Spirit Airlines said on Monday that it would delay delivery of new Airbus planes and furlough pilots to save money as it seeks to overcome several setbacks, including a blocked merger, engine problems and a lackluster recovery from the pandemic. The budget airline said in a statement that the new steps would save the company $340m over the next two years. Spirit has made several changes aimed at cutting costs and improving its financial position since a federal judge in January blocked its plan to merge with JetBlue Airways. The judge ruled that the proposed deal would harm consumers. Spirit and JetBlue gave up an effort to appeal that decision last month. Spirit plans to delay most of the Airbus planes it had expected to receive in 2025 and 2026 by about five years. It also said it expected to furlough about 260 pilots starting on Sept. 1. Those changes will help Spirit, which has lost money in each of the last four years, return to profitability, the company’s CE, Ted Christie, said. “Deferring these aircraft gives us the opportunity to reset the business and focus on the core airline while we adjust to changes in the competitive environment,” Mr. Christie said. The airline has also been contending with a problem affecting the engines that power the most popular plane in its all-Airbus fleet, the A320neo. Last summer, Pratt & Whitney, which makes those engines, said it had discovered a manufacturing issue that would require them to be inspected well ahead of schedule, causing hundreds of planes to be taken out of service over the next few years. Its parent company, RTX, said an average of 350 planes would be grounded from 2024 through 2026, at a cost of about $3b to the manufacturer. Last month, Spirit reached an agreement for compensation by Pratt & Whitney that would improve the airline’s liquidity by $150m to $200m. Spirit was struggling even before the engine issue came to light.<br/>
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WestJet is boosting its services in Winnipeg, adding new year-round daily service to Montreal, increasing daily flights to Ottawa and introducing a seasonal direct link to Nashville. The added destinations, in addition to those already offered by WestJet, are "making it easier for Manitobans to embark on bold journeys," Nick Hays, president and CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority, said at a news conference on Monday. Winnipeg's James Richardson International Airport has bounced back from the COVID-19 slowdown, now providing "so much more" choice, convenience and connectivity, Hays added. The Montreal and Ottawa services will take off June 3, while the Nashville flights are set to begin Sept. 16 and end on Nov. 15. The latter, however, will be evaluated for "future possibilities," said Mike Scott, WestJet's CFO. "We don't go into these decisions lightly. We feel that there's a demand and capacity that can be served by adding these routes," he added. "From that perspective, we expect these routes to do quite well." Nashville will be WestJet's seventh direct link between Winnipeg and a US destination, and the 23rd nonstop flight overall, Scott noted. Most recently, WestJet added a direct route to Atlanta in September 2023 and to Los Angeles in October 2022. Both of those routes have proven to be popular, said Scott. The new routes mean Winnipeg now has more U.S. destinations than ever before.<br/>
Spain's Supreme Court has declared null and void changes to working conditions for Ryanair's local staff, including pay cuts and fewer rest days, which the airline implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020. The court dismissed an appeal by the Irish budget airline against a 2021 High Court ruling which struck down changes in contracts made in response to pandemic-induced global travel restrictions. Its ruling was dated March 20 and made public on Monday. It said there was no consultation period for the changes and cited "the company's failure to negotiate in good faith and to provide sufficient and necessary documentation". Ryanair did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The changes to employees' working conditions included pay cuts of 10% for cabin crew and 20% for pilots, a reduction to two days of rest from three for every five days of work and the elimination of monthly productivity bonuses worth 150 euros ($162). Trade union USO said it hoped the ruling would result in an immediate reversal of the work-to-rest ratios, adding it would claim back payment of the amounts owed for past wages. "We're concerned about the strategy adopted by some companies, such as Ryanair, focused on violating the legal system to maximise operational capacity in the hope that court decisions will be handed down years after the fact," USO said.<br/>
An Edelweiss Air Airbus A340 experienced a possible windshear incident on take-off from Zurich airport, which nearly sent it back onto the runway. A 20-year-old A340-300E, the aircraft (HB-JMF) was operating as flight WK24 to Cancun, Mexico on 6 April. According to video posted online by Zurich Aviation Channel on YouTube, the aircraft appears to make a normal take-off roll and lift-off. However, just after the main gear leaves the ground, the aircraft descends, nearly causing the main gear wheels to touch the runway again. The aircraft appears narrowly to avoid a tail strike. Shortly thereafter, the pilots appear to be able to regain a stable climb out. “Edelweiss 24, we got a tailwind just on rotation,” one of the pilots informed the tower as the aircraft was climbing, according to a radio exchange archived by LiveATC. The weather at Zurich airport at the time was clear with light and variable winds. The aircraft is owned by sister airline Swiss International Air Lines and powered by CFM International CFM56-5C engines “We are aware of the video mentioned and can confirm its authenticity,” says Edelweiss. ”As far as we know at present, the cause was a sudden tailwind during take-off.”<br/>
Hong Kong Airlines has resumed flights to Kagoshima, Japan. The airline will operate the route with thrice weekly flights taking off every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Flight HX670 is scheduled to depart from Hong Kong Airport (HKG) at 08:45 and arrive at Kagoshima Airport (KOJ) at 12:55. From KOJ, flight HX671 is slated to leave at 13:55, arriving in Hong Kong at 16:15. "We are delighted to reinstate our Kagoshima route, which, in addition to our current services to Fukuoka and Kumamoto, provides extensive coverage of both the northern and southern regions of Kyushu," said Jeff Sun, Chairman, Hong Kong Airlines. "Our optimal flight schedules enable travellers to plan their itineraries flexibly, delve into Kyushu's rich cultural heritage, and enjoy its stunning natural landscapes, making it easy to visit the region's major attractions and enhance their overall travel experience."<br/>