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Deutsche Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA), the largest German airline, reported an operating loss of €1.26 billion in the third quarter of 2020. However, after the airline expanded its flight schedule in July and August 2020 and significantly reduced costs, the losses became slightly lower in comparison to the previous quarter loss of €1.5 billion. Lufthansa Group announced that despite the reported loss in the third quarter, the air carrier had liquidity of €10.1 billion at its disposal in September 2020. The company was saved from bankruptcy after the government of Germany appointed a €9 billion worth financial injection in June 2020. A state-bailout deal assured the government a 20% stake in the airline in exchange. The brought-to-its-knees air carrier forecasted that the demand for air travel w...

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific announced plans to discontinue Cathay Dragon regional airline and lay off 17% of the company’s workforce, as well as go on with HK$2.2 billion ($283.9 million) restructuring plan that will cause changes in workers’ contracts, significant executive pay cuts and delays to Boeing 777-9 deliveries. The plan was announced on October 21, 2020. Although Cathay said that the workforce is going to be reduced by almost one-fourth, resulting in 8,500 cut positions, discontinued recruitment and natural attrition will cover part of the number. As a result, 5,300 employees based in Hong Kong and 600 workers in other countries are going to be fired in one of the largest lay off sprees the industry saw since the beginning of the crisis. Cathay Dragon, also known as D...

What is the difference between Boeing 777-300ER and 787-8? Those numbers, stacked behind the manufacturer’s name, are difficult. So, here are some simple charts to put all the models Boeing is producing into drawers where they belong. Let’s start from the ones that are currently in production. If you were an airline executive, wanting to create a fleet for your carrier, you would be looking at two main variables: the range (meaning, how far an aircraft can fly), and the capacity (meaning, how much passengers it can carry). Of course, there are other important aspects, such as fuel consumption, turnaround time, upkeep costs and so on, but for the sake of simplicity we will focus on these two, as they are what mostly differentiates models from one another.  Currently, Boeing offers two narr...

As the COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread, Japan's newest low-cost airline, ZIPAIR, finally made its first passenger flight on October 16. This first passenger flight took off from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Seoul's Incheon Airport in South Korea. Worth mentioning, there were only two passengers on the plane in the 290-seats Boeing 787.The Japan Airlines-owned long-haul, low-cost carrier has been forced to postpone its inaugural flight twice due to travel restrictions. ZIPAIR initially planned to launch passenger flights from Tokyo to Bangkok in May and Tokyo to Seoul in July 2020, but neither flight has started as scheduled. On the other hand, their cargo flights from Tokyo to Bangkok and Seoul were launched in June and September.On the morning of October 16, ZIPAIR's first passenger f...

While the whole industry has been battling the current crisis, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been looking down at an even deeper one. Ravaged by the pandemic, a commercial aircraft disaster, fall out due to fake pilot licenses, and subsequent bans to operate to Europe and the United States, PIA has quite the road ahead of itself. But the Pakistani government and the company’s board is determined to make the airline to carve its own path and become financially independent. Pakistan International Airlines stepped into the international spotlight, under no wish of its own, in May 2020. The airline’s Airbus A320 crashed in Karachi, Pakistan, after a failed belly-landing attempt, as pilots did not lower the landing gear upon landing, claiming the lives of 97 people. The crash seemi...

Indonesia refused to allow the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft of the United States Navy to refuel on their land when they operate in the Pacific Ocean. Despite multiple demands from U.S. officials, Indonesian president Joko Widodo rejected the request, according to official sources quoted by Reuters. The refusal was motivated by Indonesia’s neutral stance in the contest of influence currently playing in Southeast Asia between China and the United States. In recent times, the United States has been actively using the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft over the South China Sea, operating from bases in Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. Its mission is to oversee the activity of the Chinese military in the region.  In August 2020, the People's Liberation Army of China fired a ...

ASL Airlines, the Irish operator of scheduled freight services, plans to operate its Boeing 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) on behalf of Amazon Prime Air, the giant of the e-commerce services. ASL Airlines would become the first carrier in Europe to operate its jet painted in Amazon livery and the newest airline-partner of an American internet sales company. According to Planespotters.com, before being added to ASL Airlines fleet, the 737-800 was flying for Irish low-cost airline Ryanair under the lease agreement with GECAS, the leasing company, from December 2002 until December 2019. Then, the almost 18-year-old passenger aircraft was ferried for conversion. On September 25, 2020, the jet, registered as El-DAD, became the first Boeing 737-800 cargo plane of ASL Airlines. Official...

China Express Airlines confirmed its intentions to expand its fleet by 100 brand-new aircraft. The airline plans to acquire 100 aircraft from China Commercial Aircraft Company (COMAC), a Chinese state-owned aerospace manufacturer. On October 20, 2020, China Express Airlines reportedly announced that the airline intends to obtain a total of 100 COMAC aircraft, of which 50 would be ARJ21-700ERs. However, the purchase is still subject to the air carrier shareholder’s approval. If the deal would be approved, the airline expected to receive 50 brand-new aircraft with the scheduled delivery of two jets in 2020, six in 2021, eight in 2022, nine in 2023, 10 in 2024, and the rest 15 in 2025. While the first half of the order was set to consist of the ARJ21s, China Express Airlines has not specifie...

Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) announced that it would once again return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on November 9, 2020, flying a direct itinerary from its hub, Changi Airport (SIN). The flight will overtake Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) flight from Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) as the world’s longest commercial scheduled flight, beating it by a measly four kilometers in distance. The airline will operate the flight with an Airbus A350-900, configured with 42 business, 24 premium economy and 187 economy class seats. However, the main reason why the flag carrier of Singapore is returning to JFK is cargo. “Operating to JFK International Airport would allow Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) to better accommodate a mix of passeng...

Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) announced that it would once again return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on November 9, 2020, flying a direct itinerary from its hub, Changi Airport (SIN). The flight will overtake Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) flight from Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) as the world’s longest commercial scheduled flight, beating it by a measly four kilometers in distance. The airline will operate the flight with an Airbus A350-900, configured with 42 business, 24 premium economy and 187 economy class seats. However, the main reason why the flag carrier of Singapore is returning to JFK is cargo. “Operating to JFK International Airport would allow Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) to better accommodate a mix of passeng...