unaligned

South Sudan’s leader has ordered the suspension of local operator South Sudan Supreme Airlines after the fatal crash of a Let L-410 turboprop. President Salva Kiir Mayardit says he is directing the ministry of transport and the civil aviation authority to “suspend” the carrier’s operations. “This measure is necessary for these institutions to ascertain airworthiness of the remaining South Supreme [aircraft],” he says. “It is also a necessary step to restoring public confidence in air travel in the country.” He says the aircraft came down in Urot county, Jonglei state, on 2 March. The president says the suspension is a “temporary measure” to address “avoidable air accidents” before civil aviation laws are “strengthened”. Jonglei state’s government says 10 fatalities resulted from the accident.<br/>

Ryanair hopes to fly up to 70% of 2019 passenger numbers this summer, thanks to COVID-19 vaccines and more coronavirus testing, provided travellers who have been vaccinated or had negative tests are made exempt from quarantine rules. Speaking before a British parliamentary committee on Wednesday, Ryanair CE Michael O’Leary also warned that a mooted government vaccine passport is unlikely to be ready in time for the peak holiday season. “We would be hopeful that we could fly maybe 60, 70% of our normal traffic volumes during the peak summer months ... June, July, August and September,” he said. “That’s about as optimistic as its going to get.”<br/>

Michael O’Leary has described the UK government’s support for the airline industry during the pandemic as “lamentable”, as aviation leaders called for fresh help and warned of a long recovery ahead. The Ryanair CE said fares would be cut this summer to boost demand and that he hoped for up to 70% of normal passenger numbers from July. O’Leary said vaccines would enable travel, but added that regulations on border controls were “bonkers”. He described hotel quarantine as “completely unpoliceable”, saying the airline had seen no medical evidence to support it. “[It] has been a PR stunt, shambolic and ineffective and plays no role in keeping out the Covid virus,” O’Leary told MPs on the transport select committee on Wednesday. He said he was “not a great supporter in principle of a vaccine passport” because he feared delays in getting international agreement in time for summer, but said passengers should upload certificates saying they have had a vaccine or a PCR test in order to travel. Meanwhile, O’Leary said the Civil Aviation Authority had started “criminal proceedings” against Ryanair for carrying Italian and German passengers to the UK with valid predeparture PCR test certificates written in their own language, rather than the required English, French or Spanish.<br/>

Ryanair passengers will be required to wears masks on the airline's planes this summer even if they have received a vaccine, the company's boss has said. Giving evidence to the Commons' transport select committee on Wednesday, Michael O'Leary said face coverings will continue to be needed to travel via the company's aircraft. He had been asked if people should worry about coronavirus variants possibly disrupting travel. O'Leary said a combination of vaccines, seasonal weather changes and measures like masks would help to keep people protected this summer. He said: "We would still require passengers to wear face masks on our flights, even if they have been vaccinated."<br/>

Hong Kong businessman Stanley Choi Chiu-fai has backed AirAsia Group to be a front runner in the airline industry’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis by investing HK$400m (US$55.6m) in the low-cost carrier. The merger and acquisitions specialist, who is also a professional gambler, upped his stake in the firm behind Southeast Asia’s largest budget carrier to last week become its third largest shareholder. “The airline industry has experienced a tough time over the pandemic period but seeing the vaccine roll-out, we can see all the industries and companies like airlines bounce back in terms of stock price,” the 52-year-old said. Choi said the Covid-19 pandemic had bottomed out, prompting his months-long effort to build up an eventual 8.96% stake in AirAsia. “When the placement chance came up, I seized this opportunity,” explained Choi, who also disclosed he bought an “insignificant” number of Cathay Pacific Airways shares when the company launched its rights issue last year. “When we look at the peers in the same industry, I see there’s a good opportunity [to invest]. I see that AirAsia will be the first group of companies that will bounce back.” <br/>

Mesa Air Group on 2 March announced a conditional agreement with London-based Gramercy Associates to launch a joint venture to operate Mesa’s Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft on passenger or cargo routes in Europe by the end of 2021. The Phoenix-based parent company of Mesa Airlines would apply for a new air operator’s certificate to qualify for capacity purchase agreements or ACMI deals with carriers in Europe. Mesa would own 49% of the partnership with Gramercy, whose managing director is Tony Davis, the former chief executive of both Singapore-based Tiger Airways and the now-defunct UK carrier Bmibaby. “We are very excited at the potential to expand our regional business overseas,” Mesa CE Jonathan Ornstein states. The regional carrier has 50 CRJ900 aircraft in service, along with 13 parked or in storage.<br/>

Norwegian start-up Flyr intends to establish an employment ratio comparable to low-cost airlines within Europe, aiming for a figure of 36 employees per aircraft within five years. Flyr claims this will bring it into line with the level of Ryanair and below that of EasyJet and Wizz Air. The company describes the ratio as a “critical” performance indicator. It says the average figure of 36 would include around 10 pilots and 19 cabin crew. It points out that the planned extent of domestic operations necessitates a local crew base – and with it Norwegian salaries. “The Norwegian salary level makes it challenging to be competitive on cost per employee,” the company states. Flyr has undertaken a round of funding, raising gross proceeds of NKr600m ($71m) through a private placement and listing of shares on the Euronext Growth Oslo stock exchange. Flyr says it plans to use the proceeds to finance ramp-up of the airline’s operations, with initial services commencing in the first half of this year.<br/>