Boeing intends to model the potential spread of coronavirus on aircraft as part of an effort to address onboard coronavirus contagion risks and reassure pandemic-weary passengers that air travel is safe. Called “Confident Travel Initiative”, the effort will see Boeing give airlines guidance aimed at minimising the pathogen’s spread on aircraft, says Boeing executive Mike Delaney, who is leading the initiative. Boeing hopes modelling will predict how the virus might spread through aircraft with differing seating configurations. The company hopes to determine how variables such as coughing (with or without masks) and use of hand sanitizer might affect potential contagion. “We are using science as opposed to anecdotes… [and] emotionally-driven responses,” says Delaney, who is also Boeing’s vice-president of digital transformation. The move comes one week after University of Washington School of Public Health dean Hilary Godwin warned lawmakers about the risk of coronavirus transmission on aircraft. Godwin said keeping passengers safe will be “inherently challenging” on aircraft, where passengers sit close together for extended periods. Boeing already has a firm grasp of how air flows within its cabins – entering from the ceiling, flowing downward and exiting through floor vents. Half the air pumps in fresh through the engines, the other half runs through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that trap most virus. Cabin air changes 20 to 30 times hourly, says Delaney. “We are very confident [passengers] are in an environment that is extremely safe to begin with,” he says. The Chicago-based airframer is initially modelling a generic Boeing twin-aisle aircraft, though it may develop type-specific models. Boeing’s goal is "to ensure that… passengers and crew can safely fly on commercial flights with minimal impact” to aircraft and airline operations, says Delaney. His team will identity the best means to prevent the virus from entering the aircraft, and the best way to kill pathogens that find their away aboard. The team will recommend how crews should respond if passengers become sick in flight. Boeing is coordinating its work with trade groups like IATA and the Aerospace Industries Association, and working with health organisations. It has also spoken about the topic with Airbus, says Delaney. Asked about his programme’s budget, Delaney says Boeing’s senior executives told him, “What you need, ask for it. You’ll get it.”

Source: Cirium

Latvian carrier Air Baltic intends to resume scheduled operations on 18 May, both from its Riga base and from Estonian capital Tallinn. Air Baltic says it will operate flights from Tallinn to Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Oslo, and has received all permissions for these services. From Riga, the carrier will start on 18 May daily flights to Tallinn and, on 25 May, services to Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Air Baltic's website indicates. A schedule and booking facilities for the flights have been made available on the airline's website. Air Baltic suspended scheduled operations on 14 March, ahead of most carriers in Europe, as the Latvian government shut the country's borders to international scheduled traffic. Since then, the carrier has operated a number of repatriation flights. As previously outlined by Air Baltic, it will resume operations with Airbus A220s only and retire its Boeing 737 Classics and De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprops. Cirium fleets data shows Air Baltic has 22 A220-300s, 12 Dash 8-400s and four 737-300s. All but two A220s are listed as being in storage. Prior to the coronavirus crisis, Air Baltic had a plan to operate an all-A220 fleet from 2023. Chief executive Martin Gauss states that the carrier is "well positioned" for the operational restart with the fleet concentration around the A220. The airline will hand out to passengers face masks and disinfectant wipes. But Gauss says: "We are still continuing our work on specific guidelines for various other safety activities."

Source: Cirium

Israeli flag-carrier El Al has warned that the survival of the airline is uncertain as it seeks to secure urgent funding to cope with the coronavirus crisis.

In its belated full-year financial statement, El Al says a loan is “essential” and that the are “significant doubts” about the continued existence of the company as a going concern.

El Al’s auditor has similarly drawn attention to the uncertainty over the airline’s financial position.

Deloitte states that the collapse of demand and disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak has prompted El Al to adjust its cash outflow and negotiate with lenders over a loan of around $400 million.

“Negotiations with the state and lender are continuing and uncertainty exists regarding completion,” it adds in a ‘going concern’ note.

The airline points out that among the problems it is facing is a decline in aircraft values, which are normally used to secure loans for the company’s activity.

El Al is pushing back the release of its first-quarter results, aiming to publish them by 30 June. For the full year 2019 it turned in a net loss of $59.6 million, deeper than the previous year’s $52.2 million. The airline’s pre-tax loss was also higher, at $76.6 million. Revenues edged upwards by 2% to $2.18 billion while expenditure was down slightly to $1.83 billion. El Al’s current liabilities at the end of last year stood at $1.08 billion compared with current assets of $486 million. Its non-current liabilities amounted to $2.24 billion against non-current assets of just over $3 billion.

Source: Cirium