unaligned

The US Commerce Department said on Monday it had issued an order denying export privileges to Russian carrier Ural Airlines, citing what it said were ongoing export violations. The order terminates the right of Ural to participate in transactions subject to US export regulations. President Joe Biden's administration has stepped up the crackdown against Russian airlines that followed the invasion of Ukraine, seeking to deny them access to spare parts, refueling and other services. The department said Ural was still advertising flights within Russia as well as international flights from Moscow, to Bishkek and Osh, Kyrgyzstan, and Kulyab, Tajikistan. To date, Commerce has issued 10 orders against Russia and Belarus’s biggest airlines, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. "Today’s action highlights the peril and consequences of attempting to circumvent our comprehensive export controls, and further impairs Russia’s aviation sector," Axelrod said, adding "US legal authorities are substantial, far-reaching, and have a meaningful impact on access to global commerce by parties found to be in violation of US law." Last month the department added three Iranian cargo planes serving Russia to a list of aircraft believed to violate US export controls. The Commerce Department identified Boeing 747s operated by Mahan Air, Qeshm Fars Air and Iran Air transporting goods, to Russia in apparent violation of stringent US export controls. The department has warned that any refueling, maintenance, repair, spare parts or services violate US export controls and subject companies to US enforcement actions.<br/>

Aerolineas Argentinas has no plans to join Gol in its merger with Avianca to form the new pan-South America airline group, Abra, president Pablo Ceriana said. “It’s difficult to think about something like that,” he said at the ALTA Leaders Forum in Buenos Aires on Monday, citing the Argentine government’s ownership of the airline. Avianca and Gol unveiled in May plans to form Abra, which will resemble Europe’s International Airlines Group. The group will also include Colombia’s Viva Air, and a minority stake in Chile’s Sky Airline when the merger is complete. Each airline will maintain its own brand and operate independently of the others but they plan to use their combined heft to jointly source from suppliers and coordinate commercially across the region. While a merger is off the table, Aerolineas is deepening its relationship with long-time partner Gol. The latest aspect of this is a new coordinated shuttle, or “air bridge,” between Buenos Aires’ close-in Aeroparque airport and Sao Paulo Guarulhos from November 1. Aerolineas and Gol will together offer seven daily flights on the route, as well as enhanced customer benefits — like dedicated check-in desks and free flight changes for certain fare classes — and improved connectivity between both airlines’ networks. Gol CEO Celso Ferrer said the expanded partnership, which builds on the airlines’ existing codeshare, will “make things easier for customers.” It also expands the Brazilian airlines reach in Argentina where it currently flies to just Aeroparque and Mendoza; Cordoba and Rosario flights resume in November, and Buenos Aires Ezeiza flights in December after pandemic suspensions. “Not being part of the group, we can still work together, have a lot of synergies, and a strategic vision about how to work in the region,” Ceriana said.<br/>

North American ultra-low-cost carriers Allegiant Air and Viva Aerobus were authorized 17 October by Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission to move forward with a proposed transborder commercial alliance. “This approval is a critical next step to achieving a historic and unique alliance between two low-cost carriers in the world’s most dynamic airline market,” says John Redmond, CEO of Allegiant. Approval from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) still stands as a major hurdle for the companies as they seek to expand low-fare service between Mexico and the USA, specifically to destinations currently lacking nonstop flights. The joint venture would give customers access to each airlines’ respective loyalty programmes, sales systems and route networks to operate flights together, Las Vegas-based Allegiant says. That carrier would begin operations in Mexico for the first time, including service to popular Mexican beach destinations like Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, and Viva Aerobus would expand to US markets such as Las Vegas and Florida. “COFECE’s authorisation is one step forward to forging an alliance that will strengthen a competitive environment with a larger offering between Mexico and the US,” says Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of Viva Aerobus. The alliance would also give Allegiant an equity stake in Viva Aerobus. Shortly after the companies applied for DOT approval in December 2021, Allegiant’s former longtime chief executive Maurice Gallagher called Mexico a “green field” that holds many possibilities for the airline. <br/>

Pilots at Lufthansa's Eurowings began a three-day strike over working hours, their union said, affecting tens of thousands of the budget airline's passengers on Monday. "It's begun. And so far there is no new offer," said a spokesperson for the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots' union. The union wants the carrier to ease pilot workloads through measures such as increased rest periods, but Eurowings warned over the weekend that the demands put jobs at risk. The airline said about 240 out of 488 flights have been cancelled at airports in Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart, affecting about 25,000 passengers on the strike's first day. It expects to cancel a similar number of flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. The walkout is due to end at 11:59 pm local time (2159 GMT) on Wednesday. Eurowings pilots had held a one-day strike for improved working conditions at the start of October, affecting about 30,000 passengers and the cancellation of about 250 flights.<br/>

Norse Atlantic Airways has been granted authorisation to operate transatlantic services with its UK division. The airline will be able to serve US cities from London Gatwick as a result of the regulatory decision by the US Department of Transportation. Norse Atlantic UK has already been awarded an air operator’s certificate by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The US regulator has granted clearance under the US-UK air transport agreement of 2020. It states that the carrier anticipates commencing US flights later this year, using eight Boeing 787-9s. Among the initial planned destinations from Gatwick are New York, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago Rockford and Baltimore-Washington. “This milestone represents a huge step in creating competition in the transatlantic market that will benefit consumers, stimulate business travel and lead to job creation,” says Norse Atlantic chief Bjorn Tore Larsen. He says the carrier will expand the Gatwick network to the USA as part of its summer 2023 schedule.<br/>

AirAsia X Group (AAX) is increasing the number of its medium-haul Malaysia AirAsia X flights to 44 per week across 10 routes, while the Thai AirAsia X will also be expanding its operations to 22 weekly flights across five routes in the next two months. AAX has recently launched direct services from Kuala Lumpur to South Korea (Seoul-Incheon) and India (New Delhi), and resumed services to Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth), New Zealand (Auckland), Japan (Tokyo-Haneda and Sapporo-Chitose). In a statement today, the group has also confirmed new flights to Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) and Taipei starting November. Meanwhile, Thai AirAsia X has launched services from Bangkok to Japan (Osaka and Tokyo-Narita) and South Korea (Seoul-Incheon), and is preparing to launch new direct flights to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) and Japan (Sapporo-Chitose) early December. AAX said all furloughed pilots and retrenched cabin crew will have the opportunity to be back in the sky by December this year. "Since the pandemic, AAX has already reactivated 175 pilots and 285 cabin crew, including rehiring 131 cabin crew who were retrenched during the pandemic," it said. Malaysia AAX CEO Benyamin Ismail said the airline currently operates four widebody A330 aircraft, and expects to be operating up to 13 aircraft by the first quarter of 2023 to meet the strong and growing demand for medium-haul flights.<br/>