European budget carrier Wizz Air has suspended plans to resume flights from the Russian capital of Moscow to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, amid mounting criticism over the relaunch decision this month. In Friday's statement deferring the flights until further notice, Wizz Air made no mention of the social media backlash, which included some calls to boycott the airline, but referred only to "industry supply chain limitations". On Twitter, the airline had responded to criticism by saying the flight would be run by its Abu Dhabi venture, which is a registered carrier in the United Arab Emirates operating in line with the Gulf state's regulations. Other UAE carriers were operating to Russia, it added. London-listed Wizz Air holds a 49% stake in Wizz Air Abu Dhabi whose aircraft carry the European airline's name and branding. Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ owns 51%. This month, Wizz Air said flights between Abu Dhabi and Moscow would resume from October. On Feb. 27, it had suspended all fights with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Wizz Air also holds airline operating certificates in Britain and Hungary. European carriers have ceased operations with Russia, while Russian airlines are banned from European Union airspace as part of Western sanctions for the conflict, which Moscow calls a "special military operation".<br/>
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IATA has lamented Nigeria’s lack of action to address the repatriation of airline funds, after Emirates announced it would suspend services to the country from 1 September because of the issue. The airline money blocked by the Nigerian government grew to $464m in July, IATA said on 18 August, cementing Africa’s largest economy as a world leader in that regard. Its total has been rising rapidly in recent months, having been at $282m in April. For Emirates, the situation is no longer tenable. “Emirates has tried every avenue to address our ongoing challenges in repatriating funds from Nigeria, and we have made considerable efforts to initiate dialogue with the relevant authorities for their urgent intervention to help find a viable solution,” it said on 18 August. “Regrettably there has been no progress,” the statement continues. “Therefore, Emirates has taken the difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on our operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market.” IATA believes Nigeria’s government should do more to resolve the situation. “Airlines can’t be expected to fly if they can’t realise revenue from ticket sales,” it states. “Loss of connectivity harms the economy, hurts investor confidence, impacts jobs and people’s lives. The government of Nigeria needs to prioritise the release of funds before more damage is done.” For its part, Emirates says it will re-evaluate its decision to stop serving Nigeria, “should there be any positive developments in the coming days regarding Emirates’ blocked funds”. Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Aviation has been contacted for comment. At its AGM in June, IATA it said that blocked funds in Nigeria – then around $450m – accounted for at least 25% of the global total, which stood at $1.6b. African countries accounted for two-thirds of that overall figure, with Zimbabwe, Algeria, Eritrea and Ethiopia also hotspots alongside Nigeria. <br/>
India’s Vistara has for the first time become the country’s second largest domestic carrier by market share, edging out low-cost compatriot SpiceJet. According to traffic data from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Vistara carried just over 1 million domestic passengers in July, giving the Tata Sons joint venture about 10.4% of market share.<br/>The lion’s share of the market went to low-cost operator IndiGo, at nearly 59%. SpiceJet, which has been the second largest domestic carrier for the past six months, slipped to fifth place with 8% of market share. Air India, the only other full-service carrier in the country, was third largest at 8.4% market share, followed by Go First with 8.2%. The data, compiled monthly by the DGCA, comes as travel demand within and out of the country continues to skyrocket. It also comes as the Indian airline market experiences a series of significant changes, including the entry of new low-cost operator Akasa Air, which began operations in early August, as well as the possible revival of now-shuttered Jet Airways. IndiGo has also come under new leadership, with former KLM chief Pieter Elbers helming the carrier. Air India, now privatised under new owners Tata Sons, is now led by ex-Scoot CEO Campbell Wilson. Both carriers have indicated plans to expand operations in the coming months.<br/>
Three South Korean low-cost operators continued their loss-making streak in Q2 of the year, despite a steady increase in revenue. While Jeju Air, Jin Air and T’way Air all narrowed their losses, their financial performance stands in stark contrast to that of the country’s two full-service carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which were profitable on the back of strong cargo performance. More crucially, the weaker financial performance reflect the impact that closed borders in the key markets of China and Japan have on recovery prospects. For the three months to 30 June, Jeju Air reported an operating loss of W55b ($41.5m), an improvement on the W71b loss in same quarter in 2021. The airline saw a 68% rise in revenues to W125 billion, as the airline increased the number of international flights with borders reopening. Costs rose about 26% to W155b, with fuel-related expenses nearly doubling year on year. Net loss for the quarter remained the same, at around W56b. As for Jin Air, it was W15b in the red for the quarter, narrowing the W49b operating loss posted in 2021. Revenue for the period rose 63% to W126b, with international passenger revenue share increasing with border restrictions easing. The carrier saw a thirteen-fold jump in international passenger traffic for the quarter, with capacity increasing six-fold. Costs increased 29% to W141b, with fuel expenses making up nearly a third of total expenses. Meanwhile, T’way Air reported an operating loss of W29.5b, narrowing the W35b loss in 2021. Revenue rose 65% to about W94b, with the airline attributing the increase to the “partial normalisation” of international flying.<br/>