News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

Airlines are forecasting a return to profitability as Covid curbs are dropped

Europe sees travel recovery as Covid restrictions ease

European airlines and hotel chains are seeing bookings recover to levels not seen since before the Covid pandemic, led by demand for shorter trips, although travellers remain cautious about making long-distance journeys.

Business • 06 May 22

Aircraft lessors and by extension airlines are facing a raft of cost increases

Aircraft lessor SMBC warns airlines of growing costs

Airlines face a slew of growing costs in the coming year including higher insurance, fuel, labour and lease rates, the chief executive of major Dublin based aircraft lessor SMBC Aviation Capital has said.

Business • 05 May 22

Dublin Airport has warned that lengthy queues were likely for weeks as it rebuilds its operation and recruits and trains new security staff

Airlines and airports struggle with travel recovery

Thousands of holidaymakers have seen their Easter getaways disrupted or cancelled because airlines and airports do not have enough staff to meet the recovery in demand as pandemic restrictions are eased in Europe.

Business • 06 Apr 22

Russian airlines have almost 780 leased jets, with 515 leased from abroad

Russian law creates new hurdle for Irish plane lessors

Russia has passed a law allowing the country's airlines to place airplanes leased from foreign companies, including those from Ireland, on the country's aircraft register - a manoeuvre likely to stoke Western fears of a mass default involving hundreds of jetliners.

Business • 15 Mar 22

Airlines warned to stay away from Afghanistan

Afghanistan's aviation authority has said that national airspace had been released to the military following the Taliban's takeover, and it advised transit planes to keep away, hastening major airlines' switch to other routes.

Business • 16 Aug 21

Airports group ACI and airlines representative bodies A4E, IATA and ERA have warned of a 'worrying patchwork of approaches' across Europe

EU airlines, airports warn of digital Covid cert chaos

Groups representing Europe's largest airlines and airports have warned of chaos and hours-long queues unless countries better coordinate the roll-out of the EU's digital Covid-19 certificate and ensure passengers are processed before arriving at airports.

Business • 29 Jun 21

Willie Walsh is the Director General of IATA

Walsh warns airline industry will be smaller post-Covid

The head of global airline body IATA expects the industry to emerge from the coronavirus crisis smaller and more cautious, doubting airlines will try to expand through acquisitions.

Business • 24 May 21

Datalex is expecting digital to be part of the comeback strategy of many airlines

Datalex considering raising additional capital

Aviation travel software company, Datalex, has confirmed it is examining options to raise additional capital.

Business • 29 Apr 21

Shares in US airlines have climbed this year amid hopes for a recovery

American Airlines readies more jets to meet demand

American Airlines has said it expects to fly most of its fleet in the coming months thanks to strong domestic and short-haul international bookings, as Covid-19 infection rates decline and more people receive vaccines.

Business • 29 Mar 21

Airlines that have already racked up billions in debt face further strain that some may not survive without fresh funds

Covid setbacks risk another summer travel washout

Europe's airlines and travel sector are bracing for a second lost summer, with rebound hopes increasingly challenged by a hobbled Covid-19 vaccine rollout, resurgent infections and new lockdowns.

Business • 19 Mar 21

The industry had expected airlines to return to a break-even position in the second half of the year, but continued tightened travel restrictions now make that less likely

Outlook for airlines 'deteriorating' - IATA

Global airline industry body IATA has warned that the outlook for airlines had weakened since its December forecasts, and due to tightening travel restrictions it now expected the sector to still be bleeding cash by the fourth quarter of this year.

Business • 24 Feb 21

Only 43% of respondents were doing the job they had trained for

Over 50% of world's airline pilots no longer flying

More than half of the world's airline pilots are no longer flying for a living amid the plunge in demand during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey.

Business • 28 Jan 21

Consumers have been warned that they may not get refunds if they decide not to go on a flight due to concerns about Covid-19

Travel agents warn consumers may not get flight refunds

Travel agents are warning consumers about the risks of booking airline flights that may not be subject to refunds if they themselves decide not to fly due to Covid.

Business • 08 Jan 21

Irish airports were all but deserted for large parts of the year

Business 2020: Empty skies as virus grounds aviation

2020 was always going to be a difficult year for aviation - but the nature and extent of the challenge has been far beyond even the most pessimistic expectations.

Business • 26 Dec 20

Covid-19 has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights all over the world

UK competition regulator to probe airlines over refunds

Britain's competition regulator said it would investigate whether airlines had breached consumers' legal rights by failing to offer cash refunds for flights they could not legally take during a Covid-19 lockdown.

Business • 16 Dec 20

The owner of Malaysia Airlines said it was burning through $84m a month - but only had $88m in liquidity at the end of last month

Malaysia Airlines warns it is running out of cash

Malaysia Aviation Group, the holding company for Malaysia Airlines, said in a letter to lessors the group is unlikely to be able to make payments owed after November unless it receives more funding from state fund Khazanah.

Business • 02 Oct 20

The Tánaiste said the Government does want to get people flying again

Tánaiste concerned about future travel connectivity

The Tánaiste has said he is genuinely worried about the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic will have on Ireland's aviation connectivity into the future.

Business • 23 Sep 20

The EU has been urged to extend the suspension of its 'use-it-or-lose-it' rules governing slots at airports

European airlines seek freedom from airport slots

The main association of European airlines has called on the EU to extend the suspension of its "use-it-or-lose-it" rules governing slots at airports through the slow winter season, saying the return of demand is uncertain.

Business • 22 Jul 20

Covid-19 has battered whole sectors of Europe's economy

Covid-19 - Europe's economic virus casualties

The coronavirus pandemic has battered whole sectors of Europe's economy, with plans to repair the damage central to a high-stakes summit of EU leaders starting today in Brussels.

Business • 17 Jul 20

Eddie Wilson said 120 pilots and 130 cabin crew based in Dublin could lose their jobs

Ryanair pushes case for removal of travel restrictions

The chief executive of Ryanair has pressed the case for Ireland to remove its restrictions on non-essential air travel and quarantining, saying it must align with the rest of Europe on such guidelines.

Business • 24 Jun 20

Europe's citizens can travel safely on their summer holidays wearing face masks and observing temperature protocols said Michael O'Leary

Ryanair urges government to drop quarantine measures

Ryanair has called on the Irish and UK governments to drop what it describes as "unimplementable and ineffective" 14-day quarantine measures aimed at controlling the spread of coronavirus.

Business • 21 May 20

The daa, which runs Dublin airport, said it is giving a 93% discount on parking charges for narrow-bodied aircraft such as those operated by Ryanair.

Ryanair criticises aircraft parking charges in Dublin

Ryanair has criticised what it has described as unjustified charges for aircraft that are parked at Dublin airport while not in use due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Business • 08 May 20

Wizz Air CEO Jozsef Varadi said single-aisle planes may be required to leave the middle seats on each side vacant

Airlines mull empty seats and masks for virus recovery

Wizz Air is making plans to fly jets only two-thirds full to allow more space between passengers, as airlines voiced concerns that anti-coronavirus measures could blight their profitability long after travel restrictions end.

Coronavirus • 15 Apr 20

Cathay Pacific Airways is to slash passenger capacity by 96%, and possibly more in April and May

Governments offer financial lifelines to airlines

Shattered airlines were left counting the cost of government support as politicians in the US and New Zealand set out conditions for bailouts needed to absorb the shock of coronavirus.

Business • 20 Mar 20

US clampdown on Europe travel heaps new woe on airlines

A clampdown on European travel to the US will heap more pressure on airlines already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, analysts have said.

Business • 12 Mar 20