Spirit Airlines said on Friday it will get a monthly credit from International Aero Engines through the end of 2024 as compensation for Spirit being unable to use aircraft with engine issues. The carrier said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission the agreement would boost liquidity by between $150m and $200m. The engine maker is an affiliate of RTX Corp's Pratt & Whitney. The impact to Spirit's liquidity will be determined by the number of days in 2024 in which Spirit aircraft are unavailable due to engine issues, according to the filing. Under the agreement, Spirit agreed to release IAE and its affiliates from claims related to the impacted engines that have accrued or may accrue prior to Dec. 31, 2024. Spirit intends to discuss arrangements with Pratt & Whitney for any Spirit aircraft that remain unavailable after the end of the year, the company said in the filing. Spirit removed engines from service and grounded some of its A320neo aircraft for inspection after Pratt & Whitney notified it of a rare condition in the powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts in July last year that would require removal, replacement or further inspection. Rising operating costs and persistent supply chain problems have the ultra low-cost carrier grappling with liquidity issues and struggling to return to sustainable profitability. That has raised concerns about the company's ability to repay debt due to mature next year.<br/>
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Aer Lingus will meet pilots on Wednesday seeking a quick end to a pay row to ensure the delivery of new aircraft to the carrier. The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) and Aer Lingus are due before the Labour Court on April 22nd to resolve a dispute over union members’ demand for pay increases of more than 20%. However, the sides agreed to meet next Wednesday after Aer Lingus COO Adrian Dunne wrote to Ialpa seeking a meeting before the Labour Court date, saying it is “incumbent” on both to find a solution as soon as possible. If there is no resolution by April 28th, then the Irish carrier’s owner, International Airlines Group (IAG) will allocate a new Airbus aircraft due to begin flying for Aer Lingus in September to one of its other subsidiaries, his letter warns. Dunne stresses that Aer Lingus is “fully committed” to the Labour Court process, but explains that the hearing’s date means it is unlikely the pair will have resolved the dispute in time to secure the aircraft. “Therefore, I am writing to you today to invite you to meet to explore if any agreement can be reached and ratified ahead of this deadline,” he says.<br/>
Air Malta was set to cease operations on Saturday to make way for another government-owned airline after European Union regulators blocked another public bailout for the national flag carrier, the airline and the Maltese government said. Air Malta will fold 50 years after its first flight. It is set to be succeeded on Sunday by a new state-owned carrier, called KM Malta Airlines, which will take over eight Airbus A320 aircraft which Air Malta had operated on lease. Air Malta operated a network of flights to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, but wilted under government interference which yielded a bloated workforce and an unsustainable wage bill. Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said in October that Air Malta made losses for 20 years and at one time employed 1,400 people to operate nine aircraft. The new airline will operate eight aircraft with fewer than 400 staffers, he added.<br/>
Two Hong Kong-based airlines reported separate mid-air problems on Easter Sunday, including a Greater Bay Airlines flight from Japan whose pilot spotted cracks in the cockpit windscreen while returning to the city. Greater Bay Airlines flight HB341 carrying 152 passengers and eight crew members departed Osaka Kansai International Airport and was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong at 4.55pm. The Airport Authority Hong Kong said it received a report at about 5.20pm that suspected cracks in the cockpit windscreen were found, and the crew requested authorities to conduct a “local standby”. The term refers to a situation where an aircraft approaching an airport is known or suspected to have developed a defect, but the issue does not pose a significant difficulty in making a safe landing. The plane landed safely at the north runway at about 5.45pm. An airline spokesman told the Post the captain had discovered “cracks” on the outer layer of the cockpit windscreen as the flight was approaching Hong Kong at 5.22pm. The captain continued piloting the plane according to flight safety guidelines and immediately notified the Airport Authority and the relevant departments through the company’s operations control centre to ensure appropriate safety precautions were in place. The flight, originally scheduled to arrive at 5.25pm, landed safely at 5.47pm. Earlier that day, a Hong Kong Airlines flight going from Bangkok to the Asian financial hub was forced to return to the Thai capital due to a “technical issue” arising shortly after take-off. Flight HX780 was scheduled to depart Bangkok for Hong Kong at around 2am local time, with more than 200 passengers on board. According to data from flight tracking websites, the Airbus A330-300 twin-jet aircraft circled airspace shortly after take-off at about 2.25am and eventually headed back to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Hong Kong Airlines said the flight experienced a “technical issue” shortly after take-off, without elaborating.<br/>
Akasa Air, India’s fastest-growing airline, has commenced operations from Doha, connecting it with Mumbai, with four non-stop flights a week. The inaugural flight was launched on 28th March from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. According to Qatar’s National Tourism Strategy 2030, the country aims to attract 6m visitors every year. The route, launched in response to the growing demand for air travel between India and Qatar, will provide enhanced connectivity and cargo capacity facilitating trade and tourism between the two countries. The maiden flight received a warm welcome at Hamad International Airport where its arrival was graced by Vipul, the Ambassador of India to Qatar, Mohammed Hassan Jabir Al-Jabir, the Ambassador of Qatar to India, among other dignitaries as well as the presence of Akasa Air’s and Hamad International Airport’s leadership team to commemorate the occasion. Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and SVP International, Akasa Air, said: “The commencement of operations from Doha marks a milestone moment in Akasa’s journey as we enter a phase of rapid global expansion.The launch of direct flights connecting Doha with Mumbai, will provide momentum to the growing demand for air travel between India and Qatar. Enhanced cargo capacity will also support the growth of bilateral trade between the two countries. Built on a solid foundation of the highest standards of safety and reliability in global aviation, and providing service excellence that is second to none, we hope to become the airline of choice on the route.” <br/>
Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia plans to start new routes connecting smaller mainland Chinese cities with Southeast Asia to tap a recovery in the country’s travel market, as consumers become more budget conscious. It has also signed a deal with Ant Group that will create savings for Alipay+ users. Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia’s parent, Capital A Berhad, told the Post in Shanghai on Friday that Xian, home to the world-famous terracotta army in China’s central Shaanxi province, and an undisclosed city in Inner Mongolia province will be the airline’s next destinations on the mainland.<br/>The expansion plan is in line with AirAsia’s efforts to chase annualised 15% growth in its Chinese business over the next few years. “There are two parts of growth here,” Fernandes said. “One is new cities, but the bigger one for me is to provide direct connectivity from the smaller cities. “Your smaller cities are still very big for us.” AirAsia, founded in 2001 by Fernandes with two aircraft, offers 17 routes to the mainland with about 160 flights a week. The airline links major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou with Southeast Asian destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru. “What I found in an economic slowdown is that people generally go to lower-cost products and lower-cost airlines,” Fernandes said. “I guess we will benefit. “Maybe they don’t go to Europe or they don’t go to America, but they’ll come to Southeast Asia.” On Friday, Capital A formed a partnership with Chinese fintech giant Ant Group that will allow passengers to save on payment costs when using Alipay+ services to buy air tickets. Ant Group is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the Post. Alipay+ services are geared towards customers outside the mainland and are distinct from Alipay services used by customers on the mainland. Alipay+ helps businesses take cross-border electronic payments from travellers using their own local apps, and currently supports 25 digital wallets including Alipay.<br/>