Korean Air (KAL ) said yesterday it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with private equity fund, Hahn & Company, for the sale of its inflight catering and duty-free businesses. KAL said the decision to offload the two subsidiaries was made at a board meeting yesterday. It is part of efforts to overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it said.Read More » KAL also is in the process of selling non-core assets, including property in downtown Seoul and its Wangsan Leisure Development Co. subsidiary.
United Airlines (UA) announced overnight it planned to reinstate two Asia-Pacific routes in September – once a week nonstop services between Chicago and Hong Kong with 777-300ERs and a three-times weekly Los Angeles-Sydney flight with 787-9s. UA had operated five flights a week on the San Francisco-Hong Kong route and daily San Francisco-Sydney services.
An International Air Transport Association (IATA) survey said the top three concerns of passengers at an airport were being in a crowded bus/train on the way to the aircraft, queuing at check-in/security/border control or boarding and using airport restroom facilities. On board, passengers ranked sitting next to someone who might be infected, using the restroom on board, and breathing air on the plane as their major reservations inflight. More than 4,700 recent air travellers from 11 countries responded to the IATA survey.
IATA director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said people were "clearly concerned about COVID-19 when traveling". However, they also were reassured by the practical measures being introduced by governments and the industry, such as the use of masks, contactless technology for travel facilitation and passenger screening, he said.
International arrivals at Perth Airport in Western Australia have been capped at 525 a week, or about 75 a day, the state’s government said yesterday. The federal government had approved the request to "slow the flow of international arrivals to ensure WA can continue to manage quarantine arrangements to the highest standard". Any increase in international passenger arrivals into Perth put pressure on resourcing and quarantine systems, government said. Australia's international border remains closed to foreign visitors. Citizens and permanent residents can return to the country but they must spend 14 days in quarantine at government supplied accommodation after arrival.
Jiangxi Air, based at Nanchang Changbei International Airport in China, has applied to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to expand onto the international market. The CAAC said on its website yesterday the joint venture, between Xiamen Air and the Jiangxi local government, had applied to operate international passenger and cargo flights and services to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Submissions in response to the application must meet a July 20 deadline.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) today reopened its domestic lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Safety measures introduced in response to COVID-19 capped lounge capacity at 126 passengers, with eligible travellers required to undergo temperature checks and contactless registration at entry, wear a mask inside the facility and order food and drink online via a QR code, the airline’s website said. MAS’s international lounges at KLIA remain closed.
