A federal judge in Texas denied Southwest pilots union’s request to temporarily block a vaccine mandate for employees, which is a requirement under new government rules. Southwest Airlines must require staff to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Dec. 8 unless they receive a religious or medical exemption, according to rules for federal contractors that the Biden administration issued last month. Southwest and other major airlines like Delta, United and American fly federal employees, US mail and provide other services to the government. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, which represents some 9,000 aviators, sought a temporary restraining order against the mandate. The union had argued that the mandate, as well as other Covid-related company policies, needed to be negotiated with the union. “Requiring Southwest employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will likewise improve the safety of air transportation, efficiency of Southwest’s operations, and further the [collective bargaining agreement’s] goal of safe and reasonable working conditions for pilots,” US District Judge Barbara Lynn wrote in her Tuesday ruling, denying the union’s restraining order request and dismissing the case. The labor union said it is disappointed in the ruling and “we are currently considering next steps.” It wasn’t the only dispute over airlines’ vaccine mandates. United Airlines is fighting a lawsuit in US District Court in Fort Worth brought by six employees who alleged they were unfairly denied exemptions to the mandate. The judge temporarily blocked United’s plan to put staff with exemptions on unpaid leave.<br/>
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Buoyed by government aid and despite several days of severe operational disruption, Spirit Airlines turned a $14.8m profit in Q3 2021. “Higher fuel prices, continued travel restrictions and near-term staffing issues have all played their part in delaying our return to sustained profitability,” says Spirit chief executive Ted Christie on 27 October. The Miramar, Florida-based ultra-discount airline generated $923m in Q3 operating revenue, down only 7% from the same period of 2020. Spirit’s third-quarter operating expenses came in at $909m, up 5% from the comparable period of last year. During the quarter, Spirit logged $86m in “special credits”, which include grants received as part of the US government’s pandemic-relief measures. Spirit cancelled hundreds of flights on several consecutive days in August, throwing its operation into disarray. “The company experienced significant operating challenges during the quarter driven in part by adverse weather conditions which, when combined with airport staffing shortages and crew dislocations, led to an unusually large number of flight delays and cancellations,” Spirit says Wednesday. To improve operational reliability, Spirit cut some flights from its schedule following the disruptions.<br/>
Discounter Allegiant Air turned a $39.3m profit in Q3, but its CE echoed peers in citing operational hiccups due to the pandemic and labour shortages. “Despite the favourable revenue environment, the operation continues to present challenges,” Allegiant CE Maurice Gallagher says on Wednesday. “The over-heated economy, continuing impacts of Covid, plus difficult labour environment created a perfect storm of challenges, including cancellations and delays over the past several months,” he adds. Allegiant remained profitable in Q3 thanks partly to $49.2m in US government payroll support grants, financial filings show. The company’s Q3 operating revenue more than doubled year-on-year to $424m, while operating expenses increased 68% year-on-year to $393m. The Las Vegas-based airline has responded to operational challenges by trimming some flights, “to mitigate the risk of cancellations”, it says. <br/>
Mexican airline Volaris said on Wednesday it would begin offering flights to and from the new planned airport for Mexico City when it is scheduled to open in March 2022. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has championed the still unfinished Felipe Angeles International Airport, about 48 km north of the existing Benito Juarez airport, since cancelling in 2018 a partly-built airport for the city laid out by his predecessor. The scrapping of the more central airport during the transition to Lopez Obrador’s accession roiled Mexico’s financial markets and set the tone for the president’s often confrontational relations with business in office. The leftist president argued that the airport project he inherited, which was initially slated to cost $13b, was uneconomical and riddled with corruption. Volaris is Mexico’s biggest airline by passenger numbers. It said it would begin the new flight routes on March 21, 2022, the day the new airport is due to open. The first two routes will be to Tijuana and Cancun. Critics of the Felipe Angeles hub say its distance from the existing airport could lead to complications with connecting flights, and a number of engineering experts have raised concerns about conflicting flight paths between the two. The government has rejected those concerns.<br/>
Italian transport unions are claiming that leisure carrier Blue Panorama has suspended operations, adding to a list of airline casualties in the country. Blue Panorama has a fleet which includes Airbus A330s and Boeing 737-800s, according to Cirium data. The carrier has had a turbulent history, having been resurrected in 2016 after the previous airline – operating under the same name – ran into financial problems. It was acquired by Uvet Group in 2017. Blue Panorama has been operating under a commercial brand called Luke Air, and started bringing into A330s – stationed at Milan, Warsaw and Prague – to replace Boeing 767s. While Uvet and Blue Panorama have yet to clarify the situation, three Italian unions have stated that the airline company has “suspended its flight activities” and become the “umpteenth victim” of the Italian air transport crisis.<br/>
Ryanair Holdings will introduce electric ground-handling equipment at 11 European airports including Madrid, Amsterdam and Oslo as the Irish airline looks to reduce its emissions. Europe’s biggest discount carrier will introduce electric-powered baggage vehicles and plane push-back tractors with partners Azul Handling and Menzies Aviation, Ryanair said in a statement Wednesday. Azul will allow it to offer zero emission turnarounds at eight Spanish locations, saving 1,000 tons of CO2 a year, it said. Carriers are under increasing pressure to reduce emissions even as travel demand rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike cars or power plants, aircraft are extremely difficult to decarbonize due to extended development timelines and safety requirements, meaning airlines have to look at operational efficiencies and sustainable aviation fuels for ways to comply.<br/>
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, will add its first Russian destination, Moscow, to its route network, with fares starting as low as US $59.63. The UAE has long been a popular travel destination for those in Russia, and vice versa. The flight to Moscow will operate daily services, four times a week starting in December on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, ramping up to seven times a week in February. The Moscow route brings Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to a total of 33 announced flight destinations, since it launched operations in January 2021. <br/>