Virgin Australia announced today that it is suspending all domestic services, except for a sole SYD-MEL return flight Sunday to Friday. The change starts from Friday 10 April. In a statement Virgin said it was still operating repatriation flights from Hong Kong and LAX, and that “demand for charter services in the resources sector remains…
Gatwick Airport is to be partially utilised as a drive-through testing centre for coronavirus cases in the UK. Initially for use by NHS staff and invited key workers, the site will be available between 09:00-17:00 daily, on an appointment-only basis. Stewart Wingate, chief executive, Gatwick Airport, said: “We are pleased to support the national effort…
Etihad Airways will add additional flights from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne and Amsterdam. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has been operating special flights which have allowed passengers stranded in the UAE due to Covid-19 restrictions, the opportunity to return home. The airline continues to repatriate UAE citizens on return sectors, where possible, and carry fresh produce…
The Boeing Company has said it will make two new software updates to the 737 MAX’s flight control computer as it works to win regulatory approval to resume flights after the jet was grounded following two fatal crashes in five months. The United States planemaker confirmed to Reuters news agency on Tuesday that one issue…
The corona crisis is having a relentless impact worldwide, forcing airlines to keep aircraft on the ground. As a result, Schiphol is packed. Not with passengers, unfortunately, but with the many aircraft parked on the ramp and even on a runway. Choreographing this sad and unique sight is quite a parking-puzzle. The vast majority of…
Airbus is revising its production rates downwards to adapt to the new Coronavirus market environment. 36 aircraft were delivered in March across the different aircraft families, down from 55 in February 2020. This reflects customer requests to defer deliveries, as well as other factors related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The new average production rates…
The International Air Transport Association has released new analysis showing that some 25 million jobs are at risk of disappearing with plummeting demand for air travel amid the Covid-19 crisis. Globally, the livelihoods of some 65.5 million people are dependent on the aviation industry, including sectors such as travel and tourism. Among these are 2.7…
The union representing flight attendants for American Airlines says about 100 flight attendants have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, representing more than 27,000 flight attendants, disclosed the figure in a message to its membership. The union said masks are being distributed this week. American would not comment directly on…
Wuhan Airport started resuming flights after 76 days of lockdown. The airport in Wuhan, the central Chinese city hard-hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, started resuming domestic passenger flights early Wednesday after almost 11 weeks of lockdown. Flights are resuming from the city’s international airport, which handled 24 million passengers a year before the outbreak, and…
The Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG does not expect the aviation industry to return to pre-coronavirus crisis levels very quickly. According to its assessment, it will take months until the global travel restrictions are completely lifted and years until the worldwide demand for air travel returns to pre-crisis levels. Based on this evaluation, today…
Boeing will temporarily suspend all 787 operations at Boeing South Carolina (BSC) until further notice, starting at the end of second shift on Wednesday, April 8. This impacts the Airport Campus, Emergent Operations, Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina and Propulsion South Carolina. BSC teammates who can work remotely will continue to do so. Those who…
easyJet has issued £600 million of commercial paper through the Covid Corporate Financing Facility. The decision comes as the low-cost carrier seeks to maximise its liquidity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The airline has currently suspended virtually all flights, and there is a growing concern over the financial impact of an extended grounding.…
