Vietnam’s domestic air travel market is taking tentative steps back to normality with the country’s airlines adding flights as the coronavirus pandemic ebbs. Vietnam Airlines has started operating 4-6 flights daily on the key Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route, with this to grow to 11 flights daily in May. The mainline carrier’s services will be supplement by two daily services by low-cost unit Jetstar Pacific. Low-cost rival VietJet is also operating six daily flights on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh Route. In addition, both airlines will resume limited services to other cities, such as Da Nang. The airlines announced the moves as Vietnam emerges from a countrywide lockdown owing to the Coronavirus crisis. Vietnam, which reacted early to the pandemic that originated in China, has been relatively unscathed. Government statistics suggest it suffered just 270 cases. In all, the three carriers should operate 17 flights daily on the route in May. Cirium schedules data indicates that in May 2019 the country’s carrier’s operated roughly 65 daily services on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route, one of the Asia-Pacific’s busiest. Highlighting coronavirus concerns, aircraft will be disinfected after every flight. Aircraft crews will have face masks, gloves, goggles and alcohol wipes. Passengers are required to wear masks throughout the flight. The country’s third carrier, Bamboo Airways, has said that it still intends to grow in 2020, but to 40 aircraft instead of the 50 planned. It has two aircraft in service and 22 in storage. The airlines have said that they will await developments regarding the eventual resumption of international flights. Three carriers have 39 aircraft in service with 167 in storage. In addition, the three airlines have firm orders for 344 aircraft.

Source: Cirium

Air Arabia and Etihad Airways now intend to finalise launch plans for their new Abu Dhabi joint-venture carrier "as market conditions improve", having just secured its air operator's certificate. The two UAE carriers originally outlined plans for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi in October 2019. It will be the emirate's fifth carrier and its first in the low-cost category. Speaking last year, before the coronavirus pandemic, Air Arabia chief executive Adel Ali had indicated that the aim was to launch the new airline in the second quarter of 2020. Air Arabia today says the joint venture will work with the national regulator to finalise the launch date "as market conditions improve and skies are open again". Scheduled passenger flights were halted on 25 March, and Etihad has since said it hopes to resume a reduced scheduled network from the start of May – travel restrictions permitting. Etihad Aviation Group chief executive Tony Douglas states: "Despite these unprecedented times, today’s announcement is a message of positivity that reflects the strength of the UAE's aviation industry. "We are pushing ahead with our plans to resume normal flying and once we have, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will ideally serve those who wish to explore new destinations from the capital, meeting the growing demand for low-cost travel in the region and complementing Etihad's own global network." Ali adds: "Air Arabia Abu Dhabi demonstrates the commitment of the UAE to invest in the aviation sector, and we are looking forward to the launch day, which will establish Abu Dhabi as another key hub in the region for low-cost travel." Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has been assigned the reservation code 3L by IATA and will adopt the low-cost business model to which Air Arabia adheres. Sharjah-based Air Arabia already has affiliated operations in Egypt and Morocco. The launch network for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has not yet been disclosed.

Source: Cirium

Canadian regional airline Jazz has agreed to purchase up to 13 freighter conversion kits for De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops, enabling the airline to carry freight needed to combat coronavirus. Supplied by Toronto-based airframer De Havilland, the conversion kits will transform the 74-seat turboprops into a configuration called the Dash 8-400 Simplified Package Freighter, the companies announce on 23 April. Jazz, a subsidiary of Halifax-based Chorus Aviation, will be the first airline to operate Dash 8-400s in the newly approved configuration, they say. Jazz operates aircraft under agreement with Air Canada. Jazz president Randolph deGooyer says the conversions will enable the airline “to redeploy aircraft while contributing to the collective fight against Covid-19”. The companies say the conversions can be completed “quickly”. Jazz is ”working closely with Air Canada Cargo” on the possibility of deploying the first aircraft in “early May”, it says. The airline will operate the modified Dash 8-400s under the Air Canada Express brand. The conversions require removing seats and seat-track covers from the aircrafts’ passenger cabin. Then, up to 17 cargo nets can be strapped to the seat tracks. The configuration allows each aircraft to carry up to 8,100kg (17,960lb) of cargo and provide 32.6cb m (1,150cb ft) of cargo space, the companies say. News of the cargo conversions comes after Chorus announced it reduced flying for Air Canada by about 90% in April and May and reduced its headcount by at least 3,000 staff, down from 5,000. Chorus has said it will seek wage subsidies from the Canadian government for staff affected by the headcount reductions. At the end of 2019 Chorus had 53 Dash 8-400s in its fleet, including aircraft flying for Air Canada and under Chorus’ leasing and aviation services arms, according to a securities filing.

Source: Cirium