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Most headline-making airline incidents this year have been about passengers refusing to wear now-required masks on their flights. But on Sunday, a woman was denied boarding for not wearing long-required shoes. Police say they were called to Miami International Airport by American Airlines after Brittney Mohammadi, 23, of California leapt at agents behind the counter in response to being told she could not board a flight barefoot. Mohammadi and her boyfriend Manuel Arteaga, 26, were arrested by Miami-Dade police for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. “On Sunday, September 27, two customers were denied boarding on flight 1061 with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX) after attempting to board the aircraft without shoes,” a spokesperson for American Airlines said. “After being informed of our policy, the customers became irate and one attempted to strike an American team member at the gate.” Video of the incident circulating on social media shows Mohammadi attempting to jump over the ticket counter, and Arteaga pulling her back. Mohammadi appears to not be wearing a mask. A video from 7 News Miami later shows them being wrestled to the ground by police outside the airport. 7 News Miami interviewed Mohammadi and Arteaga on Tuesday, who said Mohammadi left her shoes at TSA and became upset when she was told she couldn’t board. The couple also told the TV station they were intoxicated. American Airlines dress code states that passengers must “dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.”<br/>

Malaysia Airlines has reached out to lessors, creditors and key suppliers as part of its “urgent” restructuring exercise as it sees little sign of the pandemic easing. The flag carrier, wholly owned by Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional, would take more drastic measures if the restructuring can’t be completed over the next few months, according to a statement issued on Friday. Bloomberg reported earlier that the airline was said to be talking to banks and leasing companies to defer payments. “The deep impact of the prolonged Covid-19 crisis has necessitated Malaysia Aviation Group to take drastic steps in revising its long-term business plan further to ensure the group’s relevance and survival,” according to the statement, which refers to the holding company. The carrier has embarked on salary cuts for its management and pilots, offered no-pay leave, sought payment deferrals and contract renegotiations since March. It will now review its network and fleet plans. Khazanah supports the restructuring effort, it said. “If this effort proves unsuccessful, Khazanah will need to evaluate options going forward on how to maintain connectivity for Malaysia.”<br/>

Cathay Pacific Airways is weighing up if it needs smaller aircraft with fewer business class seats, as Covid-19 reshapes travel habits and the airline industry. No immediate changes are on the horizon, according to CEO Augustus Tang Kin-wing, but discussions are ongoing over the company’s restructuring plan, which will set its course for years to come. “What kind of aircraft is going to be a big aircraft or small? Do you need to have a large business class because people perhaps will be more concerned about personal space because of the pandemic or just the opposite? These are the kind of questions we have to wrestle with,” Tang said. He said demand for business and leisure travel would be suppressed at best until a vaccine was found to be effective. Hong Kong’s flag carrier has warned the company required “right-sizing”, including rationalising routes and reviewing noncore assets. The CEO admitted to a staff surplus, in the biggest hint yet that redundancies were likely. Cathay has already downsized its existing order for two Airbus A350-1000s to smaller -900s to save cash. Tang said talks were continuing with Boeing over deferring the delivery of the 777X, due in 2022. The existence of those negotiations were disclosed on July 22.<br/>

Qatar Airways will resume flights to three South African cities on 3 October, and aims to rebuild its network to include 124 destinations by the end of this year. Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg will be served by the carrier using a combination of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft. The 124 destinations to be served by year-end comprise 21 in Africa, 10 in the Americas, 42 in Asia-Pacific, 38 in Europe and 13 in the Middle East. Qatar Airways says it currently serves more than 90 destinations, and that the figure has not dropped below 30 in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Group CE Akbar Al Baker describes the airline’s planned winter schedule as “realistic” in light of “the current market conditions and entry restrictions around the world”.<br/>