WestJet unions in turmoil over ambiguous wage subsidy

The Canadian Federal Government has confirmed it would extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). At the same time, the countries second-biggest airline, WestJet told employees their benefit would be cut by as much as 53%, while the company waits for details of the criteria for payment from Ottawa. 

Their aggressive militant union - CUPE is calling on Ottawa to fix the problem.  “The lack of direction from the government is causing risk for businesses and stress for individuals," said Chris Rauenbusch, President of CUPE 4070. Rauenbusch represents about 4,000 cabin crew members at WestJet companies. “WestJet can't float our wages until Ottawa fills in the blanks, so our members are seeing their cheques cut in half.”

On Wednesday, WestJet sent a memo to employees about the problem. Until Ottawa clarifies amounts payable to WestJet, the most any employee will receive will drop from $847/week to $400. About 2,500 furloughed CUPE members across WestJet access CEWS, as well as other non-union employees.

Avolon Announces Pricing Of US$650 Million Senior Unsecured Notes Offering

Avolon Holdings Limited, the international aircraft leasing company, announces the successful pricing of a private offering (the “Offering”) by its wholly owned subsidiary, Avolon Holdings Funding Limited, for a principal aggregate amount of US$650 million of 5.50% senior unsecured notes due 2026 (the “Notes”). The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Avolon, and by certain of its subsidiaries.

The Offering is expected to close on or about 29 September, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. Net proceeds from the Offering will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include the future repayment of outstanding indebtedness.

North America Helicopters Market Growth, Trends, and Forecasts Report 2020-2025

The North America Helicopters Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period.

While the demand for commercial helicopters in the region is driven by the usage of helicopters for professional and leisure activities, the demand for military helicopters is driven by the ongoing fleet modernization programs undertaken by the regional armed forces.

The helicopter OEMs are focused on the development of new-generation helicopters with superior flight capabilities than their predecessors. Advancements in new composite technologies, as well as helicopter health, usage & monitoring systems (HUMS), will enable enhanced operational predictability, to hone down unscheduled maintenance events, and provide complete prognostics to optimize scheduled maintenance resulting in increased mission readiness and lower maintenance costs.

However, safety incidents such as helicopter crashes, raise significant reliability concerns, and may impede the growth of the market in the region.

Clay Lacy Aviation Awarded FBO Lease at John Wayne Airport, Orange County

Image Clay Lacy Aviation

 The Orange County Board of Supervisors has awarded Clay Lacy Aviation a thirty-five year lease at John Wayne Airport (KSNA) to build and operate a world-class Fixed Base Operation (FBO) that will serve as a business gateway for Orange County and contribute to a thriving general aviation ecosystem at the airport. Founded in Southern California by a Hall of Fame aviator, and celebrating 52 years in business, Clay Lacy Aviation is one of the most experienced and respected business aviation firms in the U.S., with the highest independent safety ratings and award-winning services. Prior to the Board of Supervisors’ selection, Clay Lacy was endorsed by the SoCal Pilots Association, the Airport Working Group of Orange County, and Still Protecting Our Newport and received unanimous support from the Orange County Airport Commission.

SG Blocks and Grimshaw to Bring Rapid Coronavirus Testing Centers to Los Angeles International Airport

SG Blocks, Inc., a leading designer, innovator and fabricator of container-based structures, and Grimshaw, a global leader in architecture, planning and industrial design, today announced plans to build modular coronavirus testing centres for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The centres are expected to be delivered to LAX on or before November 1, 2020.

The D-Tec 2 model Testing Pods will feature a CLIA certified laboratory and deploy the OSANG GeneFinder™ test, offering COVID-19 test results in just two hours. Created in partnership with Grimshaw, SG Blocks’ D-Tec suite of testing pods upcycles disused shipping containers, offering a safe, efficient environment for testing collection and onsite deployable laboratory analysis. The CLIA certified laboratory will be operated and fully staffed by Clarity Mobile Venture, a joint venture with SG Blocks and Clarity Labs.

Aviation Capital Group Announces Closing of $450 Million Unsecured Term Loan

Aviation Capital Group, announced the closing of a $450 million unsecured term loan with its parent company, Tokyo Century Corporation. Tokyo Century, with the support of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (“JBIC”) and other Japanese financial institutions, borrowed this debt capital on behalf of ACG and lent the proceeds to ACG via an intercompany loan.

“We are deeply grateful for the support provided by JBIC and other financial institutions to the overseas business growth of Tokyo Century. ACG has always been focused on ensuring a diversified access to financing. This loan is an important element that will allow ACG and Tokyo Century to continue to meet our mission and business plan in supporting our industry partners and customers,” said Madhu Vijay, Executive Vice President and CFO of ACG.

Aviation Capital Group was founded in 1989 and is one of the world’s premier full-service aircraft asset managers with over 450 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of August 17, 2020, which are leased to approximately 90 airlines in approximately 45 countries. ACG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation.

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easyJet holidays launches Protection Promise

New research reveals over 33 million Brits have had their travel plans disrupted* by COVID-19 this year however  one in four (24%) still intend to go on holiday abroad before the end of the year, according to easyJet holidays

• 38% are willing to quarantine for two weeks on their return in order to get away, while holiday planning gives 57% of Brits an exciting boost to their mood according to the new report, ‘Taking the Temperature: Consumer holiday trends in 2020 and beyond’
• With holidaymakers demanding increased security and flexibility, easyJet holidays has launched its industry-leading Protection Promise, giving apprehensive Brits added reassurance
• “The way we book holidays will never be the same. Our industry needs to step up for customers and adapt to this new reality,” says easyJet holidays Customer Director Matt Callaghan

More than 33 million Brits have had their holiday plans disrupted this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, new research reveals which is why a recent survey reveals that  more than half (52%) of Brits are only willing to book a holiday abroad if they feel confident their money is protected, showing consumers are looking for increased flexibility and security from holiday providers.

Recognising these changing consumer needs and listening to the concerns of its customers, easyJet holidays is today launching its new Protection Promise, an industry-leading guarantee of flexibility and protection for customers. The new, long-term customer policy has been introduced in addition to the short-term commitments the company has in place to support customers’ bookings impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has included a promise to cancel any holidays where there is a known quarantine or self-isolation requirement in the destination and any customer refunds have been processed in an average of 12 days.

American Airlines celebrating hispanic heritage

During Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15–Oct. 15), American Airlines is celebrating its Hispanic team members and their contributions to the airline throughout its history. American has a long and proud history in Latin America and the Caribbean, starting in 1942 with the launch of service to Mexico — with routes to Monterrey and Mexico City — marking the airline’s foray into the region. But not until 1990, after purchasing Eastern Airlines’ Latin America routes, did the airline’s rapid expansion begin, launching service from Miami to 20 cities in 15 countries, currently including Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru.

Allegiant and unions support Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act

The U.S. budget Allegiant Travel Company and the unions representing its pilots and flight attendants have issued a joint statement this week recognizing the introduction of the bicameral Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020 in the U.S. Senate by Senators Roger Wicker and Susan Collins, and in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett and Congressman David Joyce. 

The legislation would extend the airline worker Payroll Support Program (PSP) through March 2021. Allegiant's 1,000 pilots are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters local 2118 (IBT) and its 1,500 flight attendants by the Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO local 577 (TWU).

easyJet hanging by a thread according to union official

BBC News is reporting that it has been told that one of the largest European low-cost airlines, easyJet "hanging by a thread"

Union official Martin Entwisle said the budget airline was in a "really, really dire situation." in a recording leaked to BBC News.  Apparently, Entwisle is said to have made the comment after a meeting with the airline's chief financial officer, Andrew Findlay.

Entwisle, along with three other representatives of  BALPA - the pilots' union and senior easyJet management took place two weeks ago. In a following presentation to easyJet pilots, Entwisle, an easyJet captain and union rep, said, "I think the easiest way to put it is that the company is hanging by a thread. The situation is dire. If we don't have a good summer next summer and make a considerable amount of money, we really are going to be out of a job."

The carrier wants the majority of its staff to take up part-time working schedules in order for it to save money and ultimately save jobs.

In the recording, Entwisle said the winter is looking "dire" resulting ineasyJet cutting back significantly on its usual flight schedule. Claiming that peak flying each day during the winter "is not going to exceed 90 aircraft in the UK."  adding "some of it is absolutely horrendous - some bases are looking at in excess of 50 - 60% cuts, possibly this winter."

At least 26 people dead in Ukraine plane crash

Photo EPA

According to officials, at least twenty-six people had died in a military aircraft crash just over a mile from the town of Chuhuiv in Ukraine.

The aircraft was an Antonov-26 was on a training flight and was carrying 20 cadets and 7 officers from the Kharkiv Air Force University.

Reuters news agency reports that an eye witness had said he had seen a man in flames running from the wreckage. "Another car stopped behind us. We took a fire extinguisher and ran with another driver to help him," he said.

Officials have confirmed that an investigation is underway, although preliminary enquiries seem to suggest that the aircraft's captain was flying the aircraft at the time of the crash, not any of the cadets. Local media is reporting that air crash investigators are reportedly looking at four possible causes of the disaster-  aircraft technical malfunction, improper performance by the flight crew,  improper performance by ground control, and poor maintenance.

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky said he sought an "objective and unbiased" investigation of the air crash, saying "We have lost young cadets and experienced military servicemen who had their whole life ahead of them," he said. adding: "It is hard to choose the words to describe the pain of this loss." he has declared a national day of mourning.

The SBU - Security Service of Ukraine has issued a statement advising the disaster happened five minutes after the commander requested to land because of left engine failure. "According to preliminary findings, the cadets did not directly control the plane - the crew captain carried out all flights," the statement confirmed.

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ZeroAvia Completes World First Hydrogen-Electric Passenger Plane Flight

Leading innovator in the decarbonisation of aviation makes major breakthrough with first hydrogen fuel cell flight of a commercial-size aircraft

ZeroAvia's retrofitted Piper M-class is now the largest hydrogen powered aircraft in the world

       ZeroAvia, the leading innovator in decarbonising commercial aviation, has completed the world first hydrogen fuel cell powered flight of a commercial-grade aircraft. The flight took place yesterday at the company's R&D facility in Cranfield, England, with the Piper M-class six-seat plane completing taxi, takeoff, a full pattern circuit, and landing.

ZeroAvia's achievement is the first step to realising the transformational possibilities of moving from fossil fuels to zero-emission hydrogen as the primary energy source for commercial aviation. Eventually, and without any new fundamental science required, hydrogen-powered aircraft will match the flight distances and payload of the current fossil fuel aircraft.

This major milestone on the road to commercial zero-emission flight is part of the HyFlyer project, a sequential R&D programme supported by the UK Government and follows the UK's first ever commercial-scale battery-electric flight, conducted in the same aircraft in June. ZeroAvia will now turn its attention to the next and final stage of its six-seat development program - a 250-mile zero emission flight out of an airfield in Orkney before the end of the year. The demonstration of this range is roughly equivalent to busy major routes such as Los Angeles to San Francisco or London to Edinburgh.

IATA and UNOCT to Cooperate on Countering Terrorist Travel

                           

                 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel  Programme (CT Travel Programme). The memorandum was signed today by UNOCT Under-Secretary-General Mr. Vladimir Voronkov and Director General and CEO of IATA, Mr. Alexandre de Juniac during a virtual ceremony.

The CT Travel Programme, a flagship global initiative of UNOCT, assists Member States in building their capabilities to detect and counter terrorists and serious criminals by using advance passenger information (API), passenger name record (PNR), and other passenger data, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), and 2482 (2019) and relevant privacy laws. IATA will join the CT Travel Programme as the first non-government partner of the initiative.