24.02.2021 - 11:14 UTC
South African low-cost airline Kulula Air (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) restarts its operations at Johannesburg's Lanseria airport from April 1, 2021, servicing its Durban King Shaka and Cape Town routes.
Similar to the re-introduction of its other routes, Kulula will return with a limited schedule, adding additional frequencies over the next couple of months, the airline said in a statement.
"We are upbeat and extremely excited about the reopening of our services back at Lanseria, as part of our ramp-up strategy. With the reintroduction of flights between Lanseria, Durban, and Cape Town and with faster check-in processes, as well as a shorter walk from the car park to the terminal, it’s an obvious choice for visitors that frequently fly into Gauteng," commented Desmond O’Connor, Executive Head of Revenue Management.
Kulula is operated by Comair (South Africa) (MN, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) which is ramping up operations of its low-cost brand, as well as its British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) franchise, after restarting operations in December. Comair entered voluntary business...
22.02.2021 - 15:57 UTC
IAG International Airlines Group has confirmed two financing agreements that its British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) subsidiary reached that will increase total liquidity by GBP2.45 billion (USD3.43 billion), including a deal to defer GBP450 million (USD631 million) worth of pension payments and finalising a GBP2 billion (USD2.8 billion) loan.
To secure the deferral of the pension deficit contributions, which had been due between October 2020 and September 2021, it was agreed that “no dividends will be paid by British Airways to IAG before the end of 2023,” the group said in a BA financing update on February 22.
The flag carrier will start to will draw down on the five-year loan, which Britain has partially guaranteed through its UK Export Finance agency, by the end of this month. The facility was secured on December 31, 2020, and includes restrictions on BA making dividend payments to the parent company, the statement said.
“In addition to these arrangements, IAG continues to explore other debt initiatives to improve further its liquidity,” said the group, which also owns...
02.02.2021 - 23:46 UTC
South African low-cost domestic carrier FlySafair has been granted the route authorities to operate between Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and Mauritius in what constitutes the carrier’s second attempt to enter regional markets.
The route's launch is expected in 2Q21, the airline said in a statement, adding that while a schedule was not currently available due to Mauritius’s travel ban on South Africa, FlySafair hoped to introduce 2x weekly services as soon as COVID-19 travel restrictions allowed it.
This is FlySafair's second attempt to gain regional route rights after applying to serve Entebbe/Kampala in 2017. Although the carrier never initiated a scheduled operation to Entebbe, it gained an international license through the application.
“This is an all-important milestone for the FlySafair team as we look to expand our operations,” commented FlySafair Chief Executive Officer Elmar Conradie. “We’ve had our sights set on offering services beyond South Africa for some time and hope this will be one of many announcements in the future.”
“The events of the last year have definitely put a dampener on...
28.01.2021 - 22:54 UTC
Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) has confirmed it has pushed back its inaugural B777-9 deliveries to late 2023 due to "an updated assessment of global certification requirements, the company's latest assessment of COVID-19 impacts on market demand, and discussions with its customers with respect to aircraft delivery timing".
The American manufacturer initially hoped to deliver the first B777-9 in summer 2020. Before this latest announcement, the revised timeline foresaw the B777X's entry into service in 2022 with operators that will include Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways, ANA - All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Etihad Airways, and Singapore Airlines.
Boeing recorded a USD6.5 billion reach-forward charge related to the B777X programme. It said the revised entry-into-service timeline would not affect the B777/B777X line's production rate, which will remain at two units per month in 2021.
The B777X programme's gargantuan charge contributed to Boeing's worst-ever annual financial results - a net loss of USD11.9 billion in 2020 at a -22% operating margin and a USD18.4 billion negative...
