El Al said Monday it would resume non-stop flights to Hong Kong in February after halting them at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Israel's flag carrier said that in the wake of authorities in Hong Kong easing restrictions and allowing the entry of tourists, it would operate three weekly flights using Boeing 787 aircraft from Feb 4, 2023. El Al noted it was working to expand to more destinations in Asia that are popular with Israelis. Although El Al has received permission to overfly Saudi Arabia, it has yet to get approval to fly over Oman to skirt Iran and save flight time. Saudi Arabia in July announced it would allow unfettered access to its airspace. Prior to that, Israeli airlines could only fly over Saudi territory to United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Present routes to the east from Israel, to destinations such as India and Thailand, bypass Saudi airspace by flying south over the Red Sea around Yemen. El Al said once it receives Omani approval, flights to Hong Kong would be shortened by about one hour.<br/>
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Capital A is progressing with plans for the listing of AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd and airasia Super App in New York. CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the company, formerly known as AirAsia Group Bhd, would probably make the announcement next year. “We’re planning the listing of AirAsia Aviation, which is private now, and Super App, that’s progressing but we’ll make announcements in due course,” he said at an event in Danau Toba, Indonesia, Bernama reported. AirAsia Aviation comprises AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Philippines, AirAsia Thailand and AirAsia Indonesia. Capital A held the event at the Silangit International Airport, North Sumatra, Indonesia in conjunction with the inaugural Jakarta-Silangit flight operated by AirAsia Indonesia since Sept 1, 2022. Meanwhile, Fernandes said the company would replace its Airbus A320, the narrow-body aircraft fleet, with a more fuel-efficient A321 on the back of resumption of the aircraft delivery in 2024. He said 2023 is a year of getting back to its pre-Covid-19 level and regrowing in 2024 with A321, adding that aircraft deliveries up to 2029 have already been financed.<br/>
Vanuatu’s government is committing to supporting the Pacific republic’s airline, Air Vanuatu, including continuing lease of its single Boeing 737-800. Air Vanuatu says the infrastructure ministry has informed the carrier that it will do “all that is financially necessary and commercially viable” for the airline, after suggestions in the local Daily Post publication that the 737 was facing repossession. The 737-800 (YJ-AV8) is leased from US company Air Lease, and is the only jet in the carrier’s fleet. It is used for services connecting Port Vila to destinations in Australia and New Zealand. Air Vanuatu operates turboprops including ATR 72s and De Havilland DHC-6s, but also has three Airbus A220s – a pair of -100s and a -300 – on order.The airline says the “top focus” for its management team is securing the aircraft necessary for its operation. “This includes continuing the lease on the Boeing 737 and, importantly, it also includes additional [aircraft] that are required to stabilise domestic operations,” it states. “There are agreed payment plans in place for the Boeing 737 and these have been agreed to by the lessor. These financial commitments have been negotiated to ensure operations continue.”<br/>
Australia’s Jetstar has grounded several Boeing 787s following a series of technical issues, a move which has led to cancellations across its medium-haul network. The airline says its 787 fleet “has been impacted by a number of issues”. These include lightning strikes, a bird strike, as well as foreign object damage. There have also been delays in sourcing “a specific spare part” for one aircraft because of global supply chain issues. “The part has to be road freighted across the US,” the low-cost unit of flag carrier Qantas adds. Jetstar has a fleet of 11 787-8s, with one example in storage. The GEnx-powered jets are aged between seven and nine years old. A check on flight tracking site FlightRadar24 shows at least five examples not in service, some of which have stopped flying for more than a week. The 787s are mainly deployed on flights to Denpasar in Indonesia, Honolulu, as well as to points in Japan. The airline has cancelled eight return services between Denpasar and Melbourne and Sydney since 1 September and is “managing a number of delays, some up to 24 hours”. “Our teams are working hard to get passengers on their way as soon as possible – we are putting on five special services to bring people home and booking seats on Qantas flights also,” says Jetstar. The latest development adds to parent company Qantas’ mounting operational headaches as travel demand returns. <br/>