Russia, and everywhere else, are not banning vaccinated passengers from flying due to blood clot concerns. To the contrary, some airlines are encouraging passengers and staff members to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

More : Fact check: Airlines are not banning vaccinated people from flying


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## hkskyline

*Airlines face massive change, but Europe’s head is buried in the sand*
July 28, 2021
The Telegraph _Excerpt_ 

A total collapse in passenger numbers and profits; the future of high margin business class travel in doubt; a staggering rise in debt burdens; crippling losses at regional, and even major hub airports; aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers in dire straights-few if any industries have been quite as badly hit by Covid as aviation. Given what’s happened, it is astonishing there’s still an airline flying.

Another summer like the present one and quite possibly there wouldn’t be; I exaggerate only a little. Even International Airlines Group, owner of British Airways and one of the more solvent of the big legacy airline companies, would struggle to survive the loss of a third summer.

More : Airlines face massive change, but Europe’s head is buried in the sand


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## hkskyline

*Air travel hits another pandemic high, flight delays grow *
_Excerpt_
Aug 2, 2021

DALLAS (AP) — Air travel in the U.S. is hitting new pandemic-era highs, and airlines are scrambling to keep up with the summer-vacation crowds.

Despite rising numbers of coronavirus infections fueled by the delta variant, the U.S. set another recent high mark for air travel Sunday, with more than 2.2 million people going through airport checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

That is nearly 11,000 more people screened than July 18, and the highest number since Feb. 28, 2020, before the U.S. felt the full brunt of the pandemic. However, air travel was still down 17% Sunday from the same Sunday in 2019.

More : Air travel hits another pandemic high, flight delays grow


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## hkskyline

*TSA extends into January mask rule for airline passengers *
August 18, 2021
AP _Excerpt_

Federal officials are extending into January a requirement that people on airline flights and public transportation wear face masks, a rule intended to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Transportation Security Administration’s current order was scheduled to expire Sept. 13. An agency spokesman said Tuesday that the mandate will be extended until Jan. 18.

The TSA briefed airline industry representatives on its plan Tuesday and planned to discuss it with airline unions on Wednesday. The mask rule also applies to employees on planes and public transportation.

More : TSA extends into January mask rule for airline passengers


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## hkskyline

*Asian airlines report high vaccination uptake among crew *
August 19, 2021
_Excerpt_

SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Asian airlines are reporting high vaccination take-up rates among pilots and cabin crew as they wait for the region’s tight pandemic-related border controls to be relaxed.

International travel in the Asia-Pacific region remains down about 95% from pre-pandemic levels, and concerns about the Delta variant have led to even stricter quarantines or flight caps in some places, leaving many air crew members idle and hoping for a recovery.

Singapore Airlines Ltd, Malaysia Airlines, Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd are among those requiring crew to be vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

More : Asian airlines report high vaccination uptake among crew


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## hkskyline

* Delta Air Lines will make unvaccinated employees pay charge *
AP _Excerpt_
Aug 25, 2021

Delta Air Lines will charge employees on the company health plan $200 a month if they fail to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a policy the airline’s top executive says is necessary because the average hospital stay for the virus costs the airline $40,000.

CEO Ed Bastian said that all employees who have been hospitalized for the virus in recent weeks were not fully vaccinated.

The airline said Wednesday that it also will stop extending pay protection to unvaccinated workers who contract COVID-19 on Sept. 30, and will require unvaccinated workers to be tested weekly beginning Sept. 12, although Delta will cover the cost. They will have to wear masks in all indoor company settings.

More : Delta Air Lines will make unvaccinated employees pay charge


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## hkskyline

*Cancelled flights, lost luggage, no customer support: why flying has become a ‘nightmare’ *
Sep 4, 2021
Global News _Excerpt_

When Catherine Litinsky flew out of Winnipeg for a week-long vacation with friends near London, Ont., in early August, she had already gone through one round of flight cancellations.

Litinsky, a law student who was working a summer placement, says WestJet had notified her in July she had been rebooked on different flights that would have forced her to take one extra day off. Instead, Litinsky cancelled her booking, received a full refund and rebooked herself on Air Canada flights to Toronto and then to London.

But when Litinsky was set to fly back with the same itinerary the morning of Aug. 14, she got a message from Air Canada at 5:23 a.m. that very day saying her flight back to Toronto had been cancelled due to “crew constraints.” The airline had rebooked her on flights leaving the next day that would have taken her from London to Toronto, then all the way to Vancouver and finally back to Winnipeg, according to documents reviewed by Global News.

“In my mind, I was going like, ‘well, this just isn’t happening. I’m not doing this. This is so ridiculous’,” says Litinsky, who says she had nowhere to stay for one extra night.

Instead, Litinsky hopped into a cab and made her way from London to Toronto’s Pearson Airport, where she was able to catch the flight to Winnipeg, which had not been cancelled. But Litinsky says the taxi ride cost her more than $500.

More : Cancelled flights, lost luggage, no customer support: why flying has become a ‘nightmare’ - National | Globalnews.ca


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## hkskyline

* Airlines log busiest days since early 2020 over Thanksgiving but omicron poses new challenge*
CNBC _Excerpt_
Nov 29, 2021

U.S. airlines over Thanksgiving week had some of their busiest days since before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic as travelers returned in droves to reunite with family after a subdued holiday last year.

The Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 2.5 million people on Sunday, the most since Feb. 15, 2020. That was about 15% below the number of people the TSA screened two years earlier. From Nov. 22 through Sunday 14.4 million people passed through TSA, more than double the 6.4 million a year ago but down from 16.4 million in 2019.

More : Airlines log busiest days since early 2020 over Thanksgiving but omicron poses new challenge


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## sponge_bob

Birmingham Airport: 'Chaos' as travellers face long queues


Passengers report having to wait two hours to get through checks at Birmingham Airport



www.bbc.com


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## sponge_bob

This is Dublin trying to handle 50,000 departing passengers a day, pre covid they could handle up to 100,000 departures a day in peak summer months. 









Dublin Airport received 5,000 job applications - daa


Dublin Airport has received 5,000 job applications, daa's Media Relations Manager Graeme McQueen has said, following delays at the airport this weekend that saw more than 1,000 people miss flights.




www.rte.ie


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## sponge_bob

TUI UK and Easyjet are cancelling flights on a large scale. Can't get the staff and have no reserves to call on any more. 









Girl cries from 'exhaustion' in Cyprus after two cancelled flights


The aviation industry has been slammed by the government for chaotic scenes seen at UK airports recently, as experts warn queues and cancellations are only going to get worse.




www.dailymail.co.uk


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## sponge_bob

TUI have revised their schedules to something, hopefully, more sustainable for them. I somehow doubt they will find the staff to run a fuller schedule in July either. 









Tui cuts back Manchester flights for a month amid staff shortages | Travel Weekly


Operator and ground handler facing ‘significant challenges’




travelweekly.co.uk







> Tui is cutting flights from Manchester airport over the next month in the face of staff shortages which have led to delays and cancellations. As many as six flights a day will reportedly be cancelled until the end of June affecting up to 37,000 holidaymakers.


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## hkskyline

Seems both airports and airlines can't manage returning back to normal!


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## sponge_bob

In Northern Europe that is the case. They all downsized too much, both airlines and airports, and it takes months after recruitment to train cabin or security staff for their roles.

So if they are not in situ in late May you can write off the summer peak which is mid July to late august. So their capacity has peaked for 2022 now and we can see the results. Peak season would be around 20% busier than levels are at present....in a normal year. We are most of the way up the shoulder of the demand curve from the trough levels in Jan/Feb in northern Europe. 

The same strains will appear in Southern Europe next month I would think but so far they have not. 

Minimum wagers are taking jobs where they can get home on public transport rather than finish in the middle of the night and require a taxi ride they cannot afford. It might be different in the US where minimum wagers can afford to run a car.


hkskyline said:


> Seems both airports and airlines can't manage returning back to normal!


I would see a lot of airlines doing what TUI UK just did, some cancelling flights all summer long in some cases.


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## sponge_bob

Manchester Airport: Co-pilot loads bags to help delayed flight


Passengers are praising a co-pilot's "heroics" for loading luggage on to a 32-hour delayed flight.



www.bbc.com


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## sponge_bob

He advocates the same thing in Ireland by the way. 








‘Bring in the army to end airport chaos,’ says Ryanair boss


Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has urged the Government to draft in the army to help deal with the crisis at Britain’s airports.




www.standard.co.uk


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## sponge_bob

Mayhem predicted for travel this summer


Flight cancelations, delays, and airport lines so long you miss your flight. That's the reality of travel this summer -- and that's before you add in sky high car rental prices and sold-out hotels.




edition.cnn.com


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## sponge_bob

Fresh airport hell as airlines 'resign themselves to summer of chaos'


Fed-up holidaymakers have reported 'horrendous' queues and 'absolute chaos' at airports this morning, with the misery set to continue into the summer.




www.dailymail.co.uk


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## sponge_bob

UK airlines instructed to quickly rightsize their schedules for the summer. It means cancel flights down to the resource base available. 









Airlines told to cancel flights to stop travel chaos


Ministers says airlines must ensure summer schedules are deliverable to prevent more travel disruption.



www.bbc.com


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## sponge_bob

Gatwick bites the bullet. They are the first airport to identify a sustainable number of flights during the summer peak in Europe









Gatwick cuts summer flights after staff shortages


The airport says it will lead to a more reliable service, after a wave of cancellations and delays.



www.bbc.com





825 flights in July down from 900 in previous peaks pre covid.


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## sponge_bob

After Gatwick, Schiphol and Heathrow have culled 10% of the original summer schedule and Frankfurt is expected to do so shortly. 









Heathrow asks airlines to cancel 10% of flights, as easyJet cuts summer schedule – as it happened


UK travel chaos deepens




www.theguardian.com


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## sponge_bob

Frankfurt Airport boss blames luggage problems on too many black bags and asks people to get coloured ones. 









Crazy: Frankfurt Airport Begs Passengers Not To Check In Any More Black Suitcases


Passengers Cautioned To Avoid Black Suitcases!




loyaltylobby.com


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## hkskyline

* A toxic culture and ‘race to the bottom’: Pilots open up on why air travel is in chaos *
CNBC _Excerpt_
July 29, 2022

Canceled flights. Long lines. Staff walkouts. Missing luggage. 

Sound familiar? The chaos engulfing many major airports in North America and Europe since summer hasn’t abated much, and news outlets and social media users continue to report on hordes of impatient travelers and mountains of misplaced suitcases.

Just this week, German carrier Lufthansa canceled nearly all its flights in Frankfurt and Munich, stranding some 130,000 travelers due to a one-day walkout by its ground staff who were on strike for better pay. 

London’s Heathrow Airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport — two of the largest travel hubs in Europe —slashed their passenger capacity and demanded that airlines cut flights in and out of their airports, which angered both travelers and airline managers.

Carriers in the U.S. have also canceled and delayed tens of thousands of flights due to staffing shortages and weather issues. 

More : A toxic culture and ‘race to the bottom’: Pilots open up on why air travel is in chaos


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## hkskyline

*The Best and Worst Airlines for Flight Cancellations*
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Aug 2, 2022 

Passengers flying with Virgin Australia and Dutch carrier KLM are suffering some of the biggest disruptions to travel as the understaffed aviation industry struggles to cope with a resurgence in demand, schedules show.

Zeroing in on a group of 19 airlines around the world -- the same one Qantas Airways Ltd. uses to assess its performance against peers -- Virgin Australia canceled the biggest proportion of flights in the three months through July 26, according to data from analytics company Cirium. It axed close to 2,200 flights, or 5.9% of its schedule, compared with 1.4% in the same period in 2019.

Air New Zealand Ltd., Sydney-based Qantas and Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe’s biggest airline, rounded out the five that canceled flights most often in the period. Singapore Airlines Ltd. had the best record, scrapping just 0.1% of planned services.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## N0)NA

Tin, of course)) It can be seen that now you will only have to travel by train, and in extreme cases by bus


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## hkskyline

* This is a great time to be an airline. It's the worst time to be a passenger *
_Excerpt_
Aug 4, 2022

New York (CNN Business) US airlines just had one of the most lucrative quarters in history. Passengers are suffering for it.

The record revenue many airlines reported in April, May and June came via very high airfares and packed airplanes. A series of service disruptions caused by staffing shortages has made flying even worse.

In the second quarter, American Airlines (AAL), United (UAL), Delta (DAL) and Southwest (LUV), which account for 80% of US air travel, earned a combined $2.8 billion. Sales jumped 10% from the same quarter of 2019, before the pandemic, to $46 billion, as demand for leisure travel surged.

The airlines reported record bookings in June for travel during the rest of the summer. But carriers are flying with fewer seats available than before the pandemic: capacity at the four largest airlines is down about 13% from three years ago.

That combination of very strong demand and limited availability sent fares soaring.

More : This is a great time to be an airline. It's the worst time to be a passenger


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## sponge_bob

Europe. Summer 2022. 

Winners. Ryanair, Vueling, Jet2

Losers. BA, Easyjet, Wizz, KLM, Lufthansa.

The losers were often overconcentrated in the wrong airports with chronic staff shortages. The big Spanish airports bounced back nicely though.


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## hkskyline

* Air travel picks up but high fuel price may hurt airlines -IATA *
_Excerpt_ 

DUBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The global air travel industry's recovery from the COVID pandemic was gaining momentum, but high fuel prices will put pressure on airlines, the head of the world's biggest airline trade body said on Wednesday.

Globally, passenger traffic in July was at about 75% of pre-pandemic levels, helped by strong demand for domestic services where traffic had recovered 86.9% of the level seen in July 2019, the body said.

International traffic, however, had recovered 67.9% of the pre-pandemic levels in July, lagging behind domestic demand.

More : Air travel picks up but high fuel price may hurt airlines -IATA


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## hkskyline

* Business Class for $20,000 Means Staff Fly Coach or Not at All *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Sept 19, 2022

Flying business class has always been beyond the means of most mortals. Now even companies can’t afford fares that have soared as the world tries to reconnect in the wake of Covid. 

A return business-class flight on the longest routes, between New York and Sydney for example, can cost more than $20,000, about double the price from pre-pandemic days.

“Demand is clearly outstripping supply,” said Nick Vournakis, executive vice president at corporate travel management firm CWT. “At some point, corporates are going to say enough is enough.”

More : Business Class for $20,000 Means Staff Fly Coach or Not at All


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## hkskyline

* The World Just Doesn’t Have Enough Planes as Travel Roars Back *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Dec 27, 2022 

As travel springs back and even China dismantles the last remaining Covid curbs, one stark truth is beginning to emerge — the world is running desperately short of planes. 

With carriers from United Airlines Holdings Inc. to Air India Ltd. placing, or looking to place, jet orders that number in the hundreds, Boeing Co. and Airbus SE are crowing variously about blockbuster deals. But supply chain constraints mean those planes won’t be delivered until possibly years down the track — Jefferies LLC estimates there’s an order backlog of 12,720 aircraft currently.

All that means the sky-high airfares that people have complained bitterly about over the past few months are here to stay, and things could get worse before they get better.

More : The World Just Doesn’t Have Enough Planes as Travel Roars Back


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## Blackraven

Since Hong Kong just reopened up for International tourism, when will Macau follow suit?


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## hkskyline

Blackraven said:


> Since Hong Kong just reopened up for International tourism, when will Macau follow suit?


Very soon.









Macau Covid-19 entry restrictions to be lifted


Macau will open its borders to all foreign nationalities from Jan.8 and arrivals to the city will not require Health Bureau (SSM) approval, with some not even needing a pre-departure Covid-19 test, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center announced yesterday. Yesterday’s...




macaudailytimes.com.mo


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## Blackraven

hkskyline said:


> Very soon.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Macau Covid-19 entry restrictions to be lifted
> 
> 
> Macau will open its borders to all foreign nationalities from Jan.8 and arrivals to the city will not require Health Bureau (SSM) approval, with some not even needing a pre-departure Covid-19 test, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center announced yesterday. Yesterday’s...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> macaudailytimes.com.mo


That's good to know
The casinos are excited to finally get some revenue relief


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