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Air Canada has announced a partnership with Flydubai that will offer more options for travellers headed to destinations in the Middle East, East Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Southern Asia. Mark Galardo, Air Canada's executive vice-president for revenue and network planning, says the partnership complements the airline's non-stop service to Dubai from Toronto and Vancouver. Under the deal, an Air Canada marketing code will be placed on nine Flydubai routes from Dubai that will give travellers the ability to travel to those markets with the issuance of a single ticket. The agreement also includes an interline arrangement that will see customers easily connect in Dubai to more than 60 destinations served by Flydubai. The airlines say more than 30 of those destinations are not flown to by Air Canada's other partners. They also say they plan on improving the connection process in Dubai and are working toward introducing expanded features and benefits for loyalty program members.<br/>

Air Canada is closing in on a deal for as many as 20 Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners to renew and expand its long-haul fleet, according to people familiar with the matter, in the latest sign of surging demand for large commercial jets. The Canadian carrier is near an agreement to order between 15 and 20 of the twin-aisle aircraft, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are confidential. The 787 carries a list price of just under $300 million for the variant most-used by Air Canada, suggesting a deal value of up to $6b before typical industry discounts. “We have not made any decisions,” Peter Fitzpatrick, Air Canada’s spokesman, said in an email. A Boeing representative declined to comment. Amos Kazzaz, the Canadian airline’s CFO, told analysts in a conference call Friday the airline is “constantly in the market looking for lift” as demand picks up. Air Canada would join other airlines locking in delivery positions on the latest generation of wide-body jets as long-distance flying rebounds from a prolonged slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic. United Airlines Holdings Inc. unveiled an order for 100 Dreamliners along with an equal number of options in December. Recent customers include the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is starting a new airline, and Air India, which took both Boeing and Airbus SE widebodies as part of its massive 470-plane deal in February. Large aircraft orders are likely to be in the spotlight next month at the Paris Air Show, the industry’s biggest gathering. <br/>

Air China has swamped an Australian flight school with a request for commercial pilots, a sudden demand that points to a looming rebound as the vast Chinese market resumes international travel. Beijing-based Air China had stopped sending its trainees to the Australian Airline Pilot Academy campus in regional Victoria state after the pandemic halted overseas travel in early 2020. But talks resumed two months ago and the giant state-run carrier, almost out of nowhere, pushed the school to interview more than 100 candidates from China in just four days in April. “It went from nothing to ‘when can we start?”’ said Chris Hine, executive chairman of the academy. “Logic tells me that we must only be at the start of it. Airlines are still rebuilding.” The urgency of Air China’s personnel requirements underscores the pace of the post-pandemic passenger rebound — and the sheer number of flight crew needed to sustain it. The world will need more than 600,000 new pilots between 2022 and 2041, and the biggest requirement is in Asia, according to the latest forecast by planemaker Boeing. The biggest potential crew demands for Chinese airlines may be on overseas services. In Northeast Asia, a region dominated by China, international flying is wallowing 42% below pre-Covid levels, according to OAG. The region’s domestic air-travel market is already larger than it was before the pandemic, the data shows. Air China, which has a fleet of 757 aircraft, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. China’s largest low-cost carrier, Spring Airlines, which is adding more than 10 aircraft every year to build on its almost 120-strong Airbus fleet, needs many more cadet pilots to keep up with the pace of expansion, according to Vice President Zhang Wu’an. The number of new pilots needed annually will soon exceed the pre-Covid rate of around 200, he said, adding that while pilots train mainly in China, some gain qualifications in the US or Australia. The Australian Airline Pilot Academy, or AAPA, serves partly as a crew pipeline for its owner, Australian domestic carrier Rex. But Hine, who’s a former chief pilot for Rex, said training overseas personnel is set to become a larger part of the business. The academy is in talks to train pilots for at least two other carriers in China, and its annual training capacity could quadruple to 400 aviators in five years, he said.<br/>

Singapore Airlines will pay staff a bonus of around eight months salary after posting a record annual profit, the Business Times newspaper reported. Eligible staff will be paid a profit-sharing bonus equivalent to 6.65 months’ pay, and a maximum of 1.5 months’ salary of ex-gratia bonus in recognition of their hard work and sacrifices during the pandemic, the newspaper reported, citing a spokesperson for the airline. Senior management won’t receive the bonus, the newspaper said. The city-state’s flag carrier on Tuesday reported net income of S$2.16b ($1.62b) for the year ended March 31, and said forward sales are healthy across all cabin classes, led by bookings to China, Japan and South Korea. Singapore Airlines and its budget offshoot Scoot carried 26.5 million passengers in the year, six times higher than the 12 months through March 2022, with passenger capacity rising to 79% of pre-Covid levels in March. On Monday, Singapore Air said it flew 1.75m passengers in April, up 53% from the same month last year. Hong Kong rival Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. has a way to go before it gets to those heights, with last year’s revenue still only about half of pre-pandemic levels. <br/>

Korean Air Lines was handed a warning from European Union regulators that its plan to acquire smaller South Korean rival Asiana Airlines for 1.8t won ($1.4b) would harm competition unless the firms allay antitrust concerns. In a so-called statement of objections announced on Wednesday, the European Commission cited likely problems on routes between South Korea and France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The commission also said the buyout could distort the market for cargo transport services between South Korea and Europe. Both Korean Air and Asiana have been invited to request talks with the EU’s merger officials in order to chart a compromise on the deal. The EU has until Aug. 3 to come to a final decision. Korean Air said in an emailed statement it’s “cooperating closely” with the commission to address all potential concerns.<br/>

Thai Airways International will merge its Thai Smile unit into the main company, to boost the combined carriers’ efficiency. Thai’s creditors approved the restructuring of Thai Smile into Thai on 17 May, as part of Thai’s overall reorganisation plan, says the carrier. The move also requires the blessing of Thailand’s transport minister and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. Thai indicates that the Thai Smile move is part of its overall restructuring road map, and expects the Thai Smile merger to be completed in 2023. Thai notes that 99.99%-owned Thai Smile operates under its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC), meaning it manages operations independently of Thai. This reduces efficiency and hurts competitiveness. Thai Smile also faces stiff competition from low-cost carriers. When Thai Smile is brought under Thai’s AOC, Thai will manage its fleet planning, scheduling, and route network. This will allow for the better coordination of short-haul and long-haul flights at Thai’s Bangkok Suvarnabhumi hub. Thai envisages the new arrangement improving utilisation, lowering unit costs, and improving economies of scale. Thai also indicates that the Thai Smile brand will be retired, while the latter’s workforce will be merged with the mainline operator’s. The carrier adds that the move will ”increase efficiency and effectiveness in marketing communication”, which will reduce costs and increase its competitiveness. Cirium fleets data indicates that Thai Smile operates 20 Airbus A320s with an average age of 9.4 years. Thai also holds a 13.3% stake in low-cost carrier Nok Air.<br/>

A number of passengers have been treated for minor injuries after landing at Sydney Airport on a flight from India. Air India's flight AI302, which departed from Delhi on Tuesday and arrived on Wednesday, experienced mid-flight turbulence en-route to Sydney, leaving some on board requiring assistance. "The flight landed safely in Sydney, and three passengers availed of medical assistance on arrival, none of whom required hospitalisation," an Air India spokesperson told 9News.com.au. "This onboard incident has been reported to the relevant authorities as a standard practice." The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also commented on the incident, saying initially seven passengers reported minor sprains. "Air India B787-800 aircraft VT-ANY operating flight AI-302 (Delhi-Sydney) encountered severe turbulence. During flight seven passengers reported minor sprains," DGCA told news agency ANI. A doctor and nurse travelling on the flight assisted cabin crew with rendering first aid to injured passengers, they noted.<br/>