The grounded Boeing Co 737 MAX is “highly likely” to be flying by mid-August, American Airlines Group CE Doug Parker said Wednesday. A battered aviation industry is awaiting regulatory approval for a software fix and pilot training updates by Boeing that would pave the way for the troubled jet to fly again following two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within five months. American Airlines has said the economic impact of the grounded MAX would be about $350 million between its worldwide grounding in mid-March and Aug. 19, when the airline had initially envisioned flying its 24 MAX jets again. On Sunday, American extended cancellations of about 115 daily flights until Sept. 3, but Parker said that decision merely reflected monthly scheduling plans for crew. “No one should take that as some indication that we don’t think the aircraft will be ready by Aug 19,” Parker said during the company’s annual shareholders meeting. “We wouldn’t be selling seats today if we didn’t think it was a highly likely possibility (...) that we’d be able to provide that service by Sept. 3,” he added. Boeing has yet to formally submit its software fix to the FAA, which said Wednesday it does not have a specific timetable on when the 737 MAX would return to service. Still, Parker said he understood there was “an absolute fix” for the 737 MAX, while acknowledging there was no certain timetable and that rebuilding public confidence may take time.<br/>
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Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional will make a decision in Q3 on a turnaround plan for the parent company of Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) tells FlightGlobal that the plan was submitted in February, and coversits airline units Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings and MAB Kargo, as well as its its wider, non-airline operations. "The plan will look at diversifying the group’s overall revenue by driving growth in other aviation related portfolios," it adds. The new long-term strategy is a follow-on from its recovery plan, which MAG says fulfilled the original aim of "resetting" Malaysia Airlines. "However, a new comprehensive long-term strategy is needed to ensure a sustainable and dynamic business that is responsive to market needs and changes," it adds. Khazanah took the carrier private in late 2014 after it was rocked by the disappearance of flight MH370 and the shooting down of flight MH17. That kicked off a 12-point, MYR6b ($1.44b) restructuring plan, which envisioned the airline re-listing on the Malaysian stock exchange once it is profitable.<br/>
Finnair’s sizeable China business is back on track after stumbling in recent months, the Nordic airline’s CEO has said. The Helsinki-based carrier increased its access into the country in recent weeks, having agreed code-share deals with the largest carrier, Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines in Shanghai. Topi Manner, the airline’s CE, said the deals would provide a foundation to grow in China and set a platform for future expansion, involving selling connecting flights to and from domestic Chinese cities that it would not otherwise fly to non-stop. “Destinations like China, this is the very reason we are doing the code-shares. These are important building blocks for our presence and we are really focused on further strengthening our partnerships with both of these airlines,” he said.<br/>