EasyJet directors have suffered a significant rebellion after the airline’s founder and biggest shareholder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, voted against their re-election. The airline said that 42% of shareholders voted against the reappointment of top directors, including CE Johan Lundgren, CFO Andrew Findlay and chairman John Barton at its annual meeting on Wednesday. Sir Stelios, a longstanding critic of easyJet’s leadership, owns about 30% of the company along with his family and had previously said he would vote against the board. In May, Sir Stelios lost his attempt to oust four directors, including the airline’s chairman and chief executive, after more than 99% of votes cast by independent shareholders at an extraordinary meeting backed the board. Sir Stelios has clashed with the low-cost carrier he founded in 1995 over a multibillion-pound order for 107 Airbus aircraft. A week before the meeting in May, he offered a reward for information that could lead to the cancellation of the airline’s contract with Airbus. EasyJet said it would “continue to engage with shareholders to discuss their concerns but understands [the vote against the board] was predominantly as a result of the company’s largest shareholder (and its related parties) voting against these resolutions”.<br/>
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Philippine Airlines said Wednesday it is suspending flights to and from London from Thursday to the end of February as Britain battles a new coronavirus strain. The airline said it supports all measures that seek to curb any potential increase in COVID-19 cases during the holiday season and beyond. Philippine Airlines operates a Manila-London-Manila service once a week.<br/>
IndiGo could start slowly rehiring staff in three months as capacity rebuilds from “the background of carnage” caused by Covid-19, with domestic services likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by January or February, CEO Ronojoy Dutta said. “Doom and gloom is off the table and we are recovering pretty nicely, especially domestically,” Dutta said Wednesday. The recovery in international capacity will take longer due to quarantines and virus flareups in places such as the UK, but the airline is hoping it will be back to normal levels by the end of 2021, according to Dutta. IndiGo, which has some 730 Airbus A320neo planes on order, laid off about 10% of its workforce due to the pandemic-driven slowdown. The carrier, operated by InterGlobe Aviation, still sees “a lot of room” for growth in international routes, particularly those of about six hours duration that can be served by single-aisle narrowbody aircraft, Dutta said. India’s hubs are well positioned, he said. “We are anxious to get back into the international game in a big way and we have lots of plans for rapid growth,” he said. Rather than having too many planes on order, IndiGo may have not ordered enough given the huge growth potential for air travel in India as the middle class expands and more people start to fly, Dutta said. The company is in early discussions with engine manufacturers for planes due for delivery from 2024.<br/>
Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has delivered one new Airbus A320-200neo to Japanese low-cost carrier Peach on long-term lease. The aircraft is powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines and a second example will also be delivered in December from ALC’s orderbook with Airbus, the lessor stated Tuesday. ALC adds that it will deliver two A321-200neo LRs to Peach in 2021 and 2022. “This most recent transaction by ALC in the Japanese market demonstrates our commitment to environmental sustainability with the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft,” ALC’s executive chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy states. “ALC is honored to contribute to Peach’s growing all-Airbus A320 fleet and we are confident that our A320-200neo and A321neo LR aircraft will greatly enhance the airline’s operations in its domestic and international market.”<br/>