The body of a stowaway has been found in the landing gear of an aircraft that landed in Paris after a flight from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, carrier Air France said Wednesday. France’s national airline said an investigation was underway. “Air France confirms that the lifeless body of a stowaway was found in the landing gear compartment of the aircraft operating flight AF703 from Abidjan to Paris-Charles de Gaulle on 7 January 2020.” Air France said. Air France expressed its “deepest sympathy and compassion at this human tragedy”. Air France declined to comment on French media reports that the stowaway was a child. A source in the office of the local prosecutor leading the investigation said she was not aware of the stowaway’s age or identity.<br/>
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Garuda Indonesia expects to return to profitability in 2019, owing to higher yields during the year. The carrier last posted an operating profit of $171m for the quarter ended 30 September. Operating revenue rose 10% year-on-year to $1.35b, and net profit came in at $99m. In comparison, its restated 2018 results reported an operating loss of $139m for the full year, though net loss narrowed to $179m. Revenue came in at $4.37b. However, its bottom line could be eroded by an impairment cost from the loss of a management deal its low-cost subsidiary Citilink previously had with Sriwijaya Air. Both sides could not overcome a deadlock over the appointment of a new management team and ended the partnership last November. In a series of twists and turns, Sriwijaya’s board of commissioners dismissed three senior executives seconded from Citilink in September without providing an explanation but agreed to resume the deal in October. Garuda Indonesia will focus on raising the yields on its international services rather than depend on a high load factor or passenger traffic. It plans to do so through network partnerships with alliance and non-alliance partners, along with expanding its cargo business, it says at a recent event detailing the past year’s operating performance.<br/>
Delta flies the second largest commercial fleet of planes in the world. A little more than half are Boeing aircraft but Delta doesn’t fly the grounded 737 Max. “We are anxious to see the Max back into the sky,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday. “I think having it as long as it’s been out is not good for anyone in the industry, even though we don’t fly the Max, because we need Boeing, to continue to work on development and innovation of future technology.” He added: “That’s been our message to Boeing, is to not lose sight of the future.” Boeing is distracted, according to Bastian, as it attempts to win approval from regulators to return the 737 MAX to flight. The crash early Wednesday of a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 800 in Iran comes at a precarious time for Boeing. Bastian called the crash tragic and like many in the airline industry looks to Boeing to get through the current challenges, “and be able to get the technology and the next generation aircraft that we really need to continue to advance our opportunities to grow.” <br/>