Philippine Airlines and Cebu Air have suspended their Taiwan flights after the Southeast Asian nation expanded its travel ban on the novel coronavirus. The order temporary barring the entry and departure of foreign nationals from China, Hong Kong and Macau will also cover Taiwan, the Bureau of Immigration said. Both carriers suspended the Taiwan flights starting Tuesday.<br/>
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The UK government may take an ownership stake in the troubled airline Flybe. The government is in talks with the firm and the EC to ensure any rescue deal does not break state aid rules. Officials say support provided to Flybe so far, such as a pledge to cut tax on some domestic routes, are industry-wide measures. However, the government is considering extending a loan of up to GBP100m to the loss-making airline. Government officials insist that any such loan will be on commercial terms but sources at competitors ask how the government can really mean that if the airline finds commercial lenders unavailable. There are different ways of answering those potential objections. First, charge an interest rate on a loan that fully reflects the risk that the government is taking with taxpayer money. This is the government's preferred option. Story looks at other scenarios.<br/>
Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, is leaving the airline after six years in the role. Jacobs joined the carrier in January 2014. He was previously CMO at price-comparison website Moneysupermarket. The move follows the departure of Ryanair’s COO, Peter Bellew, who left the airline at the end of 2019 and joined UK-based rival EasyJet. Jacobs spearheaded Ryanair’s “Always Getting Better” campaign, which set out to improve the airline’s reputation for customer service.<br/>
Southwest is asking passengers to report any "unwelcome behaviour" on their airplanes to the flight attendants on duty. As of January 22, it's now part of the airline's required pre-flight emergency briefing and demonstration, right after the instructions about operating oxygen masks. "We are here for your comfort and safety," said the flight attendant on the ground at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. "Please report any unwelcome behaviour to your flight attendant. Thank you for your attention." "This change reflects Southwest's commitment to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment at all times," a Southwest spokesman said, confirming the language had recently been added to the airline's pre-flight briefing. The airline wants to remind customers that their flight attendants, who are known throughout the industry for making their flights fun, "are an approachable, professional resource for reporting any unwelcome behaviours or conduct during a flight," Parrish said. Southwest's flight attendants have established procedures, which may include re-seating a customer away from the person exhibiting the "unwelcome behavior," requesting that the offending customer stop whatever offensive behaviour they're doing, notifying the captain and seeking law enforcement assistance upon landing, Parrish said.<br/>
VietJet Air is ramping up services to India in mid-May by starting two Mumbai services and adding a third route to Delhi. The low-cost carrier will link Mumbai with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while Delhi will be served from Da Nang. VietJet operates 180-seat Airbus A320s, 230-seat A321s and 240-seat A321neos. The Da Nang-Delhi route, to be operated five times weekly, will be the first between India’s capital and the Vietnamese resort destination. VietJet will serve Mumbai thrice weekly from Hanoi and four times a week from Ho Chi Minh City. VietJet will be the sole operator on the three Indian routes. Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo is the other player in the India-Vietnam market, dominating it with daily flights from Kolkata to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.<br/>