Jeff Smisek walked away with $36.8m in severance and benefits from United after he was ousted as CEO last year. Smisek, 61, received about $6.6m in cash plus equity awards valued at $29.4m, according to a proxy statement filed Friday by United Continental, the airline’s parent. He resigned as president, CEO and chairman on Sept. 8, in connection with a probe into the airline’s dealings with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Federal prosecutors are investigating whether the agency, which operates New York area airports, gave concessions to the airline in exchange for it operating an unprofitable route so the agency’s chairman could fly to his weekend home. Two lower-level United executives also left in connection with the probe. Smisek’s exit package also included about $786,000 in various perquisites, such as lifetime flight benefits and a reimbursement for related tax payments, according to Friday’s filing. United’s clawback policy allows the board to demand repayment of about $10.1m of his exit payment. <br/>
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United has cut the pay of senior executive Greg Hart in connection with an internal probe that resulted in its CE's resignation last year. The 2015 annual incentive pay of COO Hart was reduced by US$1m in connection with an investigation into the airline's relationship with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The internal probe focused on whether United added flights to Columbia, South Carolina to curry favour with then-Port Authority Chairman David Samson, who had a home there. United has also disclosed two government investigations related to the matter. A United statement said that the company did not have anything to add beyond what it had disclosed. The proxy statement said its separation agreement with Jeff Smisek, made effective on September 8, gave the outgoing chief executive US$36.8m in severance payments and benefits.<br/>
Air Canada reported an unexpected first-quarter profit as the country’s largest carrier benefited from falling fuel prices and rising traffic. The adjusted profit was 30 Canadian cents a share, Air Canada said in a statement Friday. Revenue climbed 2.8% from a year earlier to C$2.86b and traffic rose 7.7%, while the cost per available seat mile declined 3.3%.<br/>
Air NZ has flown the first evening flight into Queenstown in preparation for scheduled commercial services later this month. Saturday's proving flight was the first of several planned over the coming weeks before the first commercial evening service on May 23. From this date the airline will operate a partial evening schedule between Auckland and Queenstown with the last flight arriving in Queenstown at 6.15pm before departing for Auckland at 6.50pm. The airline's full evening schedule will take effect from 3 July 2016 when the last departure from Queenstown will be 7.30pm and the last arrival at 9.35pm. New runway, taxiway, approach and apron lights have been installed at the airport as part of a $19.6m upgrade to infrastructure to allow for after dark flights. Air NZ chief flight operations and safety officer, Captain David Morgan said the implementation of evening flights has involved significant collaboration across multiple stakeholders. "It really is a milestone for New Zealand aviation and we're proud to be the first airline to offer this service to customers which is sure to bring significant benefits to the Central Otago economy through the additional flights." The airline has invested in the latest technology to enable it to operate evening flights in Queenstown under Civil Aviation Authority requirements.<br/>