The Airbus A380 lives on, for now. Emirates threw a lifeline Thursday to the A380, putting in a US$16b order for up to 36 of the planes to be delivered starting from 2020. The agreement, which includes a firm commitment to buy 20 aircraft and an option for 16 more, comes just days after Airbus said it would end production of the A380 if it did not receive more orders. When Airbus started delivering the A380 a decade ago, it pitched the plane as the future of aviation, offering a solution to airport congestion and to increased demand for international travel. The number of planes that can land at an airport on a given day is limited so the A380, with the capacity to carry more than 500 passengers, would allow airlines to transport more passengers. But the bet on the 4-engine plane turned out to be a financial disaster for Airbus. <br/>
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Ryanair has been referred to employment and tax authorities for investigation by 2 parliamentary committees, citing the airline’s “refusal to cooperate” with inquiries over crew pay and conditions. Frank Field, chair of the work and pensions committee, and Rachel Reeves, chair of the business select committee, have written to HMRC and the director of labour market enforcement asking them to investigate Ryanair and the agencies that supply its cabin crew. Late last year, Ryanair declined to answer further questions about pay and employment practices, after an initial response failed to satisfy MPs. The committees sought more information after reports that cabin crew were required to work for free, pay for training and uniforms and take significant periods of unpaid leave. <br/>
Ryanair and trade union Fórsa have clashed over a pay increase offered by the airline before it agreed to recognise labour organisations last month. The carrier reversed a long-standing policy by announcing in December that it would recognise unions to avert threatened pilot strikes before Christmas. The carrier is in talks on recognition with the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association – part of Fórsa – but said Thursday that negotiations were moving slowly. Separate to that, Ryanair said that a majority of pilots based in Cork, Dublin and Shannon, have agreed to pay increases of up to 20% that it had offered before agreeing to recognise unions. The company noted that a majority of those based in Dublin, including contractors and new joiners, had accepted the offer, but said 35% of them had not voted on the proposal. <br/>
Hong Kong Airlines is pushing ahead with its long-haul ambitions and targeting to launch non-stop services to San Francisco, New York, and London this year. This follows the launch of its daily Hong Kong-Los Angeles service last December, operated using Airbus A350-900s. The carrier says it expects to expand to a fleet of 50 aircraft by 2019, and that it is poised to take delivery of all 21 A350s by 2020. "These improvements will prove pivotal to the airline as it continues to transition into a global carrier with long-haul aspirations," states the airline. Last year, it also handled a record 7m passengers, representing a 10% year-on-year climb. Hong Kong Airlines has 35 aircraft in service. <br/>