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

South Africa's government has reiterated that it will not provide any additional funding for South African Airways, and disclosed that it has reached agreement with the airline's unions that "some jobs will be lost". In a 21 April media statement, South Africa's public enterprises department confirmed that it had met via video link with union leaders representing SAA employees to discuss the airline's future. "There was consensus that the unions would work with the government to ensure that a new, financially viable and competitive airline emerges from the business rescue process," says the government. It reiterates that the state "is not in a position to provide more capital to SAA" and says the airline's labour unions have been invited "to submit their proposals on the restructuring of the national carrier and the future of jobs going forward". The unions present at the meeting agreed that "some jobs will be lost", adds the government statement, and that employees who remained at the airline would need to "sacrifice some of the unaffordable arrangements that had worsened the airline's financial position". SAA entered business-rescue proceedings in December, having failed to make any progress with its turnaround programme. The flag carrier is being restructured by Matuson Associates.

Source: Cirium