The South African govt has confirmed that South African Airways will receive recapitalisation totalling ZAR10b (US$700m) in the 2017-18 financial year. Delivering the govt’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) Oct 25, finance minister Malusi Gigaba said that ZAR5.2b had already been provided, with the remaining ZAR4.8b to be transferred by March 31, 2018. The funds will be used for working capital and to settle debt, enabling the struggling airline to reduce its interest expenses. Gigaba also revealed the govt is to hold talks with the new SAA board over a new strategic equity partner to help the airline. “After we meet the new board of SAA, we will pronounce our plans to consolidate aviation assets and bring in a strategic equity partner,” Gigaba said. <br/>
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SIA has been revealed as the buyer of new-generation Boeing widebody planes worth US$13.8b. The order, previously attributed to an unidentified customer, is for 20 777-9s, an aircraft that is still being developed, and 19 stretched Dreamliners, the 787-10s that is due to enter service with airlines next year. The airline will have got a discount to the list price released, but Boeing says the value of the transaction would sustain thousands of US suppliers and more than 70,000 direct and indirect US jobs. The airline also has options for 12 more planes: 6 of each type. "These new aircraft will also provide the SIA Group with new growth opportunities, allowing us to expand our network and offer even more travel options for our customers," said SIA CE Goh Choon Phong. <br/>
United Airlines has launched flights from its Los Angeles hub to Singapore – a 14,000km journey that takes 17 hours, 55 minutes on the outbound leg and 15 hours, 15 minutes on the way back. The once-daily route is being operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner configured with 252 seats in a 3-class layout (116 in Economy, 88 in Economy Plus and 48 in Business). The inaugural service took off Oct 29. SIA stopped nonstop trans-pacific flights to Los Angeles in 2013 after deciding to retire its 4-engine Airbus A340-500s. It halted nonstop trans-arctic flights from Singapore to New York at the same time, though both destinations are still served with stopovers. The 13,600km San Francisco-Singapore route is already served once daily by both carriers, with United deploying a 787-9 and SIA using an A350-900. <br/>