Qatar Airways to restart Brisbane flights on May 20

QATAR A350-1000 A7-ANB (CN 102)

Qatar Airways is returning to Brisbane, with the Oneworld airline scheduling three flights per week beginning on the 20th May as it continues to bring Australians home during the coronavirus pandemic. The flights will take place on Qatar's Airbus A350-1000, which boasts the highly-regarded business class Qsuites, with QR912 departing Doha at 11.55pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through until the end of June (the last service Brisbane listed is for Monday the 29th June), to reach Brisbane at 8.45pm the following day. All arriving passengers will need to spend 14 days in mandatory isolation at a Brisbane hotel, under quarantine measures introduced on the 29th March, with accommodation and food costs covered by the government. The QR913 return leg departs Brisbane at 10.15pm the following day. Australian citizens and permanent residents wishing to be on that flight need to hold an exemption from the current nationwide travel restrictions. Exemptions can be granted for a number of cases including essential travel "for the conduct of critical industries and business" or for urgent and unavoidable personal business, as well as to receive urgent medical care not available in Australia or travelling on compassionate or humanitarian grounds. Qatar Airways' Doha hub still permits passengers in transit, unlike the transit bans now in place at Dubai, the home of Emirates, Abu Dhabi (Etihad Airways), Singapore (Singapore Airlines) and Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific). "It’s clear there is such a very strong desire amongst people all over the world to get home, so that is what we are wholly focused on right now – how can we get people home from right around the world," Simon Talling-Smith, Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, tells Executive Traveler. Qatar Airways previously called on Brisbane through a short-term series of daily flights between March 29 and mid-April, at the same time as it ramped up services to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
The airline continues to fly to 16 destinations in Europe – including London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam – with plans to add seven more European destinations by the end of June as it slowly rebuilds its worldwide network.

Happy Anniversary Star Alliance

Star Alliance is the world's largest global airline alliance. Founded on the 14th May 1997, an agreement was announced forming a Star Alliance from five airlines on three continents: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines. Its current CEO is Jeffrey Goh and its headquarters are located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. As of April 2019 Star Alliance was the largest of the three global alliances by passenger count with 762 million members, ahead of both SkyTeam (630 million) and Oneworld (528 million). Its slogan is "The Way the Earth Connects". Star Alliance's now has 26 member airlines operating a fleet of approximately 5,033 aircraft, served more than 1,290 airports in 195 countries on more than 19,000 daily departures. The alliance has a two-tier rewards program, Silver and Gold, with incentives including priority boarding and upgrades. Like other airline alliances, Star Alliance airlines share airport terminals (known as co-location) and many member planes are painted in the alliance's livery.

Star Alliance Member Airlines

Member                                                                         Joined
AEGEAN                                                              30th June 2010
AIR CANADA                                                      14th May 1997
AIR CHINA                                                           12th December 2007
AIR INDIA                                                             3rd July 2014
AIR NEW ZEALAND                                           3rd May 1999    
ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS                                      15th October 1999
ASIANA AIRLINES                                              28th March 1993
AUSTRIAN                                                           26th march 2000
AVIANCA                                                              21st June2012
BRUSSELS AIRLINES                                        9th December 2009
COPA AIRLINES                                                  21st June2012
CROATIA AIRLINES                                           18th November 2004
EGYPT AIR                                                          11th July 2008
ETHIOPIAN                                                         13th December 2011
EVA AIR                                                               18th June 2013
LOT POLISH AIRLINES                                      26th October 2003
LUFTHANSA                                                       14th May 1997
SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINE SYSTEMS                14th May 1997
SHENZHEN AIRLINES                                        29th November 2012
SINGAPORE AIRLINES                                      1st April 2000
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS                              10th April 2006
SWISS AIR                                                           1st April 2006
TAP AIR PORTUGAL                                           14th March 2005
THAI                                                                      14th May 1997
TURKISH AIRLINES                                            1st April 2008
UNITED                                                                 14th May 1997

AIR NEW ZEALAND A320-232 ZK-OJH (CN 2257)

Some Star Alliance members, like Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines, have painted some of their aircraft with the alliance livery, usually, a white fuselage with "Star Alliance" across the fuselage and a black tail fin with the alliance logo; the colour or design of the engine cowlings or winglets remains, depending on the member's livery. Asiana Airlines was the first Star Alliance member to paint its aircraft in the current Star Alliance livery. Aircraft painted in an airline's regular livery have the Star Alliance logo between the cockpit and the first set of cabin doors.

SINGAPORE B777-312 9V-SWJ (CN 34575)

REX to launch flights between Australia's capital cities

REX SAAB 340B VH-REX (CN 340B-384)

In times of airlines going into liquidation or retiring aircraft early, this is really exciting to hear. Regional airline Rex plans to launch flights between Australia's capital cities, taking on Qantas and a reborn Virgin Australia in the process to create what it calls "a three-airline market." The ambitious project would see Rex carve out a share of the east coast's highly-profitable 'Golden Boomerang' corridor as well as the coast-to-coast transcontinental route. “Presently Rex flies from / to the regional centres to all the capital cities in Australia," Rex deputy chairman John Sharp told ABC Radio, "and the proposition is that we add to that by flying between (the capital cities)." Rex' capital city push would call for a $200m warchest courtesy of deep-pocketed investors. “We have been talking to half a dozen private equity and investment banking entities about investing in this new venture,” Sharp told The Australian Financial Review, adding that Rex intended to settle on a single partner "in the next three weeks or so." This announcement by Rex also appears timed to spoil or at least soften initial bids for Virgin Australia, the first round of which are due this Friday, May 15. Administrator Vaughan Strawbridge of Deloitte has previously said 20 "interested parties" were scoping out the sale, but their bids could be reduced if they see a more competitive market taking shape in what has until now been considered a two-horse race.

Deloitte's pitch to the would-be owners of Virgin Australia highlighted its key domestic routes, including the 'Golden Triangle' of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, which it described as "historically one of the most profitable operating jurisdictions globally for air travel."

REX SAAB 340B VH-EKX (CN 340B -257) 

What capital cities would Rex fly to?

Rex currently connects regional centres to one another and also to each mainland capital city, but its new capital city service would offer direct flights between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
This would mirror the core domestic network of Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar, although the number of routes and the frequency of those services would depend on how many aircraft Rex could field.

What aircraft will Rex fly?

To launch its capital city network, Rex would seek to lease 10 single-aisle jets, either in the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 series. The airline believes that in the current depressed state of the air travel market, these jets would be available at very attractive rates.

Will Rex capital city flights be low-cost or full-service?

Rex deputy chairman John Sharp tells The Australian Financial Review that the new capital city service would be a cross between Qantas and Jetstar but with a lower cost base, saying "this will be halfway between a full-service airline and a low-cost airline."
This is a similar 'hybrid' model that's been mooted for Virgin Australia Mk II and also flown overseas by the likes of JetBlue, Norwegian and, some would suggest, AirAsia X.

Will Rex capital city flights offer business class?

Rex' capital city playbook is still a work in progress, but is more likely to include a 'premium' cabin rather than full-service business class. However, this could extend to being more of a European business class model where the middle seat in a 3-3 layout remains free – and is perhaps dressed with a temporary plastic shroud, similar to what's done on British Airways' Club Europe services – along with a little extra legroom or recline compared to other economy seats.

REX SAAB 340B VH-SBA (CN 340B-311)

When would Rex begin capital city flights?

Domestic travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic give Rex some breathing space to develop its new network, which will also include hiring new pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, as well as negotiating with airports for precious take-off and landing slots.
The capital city service is expected to begin in early 2021, with Sharp allowing that "the domestic aviation market is not going to go back to what it was three months ago so we are ready to scale up in line with demand."

Rex (known as Regional Express) is an Australian airline based in Mascot, New South Wales. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia. Its entire fleet consists of 57 Swedish built Saab 340 turboprop aircraft seating 33, 34 or 36 passengers. The airline was established in August 2002 when the Australiawide Airlines consortium (set up by former Ansett Australia employees) acquired Hazelton Airlines and Kendell Airlines, merged the two companies and started operations as Rex.

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZJS (CN 340B-186)

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZXF (CN 340B-416)

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZXS (CN 340B-179)

Story sourced from here with additions.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/regional-express-to-take-on-qantas-and-virgin-with-capital-city-flights-20200512-p54s3y.html

Avianca driven to bankruptcy by coronavirus

Avianca, Latin America’s No. 2 airline, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday the 10th May, as a bond payment deadline loomed and after pleas for aid from Colombia’s government to weather the corona virus crisis have so far been unsuccessful. If it fails to come out of bankruptcy, Avianca would be one of the first major carriers worldwide to go under as a result of the pandemic, which has resulted in a 90% decline in global air travel. Avianca has not flown a regularly scheduled passenger flight since late March and most of its 20,000 employees have gone without pay through the crisis.
“Avianca is facing the most challenging crisis in our 100-year history,” Avianca CEO Anko van der Werff said in a press release. While Avianca was already weak before the corona virus outbreak, its bankruptcy filing highlights the challenges for airlines that cannot count on state rescues to avoid bankruptcy restructuring. An Avianca representative told Reuters it is still trying to secure government loans.  Avianca, one of the oldest airlines in the world, estimated liabilities between $1 billion to $10 billion in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. It already went through bankruptcy in the early 2000s, from which it was rescued by a Bolivian-born oil entrepreneur, German Efromovich. Efromovich grew the airline aggressively but also saddled the carrier with significant debt. Efromovich was ousted from the airline last year in a board-room coup led by United Airlines Holdings Inc, but he still owns a majority stake in the carrier. United stands to lose up to $700 million in loans related to Avianca.
Efromovich told Reuters on Sunday that he disagreed with the decision to file for bankruptcy and that he was not involved in making it. Avianca’s leadership will host a press conference later on Sunday.

Last month, Avianca’s accounting firm, KPMG, said it had “substantial doubts” about the carrier’s ability to exist a year from now.
Avianca’s shares closed at 88 cents on Friday in New York, from a high of more than $18 in 2014.
Most pressingly, Avianca was facing a $65 million bond payment due on Sunday that analysts did not think the airline was in a position to meet. S&P downgraded the airline to CCC- status in the days leading up to that payment.

Founded by German immigrants in Barranquilla, Colombia, on the 5th December 1919, Avianca, (the second oldest airline in the world behind KLM May 1919,) was originally named SCADTA and operated Junkers F13 aircraft, some of which were equipped with floats. In 1949, SCADTA merged with fellow Colombian airline SACO (Servicio Aéreo Colombiano) and adopted its current name. 

Today, after absorbing several airlines in neighbouring countries, Avianca is one of the largest airline groups in Latin America, with a fleet of 173 aircraft and a network of subsidiaries that spans pretty much the whole continent.

Avianca is the third of Efromovich’s airlines to go through bankruptcy or out of business in recent years. Airlines Avianca Brazil and Avianca Argentina ceased to exist last year due to economic troubles in their markets.





Story sourced from here with additions.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3707693617392402779#editor/target=post;postID=4627439401149761156;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=0;src=link

Miami Air gone due to coronavirus

MIAMI AIR INTERNATIONAL 

Miami Air International (LL) has ended its operations after weeks of unfruitful discussions with various transaction partners to receive a viable proposal to acquire the assets of the South Florida airline. In a letter to Miami Air employees, Miami Air CEO Kurt Kamrad informed them that today was their last day of employment, that current employees will be paid until that day, and that medical coverage will continue until the end of the month. On Monday the 11th May, company employees will have the opportunity to collect any personal items from the office and show the items to security personnel upon leaving the premises. Employees were also told to bring any company property they may have in their possession on the same day. The CEO went on to thank LL employees for their “dedication, flexibility, ingenuity, and professionalism,” noting these attributes as the reason the airline has survived for the last 29 years. “Because of that reputation, Miami Air is a brand name known throughout the entire industry for exceptionalism,” said Kamrad.

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MIAMI AIR B737-8Q8 N738MA (CN 30670)

In the letter released today, the CEO described how many impossible-to-do projects were accomplished by the company, naming a few recent examples that include the company being the number one choice for VIP operations from a request by Mayor Bloomberg. Another project carried out on New Year’s day this year, involved the moving of 4,000 troops to the Middle East in 72 hours at the request of the US Military. Furthermore, the carrier was the first US passenger airline to transport COVID-19 passengers within 48 hours after a request from Reva Air Ambulance. Miami Air’s customers included incentive groups, sports teams, Fortune 500 companies, major cruise lines, entertainers, political candidates and the United States government. Miami Air filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 24, 2020.

The CEO ended his message to LL employees with the following:
“I consider it an honor to have worked with each of you and I wish all of you the best of luck in the future. May the Lord bless you and keep you safe during these uncertain times. Please stay in touch and always keep the blue side up.” In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is going to be a long road ahead for Miami Air employees who suddenly do not have a job; much like many other workers in the commercial aviation industry worldwide who are now finding themselves in a similar situation. Our thoughts go out to all of them, as we at Airways hope for a quick recovery of the industry once the current health crisis has finally passed.

Miami Air International, established in August 1990 and started operations in October 1991 using Boeing 727-200 aircraft on lease from Xerox Credit Corporation, was an American charter airline based in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, Miami Air was contracted by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC) for transporting troops and cargo.
It had 6 Boeing 737-800 aircraft in its fleet.

Story sourced from here with additions.

https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/miami-air-end-operations-after-29-years/?fbclid=IwAR3OOPkl_HQ_eClLuuHFZpFlxU5SEO0W3CnNdgzPwuNUboriL8vihQUjJog

Man killed when hit by plane on runway

SOUTHWEST B737-7H4 N953WN (CN 36668)     File Photo

A man was struck and killed by a Southwest Airlines plane as it was landing on the runway of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport late Thursday, according to airport officials. The pilot of the Southwest flight from Dallas to Austin reported a person on the runway to air traffic control after it was cleared to land.

"Where exactly did you see the man?," the controller asked.
"They are behind us now," the pilot said.
Southwest Airlines said that flight WH1392, which was travelling from Dallas Love Field, TX (KDAL/DAL) to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport TX (KAUS/AUS), "maneuvererd to avoid an individual who became visible" shortly after the aircraft touched down on runway 17R at 8.12pm local time. Austin Police Department's airport unit discovered "an obviously deceased adult male" on the runway, a spokesperson for the police department said. The victim was pronounced dead at 8:41 p.m., according to the statement. The scene was cleared overnight and the runway re-opened early Friday morning. Southwest said none of the 59 people on board the flight were injured in the incident and that it is fully cooperating with local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA investigators were deployed to the scene last night. The agency has not confirmed whether or not the aircraft struck the victim.
A spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it is still gathering information and has not launched an official investigation at this time.
The Austin Police Department did not respond to ABC News' request for comment on how the victim gained access to the runway.


Below is the audio between the Southwest Airlines pilot and the air traffic control tower described what unfolded on the runway.

Southwest: “Tower, Southwest 1392, we believe there might be a person on the runway.”
ABIA Tower: “Southwest 1392, where exactly do you see the man?”
Southwest: “Well they, uh, they’re behind us, they’re behind us now.”
ABIA Tower: “Southwest 1392, roger. So you saw them just after you touched down?”
Southwest: “Affirm.”
ABIA Tower: “1392, roger. At your discretion taxi to the gate"

Aircraft Information

Airline: Southwest Airlines

Code: WN /SWA

Aircraft: Boeing 737-7H4

Registration: N401WN

Serial Number: 29813/810

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Story sourced from here but with additions

https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-hit-killed-southwest-plane-landed-austin-airport/story?id=70576933

Plane carrying aid crashes in southern Somalia

A plane travelling from Baidoa Airport (BIB/HCMB) to Bardale Airstrip, carrying aid supplies for use in the fight against the coronavirus has crashed in Somalia’s southern Bay region yesterday, killing six people on board. The crash occurred around 3:45pm local time. The aircraft, operated by East African Express Airways, crashed close to Bardale Town, Somalia. The plane was carrying medical equipment to the town and had Kenyan and Somalian nationals on board. The plane was chartered by an NGO and was transporting medical supplies and mosquito nets to Bardale. Six people - the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and a trainee pilot, as well as two people working for the airline - were onboard, As this has just recently happened the cause of the crash was not yet clear but there are speculations the plane was shot down. A witness said the plane made an initial attempt to land, swung around again because of wildlife on the airfield, and then appeared to be shot on one wing on its second approach.


Aircraft Information
Airline: East African Express Airways
Code: XU/AKX
Aircraft: Embraer EMB-120RT Brasilia
Registration: 5Y-AXO
Serial Number: 120259


THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND ALL THE STAFF AT EAST AFRICAN EXPRESS.