China’s Tibet Airlines said all passengers and crew had been evacuated from an Airbus A319 plane that caught fire after an aborted takeoff in the southwestern city of Chongqing on Thursday. There were no deaths and only minor injuries among the 113 passengers and nine crew members on board, the airline said in a statement. Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said 36 people suffered bruises and sprains during the evacuation of flight TV9833 and were sent to local hospitals for examination. The pilots had interrupted the takeoff in line with procedures after experiencing an abnormality, CAAC said in a statement, leading to an engine scrape and fire after the plane veered off the runway. Emergency plans were activated and investigators rushed to the scene, the aviation regulator added. The incident came less than two months after the deadly crash of a China Eastern Airlines plane led CAAC to launch a safety drive. Unverified video on social media showed a Tibet Airlines plane, a subsidiary of Air China, with heavy smoke and flames pouring from the left side of the aircraft as passengers and crew walked away. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport said the aircraft caught fire at 8:09 a.m. local time (0009 GMT).<br/>
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Southwest said it will spend more than $2b on improved passenger amenities like bigger overhead bins, faster internet and power outlets “in every seat,” in an effort to woo travelers as bookings rebound. The airline also plans to double the number of movies it offers travelers and to update its drink options on board to include bloody mary mix, ready-to-drink cocktails, hard seltzer and rose wine. The changes come as airlines gear up for a recovery in both leisure and business travel after more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. United Airlines, for example, announced last year a host of cabin upgrades like new seatback screens and entertainment systems. It, too, is preparing cabins for larger overhead bins. Delta Air Lines is installing new seats for domestic first class and has said it aims to offer free internet in the future. And Hawaiian Airlines plans to offer complimentary Wi-Fi through SpaceX’s Starlink service as early as next year. Southwest’s $2b investment will span five years and is part of an estimated capital expenditure of $3.5b per year on average through 2026, as announced in December. The changes are geared toward all customers, but Southwest has recently increased its efforts to sell to business travelers. The airline in March announced a new, second-cheapest fare option for travelers willing to pay more for more flexibility. Last week, it told staff it will temporarily offer travelers free Wi-Fi on some flights as it tests new hardware that aims to bring higher speeds to more passengers, CNBC reported. The carrier also said it recently entered into an agreement with satellite internet provider Viasat for in-flight connectivity as early as this fall, starting with new deliveries of 737 Max planes. Southwest offers internet for $8 a day and doesn’t currently have plans to make the access free beyond the hardware test.<br/>
Spirit Airlines shareholders are scheduled to vote June 10 on a $2.9b buyout offer from Frontier Airlines. Shareholders will be voting, in effect, whether to take Frontier’s bid and reject a higher offer from JetBlue Airways. The special meeting was detailed in a regulatory filings by Spirit and Frontier. JetBlue did not immediately comment on Wednesday. Spirit’s board supports the Frontier deal because of uncertainty about JetBlue’s ability to win approval of its $3.6b offer from antitrust regulators. Spirit shareholders would get more cash from the JetBlue offer. However, Frontier’s proposal would give Spirit shareholders 48.5% of shares in a combined airline, meaning they could come out ahead if the new company’s stock rises in value. Both Frontier and JetBlue say that acquiring Spirit would help them compete against the nation’s four dominant airlines. JetBlue would eliminate Spirit as a so-called ultra-low-cost airline, while Frontier would not. Also, the US Justice Department and several states are already suing to block a JetBlue regional partnership with American Airlines on grounds that it reduces competition.<br/>
Airline Viva Aerobus said on Wednesday it will add flights to Mexico City’s new airport, a day after the government decided to cap operations in the city’s main hub amid incidents that caused air safety concerns. The low-cost airline said in a statement it will add flights to Acapulco, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Cancun and Havana, at the Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA), which opened in March. Air traffic safety has come under increased scrutiny since footage posted on social media at the weekend showed a plane coming in to land at the city’s main airport just over another that was waiting to take off on the same runway. The government said on Tuesday it would not allow new flights to operate at the capital’s main airport and pledged to transfer some of its volume to the new hub. Aeromexico announced on Tuesday it plans to maintain its routes from the capital’s main airport and increase flights to 30 a day at Felipe Angeles by October. Authorities also said that charter and national cargo flights will be immediately moved to Felipe Angeles. <br/>
LATAM Airlines Group, the largest air transport group in Latin America, said on Wednesday that it garnered support from almost all of its creditors for a reorganization plan that the company is taking before a US court. The airline said that the agreement was presented to a Manhattan bankruptcy court that is handling its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which it filed for in May 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations. The agreement includes bondholders in Chile, the Official Committee of Valista Creditors, the Ad Hoc group of LATAM creditors (led by Sixth Street, Strategic Value Partners and Sculptor Capital) and the main shareholders, the company said. "The agreement will allow the creditors who choose to receive the Class A Convertible Bonds or the Class C Convertible Bonds contemplated in the Reorganization Plan, to improve their recovery through an additional cash payment," it said. The firm had presented the plan, diluting shares, in November last year. <br/>
Emirates Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha believes the aviation sector could bounce back in 2022 itself if airlines and airports ramp up hiring to deal with the severe staff shortages. Industry body IATA expects global airlines to return to pre-COVID levels in 2023. “The industry could come back in 2022, but the only thing holding us back is our ability to source the required frontline staff, whether it’s the airline, ground handling or airport,” said Al Redha during the Arabian Travel Market. “Some countries have still not opened up 100%,” he said. China’s financial capital Shanghai has seen strict lockdowns being imposed after a recent spike in cases. Most Gulf-based aviation industry executives have ruled out the possibility of travel restrictions returning on a global scale. Emirates’ load factor – an industry metric that measures an airline’s carrying capacity – has risen above 75% across its network with some routes almost at 100 seat factors. The Emirates executive said that the airline has been practicing hedging, without disclosing any further details. Some airlines, including Sharjah-based Air Arabia, have oil hedges that can help partially offset the fuel price increase. Airlines also pass on the additional costs to the customers in the form of surcharges. “We have done some kind of adaptation to cope with the fuel prices because we were not expecting to be hit with this level of oil price two months back,” said Al Redha.<br/>
Emirates airline said on Wednesday deliveries of Boeing 787 Dreamliners it has ordered are delayed by at least a year until 2024 and that it could be even longer due to the US plane maker's continued delivery suspension over structural flaws. The Dubai-based carrier ordered 30 of the twin-aisle jets nearly three years ago as part of a broader deal that saw it cut the number of orders for larger 777X aircraft, now also delayed. "Now we know for sure that's not going to happen in 2023. It may not even happen in 2024," COO Adel Al Redha told reporters when asked about Dreamliner deliveries. He said the airline was in talks with Boeing over the delays to the 787 Dreamliner and 777X deliveries, though declined to comment further when asked if Emirates was seeking compensation. A Boeing spokesperson said deliveries would continue to be impacted, adding: "We are completing comprehensive inspections across 787 production and within the supply chain, while holding detailed, transparent discussions with the FAA (U.S. civil aviation regulator), suppliers and our customers."<br/>
Thailand should draw up a long-term recovery plan for tourism as part of the national agenda instead of waiting for organic growth as the travel market remains stagnant, with lower demand than in previous years, according to the executive chairman of Thai AirAsia. "International air traffic has gradually improved, but people obviously do not have the same travel habits. For instance, Singaporeans who visited Thailand on a weekly basis prior to the pandemic might travel just once every two or three months even as travel restrictions between the two countries were eased," said Tassapon Bijleveld of Thai AirAsia. He said airfares for international flights are more expensive this year due to limited seat capacity and higher fuel costs. Even though AirAsia X, a long-haul carrier in its network, has started selling popular routes to Japan and South Korea, the response has been quite lukewarm. Travellers who refrained from taking trips abroad in the past two years may look for outbound destinations, but those who don't have deep pockets will likely make just one or two trips to save money. Tassapon said instead of introducing an untimely policy like the 300-baht levy on international arrivals, the government should prioritise a long-term recovery plan for the tourism industry, setting a clear target and seeking practical projects to achieve that goal.<br/>