An Arizona-based commuter airline is backing a proposal to shore up the finances of Flybe in a last-ditch effort to scupper a takeover led by Virgin Atlantic Airways. Mesa Air Group is part of a consortium which has tabled an offer to inject GBP65m of new equity into Flybe. The rival proposal is understood to have been submitted to Flybe's board Tuesday afternoon. People close to the company said the refinancing plan was being led by Bateleur Capital, an investment firm which focuses on industries including aviation. The offer is conditional on a previously agreed deal with Virgin being abandoned. Under the terms proposed to Flybe, the rival consortium would inject GBP65m of new equity issued at a price of about 4.5p-a-share - which is significantly more than the total value of an offer from Virgin Atlantic and its partners. <br/>
unaligned
Southwest Airlines' operational emergency stretched into a fifth day Tuesday, with double the normal number of planes taken out of service daily because of mechanical issues. The carrier has been in contract talks with the union representing mechanics for more than 6 years. Southwest has canceled 519 flights since Feb 15, although the total includes flights grounded by weather. A breakdown by cause wasn’t available. The carrier Tuesday added its Dallas maintenance centre to those in Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando that originally were covered by the alert. The number of planes taken out of service has continued at more than twice the normal daily average of 20, Southwest said Tuesday, and there is “no common theme” among the reported mechanical issues. <br/>
Norwegian will open 2 new seasonal routes this year as it continues to modify transatlantic services. The company will serve 2 new summer routes over the Atlantic, with Barcelona-Chicago starting in June and Athens-New York JFK operating from July. Both will continue until the end of the summer season timetable in late October. The routes will be operated with Boeing 787s. Norwegian said there was continued increase in demand on both sides of the Atlantic. However, the company has been shuffling its transatlantic services in recent months. In October 2018, the airline withdrew its short-lived services from Belfast to the New York and Boston areas, while flights from Edinburgh serving New York and Boston will disappear from March 30. <br/>
A powerful jet stream propelled a commercial airline flight to record speeds of more than 800 mph. Virgin Atlantic Flight 8, a Boeing 787, from Los Angeles to London reached a top speed of 801 mph as it travelled through the high-altitude air current while flying about 35,000 feet above Pennsylvania Monday. The flight's record speed took place in the midst of a jet stream that was recorded at more than 230 mph over Long Island. It appears that’s a record for the Boeing 787-9 twin jet, which in the past has flown at speeds up to 776 mph. The ordinary cruising speed of a Dreamliner is 561 mph, with a maximum propulsion of 587 mph. <br/>
Juneyao Airlines will begin flying to Cairo late this year as part of its move into long-haul operations, according to an application submitted to the CAAC. The airline plans to fly 4X-weekly between Cairo and its hometown, Shanghai, and twice-weekly between Cairo and Xi’an with an extension to Shanghai. Juneyao will presumably use Boeing 787-9s, of which it has ordered 5. The proposed services will begin in November, the CAAC said. The agency usually approves services proposed by Chinese airlines if no others are serving the subject routes. In this case, no airline of any nationality is connecting Cairo with Shanghai or Xi’an. Juneyao’s first long-haul service, between Shanghai and Helsinki, is scheduled to start this year. The first 787-9 for Juneyao arrived in October. Three have been delivered. <br/>
Air Mauritius reported a E25.4m (US$28.6m) net loss for the 9-month period ending Dec 31, 2018, down from a E10m net profit for the year-ago period. The carrier cited growing competition and increasing costs for the results. “It’s time to look for alternatives. This business model is no longer viable,” Air Mauritius board chairman Arjoon Suddhoo said Feb 14. While revenue for the period increased 1.7% year-over-year to E395.4m, from E388.7m a year ago, operating costs rose 16.3% to E404m, from E347.6m. A 38% YOY increase in the price of Brent crude contributed to a 29% rise in fuel costs, to E126m, the carrier said. Aircraft costs rose 21% to E110.6m because of fleet modernisation, including the phase-in of 2 Airbus A350-900s, resulting in higher leasing and maintenance costs. <br/>