China Airlines (CAL) chairman, Hsieh Su-Chien, has told shareholders the Taiwan flag carrier was not considering staff reductions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the country's CNA news agency has reported. At CAL’s annual general meeting yesterday, Hsieh said the company would sit down with staff unions to discuss issues that have emerged since staff pay cuts were introduced in April. The present staffing agreements expire next month. Read More »
Separately, Taiwan’s transportation minister, Lin Chia-lung, said in a Facebook post renovation works at Taipei Taoyuan Airport had been brought forward to take advantage of the slowdown in air traffic caused by COVID-19. The minister's post said replacement of nine jet ways would be brought forward to 2020, from 2021, and this year’s improvement works would include the north runway, taxiway, air conditioning systems, waiting rooms, check-in counters and ceilings and floors in public areas. Taoyuan Airport handled 34,618 passengers in April, down 99.17% from 4.16 million 12 months ago.
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), operator of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), said yesterday it had secured HK$35 billion (US$4.5 billion) in fresh funding from 21 banks through a HK$17.5 billion term loan and a HK$17.5 billion revolving credit facility. AAHK said the funds would be used for the airport's third runway system project and general corporate purposes. "We are very pleased with the financial community’s overwhelmingly positive response to our term and revolving credit facilities amidst the coronavirus pandemic," AAHK chairman, Jack So, said in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) said on Monday (U.S.time) Indian airlines must apply for authorisation for charter flights between India and the U.S. DoT said the decision was in response to "India’s unfair and discriminatory practices with respect to charter air transportation services". The order would allow it to "scrutinise charter flights by Indian carriers on a case-by-case basis" and restore a level playing field, given the Indian government had banned all scheduled international services and had failed to approve U.S. carriers for charter operations, DoT said.
Air New Zealand (AirNZ) said in a note to travel agents yesterday it would operate a one-off return flight between Auckland and Seoul Incheon, with outbound NZ75 to depart from Auckland on July 18 and the reciprocal NZ76 service to take off on July 19. The airline also said it planned to resume nonstop flights three times a week between Auckland and San Francisco from July 21.
Japanese LCC, Peach Aviation, has launched two nonstop routes from Tokyo Narita, Kushiro and Miyazaki, to commence on August 1. The new services, to be operated by A320s, will bring to 10 the domestic destinations Peach serves from its Tokyo Narita hub.
CEO of travel booking website Trip.com, Jane Sun, told Bloomberg Television yesterday there had been a "very good recovery within domestic China". More broadly, Sun said the restrictions on international travel had meant "a lot of demand for outbound will be converted to domestic travel". Trip.com's Google Travel Trends report found that among individuals considering travel, about 30% would like to take a trip within the next three months.
