Boeing has told one of the biggest 737 Max buyers, SpiceJet, that the grounded jet should be back in the air by July, signalling a quicker return for the plane than many in the industry expect. “The timeline that’s been communicated to us based on their experience is July -- end of June basically,” SpiceJet’s CFO Kiran Koteshwar said. “We are expecting it to be July.” That’s a more bullish timeline than most regulators and airlines have predicted. European regulators assessing proposed changes to the Max are planning to scrutinize the jet’s entire flight-control system before a return to the skies can be approved, while US aviation regulators said they won’t rush the matter. Regulators in Indonesia has signalled it may keep the jet parked until next year. “All the other regulators will also have to be happy with them,” Koteshwar said. <br/>
unaligned
AirAsia Group wants to sell more than cheap flight tickets. AirAsia is talking to potential partners to build an e-commerce app that it wants to see overtake the size of its airline business, Group deputy CE Aireen Omar said. The carrier, which gets about US$240m revenue a year from its current booking engine, expects to earn 20 times more as it expands into an app that will offer lifestyle goods and services. “This will be bigger than the airline itself,” Aireen said. “There’s a lot you can do in just one app and that’s what we are trying to do with our travel and lifestyle app.” The airline is bolstering its digital capability to tap a regional e-commerce market that’s set to increase threefold to $240b by 2025, CE Tony Fernandes said last month. AirAsia’s app will offer everything from hotel bookings to beauty products and dinner vouchers. <br/>
AirAsia has reported a Q1 operating profit down 68% at MYR236m (US$56.3m), after a sharp increase in total expenditure. Revenue in the 3 months ended March 31 was up 13% at MYR2.88b, but expenses jumped 21% to MYR2.78b. Depreciation was the highest contributor to the higher expenses, followed by maintenance and fuel costs. Unit cost rose 8% if fuel is included, or 11% ex-fuel. Net profit plunged 91% to MYR102mi, despite foreign-exchange gains and a fair-value gain on derivatives. Last year's figure had included remeasurement gains on retained interest in a former subsidiary. Passenger numbers rose 18% to 12.5m in Q1. Traffic growth of 13% outpaced an 11% capacity boost. Load factor rose one point to 88%. <br/>
SA Express is preparing to press fraud and corruption charges against several former executives after an investigation turned up financial irregularities. The decision came after a forensic investigation flagged several transactions that may have cost the airline millions of rand prior to its temporary grounding in May 2018, SA Express said. The transactions included cases of alleged collusion by unidentified airline executives with service providers and manipulation of procurement processes, as well as irregular and overpayment of suppliers, the carrier said. The South African Civil Aviation Authority barred the airline from flying for 3 months for alleged internal problems the regulator said “posed serious safety risks.” The airline had to re-establish certificates of airworthiness for its fleet of Bombardier regional jets and turboprops. <br/>