The US Commerce Department on Thursday said it was extending by another six months a denial of export privileges for two Russian airlines that continued to fly Boeing 737 airplanes after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The export denial extensions are for Pobeda Airlines and S7 Airlines, which is also known as Siberian Airlines. The department previously added airplanes the two airlines operate to a list of aircraft believed to violate US export controls as part of the Biden administration’s sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Aeroflot is Pobeda’s majority shareholder. The department has imposed severe restrictions on Russian airlines, warning companies around the world that any refueling, maintenance, repair, or spare parts or services violate US export controls and subject companies to severe US enforcement actions. <br/>
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Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare national airline of the UAE, is launching daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Madinah in Saudi Arabia in February 2023. The new route will provide affordable, hassle-free travel for tourists and residents in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia with daily flights providing unique travel opportunities on a convenient WIZZ flight schedule. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from AED179 ($48,7). Madinah, one of Islam’s two holiest cities, is a key destination for millions of pilgrims travelling for Hajj or Umrah, and boasts breath-taking views and architecture. Known as ‘The Enlightened City’, Madinah is home to Al Masjid an Nabawi, the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque, and is a cradle of Islamic culture and civilisation with prominent mosques and landmarks to visit. <br/>
Akasa Air is sufficiently capitalised to induct 72 aircraft by 2027, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Praveen Iyer said in an interview with India’s Businessline. “As a start-up, it’s been exactly four months, and we are happy with the overall performance. In fact, the financial platform is strong enough to allow Akasa Air to place an aircraft order in the next 18 months that will be significantly larger than the first one,” he said. Having started in August 2022, the airline currently operates 56 flights daily with nine B737-8s leased from Griffin Global Asset Management and LEAP. It has sixty-one more B737 MAX on order from LEAP, ch-aviation fleets advanced data shows. Iyer said deliveries had been timely so far, and the company was on track to induct one or two aircraft every month as per its plan. “By December 25, 2022, we will have ten aircraft and also take delivery of the 11th aircraft. By December end, we will have 11 destinations on 16 nonstop routes and expect to cross the milestone of 500 weekly flights. Our fleet size will be 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023, and over the next four years, we will add 54 additional aircraft, taking our total fleet size to 72 aircraft.” <br/>
AirAsia parent Capital A has been given until July to submit its “regularisation plan” after securing a six-month extension from the Malyasian stock exchange. Capital A was in January labelled a ‘PN17’ company by Bursa Securities – a categorisation for distressed entities – with a requirement to detail by the end of January how it would return to normal operations. However, the company at the end of last month sought an extension from the stock market authority to that deadline. Those plans included Capital A divesting its airline interests to medium-haul carrier AirAsia X, and grouping the carriers under a joint holding company. The new entitity would comprise four short-haul Asean airlines – AirAsia Berhad, Thai AirAsia, AirAsia Indonesia, and AirAsia Philippines – plus medium-haul airlines AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X. All six carriers will retain their separate operations. Capital A now says it has been given until 7 July to submit the plan. <br/>
Jet-setting oenophiles just got another reason to toast the arrival of 2023. The world’s first winery airline will begin flights this coming January. Invivo Air is the brainchild of Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron. The savvy duo is behind New Zealand’s acclaimed wine company Invivo and thus brings a wealth of experience to this new, sky-high endeavor. The inaugural jaunt, which is scheduled for January 31, will take passengers from Auckland on the North Island to Queenstown on the South Island in the Invivo Air Saab 340 plane. Fliers will have the chance to enjoy an eight-part guided wine tasting at 18,000 feet. You’ll receive pours of the award-winning Invivo range, including blends that were created by Graham Norton and Sarah Jessica Parker, no less. The plonk will be expertly paired with a selection of local Kiwi snacks, naturally. If you’re not big on drinking, don’t fret. Attendants will also be serving low- and non-alcoholic drinks to keep any teetotalers engaged in the experience. A curated playlist compiled by Invivo co-founder Rob, who happens to be the lead guitarist of local band Razorback Road, will serve as the soundtrack for the trip.<br/>