United says it will receive US$5b in payroll support from the CARES Act, designed to assist airlines in managing through the decline in demand as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. United said Wednesday that $3.5b will be in grants and an additional $1.5b will be in low-interest loans. The carrier adds that its parent company also expects to issue warrants to purchase approximately 4.6m shares of common stock to the federal govt. “These funds will cover a portion of our pay and benefits costs through September 30,” the airline said. “This financial support is critical to our people, who are ensuring air service to communities throughout the country and supporting the shipment of much-needed medical supplies and travel of health care professionals around the globe.”<br/>
star
While the coronavirus pandemic has had a wide-ranging impact across African carriers, the timing of the crisis has been particularly calamitous for South Africa’s struggling airline sector. The country’s carriers, notably its 2 state-held operators, were already in the mire even before the coronavirus pandemic prompted the halting of passenger services and vital revenues. Now it appears long-struggling South African Airways could be approaching an endgame after wide-ranging reports suggest the govt has told administrators running the airline that it is not able to give it any more funds towards its rescue. Debt-ridden SAA was put into formal restructuring last December. The restructuring was already proving complex. And then, due to travel restrictions, SAA halted scheduled passenger flights as of March 24.<br/>
Air NZ and South Korea’s major airlines will keep their international schedules pared down, according to updates from the carriers. Air NZ is extending its minimal schedule, which has 95% of its capacity cut, through to the end of June, it said April 11. It is maintaining 3 services from Auckland – thrice a week to Sydney and twice weekly to Brisbane and Melbourne – while its only long-haul routes are thrice weekly to Los Angeles, twice weekly to Hong Kong and 3 return services to Shanghai from May 31. The carrier will also operate a handful of Pacific routes, and says that should Samoa, Tonga and Fiji end restrictions on international flights, it will likely operate one return service per week from Auckland. In South Korean, Korean Air and Asiana have also extended their reduced international schedules through to the end of May.<br/>
Finnair has affirmed its commitment to the Chinese market amid “immensely challenging times” with the signing of a letter of intent with Shanghai’s Juneyao Air. The airlines plan to establish a joint venture on the Helsinki-Shanghai route, on which the two carriers have already been codesharing since last June. This, Finnair says, will give its passengers a wider choice of destination, schedule and fare options via the two airlines’ main hubs, Helsinki airport and Shanghai Pudong International. Ole Orver, CCO at Finnair, said: “Despite these immensely challenging times for our industry, we at Finnair remain steadfast in our belief and commitment to China as a key market and to Juneyao Air as a key partner.”<br/>