Grupo Aeromexico is readying itself for a shopping spree to update its fleet of short-haul jets. The carrier is poised to choose this year between Embraer E195-E2 aircraft and Airbus A220 models, CE Andres Conesa said. The order would potentially be for 60 planes to overhaul the existing regional fleet of Embraer jets, he said. Based on list prices, that implies a deal size of US$4.25b to $4.9b before customary discounts. Aeromexico, which has been studying the potential order since 2017, is looking to acquire bigger short-distance aircraft in an effort to increase capacity at Mexico City’s congested airport without adding flights. The E195-E2 would boost seat capacity by about 25% compared with the airline’s existing fleet, while the A220 would provide a 35% increase, Conesa said. <br/>
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In the wake of last week’s meeting between US airline executives and president Trump, one of the more interesting details that emerged was that the president reportedly was incensed that Delta CE Ed Bastian didn’t show up. Now Bastian has offered an explanation to Delta employees: he wouldn't move his vacation. According to NBC News, Trump repeatedly asked why Bastian was skipping the meeting after years of leading the Big Three’s campaign on the Gulf carriers. Delta, for its part, was only willing to say that Ed Bastian was on pre-scheduled travel. Now Bastian has given Delta employees a fuller explanation. "My family makes a lot of sacrifices with Delta. I ask them to do a lot of things. I wasn’t about ready to ask them to cancel a long-scheduled vacation." <br/>
By taking back full control of Kenya Airways, lawmakers are banking on Kenya's ability to replicate the profitable example of Ethiopia's state-owned flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines. The global precedents are not reassuring. Govt takeovers rarely transform loss-making airlines, analysts say. And Kenya Airways faces 2 major hurdles: competition from regional rivals and potential govt interference. Kenya plans to form an aviation holding company with a healthier balance sheet by combining the airline with a planned national aviation college and profit-making assets such as the main international airport and airports authority. But some experts believe such a move may only compound the airline's problems, opening it up to political interference without a clear strategic direction. <br/>