South Africa’s Rand Merchant Bank, the investment banking arm of FirstRand, has been appointed as an adviser to help the government assess offers for stakes in its insolvent national airline, according to two people familiar with the situation. The state is looking to raise more than 10b rand ($575m) that South African Airways administrators say is needed to revive its operations eight months after going into bankruptcy protection. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has said the National Treasury will not use its own money, beyond 16.4b rand in existing debt guarantees, and will instead seek “strategic partners” or private-equity backers as well as tapping pension funds and global financial institutions. “The Department of Public Enterprises has identified a transaction adviser,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, without identifying the firm. “The advisers are expected to assess unsolicited expressions of interest from private-sector funders, private-equity investors and partners for a future restructured SAA.”<br/>
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United is making a play for Florida this fall and winter, a bet that sun-seekers from northern states will become a bright spot for the carrier as it faces a bleak outlook for international and corporate travel because of the coronavirus pandemic. The airline said Wednesday that it plans to add up to 28 nonstop flights to the Sunshine State from northern cities to four Florida airports. Flights from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Boston and Cleveland to Florida cities Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa are scheduled to start Nov. 6. United said that in December it will add nonstop flights to Fort Meyers and Tampa from Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh. The new flights are a strategy shift for United. The airline and large competitors have long relied on a model that routes flights through large hub airports. United’s Florida initiative is its biggest increase in nonhub flights, according to vice president of domestic network planning, Ankit Gupta. Such point-to-point flying is used more by discount airlines like Florida-based Spirit. The state is also a major market for competitors JetBlue, Delta and American, which operates a Miami hub. New York was the top source of visitors to Florida last year, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism company.<br/>
Singapore Airlines is offering its cabin crew members the option of early release or retirement, as it seeks to further cut costs and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 Voluntary Release Scheme is also open to cabin crew members who are on probation, and will come with payouts and benefits, an SIA spokesperson said on Wednesday. It is not applicable to trainee crew members. The scheme was introduced in light of the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic and a "slower projected trajectory recovery for international air travel", the spokesperson added. Cabin crew members from both Singapore Airlines and SilkAir have until Aug 31 to apply for the scheme. “Applications are subject to approval and cabin crew who apply for the VRS will be informed on the outcome of their application by mid-September,” the spokesperson said. Each application will be considered on its merits, with SIA taking into account operational requirements in its review of the applications, the spokesperson added. The terms and benefits under the scheme were determined by SIA and the Singapore Airlines Staff Union, according to a notice sent out by the airline to cabin crew members on Wednesday. “We continue to work closely with our unions on the way forward where staff measures are concerned,” the spokesperson said. “We will announce any additional measures, if necessary, at the appropriate time.”<br/>
Air NZ is putting a further hold on bookings to Australia after the government there extended its cap on international arrivals. At the moment there is a cap of 25 passenger arrivals per flight into Brisbane and about 40 per flight into Sydney. These caps have been extended until 24 October. There are no international flights into Melbourne at the moment. Air New Zealand said it was placing a hold on future bookings to Melbourne until late October. There are some flights to Sydney available from early September. There is a hold on new bookings to Brisbane, but the airline expects flights to become available as people make changes to their bookings.<br/>