SAS said Tuesday it was cutting capacity and withdrawing its financial guidance for the current financial year after the spread of the coronavirus hit demand. SAS shares have tumbled 35% so far this year. “In response to the lower demand, SAS will in the next couple of months seek to reduce part of its short haul network capacity,” the airline said, adding it would also cut flights to Hong Kong and continue to suspend services to mainland China. “At this stage, it is too early to assess the full impact on SAS operations and financial outcome and therefore not possible to give a more accurate guidance.” A spokeswoman at SAS said the company had seen a big drop in demand over the past few days, not the least to and from the north of Italy, Europe’s worst-affected country. She said the new capacity reductions concerned March and April while there were no decisions made for the important summer holiday season given the uncertain demand outlook. SAS said it was pursuing a number of measures to cut costs, including postponement of marketing and a hiring freeze, while it was also looking to reduce spending on personnel. “Measures related to personnel expenses may include temporary layoffs, voluntary leave, early retirement or other initiatives,” SAS said.<br/>
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United is nixing fees for reservations made this month, as the spread of coronavirus roils global travel. The waiver applies to all tickets booked between March 3 and March 31, the carrier said Tuesday. If customers cancel their flight, they can retain the ticket value for trips within the next 12 months. “The coronavirus outbreak continues to create a high level of uncertainty around the globe,” United said. <br/>
Lufthansathrew its weight behind a proposed $4.2b takeover of Embraer's commercial aircraft activities by Boeing, saying it would preserve a level playing field. "We would rather have two healthy competitors," Lufthansa Group CE Carsten Spohr said Tuesday. The deal would see Embraer cede 80% of its commercial arm to Boeing, but has been slowed by an EU competition probe expected to last until the end of April. The EU is worried that whirlwind consolidation triggered first by Canadian Bombardier's decision to exit the market by selling a key program to Airbus, and then the integration of rival Embraer into Boeing, would leave too little choice. But several airlines have backed the Boeing-Embraer deal, suggesting Brazil's Embraer would not remain viable as a standalone competitor to a combination of Europe's Airbus and the Bombardier CSeries aircraft program, now renamed A220. Spohr said Lufthansa, which was the launch customer for the CSeries, had supported its takeover by Airbus after Bombardier ran short of funds needed to bring the 110-130-seat jet to market, and was now ready to back the Boeing-Embraer deal.<br/>
Thai Airways sold six widebodies last year as part of its strategy to “continuingly sell decommissioned aircraft”. The flag carrier says in a stock exchange filing that it disposed of five Airbus A330-300s and one Boeing 747-400 in 2019. It did not disclose the names of the buyers. Cirium fleets data indicates that Thai Airways still has eight 747-400s in service, as well as 15 A330-300s. In 2019, THAI’s losses widened by Bt3.4b ($109m) to Bt12.4b in 2019, as revenues fell despite increased passenger numbers. Among the factors the carrier cited were the civil unrest in Hong Kong, suspension of its Pakistan services due to airspace closure, strong competition from low-cost and Middle Eastern operators, and impact from the USA-China trade war.<br/>
A mother and daughter from London attacked a Swiss Air pilot in the cockpit after a row over a buggy, a court has heard. Henrietta Mitaiare, 23, and Mary Roberts, 53, were travelling from Zurich, Switzerland, to Heathrow on 2 May 2019 when the alleged attack took place. Uxbridge Magistrates' Court heard how before the flight, Ms Mitaiare argued with staff after she was asked to put her child's buggy into the hold of the plane. The court heard how the fight broke out when the flight landed in Heathrow. The court heard how the pair both provided no-comment interviews when questioned by police. Roberts, of Fulham south west London, and Mitaiare, of west London, both deny the charges of assault by beating on Captain Guido Keel.<br/>