AirAsia Indonesia has disclosed that its flight operations are proceeding normally and dismissed media reports of potential redundancies. “We would like to convey to all passengers that AirAsia’s flight operations Indonesia proceeds normally while ensuring safety flights in accordance with applicable health protocols,” the low-cost carrier’s president director Veranita Josephine states in response to queries from the Indonesia stock exchange. In the statement, Josephine says the carrier has raised flight frequencies starting from February “to meet increasing demand”. “At AirAsia, we always put our employees first, and continue to strive to expand job opportunities for employees in line with our grand plan for strong growth going forward,” she adds. The query relates to a 1 February report by Sindonews, which suggested the airline could make potential layoffs due to financial difficulties.

Ryanair Group carried 7 million passengers in January, up 438% year on year. The budget airline says the figure decreased 26% versus December 2021. Ryanair operated over 46,400 flights in January with a load factor of 79%, compared to at least 62,200 flights with a load factor of about 85% in November and December. The group says travel restrictions due to the Omicron variant badly affected traffic in December and January.

Ethiopian Airlines returned its Boeing 737 Max fleet to passenger service on 1 February, nearly three years after a fatal accident which killed 157 people and spurred international regulators to ground the aircraft. The airline had committed to being among the last operators to return the Max to service after the crash of ET302 in March 2019. The US Federal Aviation Administration lifted its flight ban on Max jets in November 2020 and other regulators have since followed suit. Ethiopian kept its promise before deciding to resume Max operations, chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam notes in a statement, citing “an assessment of the design modification work and 20-month-long recertification process”. He states: “We have ensured that our pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians and cabin crew are confident on the safety of the fleet. The airline’s confidence is further showcased by flying the top executives and the board chairman and other top government officials on the first flight.” The ET302 accident came months after a Max 8 operated by Indonesian carrier Lion Air crashed in October 2018, killing 189 people. Indonesia lifted its flight ban on Max aircraft in December but Lion has yet to return its nine Max 8s to service.