Airbus’s A330-800 has secured European approval for extended twin-engined operations (ETOPS) running beyond 180min. The clearance was granted on 2 April according to a certificate revision from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. EASA certified the A330-800 – the smaller member of the A330neo family – in mid-February. The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. It was granted ETOPS approval up to 180min at the time. No A330-800s have yet been delivered, although an initial aircraft for Kuwait Airways has been painted. Fourteen of the variant are on firm order including eight for the Kuwaiti flag-carrier. EASA approved the larger A330-900 for beyond-180min ETOPS in January last year.

Source: Cirium

Singapore’s Changi airport is closing Terminal 2 (T2) for 18 months from May 1 due to the dramatic fall in traffic as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Transport minister Khaw Boon Wan told parliament on 6 April that the impact on Changi was “severe”, describing the airport, which has four terminals, as “deserted”. “Right now one terminal is enough to handle the current volume of demand. We can close down one or two terminals. But we must think about post-pandemic recovery.” The move will allow the airport operator, retail tenants, airlines and ground handlers to save on running costs, he added. Other airports worldwide have also moved to close terminals, scale back operations and defer non-essential spending to battle the crisis. The minister says Singapore Airlines (SIA) will consolidate its operations at Terminal 3, adding that other airlines will also be affected. Operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) said on 6 April that details of other airlines’ relocations will be published nearer 1 May. The closure will allow planned upgrades for T2 to be sped up and these could be completed by up to a year in advance. The project was set to increase overall handling capacity by 5 million to 90 million passengers per annum by 2024. CAG adds that the closure of Terminal 4 (T4) could also be on the cards. At present, there are only a small number of flights there and operations there have been scaled down. “If the remaining airlines at T4 choose to suspend or adjust their flight schedule, CAG will also consider suspending operations at T4 temporarily but with the objective of restarting operations quickly when airlines confirm the resumption of flights,” the company stated. Khaw says full recovery this year is unlikely but partial recovery is probable in 2021. He adds, “We will ensure sufficient capacity for all airlines to grow when passenger traffic recovers." The Singapore government has moved early to protect the country's aviation industry, having announced stimulus packages for the economy. Separately, SIA raised additional liquidity with the backing of shareholder Temasek, a government-owned investment company. Khaw says if SIA were to collapse, it would undermine Singapore’s ability to recover from the crisis, adding that Changi supports many jobs. “That is why we took swift action to support the air hub, prevent the loss of strategic capabilities and our hard-earned position as a reliable air hub." However, he says the crisis could affect the timeline and planning for Changi’s Terminal 5 (T5), due to come online in 2030 with an initial capacity to handle 50 million passengers per annum. Khaw says: “I strongly believe air travel growth will return, though a quick rebound is unlikely. Fortunately T5 was designed to be modular, so that its construction can be scaled up or down as necessary."

Source: Cirium

Alaska-based Ravn Air Group is furloughing its staff, cancelling all flights and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in order to obtain debtor in possession funding as coronavirus devastates the airline industry. The parent company of regional carriers Ravn Air Connect, Penn Air, and Ravn Air Alaska announced the decision on 5 April, just three days after it parked its combined fleets except for three De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft and limited its capacity to a handful of destinations. Its emergency steps are intended to buy time to apply for payroll grants from the federal CARES Act aid and seek "other sources of financial assistance", Ravn Air Group chief executive Dave Pflieger says in a statement. "That will allow us to weather the coronavirus pandemic and emerge successfully once it has passed," Pflieger says. "How long we must wait is uncertain, but I want to assure you that everyone here at Ravn is doing everything possible to get back in the air very soon, so we can resume the vital air service you depend on to get home to your families, to your businesses, to medical appointments, and to other duties that are essential to our communities." Alaska is the largest US state by landmass and the closest to the Arctic, so air freight deliveries and passenger flights are particularly important to connect the state's communities. The airline's sudden decision last week to ground most of its fleet left the US Postal Service scrambling to arrange other means for delivery to rural and isolated communities. The halt of Ravn's operations prompted Alaska Airlines chief executive Brad Tilden to reassure residents that it will coordinate with the state government and the Alaska Air Carriers Association to ensure communities stay connected. Despite its hiring freeze, Alaska Airlines will "host a job fair for Ravn employees impacted by that company’s cessation of service," Tilden says in a statement. "We will work to provide these experienced airline workers with support in seeking new employment, including connecting with other companies that may be hiring," he says. Alaska Airlines today cut its capacity to 20% for April and May, but commits to alleviate the impact of Ravn's shutdown by continuing service to Kodiak; initiating service to Cold Bay; beginning early seasonal service to King Salmon and Dillingham; and, "charter service to ensure critical work force movements".

Source: Cirium