Air Canada sees transporting freight as a “large opportunity” even after passengers return to air travel following the two-year industry crisis. The Montreal-based carrier is expanding its dedicated cargo fleet, with plans to operate 12 air freighters by the end of 2024, Air Canada CFO Amos Kazzaz said at an investor conference held by Raymond James on 23 August. The carrier’s fleet of freighters stood at four jets – all Boeing 767-300Fs – at the end of June. By the end of 2023, it will have seven Boeing 767s in dedicated freighter service, and will add another three of the type in 2024, the airline says. In addition, Air Canada has acquired two 777s that will arrive in its fleet at the end of 2024. “We clearly see this as a large opportunity for ourselves” in terms of revenue diversification and growing demand for cargo services, Kazzaz says. Toronto Pearson International airport, the country’s busiest, is convenient for long-haul cargo operations. Kazzaz says. Within 10h flight, an aircraft can reach 34% of the world’s most important cargo destinations. “The infrastructure and geography really makes this a winning business for ourselves,” Kazzaz adds. Earlier this month, Air Canada reported that its cargo revenue in the first half of 2022 rose 9% year-on-year to C$697m ($538m), from C$639m in the same six months a year prior. In pre-pandemic 2019, that figure was C$354m. During the pandemic, Air Canada temporarily converted 11 passenger aircraft – a mix of 777s and Airbus A330-330s – into cargo carriers to keep them flying while passenger demand remained low due to travel restrictions. Passenger seats were removed from the aircraft to enable the transport of lightweight cargo in the cabins. The airline flew its final passenger-to-freighter aircraft flight in May 2022.<br/>
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Portuguese airline TAP more than halved first-half losses to E202m ($200.2m), it said on Tuesday, citing a strong demand recovery once COVID-19 restrictions ended. Total operating income in the six months to June 30 more than tripled from a year earlier to E1.3b and passenger revenue jumped nearly fivefold to E1.1b. The airline posted a E493m loss for the first six months of last year. “The second quarter saw very healthy demand and higher revenue per passenger, which allowed us to offset the increase in costs,” CE Christine Ourmieres-Widener said. The airline, which is 72.5% controlled by the Portuguese state, is under a Brussels-approved rescue plan worth E3.2b and was forced to reduce its fleet size, cut more than 2,900 jobs and reduce wages. Under the restructuring plan, TAP is also required to wind down its aircraft maintenance business in Brazil. “Prospects for the fourth quarter and next year remain uncertain. The execution of the restructuring plan remains key,” Ourmieres-Widener added.<br/>
India's Tata Sons will likely have to make a provision of 26b rupees ($325.69m) as accumulated losses for low-cost carrier AirAsia India, which it's seeking to absorb into unit Air India and merge with Air India Express, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday. Earlier this year, Tata Group-owned Air India proposed to buy the entire equity share capital of AirAsia India, in which Tata has a majority stake, to merge into a single airline. Tata Sons has an 83.67% stake in AirAsia India. No decision has been taken on whether the write-off will be included in the balance sheet of Tata Sons or Air India, the Economic Times reported, citing officials close to the development. Tata, Air India and AirAsia India did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Autos-to-steel conglomerate Tata bought state-run carrier Air India in a $2.4b equity and debt deal earlier this year, regaining ownership of what used to be India's flagship carrier after nearly 70 years. The deal included three entities - full-service carrier Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express, and AI SATS, which provides ground-handling and cargo services.<br/>
Juneyao Group, the parent of Chinese carrier Juneyao Airlines, plans to start making electric vehicles, two people with knowledge of the matter said, as it seeks to diversify from businesses that have been hit hard by COVID. Shanghai-based Juneyao, owned by Chinese billionaire Wang Junjin, his brother and nephew, is setting up a team internally to explore EV making plans, said the people, who declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to media. The plans are still at a preliminary stage, they added, but it would allow Juneyao to tap into a booming market that has been aided by generous government subsidies and tax exemptions. Juneyao did not reply to a request for comment. EVs, including pure-electric and plug-in hybrids, accounted for 22% of sales in the first seven months of the year, according to Chinese industry data, the highest proportion among major global markets. Established local brands Nio , Xpeng and Li Auto compete fiercely against foreign players such as Tesla in the world's largest EV market, but Juneyao would join a growing list of high-profile Chinese companies with little or no automotive experience that are rushing into the sector. Property group Evergrande, smartphone maker Xiaomi and search engine giant Baidu have started making EVs in line with a government plan to lead the world's auto industry in electrification and automation.<br/>
The first of Air New Zealand's 'desert planes' has arrived back in the country – marking a significant milestone in the airline's post-Covid recovery. In 2020, the airline sent four of its largest planes – the 777-300ER – to a storage facility in Victorville, California, in the Mojave Desert. It was part of a wider grounding of its 777 fleet. The first of those planes, with the registration ZK-OKP, arrived back in Auckland at 4:45am on Tuesday, 23 August. The jet will now undergo six to eight weeks of maintenance before flying passengers again in September. The 777s are being brought back sooner than expected due to demand surging more than anticipated. Before being flown to Auckland, the aircraft underwent a "good wash" to get rid of the desert dust and grime. Earlier in August, Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer Alex Marren explained what happened after its clean. "Our engineering teams then remove the protective shrouds and materials on the wheels, sensors and wings and undertake a thorough servicing and maintenance programme to get these aircraft serviceable and ready to fly again. From servicing the wheels on the landing gear to checking upholstery and the inflight entertainment system within the cabin, a lot of work goes into these aircraft to make sure they are ready to welcome customers back on board."<br/>