Asia airline suspensions, country closures 23-29MAR

Malaysia’s Asia Cargo Express sold to fund cargo facilities

Network courier Pos Malaysia’s sale of a 51% stake in Asia Cargo Express (3G, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) to Asia Cargo Network (ACN), announced last month, will allow the parcel service firm to invest in fully-automated cargo fulfilment centres across the country while leveraging ACN’s experience in air freight, Pos Malaysia group CEO Syed Md Najib Syed Md Noor has told The Edge Malaysia Weekly.

Asia Cargo Network already leases its single B737-400(F), 9M-POS (msn 25099), to Asia Cargo Express, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

Pos Malaysia announced on August 19 that it had entered into a share subscription agreement and a shareholders’ agreement to dispose of the 51% stake, selling it for MYR40 million ringgit (USD9.6 million).

On completion of the deal, Pos Malaysia unit Pos Aviation will retain a 49% stake in Asia Cargo Express, which will then be renamed World Cargo Airlines (3G, Kuala Lumpur Int'l).

Najib said at the time of the announcement that the sale of the non-core business would allow it to enhance its...

Union throws down gauntlet to Air New Zealand

Trade union E tū has called on Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland Int'l) to stop outsourcing in the wake of fresh cabin crew redundancy proposals.

Due to the lack of long-haul international flying, Air New Zealand recently proposed to cut up to 385 more cabin crew jobs, which would take its COVID-19 related job losses to around 37% of its workforce. E tū, the union representing cabin crew, said in a statement the latest job cuts were proposed to be carried out by December.

E tū’s Head of Aviation, who calls himself Savage, charged the company was continuing to outsource work, retaining an agreement with a cabin crew hire company in Shanghai, despite there being no operational reason to do this. “The Shanghai Pudong base has always been about paying crew less and devaluing the role of cabin crew. Outsourcing is a barrier to raising standards in aviation and it needs to end.”

He added: “For the company to focus on immediate labour costs, without taking into account the bigger picture, is short-sighted...

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