Grupo Aeromexico, the parent company of Mexican flag carrier Aeromexico, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the USA after the coronavirus pandemic decimated its business. It is the third Latin American carrier after Colombia’s Avianca and Chile’s LATAM Airlines to do so as the fallout of the global crisis creates liquidity problems for the region’s airlines. The move comes just 11 days after Aeromexico said publicly that it had no plans to file for bankruptcy, but that it was “evaluating alternatives to move towards a better financial position”. Reversing its earlier course, the company says it hopes to utilise the process to acquire new financing, increase its liquidity reserves and create ”a sustainable platform to succeed in an uncertain global economy”. “Our industry faces unprecedented challenges due to significant declines in demand for air transportation,” says Aeromexico chief executive Andrés Conesa on 30 June. “We are committed to taking the necessary measures so that we can operate effectively in this new landscape and be well prepared for a successful future when the Covid-19 pandemic is behind us.” The company will continue operations as normal, and all tickets will remain valid, the airline says. Latin American carriers are struggling as the region’s governments have been much slower to respond with financial support for the air transport industry than in other parts of the world, such as North America and Europe. Billion-dollar aid packages in those regions have helped airlines stay afloat, at least temporarily, and reorganise their operations after passenger demand dropped off sharply when the coronavirus exploded into a global pandemic earlier this year. LATAM and Avianca both filed for bankruptcy protection in May in order to shield their businesses from creditors. Like Aeromexico, the airlines said they wanted to make sure they are able to restart operations smoothly when passenger demand returns and when travel restrictions are lifted. Air traffic fell by about 96% in Latin America and the Caribbean as the coronavirus pandemic reached its peak in April, and has yet to make any significant steps toward recovery. While most countries begin to lift restrictions in the coming weeks, Colombia and Argentina expect to have lockdowns in place through the end of August.

Source: Cirium

South African carrier Comair’s rescue practitioners are still trying to work through the details of an expression of interest for the airline, and are seeking further postponement of the publication of a business plan. They are requesting creditor approval to push back the publication date from 30 June to 28 July. After receiving the expression of interest on 21 June, the practitioners have been engaged in examining “certain legal complexities” necessary to develop it, they state. They add that, until these issues are clarified and resolved with the interested party, no business plan can be published that will have all the information necessary to assist with a decision on whether to accept it. Comair entered the business rescue process on 5 May. The airline is unlikely to resume services until near the end of this year, and its fleet will probably be heavily cut.

Source: Cirium

Lufthansa has teamed up with Fraport and disease diagnostics company Centogene to provide an onsite Covid-19 testing facility at Frankfurt airport. The walk-in centre is located near the main terminal building at Frankfurt. Passengers can either take a test the day before they are due to fly out of Frankfurt or use the same-day service upon arrival at the German airport. Results are delivered via a secure digital platform and connected to their tickets, say the three companies. Travellers can also opt into an identification confirmation service, which lets the authorities know that a passenger's identity corresponds with their test result. The test costs €59 ($67) for results within six to eight hours, or €139 for results within three to four hours, and it must be paid for by the passenger, says Fraport. It is available to all passengers arriving at or departing from Frankfurt, regardless of which airline they use. If the result is negative, travellers can "avoid quarantine in Germany, Austria and many other countries", says Lufthansa. The initiative takes immediate effect and is set to run until 31 July 2021. Centogene chief information officer Volkmar Weckesser describes the service as "a quick, accurate and secure end-to-end solution that safely reopens air travel and further supports a return to a new normal for our societies and economies".