Hong Kong (CNN Business)Airlines based in North America, Europe and Asia are canceling flights to China as authorities there seek to contain the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
…Some entire countries e.g. Switzerland and Kazakhstan, Austrian Alps have warmed by 2C. The percentage of the globe exceeded 2C.
Extreme warming is fuelling wildfires in Alaska, shrinking glaciers in the Alps, melting permafrost across Canada’s Northwest Territories – i.e. altering marine ecosystems …
It is making already hot places in the Middle East unbearable for outdoor workers and altering forests, lakes and rivers in the United States. It has thawed the winters of New England and transformed the summers of Siberia.
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/climate-environment/climate-change-world/?wpmk=1&wpisrc=al_news__alert-world–alert-national
This year’s peak holiday travel season—from Thanksgiving through Christmas—might just be messier than usual. That’s because of the additional delays to the return of the Boeing 737 Max, which U.S. airlines were predicting to return in early November, and a scramble for carriers to reroute and rebook passengers on impacted flights.
Two major domestic airlines recently pushed the Boeing 737 Max off their schedules even further: American Airlines announced it will push the 737 Max off its schedule until December 3, and United Airlines says the aircraft now will not return to operations until December 19.
For American, this means about 140 canceled flights each day, while United says roughly 2,800 flights will be canceled in the month of November and about 1,700 from December 1 to 19. All Boeing 737 Max planes have been grounded worldwide since March, after 346 people were killed during two fatal Max plane crashes, on Indonesia’s Lion Air in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines in March 2019.
Link: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/as-the-boeing-737-max-stays-grounded-holiday-travel-may-get-more-expensive
Norwegian Air, make-or-break financial moment
Norwegian Air Shuttle is once again facing a make-or-break financial moment. The low-cost airline’s major cash shortage has it looking to bondholders to bail it out of dangerous financial waters. Industry experts say Norwegian‘s future likely hangs in the balance.
“They are managing the crisis as best they can, but they are on the verge of a cliff edge,” analyst Daniel Roeska told CNN.
In an effort to scrape together more cash before its slower winter season, the budget transatlantic carrier asked bondholders on Monday for up to a two-year extension in repaying two bonds about to reach maturity, which total about $380 million. As collateral, Norwegian is even offering up its landing slots at London’s Gatwick Airport, a key element of its transatlantic business. If bondholders accept the revised debt plan, the airline will have until November of 2021 and February of 2022 to pay, rather than being forced to ante up this December and next August.
Link: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/norwegian-air-is-taking-last-ditch-measures-to-avoid-bankruptcy
Aigle Azur
The French airline Aigle Azur has announced that it will file for bankruptcy and enter into receivership. This is following a recent dispute between the airline’s shareholders. The airline also confirmed that it was facing financial troubles in August, with a debt totaling around 40 million euros.
Link: https://aeronauticsonline.com/aigle-azur-to-file-for-bankruptcy/#targetText=The%20French%20airline%20Aigle%20Azur,totaling%20around%2040%20million%20euros.
Travel Alert: Italy
| C | 23 Sep | STRIKE – Some Alitalia personnel will be on strike September 23 from 00:01 to 24:00. Please check with your ticket office whether this will affect your flight. Details |
| C | 22 Sep | STRIKE – Lombardy – Personel of Trenord, a company responsible for the operation of regional passenger trains in Lombardy, will stage a 23-hour strike from 3 am on September 22. Details |
| C | 6 Sep | STRIKE – Milan – Cobas union has announced a four-hour transport strike on September 6. The industrial action will affect metro, bus and tram services in Milan. Details |
| C | 6 Sep | STRIKE – Milan – Some airport personnel in Milan Airports on strike September 6 for 24 hours, from 00:00 to 23:59. Check with your ticket office whether this affects your flight Details |
| C | 27 Jul – 27 Oct | AIRPORT – Milan Linate Airport – Milan Linate airport is to close from July 27 until Oct 27, 2019, to allow for renovation works. Majority flights to be re-routed to Milan Malpensa Airport. Details |
| I | 26 Jul – 6 Sep | STRIKE – UPDATE- A 24-hour strike by Alitalia pilots and flight attendants has been put off from July 26 until September 6. Details |
Travel Alert: Strikes in France
| 16 Sep | PROTEST – Paris – Pilots and flight attendants from across France are being urged to take part in a mass demonstration in Paris on Sep 16 to protest against pension reform plans. Details |
| 1 Sep – 15 Oct | STRIKE – The Union of Airline Pilots of Transavia France announced the filing of a strike notice, for the period from September 1 to October 15. Details |
BA & LH cancel flights to Cairo
Two airlines cancel flights to Cairo after Britain warns of ‘heightened risk of terrorism’
British Airways and Lufthansa canceled all flights to Cairo on Saturday over unspecified security concerns after the British government warned of a “heightened risk of terrorism against aviation.” The announcements by two of Europe’s biggest airlines caught some passengers off guard as they prepared to board their flights, the…
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/07/21/two-airlines-cancel-flights-cairo-after-britain-warns-heightened-risk-terrorism/?utm_term=.a1a91f7e2b66
Greenland
Greenland: ‘The melt is winning this game’
Is the climate change a dreadful drastic reality? or Hoax. Share your opinion
Watch the Video.
Link: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/12/01/global-warning-greenland-ward-ac-pkg.cnn?fbclid=IwAR3O5RMKI2_3oMayhnon3akBQPlNkGkAOFk7bBFG-673iAzdV9MD_SE_j4Y
Re-routing Flights
Global airlines including British Airways, Qantas, KLM and Singapore Airlines are re-routing flights to avoid parts of Iran-controlled airspace, and all US carriers have been told to avoid the area.
Flight paths over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman are being re-routed over concerns for the safety of commercial airlines after Iran used a surface-to-air missile to shoot down a US drone on Wednesday.
The incident prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue an emergency order temporarily banning carriers flying over the area.
The FAA said flight tracking devices showed the nearest civil aircraft was operating within around 45 nautical miles of the unmanned aircraft when it was shot down, according to Reuters.
“There were numerous civil aviation aircraft operating in the area at the time of the intercept,” the FAA said.
It added: “The threat of a civil aircraft shootdown in southern Iran is real.”
Link: https://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?c=setreg®ion=2&m_id=s~~AY!m~AT_&w_id=36317&news_id=2037967