Jet Airways major lender State Bank of India has filed court action to have Jet Airways placed into insolvency resolution. A listing document for the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal shows that the matter has been listed for a "mentioning" hearing on 19 June, which is expected to start off the formal resolution process. Separately, the airline's two independent directors, Ashok Chawla and Sharad Sharma, tendered their resignations on 17 June. That leaves it effectively with no board nor a senior executive team. On 17 June the airline's lenders agreed to seek resolution under India's Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code after only receiving one conditional bid for the carrier, which has been grounded since 17 April due to a lack of funds.

Source: FlightGlobal

Avianca has appointed former Aeromexico executive Anko van der Werff as its new chief executive, effective 15 July. Van der Werff was most recently chief revenue officer at Aeromexico, which he left earlier this month. He previously worked at Qatar Airways and Air France-KLM, and has more than 19 years of experience in the airline industry. "Anko will join our team to help us lead these challenging times in the industry. His ample experience in world-class airlines will not only help us continue with our transformation, but will also help us strengthen the loyalty of our customers, rekindling the commitment of our employees and reinforce our company’s competitiveness and financial situation," says Avianca chairman Roberto Kriete.

Airline pilots have voiced fears over the safety of a fleet of Boeing aircraft after a crucial fire-fighting system has been found to have the potential to malfunction. Boeing has issued an alert to airlines using its flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner, warning that the switch used to extinguish an engine fire has failed in a “small number” of instances. The switch also severs the fuel supply and the hydraulic fluid to prevent flames spreading.” UK airlines Tui, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate more than 60 Dreamliners between them. The US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has decided not to ground the fleet, despite admitting a “risk to the flying public”.

Source: The Gaurdian