El Al has outlined its operational position to potential investors ahead of publishing a formal offer to acquire shares in the Israeli airline as part of a 505m shekel ($145m) issue. The airline is planning to commence the offering on 16 September, part of a recapitalisation which will separately include a $250m state-backed loan. El Al’s passenger flight operations, halted in March, remain suspended and the carrier says a timeframe for resuming regular and significant activity is “difficult to estimate”. While the share issue is being finalised, the airline says that there is no agreement yet over raising the loan, and no certainty that it will be obtained. It points out that, under amended legislation on flight refunds, repayments to passengers affected by cancellations need to be made by 1 October. “If the company fails to raise the [loan] or a significant portion of it by 1 October – and if this date is not extended – it will not be able to pay back the full amount of the refund to customers,” it adds.<br/>
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Ryanair will close its Dusseldorf base in October after the German airport’s operator and a ground handling provider refused to lower their fees. All Ryanair flights at the airport after 24 October – the end of the summer schedule – have been cancelled and more than 200 pilots and flight attendants stationed in Dusseldorf will be made redundant, the airline says. The crew members are employed by subsidiary Laudamotion, which operates seven Airbus A320s at Dusseldorf on Ryanair’s behalf. Ryanair says the closure is “a direct result of Dusseldorf airport’s refusal to lower its very high fees due to the Covid-19 crisis, as well as a recent demand from monopoly handler Acciona for an immediate 30% price increase”. The carrier argues: “Increased German aviation taxes and… the state-subsidised Lufthansa monopoly make it impossible for Ryanair to operate profitably in Dusseldorf this winter and at the same time offer the low tariffs that are necessary to stimulate traffic again”. Ryanair previously disclosed a decision to close Laudamotion’s base in Stuttgart in September “for the same reasons”, and says that the subsidiary will “finally” cease operations in Germany.<br/>
Brazilian airline Azul SA said late on Sunday that a proposed government loan to help the carrier weather the coronavirus crisis could dilute its stock by as much as 15% at current values if accepted by the company. The loan package totals about 2b reais ($376m). The airline said its liquidity position at the moment was better than expected and said it was still analyzing whether to accept the proposal from Brazil’s government. <br/>
Starlux Airlines is set to become Taiwan’s first Airbus A330neo operator, after the carrier ordered eight examples of the widebody. Airbus, announcing the order on its social media channels, states that the eight widebodies will be leased from Air Lease Corporation. Taiwanese news outlet Apple Daily says Starlux could take the first aircraft from as early as late next year. The order comes as the delivery timeline for the start-up carrier’s first A350 moves to the right. Starlux was supposed to have taken its first A350 late next year, but it has since been delayed to 2022. Cirium fleets data indicates Starlux has 17 A350s on order, comprising nine A350-900s and eight A350-1000s. The carrier operates three A321neos, with a further seven examples on order. The Taipei-based carrier is reported to have ordered one more A350-900, bringing the total orders for the type to 10 examples. Apple Daily also reports that the carrier will lease three additional A321neos. Starlux launched operations in January 2020 with three routes from Taipei Taoyuan to Macau, Da Nang and Penang.<br/>