AirSerbia will go back to one flight a day to Moscow, the Serbian president said, following criticism that the country’s national carrier is busting a European Union-wide ban on flights to Russia and profiting from the war in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion started over two weeks ago, AirSerbia has doubled the number of flights to the Russian capital and introduced larger aircraft to increase the number of seats for what has become its most profitable destination. Beside some Turkish carriers, Serbia’s airline is the only European company that has kept on flying to Russia since the international flight ban was announced after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. That triggered criticism from both the EU and Ukraine. “Serbia is the only one in Europe with an open sky to Russia,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar tweeted. “Making money on (Ukrainian) blood is unworthy of an EU candidate country.” Serbia’s populist president, Aleksandar Vucic, said AirSerbia will go back to one flight to Moscow a day following “the witch hunt” against his country. “And will those who are leading the chase against Serbia in connection with the flights to the capital of Russia be satisfied with that?” Vucic asked during a TV interview last night. Referring to Turkey, he complained that “no one will touch those in NATO, who are partly in Europe and partly in Asia, and have 30 times more flights to Moscow than Serbia.” Vucic did not say when the flight reduction will start. There were two AirSerbia flights scheduled for Moscow on Sunday. Despite formally seeking EU membership, Serbia has refused to introduce international sanctions against its ally Russia. EU officials have repeatedly warned Serbia that it will have to align itself with the bloc’s foreign policies if it wants to join.<br/>
unaligned
South Africa's civil aviation regulator grounded Comair's planes indefinitely on Sunday over unresolved safety issues, in a move that also affects low-cost airline Kulula and British Airways, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. A spokesperson for the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it had extended a 24-hour precautionary suspension of Comair's operator certificate indefinitely. The suspension was meant to end on Sunday, but Comair has not adequately addressed all the necessary safety issues, the SACAA said. read more "This morning we communicated to them (Comair) that their air operator certificate is now indefinitely suspended until they close all of the findings," SACAA spokesperson Phindiwe Gwebu said, effectively grounding the company's fleet of Boeing aircraft. Comair said it was unable to confirm when it would start flying again, after working through the night to provide documentation to SACAA following a review of certain policies, systems and procedures. "This is a huge blow to our customers, employees and the flying public as it effectively takes 40% of the capacity out of the market," Glenn Orsmond, Comair CE said. There would be considerable implications for the aviation sector and the country should the suspension be prolonged, he added. Airports Company, which runs the country's largest airports, said some of the stranded passengers were placed on chartered flights arranged by BA and Comair, specifically for commuters on the popular Johannesburg and Cape Town route.<br/>
Sharjah-based budget carrier Air Arabia has announced that it has won approval from the shareholders for 8.5 per cent dividend distribution of share capital for the year ending December 31, 2021. The dividend, which is equivalent to 8.5 fils per share, mirrors yet another year of record financial performance by the award-winning low-cost carrier. The board of directors recommended the 8.5 per cent dividend distribution at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sharjah yesterday (March 11) following Air Arabia’s strong financial results for FY 2021, posting a net profit of AED720 million, up 475% compared to 2020 despite the pandemic impact. Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, said: "Despite the challenges of the past two years, we achieve robust results in 2021, a testament to the strong business model we operate... As the global economy continues to be impacted by current enduring challenges, we remain focused on driving operational efficiency across our business and committed to unlock further opportunities for the low-cost model in this region." Air Arabia's key achievements for 2021 included adding 44 new routes to its global network from its five operating hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt. The low-cost carrier took delivery of one brand new Airbus A321 neo LR airplane bringing its total fleet size to 58 operating to over 187 routes across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.<br/>
Bangkok Airways aims for a recovery in revenues in 2022, as it eyes a stronger Thailand tourism market with the lifting of travel restrictions. The airline aims for passenger revenue of Bt8.2b ($246m) in 2022, up nearly half from the its revenue of Bt5.7b in the 12 months to 31 December 2021, according to CE Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth. “In 2022, we forecast that the aviation sector is expected to recover about 40% due to the increase of vaccination rates, as well as a reduction in travel restrictions and easing of Covid-19 preventive measures in Thailand,” says Prasarttong-Osoth. Routes that the airline aims to restart include Bangkok-Krabi, Koh Samui-Chiang Mai, Koh Samui-Hong Kong, as well as Bangkok-Siem Reap in Q3. Other routes will be opened in Q4, but he warns that coronavirus-related travel restrictions could change plans. As for passengers, the airline expects to carry 2.6m this year, nearly five times the 536,000 it flew during a dismal 2021, which was marked by both domestic and international travel restrictions. It hopes for a 2022 load factor of 65%, compared with load factors of 58.6% in 2021.<br/>
Nok Air is planning to operate more inter-provincial routes, starting with Nakhon Ratchasima-Chiang Mai, as well as resume international flights to Vietnam by mid-2022. Nok Air CE Wutthiphum Jurangkool said the airline is studying opportunities for cross-regional flights, particularly at the abandoned Nakhon Ratchasima airport and the new Betong airport in southern Yala province, to facilitate travel and create more economic activities. Without air transport, people have to spend five hours travelling from Hat Yai to Betong by road. People from the provinces without direct flights to their destination also have to wait for 2-3 hours for transit flights at Don Mueang airport. The Nakhon Ratchasima-Chiang Mai route may initially start with 2-3 flights per week, with tickets priced at less than 2,000 baht, he said. The airline is also planning a route from Nakhon Ratchasima to Phuket and Hat Yai based on seasonal demand, as well as a connection between Hat Yai with Betong. Wutthiphum said most airlines faced losses from operations at Nakhon Ratchasima airport because the aircraft they used were too big based on average passenger demand of 70-80 people per flight. "Nok Air will use Q400 jets, which have an 86-seat capacity, but we have to receive approval from the Transport Ministry to bring in six new aircraft," he said.<br/>
Australian Aviation’s Hannah Dowling was on Jetstar’s first flight to Bali, serviced by a 787-8<br/>Commercial flights between Australia and Bali have resumed for the first time in two years after Jetstar restarted its service from Melbourne on Monday. The island is the carrier’s most popular international destination and its recent ticket sale there saw its biggest surge in bookings since 2016. The first flight was carried out by a 787-8, VH-VKI msn 36235, which departed at 10:10am as flight JQ43. Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said, “We are very excited to return to Bali today after two long years, and we are confident that Bali will quickly regain its position as our most popular international tourist destination now that borders are open. “Pre-COVID, Jetstar operated up to 85 return flights per week to Bali, carrying more than 2m customers each year and contributing almost 2b Australian dollars annually to the local Balinese economy.” The airline will initially fly from the Victorian capital three times per week, before adding Sydney and Perth in early April and Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns and Darwin in May. Qantas’ NSW service will begin on 28 March while Virgin will recommence services from 2 May.<br/>