JetBlue Airways gave interim CFO Ursula Hurley the job permanently, expanding the number of women holding top positions at the New York-based carrier. Hurley, a 17-year veteran of the airline, had been interim CFO since June, when Steve Priest gave up the job to take the same position at eBay Inc. She previously was head of treasury and investor relations at JetBlue, the company said in a statement Tuesday. JetBlue Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes, 55, also agreed to an extension of his contract to Sept. 1, 2023. Hurley joins President and COO Joanna Geraghty in the top ranks at JetBlue, along with women serving as chief digital and technology officer, chief people officer and chief strategy and business development officer. Hurley led efforts to raise capital at the airline and to cut operating costs after travel demand sank during the pandemic. Other areas of oversight will include aircraft and engine transactions, cash management, corporate finance and real estate. “We’re committed to rebuilding margins, maintaining our focus on costs, and repairing our balance sheet to help us continue to thrive,” Hurley said. <br/>
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Air Canada’s low-cost leisure subsidiary Air Canada Rouge restarted flights on 7 September after a seven-month coronavirus-driven pause. Rouge is now flying from Toronto to Las Vegas, Orlando, and Regina (Saskatchewan), Montreal-headquartered Air Canada says on 7 September. In September, the discounter will add more connections, including to Cancun and Tampa. The recent operations pause was Rouge’s second since the beginning of the global health crisis. The first time, Rouge shut down from March until November 2020. “Air Canada Rouge remains integral to Air Canada’s overall strategy,” says Jon Turner, Air Canada vice-president of in-flight services and president of Rouge operations. “As we emerge from the pandemic, we anticipate increased demand for vacation travel and from customers flying to enjoy overdue visits with family and friends.” <br/>
Nigeria’s Med-View Airline plans to restart operations after more than two years of inactivity, according to a company disclosure to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The airline, the only carrier listed on the Nigerian bourse, has been grounded since 2019, reportedly due to a lack of equipment. A notice on September 1 to the NGX signed by the executive director (business development & commercial), Na’Allah Isiaq, said a virtual board meeting scheduled for September 20, 2021, would consider, amongst other things, the restart of operations. The meeting would also discuss the appointment of a new chief executive officer and chief operating officer, as well as the appointment of a new company secretary. This followed the resignation of company secretary Abdullahi Adam Al-ilory on August 13. G.Elias & Co. has assumed the role of the company secretary in an acting capacity until the Board meeting, according to a separate filing on September 3. The airline used to be a major player in the hajj and Umrah markets, but the cancellation of the pilgrimage for two consecutive years by the authorities of Saudi Arabia due to COVID-19 negatively impacted the airline’s recovery drive.<br/>
Greater Bay Airlines’ first aircraft has landed in Hong Kong, as it seeks to become the city’s newest carrier while awaiting the regulatory permit and licence necessary to fly passengers and cargo. The Boeing 737 left the Kazakhstan capital Nur-Sultan just after 9am Hong Kong time, arriving at its permanent home at Hong Kong International Airport at 3.24pm on Tuesday. CEO Algernon Yau Ying-wah said in an online post on Monday night: “The first Greater Bay Airlines aircraft is on its way to Hong Kong. A key milestone in the airline’s history! Thanks to the team for all efforts made! Hats off!” After being painted in the company colours last month, the Hong Kong-registered aircraft was flown from Guangzhou to Hamburg, Germany, where it has been conducting flight tests. The single-aisle 737 holds more than 170 passengers.<br/>
Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways is expected to operate direct charter flights to the US West Coast from 23 September, after receiving regulatory approval. It has been cleared to operate 12 direct flights from Vietnam through November, according to the airline’s Facebook page. It expects to operate from Hanoi and Da Nang to cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, as well as Seattle. The charters, to be operated with Bamboo’s Boeing 787-9s, would be the first direct flights between the USA and Vietnam. FlightGlobal previously reported in June that the carrier was eyeing North American charters in late-June or July, though a subsequent wave of coronavirus infections in Vietnam meant plans had to be delayed. Bamboo said in June that the USA was a “potential market” given the significant Vietnamese diaspora in the country. <br/>
Philippine Airlines has said there is “no certainty” its business restructuring process will end by 2021, noting that a variety of factors will affect the timeline. The carrier was responding to a news report by the Manila Bulletin, which cites PAL president and COO Gilbert Santa Maria as saying that the embattled carrier will exit restructuring by this year. Santa Maria was speaking at a press briefing, days after the carrier filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in New York, a move that had been long anticipated. “Only an asteroid hitting Manhattan can stop us from exiting Chapter 11 this year,” he was quoted as saying. The carrier, in a 7 September stock exchange filing, says Santa Maria was expressing “a statement of hope or wish…that the Chapter 11 process will end quickly”. It notes that the statement is not “based on any legal consideration”. “There is no certainty that the judicial proceeding will terminate quickly that will allow PAL to exit Chapter 11 process before the end of 2021. It will all depend on the acceptance, oppositions or agreements of the creditors, lessors and other stakeholders to the proposed rehabilitation/ restructuring of PAL,” the airline adds.<br/>