Aeromexico has held preliminary talks to take some Bombardier CSeries jets orders from Delta, which owns a stake in the Mexican carrier, to avoid possible US trade duties levied on the planes, two sources familiar with the matter said. Mexico’s largest carrier, 49% owned by Delta, is considering taking an unknown number of the 75 CSeries planes ordered by Delta in 2016, one of the sources said. Delta’s CSeries deliveries, scheduled to begin in spring 2018, face a possible 300 percent US duty stemming from a trade dispute with Boeing. In October, Bombardier gave a controlling stake in the CSeries program to Airbus, which would enable assembly in the US in a move it says will help bypass potential import duties. Under the proposed Aeromexico deal, the single-aisle jets would be sold to Aeromexico and fly under the banner of the Mexican carrier which would not have to pay a US duty, one of the sources added. “It’s not a way for Aeromexico to fly for Delta,” the same source said. “But it keeps the planes within the Delta family.”<br/>
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KLM has proposed a mediator to help break a long-running deadlock with the FNV Cabine union over the cutting of cabin crew numbers on some long-haul flights, which has prompted plans for fresh strike action. Cabin crew represented by FNV Cabine have called a 24h strike for 8 January. The union has carried out short stoppages and work-to-rule action since last winter's implementation of the "-1 CA" measure reducing the number of cabin crew in economy cabins on some long-haul flights. That followed the failure to reach a deal on new productivity measures. Union members in September rejected a new proposed labour deal. "The goal is clear; the -1 CA measure must be taken off the table," the FNV union says now. "We want a decent collect labour agreement and, like all other KLM employees, we want to share in the profits of 2016 and 2017."<br/>
Passengers have disembarked the inaugural China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou to Cairns as part of the carrier’s new year-round direct service. The jet received a water salute after touching down about 7.30am. A flight from Cairns to Guangzhou was scheduled for a 9.30am departure. China Southern will now operate three direct services a week between Cairns and mainland China. “These direct flights offer a golden opportunity for Cairns to develop this highly valued market and further strengthen the role tourism plays in driving the region’s economy,” said Tourism Tropical North Queensland CE Pip Close.<br/>
Garuda Indonesia canceled a flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday due to a lack of available pilots. The plane was scheduled to depart at 10 p.m. Singapore time. A Garuda spokesman said the pilots who were meant to fly that evening had flown for nine hours on Sunday – the maximum number of hours a pilot is permitted to fly in one day. "The pilots should fly for a maximum of nine hours a day after having flown five times but, due to delays, the pilots had reached the flying limit," he said, adding that the pilots were not immediately replaced as all available ones were in Jakarta. As a result, hundreds of passengers were forced to reschedule their flights on Monday as all Sunday flights were fully booked.<br/>