AerSale buys 24 Boeing 757-200s and spare engines currently in storage at Roswell, New Mexico Airport.

Photo AerSale

AerSale, Inc. one of the leading providers of aviation products and services has announced this week that it has entered into a purchase agreement for 24 Boeing 757-200 passenger aircraft stored at AerSale’s Heavy MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility located at the Roswell Air Center in New Mexico. All of these aircraft are equipped with Rolls-Royce RB211-535 series engines, and 16 spares are included with the purchase.

Virgin Atlantic get a brand new Airbus A350-1000 on lease from Air Lease Corporation

Air Lease Corporation, one of the global leaders in commercial aircraft leasing has confirmed the delivery of one new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on long-term lease to Virgin Atlantic. 

The jet is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and is is the first of four A350-1000s ALC will deliver to the airline from current order book with Airbus.

“We are pleased to announce this first new A350-1000 aircraft delivery to Virgin Atlantic today,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “Our A350-1000s will replace Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747 aircraft on routes from London across the Atlantic to modernize the airline’s long-haul fleet.”

Air Canada to Make Complimentary COVID-19 Insurance Coverage Available to International Travellers

 Air Canada today announced that it is including complimentary COVID-19 emergency medical & quarantine insurance for eligible customers booking round-trip international flights. The coverage, available for new bookings made in Canada from September 17 until October 31, 2020, inclusive, provides emergency medical and quarantine insurance designed to give customers added confidence when booking flights and travelling abroad.

"At Air Canada, we know people have personal, family and business reasons to travel. To give them greater confidence as they do so, we have engaged Manulife to offer all Canadian residents complimentary COVID-19 emergency medical & quarantine insurance when they book round-trip flights for travel outside of Canada. Combined with our industry leading airport and onboard biosafety protocols, including Air Canada CleanCare+, and our flexible rebooking policies, customers can be assured that when they book and travel with Air Canada their safety and well-being is our top priority," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.

Defence Ministers of Germany and France visit Airbus in Manching

                       

                                              During a visit of the Airbus premises in Manching, Europe’s largest military aviation development centre, the Defence Ministers of Germany and France, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Florence Parly, expressed their nations’ support for key European defence programmes.

 

Ministers Kramp-Karrenbauer and Parly met with senior company executives led by Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guillaume Faury, Airbus Defence and Space CEO Dirk Hoke as well as local policy-makers.

 

The event marked the first-ever joint visit of a German and French Defence Minister on site, which is home to some 5,600 Airbus employees from 43 nationalities and some 1,000 service-members from the German armed forces.

 

Delta honoured with Nomi Network’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award for anti-human trafficking action

During the pandemic, Delta has donated $25,000 in un-used assets to organizations fighting human trafficking

Delta recently supported the opening of Atlanta-based Wellspring Living’s Receiving Hope Center with clothing, supplies and essential goods

The Nomi Network honoured Delta and Allison Ausband, Senior Vice President – In-Flight Service, with the 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Award at its annual gala on Sept. 13.

Nomi Network's mission is to create economic opportunities for survivors and women at risk of human trafficking by providing leadership, entrepreneurship and technical skills to become financially independent. Nomi’s mission syncs with Delta’s, as we create career opportunities for trafficking survivors through our apprenticeship program.

“We’ve seen how COVID-19 is disproportionally impacting human trafficking victims, and this current moment calls every single one of us to hold fast to our focus and our fight,” said Ausband, Executive Sponsor of Delta’s #GetOnBoard campaign to end human trafficking. “It’s more important than ever for us to come together for people who don’t have the options of safety, health or security during this time. We need everyone on board.”

CreditShop to Partner With Spirit Airlines for More Travel Options

CreditShop Holdings LLC (CreditShop) announced its partnership with Spirit® Airlines (Spirit) today, aimed at expanding rewards and travel options for members of the Free Spirit® loyalty program. CreditShop, a leading non-bank credit card company in the United States, will complement Spirit’s existing credit card program by serving near-prime customers who may have been previously unable to obtain one of the airline’s co-branded cards. This will significantly expand access to Free Spirit’s industry-leading credit card program when the partnership launches in early 2021.

Spirit’s goal of providing Guests with high-value, low-cost travel matches up with CreditShop’s mission of providing simple and easy-to-understand credit cards with premium value.

“Our ability to be a complementary lender, partnering with leading travel and retail brands, is a natural progression for our company,” CreditShop Head of Revenue and Business Development Matt Tomko said. “It expands our ability to fulfill our mission to empower an audience that has largely been overlooked in the financial industry that tends to focus on the prime segment.”

The co-branding partnership with Spirit is a natural extension of CreditShop’s strategic growth, which encompasses digital, cloud-based advancements designed specifically for the underserved near-prime segment.

“Our objective is to provide hard-working Americans with simple and flexible solutions,” CreditShop CEO James Peterson said. “We are well-positioned to serve near-prime customers to allow them to build better credit for a better life.”

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Monthly US Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Nearly Double in August

         

                                   Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing that net sales from ARC-accredited travel agencies nearly doubled month over month, increasing 94% from $387 million in July to $751 million in August 2020.* These results represent a 90% decrease in total dollar volume from August 2019, when sales totalled $7.8 billion.

Month over month, August 2020 results show:

A 19% increase in the total number of passenger trips;

U.S. domestic trips up 22%; and

International trips up 10%.

While passenger trips are steadily increasing, the sharp increase in August net sales is largely attributable to a few factors, including an increase in international fares paid, which rose from $18 million in July to $169 million in August, slowing refunds and accelerating travel agency sales.

Airbus to keep NASA’s helicopters flying for up to 10 years

The $15million HCare Infinite support contract will cover NASA’s H135 fleet

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has signed a $15million HCare Infinite full-availability support solution with Airbus Helicopters, Inc. The comprehensive contract, initially covering two years with the option to extend up to 10, provides the entire spectrum of support needs for NASA’s fleet of three H135 helicopters, which will begin deliveries later this month.

Airbus will ensure operational availability by managing all of NASA’s scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, as well as spare parts. In addition, Airbus will be responsible for the helicopter flight operations by stationing two pilots, two mechanics and one program manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

Delta announces upsize of SkyMiles financing to $9 billion

Delta Air Lines announced the upsize and pricing of the previously announced private offering by Delta and its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, SkyMiles IP Ltd. An aggregate of $2.5 billion in principal amount of 4.5% senior secured notes due 2025 and an aggregate of $3.5 billion in principal amount of 4.75% senior secured notes due 2028 (collectively the “Notes”) are expected to be issued on Sept. 23, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. The Notes will be issued at a price to investors of 100% of their principal amount. Concurrently with the issuance of the Notes, Delta and SkyMiles IP Ltd. expect to enter into a credit agreement providing for a $3.0 billion term loan facility (“New Credit Facility”), also subject to customary closing conditions. In total, the Notes and New Credit Facility will provide gross proceeds of $9.0 billion, an increase of $2.5 billion from the anticipated original $6.5 billion deal size, at a blended average annual rate of 4.75%. 

This press release is neither an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes or any other securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Notes are being offered in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in an offering exempt from registration in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws.  

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Finnair partners with Terveystalo to offer coronavirus testing for travellers

Finnair partners with Terveystalo to offer

coronavirus testing for travellers

The European airline Finnair has started co-operation with private Finnish healthcare service company Terveystalo to offer its customers easy and fast access to coronavirus testing prior to travel. The service will be launched on 28 September 2020. 

Some countries require a negative coronavirus test result and a certificate from passengers arriving in the country. The partnership between Finnair and Terveystalo ensures that customers are provided a test certificate required by the destination country conveniently and in a timely manner. Furthermore, Finnair’s customers get access to testing services at a discounted price and with the possibility to buy with Finnair Plus points. 

Grand Nikko Awaji to Open October 1st 2020

Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., announced today that it plans to open the Grand Nikko Awaji on October 1st 2020. After being operated as The Westin Awaji Island and managed by Yumebutai Co., Ltd. and Marriott International Inc. for 20 years, the hotel will be rebranded as a Grand Nikko property and operated under new management.

Located on the northern tip of Awaji Island, the hotel opened in March 2000 as the core facility of the Awaji Yumebutai hotel and conference center complex. It is easily accessible from Honshu via the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which boasts the longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world. As Japan's first hotel to feature a resort-style conference center, it quickly became popular among guests from Japan and overseas. Over the years, it has provided a next-generation space where people, nature and culture could interact.

Norwegian commits to reduce CO2 emissions by 45 percent by 2030

 

                                                Norwegian has launched a new environmental sustainability strategy that will begin immediately and deliver several industry-leading targets. Cutting CO2 emissions by 45 percent, remove all non-recyclable plastics and recycle all single-use plastics are key commitments in the new strategy. The goal is in line with the 1.5°C target set forth in the Paris Agreement.

Jacob Schram, CEO of Norwegian, said: “At Norwegian we take our responsibility towards the environment seriously, and that is why we must look to the future and implement a strategy that produces immediate and tangible benefits for the environment today. Norwegian will continue to instigate a positive change across the industry in this field that will benefit not only the environment but also our customers and our business. The low-cost business model is the sustainability model as it enables efficient energy and resource management.”

Will require 500 million litres sustainable aviation fuels

BA's boss warns of more job losses if airport slot waivers not extended.

There will be airline bankruptcies and thousands more job losses if a waiver requiring airlines to use airport slots is not extended, warned British Airways chief executive Alex Cruz on Wednesday.

“I suspect that if that slot relief is not provided for the winter season we will have a number of airline bankruptcies and there will be many, many thousands of jobs that will be lost, in addition to the jobs that have already been lost,” Cruz told politicians at a select committee hearing. 

He said he was not contemplating that scenario because reports from the European Union were encouraging that the waiver of the requirement that airlines use 80% of their take-off and landing slots would be extended until March 2021.

Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by James Davey

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