Chinese carriers are launching new Japanese services from various cities in China. Nagoya Chubu Centrair International airport says low-cost carrier Urumqi Air began flying into the city on 30 December 2019 with Boeing 737-800s, operating the Urumqi-Wuhan-Nagoya and Urumqi-Jinan-Nagoya services. Cirium schedules data shows that Urumqi Air competes with China Southern on the Wuhan-Nagoya sector, and with Shandong Airlines on the Jinan-Nagoya route. This month, compatriots Air China and China Eastern are launching new flights to Tokyo Narita International airport, while China Southern will resume the Guangzhou-Tokyo Narita route after a four-year suspension. Notably, China Eastern is be the sole operator on the Yantai-Tokyo Narita route it launched this month, the data shows. Furthermore, All Nippon Airways (ANA) flies from Tokyo Narita to Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Qingdao, where its daily flights dominates the market over the Chinese carriers.

Source: Cirium

Delta Air Lines has finalised its tender offer for a 20% equity stake in Chile-based LATAM Airlines Group. The Atlanta-based airline commenced the partnership 26 September with its announcement that it was investing $1.9 billion in LATAM. The 30 December completion of the tender offer to acquire a 20% stake represents a symbolic step in the linked future of the two airlines. Delta and LATAM expect to serve 435 destinations worldwide through the partnership, which is subject to regulatory approval. The two airlines early this month signed codeshare agreements for connections between the USA and Peru, Colombia and Ecuador via LATAM affiliates. The codeshares, also subject to regulatory approval, are slated for the first quarter of 2020.

Source: Cirium

Turkish Airlines has reached an agreement with Boeing over compensation for the financial impact relating to the grounding of the 737 Max. The carrier is intending to introduce 75 Max jets to its fleet, comprising 65 Max 8s and 10 of the larger Max 9. But while it has received 12 of the re-engined aircraft, deliveries have been held up by the worldwide grounding of the type in March. Turkish Airlines has revealed that it “came to an agreement” with Boeing concerning “compensation for certain losses” caused by the grounding as well as the non-delivery of 737 Max aircraft. It has not disclosed the extent or nature of the compensation, nor whether the agreement is a final or interim arrangement. Turkish Airlines’ latest fleet plan shows the airline aims to have 48 Max jets in its fleet, including the 10 Max 9s, by the end of 2020. But these numbers, it says, are only based on the original fleet-development strategy and are “subject to change” depending on developments within Boeing. Turkish Airlines has increased the number of 737-800s in its 2020 fleet plan, to 88 from a previous figure of 75 given in June. Its joint venture carrier SunExpress recently opted to increase its own Max commitment to 42 firm aircraft, through an agreement to take 10 more.

Source: Cirium