Aviation groups push for airport slot waiver extension November 26, 2020 Leading aviation organisations have pushed for airport slot rules to be waived into the summer as airlines continue to battle the coronavirus downturn. Under the existing rules, which have been suspended since March, airlines which do not use 80 per cent of their take-off and landing slots have to cede them to rival carriers. The [...]
Easyjet sees domestic bookings jump as lockdown restrictions eased November 26, 2020 Easyjet today said that bookings for domestic flights had seen a “significant rise” this week following the news that coronavirus restrictions in the UK would be eased over Christmas. Flights between London and Bristol to Belfast, as well as from London to Edinburgh, were the most popular, the airline said. In addition, searches for flights [...]
Wizz Air slams slot suspension as it seeks to grow presence at Gatwick November 24, 2020 Hungarian carrier Wizz Air has hit out at regulators over fears that a continued freeze on airport slot rules could derail efforts to bolster its presence at London Gatwick. Under normal circumstances, airlines which fail to use 80 per cent of their take-off and landing slots have to cede some of these to their rivals. [...]
Former IAG boss Willie Walsh to become IATA chief exec November 23, 2020 Willie Walsh, the outspoken former boss of British Airways-owner IAG, is set to become the head of global aviation body IATA. The Irishman stepped down from his role as chief executive of the European carrier group in September. He had been meant to leave in the spring, but agreed to carry out to shepherd IAG [...]
High life for the housebound? BA begins sale of first class stock November 23, 2020 You might not be able to fly first class at the moment, but you could slip into some first class slippers this Christmas after British Airways announced a sale of thousands of stock items. Housebound passengers missing the high life will be able to splash out on the full range of BA items, from champagne [...]
Global airlines will need $80bn more to stay airborne, IATA warns November 20, 2020 Industry body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that the world’s airlines will need another $80bn (£60bn) in aid to get through the rest of coronavirus crisis. Governments around the world have already put up $160bn to keep their struggling carriers airborne, but IATA director-general Alexandre de Juniac said more would be needed. [...]
Gatwick Airport to open coronavirus testing centre November 20, 2020 Gatwick Airport will open a coronavirus testing centre at the end of the month offering passengers results the next day. From 30 November, passengers both arriving at and departing from the Sussex airport will be able to take a test for £60. The airport said the centre could help to fulfil the requirements of the [...]
Airline stocks take flight again on Moderna vaccine success November 16, 2020 Airline stocks took flight in the last few minutes as Moderna revealed that its coronavirus vaccine was 95 per cent effective. For the second Monday in a row, shares in listed carriers have soared on the back of announcements regarding vaccines. Last week Pfizer said that its vaccine, which it has developed with Biontech, was [...]
Moody’s downgrades credit ratings of UK’s largest airports November 12, 2020 Three of the UK’s largest airports have had their credit ratings downgraded by Moody’s as the pandemic continues to hammer global air travel. Heathrow Finance, which owns the UK’s biggest airport, has had its corporate family rating reduced from Ba1 to Ba2. Obligations rated at Ba2 are judged to have speculative elements and are subject [...]
Norwegian Air to run out of cash within months November 10, 2020 Embattled Norwegian Air this morning warned that it could run out of cash in the first quarter of 2021, unless it manages to find a fresh source of financing. Reporting its third quarter results, the low-cost carrier said: “Norwegian is dependent on additional working capital in order to continue operating through the first quarter of [...]