The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has recommended aircrew wait 48-72h before flying after receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. In a 25 March safety bulletin, EASA says operators and crew should consider waiting 48h after each dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before undertaking any flight-related tasks. The wait period increases to 72h for single-pilot operations. Should side effects persist for more than 48h, then crews should consult their aeromedical examiner and extend the waiting time before undertaking flight-related tasks until the effects disappear, EASA recommends in the bulletin. “Due to their increased exposure, it is highly recommended for aircrew members to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as they become available in accordance with the national Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan," the agency adds. It notes that while the vast majority of the side effects are mild and common to any type of vaccine – such as headaches, dizziness and mild fever – "they may be further enhanced by in-flight conditions while at cruise level, such as lower air pressure and mild hypoxic environment". EASA says documentation provided by the European Medicines Agency shows these side effects are more frequent between 12h and 48h following vaccination and can occur more frequently following the second dose. No evidence is available regarding the impact of in-flight conditions on the severity of the side effects, nor on the resulting impact on the performance of the crew members during their safety-related tasks, says EASA. However, it stresses that the side effects do not "in any way" call into question the safety of the vaccines. EASA's recommendations are aimed at national competent authorities (NCAs), aircraft operators, aero-medical centres (AeMCs), aero-medical examiners (AMEs) and aircrew members. Some countries globally have prioritised aircrew in their vaccination programmes, such as Singapore, while the UAE's Emirates and Etihad are among airlines to have launched vaccination drives for crew.

Ireland's High Court has approved Norwegian's plan for financial reconstruction, leaving Norway to render a decision on the carrier's proposal. The airline seeks permission from creditors and shareholders to continue the remodelling of its business and initiate a capital raise. It proposes for unsecured creditors to be entitled to cash and dividends totalling around 5%, which is likely to be converted to stock representing around 25% of the company's share capital. “We are very happy to learn that the Irish High Court has approved the reconstruction plan. We can now go forward with the reconstruction in Norway and initiate a capital raise”, Norwegian chief executive Jacob Schram states. The verdict was reached after consultations with the company's creditors, with a large majority voting in favour of the process. "A similar voting process will now take place with the creditors in the Norwegian reconstruction during the next 14 days, prior to the final ruling from the Norwegian Court", states the carrier. It expects the full process, which began on 17 November, to be complete by mid-May. Norwegian has been undertaking the process in Ireland because it has several subsidiaries in the country. The end-goal of the process is to place the company on a stable financial footing and allow it to adapt itself to a new business model based around domestic operations in Scandinavia and short-haul European services. “This is a demanding and ongoing process, however, the result of the court rulings today enforces our beliefs of a positive final outcome. We are looking forward to and are preparing fora post-pandemic world, without travel restrictions and open borders”, comments Schram. Norwegian had previously warned that without a successful exit from the process it would be "highly likely that the company will enter into liquidation and/or bankruptcy proceedings during the second quarter of 2021".

European operators of the De Havilland Canada (DHC) Dash 8-400 could soon be carrying up to 90 passengers in the twin-turboprop after the bloc’s regulator approved the modification. Launched in 2016 while the programme was still under Bombardier’s ownership, the 90-seat layout entered service in 2018 with India’s SpiceJet. But DHC, which acquired the Dash 8-400 programme in 2019, says that “based on consultations with current and prospective customers” there are opportunities to deploy higher-capacity versions in Europe. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency validated what DHC describes as “our extra-capacity solution of up to a 90-seat configuration” on 23 March. “In general, the higher capacity of the Dash 8-400 creates opportunities for increased airline profitability while also reducing the aircraft’s already low carbon footprint per passenger,” says DHC.