The differences between promoters of IndiGo pertain to related party transactions (RPTs), the airline's CE Ronojoy Dutta said Tuesday. According to Dutta, Rakesh Gangwal is seeking changes to the RPT process that allow Rahul Bhatia-controlled firms to charge the airline for its services. “It’s an agreement issue between the two promoters. It has got to do with the RPTs,” Dutta explained. A related-party transaction is a deal or arrangement between two parties, who are joined by a pre-existing business relationship. Dutta said the value of RPTs was around US$30m during 2017-18. “The value of RPTs have come down to around $20m in FY19. It is an administrative issue, and has nothing to do with the shareholders’ agreement or the Article of Association,” Dutta added. <br/>
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EasyJet is taking steps to prepare for another summer of anticipated flight disruptions in Europe. “The only thing we know about the upcoming summer is that there will be further slot delays. However, we have been preparing ourselves for months now,” EasyJet Europe MD Thomas Haagensen said. The airline has doubled the number of spare aircraft to 14, he said, and has also adjusted summer schedules and expanded afternoon buffer times for aircraft turnarounds. Strikes by European air traffic controllers and infrastructure limitations caused widespread flight disruptions in summer 2018. “Like all airlines in Europe, this is our focus and priority. EasyJet has paid US$89m in compensation to passengers, operational costs, etc., last year for something which is not under our control,” Haagensen said. <br/>
A 3-year-old girl was selected for involuntary offloading from an EasyJet flight after the airline overbooked it. Chloe Meacock had been with her family on a Thomas Cook package holiday to Mallorca. The trip included flights on EasyJet. Thomas Cook advised them to check in ahead of reaching the Palma airport before the flight home to Liverpool, but the family were unable to do so. Chloe's mother said: “When we got to the airport they told us that because we hadn’t checked in online they had re-sold Chloe’s seat and that she might not fly.” When tour operators such as Thomas Cook sell packages with “third-party” airlines doing the flying, there is usually an understanding that their customers will not be involuntarily denied boarding due to overbooking <br/>
Estonia’s national airline, Nordica, will give up operating commercial flights in its own name for the foreseeable future, blaming overcapacity at its home hub at Tallinn Airport. Nordica will continue to operate public service obligation flights (the European equivalent of US Essential Air Services program) and will use its fleet for ACMI services on behalf of other carriers. The airline will cease selling tickets for flights after Oct 26. Under an agreement with LOT, the Polish company will take over the management of ticket sales and customer service, while Nordica will focus solely on operating flights. The two airlines already have an extensive cooperation agreement and LOT is a 49% shareholder in Nordica subsidiary Regional Jet, which provides flights for a variety of European airlines. <br/>
Two RAF Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to escort a Jet2 flight Saturday after an apparent mix-up between air traffic controllers and the pilots. The flight, which left Stansted Airport Saturday evening, was headed for Turkey when there was allegedly disruptive behaviour from a female passenger on board. The flight to Dalaman in Turkey was subsequently redirected back to Stansted Airport. The incident was communicated to air traffic control. However the Jet2 pilot was then overheard saying this: "Flight deck secure, cockpit door not compromised." It appears that the Jet2 crew were hoping to reassure air traffic controllers. But air traffic controllers apparently interpreted that phrase to mean that someone had attempted to gain access to the cockpit during the flight. In reality that was not the case. <br/>
The proposed purchase of WestJet by Onex Capital has received minister of transport Marc Garneau’s blessing, clearing a major regulatory hurdle necessary for the deal to close. “We welcome the decision by the minister of transport, and we will continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities on the remaining regulatory approvals,” WestJet CE Ed Sims said. A shareholders’ proxy revealed that Onex’s interest date back to at least mid-2016. WestJet received a non-binding proposal in early 2018, but the two sides ended talks without a deal. The Onex-WestJet deal still must gain several Canadian regulatory approvals as well as WestJet shareholder approval before it is finalised. A special shareholders’ meeting is scheduled for July 23 to consider Onex’s offer. <br/>
Uzbekistan Airways carried 3.173m in 2018, up 17% year-over-year. The airline said it carried 1.9m international passengers and 606,000 domestic passengers; 1.5m were carried to the Commonwealth of Independent States. Aircraft flying time increased to 10.9 hrs. per day from 8.1 hrs. in 2017 because of aircraft maintenance optimisation at Moscow and St. Petersburg airports. The number of weekly flights reached 36. In 2018, the carrier took delivery of 2 Airbus A320neos through BOC Aviation and a fourth Boeing 787. The airline expects delivery of 2 additional 787s this year. In 2018, Uzbekistan Airways announced a reorganisation program to improve the country’s accessibility and connectivity. <br/>