December 1st 2022

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July

The resumption of routes suspended during the pandemic gathered pace. Read More » There were increasing indications that airlines in the region regarded COVID-19 as being in the rear-view mirror. Malaysia Airlines reopened its first class lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and airlines in Thailand began serving food and drinks on board after the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) relaxed health and safety restrictions for inflight catering.

In Australia, Qantas Airways said passengers no longer needed proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to travel on its domestic and international flights from mid-July.

COVID-19 has also proved no barrier to new entrants. India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Ministry of Civil Aviation granted start-up airline, Akasa Air, its air operator certificate (AOC) in the month with the privately held airline starting commercial operations on August 7 with a fleet of 737 MAXs.

The Airbus 2022-2041 Global Market Forecast said airlines will need 39,490 new aircraft in the next 20 years, an increase of 1.2%, or 470 aircraft, from a projected 39,020 new aircraft deliveries predicted in the 2021-2040 GMF.

There were tributes this month for former Thai AirAsia X (TAAX) CEO, Nadda Buranasiri, who died after a battle with cancer. He was 59. Capital A CEO, Tony Fernandes, said Nadda was a hard-working professional who always brightened his day.

There was a change to Fiji Airways’ ownership register after Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) agreed to pay F$93.1 million (US$41.7 million) for 30.02% of the national carrier. The Fiji government is the largest shareholder in the national airline. Other shareholders are Qantas, Unit Trust of Fiji, Air New Zealand and the governments of Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Tonga.

The UK’s Farnborough Airshow returned for the first time in four years this month, after cancellation in 2020 due to COVID-19.

At the show, ANA HOLDINGS INC., the parent company of All Nippon Airways announced it had converted orders for two 777-9X to 777-8F freighters, for delivery in 2028. The revised order commits ANA to 18 777-9Xs. It also finalised a purchase agreement, first announced in 2019, for 20 737 MAX 8s and 10 more options of the type with deliveries starting in 2025.