Aeromexico will add 24 Boeing jets to its fleet over the coming two years as part of new agreements with the US manufacturer and lessors. The Mexican carrier says it will add 24 737, 737-800 and 737 Max narrowbodies and four 787-9 widebodies to its fleet as part of restructured delivery agreements. Nine of the new jets will be available for the beginning of the summer season and the rest will arrive in the second half of 2021 and during 2022 . Other "suppliers and financial entities" also participated in these transactions, resulting in a comprehensive deal that offers "multiple benefits to the carrier", the SkyTeam member adds. Data shows that the Mexico City-based flag carrier has 55 Max 8/9s and two 787-9s on order. Aeromexico says the agreements will allow it to modify long-term maintenance contracts and reduce leasing costs of 18 other aircraft that are part of the current fleet and generate a saving of approximately $2 billion. The agreements are subject to the approval of a US court which is overseeing its Chapter 11 financial restructuring process. Aeromexico chief executive Andres Conesa states: "These transactions show the confidence of our employees, customers, lessors, manufacturers, investors and business partners in the future of Mexico's global airline. It will also give us flexibility to complete other negotiations and put Aeromexico on a strong path to exit Chapter 11 later this year." The airline says it current fleet consists of 107 aircraft, comprising 47 Embraer 190s, 42 737s, and 18 787s. It adds that it will continue to strengthen its financial position and liquidity, protect and preserve its operations and assets, and implement the necessary adjustments to face the impact from Covid-19.

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle continues to see a role for the Airbus A380 in the airline's fleet strategy on routes to the USA and Asia. Speaking to Eurocontrol's Aviation StraightTalk webinar on 26 April, Doyle says the airline's 12 A380s offer flexibility on a range of routes while maximising efficiency at the airline's slot-constrained London Heathrow base. "We use the A380 for multiple missions. We can fly it to places in Asia like Hong Kong and Singapore, and we've also deployed them into places like Boston and Washington Dulles and Miami. So it works for the [US] East Coast as well as longer operations in to the bigger Asian markets," says Doyle. The A380 should be seen in context of BA retiring its last 31 Boeing 747s in 2020, representing a large chunk of the carrier's pre-Covid capacity. As a result, Doyle says, "we certainly see the A380 as having a future in [BA's] plans." His comments stand in contrast to several other A380 operators. Air France has retired the type from service, while Lufthansa retired six of its 14 A380s and removed the remaining aircraft from future planning. Earlier this month, Etihad Airways announced that its 10 A380s would be grounded "indefinitely". Doyle provides insight into how he sees BA's brand develop, with the airline having faced criticism in recent years for a perceived shift away from its premium positioning, especially in economy class. "I think that what airlines have to do is offer value for money… But ultimately you're there to serve your customer's needs, and everything we do will be driven by customer insight," says Doyle in response to a question about cost cuts by his predecessor. He adds: "Value is important for customers. But at the same time investment is important for customers." He cites a £6.5 billion ($9 billion) investment programme launched in 2019, which includes new aircraft, new business cabin interior, wi-fi systems, and improvements to lounges and catering. Investments such as these will continue in future while the carrier will also focus on efficiency, says Doyle. "I don't think those two things are incompatible." He predicts that once passengers begin to see the impact of such investment, "you will see perceptions shift in the right direction" – perhaps indicating an awareness of damage done to BA's brand. Doyle is bullish about the prospect of a US-UK flight corridor as he sees both countries being "neck and neck" with the vaccine rollout. As European countries expand their vaccination programmes, he sees the possibility of a stronger recovery in that region later this year. Nevertheless, Doyle believes that several carriers will likely fail over coming years "because it'll be a choppy path to recovery", and therefore lead to greater airline consolidation.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency plans to "increase its scrutiny" of the in-development Boeing 777X programme "as part of our lessons learned from the 737 Max". The agency says that while it would not comment in detail on the scope of its activities, "we will indeed be conducting a more in-depth review of the aircraft critical changes", adding: "We will be following a thorough process to ensure the safety of the aircraft". It stresses that its scrutiny of the 777X will fully respect the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, and notes that negotiations with the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing are already under way. EASA was responding to questions on comments by Emirates Airline president Tim Clark, who said that the 777X programme was "in a state of disarray", with deliveries expected to be several years late and the carrier still unaware of what the aircraft's exact capabilities would be. Clark attributed this to the desire of safety bodies around the world to have some oversight of the programme for themselves, adding cost and complexity to the development process. "The various regulators across the planet will want to look at the airplane and how its built to make sure it passes muster as far as they're concerned," he said.