El Al CEO David Maimon confirmed (16-Aug-2017) the carrier's first Boeing 787-9 aircraft will arrive in Aug-2017 and enter service in Aug/Sep-2017. Mr Maimon added: "This plane is the first out of 16 to reach by the end of 2020". CFO Dganit Palti said the carrier paid "advances totaling approx USD24 million for the aircraft it has acquired" in 2Q2017. [more - original PR]
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airberlin to choose bank to finance insolvency by Nov-2017
17 August, 2017
airberlin appointed specialist insolvency lawyer Dr Frank Kebekus of Kebekus et Zimmermann and Dr Lucas Flöther of Flöther & Wissing to direct the airline's insolvency proceedings (Wirtschaftswoche/Berliner Zeitung, 15/16-Aug-2017). Dr Kebekus expects the carrier's employees to be paid salaries as usual in Aug/Sep/Oct-2017. He added: "we will finance the insolvency with a bank" in Nov-2017.
Partnership for Open and Fair Skies: Gulf subsidies are 'distorting the market'
17 August, 2017
Partnership for Open and Fair Skies, via its official Twitter account, stated (16-Aug-2017) American workers will "win" if they work under a level playing field, tweeting that "illegal Gulf carrier subsidies are distorting the market & putting American jobs at risk".
airberlin CEO commends speed of German Government bridging loan
17 August, 2017
airberlin CEO Thomas Winkelmann commented on the German Government's EUR150 million bridging loan, stating: "The speed with which all parties in the government worked impressed me... We avoided a national disaster" (Die Zeit/The Business Times, 16/17-Aug-2017). Mr Winkelmann reportedly expects the airberlin brand to eventually dematerialise, as rival carriers express interest in the carrier.
Samoan PM confirms plan for Samoa Airways to lease Boeing 737 from Icelandair Group
17 August, 2017
Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi stated Samoa Airways will lease a Boeing 737 from Icelandair Group by Nov-2017, allowing the carrier to resume international services (Talamua.com/Press Secretary, 17-Aug-2017). Mr Malielegaoi said the carrier will concentrate on the Apia-Auckland, Apia-Sydney and Apia-Brisbane routes, as research "confirmed that the three routes have huge revenue potentials and it fits perfectly with our partnership with Fiji Airways".
PNG Air offers three times weekly mining charter to Lihir Island from Port Moresby and Cairns
17 August, 2017
PNG Air, via its official Facebook page, commenced (Aug-2017) providing international charter services for Newcrest Mining, operating Lihir Island-Port Moresby-Cairns service from 31-Jul-2017 with an ATR 72, as the company's fixed wing aviation supplier. The carrier started operating three times weekly charters on the route from 14-Aug-2017. PNG Air has been providing Newcrest Mining with scheduled passenger services to Lihir Island since Oct-2014, including transporting Newcrest staff to and from site. In Jun-2017, the carrier announced that following a tender, it had been awarded a contract to provide Newcrest with charter services from Cairns and Port Moresby.
Cairns Airport in talks with PAL on maintaining service, other airlines on trans Tasman routes
16 August, 2017
Cairns Airport CCO aviation Paul McLean said (16-Aug-2017) the airport is in active discussions with Philippine Airlines (PAL) on maintaining Cairns as a destination and with other airlines about trans Tasman routes. Philippine Airlines plans to suspend Manila-Cairns-Auckland service and commence nonstop Manila-Auckland service, effective 06-Dec-2017. [more - original PR]
Tourism Australia: Most Australians underestimate value of tourism to the country
16 August, 2017
Tourism Australia released (Aug-2017) its 'Mood of the Nation' report on Australian attitudes towards tourism. Key findings include:
- 75% of Australians underestimate the value of tourism as an export;
- 63% of Australians underestimate the number of inbound tourism arrivals to Australia;
- 37% overestimate the proportion of Australians employed in tourism;
- Half of respondents underestimate international visitation to regional destinations;
- Most respondents correctly identified China, the UK and New Zealand as the top three inbound markets by size;
- 11% of Australians view tourism intake as excessive, 41% identify the intake as too small. Over half of Australians believe international tourism creates opportunities for business and economic growth. Less than a quarter perceive negative outcomes of tourism business and economic growth;
- 75% of consumers believe Australia is equipped to handle current visitor intake;
- 83% of Australians are proud the way Australia is promoted overseas. [more - original PR PR I] [more - original PR II]
Newcrest Mining confirms agreement with PNG Air for charters to Lihir Island
16 August, 2017
Newcrest Mining confirmed (16-Aug-2017) PNG Air as its fixed wing aviation supplier for all services to Lihir Island from 13-Aug-2017, following a tender process for those services. PNG Air CEO Muralee Siva said the carrier has been providing Newcrest Mining with scheduled passenger service to Lihir Island since Oct-2014, including transporting Newcrest staff to and from site, and the carrier is "very pleased to announce that following the recent tender PNG Air will also provide Newcrest with charter services from Cairns and Port Moresby". [more - original PR]
IAG purchases 310,074 company shares in buy back programme
16 August, 2017
IAG purchased (15-Aug-2017) 310,074 ordinary shares of EUR0.50 each in the capital of the company on 14-Aug-2017. All of the shares will be held in treasury until cancelled. Following the purchase, IAG holds 52,935,234 treasury shares, and issued share capital consists of 2,080,053,509 shares (excluding shares held as treasury shares). [more - original PR]