Kenya Airways sent acting CFO Hellen Mwariri on compulsory leave, according to 3 people with knowledge of the matter. Mwariri is under investigation by the board for allegedly leaking sensitive company information, 2 of the people said. CE Sebastian Mikosz appointed Mwariri as acting CFO in Nov 2017 to overhaul the loss-making carrier. At the time, a former CFO was suing the airline for wrongful dismissal. The carrier said last month its first-half losses almost tripled, partly due to a switch to IFRS 16 reporting standards that came into effect Jan 1. The govt, the airline’s main shareholder, supports a proposal by lawmakers to the carrier. Kenya Airways stock is the worst performer on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, having plummeted 73% this year. <br/>
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KLM is replacing one of its daily flights between Amsterdam Schiphol and Brussels with a high-speed train service. The carrier will cut down from 5 flights a day to 4 from March 29 2020, swapping 1 flight for seat capacity on-board a Thalys train. However, KLM passengers have been promised that the rail option will match the service they would receive travelling by plane. It’s part of the airline’s long-term plan to reduce the number of flights between Brussels and Amsterdam and to gradually replace short-haul hops with rail services – providing the train can match the speed, reliability and comfort of air travel. The move is partly in response to slot restrictions at Amsterdam airport (limiting the number of flights KLM can operate), and partly down to KLM’s “Fly Responsibly” commitment. <br/>
Delta Air Lines is investing US$2m to research the feasibility of developing biofuel products from forest floor debris in an effort to improve sustainability, the airline said Tuesday. The study, which the carrier is conducting with Northwest Advanced Bio-fuels in Washington State, comes as the broader airline industry eyes ambitious carbon-reduction goals. Delta expects its project will be complete by mid-2020, when it will evaluate next steps. The airline says sustainable aviation fuel made from wood residue and forest debris could be used in Delta operations in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It could be delivered as soon as 2023. Delta says it is studying alternative fuels as a means to help reach a goal of reducing carbon emissions 50% by 2050. <br/>
A deadline for would-be investors in Alitalia to present their business plan for the relaunch of the bankrupt carrier has been pushed back once again, this time to Oct 15, a union source confirmed, adding that the postponement will allow more time for rescue partners to reach an agreement on the group’s industrial strategy. Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato, infrastructure group Atlantia and Delta Air Lines had been scheduled to present their plans by Sept 15, but the deadline has once again been pushed back in the latest delay of a long-running process that has been affected by political upheaval in Italy. In the latest twist, a new economic development minister, Stefano Patuanelli, is now responsible for overseeing the Alitalia situation after the previous govt coalition collapsed. <br/>