IndiGo has received its IATA membership certificate, becoming the fourth Indian airline and the second low-cost operator from the country to join the association. IATA membership will help the airline align with global practices developed by the association, as well as further strengthen its partnership portfolio and accelerate its international expansion, says IndiGo. The association's members in India include Air India, SpiceJet and Vistara. IndiGo, which operates almost 1,500 daily flights to 60 domestic and 23 international destinations with a fleet of 247 aircraft, recently announced a one-way codeshare with Qatar Airways and partnered with Turkish Airlines last year to expand its international presence. This year the airline expanded into new international markets, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, Myanmar and Vietnam. “Being a member of IATA will help IndiGo grow its network faster by building relationships with other airlines,” says Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, IndiGo's president and chief operating officer. <br/>
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Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday his government was ready to mediate in a dispute between the owners of airline Interjet and broadcaster Televisa when asked about the financial health of the Mexican carrier. Last weekend, Mexican media reported that judges had ordered bank accounts of the Aleman family, which controls Interjet, to be seized due to a dispute over outstanding debts to broadcaster Televisa relating to the purchase of radio stations. Interjet responded by issuing a statement saying that its accounts had not been seized and that it was operating normally. During his regular morning news conference, Lopez Obrador made reference to the “disagreement between Televisa and the owners of Interjet” and said the government had offered to mediate to facilitate an accord between the two. “We’re very open to helping to bring about a conciliation,” the veteran leftist said.<br/>
Hong Kong Airlines delayed salaries for much of its staff, saying business has been "severely affected" by social unrest in Hong Kong and sustained weak travel demand. Only cabin crew and overseas employees will receive their November wages on time, while all other Hong Kong-based workers will be paid on Dec 6, the airline said Friday. It said revenue dipped significantly in November - a low travel season - and impacted the monthly payroll. More than five months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong have weighed heavily on the aviation sector by deterring visitors, and pushing the local economy into recession. The unrest has disrupted transport networks and even temporarily paralysed the airport in August, prompting Hong Kong Airlines at the time to say it would adjust services. The city's third-biggest carrier isn't alone in feeling the heat from the protests, but it's the first airline to hold back salaries because of the revenue squeeze.<br/>
AirAsia Group's Q3 profit rose 4.6% to more than MYR264 million ($63.3m) as revenue and passenger numbers increased. Revenue for the quarter ended 30 September was up 18% at MYR3.07b. Group-wide traffic likewise grew 18%, slightly lower than the 19% increase in capacity. This resulted in a two-point load-factor decline, to 84%. Expenses related to staff, maintenance and user charges rose amid expansion. Depreciation costs meanwhile grew, reflecting the adoption of a new accounting standard on leases. AirAsia made a net loss of MYR67.5m as it took hits from foreign exchange and fair-value losses on derivatives. The previous year, it had made a MYR804m net profit in the Q3. On a nine-month basis, AirAsia's operating profit halved to MYR707 million, despite a 17% lift in revenue to MYR9.09b. Net profit shrunk 96% to MYR99.5m. Story has further breakdown of results.<br/>
Icelandair is expecting the Boeing 737 Max to return to service in March next year, 12 months after its grounding. The operator, which has several of the type parked, disclosed its expectation as it unveiled a flight timetable for 2020 which will involve a 4.8% reduction in capacity. Icelandair will cut capacity by 11% to North American destinations, as a result of withdrawal of services to San Francisco, Kansas City and Tampa. It will also reduce frequency to a number of other North American cities owing to "market developments", it says. But its capacity on European routes will be hiked by a modest 2%, with a schedule that includes a new service to be revealed in the next few weeks. Icelandair plans to operate additional frequencies to cities including Copenhagen, Helsinki, Berlin, Zurich, Madrid and Milan. It will trim frequency on certain routes such as Paris, Frankfurt and Hamburg. The airline says it will concentrate on increasing the number of passengers travelling to and from Iceland itself.<br/>