AirAsia Japan has become the latest airline to succumb to the coronavirus pandemic after its owner ceased operations last night.Read More » Parent company, AirAsia Berhad, said the decision to shut the LCC after it first flew in July 2014 was made following a thorough business review, noting travel restrictions and the uncertainties they created had severely curtailed demand for business and leisure travel. Those holding tickets for travel with the LCC would be contacted within the next seven days.
Representative director and chief operating officer for AirAsia Japan, Jun Aida, said it was a painful decision. “Despite our unrelenting efforts to sustain operations through successive and wide-ranging cost reduction initiatives, we have concluded it would be an extremely challenging feat for us to continue operating without any visibility and certainty of a post-pandemic recovery path," Aida said in a statement. "Further steps to this decision will be made in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, including the Japan Civil Aeronautics Act."
India’s SpiceJet plans to start nonstop flights to London from December 4 under the country's air bubble arrangement with the U.K. The LCC will operate Delhi- London Heathrow twice a week and once weekly from Mumbai with leased A330-900neo configured with 353 economy and 18 business class seats, local media reported. SpiceJet chairman and managing director, Ajay Singh, said the airline would be the first LCC to operate nonstop between India and Britain.
United Airlines (UA) said overnight it would resume nonstop flights between San Francisco and Shanghai Pudong from October 21. The route would be served four times a week with 777-300ERs, UA said. Currently, the Star Alliance member serves Shanghai from San Francisco one-stop via Seoul Incheon.
Air New Zealand (Air NZ) said today chief financial officer, Jeff McDowall, would leave the airline in mid-2021. Air NZ CEO, Greg Foran, said in a statement McDowall felt it was time "to open a new chapter of his career" after two decades with the company. In addition to being chief financial officer, McDowall was acting CEO from the departure of former CEO, Christopher Luxon, and the arrival of Foran at the airline in January.
The airline also announced Leanne Geraghty had been appointed to the newly created position of chief customer and sales officer. Geraghty was most recently the airline’s group general manager for airports. "Her detailed knowledge of the New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island markets in particular sets us up well for the post COVID-19 international tourism recovery when the time comes," CEO Foran said.
The Queensland government has finalised it’s A$200 million investment in Virgin Australia (VA) with the airline's new owners, private equity group Bain Capital, local media reported. Queensland Treasurer, Cameron Dick, said yesterday the investment, which included a commitment to keep VA's head office in Queensland, was approximately A$20 million cash to buy an undisclosed equity stake and loans and other financial incentives worth about A$180 million. Dick said the government would receive a 7% return on its investment over the course of the 10-year agreement.
