Turkey’s airlines are seeking government help for 20b liras ($2.5b) of bank loans to help them withstand the slump in travel. Airline executives met Transport Minister Adil Karaismailoglu in Ankara on Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, asking not to be identified because the meeting was private. The minister is sympathetic to the request and will discuss it with other members of the government including Treasury and Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan, one of the people said. Details such as loan duration, costs and grace periods will be discussed at a later stage, the other person said. Domestic and international travel restrictions and passengers’ reluctance to fly have burdened the industry, with flagship carrier Turkish Airlines, airport operator TAV and budget carrier Pegasus all reporting losses for the first nine months of the year. Turkish Airlines has reduced staff pay and sent foreign pilots on unpaid leave to slash costs, but analysts expect it to post a record loss of 7.31b liras this year.<br/>
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Domestic and global credit rating agencies are maintaining a cautious stance toward the possible impact of Korean Air owner Hanjin Group's plan to acquire Asiana Airlines on its subsidiaries as there still remain uncertainties over the proposed deal. Moody's Investors Service is considering upgrading the credit rating of Hanjin International, a wholly-owned Korean Air subsidiary which manages the Wilshire Grand Center building in Los Angeles. "The review for upgrade reflects our expectation that the proposed acquisition, if completed, will significantly improve Korean Air's scale and competitive position. Additionally, Korean Air's planned equity raising and increased importance to the Korean economy will substantially mitigate the risk associated with Asiana's poor liquidity and financial leverage," Moody's analyst Sean Hwang said. "The resultant improvement in Korean Air's credit quality would in turn benefit Hanjin International's credit quality, given the likelihood that Korean Air will provide financial support to Hanjin International when needed." The global agency expected Korean Air's market shares for international passenger business and cargo will grow 38 and 67%, respectively, from a year earlier, if the deal is successful. The nation's three largest agencies are also keeping a close eye on the progress of the deal.<br/>
Air India (AI) has announced its plans to start nonstop flights between Hyderabad and Chicago airports, as well as between Bengaluru and San Francisco (SFO) airports, from January 2021. The direct flight service between Hyderabad in India and Chicago in the US will commence from 9 January 2021. This will be the first scheduled service between the US and South India. AI will start twice-weekly non-stop flights from Bengaluru Airport to San Francisco Airport from 11 January 2021. From 6 May 2021, United is scheduled to start a direct flight on this route, with American Airlines also planning to connect Seattle to Bengaluru next winter. A senior AI official said: “We plan to launch Hyderabad-Chicago as a twice-weekly from 9 January. The date for Bengaluru-SFO is yet to be finalised. We are awaiting US transportation security administration clearance for both these routes.” With a distance of 14,003km, the Bengaluru-SFO nonstop will be the longest route to be run by AI and any US carrier.<br/>