WestJet mechanics say they are poised to walk off the job early as Thursday night after serving the airline with a 72-hour strike notice yesterday. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, which represents some 670 aircraft maintenance engineers and other skilled-trade positions at the carrier, says it made the decision after WestJet cut off talks this week. On Monday, WestJet asked the federal labour minister to refer negotiations to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which would then arbitrate the terms of a collective agreement. WestJet president Diederik Pen says arbitration would allow an unbiased third party to lay out a reasonable deal, and would also bar a work stoppage in the meantime. The union, whose members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative agreement last week, opposes the move, saying it would undermine their goal of an “industry-changing contract.” The airline says the strike notice “does not mean travel disruption will occur,” though it remains unclear how flights could be affected by the sudden absence of hundreds of mechanics.<br/>
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Brazilian airline Gol and fuel distributor Vibra have completed the first "book-and-claim" deal to offset carbon emissions through sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Latin America, executives from both companies told Reuters. The "book-and-claim" system allows airlines to offset emissions by purchasing credits originating from the use of SAF by other carriers, and is seen as a way to help them reduce their carbon footprints while SAF is not yet widely available. The aviation industry has the goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and although SAF is expected to account for 64% of these efforts, it currently makes up only 0.2% of global jet fuel use. Gol and Vibra's deal resulted from a pilot project to analyze how "book-and-claim" would work in Brazil, where carriers are still not required to use SAF or reduce emissions - something expected to happen only from 2027 onwards. The transaction was a small one in which Vibra supplied traditional jet fuel to Gol, whose emissions of 180 metric tons of CO2 were then offset by the use of 50 tons of used cooking oil-based SAF provided by SkyNRG to the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The aircraft supplied with that SAF did not make use of the originating carbon credits, which were in turn sold to Gol. "The idea was to understand how the whole process works," Gol's Operations Control Center director Eduardo Calderon said, noting that the equivalent of emissions from 10 flights between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo were offset.<br/>
Embraer is in talks to sell E2 regional jets to Latam Airlines Group SA and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA as the planemaker looks to almost double annual revenue to $10b by 2030, according to CEO Francisco Gomes Neto. E2 jets fill the gap between smaller and bigger aircraft for carriers that want to increase capacity amid supply constraints on larger narrow-bodied planes, Neto said in an interview. The planes would help improve connectivity between Brazilian cities, he said. “This is a moment where there is interest and more focus on this segment,” Neto said. “Narrow bodies have a full order book until the end of the decade, so there is a great opportunity for Embraer to grow.” Shares of the São José dos Campos-based company have risen more than 60% so far this year, leading gains on the Ibovespa stock index. The stock slipped 2.9% at 3:57 p.m. in São Paulo on Tuesday. The planemaking industry — long dominated by Boeing Co. and Airbus SE — has been grappling with supply issues since the pandemic. For its part, Embraer continues to see delays in its deliveries this year and doesn’t expect a complete normalization of the supply chain until 2026, according to Neto. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Embraer was exploring options for a larger narrow-body aircraft to compete with rivals. Neto said Tuesday that there are no concrete plans in place. “Our teams are always studying alternatives for the future,” he said. “Our strategic plans until 2030 were made based on our current products, and at this moment there is no concrete plan to develop any aircraft in this segment.”<br/>
Aer Lingus passengers face likely delays and disruption from next week when pilots plan to begin industrial action in their campaign for a 24% pay rise. The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) notified Aer Lingus on Tuesday that members based in the Republic will, from a minute past midnight next Wednesday, June 26th, start an indefinite strict work-to-rule policy. Pilots will not work overtime or beyond contracted hours, and will refuse management requests to change their rosters. That limits the airline’s flexibility during what is its busiest time of the year. Both the company and union agree this will disrupt, delay and even cancel Aer Lingus flights, as pilots and crew are regularly called on to work out of hours to allow the airline address problems that arise routinely, particularly during summer. The impact on passengers and on the airline would be “significant”, said Donal Moriarty, the airline’s chief corporate affairs officer. “We are assessing all of that at the moment,” he said, adding that the company would start contacting customers immediately.<br/>
Air Serbia has completed the renewal of its turboprop fleet after taking delivery of its 10th ATR 72-600 this month. The Serbian carrier began the process of replacing is existing fleet of ATR 72-200/500s with newer, second-hand models at the start of 2022. Having taken delivery of four aircraft in 2022 and three last year, it added aircraft each in April and May this year and expects to introduce its 10th turboprop this month. Air Serbia CE Jiri Marek says: ”The renewal of the turboprop fleet was one of the key strategic objectives of our company. Despite challenging market conditions, we have managed to acquire as many as ten aircraft of the same type, thus standardising our fleet. The average age of aircraft in our regional fleet is now 9 years, making it the youngest in the broader Western Balkans region. We are extremely pleased with the choice of aircraft and the pace of their entry into service. Thanks to them, we have significantly improved our operational efficiency.”<br/>
Pakistani authorities have indicated that an Airbus A320 crew required supplementary oxygen after climbing towards cruise altitude, having previously believed a pressurisation problem was resolved. The Fly Jinnah aircraft had been operating a service from Lahore to Karachi on 24 May. French investigation agency BEA, citing its Pakistani counterparts, states that the aircraft had departed but stopped climbing at 8,000ft owing to a “pressurisation indication”. But the crew subsequently requested to continue climbing, it says, reporting that the problem had been resolved and that the aircraft was able to reach 36,000ft. As it passed 23,000ft, however, both the captain and first officer felt “dizzy and drowsy”, says BEA, with a sense of being lethargic. The two pilots “immediately” put on oxygen masks, it adds. BEA says one of the cabin crew members “passed out” before regaining consciousness after administration of supplementary oxygen, while the other cabin crew on board felt unwell. The aircraft climbed to 27,000ft before the crew, 100nm out of Lahore, reported a pressurisation problem, requesting to descend and return to Lahore. BEA says the aircraft landed safely with no injuries to the occupants. It identifies the aircraft involved as AP-BOV, a CFM International CFM56-powered twinjet originally delivered to Air Arabia in 2011.<br/>
Several parties have expressed interest in taking over grounded Air Vanuatu, according to accountancy firm EY, the liquidator responsible for the insolvent South Pacific carrier. “We have received interest from a range of parties seeking to resume Air Vanuatu’s operations,” says Morgan Kelly, Partner in Strategy & Transactions at EY. “We’re reviewing these offers and will be working toward a resolution as soon as possible.” EY was not able to disclose the “number and nature of non-binding offers,” but notes that the carrier’s assets include airport slots in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, New Caledonia, and Fiji. In addition, the airline owns aircraft and other assets. The liquidator, which is evaluating the offers, adds that a date of resumption for Air Vanuatu’s services has yet to be determined. The offers will be assessed as “part of a structured sale or recapitalisation process to ensure the best outcome for creditors.” EY’s remarks about potential suitors follow its statement on 31 May in which it said the airline’s operations would be restructured to reduced costs, and that this was likely to impact 170 roles at the carrier.<br/>