Malaysia-based AirAsia Group, owned by aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes, is shutting down its Japan operations with an announcement slated for early next week, Nikkei Asia has learned, as the region's largest no-frills carrier struggles with grounded aircraft while most international borders remain closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. A source close to the company told Nikkei that AirAsia's directors, who met on Monday at the airline's headquarters near Kuala Lumpur International Airport, have decided to wind up the operations of AirAsia Japan -- a joint venture between AirAsia and Japanese partners. AirAsia Japan has informed the Aichi local government of its intention to give up the business, Kyodo reported on Wednesday citing an unnamed official. The company has two aircraft based at Nagoya Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi. According to the airline's stock exchange filing last month, AirAsia has an equity interest of 66.91% in AirAsia Japan with voting rights of 33%. The Japanese partners in the company include the country's leading e-commerce player Rakuten, Octave Japan Infrastructure Fund, cosmetics maker Noevir Holdings and sports equipment manufacturer Alpen. "An announcement is expected next Monday" and the Japanese operation "will be closed down," said the source. The person said factors contributing to the decision include that AirAsia Japan stopped selling tickets earlier this month, lack of demand and gloomy prospects for travel in Japan.<br/>
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The founders of Indonesia’s Lion Mentari Airlines are planning to start a new airline, according to people familiar with the plan, a development that could aid the carrier’s efforts to move beyond one of aviation’s biggest disasters. The new carrier is a project started by Lion’s founders including Rusdi Kirana, said the people. Lion Air has been trying to move forward from a deadly crash in 2018, which was blamed on design flaws in Boeing’s 737 Max jet, as well as a raft of errors at the airline by pilots and mechanics. Boeing said it has settled 90% of the wrongful death claims as of July. Budi Prayitno, a spokesman for the transport ministry confirmed it’s processing one application for an air operator certificate, while declining to reveal more details. Lion Air’s spokesman Danang Prihantoro declined to comment on the matter. The new carrier could give the founders a fresh start, said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consulting firm Endau Analytics in Malaysia. “Don’t underestimate Rusdi,” he said. Closely held Lion has better leverage ratios than its Southeast Asian rivals and many 737 Max orders that can prove valuable once the pandemic subsides, he added. “There may be a method to the madness.”<br/>
As Virgin Australia shrinks to survive the pandemic, tiny Regional Express Holdings Ltd (Rex) is picking up some of its larger rival’s planes and staff on the cheap - and attracting investors who see profit in the high-stakes plan. A Boeing Co 737 leasing deal announced on Wednesday is the latest step in Rex’s gamble to take on Qantas Airways and Virgin starting with Sydney-Melbourne, the world’s fifth-busiest domestic route before the pandemic. The move by Rex, until now an operator of ageing 30-36 seat turboprops, is a rare example of an airline expanding into new markets as the pandemic cripples air travel. Shares in Rex and charter operator Alliance Aviation Services Ltd have risen this year as investors look for counter-cyclical growth stories. Rex’s shares reached a one-year high on Thursday. Rex entered the pandemic with a licence, little debt, a paid-off fleet and no planes on order. Last week it signed a term sheet with Asian investment firm PAG Asia Capital for up to A$150m of convertible notes to pay for service to big cities, funds Rex Deputy Chairman John Sharp said will be kept separate from its government-subsidised regional operations.<br/>
Emirates has introduced self check-in and bag drop kiosks for a more seamless airport experience at Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport. The service is now available to customers travelling to all destinations except to the US, Canada, China, India and Hong Kong due to additional requirements from these destinations. The 16 new self-service bag drop machines and 8 self-service kiosks complement the desks manned by Emirates check-in agents to reduce waiting time for customers during peak periods and improve the customer experience in Dubai. More self-services facilities are planned to be added in the coming months. The kiosks allow customers to check-in, receive their boarding pass, choose seats on board, and drop off their bags. While Emirates staff will be on hand for any assistance required, the facilities are fully self- service, allowing customers to breeze through the airport and proceed directly to immigration. The facilities are cleaned and disinfected regularly and hand sanitisers are also available for customers to use.<br/>
A three-year-old child with autism was allegedly kicked off a flight and subsequently banned by the airline after he refused to wear a mask. Cebastian Lewis, who is non-verbal, was flying with his family home to Chicago with Spirit Airlines when the incident occurred. His mother Zana Shelton said a flight attendant stopped them when they were boarding the aircraft, demanding that Cebastian put on a mask. “I’m like well he’s autistic and we didn’t have this problem coming here,” Shelton said. She explained that “they just put him on the autism spectrum. He has sensory delay and speech delay.” Family members managed to get the face covering on Cebastian when boarding the plane, but he quickly removed it again. “As soon as he sat in the seat he took it right back off,” said Shelton. “So [the flight attendant] was like, ‘he has to get off.’ “Everybody had to deplane and then the police were called.” Spirit Airlines has accused Shelton of swearing at cabin crew and claims the family was uncooperative and refused to get off the flight. Shelton says that, although she cursed, it was because the flight attendant was being “very ignorant”. <br/>
Hawaiian Airlines is restarting service to 10 US mainland destinations and Tokyo following the state of Hawaii’s partial reopening. The move comes after Hawaii, located about 2,500nm (4,500km) from of the West Coast of the USA, decided to lift a 14-day quarantine requirement for arriving passengers pending proof of a negative coronavirus test that is less than 72h old. The measure takes effect on 15 October. Honolulu-based Hawaiian says on 30 September that it will resume nonstop service between its home base and Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix and San Jose. The Las Vegas flights begin on 1 October, with the others to resume a month later. By mid-November, Hawaiian says it will be serving 10 West Coast cities, also including Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. “We’re encouraged by the positive response to the state’s decision to welcome travelers back to Hawaii, and we are resuming service to key markets to give our guests more options to visit our islands,” says Brent Overbeek, senior VP of revenue management and network planning.<br/>