US safety investigators have reviewed data from the flight recorders or black boxes that were aboard crashed Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, 4 people briefed on the investigation said. The NTSB has reviewed raw data from the flight data recorder and listened to the cockpit voice recorder. A preliminary report is expected as early as next week. Under international rules, Ethiopia safety officials are in charge of the investigation and are the only entity that can release information about the probe. The March 10 crash has set off one of the widest inquiries in aviation history and cast a shadow over the Boeing MAX model intended to be a standard for decades. NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt told a US Senate panel Wednesday that the board was getting all the cooperation it needed from the Ethiopian and Indonesian govts. <br/>
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Despite facing its biggest crisis in years, Ethiopian Airlines’ CE says the company remains committed to its pan-African expansion plans including striking more partnerships across the continent. Tewolde GebreMariam said the airline remained bullish about forging into new markets and opening up to private investment. He said the carrier is in the process of acquiring airlines in Togo, Ghana, and Guinea, alongside already existing partner airlines in Chad, Malawi, and Mozambique. Tewolde also commented on plans to open up the carrier for domestic and international investment. The move is part of reforms by prime minister Abiy Ahmed. The process was still in its early stages, Tewolde argued, but “When we open the airline for shares and privatisation, it will be given priority to African countries.” <br/>
A sweeping business review by Air NZ has resulted in a cost-cutting plan that will include aircraft delivery deferrals, although the carrier has also unveiled a new international destination and widebody cabin upgrades. The review was prompted by an earnings downgrade issued Jan 30. While the airline still expects to achieve a healthy profit in its fiscal year through June 30, it is concerned about a downward trend in passenger demand that it believes signals a fundamental market shift. CE Christopher Luxon outlined a range of measures “to ensure a return to earnings growth in the lower-growth environment.” This will include trimming capacity expansion plans, deferring NZ$750m (US$510m) in capital spending related to aircraft deliveries, and a 2-year cost-cutting program aimed at delivering $60m in annual savings. <br/>
Asiana Airlines' co-CE resigned Thursday and its debt-ridden parent Kumho Asiana Group sought financial support from its top creditor after an accounting fiasco at the carrier threatened the group's liquidity position. The surprise resignation of Park Sam-koo, who also quit as chairman of the group and co-CE of its biggest shareholder Kumho Industrial, comes after the two firms failed to get auditors' sign-offs on their annual reports last week. That triggered warnings of credit ratings downgrades, a sharp earnings revision for Asiana, and a massive stock-market sell-off of the two firms Tuesday when shares resumed trading after a 2-day trading halt. Asiana has already sold assets to improve cash flow and reduce debt from aircraft purchases, as it battles rising fuel costs and competition from low-cost carriers. <br/>
Improved passenger traffic revenue helped Air China post a 2018 net profit of CNY7.3b <br/>(US$1.07b), up 1.3% from CNY7.2b in the previous year. The group’s total revenue was up 12.7% year-over-year to CNY136.8b, despite increased fuel prices and a weakened Chinese currency. Operating costs rose at about the same rate to CNY126.4b. Yield grew 2.9%. Air China’s revenue reached CNY84.5b, up 12.2% YOY, with domestic revenue accounting for CNY49.8b, increasing 8.6%. Domestic passenger traffic, measured in RPKs, increased 6.4% YOY, while capacity, measured in ASKs, grew 7.5%. The airline’s international business performed better, with revenue growing 18.8% to CNY32.1b. International RPKs were up 13.1% and ASKs rose 14.1%. <br/>