Spanish pilots union SEPLA said Wednesday it would call a nationwide strike among Ryanair pilots for 5 days in September, in protest at plans to close several bases in the country. A SEPLA spokesman said around 900 pilots would be invited to walk out Sept 19, 20, 22, 27 and 29. Some of those dates coincide with planned strikes already announced by the airline's cabin crew in Spain. Last week, Ryanair decided to close its Spanish bases in Las Palmas, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Girona from January, putting the jobs of more than 500 pilots and cabin crew at risk, according to the local USO union. <br/>
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Virgin Australia announced 750 job cuts and a wide-ranging operational review after reporting a seventh consecutive annual loss. The shares fell to a decade-low. The job losses, which affect almost 8% of the airline’s total workforce, will shrink corporate and head office staff, Virgin Australia said Wednesday. It plans to review its fleet and routes, and will cut some international and domestic flights. All contracts with suppliers are also being reassessed. The shakeup is new CE Paul Scurrah’s attempt to make the airline commercially viable. Virgin Australia has already pushed back delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max jet by almost 2 years. Scurrah’s mission is further complicated by a slowing domestic economy, rising fuel costs and a weaker Australian dollar. <br/>
The AirAsia Group reported a net profit of MYR46.8m (US$11.1m) for the June quarter, down 85% from the same period a year earlier. Several factors contributed to the group’s net profit decline. These included the recognition of prior years’ losses in AirAsia India, higher maintenance and overhaul costs, and a fine from Malaysia’s competition watchdog agency. The AirAsia Group includes the Malaysian, Indonesian and Philippine units for financial reporting purposes. The Indonesian affiliate achieved a turnaround to return to profit in the quarter, and AirAsia Philippines dramatically increased its profit. Thai AirAsia reported a loss in the quarter, because of “sluggish” tourism in that country and the appreciation of the local currency. However, the group aims to “recuperate” the Thai operation. <br/>
Bulgaria-based airline Holiday Europe launched operations Aug 24, with a flight from Antalya (Turkey) to Nuremberg with 218 passengers after receiving an air operator’s certificate. The carrier, which operates 1 219-seat Airbus 321, plans to increase its fleet to 7 Airbus aircraft by October. The airline’s long-term plans includes operating charter flights from Europe to nearly 50 cities, especially Egypt, Dubai, the Canary Islands and Turkey. Holiday Europe has executed agreements with Turkey’s LCC Onur Air, which provides logistics agreements, fleet, crew and technical support. The company says it expects to eliminate a huge gap in the ever-developing traveling trends and wants to become one of the top-ranking European touristic charter carriers by 2022. <br/>