On February 25, 2021, Australia精东影业 biggest carrier announced it suffered a half-yearly net loss of $1.03 billion. While many domestic routes in Australia are slowly recovering, the international travel is still highly restricted. The airline announced that the date of international travel restarting is being pushed to October 2021 from the previously planned July 2021.

鈥淢ore certainty that domestic borders can stay open because frontline and quarantine workers will be vaccinated in a matter of weeks,鈥� said Joyce. 鈥淎nd more certainty that international borders can open when the nationwide rollout is effectively complete by the end of October.鈥�

According to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, around 7500 international flight workers are at 鈥減rime risk鈥� of losing their jobs as the opening of the borders gets postponed.

鈥淭he prime issue is going to be around 7500 people that are fully dedicated to international 鈥� they will have no work,鈥� said Joyce. 鈥淭hrough no fault of theirs, (these workers) are going to be without the income that they built their lives on for a period of time without those borders opening up.鈥�

Qantas aims to have restored 60% of pre-COVID domestic capacity by September and 80% by the end of 2021. The major Australian airlines, Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Rex Airlines, are currently battling for customers on the domestic routes. To compete with other airlines, Qantas had dropped prices on Sydney-Melbourne route and introduced a “Fly Flexible” policy that permits travelers to have unlimited flight changes until January 2022.

Earlier in 2020, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced plans to make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for international air travelers once the vaccine was widely available, saying that such measurements would be a necessity if the air travel wanted to reach pre-COVID conditions.

Currently, Qantas is serving limited international flights, mainly to repatriate Australian citizens stuck overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The only travellers allowed to Australia are those who have been in New Zealand for more than 14 days, according to Australia精东影业 Department of Health.

Qantas aims to restart international flights from July 2021

• Airlines

byVyte Klisauskaite

2021-01-05

The Prague-based airline, Czech Airlines (CSA), has sent a notice to the Czech Republic精东影业 Employment Office saying it would lay off its entire workforce of 430 people, reported the matter Czech daily paper Hospod谩艡sk茅 Noviny.

鈥淚 can confirm that we have received a notice of mass redundancies,鈥� said Tereza L枚ffelmanov谩, chairwoman of the Aircraft Crews Trade Union.

CSA is currently under a protective moratorium that protects it against creditors. However, the protection expires on February 27, 2021.

The indebted airline is waiting for state aid. The government offered financial aid to Smartwings, the owner of Czech Airlines, in May 2020. However, the carrier rejected the support as it came with the condition of transferring the ownership to the Czech Republic. This time, the government does not intend to offer its help.

鈥淲e are not preparing any specific support for the Smartwings Group,鈥� said Minister of Transport and Industry and Trade Karel Havl铆膷ek.

However, for now the airline is not planning to cease operations. 鈥淐SA will not stop operations in any case; the restructuring process aimed at rescuing CSA continues. The possibility of mass layoffs, which CSA announced to the Labor Office, is one of the steps in the restructuring measures,鈥� said the company精东影业 spokesperson Vladim铆ra Dufkov谩.

London loses its crown

In 2019, London handled 126.5 million passengers, more than any other city in the world. The main airports 鈥� Heathrow and Gatwick 鈥� together with Stansted, Luton, London City, and Southend helped London to keep its spot as the most connected city. However, the ongoing pandemic and travel restrictions radically decreased the passenger traffic, dropping it by 73%.

On February 24, 2021, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) reported an annual loss of 拢2.01 billion for the fiscal year of 2020, down from a profit of 拢546 million in 2019. The company said it was the 鈥渢oughest year by far鈥� in its 76-year history.

鈥淕overnment policies over recent months have effectively closed borders. We have had no government support, other than furlough, and have not been given relief from business rates, unlike other airports, retail and hospitality businesses,鈥� the airport said in a statement.

So far, the only hope for Heathrow is the UK government精东影业 newly announced roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions that could allow international travel to resume in May 2021.

As of February 2021, the UK, former biggest aviation market in Europe, has slumped to sixth place by passenger numbers.

UK plans easing lockdown, holiday bookings flood

• Civil Aviation

byElzbieta Visnevskyte

2021-02-24

Emerging leaders

However, according to the analysis carried out by Ralph Anker, the editor of the Anker Report  and former network planner at easyJet and Go, two aviation powers have emerged through the crisis. After analyzing a database of passenger traffic from over 400 airports from April to December 2020, Anker outlined that Turkey and Russia, both extending through Europe and Asia, are clear leaders.

One of the reasons is an advantage of a strong domestic market that both Russia and Turkey have. Russia is Europe精东影业 largest country and domestic traffic is performing reasonably well at around 80% of the previous year in December. During the summer months, Russian domestic demand was almost at the same level as in 2019.

Turkey精东影业 domestic traffic during the summer also peaked at around 60% and dropped off to around 40% in December and January. Istanbul Airport (IST) even with 68% decline in passenger traffic is clearly outperforming other European hub airports. It was Europe精东影业 busiest airport in January 2021, handling 1.7 million passengers. Turkish Airlines is the dominant carrier at the airport, accounting for almost 80% of seat capacity according to Cirium Data and Analytics.

Meanwhile, Moscow精东影业 Domodedovo (DME) and Sheremetyevo (SVO, share the second place for the busiest airport in Europe. Sheremetyevo International Airport hosted 1,351,000 passengers in January 2021, an increase of 9.4% over the December 2020, while Domodedovo airport oversaw 1.5 million passengers.

Rise and fall of most connected cities: top 10 of 2020

• Civil Aviation

byElzbieta Visnevskyte

2020-11-27

A research conducted by Morgan Stanley, United States Investment banking company, and published on February 22, 2021, shows the 737 MAX tracking data including total aircraft in service, flights, airlines, and locations of use. 

On December 9, 2020, a Brazilian airline GOL Linhas A茅reasbecame became the first air carrier to restart 737 MAX flights. Since then it has conducted the most flights using the type of all airlines, 1,648 in total. Aeromexico has conducted 1,290 flights, while United Airlines has conducted 378 flights. 

In total, approximately 11,860 hours have been flown on Boeing 737 MAX up until February 21, 2021.

American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) conducted its first commercial flight on December 29, 2020, operating a round-trip from Miami International Airport (MIA) to New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA). According to the research, as of February 21, 2021, the airline has conducted 1,435 flights.

So far, most of the flights on the Boeing 737 MAX, around 92%, have been operated on domestic schedules.1,900 of them are domestic routes and 219 international flights to such destinations as Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Brazil, with 1,647 domestic flights operated on MAX, takes second place.

The most recent developments of the 737 MAX recertification process were made by  Kenya精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Both authorities announced the lifting of the ban on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on February 21, 2021.

On November 18, 2020, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the United States became the first authority in the world to recertify the Boeing 737 MAX following two deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada (TC), Brazil精东影业 National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Britain精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have also recertified the Boeing 737 MAX, allowing it to resume commercial service again.

As the Boeing 737 MAX is slowly returning to the skies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using satellites to monitor its every flight worldwide. The FAA is checking the performance of each 737 MAX flight using a technology that sends data from an airplane via satellites. It is the first time the agency is using such technology to keep an eye on a single-model aircraft to detect any issues early on.

Boeing 737 MAX authorized to return to Kenya and Nigeria

• Aircraft

byElzbieta Visnevskyte

2021-02-22

On February 22, 2021, after a few months of strict lockdown, the UK government announced a four-step plan to gradually ease the restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the plan was 鈥渃autious but irreversible鈥� and at every step the easing would be led by 鈥渄ata not dates鈥�. In the best case scenario, all the restrictions could be lifted on June 21, 2021.

According to Johnson, a review of international travel restrictions would be announced by April 12, 2021 at the earliest. Even without any guarantees for restored international travel, Britons jumped on the opportunity to start book summer holiday flights, especially to such sunny destinations as Greece, Spain and Turkey.

Low-cost carrier EasyJet said that bookings for this summer flights had jumped by more than 300% compared to a week ago and bookings for its summer holiday packages had increased by more than 600%. TUI UK精东影业 bookings had surged 500%, while Jet2 saw an increase by more than 600%. EasyJet said most bookings were made for the months of July and August 2021.

Nevertheless, due to the new emerging variants of COVID-19, the UK is still on many countries’ red list. On February 23, 2021, Spain extended the ban for UK arrivals until at least March 16, 2021. Spanish government said they were 鈥渓ooking to contain infections associated with the COVID variants as far as possible.鈥�

Britain hopes to reopen international leisure travel as the vaccine rollout accelerates. Over 17.7 million people, or a quarter of the population, have already had a first dose of the vaccine and the government is considering installing vaccination passports.

Currently, UK精东影业 airlines are among the hardest-hit carriers by travel restrictions in Europe. Beginning from February 15, 2021, passengers arriving from a 鈥渞ed list鈥� country must quarantine in a state-approved hotel for 10 days, in addition to having proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to the flight.

On February 18, 2021, chief executives of British Airways, Easyjet, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, and TUI wrote to UK精东影业 Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking to include plans for the restart of international travel in a scheme for the easing of lockdown. The letter was also signed by the chiefs of Jet2, Loganair, and aviation body Airlines UK.

Bosses of UK airlines push for reopening international travel

• Civil Aviation

byElzbieta Visnevskyte

2021-02-19

On February 22, 2021, Ryanair Boeing 737-800 flight, number FR1012, took off from Rome精东影业 Ciampino Airport (CIA) and landed in Berlin Airport (BER) Terminal 5 at 12:14pm local time. It was the last flight to arrive at BER Terminal 5. 

Terminal 5 of the new BER airport is previously known as Berlin’s Sch枚nefeld Airport. Built in 1976, Sch枚nefeld was meant to be demolished with the opening of the new BER airport. After multiple construction delays, it was decided that Sch枚nefeld would be repurposed and put back into use as Terminal 5 until the planned Terminal 3 would open in 2030. While Terminal 1 has been handling most flights, Terminal 5 remained open for low-cost carriers such as Wizz and Ryanair.

However, the coronavirus crisis has drastically cut the number of passengers traveling through Germany精东影业 airports, including Berlin Brandenburg, which opened in the midst of a pandemic, in October 2020. Thereby, authorities have decided to close Terminal 5 until further notice.

鈥淲e’re initially closing for a year, then we’ll decide again,鈥� said the airport spokesperson Hannes Stefan H枚nemann. 鈥淚f things go well, we’ll open the terminal again.鈥�

鈥淭his step reduces costs and expenses for the year by about 25 million euros. Terminal 5 will still be promptly available to us if the need arises. The dormant operation is organised in such a way that Terminal 5 can be up and running again within a few weeks when it is needed again,鈥� said Engelbert L眉tke Daldrup, the Chief Executive Officer of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

In 2020, only 30% of passengers have flown to Berlin airports compared to the previous year. Currently only a fifth of the flights are being operated. 

In November 2020, after the opening of BER, Berlin Tegel Airport closed after serving for seven decades. In December 2020, it was reopened as a vaccination center against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Berlin Airport (BER) staff suffer electric shocks

• Airport

byVyte Klisauskaite

2021-01-15

Recorded on February 18, 2021, the footage of Mars Perseverance, the largest and the most sophisticated rover to land on the Red Planet, shows its supersonic parachute inflation over the planet. According to Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science, the footage is 鈥渢he closest you can get to landing on Mars without putting on a pressure suit.鈥�

The video montage was revealed to the media on February 22, 2021. NASA also presented a short audio clip capturing the sound of Mars winds recorded by microphones on the rover after its landing on the planet. 

鈥淭hese videos, and these images are the stuff of our dreams,鈥� said Al Chen, the head of the descent and landing team at NASA.
 

Your front-row seat to my Mars landing is here. Watch how we did it.

鈥� NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere)

The only other video footage from Mars was collected during the landing of Curiosity rover in 2012. However, the 3.5 frames per second from a single angle video was less elaborate and did not include any images of the parachute manoeuvre or sky-crane landing.

On February 18, 2021, NASA confirmed the successful landing of the Ingenuity helicopter and Perseverance rover on Mars.

The key objective of Perseverance is to search for signs of ancient microbial life and, using an array of instruments from oxygen generation experiment to spectrometer and radar, to study the composition and structure of Martian surface as well as collect examples from the planet精东影业 geology. The success of the mission will help to push forward the further exploration of Mars. Perseverance rover is so far the most advanced astrobiology probe ever sent to another world. 

One of the biggest challenges that Ingenuity is facing is the need to power up and store energy so it can keep itself warm throughout extremely cold Martian nights.

鈥淚ngenuity, the Mars Helicopter I carry, is working as expected. I’m currently charging it, but once I set it down, it’ll rely solely on its solar panels. If it survives the brutally cold Martian nights, the team will attempt flight,鈥� read a from the Perseverance Twitter account.

Will Perseverance精东影业 helicopter really conduct first flight on another planet?

• Space

byValius Venckunas

2021-02-19

Malaysia Aviation Group obtained court approval in the UK for a deal between its leasing unit and a majority of its aircraft operating lessors, permitting it to begin a restructuring plan with new capital of 3.6 billion ringgit ($891 million). The deal will serve as a lifeline to the struggling Malaysia Airlines.

鈥淣ow that the scheme has been formally sanctioned by the UK court, the airline can proceed to implement its restructuring plan with the support of its sole shareholder, Khazanah Nasional Bhd and existing stakeholders,鈥� the group wrote in a statement.

Malaysia Aviation Group said it expected the restructuring to be completed in early March 2021. Under the plan,  Malaysian Airlines would strike bilateral agreements with finance lessors, spare engine lessors, maintenance service providers, corporate lenders, and government-related entities. 

鈥淥perating lessors have continued to support the airline with a reset of lease rates to market and deferrals,鈥� wrote the group.

In October 2020, Malaysia Airlines submitted a plan, requiring a fresh cash injection from Khazanah Nasional, the airline精东影业 shareholder, in order to help the company over the next 18 months. The plan also included the restructuring of the airline’s balance sheet over five years as Malaysia Airlines needed nearly $5 billion to continue operations until 2025. However, the plan was rejected by lessors forcing the group to consider shutting down the operations.

The national air carrier of Malaysia has been suffering from financial struggles since 2014, when two of the airline精东影业 aircraft were involved in catastrophes. The disappearance of the flight MH370 in March 2014 was followed by the fatal shooting down of the airline精东影业 Boeing 777-200 (the flight MH17) while flying over Eastern Ukraine in June the same year. 

Malaysia Airlines has been in competition with the airlines from AirAsia Group. However, the global pandemic has put air carriers into crisis mode. Currently AirAsia X seeks to restructure its total debt of 64.15 billion ringgit ($15.3 billion).

Malaysia Airlines CEO warns: operator精东影业 survival in doubt

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2020-10-22

On February 21, 2021, both Kenya精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced the lifting of the ban on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, following two deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

NCAA Director General Captain Musa Nuhu said the aircraft model had been granted approval to operate in Nigeria精东影业 airspace following the recertification and Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

鈥淎ll national operators intending to operate must work with the Boeing company and the NCAA for the Aircraft Type Certificate Acceptance Program in order for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be registered in Nigeria and issued a Certificate of Airworthiness Standard,鈥� outlined Nuhu. 鈥淎ll foreign air operators who intend to operate the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in Nigeria must provide evidence of compliance with the FAA’s airworthiness directive.鈥�

Nigerian airlines with 737 MAXs on order include Air Peace (ten 737 MAX 8s), Arik Air (eight 737 MAX 8s) and Green Africa Airways (50 firm orders and 50 options), according to the CAPA fleet database. In December 2018, Lagos-based Green Africa Airways announced a commitment for up to 100 737 MAX 8 aircraft, evenly split into 50 firm aircraft order and 50 options, representing the largest Boeing aircraft deal for the African continent.

While none of Kenya’s airlines currently operate the Boeing 737 MAX, the recertification will allow other carriers, such as Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines, to fly the MAX into Kenya精东影业 airspace.

鈥淭he airlines are free to fly Boeing 737 Max to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, there are no restrictions that we are going to impose,鈥� said Gilbert Kibe, the KCAA精东影业 Director General.

However, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam indicated that the airline would restart the Boeing 737 MAX operations only in July 2021. Currently, Ethiopian Airlines has four Boeing 737 MAX 8s in its fleet, which have been parked at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD)

On February 17, 2021, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) ungrounded the Boeing 737 MAX, allowing the aircraft type to fly within the UAE airspace.

BREAKING: UAE ungrounds Boeing 737 MAX

• Civil Aviation

byRytis Beresnevicius

2021-02-17

On November 18, 2020, the FAA of the United States became the first authority to recertify the Boeing 737 MAX. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada (TC), Brazil精东影业 National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Britain精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have also recertified the Boeing 737 MAX, allowing it to resume commercial service again.

As the Boeing 737 MAX is slowly returning to the skies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will use satellites to monitor its every flight worldwide. The FAA will be checking the performance of each 737 MAX flight using a technology that sends data from an airplane via satellites. It is the first time the agency is using such technology to keep an eye on a single-model aircraft to detect any issues early on.

Boeing 737 MAX flights to be tracked via satellites

• Aircraft

byElzbieta Visnevskyte

2021-02-19