The union that represents flight attendants at Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines on Tuesday backed the carriers’ planned merger, clearing a labor hurdle among the biggest worker groups at the airlines. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said it reached a so-called merger transition agreement with Frontier’s parent that prohibits flight attendant furloughs during the merger, in addition to guaranteeing other protections. “We support the necessary regulatory approvals that will improve competition, increase consumer options and experience, and maintain and grow good union jobs,” Sara Nelson, AFA’s president said in a union announcement. The agreement comes a day after JetBlue Airways launched a hostile takeover bid for Spirit. The discount airline rejected JetBlue’s $33 per share, all-cash bid earlier this month. JetBlue on Monday made a tender offer of $30 a share and urged Spirit shareholders to vote against the Frontier-Spirit tie-up at a June 10 meeting. JetBlue’s flight attendants are represented by the Transport Workers Union. Its president, John Samuelsen, said last month that TWU would seek to represent a combined JetBlue-Spirit flight attendant group if that deal occurred. Either airline combination would be subject to Justice Department approval.<br/>
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A prosecutor in the Dominican Republic is seeking to hold a Canadian aircrew in jail for up to 12 months after more than 200 kg cocaine was found last month onboard an aircraft they were operating, the unions representing the workers say. The Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and Unifor released a statement Monday calling on the Canadian government “to secure the safe return of five Canadians who have been arbitrarily imprisoned in the Dominican Republic after reporting a crime they were not involved in.” The unions said that for more than 40 days, the Pivot Airlines crew members “have been arbitrarily detained, threatened, and prosecuted after discovering and reporting 200kg of narcotics to the police.” The unions have launched a campaign aimed at petitioning the Canadian government to secure the “immediate return” of the crew. Unifor has identified their member involved in the incident as Bal Krishna Dubey, a part-time electrical mechanic at Pivot Airlines. CUPE has identified their members as Christina Carello and Alexander Rozov, both Pivot Airlines flight attendants. In a letter previously sent to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Pivot Airlines CEO Eric Edmondson said that on April 5 while conducting a commercial charter, the crew discovered suspected contraband in a maintenance compartment and “immediately reported” it. “Despite following Transport Canada approved policies and international laws, the crew were immediately detained by local authorities,” the letter said. Story has more. <br/>
Central European budget carrier Wizz Air plans to establish a Maltese airline later this year. Wizz says it intends to file an application for a Maltese subsidiary following the signing of an agreement between European aviation regulator EASA and Malta’s civil aviation directorate. Pending approvals, Wizz Air Malta hopes to begin operations with Maltese-registered aircraft in October. Wizz in August 2020 brought its operations under EASA as its single safety oversight authority, a move aimed at enhancing supervision carriers established multiple bases within the EU. The Hungarian-based low-cost carrier group already has a UK operation, established to ensure continuity of services amid the UK’s departure from the European Union, as UAE-based operation Wizz AIr Abu Dhabi as well as its Wizz AIr Ukraine unit, which suspended operation in light of Russia’s invasion of the country.<br/>
Start-up budget carrier Bonza has hinted that its mid-year launch plans could be delayed until at least September, in a new open letter to future travellers. The airline has confirmed that it now has a date set for the delivery of its first 737 MAX jet – a key step in its Air Operator Certificate application process – in the coming months, however this date is “slightly later than first expected”, hence the delay in its intended launch. Penned by Bonza’s CCO Carla Povey, the letter informs travellers that they “shouldn’t wait” for Bonza’s launch in order to “lock in [their] essential July and August travel plans”. “Whilst we can’t wait to save you the long car ride or the need to holiday at home, we’d rather be upfront,” she said. After unveiling its plans to the world in October 2021, Bonza had initially been aiming to launch in Q2 of 2022. Speaking with the Australian Aviation podcast, CEO Tim Jordan later said this goal had been pushed back slightly to “mid-year”, as the airline continued to navigate the AOC process with CASA. “I know you’re keen to grab your cozzies and gather your rellies all for less than a tank of fuel. So, it’s only fair to give you an update on how we’re tracking. After all, you can’t be called Bonza and not be fair dinkum …” Povey said.<br/>