Category: Aviation

Boeing to resume production of ill-fated 737 MAX planes  

Correspondents

Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at a “low” rate following two deadly crashes that led to the aircraft’s global grounding by regulators, the company said Wednesday. The jet hasn’t flown commercially since March 2019 and is still a number of key steps away from being cleared for service by the US Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators, reports France24 Boeing said work on the MAX had resumed at the company’s Renton, Washington factory as it implements initiatives to enhance workplace safety and product quality. “We’ve been on a continuous…

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S’African Airways aims to resume domestic flights in mid-June

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South African Airways (SAA) aims to resume domestic flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town from mid-June, the cash-strapped airline said on Tuesday, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease. SAA, which is under a form of bankruptcy protection, suspended all commercial passenger flights in late March, when the government imposed one of the strictest lockdowns on the African continent, reports Reuters. But President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation on Sunday that domestic air travel for business purposes would be phased in after June 1, when the country moves…

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COVID-19: Violent fight breaks out on plane after ‘one passenger touches another’

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  A disturbing video shows how an ugly air rage fight broke out on a Russian flight. The punch-up came soon after the aircraft landed in Moscow having flown from the Black Sea resort Sochi. It was triggered when one male passenger got up from his seat and rushed towards the door, reports mirror.co.uk. Witnesses said he crashed into seated passengers on the Ural Airlines Airbus A320, where social distancing measures were in place. “Almost immediately after landing, he jumped up and headed for the exit,” said passenger Marina P.…

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Arik Air prepares for post-COVID-19 operations

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Arik Air, one of Nigeria’s indigenous airlines said on Saturday in Abuja that it was preparing to resume operations after the COVID-19 crisis, assuring that the airline would offer better services. The Manager, Public Relations and Communications of the company, Mr Adebanji Ola, announced in a goodwill message to customers of the airline that the company was collaborating with other aviation stakeholders to offer better service delivery. “No doubt, the post COVID-19 lock down will entail lots of sacrifices, changes and new thinking. “We assure that your favourite airline, Arik Air…

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US accuses China of blocking flights, demands action

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  The U.S. government late on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China and ordered four Chinese air carriers to file flight schedules with the U.S. government. The administration of President Donald Trump stopped short of imposing restrictions on Chinese air carriers but said talks with China had failed to produce an agreement, reports Reuters. The U.S. Transportation Department, which is trying to persuade China to allow the resumption of U.S. passenger airline service there, earlier this week briefly delayed…

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Report: Delta, United to restart China passenger flights in June

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  Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are planning to restart passenger flights to China in June, according to a report by Metropolitan Airport News this week. Delta intends to offer daily service to Shanghai Pudong from both its Detroit and Seattle-Tacoma hubs, subject to government approval, said the report. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows flights from Detroit will begin on June 1 using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with Seattle resuming the same day on board A330-900neo. The network additions mean the SkyTeam alliance member will operate 7,350 two-way weekly seats…

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Delta to resume flying several major routes in June

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  Delta Air Lines said on Monday it would resume flying several major routes in June that were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, including some Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean destinations. Global airlines have suffered an unprecedented decline in travel due to the pandemic, though some recent indicators show that U.S. demand may have hit a low, reports Reuters. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 250,467 travelers on Friday, the first time the number has surpassed 250,000 since March 24, according to daily data on its website. While that is…

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FG impounds British aircraft for operating commercial flights into Nigeria

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  The Federal Government has impounded an aircraft owned by a British company for illegally operating passenger flights into Nigeria. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this known on Sunday via his Twitter handle, @hadisirika. He said the company, Flair Aviation, was authorised to conduct humanitarian flights but was caught operating commercial flights. Sirika explained that in addition to the confiscated aircraft, a fine would be imposed on the company for the contravention of FG’s ban on commercial flights as part of measures to curb the importation of coronavirus. “COVID-19. Flair…

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Covid-19: ‘Airline industry not likely to recover for at least a year’

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    The airline industry is not likely to recover to pre-coronavirus levels for at least the next six to 12 months, Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said on Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a virtual halt in air travel, leading to an unprecedented number of flight cancellations globally and forcing airlines to book hefty losses, reports Reuters. Southwest last month posted its first quarterly loss in nine years and warned that there was no major improvement in air travel in the second quarter. As…

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