Aerotranscargo to obtain Dutch AOC, plans ten freighters

Air Atlanta Icelandic in shareholder shake-up

Budapest partners Zhengzhou to bolster China-EU cargo growth

Budapest Airport Ltd., the operator of Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, has signed an expanded cooperation agreement with the Henan Province Airport Group (which operates Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport) and Sino-Hungarian business and logistics development company CECZ/Utlink to boost cargo traffic between China and Europe using the Hungarian capital as a transit hub.

"According to the government’s plans, Hungary could become the cargo, logistics and distribution hub for Central Europe. This strategic objective can be achieved if the largest possible proportion of the goods transported between Europe and the Far East reach their destination via Hungary," said László Mosóczi, Hungary's state secretary for transport policy.

The agreement, signed on April 27, 2021, establishes Budapest as the Central and Eastern European air gateway for China's Silk Road logistics project. The signing was accompanied by the opening of a new dedicated warehouse at Budapest airport, called the Zhengzhou Exclusive Overseas Terminal. A similar cargo facility was opened at Zhengzhou airport in February 2021.

The agreement also formalises Budapest's status as a key regional gateway for Alibaba Group, a...

Air France-KLM mulls still more capital raising

Air France-KLM may seek new fundraising measures in the coming months to reduce its debt and strengthen its balance sheet, its chief executive Ben Smith said during an online industry event on April 19.

He spoke on the same day that the group announced the “success” of its recent share issue, which raised EUR1.036 billion euros (USD1.25 billion) and shifted the shareholdings in the company. The French government more than doubled its stake to 28.6% and China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao) raised its ownership from 8.8% to 9.6%, while the issue diluted the Dutch government’s equity stake to 9.3% and that of Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) declined to 5.8%.

“We have a heavy debt burden that is holding back our balance sheet, so this should be reviewed later this year,” Smith said, as quoted by Bourse Direct. “If and when there is a good time to do it, I am not in a position today to confirm any date.”

Smith said he thought the share issue went well,...

Saudi Arabia to reopen to int'l pax traffic in mid-2Q21

Saudia (SV, Jeddah) is reportedly preparing for a full-capacity operation ahead of Saudi Arabia lifting its international travel ban on May 17, 2021, which will coincide with the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan.

The airline’s board of directors, at a meeting chaired by Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser, reportedly discussed preparations for the return of international flights in May. During the meeting, the Minister had confirmed that all international borders, including air, land, and sea, would reopen on that day, local media reported.

The Kingdom earlier postponed the re-opening of international borders from March 31 to May 17, 2021, to prevent the spread of new COVID-19 variants.

Al-Jasser had expressed his gratitude for the efforts made by the airline to continue domestic flights safely, thereby limiting the spread of COVID-19. Domestic flights in Saudia Arabia resumed on May 31, 2020.

The Board at the meeting reportedly discussed “many issues related to the organisation’s strategy, performance reports, and programmes for developing and improving” the airline.

Meanwhile, travel agents in the...