European carriers suspend ops amid increased border controls ch-aviation PRO exclusive

As a result of the increasing turmoil associated with the COVID-19 travel restrictions being imposed on its members, Airlines for Europe (A4E) is demanding swift action from European governments to help alleviate the financial devastation currently being dealt out to the airline industry. The call from A4E came after US President Donald Trump ordered a travel ban between the US and Europe for 30 days beginning March 13 for foreign nationals.

It has proposed three areas where it believes Europe’s airlines most need short-term assistance:

• Deferment or waiver of new aviation taxes at EU or national level: A4E thinks this is vital to help the industry’s recovery in the future. It proposes that “new fiscal burdens should be postponed until the industry is back on a sound operational and financial footing.” This includes the provisions applicable to aviation in the Energy Taxation Directive (Council Directive 95/60/EC).

• Immediate clarity for airlines and passengers on COVID-19 counting as an extraordinary circumstance under Regulation 261/air passenger rights: A4E believes that “consideration should be given as to whether the...

airBaltic (BT, Riga) will further reduce capacity for the coming three months due to the impact of the coronavirus on demand, while staff numbers will be “temporarily reduced” by up to 350 people, it said in a statement dated March 12.

The company has been forced to cut employee numbers, mainly crew, by 100 people, adding to 250 announced in a separate statement the previous day, which were also primarily crew members. It said it would “seek voluntary solutions, unpaid leave, non-extension of probation time, and termination”.

“Unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis is escalating. At the moment we are left with no choice - in these extraordinary times we must take extraordinary measures so that our company is ready to rebound once this global crisis is over,” said the Latvian flag carrier’s chief executive, Martin Gauss.

“There is no question that eventually, the situation will improve, and airBaltic will return to its growth strategy. I am grateful to our team and the Latvian people for supporting us in these difficult days,” he added.

Gauss also...

airBaltic (BT, Riga) is eyeing Scandinavian airports as potential bases for its A220-300s if it decides to convert options for 30 aircraft into firm orders, Chief Executive Martin Gauss told Routes Online.

"If we exercise the options - and the basis for that is if we successfully execute our current business plan - then we want to place these aircraft in Scandinavia at four different airports and then serve point-to-point routes from them," he said, without naming any of the potential airports.

Gauss underlined that the Scandinavia-based operations will not be interlinked with airBaltic's current network from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, but will offer the same product.

The Latvian airline has fifty A220-300s on firm order, of which 22 have already been delivered with the remainder due by the end of 2022. It has until the end of 2021 to firm its 30 optional A220s.

Gauss has previously said that given the Baltic states' limited market size, the 30 additional A220s would most likely be used for growth in other regions.

airBaltic...