Virgin Australia will axe 750 jobs and seek other cost savings after reporting an underlying loss of A$75 million ($50.7 million) for the year to 30 June. The loss is a contrast to the A$64.4 million reported in the previous fiscal year, but was expected after it warned in May that it expected the result to be down by at least A$100 million. Fuel and currency movements added A$159 million in costs over the year, while increased depreciation due to product investment and the drawdown of Tigerair Australia's Airbus A320 fleet also dragged the results down. Revenue rose by 7.6% despite the airline experiencing a "deterioration in revenue conditions" during the second half of the year. RASK improved 2.1%, while group load factor was up marginally to 80.2% as RPK growth accelerated ahead of capacity growth. Despite the fall to an underlying loss, Virgin's net profit halved to A$315 million, although that was largely due to lower charges for deferred tax assets that were recognised in the previous financial year.

Source: FlightGlobal

JOHANNESBURG - SA Express has confirmed to Eyewitness News that several flights have been canceled nationally, citing operational reasons.

Management is currently locked in a meeting to discuss the matter.

SA Express said passengers who had been affected by the grounding of flights had been notified and alternative arrangements had been made.

It's not clear when operations will resume.

The company said it could not comment on claims that it owed Airports Company South Africa millions of rand.

Source: EWN

Emirates is probing a maintenance accident involving one of the carrier's Airbus A380s which received substantial damage during a routine check. The accident occurred on 20 August, the Dubai-based airline tells FlightGlobal. Emirates says the aircraft was undergoing an A-check on the jet at the time. It has given few details on the circumstances but says there was "an incident" when its engineering team was carrying out the work. "All our employees are safe and unhurt," the airline stresses. Images circulating on social media purporting to have been taken at the scene show an A380 resting on its open nose-gear doors, having apparently dropped to the ground. The aircraft has sustained damage to its radome, the upper half of which appears to have separated, while the gear doors and surrounding fuselage underside are badly deformed. The status of the nose-gear itself is unclear. Although the forward left-hand main-deck door is absent, there is no indication as to whether it was removed before or after the accident. The extent of any other possible damage to the aircraft has not been confirmed. "We are investigating the cause internally," says Emirates. "Safety is our number one priority, and we follow stringent safety and technical standards."

Source: FlightGlobal