Delta Air Lines is investing $60m in urban air taxi developer Joby Aviation Inc. in the latest partnership between a traditional carrier and an upstart trying to revolutionize how people travel. Delta could boost its investment to as much as $200m when certain milestones are achieved in the partnership, which will be exclusive for at least five years, the companies announced Tuesday. The goal is to begin flying customers to and from airports in New York and Los Angeles using Joby’s four-passenger electric-powered vehicle as soon as it’s certified, which the company expects as soon as 2024. “We’ll be integrating the Joby network in all of our customer channels,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. “This is going to fit right into the premium experience for our customers.” Delta joins United Airlines and American Airlines, which have reached similar agreements with flying taxi manufacturers. Unlike those earlier deals, Joby will operate the flights and Delta isn’t planning to acquire any of the aircraft. The race to develop new aircraft that can climb straight up like a helicopter and fly like a plane -- known as electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL -- has produced billions of dollars of investment and hype, but significant hurdles remain before it becomes a routine commercial service. The FAA has said it’s on schedule to certify Joby’s craft and a handful of others by 2024, but that is the first of several approvals the company will need before beginning operations. It must also be certified to build the devices and to operate them as what will essentially be a small airline. There is also the question of building infrastructure for the air taxis. They’ll need landing pads in urban areas and major airports. <br/>
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ITA Airways’ first Airbus A220 twinjet will sport a sustainability-themed livery when it enters service in the coming days. The Pratt & Whitney PW1500G-powered A220-300 is due to begin operations on 16 October, the Italian carrier said on 11 October, having arrived at Rome Fiumicino airport this week. The special ‘Born to be Sustainable’ livery reflects the A220’s relative efficiency, ITA states, citing a “25% reduction in emissions of CO2 per passenger” compared with previous-generation aircraft. The minimalist livery – notably featuring a plain-white tail – contrasts sharply with the blue scheme used for ITA’s standard aircraft branding. Speaking at the Farnborough air show in July, ITA chief executive Fabio Lazzerini said the airline would take delivery of four A220s this year and expects to have received 25 by the end of its 2025-2026 business plan, “replacing mainly A319s”. Alongside incoming A320neos – the first of which is due for delivery in the coming weeks – the A220s will also replace older A320s. The incoming A220s will be a mixture of the -100 and -300 variants. Lazzerini explained that having started the year with 52 aircraft, ITA expects to end 2022 with 76 in service.<br/>
Indonesia is seeking Middle Eastern investors for its flag carrier Garuda Indonesia’s rights offer, part of the South-east Asian airline’s US$9.3b debt revamp. The government wants carriers from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, particularly those with code-sharing arrangements, to subscribe to Garuda’s share sale, Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in an interview in Jakarta last Thursday (Oct 6). "They need us for the haj traffic and we need them to connect to European markets,” he said. Garuda’s pilgrimage flights to the Middle East are among its more profitable routes with over 200,000 Indonesians flying to Saudi Arabia for the trip every year, according to Religious Affairs Ministry data. The airline’s code-sharing partners include Emirates, Etihad Airways PJSC, Turkish Airlines and Saudia Airlines, according to its website. The government wants Garuda to have a foreign partner to help it boost international flights as the airline focuses on domestic routes.<br/>