South African Airways plans to lay off its entire 4,700-strong workforce after failing to persuade the govt to provide more financial help, a move that threatens to ground the carrier for good. The airline has offered severance deals to all staff from the end of this month after administrators concluded that a successful turnaround is now unlikely, according to a proposal to 8 labour groups seen by Bloomberg. The basic value of compensation will be 1-month pay per year of service and will depend on the successful disposal of assets such as real estate, according to the document. The coronavirus may prove the final nail in the coffin for SAA, which was reducing routes and considering job cuts even before the outbreak forced airlines around the world to ground planes. <br/>
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United Airlines is selling 6 Boeing 787-9s and 16 737 Max jets in a leaseback deal with the US division of Singaporean lessor BOC Aviation. BOC Aviation has disclosed the details of the transaction to the Hong Kong stock exchange. It states that the transaction covering the 22 aircraft is set to close this year. All the 737s involved are the Max 9 variant. BOC Aviation has not identified the specific 787 or 737 airframes to which the agreement pertains. “The company will enter into long-term leases with the airline in respect of the aircraft,” says the lessor. Cirium fleets data lists United as having 14 in-service 737 Max jets, all grounded since last year, plus 28 787-9s of which 10 are in storage as a result of the coronavirus situation. <br/>