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Brussels Airlines, which lost its main airport hub after the worst terrorist attack in Belgium’s history, has decamped to 4 other cities to maintain service, even using buses to get people to flights at alternative airports. After the bombing, the carrier shifted some airplanes and crew to Frankfurt and Zurich, to maintain links with Africa and the US. Flights to European cities were moved to Antwerp and Liege, both about an hour from the capital. The airline hired buses to take passengers to alternative airports. Costs tied to the attacks will amount to a double-digit million-euro amount, a spokesman said. “The challenge we face is huge,” the spokesman said. “Our home base is closed, organising the flights from other airports is very demanding”. <br/>

Air India's Dreamliner woes continue with a technical problem forcing the carrier to ground one of its planes in Paris Friday even as Boeing is planning to advance deliveries of the remaining 6 aircraft by a few months. The grounding of another Boeing 787-800 comes close on the heels of Air India's Kolkata-Delhi flight hitting the same problem last week, forcing a midnight replacement. Significantly, AI's engineering union had urged the management last year to defer deliveries of the remaining aircraft till Boeing does not address the technical issues and 'pay' compensation for the adverse impact on the carrier's on-time performance due to grounding of the planes. At the time of Kolkata incident, Air India had admitted that it was facing teething technical glitches in Dreamliner aircraft. <br/>

Aegean Airlines, which recently took delivery of its seventh and final Airbus A320ceo, is in the final stages of installing an A320 flight simulator training facility in Athens, Aegean MD Dimitris Gerogiannis said. The carrier operates 47 A320 family aircraft. “We have a simulator in Munich, and a fixed base A320 simulator, and we are also in the final stages of installing an A320 simulator in Athens. That way we shall be able to have our training in Greece. So we’ve developed the capacity and the necessary critical mass to allow us to pursue this investment, too,” Gerogiannis said, adding Aegean is investing in the training of 600 flight deck crew, 1,200 cabin crew and 340 technical staff. Gerogiannis said the carrier has created 900 new jobs over the past 3 years. This year the carrier is adding 1m seats. <br/>

Turkish Airlines chairman İlker Aycı said that they would continue to grow in 2016, as 2015 was a profitable year, and that they are expecting this year to be profitable as well. "In this respect, we are trying to do our business in the best manner we can without high expectations," Aycı said. Aycı said 2015 was a tough year for all sectors. Yet, even though 2016 had a strong start, expectations should not be raised due to recent developments. Furthermore, this year is so far no different than 2015, according to Aycı. While there are great difficulties, there were also improvements. "We have a plan B for all the difficulties we may encounter. We plan to overcome any problems that arise together with our colleagues, partners, our board of directors and the General Directorate in 2016, just like we did in 2015," Aycı said. <br/>

ANA and delivery service Yamato Transport are collaborating to offer Japan’s first ever same day baggage delivery service between two cities. The service leverages the two companies’ networks to allow international visitors to Japan to send their baggage same day between 4 designated hotels in the Tokyo region and the Osaka/Kyoto region for JPY2,000 per piece. The service began March 23. Based on customer feedback and data during the trial period, the companies will expand the service and coverage areas later this year. ANA and Yamato Transport are pioneering this service as part of their continuing efforts to improve convenience, and have high expectations as the number of international visitors to Japan, especially those from Asia, continues to soar to 19.74m in 2015, an increase of 47.1% year on year. <br/>

Azul Brazilian Airlines has acquired US$90m in convertible bonds in TAP Portugal, the equivalent of 40% of the economic value of TAP Portugal. The transaction is pending approval from Portuguese civil aviation authority ANAC. In 2015, the Atlantic Gateway consortium, which is partly backed by JetBlue Airways and Azul founder David Neeleman, acquired a 61% stake in TAP from the Portuguese govt. But in February of this year the country’s govt scaled back the acquiring consortium’s share to 45%. In Nov 2015, HNA Group, the parent of Hainan Airlines, made a firm commitment to buy 23.7% stake in Azul Brazilian Airlines for $450m. Several media outlets have reported that Azul sees this $90m investment as a way to strengthen the common interests between Azul, TAP and HNA Group. <br/>