Airline executives from major U.S. airlines met with Vice President Mike Pence and a number of other top administration officials yesterday at the White House. What happened at the meeting? Who Attended Airline CEO Meeting At White House? Per...
Lufthansa + Turkish Airlines Will Shut Down Leisure Subsidiary
SunExpress Deustschland, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will cease operations and liquidate, becoming the latest casualty of COVID-19. Per Deutsche Welle, flights after June 26, 2020 will be cancelled and about 1,200 employees will lose their...
Report: Careless Pilots Blamed For PIA A320 Crash
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 crash that killed 98 people has been blamed on pilot error, according to a preliminary report. Apparently, the pilots were chatting about COVID-19 instead of paying attention to their duties and many...
European Union Will Ban Americans When Borders Reopen
In a stinging blow to U.S. prestige, the European Union is finalizing a policy that would ban Americans when borders re-open next month. The New York Times, which viewed the draft report set to be released tomorrow, reports that...
United Airlines No Longer Fears “Worst-Case” Scenario
United Airlines no longer sees any risk that it will not survive the pandemic, but is still warning employees that painful cuts may be ahead. Kirby: United MileagePlus Loan Secures Survival of Airline In a video message to employees...
United States Issues Gentle Rejection To Chinese Airlines
The United States has rejected a request by Chinese airlines for more service to the USA, but done so gently. How We Reached This Point U.S. carriers suspended China service in winter, over falling demand and COVID-19 concerns. With...
New “AirShield” Promises Invisible Onboard Protection From COVID-19
A Seattle-based firm has developed what it calls a smart solution to inhibiting the spread of COVID-19 onboard airplanes. It’s called the “AirShield” and redirects airflow to create a “forcefield” around each passenger. What is AirShield? Developed by Teague,...
U.S. And China Reach 妥协 On Air Service…Delta Will Resume Flights Next Week
The United States and China reached a compromise (妥协) on air service, with each nation now permitted to operate four flights per week between the world’s two largest economies. But is the new US – China flight compromise just...
U.S. Airlines Now Authorized To Suspend Service To 62 Airports, Despite Objections
U.S. airlines have officially been granted the right to suspend service to a total of 62 airports on the basis of reduced demand. Last month, I provided a list of destinations that the U.S. Department of Transportation provisionally approved...
Wow: Lufthansa Board Rejects German Bailout
The Lufthansa Supervisory Board has rejected Germany’s bailout package over new EU-imposed slot restrictions. On Monday, Germany and Lufthansa agreed in principle on a €9 billion aid package. This was not a free gift, but a 4% loan with many...
15 U.S. Airlines Plan To Suspend Service To 62 Airports (Full List)
The U.S. Department of Transportation has tentatively given 15 U.S. airlines the approval to drop service to 62 airports. The CARES Act requires that all airlines maintain service to all U.S. airports they served pre-COVID-19, but the DOT has...
Etihad’s Covert Flight To Israel
Despite no scheduled commercial service or even diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, an Etihad A330-200 landed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to deliver coronavirus aid to Palestinians. The aircraft, painted all white, bore the registration...
Nigeria Impounds British Jet After Unauthorized Commercial Flight
Nigeria has impounded a British-registered jet after alleging the airline operated a commercial flight in contravention of of a government ban on all such flights due to COVID-19. Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced on Sunday that a...
United Restricts Employee Standby Travel To Ease Onboard Crowding Tensions
United Airlines is limiting the number of employee standbys it will board in order to encourage “social distancing” onboard. Airline employees are generally allowed to travel on a non-revenue, space-available (NRSA) basis on any flight their airline operates. Sometimes...
The Airline Industry Is In “Good” Shape? What Shape Is That?
With bookings down 98%, planes still flying empty, and most of the world off-limits, to say that airlines are struggling is an understatement. Buoyed temporarily by taxpayer dollars, airlines groan on, but safe and healthy? Not a chance. President...
Lufthansa Remains A Political Pawn In Bailout Debate
Another week has flown by with Germany and Lufthansa still unable to come to an agreement on a bailout. The unresolved issue remains how much control Germany should exert over Lufthansa. Yesterday, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said his...
Delta Suspends Service To 11 Airports For “Health” Reasons
Delta Air Lines is suspending service to several stations, citing health concerns as the primary reason. How convenient that all of the airports happen to be in metropolitan airports not too far from larger Delta stations… While Delta concedes...
Los Angeles May Force Five Star Hotels To House Homeless
Using its emergency powers, Los Angeles may “commandeer” hotels that refuse to take homeless vouchers during the pandemic. Luxury hotels like the InterContinental Downtown and Ritz Carlton have pushed back on pleas to house the homeless. Project Roomkey is...
Grim Days At United Airlines: Forced Vacations, Huge Layoffs, No Severance
As United Airlines fights for survival, the “other shoe dropped” yesterday: it will not just be frontline employees who feel the pain. Kate Gebo, United Executive Vice President of Human Resources, laid out the news to employees. The extended memo,...
United Airlines Has More Pilots Than Daily Passengers: Staggering Job Cuts Loom
United Airlines is hardly unique having more pilots than daily passengers, but it is the first airline that has indicated how it might handle pilot job cuts once CARES Act funding dries up this autumn. United Airlines Hints That...
