Workers from the beleaguered US airline industry were making a last-ditch public appeal this week to coax more money from Capitol Hill power brokers to save their jobs.

The first day of October concludes the period when US carriers that received billions in aid from Congress promised to refrain from laying off workers.&nbsp;

American and United airlines were the first to announce cuts, saying they would begin furloughing 19,000 and 13,000 workers respectively as US officials have failed to reach a deal on fresh aid to the pandemic-hit air travel sector.

A package of loans totaling up to $25 billion to seven US carriers announced Tuesday night by the Treasury Department provides funds for airlines to ride out a prolonged downturn amid the coronavirus, but won't affect plans for furloughs, airline sources said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday on CNBC he was hopeful airlines would postpone layoffs if congressional leaders can reach a framework for a deal, saying it was "critical" for Congress to act.

While the stalemate in Washington over stimulus has pinched unemployed workers and put public sector employees on notice, vulnerable airline workers have in some ways been the poster children for the impasse.

"Tomorrow, tens of thousands of essential aviation workers will wake up without a job or healthcare and tens of thousands more will be without a paycheck," Sara Nelson, president of the AFA-CWA flight attendant union, said in a statement.&nbsp;

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mnuchin held talks again Tuesday and agreed to keep negotiating. But a deal is still far from assured.

Voluntary exit

Since the coronavirus intensified in March, US airlines have been grounding planes and delaying jet deliveries to limit their cash-burn as air travel remains at about only one-third of its level a year ago.

Carriers have struck agreements with unions to spread out work among employees. Tens of thousands of employees have also accepted unpaid leave or early retirement packages to avert the need for involuntary terminations.&nbsp;

Still, the decisions will not be enough to avert all job cuts. Airlines have said they do not expect a full recovery until a vaccine is widely available, which company executives have said may not be until late 2021.

Unions have said 100,000 people or more could be laid off without additional federal aid, but analysts expect a smaller number than that as airlines and unions seek ways to avoid layoffs.

In one such deal, United Airlines on Monday reached an agreement with its pilots union to avert furloughs of 2,850 employees.

Flight attendants and staff in other airport operations are among the 13,000 being laid off.

Southwest Airlines has said it does not plan involuntary job cuts.

The Delta Air Lines pilot union last week said it reached an agreement with the company to avoid furloughs until at least November 1 to give congressional talks more time.

Delta has said earlier voluntary staff departures and union agreements averted the need for involuntary job cuts for flight attendants and other frontline employees.

Peter McNally, an analyst at research firm Third Bridge, predicted there would be significant downsizing throughout the industry.

"The businesses cannot support the cost structure as it is," McNally said in an interview. "They worked around it through furloughs and early retirement and voluntary departures, but there are still going to be a lot of layoffs.

"The recovery has just not come as quickly as people had hoped," he said.

Public sector faces crunch

Airline workers are hardly the only losers from Washington's inability to enact fiscal stimulus.

Laid-off workers had been receiving $600 in weekly supplemental unemployment benefits under a provision of the CARES Act that expired at the end of July.

President Donald Trump authorized an additional $300 in weekly spending by tapping federal emergency funds, but those funds are also running out and expected to be gone in October, said Nancy Vanden Houten of Oxford Economics.

"Households got quite a boost from these benefits, so we're going to see a pretty big drop-off," she said in an interview.

Another vulnerable group is public sector workers, who face an uncertain future as governments struggle with lower tax revenues and, in many cases, balanced budget rules.

The most recent version of House Democrats' "Heroes Act" includes more than $400 billion in funding for state and local governments, a provision Republicans oppose.

The Economic Policy Institute has estimated that failure to provide support to local government could cost 5.3 million jobs through 2021.

Workers from the beleaguered US airline industry were making a last-ditch public appeal this week to coax more money from Capitol Hill power brokers to save their jobs.

Workers from the beleaguered US airline industry were making a last-ditch public appeal this week to coax more money from Capitol Hill power brokers to save their jobs. The first day of October concludes the period when US carriers that received billions in aid from Congress promised to refrain from laying off workers. American and United airlines were the first to announce cuts, saying they would begin furloughing 19,000 and 13,000 workers respectively as US officials have failed to reach a deal on fresh aid to the pandemic-hit air travel sector. A package of loans totaling up to $25 billion to seven US carriers announced Tuesday night by the Treasury Department provides funds for airlines to ride out a prolonged downturn amid the coronavirus, but won't affect plans for furloughs, airline sources said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday on CNBC he was hopeful airlines would postpone layoffs if congressional leaders can reach a framework for a deal, saying it was "critical" for Congress to act. While the stalemate in Washington over stimulus has pinched unemployed workers and put public sector employees on notice, vulnerable airline workers have in some ways been the poster children for the impasse. "Tomorrow, tens of thousands of essential aviation workers will wake up without a job or healthcare and tens of thousands more will be without a paycheck," Sara Nelson, president of the AFA-CWA flight attendant union, said in a statement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mnuchin held talks again Tuesday and agreed to keep negotiating. But a deal is still far from assured. Voluntary exit Since the coronavirus intensified in March, US airlines have been grounding planes and delaying jet deliveries to limit their cash-burn as air travel remains at about only one-third of its level a year ago. Carriers have struck agreements with unions to spread out work among employees. Tens of thousands of employees have also accepted unpaid leave or early retirement packages to avert the need for involuntary terminations. Still, the decisions will not be enough to avert all job cuts. Airlines have said they do not expect a full recovery until a vaccine is widely available, which company executives have said may not be until late 2021. Unions have said 100,000 people or more could be laid off without additional federal aid, but analysts expect a smaller number than that as airlines and unions seek ways to avoid layoffs. In one such deal, United Airlines on Monday reached an agreement with its pilots union to avert furloughs of 2,850 employees. Flight attendants and staff in other airport operations are among the 13,000 being laid off. Southwest Airlines has said it does not plan involuntary job cuts. The Delta Air Lines pilot union last week said it reached an agreement with the company to avoid furloughs until at least November 1 to give congressional talks more time. Delta has said earlier voluntary staff departures and union agreements averted the need for involuntary job cuts for flight attendants and other frontline employees. Peter McNally, an analyst at research firm Third Bridge, predicted there would be significant downsizing throughout the industry. "The businesses cannot support the cost structure as it is," McNally said in an interview. "They worked around it through furloughs and early retirement and voluntary departures, but there are still going to be a lot of layoffs. "The recovery has just not come as quickly as people had hoped," he said. Public sector faces crunch Airline workers are hardly the only losers from Washington's inability to enact fiscal stimulus. Laid-off workers had been receiving $600 in weekly supplemental unemployment benefits under a provision of the CARES Act that expired at the end of July. President Donald Trump authorized an additional $300 in weekly spending by tapping federal emergency funds, but those funds are also running out and expected to be gone in October, said Nancy Vanden Houten of Oxford Economics. "Households got quite a boost from these benefits, so we're going to see a pretty big drop-off," she said in an interview. Another vulnerable group is public sector workers, who face an uncertain future as governments struggle with lower tax revenues and, in many cases, balanced budget rules. The most recent version of House Democrats' "Heroes Act" includes more than $400 billion in funding for state and local governments, a provision Republicans oppose. The Economic Policy Institute has estimated that failure to provide support to local government could cost 5.3 million jobs through 2021.

Layoffs loom for beleaguered US airline industry

Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed airlines to either provide refund of tickets purchased by travellers for flights cancelled during coronavirus lockdown or provide a credit shell. The decision is applicable to domestic as well as international flight.

Supreme Court accepted the Centre's proposal. The court said that if the tickets were booked through an agent for travel during the lockdown period, a full refund will be given to the agent and he will pass on the amount to the passengers.

Supreme Court also said that if the airlines were not able to make a refund due to financial distress, they can provide a credit shell to the passenger that can be utilised upto March 31, 2021.&nbsp;

It is open to passengers either to utilise such credit shell up to March 31, 2021 on any route of choice or transfer the credit shell to any person including the travel agent concerned, and the airlines shall honour such a transfer, the top court said.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah said the suggestions and formulations arrived at the meeting held by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA), Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which are acceptable to the majority of stakeholders have to be implemented in letter and spirit.

"We also feel that such formulations are workable solutions in these peculiar circumstances which are prevailing in the country," the bench said, while passing a slew of directions for refund of air tickets to the hassled passengers, whose flights were cancelled due to the pandemic induced lockdown.

The top court's verdict came on a batch of petitions, including by NGOs and passengers associations, seeking complete refund of ticket fare for the flights cancelled.

It said that the court cannot lose sight of the present situation prevailing in the country and across the globe with regard to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and any strict enforcement action of Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) (aviation norms) against the airlines would further restrict their operations.

"It cannot be disputed that the civil aviation sector, which is one of the important sectors, is seriously affected in view of the ban imposed for operating flights. Added to the same, air passenger traffic has come down heavily and which is gradually being restored," the top court said.

It added that any such enforcement action may further jeopardise the possibilities of generation of cash by airlines which can further adversely affect/delay the refund cycle.

"Strict enforcement of Civil Aviation Requirements at this moment may not yield any meaningful result for any stakeholder," the bench said.

It said that the passengers who booked tickets at any period of time but for travel after May 24, then the refund of fares to the passengers covered under this category shall be governed by the provisions of CAR.

"Even for international travel, when the tickets have been booked on an Indian carrier and the booking is ex-India (flights originating from India), if the tickets have been booked during the lockdown period for travel within the lockdown period, immediate refund shall be made," the bench said in its order.

If the tickets are booked for international travel on a foreign carrier and the booking is ex-India during the lockdown period for travel within the lockdown period, full refund shall be given by the airlines and said amount shall be passed on immediately by the agent to the passengers, wherever such tickets are booked through agents, it added.

"In all other cases airline shall refund the collected amount to the passenger within a period of three weeks," the bench emphasised and added that the credit shell issued in the name of the passenger shall be transferable which can be utilized up to March 31, 2021 and the concerned airline shall honour such a transfer by devising a mechanism to facilitate such a transfer.

"It is also made clear that such a credit shell can be utilized by the concerned agent through whom the ticket is booked, for third party use. It is also made clear that even in cases where the credit shell is transferred to a third party; same is to be utilized only through the agent who has booked the ticket at the first instance," it directed.

Justice Reddy, who penned the verdict on behalf of the bench, said that in cases where passengers have purchased the ticket through an agent, and credit shell is issued in the name of passenger, such credit shell is to be utilized only through the agent who has booked the ticket.

It said that in cases where tickets are booked through agent and credit shell is issued in the name of the passenger remains unutilized till March 31, 2021, then the "refund of the fare collected shall be made to the same account from which account amount was received by the airline".

The bench said that in all cases where credit shell is issued there shall be an incentive to compensate the passenger from the date of cancellation up to June 30, 2020 in which event the credit shell shall be enhanced by 0.5 per cent of the face value (the amount of fare collected) for every month or part thereof between the date of cancellation and June 30, 2020.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed airlines to either provide refund of tickets purchased by travellers for flights cancelled during coronavirus lockdown or provide a credit shell.

Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed airlines to either provide refund of tickets purchased by travellers for flights cancelled during coronavirus lockdown or provide a credit shell. The decision is applicable to domestic as well as international flight. Supreme Court accepted the Centre's proposal. The court said that if the tickets were booked through an agent for travel during the lockdown period, a full refund will be given to the agent and he will pass on the amount to the passengers. Supreme Court also said that if the airlines were not able to make a refund due to financial distress, they can provide a credit shell to the passenger that can be utilised upto March 31, 2021. It is open to passengers either to utilise such credit shell up to March 31, 2021 on any route of choice or transfer the credit shell to any person including the travel agent concerned, and the airlines shall honour such a transfer, the top court said. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah said the suggestions and formulations arrived at the meeting held by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA), Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which are acceptable to the majority of stakeholders have to be implemented in letter and spirit. "We also feel that such formulations are workable solutions in these peculiar circumstances which are prevailing in the country," the bench said, while passing a slew of directions for refund of air tickets to the hassled passengers, whose flights were cancelled due to the pandemic induced lockdown. The top court's verdict came on a batch of petitions, including by NGOs and passengers associations, seeking complete refund of ticket fare for the flights cancelled. It said that the court cannot lose sight of the present situation prevailing in the country and across the globe with regard to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and any strict enforcement action of Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) (aviation norms) against the airlines would further restrict their operations. "It cannot be disputed that the civil aviation sector, which is one of the important sectors, is seriously affected in view of the ban imposed for operating flights. Added to the same, air passenger traffic has come down heavily and which is gradually being restored," the top court said. It added that any such enforcement action may further jeopardise the possibilities of generation of cash by airlines which can further adversely affect/delay the refund cycle. "Strict enforcement of Civil Aviation Requirements at this moment may not yield any meaningful result for any stakeholder," the bench said. It said that the passengers who booked tickets at any period of time but for travel after May 24, then the refund of fares to the passengers covered under this category shall be governed by the provisions of CAR. "Even for international travel, when the tickets have been booked on an Indian carrier and the booking is ex-India (flights originating from India), if the tickets have been booked during the lockdown period for travel within the lockdown period, immediate refund shall be made," the bench said in its order. If the tickets are booked for international travel on a foreign carrier and the booking is ex-India during the lockdown period for travel within the lockdown period, full refund shall be given by the airlines and said amount shall be passed on immediately by the agent to the passengers, wherever such tickets are booked through agents, it added. "In all other cases airline shall refund the collected amount to the passenger within a period of three weeks," the bench emphasised and added that the credit shell issued in the name of the passenger shall be transferable which can be utilized up to March 31, 2021 and the concerned airline shall honour such a transfer by devising a mechanism to facilitate such a transfer. "It is also made clear that such a credit shell can be utilized by the concerned agent through whom the ticket is booked, for third party use. It is also made clear that even in cases where the credit shell is transferred to a third party; same is to be utilized only through the agent who has booked the ticket at the first instance," it directed. Justice Reddy, who penned the verdict on behalf of the bench, said that in cases where passengers have purchased the ticket through an agent, and credit shell is issued in the name of passenger, such credit shell is to be utilized only through the agent who has booked the ticket. It said that in cases where tickets are booked through agent and credit shell is issued in the name of the passenger remains unutilized till March 31, 2021, then the "refund of the fare collected shall be made to the same account from which account amount was received by the airline". The bench said that in all cases where credit shell is issued there shall be an incentive to compensate the passenger from the date of cancellation up to June 30, 2020 in which event the credit shell shall be enhanced by 0.5 per cent of the face value (the amount of fare collected) for every month or part thereof between the date of cancellation and June 30, 2020.

Supreme Court orders refund of tickets of flights cancelled due to lockdown

Lufthansa said it had reached an agreement with pilots on Wednesday over a package of short-term measures to cut costs as the German airline battles to reduce losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cost-saving deal: Lufthansa's agreement with Pilots to cut costs

A cyber attack on British airline easyJet was able to access the email and travel details of around 9 million customers, as well as the credit card details of more than 2,000 of them.

The attacked happened in late January.

The budget airline currently has grounded most of its flights due to the coronavirus pandemic and is locked in a long-running battle with its founder and biggest shareholder.

British Airways, which was hit in 2018 with the theft of hundreds of thousands of credit card details, is still appealing a fine from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) of 183.4 million pounds ($225 million).

The new revelation hence can invite a similar hefty fine for easyJet.

EasyJet, however, said it did not look like any personal information had been misused. It has engaged leading forensic experts to investigate the issue and has also notified the National Cyber Security Centre.

 
&nbsp;

A cyber attack on British airline easyJet was able to access the email and travel details of around 9 million customers, as well as the credit card details of more than 2,000 of them.

A cyber attack on British airline easyJet was able to access the email and travel details of around 9 million customers, as well as the credit card details of more than 2,000 of them. The attacked happened in late January. The budget airline currently has grounded most of its flights due to the coronavirus pandemic and is locked in a long-running battle with its founder and biggest shareholder. British Airways, which was hit in 2018 with the theft of hundreds of thousands of credit card details, is still appealing a fine from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) of 183.4 million pounds ($225 million). The new revelation hence can invite a similar hefty fine for easyJet. EasyJet, however, said it did not look like any personal information had been misused. It has engaged leading forensic experts to investigate the issue and has also notified the National Cyber Security Centre.

Cyber attack on a British airline gets details of 9 million customers

College students from Texas who tested positive for the novel coronavirus after spring break in Los Cabos travelled to the Mexican beach resort on Viva Aerobus, the airline said, and were there a week later than reported by the local tourist board.

At least part of the Texas group stayed at the luxury Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos hotel, two people familiar with the arrangements told Reuters.

So far 49 students among the group from University of Texas at Austin have tested positive for the coronavirus upon their return to the United States, according to the university.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-can-lead-to-brain-impairment-say-neurologists-290477">Coronavirus can lead to brain impairment, say neurologists</a>

Austin city officials initially confirmed 28 cases from the group on March 31.

While the outbreak has led to speculation that coronavirus may be more prevalent in Mexico than official numbers reveal, it is still not clear where the students became infected.

The Los Cabos Tourism Board has suggested the timeline of the visit by the students means they would have presented symptoms earlier if they had caught the virus in Mexico.

The tourism board said it was informed by the Los Cabos airport that the last spring break charter flight to Austin departed on March 11.

However, Mexican airline Viva Aerobus told Reuters the students departed Austin on March 14 and returned on March 19, the same dates the University of Austin said 211 students went to Los Cabos.

In a statement, Viva Aerobus said the university notified them that some students had tested positive 12 days after the return flight. COVID-19 has an incubation period of up to 14 days, and there is evidence it can be spread asymptomatically.

Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the tourism board, acknowledged the board may not have complete information.

"The university has not reached out to us... in order to provide us with information and really know about a specific group. Without that, it has been difficult," he said in an interview.

Esponda said 15 cases of coroanvirus have been registered in Los Cabos, none of them hotel workers. The state overall has registered 21 cases, with the country's total reaching 1,688.

Viva Aerobus said it has followed strict sanitary measures to prevent infection on its routes.

No passengers showed symptoms during the flights to and from Los Cabos, Viva Aerobus added. After the notification from the University of Texas, the airline said it pulled its crew from duty and put them under observation.

None of them have thus far presented symptoms of the coronavirus.

'Slight concern'

At least some of the University of Texas group stayed at the Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos resort, according to a guest who was at the hotel with them, and another student who had planned to travel but pulled out before the trip.

In response to a question from Reuters, Pueblo Bonito said it did not have information on the matter. JusCollege, a company that organized the trip for most of the University of Texas students, as well as its parent firm Pollen, did not respond to requests for comment.

The University of Texas said 178 students participated in the trip with JusCollege, while another 33 students made arrangements separately.

Jack McColl, a traveler who used to work for JusCollege and was in Los Cabos at the time of the University of Texas trip, said some participants showed "a slight concern" over the coronavirus.

"Many knew it was a serious threat but since cases in Mexico were minimal at the time, the party still continued," he told Reuters. "Social distancing was not practiced, but as little human contact as possible was."

He added that JusCollege made hand sanitizer mandatory before entering one of the main dining areas, and that JusCollege posted signs telling students to wash their hands.

"They were proactive about it for sure," he said.

Andres Ramon, a bartender at Pueblo Bonito said his bar attended to about 100 U.S. students at a time, said he did not think the Texas group picked up the virus in Mexico, noting hotel employees are still healthy.

"I feel like something would have happened to me, and I don't even have a cold," he said.

Still, he noted attitudes has since changed at the hotel, which now has no guests and has sent employees in shifts to do cleaning and maintenance.

"We weren't scared until now, with cases are appearing in other states," Ramon said. "Now we're really taking precautions."

College students from Texas who tested positive for the novel coronavirus after spring break in Los Cabos travelled to the Mexican beach resort on Viva Aerobus, the airline said, and were there a week later than reported by the local tourist board.

College students from Texas who tested positive for the novel coronavirus after spring break in Los Cabos travelled to the Mexican beach resort on Viva Aerobus, the airline said, and were there a week later than reported by the local tourist board. At least part of the Texas group stayed at the luxury Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos hotel, two people familiar with the arrangements told Reuters. So far 49 students among the group from University of Texas at Austin have tested positive for the coronavirus upon their return to the United States, according to the university. Also read: Coronavirus can lead to brain impairment, say neurologists Austin city officials initially confirmed 28 cases from the group on March 31. While the outbreak has led to speculation that coronavirus may be more prevalent in Mexico than official numbers reveal, it is still not clear where the students became infected. The Los Cabos Tourism Board has suggested the timeline of the visit by the students means they would have presented symptoms earlier if they had caught the virus in Mexico. The tourism board said it was informed by the Los Cabos airport that the last spring break charter flight to Austin departed on March 11. However, Mexican airline Viva Aerobus told Reuters the students departed Austin on March 14 and returned on March 19, the same dates the University of Austin said 211 students went to Los Cabos. In a statement, Viva Aerobus said the university notified them that some students had tested positive 12 days after the return flight. COVID-19 has an incubation period of up to 14 days, and there is evidence it can be spread asymptomatically. Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the tourism board, acknowledged the board may not have complete information. "The university has not reached out to us... in order to provide us with information and really know about a specific group. Without that, it has been difficult," he said in an interview. Esponda said 15 cases of coroanvirus have been registered in Los Cabos, none of them hotel workers. The state overall has registered 21 cases, with the country's total reaching 1,688. Viva Aerobus said it has followed strict sanitary measures to prevent infection on its routes. No passengers showed symptoms during the flights to and from Los Cabos, Viva Aerobus added. After the notification from the University of Texas, the airline said it pulled its crew from duty and put them under observation. None of them have thus far presented symptoms of the coronavirus. 'Slight concern' At least some of the University of Texas group stayed at the Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos resort, according to a guest who was at the hotel with them, and another student who had planned to travel but pulled out before the trip. In response to a question from Reuters, Pueblo Bonito said it did not have information on the matter. JusCollege, a company that organized the trip for most of the University of Texas students, as well as its parent firm Pollen, did not respond to requests for comment. The University of Texas said 178 students participated in the trip with JusCollege, while another 33 students made arrangements separately. Jack McColl, a traveler who used to work for JusCollege and was in Los Cabos at the time of the University of Texas trip, said some participants showed "a slight concern" over the coronavirus. "Many knew it was a serious threat but since cases in Mexico were minimal at the time, the party still continued," he told Reuters. "Social distancing was not practiced, but as little human contact as possible was." He added that JusCollege made hand sanitizer mandatory before entering one of the main dining areas, and that JusCollege posted signs telling students to wash their hands. "They were proactive about it for sure," he said. Andres Ramon, a bartender at Pueblo Bonito said his bar attended to about 100 U.S. students at a time, said he did not think the Texas group picked up the virus in Mexico, noting hotel employees are still healthy. "I feel like something would have happened to me, and I don't even have a cold," he said. Still, he noted attitudes has since changed at the hotel, which now has no guests and has sent employees in shifts to do cleaning and maintenance. "We weren't scared until now, with cases are appearing in other states," Ramon said. "Now we're really taking precautions."

Airline refutes Mexican authority's account of spring break coronavirus outbreak

Airlines bore the brunt of a dramatic expansion of the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, as U.S. travel curbs on much of continental Europe deepened the sector's misery and piled more pressure on governments to offer emergency support.

The 30-day restrictions will badly disrupt transatlantic traffic key to the earnings of major European carriers and their U.S. airline partners, analysts warned, as the move hit travel stocks already battered by the virus outbreak.

Those routes account for 20-30% of large European operators' revenue and a majority of profit, Credit Suisse analyst Neil Glynn warned, "highlighting the damage to revenue lines for the coming weeks and potentially well into the summer."

Glynn added: "A ban on travel to the U.S. will likely mean heavier cuts" than the drastic capacity reductions already ordered as airlines scrapped flights - first to China and then to other destinations including Italy as the virus spread.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/qatar-bans-arrivals-from-14-countries-including-india-over-coronavirus-fears-285153">Qatar bans arrivals from 14 countries including India over coronavirus fears</a>

Shares in European and U.S. airlines slumped in turn to new lows, with Delta and United Airlines down more than 13% and American Airlines 7.2% lower.

Air France-KLM was down 9.1% at 1506 GMT, with British Airways parent IAG down 10.7% and Lufthansa 11.5% lower. Troubled Norwegian Air and U.S.-dependent Icelandair both plunged more than 20%.

The U.S. curbs on travel from the 26-country Schengen Area - which excludes Britain and Ireland - are similar to restrictions on China that took effect on Feb. 1 and do not apply to U.S. residents or their immediate family.

"The ban effectively stops travel from the Schengen Area to the USA," said Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska - predicting a "more substantial" earnings impact than European carriers had suffered from the earlier China flight suspensions.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-suspends-travel-from-europe-to-us-in-coronavirus-crisis-285714">Trump suspends travel from Europe to US in coronavirus crisis</a>

U.S. airlines had already cut flight schedules to Italy and will take another hit from lower demand for flights from major destinations such as France and Germany.

Among them, American Airlines could be relatively spared by its alliance with British Airways (BA) and a higher share of UK traffic, while Air France-KLM partner Delta and Lufthansa ally United Airlines are likely to suffer more, analysts say.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence defended the travel curbs on Thursday after the European Union complained they had been imposed "unilaterally and without consultation".

The virus has taken root in the United States after spreading from China to Italy, South Korea, Iran and elsewhere.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/whole-of-italy-under-coronavirus-lockdown-public-gatherings-banned-285372">Whole of Italy under coronavirus lockdown, public gatherings banned</a>

TOTAL MELTDOWN

Airlines had already been scrambling to respond to a global travel slump that looks increasingly likely to require government aid to avoid widespread insolvencies. The EU will publish new state-aid guidelines on Friday.

Germany may extend loans and other support to airlines, a government official said on Thursday. The French government also stands ready to help Air France-KLM, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

"There is a need for measures from many governments," said Norwegian pilots' union president Yngve Carlsen. "This could lead to a total meltdown."

Scandinavian carrier SAS is in talks with the Swedish and Danish governments about potential support measures, a company spokeswoman said.

Also see:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-outbreak-could-get-bigger-in-winters-study-285720">&nbsp;Coronavirus outbreak could get bigger in winters: Study</a>

EU airlines have seized on the crisis to push back on green taxes designed to help the bloc meet climate goals - including proposals to end current tax exemptions on jet fuel.

"New fiscal burdens should be postponed until the industry is back on a sound operational and financial footing," lobby group Airlines for Europe said.

CRITICAL TIME

The latest travel clampdown could make coronavirus worse than previous aviation crises including the 9/11 attacks of 2001, UK-based consultant John Strickland said.

"It's coming at the end of the northern hemisphere winter, which is a weak period for airline finances (when) they should be sowing seeds of a strong summer season by getting the bookings in," he said.

Air France-KLM and Lufthansa said they were still studying the implications of the U.S. move for flight schedules. IAG is potentially less impacted thanks to BA's Heathrow base.

There were panicky European airport scenes as travellers scrambled to fly to the United States before the restrictions take effect late on March 13.

The fallout is also spreading fast from travel and tourism to the aerospace and other industries.

Safran, the world's third-biggest aerospace group, sees a growing threat&nbsp;

Airlines bore the brunt of a dramatic expansion of the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, as U.S. travel curbs on much of continental Europe deepened the sector's misery and piled more pressure on governments to offer emergency support.

Airlines bore the brunt of a dramatic expansion of the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, as U.S. travel curbs on much of continental Europe deepened the sector's misery and piled more pressure on governments to offer emergency support. The 30-day restrictions will badly disrupt transatlantic traffic key to the earnings of major European carriers and their U.S. airline partners, analysts warned, as the move hit travel stocks already battered by the virus outbreak. Those routes account for 20-30% of large European operators' revenue and a majority of profit, Credit Suisse analyst Neil Glynn warned, "highlighting the damage to revenue lines for the coming weeks and potentially well into the summer." Glynn added: "A ban on travel to the U.S. will likely mean heavier cuts" than the drastic capacity reductions already ordered as airlines scrapped flights - first to China and then to other destinations including Italy as the virus spread. Also read: Qatar bans arrivals from 14 countries including India over coronavirus fears Shares in European and U.S. airlines slumped in turn to new lows, with Delta and United Airlines down more than 13% and American Airlines 7.2% lower. Air France-KLM was down 9.1% at 1506 GMT, with British Airways parent IAG down 10.7% and Lufthansa 11.5% lower. Troubled Norwegian Air and U.S.-dependent Icelandair both plunged more than 20%. The U.S. curbs on travel from the 26-country Schengen Area - which excludes Britain and Ireland - are similar to restrictions on China that took effect on Feb. 1 and do not apply to U.S. residents or their immediate family. "The ban effectively stops travel from the Schengen Area to the USA," said Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska - predicting a "more substantial" earnings impact than European carriers had suffered from the earlier China flight suspensions. Also see: Trump suspends travel from Europe to US in coronavirus crisis U.S. airlines had already cut flight schedules to Italy and will take another hit from lower demand for flights from major destinations such as France and Germany. Among them, American Airlines could be relatively spared by its alliance with British Airways (BA) and a higher share of UK traffic, while Air France-KLM partner Delta and Lufthansa ally United Airlines are likely to suffer more, analysts say. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence defended the travel curbs on Thursday after the European Union complained they had been imposed "unilaterally and without consultation". The virus has taken root in the United States after spreading from China to Italy, South Korea, Iran and elsewhere. Also read: Whole of Italy under coronavirus lockdown, public gatherings banned TOTAL MELTDOWN Airlines had already been scrambling to respond to a global travel slump that looks increasingly likely to require government aid to avoid widespread insolvencies. The EU will publish new state-aid guidelines on Friday. Germany may extend loans and other support to airlines, a government official said on Thursday. The French government also stands ready to help Air France-KLM, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said. "There is a need for measures from many governments," said Norwegian pilots' union president Yngve Carlsen. "This could lead to a total meltdown." Scandinavian carrier SAS is in talks with the Swedish and Danish governments about potential support measures, a company spokeswoman said. Also see: Coronavirus outbreak could get bigger in winters: Study EU airlines have seized on the crisis to push back on green taxes designed to help the bloc meet climate goals - including proposals to end current tax exemptions on jet fuel. "New fiscal burdens should be postponed until the industry is back on a sound operational and financial footing," lobby group Airlines for Europe said. CRITICAL TIME The latest travel clampdown could make coronavirus worse than previous aviation crises including the 9/11 attacks of 2001, UK-based consultant John Strickland said. "It's coming at the end of the northern hemisphere winter, which is a weak period for airline finances (when) they should be sowing seeds of a strong summer season by getting the bookings in," he said. Air France-KLM and Lufthansa said they were still studying the implications of the U.S. move for flight schedules. IAG is potentially less impacted thanks to BA's Heathrow base. There were panicky European airport scenes as travellers scrambled to fly to the United States before the restrictions take effect late on March 13. The fallout is also spreading fast from travel and tourism to the aerospace and other industries. Safran, the world's third-biggest aerospace group, sees a growing threat

Airline crisis worsens as US puts Europeans in coronavirus quarantine

Consequences of the Coronavirus - Air travel is restricted, international business close down

Global&nbsp;airlines reduced a forecast for industry-wide&nbsp;profits&nbsp;in&nbsp;2019&nbsp;under the weight of trade tensions but predicted a modest recovery next year on the assumption that tariff wars will recede in the run-up to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-2020-us-presidential-election-trump-accused-google-of-very-illegal-acts-241344">US&nbsp;presidential election</a>.

Airline&nbsp;net&nbsp;profits&nbsp;are now expected to fall to $25.9 billion from $27.3 billion last year, before recovering to $29.3 billion in&nbsp;2020, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-expected-to-become-third-largest-aviation-market-by-2037-173276">International Air Transport Association </a>said. In June it had forecast $28 billion in profit for&nbsp;2019.

The starkest deterioration is being felt in&nbsp;airlines' cargo businesses&nbsp;where a 3.3 per cent&nbsp;drop in freight demand marked the sharpest decline since the 2009 financial crisis, with revenue&nbsp;down&nbsp;8&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;year-on-year.

Growth in world trade has all but evaporated to an expected 0.9 per cent&nbsp;this year, sharply&nbsp;down&nbsp;from the 2.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;forecast in June and the 4.1 per cent&nbsp;expansion predicted a year ago,&nbsp;IATA&nbsp;said.

Underpinning the partial recovery predicted next year,&nbsp;IATA&nbsp;forecast more robust trade growth of 3.3&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;as "election-year pressures in the US&nbsp;contribute to reduced trade tensions".

Global airlines reduced a forecast for industry-wide profits in 2019 under the weight of trade tensions but predicted a modest recovery next year on the assumption that tariff wars will recede in the run-up to the US presidential election.

Global airlines reduced a forecast for industry-wide profits in 2019 under the weight of trade tensions but predicted a modest recovery next year on the assumption that tariff wars will recede in the run-up to the US presidential election. Airline net profits are now expected to fall to $25.9 billion from $27.3 billion last year, before recovering to $29.3 billion in 2020, the International Air Transport Association said. In June it had forecast $28 billion in profit for 2019. The starkest deterioration is being felt in airlines' cargo businesses where a 3.3 per cent drop in freight demand marked the sharpest decline since the 2009 financial crisis, with revenue down 8 per cent year-on-year. Growth in world trade has all but evaporated to an expected 0.9 per cent this year, sharply down from the 2.5 per cent forecast in June and the 4.1 per cent expansion predicted a year ago, IATA said. Underpinning the partial recovery predicted next year, IATA forecast more robust trade growth of 3.3 per cent as "election-year pressures in the US contribute to reduced trade tensions".

IATA revises down 2019 airline profits, sees stability in 2020

Emirates, one of the world's biggest international airlines, said on Thursday profit nearly quadrupled in the first half of the year, bouncing back from a decade low half-year profit a year ago.

The dubai-based Emirates, which is owned by the state, benefited from a decline in global fuel prices although it said it was hit by unfavourable currency movements.

The airline, which said last month its profits would be considerably better, made 862 million dirhams&nbsp;in the six months to September 30, compared to the 226 million dirhams it made a year ago.

Revenue fell 3 per cent&nbsp;to 47.3 billion dirhams with operating costs cut by 8 per cent, helped by the decline in fuel costs.

Emirates carried 29.6 million passengers, a 2 per cent&nbsp;decline after the airline reduced the number of seats it offered by 5% in part due to a 45-day closure of a runway at its Dubai hub.

The amount of cargo it carried declined by 8 per cent&nbsp;to 1.2 million tonnes.

"The global outlook is difficult to predict, but we expect the airline and travel industry to continue facing headwinds over the next six months with stiff competition adding downward pressure on margins," said Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum.

Emirates Group, which includes the airline and airport services unit dnta, made 1.2 billion dirhams, up 8 per cent. Revenue shrank 2 per cent&nbsp;to 53.3 billion.

Sheikh Ahmed said the fuel bill was 2 billion dirhams cheaper than a year ago but said unfavourable currency fluctuations cost it 1.2 billion in profit.

Dnata, which operates at airports around the world, suffered a 64% fall in profit to 311 million dirhams. It booked an 84 million dirhams impairment on amounts it was owed following the collapse of Thomas Cook in September.

Thomas Cook's bankruptcy has had a broad impact, affecting hotel owners across Europe, holiday booking sites in Asia and airline support services around the world.

Emirates, one of the world's biggest international airlines, said on Thursday profit nearly quadrupled in the first half of the year, bouncing back from a decade low half-year profit a year ago.

Emirates, one of the world's biggest international airlines, said on Thursday profit nearly quadrupled in the first half of the year, bouncing back from a decade low half-year profit a year ago. The dubai-based Emirates, which is owned by the state, benefited from a decline in global fuel prices although it said it was hit by unfavourable currency movements. The airline, which said last month its profits would be considerably better, made 862 million dirhams in the six months to September 30, compared to the 226 million dirhams it made a year ago. Revenue fell 3 per cent to 47.3 billion dirhams with operating costs cut by 8 per cent, helped by the decline in fuel costs. Emirates carried 29.6 million passengers, a 2 per cent decline after the airline reduced the number of seats it offered by 5% in part due to a 45-day closure of a runway at its Dubai hub. The amount of cargo it carried declined by 8 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes. "The global outlook is difficult to predict, but we expect the airline and travel industry to continue facing headwinds over the next six months with stiff competition adding downward pressure on margins," said Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum. Emirates Group, which includes the airline and airport services unit dnta, made 1.2 billion dirhams, up 8 per cent. Revenue shrank 2 per cent to 53.3 billion. Sheikh Ahmed said the fuel bill was 2 billion dirhams cheaper than a year ago but said unfavourable currency fluctuations cost it 1.2 billion in profit. Dnata, which operates at airports around the world, suffered a 64% fall in profit to 311 million dirhams. It booked an 84 million dirhams impairment on amounts it was owed following the collapse of Thomas Cook in September. Thomas Cook's bankruptcy has had a broad impact, affecting hotel owners across Europe, holiday booking sites in Asia and airline support services around the world.

Emirates airlines first half profit surges on cheaper fuel, cost cuts

IndiGo Has Had A Torrid Start To The Week. The Airlines' Servers Went Down Hurting Passengers.

Gravitas: IndiGo: Server Down, Flights Delayed, Passengers Hassled!

Cathay Pacific announced Wednesday its chairman John Slosar is stepping down to retire, the latest high-profile executive to leave the troubled airline after it drew Beijing's ire over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

The flagship carrier has had a torrid few weeks after Chinese state media and authorities blasted the company because some of its 27,000 employees had taken part in -- or were sympathetic to -- anti-government protests currently rocking Hong Kong.

In a statement posted on the Hong Kong stock exchange, Cathay said Slosar, 63, had stepped down and will be replaced as chairman by Patrick Healy, a veteran from the Swire Group conglomerate, the airline's majority shareholder.&nbsp;

"His resignation is due to his retirement," the statement said, adding that the changes would take effect from November 6 at the conclusion of the company's board meeting.

Slosar's departure ends a nearly four-decade career with Swire and Cathay and caps a tumultuous month of sudden management changes at the airline as it tries to claw its way out of Beijing's bad books.

In August, CEO Rupert Hogg and another senior executive stepped down after China's aviation regulator banned airline staff who had supported the demonstrations from working on flights through its airspace and after state media encouraged a boycott in the crucial mainland market.

Cathay's sin was to be perceived as being sympathetic to protesters, especially after some flight attendants and pilots joined a city-wide strike and protests.

In July, Slosar had said he would not want to tell his tens of thousands of employees what to think or which political views to hold.

But China's public castigation and the threat of being blacklisted from the vital mainland market led to a sudden u-turn by the airline.

Executives issued a series of statements supporting Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leaders, fired at least four staff and ordered employees not to take part in any strikes or illegal protests.&nbsp;

A flight attendant who was a union organiser also said she was dismissed without explanation.

The staff inside Cathay have since told AFP they believe a witchhunt is underway, with employees frantically deleting social media posts and gutting their friend's lists fearing disciplinary action if they are found to have any links with the protests.

Cathay's statement on Wednesday included a short quote from Slosar thanking his colleagues and expressing confidence in his successor&nbsp;but there was no reference to the recent political woes faced by the airline.

That contrasted with Hogg's resignation last month where he said he was stepping down "to take responsibility as a leader of the Company in view of recent events".

Analysts say the political purge inside Cathay may halt further sanctioning by China.&nbsp;

But by toeing Beijing's line, critics say Cathay has trashed its reputation as a totemic Hong Kong company, which has grown over 72 years in parallel with the city's status as a gateway to Asia.

Since Cathay's woes with Beijing, major businesses with interests in the mainland have swiftly moved to issue statements condemning protesters and supporting the crackdown by Hong Kong's police.

Cathay Pacific announced Wednesday its chairman John Slosar is stepping down to retire, the latest high-profile executive to leave the troubled airline after it drew Beijing's ire over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific announced Wednesday its chairman John Slosar is stepping down to retire, the latest high-profile executive to leave the troubled airline after it drew Beijing's ire over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The flagship carrier has had a torrid few weeks after Chinese state media and authorities blasted the company because some of its 27,000 employees had taken part in -- or were sympathetic to -- anti-government protests currently rocking Hong Kong. In a statement posted on the Hong Kong stock exchange, Cathay said Slosar, 63, had stepped down and will be replaced as chairman by Patrick Healy, a veteran from the Swire Group conglomerate, the airline's majority shareholder. "His resignation is due to his retirement," the statement said, adding that the changes would take effect from November 6 at the conclusion of the company's board meeting. Slosar's departure ends a nearly four-decade career with Swire and Cathay and caps a tumultuous month of sudden management changes at the airline as it tries to claw its way out of Beijing's bad books. In August, CEO Rupert Hogg and another senior executive stepped down after China's aviation regulator banned airline staff who had supported the demonstrations from working on flights through its airspace and after state media encouraged a boycott in the crucial mainland market. Cathay's sin was to be perceived as being sympathetic to protesters, especially after some flight attendants and pilots joined a city-wide strike and protests. In July, Slosar had said he would not want to tell his tens of thousands of employees what to think or which political views to hold. But China's public castigation and the threat of being blacklisted from the vital mainland market led to a sudden u-turn by the airline. Executives issued a series of statements supporting Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leaders, fired at least four staff and ordered employees not to take part in any strikes or illegal protests. A flight attendant who was a union organiser also said she was dismissed without explanation. The staff inside Cathay have since told AFP they believe a witchhunt is underway, with employees frantically deleting social media posts and gutting their friend's lists fearing disciplinary action if they are found to have any links with the protests. Cathay's statement on Wednesday included a short quote from Slosar thanking his colleagues and expressing confidence in his successor but there was no reference to the recent political woes faced by the airline. That contrasted with Hogg's resignation last month where he said he was stepping down "to take responsibility as a leader of the Company in view of recent events". Analysts say the political purge inside Cathay may halt further sanctioning by China. But by toeing Beijing's line, critics say Cathay has trashed its reputation as a totemic Hong Kong company, which has grown over 72 years in parallel with the city's status as a gateway to Asia. Since Cathay's woes with Beijing, major businesses with interests in the mainland have swiftly moved to issue statements condemning protesters and supporting the crackdown by Hong Kong's police.

Cathay Pacific chairman John Slosar to step down

The travel plans of hundreds of thousands of British Airways passengers face the threat of disruption next month after pilots at the airline voted to go on strike overpay. In the ballot, 93% of BA’s 4,000 pilots voted in favor of taking industrial action after rejecting a three-year pay deal. Strike dates have yet to be announced by the pilots’ union Balpa, which must give two weeks’ notice of any action. BA is now trying to obtain an injunction to prevent a strike, with a hearing due in the high court on Tuesday morning. It means that Balpa could set a strike date for 6 August if the BA injunction attempt is defeated and the union immediately gives notice of planned walkouts on the same day.

WION Wallet: British Airways union to go on strike

Shares of Jet Airways Tuesday plunged over 7 per cent, its second day of decline, after the company's deputy chief executive officer and chief financial officer (CFO) Amit Agarwal resigned.

The scrip tanked 7.42 per cent to close at Rs 129.10 on the BSE. During the day, it plunged 12.44 per cent to Rs 122.10.

On the NSE, shares plummeted 7.33 per cent to close at Rs 128.90.

In terms of volume, 22.14 lakh shares were traded on the BSE during the day, while over one crore shares were traded on the NSE.

Shares of Jet Airways had plummeted over 8 per cent Monday amid continued uncertainty overbidders.

"We wish to inform that Amit Agarwal, the deputy chief executive officer and CFO of the company, has resigned from service due to personal reasons, with effect from May 13," Jet Airways said in a regulatory filing.

The airline seized operations temporarily around mid-April due to acute liquidity crisis.

Most of the airline's board members have also quit in last one month.&nbsp;

Shares of Jet Airways Tuesday plunged over 7 per cent, its second day of decline, after the company's deputy chief executive officer and chief financial officer (CFO) Amit Agarwal resigned.

Shares of Jet Airways Tuesday plunged over 7 per cent, its second day of decline, after the company's deputy chief executive officer and chief financial officer (CFO) Amit Agarwal resigned. The scrip tanked 7.42 per cent to close at Rs 129.10 on the BSE. During the day, it plunged 12.44 per cent to Rs 122.10. On the NSE, shares plummeted 7.33 per cent to close at Rs 128.90. In terms of volume, 22.14 lakh shares were traded on the BSE during the day, while over one crore shares were traded on the NSE. Shares of Jet Airways had plummeted over 8 per cent Monday amid continued uncertainty overbidders. "We wish to inform that Amit Agarwal, the deputy chief executive officer and CFO of the company, has resigned from service due to personal reasons, with effect from May 13," Jet Airways said in a regulatory filing. The airline seized operations temporarily around mid-April due to acute liquidity crisis. Most of the airline's board members have also quit in last one month.

Jet Airways shares continue to fall; plummet over 7%

A summary of the challenges facing India's Aviation Industry. Watch this video to know more.

WION Gravitas: Why are airlines struggling in India

Iceland's budget airline WOW Air ceases it's operations

Finally, Jet Airways chief Naresh Goyal quits

US aerospace giant <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/boeing-faces-a-major-crisis-203212">Boeing </a>said Thursday it was suspending deliveries of its top-selling 737 MAX as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-boxes-of-crashed-boeing-737-max-8-aircraft-sent-to-france-203253">French investigators took delivery of the black boxes</a> from the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 passengers and crew.

The MAX has been grounded worldwide following the disaster -- the second involving the model in five months -- and the fallout has left the company, regulators and airlines scrambling to respond.

"We are pausing the delivery of the 737 MAX until we come up with a solution," a Boeing spokesman said, adding that "we are going to continue the production, but we are assessing our capacities."

France's BEA air safety agency confirmed it has received the black box recorders from the plane, which was just four months old and crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday.&nbsp;

Starting Friday, BEA investigators will try to retrieve information from the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, which were damaged in the disaster.

Thousands of miles (kilometers) away, distraught families were demanding answers as they visited the deep black crater where the plane smashed into a field outside the capital, disintegrating on impact.

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, sent the black boxes to France because it does not have the equipment to analyze the data. &nbsp;

The information that they contain helps explain 90 per cent of all crashes, according to aviation experts.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-joins-other-nations-in-grounding-737-max-jets-after-second-crash-203179">US authorities</a> said new evidence showed similarities between the Ethiopia crash and that of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia in October that claimed the lives of 189 people. &nbsp;

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said findings from the crash site near Addis Ababa and "newly refined satellite data" warranted "further investigation of the possibility of a shared cause for the two incidents."

Safety of 'paramount concern'

An FAA emergency order grounded 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft until further notice, effectively taking the aircraft out of the skies globally.

The move came after a growing number of airlines and countries had already decided not to fly the planes or ban them from their airspace until it was ascertained there are no safety issues.

US President Donald Trump told reporters the "safety of the American people and all peoples is our paramount concern."

FAA acting chief Daniel Elwell said the agency had been "working tirelessly" to find the cause of the accident but faced delays because of the damage to the flight data recorders.

The new information shows "the track of that airplane was close enough to the track of the Lion Air flight... to warrant the grounding of the airplanes so we could get more information from the black boxes and determine if there's a link between the two, and if there is, find a fix to that link," Elwell said on CNBC.

Boeing's shares have fallen 12 per cent in the days after the crash in Ethiopia, wiping out nearly $30 billion in value.&nbsp;

The MAX series is Boeing's fastest-selling model, but it is still relatively new with fewer than 500 in service.

There are 74 registered in the United States and 387 in use worldwide with 59 carriers, according to the FAA.

Pilots concerns

The accounts of the recent crashes were echoed in concerns registered by US pilots on how the MAX 8 behaves.

At least four American pilots complained following the Lion Air crash that the aircraft would suddenly pitch downward shortly after takeoff, according to documents reviewed by AFP on the Aviation Safety Reporting System, a voluntary incident database maintained by NASA.

In two anonymous reports on flights just after the Lion Air disaster, pilots disconnected the autopilot and corrected the plane's trajectory.

It was unclear if US transport authorities review the database or investigated the incidents. However, the FAA said this week it had ordered Boeing to update its flight software and training.

Questions about the Lion Air crash have honed in on an automated stall prevention system, the MCAS, designed to automatically point the plane's nose downwards if it is in danger of stalling.

According to the flight data recorder, the pilots of Lion Air Flight 610 struggled to control the aircraft as the MCAS repeatedly pushed the nose down following takeoff.

The Ethiopian Airlines pilots reported similar difficulties before their aircraft plunged to the ground as they tried to return to the airport.

Boeing was criticized after the Lion Air crash for allegedly failing to adequately inform 737 pilots about the functioning of the stall prevention system.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said the doomed flight's captain Yared Mulugeta Getachew, 29, was an experienced aviator with more than 8,000 flight hours.

US aerospace giant Boeing said Thursday it was suspending deliveries of its top-selling 737 MAX as French investigators took delivery of the black boxes from the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 passengers and crew.

US aerospace giant Boeing said Thursday it was suspending deliveries of its top-selling 737 MAX as French investigators took delivery of the black boxes from the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 passengers and crew. The MAX has been grounded worldwide following the disaster -- the second involving the model in five months -- and the fallout has left the company, regulators and airlines scrambling to respond. "We are pausing the delivery of the 737 MAX until we come up with a solution," a Boeing spokesman said, adding that "we are going to continue the production, but we are assessing our capacities." France's BEA air safety agency confirmed it has received the black box recorders from the plane, which was just four months old and crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday. Starting Friday, BEA investigators will try to retrieve information from the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, which were damaged in the disaster. Thousands of miles (kilometers) away, distraught families were demanding answers as they visited the deep black crater where the plane smashed into a field outside the capital, disintegrating on impact. Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, sent the black boxes to France because it does not have the equipment to analyze the data. The information that they contain helps explain 90 per cent of all crashes, according to aviation experts. On Wednesday, US authorities said new evidence showed similarities between the Ethiopia crash and that of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia in October that claimed the lives of 189 people. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said findings from the crash site near Addis Ababa and "newly refined satellite data" warranted "further investigation of the possibility of a shared cause for the two incidents." Safety of 'paramount concern' An FAA emergency order grounded 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft until further notice, effectively taking the aircraft out of the skies globally. The move came after a growing number of airlines and countries had already decided not to fly the planes or ban them from their airspace until it was ascertained there are no safety issues. US President Donald Trump told reporters the "safety of the American people and all peoples is our paramount concern." FAA acting chief Daniel Elwell said the agency had been "working tirelessly" to find the cause of the accident but faced delays because of the damage to the flight data recorders. The new information shows "the track of that airplane was close enough to the track of the Lion Air flight... to warrant the grounding of the airplanes so we could get more information from the black boxes and determine if there's a link between the two, and if there is, find a fix to that link," Elwell said on CNBC. Boeing's shares have fallen 12 per cent in the days after the crash in Ethiopia, wiping out nearly $30 billion in value. The MAX series is Boeing's fastest-selling model, but it is still relatively new with fewer than 500 in service. There are 74 registered in the United States and 387 in use worldwide with 59 carriers, according to the FAA. Pilots concerns The accounts of the recent crashes were echoed in concerns registered by US pilots on how the MAX 8 behaves. At least four American pilots complained following the Lion Air crash that the aircraft would suddenly pitch downward shortly after takeoff, according to documents reviewed by AFP on the Aviation Safety Reporting System, a voluntary incident database maintained by NASA. In two anonymous reports on flights just after the Lion Air disaster, pilots disconnected the autopilot and corrected the plane's trajectory. It was unclear if US transport authorities review the database or investigated the incidents. However, the FAA said this week it had ordered Boeing to update its flight software and training. Questions about the Lion Air crash have honed in on an automated stall prevention system, the MCAS, designed to automatically point the plane's nose downwards if it is in danger of stalling. According to the flight data recorder, the pilots of Lion Air Flight 610 struggled to control the aircraft as the MCAS repeatedly pushed the nose down following takeoff. The Ethiopian Airlines pilots reported similar difficulties before their aircraft plunged to the ground as they tried to return to the airport. Boeing was criticized after the Lion Air crash for allegedly failing to adequately inform 737 pilots about the functioning of the stall prevention system. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said the doomed flight's captain Yared Mulugeta Getachew, 29, was an experienced aviator with more than 8,000 flight hours.

We are pausing delivery, but will continue production of 737 Max: Boeing

Germany has revoked the licence of an Iranian airline because it has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after heavy US pressure on Berlin to act.

The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011, saying it provided financial and other support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and has been pressing its European allies to follow suit.

The German ban on the airline takes immediate effect, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Monday that the "US Treasury appreciates the important decision by Germany to deny Mahan Air's landing rights. Mahan routinely flies IRGC-QF and weapons to Syria, is subject to our terrorism secondary sanctions, and should be denied access around the world."

Contacted by Reuters, Mahan Air in Tehran said it could not comment immediately on the ban.

The measure does not signal plans for the reimposition of broader sanctions against Iran, a German government source told Reuters.

Mahan Air, established in 1992 as Iran's first private airline, has the country's largest fleet of aircraft and has flights to a number of European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece.

The US ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, who has long objected to Mahan Air's links to Germany, welcomed the ban.

"Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement.

"Iran's use of Mahan Air to support the Assad regime in Syria, for example, has contributed to incredible human suffering, violence, and political instability felt across the world," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

''SECURITY NEEDS"

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert denied that the decision to ban Mahan air was the result of US pressure.

"The German decision is based on considerations of our security needs," he told a regular news conference.

"It cannot be ruled out that this airline could also transport cargo to Germany that threatens our security. This is based on knowledge of past terrorist activities by Iran in Europe," he added.

European countries have been under sustained US pressure to reimpose sanctions on Iran since President Donald Trump last year pulled Washington out of an international nuclear non-proliferation treaty reached with Tehran under his predecessor Barack Obama.

Along with Iran, the other signatories to the deal - Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China - are still trying to keep it alive.

The European countries, with more extensive economic ties to Iran and mindful of the threat that would be posed by another nuclear state in their immediate neighbourhood, have sought to shield themselves from the impact of Washington's extra-territorial sanctions, with limited success.

Germany has revoked the licence of an Iranian airline because it has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after heavy US pressure on Berlin to act.

Germany has revoked the licence of an Iranian airline because it has been transporting military equipment and personnel to Syria and other Middle East war zones, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after heavy US pressure on Berlin to act. The United States imposed sanctions on Mahan Air in 2011, saying it provided financial and other support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and has been pressing its European allies to follow suit. The German ban on the airline takes immediate effect, a foreign ministry spokesman said. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Monday that the "US Treasury appreciates the important decision by Germany to deny Mahan Air's landing rights. Mahan routinely flies IRGC-QF and weapons to Syria, is subject to our terrorism secondary sanctions, and should be denied access around the world." Contacted by Reuters, Mahan Air in Tehran said it could not comment immediately on the ban. The measure does not signal plans for the reimposition of broader sanctions against Iran, a German government source told Reuters. Mahan Air, established in 1992 as Iran's first private airline, has the country's largest fleet of aircraft and has flights to a number of European countries, including France, Italy, Spain and Greece. The US ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, who has long objected to Mahan Air's links to Germany, welcomed the ban. "Mahan Air has flown terrorists, weapons, equipment, and funds to international locations to support Iranian terrorist proxy groups," he said in a statement. "Iran's use of Mahan Air to support the Assad regime in Syria, for example, has contributed to incredible human suffering, violence, and political instability felt across the world," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. ''SECURITY NEEDS" German government spokesman Steffen Seibert denied that the decision to ban Mahan air was the result of US pressure. "The German decision is based on considerations of our security needs," he told a regular news conference. "It cannot be ruled out that this airline could also transport cargo to Germany that threatens our security. This is based on knowledge of past terrorist activities by Iran in Europe," he added. European countries have been under sustained US pressure to reimpose sanctions on Iran since President Donald Trump last year pulled Washington out of an international nuclear non-proliferation treaty reached with Tehran under his predecessor Barack Obama. Along with Iran, the other signatories to the deal - Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China - are still trying to keep it alive. The European countries, with more extensive economic ties to Iran and mindful of the threat that would be posed by another nuclear state in their immediate neighbourhood, have sought to shield themselves from the impact of Washington's extra-territorial sanctions, with limited success.

Germany bans Iranian airline from its airspace after US pressure

EgyptAir has resumed air freight service to New York after a three-year halt following the downing of a Russian airliner over the Sinai Peninsula in an Islamist bomb attack, a source at the flagship carrier said on Thursday.

"<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-israel-officially-quit-unesco-187809&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwivq9zi1_TfAhUPfCsKHariAWEQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ryCrvUzdakUknCxnmwWAh">(The United States)</a> was apprehensive after the incident, and this may be normal for it, but security procedures and precautions are greater now. It saw there is no (more) need for it (suspension of air freight)," the source told Reuters.

A bomb spirited aboard the Russian airliner brought it down in Sinai in October 2015, killing all 224 on board. The attack prompted Russia to halt all flights to Egypt and Britain to cease flights to Sinai.

EgyptAir resumed taking freight on its commercial flights to New York on Wednesday, the source said. There would be one freight-bearing flight each day of the week with a capacity of 10-15 tonnes of cargo per flight.

He said EgyptAir also had preliminary plans to start freight service to Washington DC.

EgyptAir had continued US-bound flights carrying passenger luggage throughout the suspension of freight service.

Sources told Reuters last year that US authorities had suspended cargo transports due to a lack of confidence in security measures at Cairo airport.

EgyptAir has resumed air freight service to New York after a three-year halt following the downing of a Russian airliner over the Sinai Peninsula in an Islamist bomb attack, a source at the flagship carrier said on Thursday.

EgyptAir has resumed air freight service to New York after a three-year halt following the downing of a Russian airliner over the Sinai Peninsula in an Islamist bomb attack, a source at the flagship carrier said on Thursday. "(The United States) was apprehensive after the incident, and this may be normal for it, but security procedures and precautions are greater now. It saw there is no (more) need for it (suspension of air freight)," the source told Reuters. A bomb spirited aboard the Russian airliner brought it down in Sinai in October 2015, killing all 224 on board. The attack prompted Russia to halt all flights to Egypt and Britain to cease flights to Sinai. EgyptAir resumed taking freight on its commercial flights to New York on Wednesday, the source said. There would be one freight-bearing flight each day of the week with a capacity of 10-15 tonnes of cargo per flight. He said EgyptAir also had preliminary plans to start freight service to Washington DC. EgyptAir had continued US-bound flights carrying passenger luggage throughout the suspension of freight service. Sources told Reuters last year that US authorities had suspended cargo transports due to a lack of confidence in security measures at Cairo airport.

Egypt resumes air freight service to United States after 2015 halt

While Air India's passenger count rose by only 4 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, its revenue from passengers increased by 20 per cent on the back of better aircraft utilisation, said a senior official of the company.

"Due to better and efficient utilisation of aircraft fleet, the passenger revenue increased from Rs 4,615 crore in third quarter of 2017-18 to Rs 5,538 crore in the third quarter of 2018-19," the official said.

The official added that the number of passengers has increased to 55.27 lakh during the quarter from 53.28 lakh in the year-ago period. "This shows that passengers have increased by around 4 per cent...But our ASKM (available seat kilometres) has increased at a much faster rate," the official said.

ASKM indicates the passenger-carrying capacity of an aircraft. It is arrived at by multiplying the number of seats occupied by the distance travelled by aircraft in kilometres during a particular period.

The loss-making Air India is estimated to have a debt burden of over Rs 48,000 crore and the government's efforts for strategic disinvestment of the carrier failed in May last year.

The official said passengers in December increased by 4 per cent but the revenue from them increased by 23 per cent during the month.

"In the third quarter, total 15 new flights were started by the company," the official added.

Speaking about the Air India's woes, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu Friday said future revenues of the company cannot service its "massive" debt and this legacy issue has to be segregated from the current challenges of the national carrier.

"If you feel that future revenues can actually service the debt, it is not possible for the simple reason that the debt is so massive," Prabhu said Friday during a live stream held on 'Flying for All: Global Aviation Summit 2019'.

Air India earns 65 per cent of its revenues from international routes, while the remaining comes from the domestic network.

"Also, the cost of interest on the debt, when you try to service it from your revenues, Air India can never be in profit. Therefore, we have to address the debt issue. We are proactively working with the Ministry of Finance to make it happen," Prabhu added.

Air India has been making losses since the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. The airline has a fleet size of around 122 aircraft currently.

"We have prepared a plan... We are trying to professionalise the entire management of Air India, right from the CEO (chief executive officer) downwards so that there will be a proper management structure so that Air India can reach to newer heights," he said.

"But anybody, who comes in, will ask this question 'how do I deal with the legacy'. The same question I had to address when I took over as a minister. The same question, Air India's new managing director or the new CEO or new board of directors would have to address - how do I deal with the past?" he added.

While Air India's passenger count rose by only 4 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, its revenue from passengers increased by 20 per cent on the back of better aircraft utilisation, said a senior official of the company.

While Air India's passenger count rose by only 4 per cent in the December 2018 quarter, its revenue from passengers increased by 20 per cent on the back of better aircraft utilisation, said a senior official of the company. "Due to better and efficient utilisation of aircraft fleet, the passenger revenue increased from Rs 4,615 crore in third quarter of 2017-18 to Rs 5,538 crore in the third quarter of 2018-19," the official said. The official added that the number of passengers has increased to 55.27 lakh during the quarter from 53.28 lakh in the year-ago period. "This shows that passengers have increased by around 4 per cent...But our ASKM (available seat kilometres) has increased at a much faster rate," the official said. ASKM indicates the passenger-carrying capacity of an aircraft. It is arrived at by multiplying the number of seats occupied by the distance travelled by aircraft in kilometres during a particular period. The loss-making Air India is estimated to have a debt burden of over Rs 48,000 crore and the government's efforts for strategic disinvestment of the carrier failed in May last year. The official said passengers in December increased by 4 per cent but the revenue from them increased by 23 per cent during the month. "In the third quarter, total 15 new flights were started by the company," the official added. Speaking about the Air India's woes, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu Friday said future revenues of the company cannot service its "massive" debt and this legacy issue has to be segregated from the current challenges of the national carrier. "If you feel that future revenues can actually service the debt, it is not possible for the simple reason that the debt is so massive," Prabhu said Friday during a live stream held on 'Flying for All: Global Aviation Summit 2019'. Air India earns 65 per cent of its revenues from international routes, while the remaining comes from the domestic network. "Also, the cost of interest on the debt, when you try to service it from your revenues, Air India can never be in profit. Therefore, we have to address the debt issue. We are proactively working with the Ministry of Finance to make it happen," Prabhu added. Air India has been making losses since the merger with Indian Airlines in 2007. The airline has a fleet size of around 122 aircraft currently. "We have prepared a plan... We are trying to professionalise the entire management of Air India, right from the CEO (chief executive officer) downwards so that there will be a proper management structure so that Air India can reach to newer heights," he said. "But anybody, who comes in, will ask this question 'how do I deal with the legacy'. The same question I had to address when I took over as a minister. The same question, Air India's new managing director or the new CEO or new board of directors would have to address - how do I deal with the past?" he added.

Air India's passenger revenue grows by 20% in Q3 of 2018-19

Scores of travellers were left stranded at several airplane terminals across the country as the servers of IndiGo Airlines, were down.

The IndiGo Airlines has asked the commuters to contact them via social media for redressal of their queries.

Reports of IndiGo system dysfunctioning rose first from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airplane terminal, where stranded travellers denoted their complaint with the ground staff.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/6ETravelAdvisory?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#6ETravelAdvisory</a>: For assistance, contact us on Twitter/Facebook or chat with us at <a href="https://t.co/Mj1tYZIvoE">https://t.co/Mj1tYZIvoE</a>. You may also call us at 01246173838. <a href="https://t.co/30eW68kpTM">pic.twitter.com/30eW68kpTM</a>
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Therefore, IndiGo issued an announcement affirming that its servers are not working at all the airplane terminals.&nbsp;

Stranded travellers have been requested to contact the carrier through Twitter, Facebook, or the client helpline number.

Scores of travellers were left stranded at several airplane terminals across the country as the servers of IndiGo Airlines, were down. The IndiGo Airlines has asked the commuters to contact them via social media for redressal of their queries.

Scores of travellers were left stranded at several airplane terminals across the country as the servers of IndiGo Airlines, were down. The IndiGo Airlines has asked the commuters to contact them via social media for redressal of their queries. Reports of IndiGo system dysfunctioning rose first from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airplane terminal, where stranded travellers denoted their complaint with the ground staff. #6ETravelAdvisory: For assistance, contact us on Twitter/Facebook or chat with us at https://t.co/Mj1tYZIvoE. You may also call us at 01246173838. pic.twitter.com/30eW68kpTM — IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) October 7, 2018 × Therefore, IndiGo issued an announcement affirming that its servers are not working at all the airplane terminals. Stranded travellers have been requested to contact the carrier through Twitter, Facebook, or the client helpline number.

Indigo Airline's servers down at all airports, passengers left stranded

The White House on Saturday sharply criticized China's efforts to force foreign airlines to change how they refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, labeling China's latest effort to police language describing the politically sensitive territories as "Orwellian nonsense."

Amid an escalating fight over China's trade surplus with the United States, the White House said China's Civil Aviation Administration sent a letter to 36 foreign air carriers, including a number of US&nbsp;carriers, demanding changes.

The carriers were told to remove references on their websites or in other material that suggests Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are part of countries independent from China, US&nbsp;and airline officials said.

The White House said in a statement that President Donald Trump "will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens."

"This is Orwellian nonsense and part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies. ... We call on China to stop threatening and coercing American carriers and citizens."

Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue. Beijing considers the self-ruled, democratic island a wayward province. Hong Kong and Macau are former European colonies that are now part of China but run largely autonomously.

China's foreign ministry said China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had discussed bilateral ties by phone, with Yang saying relations were at "an important stage".

It was unclear if the call came after, or was a response to, the White House statement - or if the two had even discussed the issue of how Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are referred to by US&nbsp;companies.

According to a foreign ministry statement late on Saturday, Yang told Pompeo the two countries should strengthen exchanges, maintain close communication over economic and trade issues and respect each other's "core interests and major concerns".

China and the United States should "properly settle disputes and sensitive issues", keep up communication and coordination on major international and regional issues and "push bilateral relations forward along the right track", Yang said.

The White House's sharp criticism follows contentious trade talks between senior US&nbsp;and Chinese officials last week.

The Trump administration demanded a $200 billion cut in China's trade surplus with the United States by 2020, sharply lower tariffs and a halt to subsidies for advanced technology, people familiar with the talks said.

“My group just got back from China. We’re going to have to rework China because that’s been a one-way street for decades,” Trump said at an event in Cleveland on Saturday.

“We can’t go on that way,” he said, although he also said he has a lot respect for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump earlier this week praised his relationship with Xi but there were no signs of significant progress at the talks on Thursday and Friday, raising fears of a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

TARIFF THREATS

Trump has already proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods which could go into effect next month.

China has said its own retaliatory tariffs on US&nbsp;goods, including soybeans and aircraft, will go into effect if the US&nbsp;duties are imposed.

It has also requested that Washington treat Chinese investment equally under national security reviews and stop issuing new restrictions on Chinese investment.

The dispute over how airlines refer to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau is another area of tension in US-China relations.

A spokesman for Airlines for America, a trade group representing United Airlines, American Airlines and other major carriers, said on Saturday it was working with the US&nbsp;government to determine "next steps" in the dispute.

In January, Delta Air Lines, following a demand from China over listing Taiwan and Tibet as countries on its website, apologized for making "an inadvertent error with no business or political intention," and said it had taken steps to resolve the issue.

Also in January, China suspended Marriott International Inc’s Chinese website for a week to punish the world’s biggest hotel chain for listing Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as separate countries in a customer questionnaire.

The apparent intensification of efforts to police how foreign businesses refer to Chinese-claimed territories - even if only in pull-down web menus - underscores how sensitive the issue of sovereignty has become in China.

China's aviation authority said in January it would require all foreign airlines operating routes to China to conduct comprehensive investigations of their websites, apps and customer-related information and “strictly comply with China’s laws and regulations to prevent a similar thing from happening."

Australia’s Qantas Airways said in January it had amended its website to no longer refer to Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries rather than Chinese territories after China issued a similar warning.

The White House said China's Civil Aviation Administration sent a letter to 36 foreign air carriers, including a number of US carriers, demanding changes

The White House on Saturday sharply criticized China's efforts to force foreign airlines to change how they refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, labeling China's latest effort to police language describing the politically sensitive territories as "Orwellian nonsense." Amid an escalating fight over China's trade surplus with the United States, the White House said China's Civil Aviation Administration sent a letter to 36 foreign air carriers, including a number of US carriers, demanding changes. The carriers were told to remove references on their websites or in other material that suggests Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are part of countries independent from China, US and airline officials said. The White House said in a statement that President Donald Trump "will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens." "This is Orwellian nonsense and part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies. ... We call on China to stop threatening and coercing American carriers and citizens." Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue. Beijing considers the self-ruled, democratic island a wayward province. Hong Kong and Macau are former European colonies that are now part of China but run largely autonomously. China's foreign ministry said China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had discussed bilateral ties by phone, with Yang saying relations were at "an important stage". It was unclear if the call came after, or was a response to, the White House statement - or if the two had even discussed the issue of how Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are referred to by US companies. According to a foreign ministry statement late on Saturday, Yang told Pompeo the two countries should strengthen exchanges, maintain close communication over economic and trade issues and respect each other's "core interests and major concerns". China and the United States should "properly settle disputes and sensitive issues", keep up communication and coordination on major international and regional issues and "push bilateral relations forward along the right track", Yang said. The White House's sharp criticism follows contentious trade talks between senior US and Chinese officials last week. The Trump administration demanded a $200 billion cut in China's trade surplus with the United States by 2020, sharply lower tariffs and a halt to subsidies for advanced technology, people familiar with the talks said. “My group just got back from China. We’re going to have to rework China because that’s been a one-way street for decades,” Trump said at an event in Cleveland on Saturday. “We can’t go on that way,” he said, although he also said he has a lot respect for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump earlier this week praised his relationship with Xi but there were no signs of significant progress at the talks on Thursday and Friday, raising fears of a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. TARIFF THREATS Trump has already proposed tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods which could go into effect next month. China has said its own retaliatory tariffs on US goods, including soybeans and aircraft, will go into effect if the US duties are imposed. It has also requested that Washington treat Chinese investment equally under national security reviews and stop issuing new restrictions on Chinese investment. The dispute over how airlines refer to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau is another area of tension in US-China relations. A spokesman for Airlines for America, a trade group representing United Airlines, American Airlines and other major carriers, said on Saturday it was working with the US government to determine "next steps" in the dispute. In January, Delta Air Lines, following a demand from China over listing Taiwan and Tibet as countries on its website, apologized for making "an inadvertent error with no business or political intention," and said it had taken steps to resolve the issue. Also in January, China suspended Marriott International Inc’s Chinese website for a week to punish the world’s biggest hotel chain for listing Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as separate countries in a customer questionnaire. The apparent intensification of efforts to police how foreign businesses refer to Chinese-claimed territories - even if only in pull-down web menus - underscores how sensitive the issue of sovereignty has become in China. China's aviation authority said in January it would require all foreign airlines operating routes to China to conduct comprehensive investigations of their websites, apps and customer-related information and “strictly comply with China’s laws and regulations to prevent a similar thing from happening." Australia’s Qantas Airways said in January it had amended its website to no longer refer to Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries rather than Chinese territories after China issued a similar warning.

US condemns China for 'Orwellian nonsense' over airline websites

&nbsp;A 25-year-old Chinese man, who felt "stuffy" and opened the emergency exit of a plane to get some fresh air has been detained and fined, a media report said today.

The man, identified only by his surname Chen, was waiting to disembark the plane at Mianyang airport in the southwestern province of Sichuan when he decided he could do with some fresh air.

Unfortunately for him, the handle he pulled was attached to the emergency exit and not only did the hatch come free from the plane, but it also activated the escape slide, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting a Thepaper.Cn report yesterday.

Chen, who was returning from the island of Hainan, insisted he did not know that it was an escape route, adding: "Because it was so stuffy, so hot on the plane, I just pushed down on the window handle beside me. When the door fell out, I panicked."

The crew alerted police and he was detained for 15 days for the unauthorised removal of aviation facilities. He will also be fined 70,000 yuan (USD 11,000) to cover the airline's costs.

The airline, which was not named in the report, said it would cooperate with public security agencies in their investigation.

This is the latest in a string of safety incidents in recent years involving Chinese travellers opening emergency exits.

In April 2016 a 30-year-old bulldozer driver, who had never travelled by air before, ignored warnings by cabin crew and opened the emergency exit door to get some fresh air just before his flight took off from Shenzhen airport in the south of the country.

The man, who said he was worried about getting air sick, was detained for a week and fined 500 yuan after the flight was delayed for an hour.

The previous year, a man who said he thought the emergency escape handle was a handrail was given 10 days' detention and a second passenger was given a similar sentence for opening an escape hatch while waiting to board a flight at Nanjing airport.

China's civil aviation industry has responded by imposing a slew of penalties, including flying bans in addition to existing fines, on blacklisted travellers, the Post report said.&nbsp;

Unfortunately for him, the handle he pulled was attached to the emergency exit and not only did the hatch come free from the plane, but it also activated the escape slide

A 25-year-old Chinese man, who felt "stuffy" and opened the emergency exit of a plane to get some fresh air has been detained and fined, a media report said today. The man, identified only by his surname Chen, was waiting to disembark the plane at Mianyang airport in the southwestern province of Sichuan when he decided he could do with some fresh air. Unfortunately for him, the handle he pulled was attached to the emergency exit and not only did the hatch come free from the plane, but it also activated the escape slide, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported quoting a Thepaper.Cn report yesterday. Chen, who was returning from the island of Hainan, insisted he did not know that it was an escape route, adding: "Because it was so stuffy, so hot on the plane, I just pushed down on the window handle beside me. When the door fell out, I panicked." The crew alerted police and he was detained for 15 days for the unauthorised removal of aviation facilities. He will also be fined 70,000 yuan (USD 11,000) to cover the airline's costs. The airline, which was not named in the report, said it would cooperate with public security agencies in their investigation. This is the latest in a string of safety incidents in recent years involving Chinese travellers opening emergency exits. In April 2016 a 30-year-old bulldozer driver, who had never travelled by air before, ignored warnings by cabin crew and opened the emergency exit door to get some fresh air just before his flight took off from Shenzhen airport in the south of the country. The man, who said he was worried about getting air sick, was detained for a week and fined 500 yuan after the flight was delayed for an hour. The previous year, a man who said he thought the emergency escape handle was a handrail was given 10 days' detention and a second passenger was given a similar sentence for opening an escape hatch while waiting to board a flight at Nanjing airport. China's civil aviation industry has responded by imposing a slew of penalties, including flying bans in addition to existing fines, on blacklisted travellers, the Post report said.

Chinese air passenger feels 'stuffy', opens emergency exit for fresh air

India`s steel-to-autos conglomerate Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the government`s terms are just too onerous, two sources familiar with the matter said.

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 percent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt.

But the government has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by conditions designed to safeguard employee interests, restricting its ability to cut staff.

Since the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest, while Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, have already publicly opted out of the race.

Tata Group, which already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures in India, does not see "how a deal would be workable" under the current terms, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp

The same source also said the airline had too much debt and noted there was little clarity on what a buyer would be allowed to do with the airline`s large workforce.

"Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control," added the second source.

Tata Sons, the holding company for the conglomerate Tata Group, declined to comment.

Prior to the disclosure of the terms, there had been some expression of interest from the group.

In January, Leslie Thng, the chief executive of Vistara, a joint-venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines told reporters its owners were open to evaluating a bid for Air India. Vistara declined to comment and Singapore Airlines had no immediate comment on Wednesday.

Last October, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, said in a TV interview the group would "definitely look" at Air India once the privatisation process was finalised

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 percent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt

India`s steel-to-autos conglomerate Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the government`s terms are just too onerous, two sources familiar with the matter said. India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 percent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt. But the government has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by conditions designed to safeguard employee interests, restricting its ability to cut staff. Since the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest, while Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, have already publicly opted out of the race. Tata Group, which already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures in India, does not see "how a deal would be workable" under the current terms, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. The same source also said the airline had too much debt and noted there was little clarity on what a buyer would be allowed to do with the airline`s large workforce. "Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control," added the second source. Tata Sons, the holding company for the conglomerate Tata Group, declined to comment. Prior to the disclosure of the terms, there had been some expression of interest from the group. In January, Leslie Thng, the chief executive of Vistara, a joint-venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines told reporters its owners were open to evaluating a bid for Air India. Vistara declined to comment and Singapore Airlines had no immediate comment on Wednesday. Last October, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, said in a TV interview the group would "definitely look" at Air India once the privatisation process was finalised

Tata Group unlikely to bid for Air India as terms too onerous

IndiGo co-owner<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indigo-staff-manhandle-passenger-at-delhis-igi-airport-23691"> Rahul Bhatia met minister for civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju</a> in Delhi on Wednesday after a video went viral on social media of a passenger being allegedly manhandled by the airline staff at the Delhi Airport.

The aviation minister has&nbsp;sought a&nbsp;detailed report by IndiGo explaining the incident.&nbsp;IndiGo co

&quot;We have handed over the report to the government and are waiting for a response,&quot;&nbsp;Rahul Bhatia said.

&quot;It would be better if one does not come to any conclusions before the government says anything. After the report, you will know that we have not been sitting silent for the past 21 days,&quot;&nbsp;he added&nbsp;

On whether IndiGo&#39;s image would be tarnished over the incident, Bhatia claimed that he was&nbsp;more worried about the &quot;pollution levels at the moment&quot;.&nbsp;

The IndiGo incident went viral on social media on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing a passenger,&nbsp;Rajiv Katiyal, being&nbsp;manhandled and abused by the airline ground staff after an&nbsp;argument just after alighting from the aircraft.&nbsp;

The incident had taken place last month on&nbsp;October 15.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: IndiGo staff manhandle a passenger at Delhi&#39;s Indira Gandhi International Airport (Note: Strong language) <a href="https://t.co/v2ola0YzqC">pic.twitter.com/v2ola0YzqC</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/927915529163046912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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IndiGo co-owner Rahul Bhatia met Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju in New Delhi on Wednesday.?

IndiGo co-owner Rahul Bhatia met minister for civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in Delhi on Wednesday after a video went viral on social media of a passenger being allegedly manhandled by the airline staff at the Delhi Airport. The aviation minister has sought a detailed report by IndiGo explaining the incident. IndiGo co "We have handed over the report to the government and are waiting for a response," Rahul Bhatia said. "It would be better if one does not come to any conclusions before the government says anything. After the report, you will know that we have not been sitting silent for the past 21 days," he added On whether IndiGo's image would be tarnished over the incident, Bhatia claimed that he was more worried about the "pollution levels at the moment". The IndiGo incident went viral on social media on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing a passenger, Rajiv Katiyal, being manhandled and abused by the airline ground staff after an argument just after alighting from the aircraft. The incident had taken place last month on October 15. #WATCH: IndiGo staff manhandle a passenger at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (Note: Strong language) pic.twitter.com/v2ola0YzqC — ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2017 ×

I am more worried about the pollution than IndiGo's reputation: Co-founder Rahul Bhatia

In a report to the civil aviation ministry, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-am-more-worried-about-the-pollution-than-indigos-reputation-rahul-bhatia-23739">IndiGo director&nbsp;Aditya Ghosh&nbsp;blamed</a>&nbsp;the sacked &quot;whistleblower&quot; for manhandling the passenger after a verbal altercation.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/23691">The video of the incident which had occurred on October 15 had gone viral on Tuesday after it emerged a passenger</a>, Rajiv Katyal, being manhandled by the IndiGo staff at Delhi&#39;s IGI airport.

Aditya Ghosh, mentioned in the report to the government that the staff was trying to prevent the passengers and was only &#39;doing its&nbsp;job&#39;.

&quot;The ex-employee, Montu Kalra who was terminated and is claiming to be the &#39;whistleblower&#39;, is the one you can hear shouting in the video and instructing the other two colleagues, who were junior to him, to prevent the customer from boarding the bus and to hold him back at the ramp itself.&quot;

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Incident at Delhi Airport - Report (Others)
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&ldquo;At the very outset, let me start off by acknowledging that we were at fault and we not only apologise for this regrettable incident, we have also taken action. As a responsible organisation, we recognize that we have a high degree of duty towards our customers. Treating our customers with respect is core to what we do. I personally called and apologised to Mr. Katyal (the customer) 3 weeks ago,&rdquo; IndiGo airline&rsquo;s president said in the report.

Giving the airline&#39;s side of the story, Ghosh said:&nbsp;&quot;When our staff Juby Thomas saw Mr Katyal inadvertently moving towards the catering high-lift (which was attached to the aircraft), Thomas started waving frantically from a distance to ask Mr Katyal to move away with the sole intention of preventing any accident. Thomas started shouting to be heard by the passenger due to the high aircraft noise.&quot;

&quot;It is possible that due to the very noisy ramp area, Mr Katyal could not hear Juby Thomas properly and ... may have felt Thomas was being rude. The reality is that Juby Thomas was only trying to ensure the safety of Mr Katyal and prevent an accident,&quot; the letter said.

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Ghosh further mentioned how Katyal refused to listen to Thomas and spoke in &quot;inappropriate&quot;&nbsp;language, telling him &#39;to do his own work&#39;, which was &quot;the irony, as he was indeed doing his own work and enduring safety of the passengers&quot; Ghosh said in his letter.&nbsp;

The letter&nbsp;then extensively broke down each scenario and explained how the event unfolded blow-by-blow.&nbsp;

Ghosh accepted that the incident was &#39;extremely regrettable&#39; and the situation could have been &#39;handled differently&#39;.

&quot;Whatever may have been the provocation, whether verbal or physical abuse, we could have tried to display more restraint,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He then informed that he apologised to Mr&nbsp;Katyal &quot;the very same night&quot;&nbsp;and assured that they will &quot;try harder&quot;.&nbsp;

The employees have since been suspended.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: IndiGo staff manhandle a passenger at Delhi&#39;s Indira Gandhi International Airport (Note: Strong language) <a href="https://t.co/v2ola0YzqC">pic.twitter.com/v2ola0YzqC</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/927915529163046912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The airline wrote these details in their report to the government which was given to the ministry of civil aviation on Wednesday.?

In a report to the civil aviation ministry, IndiGo director Aditya Ghosh blamed the sacked "whistleblower" for manhandling the passenger after a verbal altercation. The video of the incident which had occurred on October 15 had gone viral on Tuesday after it emerged a passenger, Rajiv Katyal, being manhandled by the IndiGo staff at Delhi's IGI airport. Aditya Ghosh, mentioned in the report to the government that the staff was trying to prevent the passengers and was only 'doing its job'. "The ex-employee, Montu Kalra who was terminated and is claiming to be the 'whistleblower', is the one you can hear shouting in the video and instructing the other two colleagues, who were junior to him, to prevent the customer from boarding the bus and to hold him back at the ramp itself." Incident at Delhi Airport - Report (Others) × “At the very outset, let me start off by acknowledging that we were at fault and we not only apologise for this regrettable incident, we have also taken action. As a responsible organisation, we recognize that we have a high degree of duty towards our customers. Treating our customers with respect is core to what we do. I personally called and apologised to Mr. Katyal (the customer) 3 weeks ago,” IndiGo airline’s president said in the report. Giving the airline's side of the story, Ghosh said: "When our staff Juby Thomas saw Mr Katyal inadvertently moving towards the catering high-lift (which was attached to the aircraft), Thomas started waving frantically from a distance to ask Mr Katyal to move away with the sole intention of preventing any accident. Thomas started shouting to be heard by the passenger due to the high aircraft noise." "It is possible that due to the very noisy ramp area, Mr Katyal could not hear Juby Thomas properly and ... may have felt Thomas was being rude. The reality is that Juby Thomas was only trying to ensure the safety of Mr Katyal and prevent an accident," the letter said. Representative Photo (Others) × Ghosh further mentioned how Katyal refused to listen to Thomas and spoke in "inappropriate" language, telling him 'to do his own work', which was "the irony, as he was indeed doing his own work and enduring safety of the passengers" Ghosh said in his letter. The letter then extensively broke down each scenario and explained how the event unfolded blow-by-blow. Ghosh accepted that the incident was 'extremely regrettable' and the situation could have been 'handled differently'. "Whatever may have been the provocation, whether verbal or physical abuse, we could have tried to display more restraint," he said. He then informed that he apologised to Mr Katyal "the very same night" and assured that they will "try harder". The employees have since been suspended. #WATCH: IndiGo staff manhandle a passenger at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (Note: Strong language) pic.twitter.com/v2ola0YzqC — ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2017 ×

IndiGo director blames sacked 'whistleblower' for manhandling passenger, 'regrets' incident

German flag carrier Lufthansa warned Tuesday that &quot;horrific&quot; terror attacks in Europe were having a &quot;tangible impact&quot; on business, with second-quarter profits down 17 per cent. 
 
Advance bookings were down sharply, the airline said, as net profits for the three months ending June came in at 437 million euros ($488 million). 
 
&quot;Horrific terror attacks are making people feel unsafe,&quot; chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Because of repeated terror attacks in Europe and political and economic uncertainty, advance bookings, especially on long-haul flights to Europe, have fallen significantly,&quot; finance director Simone Menne said. 
 
The weak profits came despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros. Compared with the figure for the first half of 2015, net profits took a 55 per cent blow, falling to 429 million Euros. 
 
Lufthansa had already said last month that the jittery atmosphere in Europe was hitting its business and considered &quot;a complete recovery as not likely anymore.&quot; Its European rival Air France-KLM also warned last week about the impact of recent attacks on the airline. 
 
Air France-KLM&#39;s chief financial officer Pierre-Francois Riolacci said unit revenue fell by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter, which he put down to the sluggish global economic recovery and &quot;most of all the effect of the terror attacks that have struck Europe in recent quarters&quot;. 
 
A spate of attacks targeting France and Germany at the height of peak tourist season in Europe has hurt the industry. France, the world&#39;s top tourist destination, is reeling from an attack at the Riviera town of Nice on Bastille Day when a gunman drove a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of revellers, killing 84. 
 
That was the third major strike against France in less than 18 months, coming just eight months after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers stormed bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris, killing 130 people. 
 
In January last year, 17 were killed in another assault at various sites including the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris. 
 
Germany was meanwhile hit in July by an axe attack that left five people, including four tourists from Hong Kong, wounded, a gun rampage, a machete assault and a suicide bomb attack. 
 
A spokeswoman for the German tourism board told AFP last week that &quot;there haven&#39;t been any cancellations&quot; in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in Europe&#39;s biggest economy. 
 
But in France, flight reservations following the Nice attack were down 20 per cent. Between January and July 10 arrivals to France by air were down 5.8 per cent, and down 11 per cent to Paris. 
 
(AFP) 
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The weak profits for the airline have come in despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros

German flag carrier Lufthansa warned Tuesday that "horrific" terror attacks in Europe were having a "tangible impact" on business, with second-quarter profits down 17 per cent. Advance bookings were down sharply, the airline said, as net profits for the three months ending June came in at 437 million euros ($488 million). "Horrific terror attacks are making people feel unsafe," chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. "Because of repeated terror attacks in Europe and political and economic uncertainty, advance bookings, especially on long-haul flights to Europe, have fallen significantly," finance director Simone Menne said. The weak profits came despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros. Compared with the figure for the first half of 2015, net profits took a 55 per cent blow, falling to 429 million Euros. Lufthansa had already said last month that the jittery atmosphere in Europe was hitting its business and considered "a complete recovery as not likely anymore." Its European rival Air France-KLM also warned last week about the impact of recent attacks on the airline. Air France-KLM's chief financial officer Pierre-Francois Riolacci said unit revenue fell by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter, which he put down to the sluggish global economic recovery and "most of all the effect of the terror attacks that have struck Europe in recent quarters". A spate of attacks targeting France and Germany at the height of peak tourist season in Europe has hurt the industry. France, the world's top tourist destination, is reeling from an attack at the Riviera town of Nice on Bastille Day when a gunman drove a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of revellers, killing 84. That was the third major strike against France in less than 18 months, coming just eight months after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers stormed bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris, killing 130 people. In January last year, 17 were killed in another assault at various sites including the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris. Germany was meanwhile hit in July by an axe attack that left five people, including four tourists from Hong Kong, wounded, a gun rampage, a machete assault and a suicide bomb attack. A spokeswoman for the German tourism board told AFP last week that "there haven't been any cancellations" in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in Europe's biggest economy. But in France, flight reservations following the Nice attack were down 20 per cent. Between January and July 10 arrivals to France by air were down 5.8 per cent, and down 11 per cent to Paris. (AFP)

Lufthansa says terror attacks impacting business

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