United Airlines has finalised terms with the US Treasury Department for the $2.8 billion the carrier will be receiving under the third iteration of the payroll-support programme (PSP3). The Chicago-based airline has agreed to refrain from administering involuntary layoffs or furloughs through 30 September and to issue warrants to the Treasury to purchase shares of United's common stock. US majors American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United during the second quarter will receive a combined $722 million in PSP2 funds and $11.1 billion through the third version of the payroll-support programme, which was authorised by the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by US president Joe Biden on 11 March. The four carriers' combined operating losses in the first quarter of 2021 reached $5.4 billion.

Thai Airways International has pushed back the deadline on indications of interest and indicative proposals from potential buyers for three Airbus A330-300s to 1 May, 17:00 (Bangkok time). The airline had earlier set the target of 26 April for indicative bids on the 2009-vintage aircraft (MSNs 0990, 1003 and 1035), which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. Thai Airways says the actual sale of the aircraft is conditional on its rehabilitation plan, which requires an approval from creditors and the Central Bankruptcy Court of Thailand.

Airbus intends to play a "more aggressive" role in the air freight market, chief executive Guillaume Faury has signalled.
During a first-quarter results briefing on 29 April, Faury said the European airframer had been "weak on the freight market segment in the past, in particular on our widebodies". He adds: "We don't like the idea to remain weak on that segment in the future. So indeed we will be more aggressive. And we think we have the products to be able to be more aggressive in the future." Airbus had some success in the past with the production of the A300-600's freighter variant and passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions of A300s and A310s. The A330-200F is the manufacturer's sole line-built freighter. But since the twinjet's service entry in 2010, Airbus has delivered only 38, and there are no outstanding orders. A P2F conversion programme for A330-200/300s is being offered by ST Engineering’s aerospace division through German modification centre Elbe Flugzeugwerke, in which Airbus holds a minority shareholding. EFW delivered the first A330 P2F freighter in 2017 and has since converted several more. Several operators have used A330s and A350s for cargo-only flights amid the pandemic. Some removed seats to increase cargo capacity. However, this is seen as a temporary arrangement in the current environment. Purpose-built and conversion freighters usually have reinforced floors and large cargo doors to optimise deployment for the air freight market . Airbus's plans for its future offering in the widebody freight segment are "not defined today" says Faury, but he adds: "We are looking the segment very seriously today, and we want to play a role moving forward. "It's not healthy to have only one player exclusive in the market that is actually very significant and has been resisting well in the pandemic. So we want to bring our contribution to that market segment." Boeing offers freighters versions of the 767-300, 777-200 and 747-8, and P2F conversion programmes for the 737-800 and 767-300, its website indicates. While production of the last A380s is still under way, the A350 and A330 are Airbus's sole widebodies available for order.