Tag Archives: air travel

Agence France-Presse reports: The EU agreed on Friday to suspend requirements that oblige airlines to use at least 80% of their take-off and landing slots in order to keep them the following year until Oct. 24 due to the aviation industry crisis unleashed by coronavirus. “This slot waiver will provide the necessary flexibility and certainty for our aviation industry in …

MarketWatch reports: Many investors didn’t trust airline stocks through the bull market. Their valuation to earnings ratios were low, even as profits rose dramatically. But despite a history of rough patches during unforeseen events, such as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2010 that disrupted air travel, large U.S. airline companies spent most of …

The Hill reports: United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz is telling top lawmakers that the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on his industry is “much worse” than that experienced from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “We unequivocally support prudent steps like these to keep the American people safe. But, these actions have also created a fast-moving, financial crisis unlike anything the …

The Washington Post reports: U.S. airlines are asking for more than $50 billion in federal assistance amid the economic uncertainty caused by the dramatic decrease in passenger traffic due to the coronavirus outbreak. The aid would come in the form of grants, loans and tax relief. Among the asks is nearly $30 billion in grants for passenger airlines and cargo …

Nashville’s ABC News affiliate reports: An American Airlines flight from Dallas to Nashville took over eight hours to take off and was delayed three times after a man reportedly joked about having coronavirus. The man, who has not been identified, reportedly wouldn’t lift his tray table up before the plane took off at which point he claimed he had coronavirus. …

The Washington Post reports: Airports around the country were thrown into chaos Saturday night as workers scrambled to roll out the Trump administration’s hastily arranged health screenings for travelers returning from Europe. Scores of anxious passengers said they encountered jam-packed terminals, long lines and hours of delays as they waited to be questioned by health authorities at some of the …

Reuters reports: American Airlines Group Inc on Saturday said it will implement a phased suspension of nearly all long-haul international flights starting March 16, amid reduced demand and travel restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Between March 16 and May 6, American will reduce its international capacity by 75% on a year-over-year basis, it said in a statement, adding …

Reuters reports: Guatemala will from Monday widen travel restrictions to fight the spread of coronavirus, banning arrivals from the United States and Canada, President Alejandro Giammattei said on Friday. “We are therefore announcing that everyone who arrives from Canada and the United States between now and midnight on Monday will be subject to quarantining,” Giammattei said in a televised address. …

The Copenhagen Post reports: In the wake of Denmark closing its borders today at noon, the Copenhagen Police has revealed that any stranded passengers must remain in the airport in order to reduce the chance of spreading the coronavirus. The police said they would reach out to the airlines in cases regarding stranded passengers from abroad. Denmark’s decision yesterday to …

Axios reports: Delta Airlines will reduce its flight capacity by 40% for the next four months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a dramatic increase from the original 15% reduction, CNBC reports. The airline industry has had to curb flights as it grapples with lack of demand, as Americans are advised to avoid nonessential travel. CNBC notes Delta is seeing …

The BBC reports: Thousands of flights have been cancelled worldwide as airlines struggle to cope with a slump in demand caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Ryanair will stop services to and from Italy from Friday until 8 April, with BA scrapping its routes until 4 April as the country goes into lockdown. EasyJet has cancelled all of its flights to …

The Associated Press reports: A commercial flight from Colorado ski country to Newark, New Jersey made an unscheduled stop in Denver after several passengers became disruptive because they were seated next to someone who they thought was sick, officials said. Three passengers failed to follow crewmember instructions after growing upset about being seated next to the supposedly sick passenger. The …

Politico reports: New guidance from the CDC urges travelers, especially the elderly and those with compromised health, to avoid long plane trips “and especially” cruises — a stark shift in rhetoric from an administration that had previously appeared reluctant to discourage Americans from moving around the globe. The CDC now recommends that travelers “defer all cruise ship travel worldwide” and …

The Insider reports: Airlines have wasted thousands of gallons of fuel running empty “ghost” flights during the coronavirus outbreak because of European rules saying operators can lose their flight slots if they keep their planes on the ground. Demand for flights has collapsed across the globe. Under Europe’s rules, airlines operating out of the continent must continue to run 80% …

The Associated Press reports: The International Air Transport Association says the virus outbreak that began in China could cost airlines as much as $113 billion in lost revenue due to the collapse of air travel. Representatives of the airline industry group said Thursday after a working meeting in Singapore that the industry urgently needs help from governments in waiving some …

CNBC reports: United Airlines announced deep cuts to its schedule next month amid the global coronavirus outbreak and slowing demand. The airline will cut international flights by 20% and domestic flights by 10%. Some wide-body planes will be parked, the company said Wednesday. United shares fell after its announcement but later recovered from the lows of the day, and were …

The Hill reports: JetBlue will void change and cancellation fees for flights as the coronavirus continues to spread globally. On Wednesday, JetBlue announced that customers can change or cancel for free all bookings made from Thursday through March 11 for travel through June 1, according to a statement. “The policy is designed to give customers confidence that they will not …

USA Today reports: An United Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after a “thermal runaway event.” Flight 1456 from Newark, New Jersey, to Nassau, Bahamas, diverted to Daytona Beach Airport Wednesday after a phone battery charger caught fire mid-flight, the airport confirmed on Twitter. The fire was contained to a passenger’s bag and placed inside a fire retardant …

NBC News reports: The CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, weighed in Friday on the debate sparked by a viral video of a passenger on another airline repeatedly punching the seat of a woman in front of him after she reclined it. Bastian said passengers “have the right to recline,” but that they should ask the person behind them …

Axios reports: Delta Airlines is spending $1 billion over the next decade to essentially cancel out all of its future greenhouse gas emissions beginning March 1, the company announced Friday. The big picture: Delta is the world’s biggest airline by revenue, and this news is the latest in a rapidly growing trend of corporations announcing climate-change goals in response to …