AUCKLAND - Some economy-class travellers envying those at the front of the plane with lie-flat beds may soon have another option: Air New Zealand has developed a sleeping pod prototype to help passengers cope with near-18 hour flights. The idea is beyond a solely conceptual stage.»
WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday proposed that airlines complete inspections on a key component that could make Boeing 737 MAX airplanes vulnerable to lightning strikes and interference from high-power radio frequency transmitters before returning to service.»
CHICAGO - Corona starts of affect balance sheets of carriers beyond Asia-Pacific: United Airlines on Monday withdrew its full-year 2020 guidance, citing heightened uncertainty over how the duration and spread of the coronavirus to other regions could impact overall air travel demand.»
ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia plans to release an interim report into a deadly Boeing 737 MAX crash, which killed 157 passengers and crew, ahead of the first anniversary of the accident next month, according to an official speaking on Saturday. A final draft of the report is "far from completion".»
MOSCOW - Russia`s main home-grown passenger jet, the Sukhoi Superjet 100, conceived as a rival to Airbus, Bombardier and Embraer, has no confirmed orders this year beyond a long-standing deal with state carrier Aeroflot , two sources told Reuters. Other airlines report no intention to order.»
LONDON - Heathrow airport pushes for its expansion. Despite record breaking start to the year at Heathrow, latest figures show that its EU competitor, Paris Charles de Gaulle, is growing at twice the rate and is set to overtake as Europe`s leading hub airport within the next two years, the airport warned.»
MUMBAI - Investigators with India`s antitrust watchdog have found no evidence that the country`s biggest airline, IndiGo, and four rival carriers colluded to fix ticket prices, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.»
LONDON - Britain`s BAE Systems forecast another year of growth in 2020, saying the company was well-placed to take advantage of increased defence spending that could help to offset any future impact from a German ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia.»
SEATTLE - Washington state lawmakers moved on Wednesday to remove a key tax break for Boeing and other aerospace firms in a bid to head off possible European tariffs on U.S. goods and ease a transatlantic trade dispute over aircraft subsidies - days after the Trump admin raised the stakes.»
BEIJING - China plans to take over HNA Group Co and sell off its airline assets, as the coronavirus outbreak has hit the Chinese conglomerate`s ability to meet financial obligations, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The list of potential HNA airline buyers is short.»
BEIJING - Foreign pilots at some Chinese airlines have returned to their home countries and are considering other jobs after being placed on unpaid leave as demand falls because of the coronavirus.Meanwhile, Chinese pilots with greater job security said their income has been sharply reduced.»
LONDON - Qatar Airways has bought a $600 million stake in British Airways-owner IAG to increase its holding to 25.1%, advancing its strategy of building a global portfolio of international carriers. The new treshold increases the influence of Qatar Airways before a new IAG CEO takes helm.»Discussions on current events and developments in the aviation industry
