Jerry Atkin, chair of SkyWest Airlines’ board of directors, is planning to retire in May, marking the end of four-decade-long tenure with the company’s senior leadership team. SkyWest disclosed in a 25 March filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the board had recently accepted Atkin’s offer to retire, adding that Atkin is observing the company’s corporate governance guidelines by stepping down upon reaching the age of 75. “The offer to retire tendered by Mr. Atkin was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices,” SkyWest says. His successor as chairman will be James Welch, the company’s lead independent director. Welch’s appointment is effective upon SkyWest’s shareholders meeting on 7 May. <br/>
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Mexico’s new state-owned airline was sued by the company that the government hired to manage plane leases and hire crews, claiming the carrier’s lack of cooperation has put the entire enterprise in jeopardy. SAT Aero Holdings Inc., which was formerly known as Petrus Aero Holdings, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in New York seeking damages in the full amount of its $838.5m contract, plus $2.4m in costs. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, launched the new Mexicana airline in December after buying the name from a carrier that stopped flying in 2010. The government has marketed Mexicana as a new budget airline set to compete with local carriers Volaris and Viva Aerobus. The airline recorded 160 flights in January, according to government statistics. AMLO said last year the government was looking to initially lease 10 Boeing 737 jets. But Mexicana now leases at least part of its aircraft from another regional airline, TAR Aerolineas. SAT was hired by the Mexican Ministry of Defense to provide services including procuring aircraft and insurance, recruiting and training pilots and crew and arranging for maintenance of the aircraft, according to the complaint. The company said it was understood that it would buy airplanes for Mexicana, and that the government would ultimately bear the cost. But SAT claims Mexicana broke their agreement by failing to pay more than $5.5m in deposits so that SAT could lease the first two of 10 aircraft. The company says it “pushed forward” and tried to “do everything possible to sustain the important long-term business relationship,” while continuing to negotiate leases.<br/>
Turkish discount carrier Pegasus will hold on to its Boeing 737 fleet as it looks to meet growing demand, a shift away from a previous plan to operate only Airbus planes from next year. “We were heading to a single type fleet. However, with this growth and with this size, we made our internal analysis and feasibility and decided to keep nine Boeing aircraft,” Chief Executive Officer Guliz Ozturk said in an interview. “In terms of cost, in terms of complication, it’s manageable.” Istanbul-based Pegasus had planned to phase out its older-generation 737 NGs by 2025 but growing travel demand, as well as delivery delays of new planes from manufacturers and the consequent surge in lease rates, prompted the carrier to push those plans back to 2029, according to Ozturk. Pegasus expects to grow at a time when some of its larger rivals are constrained by engine issues and jet delivery delays. Wizz Air Holdings Plc and Turkish Airlines have been forced to ground A320neo aircraft this summer due to inspections and repairs on their Pratt & Whitney engines, while Ryanair Holdings Plc has repeatedly expressed frustration over delayed deliveries of its 737 Max jets. Pegasus uses CFM International turbines on its A320neo jets that haven’t been impacted by the groundings. Ozturk didn’t rule out a future purchase of the 737 Max as it plans to continue operating a Boeing and Airbus narrowbody fleet. The carrier, which has outstanding orders for 68 A321neo jets, previously said it was considering placing an order for new aircraft for delivery into the next decade. Pegasus began as an all-Boeing operator and a 737 Max order would be a shot in the arm for Boeing, which is in the midst of a spiraling safety crisis triggered by a near-catastrophic incident on an Alaska Airlines jet in January. Ozturk, who’s been at the carrier for nearly two decades and is one of the few women at the helm of an airline, said Boeing will need to focus on applying quality standards, doing strict checks and improving the culture.<br/>
Air Botswana plans to buy at least three Embraer aircraft with financial assistance from the government, allowing it to expand its regional footprint, according to newly appointed General Manager Lulu Rasebotsa. Speaking to various media at the recent ITB Berlin Convention in Germany, Rasebotsa disclosed that the airline is already advertising for Embraer crew but did not specify which aircraft type is being considered. ch-aviation has reached out to the airline for more details. Meanwhile, Rasebotsa, who was appointed in December 2023 following the departure to CEIBA Intercontinental of former GM Agnes Khunwana, told The Punchline in a podcast at ITB that the carrier is buying at least three Embraers with government funds. "We are on a new path now that the government has funded us to increase our aircraft, and that means we are going to expand our routes," she said. "As an airline, we are in the process of acquiring and adding to our fleet, which means that we will increase our routes. We are expecting to expand our footprint, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We also think we are strategically located in Southern Africa to be a [regional] hub."<br/>
Emirates has commenced the activation of its fuel agreement with Neste this month at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, under which over 2 million gallons of blended SAF will be supplied into the fuelling system at Schiphol Airport over the course of 2024. The airline will track the delivery of SAF into the fuelling systems and environmental benefits using standard industry accounting methodologies. Emirates’ partnership with Neste, announced late last year, represents one of the largest volumes of SAF that the airline has purchased to date. Once fully supplied into Amsterdam Schiphol’s fuelling system, the blended SAF will have been comprised of over 700,000 gallons of neat (unblended) SAF. The airline is also working with Neste to supply SAF into the fuelling systems at Singapore Changi Airport in the next few months. Adel Al Redha, Deputy President and COO, Emirates said: “Collaborating with committed partners like Neste is one of the practical steps we are taking to reduce our emissions, and it’s an all-important milestone in our own sustainability journey as an airline. Strong partnerships like this, especially at major air transport hubs such as Amsterdam, lay the foundation for how we can work with partners and airports to increase access to and availability of SAF across our network.” Alexander Kueper, VP Renewable Aviation, Neste said: “We are proud to support Emirates in their sustainability journey. SAF is an available solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from air travel and it is exciting that Emirates have started using our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. It is also a great example of how we are working together with partners to accelerate SAF usage and are looking forward to the next steps of our cooperation.”<br/>
South Korean budget carrier EastarJet announced on Thursday that it surpassed 3m cumulative passengers since resuming operations in March 2023, and the airline reported a passenger load factor of 93% over the past year. EastarJet attributed the achievement to its initiative of resuming flights focusing on routes with high demand and introducing additional aircraft into its fleet in a timely manner. EastarJet has since added seven more aircraft after resuming operations with three aircraft in March 2023, and currently operates a total of 10 aircraft on 14 routes. The carrier’s plans for 2024 include introducing five or more aircraft and expanding operations to over 12 routes. “This year, we will diversify our route network to various cities and strive to serve even more customers through aggressive brand promotion,” a company spokesperson said.<br/>
Myanmar Airways International has taken delivery of its first ATR72-600. The aircraft ferried to Myanmar from Kuala Lumpur Subang on March 24 and will be entered into the local register as XY-AMU (msn 1039), after which it will help facilitate the airline's domestic expansion strategy. "This addition aligns with MAI's strategic network growth and service excellence, enabling MAI and its sister airline Mingalar (K7, Yangon) to enhance frequencies and drive growth within Myanmar and the region, offering more affordable travel options," a post on the carrier's social media channels said. ch-aviation fleets data shows the 11.62-year-old turboprop formerly operated for Virgin Australia (VA, Brisbane International) as VH-FVN. That airline discontinued its use of the type in early 2020 and the aircraft had remained in storage ever since. Myanmar Airlines International flies to 26 airports in 11 countries. The carrier is making a significant effort to increase its regional footprint, with scheduled services to Chiang Mai starting on April 3, Vientiane on May 4, Dhaka on May 8, and Doha Hamad International on June 1.<br/>
Three years after acquiring a no-objection certificate and two years after saying it was in the final stages of securing its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC), would-be Bangladeshi start-up Fly Dhaka (Dhaka) is beating the publicity drums again, with CEO Molla Fazle Akbar telling local news outlets that he wants to start ops by November using ATR72-600s. "We are all set to spread the wings of Fly Dhaka as a new airline by November this year," he told Dhaka's Daily Star this week, even though the AOC is still lacking. However, the start-up elaborated via a statement that it is "actively addressing various pertinent matters related to the acquisition of the AOC." It has also started advertising for ATR captains, first officers, maintenance engineers, and other roles. The initial plan is to operate the ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops on domestic sectors before acquiring Boeing and Airbus aircraft for "global operations." Bangladeshi regulations restrict start-ups to domestic sectors only for two years before they can apply to expand into international ops. "Our aim is not only to establish a robust presence in the domestic market but also to extend our reach to the global arena," this week's statement reads. "Towards this end, negotiations with a giant Asian airline are already underway."<br/>