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Aviation News

SAA rescue plan meant to address past sins, not lay out the airline's future - BRP

By: News24Wire 19th November 2020 The business rescue plan for South African Airways (SAA) is not intended to formulate a strategy for the future of the airline, according to Siviwe Dongwana, one of the state-owned flag carrier's joint rescue practitioners. Formulating a strategy for a "new SAA" would be the prerogative of a new... →

Boeing 737 MAX grounding order lifted in the US

By: Rebecca Campbell 19th November 2020 The US civil aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on Wednesday rescinded its order grounding the Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle airliner. The aircraft had been grounded since March 2019, as a consequence of two fatal accidents that killed 346 people. This decision will... →

Photo by Boeing
The Boeing 737-8 version of the 737 MAX

Green economy faces challenge to replace carbon energy sources

By: Bloomberg 19th November 2020 The march toward a greener global economy is headed into a more difficult second phase that will aim to replace carbon as an energy source, said panelists during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. Companies including Honeywell International and Schneider Electricare offering solutions to reduce... →

US ends Boeing 737 MAX flight ban after crash probes

By: Reuters 18th November 2020 After nearly two years of scrutiny, corporate upheaval and a standoff with global regulators, Boeing Co won approval on Wednesday from the US Federal Aviation Administration to fly its 737 MAX jet again after two fatal disasters. The FAA detailed software upgrades and training changes Boeing must... →

Airlink announces route to DRC mining centre

By: Rebecca Campbell 17th November 2020 South African private-sector airline Airlink has announced that it will start operations between Johannesburg and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 30. Lubumbashi is the capital of the DRC’s mineral-rich Haut-Katanga province, the centre of its mining industry and its... →

Photo by Airlink/Mark Mansfield
One of Airlink’s flagship Embraer E190 airliners, painted in the airline’s new livery.

Iata issues guidance for Covid-19 vaccine transport

By: Rebecca Campbell 17th November 2020 Against a background of pharmaceutical companies announcing breakthroughs in the development of vaccines against the Covid-19 disease, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) has issued guidance for the air cargo sector, to ensure that it was ready to handle, transport and distribute... →

Photo by Iata
Iata CEO Alexandre de Juniac

FlySafair signs interline agreement with Emirates

By: Rebecca Campbell 16th November 2020 South African private sector low cost carrier FlySafair and major international airline Emirates announced on Monday that they had entered into an interline agreement. This means that people can use a single ticket to fly on both airlines, whether entering or leaving South Africa, with their... →

Airlines association pleased that South Africa is reopening to international tourism

By: Rebecca Campbell 13th November 2020 The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has welcomed the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that international tourists will again be allowed to visit South Africa. The only requirement is that they present valid Covid-19 test certificates before they depart their home... →

Logistics index shows ‘strong growth’ in third quarter, following decline in prior three months

By: Irma Venter 13th November 2020 The South African logistics sector has just recorded its strongest ever quarter of growth, according to the newest Ctrack Freight & Transport Index (CFTI). In June, at the end of the second quarter, the CFTI showed that the domestic logistics sector recorded a decline of 17.6% compared with the... →

Local airline Airlink displays its new livery for the first time

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th November 2020 On Thursday South African private-sector airline Airlink unveiled its new livery, and in particular its new tail insignia, intended to clearly proclaim its status as an independent carrier. For over 20 years Airlink had a franchise agreement with State-owned national flag carrier South African... →

Photo by Mark Mansfield/Airlink
Embraer E190 painted in the new Airlink livery

Gordhan: Private equity partners will not take on SAA's debt or restructuring costs

By: News24Wire 12th November 2020 South African Airways has received interest from several private equity partners and a transaction advisor has been appointed to engage with parties in a process which could be wrapped up either in December this year or early 2021, said Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. The minister on... →

Photo by Reuters
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Global airline association welcomes latest Covid-19 proposals by world civil aviation body

By: Rebecca Campbell 12th November 2020 The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has welcomed the issuing, by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART), of the second edition of “Take-off: Guidance for Air Travel through the Covid-19 Public Health Crisis”. Iata is the... →

Cape Town Airport wins international travel award again

By: Rebecca Campbell 10th November 2020 For the fourth year in a row, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has been awarded the accolade of being Africa’s leading airport, by the World Travel Awards. The award was announced at a virtual Africa Winners Day 2020 function on Monday. The World Travel Awards are highly prestigious and are... →

FAA to end long grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max as soon as Nov 18

By: Bloomberg 10th November 2020 Boeing’s 737 Max could be approved to resume commercial service as soon as next week as US aviation regulators finalize their review of fixes to the grounded jetliner. The Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement of the Max’s certification could come as soon as November 18, said a person... →

Iata head calls for African governments to act to save their airline industries

By: Rebecca Campbell 10th November 2020 Remotely addressing the 52nd annual general meeting of the African Airlines Association on Monday, International Air Transport Association director-general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac highlighted the damage that the continent’s airlines have suffered as a result of travel restrictions imposed to... →

Photo by Iata
Alexandre de Juniac

Airlink to restart operations to Botswana

By: Rebecca Campbell 10th November 2020 South African private sector airline Airlink has announced that it will resume operations between its hub, Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, and Botswana’s capital city Gaborone on November 16. Two more Botswana routes will be reactivated next month, namely Johannesburg-Maun (from... →

Photo by St Helena Tourist Authority
An Embraer E190 of Airlink

Comair announces resumption of ticket sales for Kulula

By: Rebecca Campbell 9th November 2020 South African private-sector airline group Comair, currently in business rescue, announced on Monday that it was resuming sales of tickets for its Kulula low cost carrier brand. This was in anticipation of Kulula’s resumption of operations on December 1. Comair also operated the British Airways... →

SAA's R10.5bn bailout does not cover aircraft lessors, other creditors

By: Reuters 6th November 2020 Debts to aircraft lessors and some creditors of South African Airways are not covered by a R10.5-billion government bailout, administrators said, raising the prospect that future state budgets will have to keep paying out for SAA. South Africa's government allocated the latest cash injection to... →

Global air passenger traffic remains deep in the doldrums

By: Rebecca Campbell 5th November 2020 The global representative body of the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (Iata), has reported that, while air passenger traffic demand during September had improved slightly over that for August, it remained deeply depressed. September air passenger demand was down... →

Iata reports that the air cargo sector showed continuing recovery in September

By: Rebecca Campbell 5th November 2020 The International Air transport Association (Iata), the representative body for the global airline industry, has reported that, during September, air cargo demand had strengthened, but, in comparison to last year, remained depressed. However, the different Iata regions experienced wide variations... →

Gordhan: 'No winners' if SAA should be liquidated

By: News24Wire 5th November 2020 Avoiding the liquidation of South African Airways will ensure the aviation market remains competitive and it means consumers won't be forced to be price takers, said Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. SAA was placed in business rescue in early December 2019; the process has been ongoing... →

Numsa, Sacca, welcome bailout for SAA and attacks its critics

By: Rebecca Campbell 3rd November 2020 Two trade unions, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) have jointly welcomed the announcement that the government is to provide funding of R10-5-billion to financially-embattled State-owned national flag carrier South... →

Comair welcomes merger approval

By: Rebecca Campbell 2nd November 2020 South African private sector airline group Comair, currently under business rescue, has welcomed the approval of its proposed merger (with a company called SA Bidco) by the Competition Commission. This merger is part of the business rescue plan for the airline. SA Bidco is a recently created... →

Competition Tribunal approves Comair rescue deal

By: Reuters 30th October 2020 The Competition Tribunal on Friday approved a rescue deal for struggling airline Comair on condition that the carrier freezes job cuts for three years and investors allocate shares to a special purpose black empowerment vehicle. Comair, which operates the British Airways franchise in South Africa... →

Kenyan air cargo operator takes delivery of its first Boeing 767 freighter

By: Rebecca Campbell 29th October 2020 Kenya-based air cargo operator Astral Aviation took delivery on Wednesday of a Boeing 767-200BCF freighter aircraft, which it is leasing from Nasdaq-listed Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) under a five year deal. The aircraft was delivered to Nairobi by ATSG subsidiary Cargo Aircraft... →

Photo by Astral
Artist’s impression of the 767-200BCF in Astral livery

Ctrack Freight & Transport Index sees logistics sector making a comeback

By: Irma Venter 29th October 2020 The South African logistics sector has just recorded its strongest ever quarter of growth, this according to the newest Ctrack Freight & Transport Index (CFTI). In June, at the end of the second quarter, the CFTI showed that the domestic logistics sector recorded a decline of 17.6% compared with... →

Public Enterprises Ministry welcomes further government funding for SAA

By: Rebecca Campbell 29th October 2020 The Minister of Public Enterprises has welcomed the decision by the government to back the business rescue plan for, and the restructuring of, State-owned national flag carrier South African Airways. The government has committed itself to provide R10.5-billion to fulfil these objectives. “The... →

World airline and weather bodies agree to increase data collection cooperation

By: Rebecca Campbell 28th October 2020 The International Air Transport Association (Iata) – the representative body of the global airline industry – and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have signed an agreement to expand automated meteorological data reporting by commercial aircraft. Currently, some 40 airlines and several... →

ACSA reports solid 2019/20 results but warns of Covid-19 impacts going forward

By: Rebecca Campbell 27th October 2020 The State-owned Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) published its results for the 2019/2020 financial year on Tuesday. ACSA owns and operates nine South African airports, including Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, and Durban’s King Shaka International. It is also a... →

SAA chairperson resigns ahead of possible bailout announcement from Mboweni

By: News24Wire 27th October 2020 Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is expected to announce some funding to get SAA off the ground again. The chair of the board of South African Airways, Thandeka Mgoduso, has resigned after having been in the position for about a year. Her resignation comes ahead of Mboweni's medium-term budget... →

Local airline Airlink announces change of its official name

By: Rebecca Campbell 26th October 2020 South African private sector airline Airlink has announced that it has formally changed its name – to Airlink. Although the airline has been publicly using the name Airlink for some months now, its official, legal, name was SA Airlink. Now its official name is the same as its public name. This... →

Photo by Airlink
The Embraer E190 is the flagship airliner type for Airlink

Airlines eye deals with South Africa's Airlink as SAA, Comair falter

By: Reuters 23rd October 2020 South Africa's Airlink is in talks with several foreign airlines seeking to increase their reach in southern Africa at a time when major regional carriers South African Airways and Comair remain grounded, its CE told Reuters. The talks come as Southern African airspace reopens following Covid-19... →

Brazilian aerospace group delivered 28 civilian jets during the third quarter

By: Rebecca Campbell 23rd October 2020 Brazilian aerospace and defence group Embraer has announced that it delivered a total of 28 commercial and executive jets during the third quarter of this year. These were divided into seven airliners of its ‘E-Jet’ family and 21 executive jets. The company is the world’s number one manufacturer... →

Photo by Airlink
An Embraer E190 of South African airline Airlink

Winde appeals to Ramaphosa, Mboweni over SAA R10bn bailout

By: News24Wire 23rd October 2020 Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has appealed to the national government to "think carefully" about a possible bailout for South African Airways (SAA). He said all the provinces desperately need everything they can get, to recover from the Covid-19 lockdown and job losses. →

Air Seychelles announces flights between Johannesburg and the Maldives

By: Rebecca Campbell 23rd October 2020 Air Seychelles announced on Thursday that it was instituting summer season flights from Johannesburg to the Maldives. These would be operated via a short stop in the Seychelles themselves. The flights would run from December 2 this year to January 9 next year. The flights from Johannesburg to the... →

Photo by Air Seychelles
One of Air Seychelles’ two A320neo airliners

Regional airline body calls for travel restrictions to be clear and consistent

By: Rebecca Campbell 23rd October 2020 The Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has warned the governments of the region that the continuation of “inconsistent and arbitrary” air travel restrictions (to counter the Covid-19 pandemic) were endangering economic recovery and future growth. As a result, almost five-million jobs... →

Boeing, University of Arizona, confirm disinfecting methods kill Covid-19 in airliners

By: Rebecca Campbell 22nd October 2020 A joint test programme by US aerospace giant Boeing and the University of Arizona has confirmed that the anti-Covid-19 cleaning methods used by airlines are effective and do kill the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the disease. The unprecedented tests were carried out during the northern... →

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