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La Compagnie Takes Measures Due to Coronavirus COVID-19

  • MEASURES TAKEN BY LA COMPAGNIE 

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus COVID-19, our teams have been doing everything possible to guarantee the safety and health of our passengers and cabin crew.

We regularly consult all relevant international authorities to make sure that we follow – and even surpass – their instructions on health precautions related to the effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

Aircraft cleaning procedures, which were already of the highest standard given our all-business class offer, have been reinforced to guarantee a safe and relaxing experience for our passengers. Our brand-new A321neo also features a state-of-the-art air circulation system that renews cabin air every 3 minutes.

COMMERCIAL POLICY

In light of President Trump’s recent restrictions on travel between Europe and the U.S., effective March 13th at midnight for a period of 30 days, we have been forced to reassess our flight schedule for the upcoming months.

We must suspend all scheduled flights from March 18th to April 12th, 2020,resuming with one daily flight between Paris and New York from April 13th once the restrictions are lifted.

The launch of the seasonal route from New York to Nice is pushed back to June 1st, 2020.

In the unlikely event that your flight has been cancelled by La Compagnie in light of the Covid-19 situation, you will be notified directly via the contact details provided in your booking and will be offered solutions to modify, postpone or cancel your flights.

Any passengers with a flight scheduled between now and May 31st, 2020 who would like to postpone their departure may do so, regardless of fare conditions and at no charge, or receive a non-refundable but transferrable voucher (valid for 12 months).

American Airlines Announces Additional Schedule Changes in Response to COVID-19

American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) will implement a phased suspension of additional long-haul international flights from the U.S. starting on March 16. This suspension will last through May 6. This change is in response to decreased demand and changes to U.S. government travel restrictions due to coronavirus (COVID-19). The airline will:

  • Reduce international capacity by 75% year over year — from March 16 to May 6
  • Continue to operate one flight daily from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to London (LHR), one flight daily from Miami (MIA) to LHR and three flights per week from DFW to Tokyo (NRT)
  • Continue short-haul international flying, which includes flights to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America and certain markets in the northern part of South America, as scheduled

In addition to the international changes, the airline anticipates its domestic capacity in April will be reduced by 20% compared to last year and May’s domestic capacity will be reduced by 30% on a year over year basis.

International Route Changes

By region, the new schedule changes include the following: 

Asia, effective March 16 

  • American will suspend all remaining flights to Asia, except for three flights per week from DFW to NRT 

Australia and New Zealand, effective March 16

  • Suspending service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL) effective March 16, which was slated to end seasonal flying on March 28
  • Suspending service from LAX to Sydney (SYD) effective March 16

Europe, phased suspension 

  • American will continue to operate one flight daily from DFW to LHR and MIA to LHR
  • Suspending flights from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), and LAX to LHR gradually over the next seven days to reaccommodate passengers and crew
  • LHR, Dublin (DUB) and Manchester (MAN) flights from Charlotte (CLT), Philadelphia (PHL) and Phoenix (PHX) will be suspended faster, as these airports are not approved gateways by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Final eastbound flights from CLT, PHL and PHX will be on March 15; final westbound flights returning from LHR, DUB and MAN will depart March 16
  • Continued suspensions in other parts of Europe, as previously announced, including the delayed start of some seasonal routes as well as flights to and from Amsterdam (AMS), Barcelona (BCN), Frankfurt (FRA), Madrid (MAD) and Munich (MUC) Paris (CDG) and Zurich (ZRH) through early May, or later, based on guidance from the U.S. government and customer demand 

South America, effective March 16 

  • Suspending service from JFK and MIA to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Georgetown, Guyana (GEO)
  • Suspending service from DFW, JFK and MIA to São Paulo (GRU)
  • Suspending service from DFW and MIA to:
    • Chile: Santiago (SCL)
    • Colombia: Bogota (BOG)
    • Ecuador: Guayaquil (GYE) and Quito (UIO)
    • Peru: Lima (LIM)
  • Suspending service from MIA to:
    • Brazil: Brasilia (BSB) and Manaus (MAO)
    • Colombia: Barranquilla (BAQ), Cartagena (CTG), Cali (CLO), Medellin (MDE) and Pereira (PEI)

These capacity reductions assume no slot waivers are in place other than those previously granted. At airports where demand exceeds airfield and/or terminal capacity, access is governed by slots that grant airlines permission to take off and land at specific times. Given the decrease in demand related to COVID-19, American has requested temporary relief from this usage requirement — otherwise known as requesting a slot waiver — to better align capacity with demand without the risk of losing valuable takeoff and landing slots for the future. American will continue to review its network and make adjustments as needed if waivers are granted.

Wynn Resorts to Temporarily Close Wynn Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (March 15, 2020)– Wynn Resorts has decided to temporarily close Wynn Las Vegas and Encore as part of its continuing effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

The Company has committed to pay all full-time Wynn and Encore employees during the closure.

The closure will be effective Tuesday, March 17 at 6 pm and is expected to be in effect for two weeks, after which time the Company will evaluate the situation. A limited number of employees and management will remain at the resort to secure and maintain the facility. For additional information and updates, please visit www.wynninfo.com.

Norwegian to Cancel Approximately 3000 Flights and Implement Temporary Layoffs Due to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 situation, Norwegian is preparing to cancel approximately 3000 flights between mid-March and mid-June. This represents approximately 15 percent of the total capacity for this period. The company has also put several other measures in place, including temporary layoffs of a significant share of its workforce.

The past week, Norwegian has experienced reduced demand on future bookings. The company will cancel about 3000 flights to meet the change in demand. The cancellations represent approximately 15 percent of the total capacity for the period mid-March to mid-June. It will affect the entire network and more details will be shared as soon as they are ready to be implemented. Affected customers will receive information about these changes as soon as they take place.

“This is a critical time for the aviation industry, including us at Norwegian. We encourage the authorities to immediately implement measures to imminently reduce the financial burden on the airlines in order to protect crucial infrastructure and jobs,” said CEO Jacob Schram of Norwegian.

“Unfortunately, cancellations will affect a significant share of our colleagues at Norwegian. We have initiated formal consultations with our unions regarding temporary layoffs for flying crew members as well as employees on the ground and in the offices. We will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with unions and employees to work through this difficult situation together,” said Schram.

Norwegian will continue to share updates with its customers, the financial market and the media once new measures are implemented.

Delta Suspends Atlanta-Rome Flights March 11 through April 30

  • New York-JFK to Rome service continues
  • Seasonal service between Detroit and Rome is postponed until May 1.

Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, Delta is temporarily suspending service between Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) starting Wednesday, March 11 through April 30.

Additionally, seasonal Detroit to Rome service will be delayed to May 1. It was originally scheduled to begin April 1.

Delta is also extending its suspension of service from New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to May 20. Service from New York-JFK to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is postponed to May 21.

Customers traveling between Rome and the United States will continue to have access through New York-JFK from March 11 through April 30. New York-JFK to Rome will be Delta’s only flight to Italy during this period.

The airline’s flight schedule between the U.S. and Rome will be as follows:

FlightMarchApril
JFK-Rome (no changes)5x Weekly5x Weekly

Making changes to your flight

Customers with affected travel plans can go to the My Trips section of delta.com to help them understand their options. These may include rebooking on alternate Delta flights, rebooking on flights after April 30, rebooking on alternate or partner airlines, refunds or contacting us to discuss additional options. Delta continues to offer a change fee waiver for customers who wish to adjust their travel plans.

For all flight changes due to COVID-19, visit: https://news.delta.com/changes-our-flying

The latest information about Delta’s response to COVID-19 is available at: news.delta.com/coronavirus

Delta Reduces Japan Flight Schedule Due To COVID-19

  • Customers with affected travel plans can go to the My Trips section of delta.com to help them understand their options.

Delta will reduce its weekly flying schedule to Japan through April 30 and suspend summer seasonal service between Seattle and Osaka for 2020 in response to reduced demand due to COVID-19 (coronavirus).

The health and safety of customers and employees is Delta’s top priority. The airline maintains an ongoing relationship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, the world’s foremost experts on communicable diseases, to ensure training, policies, procedures, and cabin cleaning and disinfection measures meet and exceed guidelines. The latest information about Delta’s response to COVID-19 is here: news.delta.com/coronavirus

Flight schedule changes

Beginning March 7 for U.S. departures to Japan and March 8 for Japan departures to the U.S., the airline will operate the following schedule:

MarketPeak FrequencyFrequency March 7-April 30
Tokyo-DetroitDailyDaily
Tokyo-Los AngelesDailyDaily
Tokyo-HonoluluDailyDaily
Tokyo-SeattleDailyDaily
Tokyo-PortlandDaily3x weekly
Tokyo-AtlantaDaily5x weekly
Tokyo-MinneapolisDaily5x weekly
Nagoya-DetroitDaily3x weekly
Nagoya-HNLDaily3x weekly
Osaka-SeattleDailySuspended
Osaka-HonoluluDaily3x weekly
Tokyo-ManilaDailyDaily*

*ends March 27

Delta’s planned consolidation of Tokyo flights at Haneda Airport beginning March 28 will happen as planned. Flights between Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Honolulu and Portland will transition from Narita to Haneda beginning March 28 for departures from the U.S. to Tokyo, and March 29 for departures from Tokyo to the U.S. Delta’s Tokyo-bound flights from Minneapolis and Los Angeles already fly into Haneda and will continue to do so.

Delta’s service between Narita and Manila will continue to operate daily until March 27, after which the flight will be suspended as part of the carrier’s previously-announced consolidation at Haneda.  The airline’s new service from Incheon to Manila, previously scheduled to begin March 29, will now start on May 1.

The airline’s seasonal summer service between Seattle and Osaka will be suspended for the summer of 2020, with a planned return in summer 2021. Delta will continue to serve Osaka from Honolulu.

Full schedules will be available on delta.com beginning March 7. The airline will continue to monitor the situation closely and may make additional adjustments as the situation continues to evolve.

Virgin Australia Share Price Dips Below 10 Australian Cents

Written by Adam Thorn

Virgin Australia’s share price dipped below 10 cents on Monday – days after credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded its outlook to negative.

The drop represents an enormous fall from a high of $2.19 in February 2007. Virgin played down the developments, claiming any speculation of the future of the business was “untrue and misleading”.

Last week, Australian Aviation reported that the wider group announced a $97 million half-year loss and its intention to cut its Tigerair fleet.

Click the link to read the full story!

https://australianaviation.com.au/2020/03/virgin-australia-share-price-dips-below-10-cents/

HNA Group Rises After Company Asks Chinese Government for Help

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 2 (Reuters) – Shares in HNA Group-controlled companies rose on Monday after the Chinese aviation and tourism conglomerate said it had asked the government to help it resolve liquidity risk caused by the coronavirus outbreak which has put heavy pressure on the airline industry. 

HNA directly owns or holds stakes in a number of local Chinese carriers, which have suffered in recent weeks from widespread flight cancellations and plummeting demand. 

Hainan Airlines Holding Co Ltd, the flagship of HNA Group Co Ltd, rose by over 3% by 0400 GMT, while HNA Technology Investments Holdings Ltd surged nearly 40%. 

Other units such as HNA Investment Group Co Ltd and HNA Technology Co Ltd also saw their prices climb. 

HNA Group said on Saturday it had asked the Hainan provincial government to lead a working group as it was not able to deal with the liquidity risk itself. 

The group had acknowledged liquidity issues before the coronavirus outbreak started. In December, Chairman Chen Feng said HNA had faced cash flow shortage that forced it to delay salary payments. 

Its Saturday announcement has driven heavy discussion in China on whether there will be a carving up of its assets. 

Two weeks ago, HNA-related shares likewise rose on a media report that said China’s government planned to take over the debt-laden conglomerate. 

“The implementation of a government acquisition would be challenging as HNA’s structure is complex,” Warut Promboon, head of credit research at Bondcritic, said on Monday. “Overall, it is credit positive. HNA has grown too fast and is too big that it needs to be broken down. The restructuring will be best under the state support.”

Competition Heats Up In The Turboprop Market

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Competition is cranking up in the world of turboprops.

For years turboprops were an ignored corner of the aircraft industry, accounting for about 120 aircraft a year compared with the more than 1,000 jets made by giants Airbus and Boeing.

But growing rivalries in the turboprop business cut through a Singapore Airshow depleted by coronavirus this week.

While intercontinental jet travel is vulnerable to trade wars and disruptions such as epidemics, regional development in archipelago nations like Indonesia is favouring the turboprop.

The market has been dominated for years by Europe’s ATR, jointly owned by Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo, which enjoys a relatively undisturbed lion’s share of the market with a small slice also held by the Canadian-owned De Havilland Dash 8.

But the commercial arm of Brazil’s Embraer is sharpening a pitch to return to the market and Chief Executive John Slattery told Reuters he expected a decision by the end of the year.

“We should be positioned in the mid-to-late fourth quarter to bring a business case with a recommendation to our board,” he said in an interview.

In a sign that the development is accelerating, Slattery said he had held talks with three potential engine suppliers – Rolls-Royce, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney Canada, part of the engine unit of United Technologies.

“We are fully engaged with engine manufacturers now and meeting here at the air show…We are excited by where we are.”

Until now, planemakers have found it difficult to justify the estimated $2-4 billion investment needed to develop a new turboprop, despite its efficiency on relatively short flights.

The market has been stagnant at about 120 deliveries a year and demand for the planes is dependent on volatile oil prices, with turboprops displacing small jets when prices are high.

The thrumming noise of the propellor-driven turboprop also puts some passengers off, travel experts say, even though many in the industry say that reputation is already out of date.

Slattery said quiet new engine technology and advances in passenger comfort would stimulate demand.

“We believe the market opportunity going forward is significantly different to what past decades have shown.”

COMPETITION BOOST

China has already entered the fray with its planned MA700.

At ATR’s bright-red stand inside Singapore’s exhibition hall, Chief Executive Stefano Bortoli shrugged off the threat of a comeback by Embraer which already makes smaller turboprops.

“I think once Embraer will let us know their decision you will have our comments. At this point in time it is simply commenting on opinions. Not that we will stand still,” he said.

The fundamental shape of the two-aircraft ATR family seating 40-78 people has not changed in about 30 years, but the aircraft was modernised with the -600 variant around a decade ago.

ATR recently launched a freighter and a version designed for use on short runways, which has opened opportunities in markets such as Japan and Papua New Guinea, where PNG Air emerged as a launch customer this week.

“The approach we’ve taken…is let’s consolidate the platform that we have…and when the right time comes and there are solid options available, let’s go for that,” Bortoli said.

ATR shareholders have clashed in the past about whether to launch a bigger new 90-seater, with Toulouse-based Airbus blocking the investment. But industry analysts say ATR would have to consider responding to a new plane from Embraer.

The prospect of greater competition in turboprop adds zest to efforts by Embraer to complete a tie up with Boeing, which has agreed to acquire control of its commercial division.

The European Commission has extended its scrutiny of the $4 billion deal, fearing that it would narrow options for airlines.

Slattery reiterated Embraer would only have the appetite to invest in a new turboprop in the context of the Boeing venture.

He declined to elaborate but industry experts say it is a signal to Europe that the Boeing deal would improve choice for airlines by prompting ATR to come up with its own new product.

One European source said it remained doubtful whether Boeing would support a new turboprop once it gained control of Embraer, but analysts note the U.S. planemaker has not yet ruled it out.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Jamie Freed; editing by David Evans)

FILE PHOTO: Groundcrew prepare a Liat airlines ATR 42 plane on the tarmac at Barbados’ Grantley Adams International Airport

EVA Air to Cut Down Cross-Strait Route Network to 5 Destinations in China

  • Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China in compliance with Taiwan government’s epidemic prevention policy. Please refer to the details.

In compliance with Taiwan government’s epidemic prevention policy, EVA Air is reducing flights to / from Mainland China. Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Xiamen and Chengdu.

EVA is working on the flight cancellation for February and updating the information on its website. The schedule changes for March and April will be announced next week. 

For the latest schedule update as well as related rules of ticket refund, itinerary change and service charge exemption, passengers can visit EVA’s dedicated webpage for the flights affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak: 

https://www.evaair.com/en-global/emer/2019-nCoV.html

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