September 4, 2020

Virgin Atlantic to Cut Another 1,000 Jobs

1 Despite receiving a £1.2 billion dollar rescue package, Virgin Atlantic is being forced to move forward with the elimination of another 1,000 jobs as the airline battles the downturn in air travel demand due to the pandemic.

When this round of cuts becomes official, it will mean the airline has cut half of its pre-pandemic workforce of 10,000. This move comes shortly after Virgin Atlantic cut 3,150 job and closed its base at London/Gatwick earlier in the summer.

This round of cuts, coupled with the rescue deal will give the airline enough cash to continue operating and attempt to right the ship when Transatlantic air travel demand returns… eventually… someday.


Israeli Government Tells El Al to Do Its Business or Get off the Pot

2 With the August 31 deadline for a $150 million public offering having come and gone and three investment opportunities still available, Israel’s transport minister Miri Regev told El Al it needs to make a decision and do so quickly.

The government is currently willing to support the airline and has pledged to back 75% of bank loans up to $250 million. Regev told the airline to either announce a date for the offering, sell the company, go into receivership, convert into a falafel stand, or risk losing the support of the government during the process.

Israel telecom magnate Davis Sapir has offered to buy joint control of the airline along with current controlling shareholder Knafaim Holdings for $51 million, giving both parties 27.7% The other two options on the table are one from real estate investor Meir Gurvitz to assume joint control with Knafaim for an unspecified sum, and the US-based Rozenberg family offering $75 million for a 44.99% stake.


Ciao Bella: Wizz Making Moves in Italy

3 Wizz Air continues its attempt at world European domination as the airline plans to begin buzzing around the Italian domestic market.

Beginning October 1, Wizz Air will open routes from Milan/Malpensa to Catania (CTA) and Palermo (PMO). The airline will serve both Sicilian airports with 2x-daily service from Milan. Wizz opened up a new base in Milan earlier this summer with five A321s based at the airport.

These new flights are not only the first Italian domestic flight for Wizz, but the airline’s first domestic flight of any kind. Previously, its entire route map was made up of international flights. Italy was a smart choice for the airline to launch domestic ops, as there is no real standard for anything to operate on-time with most people used to flying Alitalia.


Thai Brings In-Flight Dining to a Whole New Level

4 Several airlines are offering in-flight meals, snacks, and premium class amenity kits for sale a la carte during the pandemic to raise a little cash and move inventory that was going unused. Thai Airways in its ever-unique way of thinking is taking the concept to a whole new level.

The airline has introduced a restaurant on the second-floor of its headquarters where it serves up food from its in-flight catering department in an airplane-like setting. If you’ve ever wanted to spend $4 on pasta carbonara while sitting in an economy class seat on the second floor of a Bangkok office building, your dreams have now come true.

The airline is in a dire financial position, and this seems more like a last-ditch bake sale than anything else. Whether or not it’ll make any dent into the financial bottom line is unlikely, but if nothing else, it is keeping some of its catering staff employed during the pandemic.

The menu, because I’m sure you were wondering, includes:

  • Penne Pasta Carbonara: $4.00
  • Caesar Tuna Salad: $3.15
  • Pasta Beef Bolognese: $6.00
  • Chicken Shawarma: $3.00
  • Mixed Seafood Yakisoba: $5.10
  • Beef Kut Tah with Rice: $5.75
  • Mango Cheesecake: $3.80
  • Birds that were to be used in a marketing stunt before bird-themed subsidiary NokScoot went bust: Priceless

Bon Appetit!


Ukrainian Passenger Decides to Just Wing it

5 After Ukraine International Airlines flight 6212 landed in Kiev earlier this week, a Florida woman decided she couldn’t wait for the her fellow passengers to deplane, so naturally she opened the emergency exit and went out on the wing for some fresh air.

The pilot of the flight immediately contacted airport security who met the adventurous passenger along with medical personnel to see if she needed help. Amazingly, she was of completely sane mind and said she simply wanted some fresh air.

One passenger’s account of the incident said “The aircraft landed, and almost all the passengers got off. She walked almost all the way from the tail to the emergency exit row, opened the door, and went out. By that time, her two children were outside the plane and standing right next to me. They were surprised, saying, ‘that’s our mum.’”

UIA has, understandably, blacklisted the woman permanently from the airline. Ryanair, on the other hand, has offered her elite status for life and is naming its new seating section on the wing after the woman. Ryanair will allow passengers to upgrade to a non-wing seat located in the aircraft for just €9.99 per segment.


Airline Potpourri

  • airBaltic is resuming daily flights to Stockholm from its Riga hub beginning today. The airline is also launching new service, 3x-weekly from Vilnius (VNO) to Kiev (KBP).
  • Air Japan has suspended all of its flight crew.
  • Alitalia had a €200 million aid package from the Italian government approved by the European Commission.
  • Delta has added 270 people to its no-fly list for being unwilling to wear a light piece of cloth over their nose and mouth for a couple hours to help prevent the spread of a deadly virus.
  • Finnair is resuming service to Nanjing (NKG) with weekly flights beginning September 11.
  • Spirit is adding biometrics to minimize interactions between passengers and staff, first launching the technology at Chicago/Midway and New York/LaGuardia. The technology comes with a $5.99 fee per eye used. You can prepay online at Spirit.com and bundle both of your eyes together for $10.99.

Andrew’s Moment of Levity

My cousin and his buddy got arrested because they stole a calendar from a stationary store.

They each got six months.