EUROPEAN UNION TO RESTORE 80% OF SLOTS FOR WINTER 2022-2023 The European Commission has proposed restoring its normal 80% slot use threshold for the Winter 2022/23 season. In addition, it also wants to retain a Justified Non-Use of Slots (JNUS) mechanism in case anything unpredictable happens! According to the proposal, the 80/20 rule would be reinstated on th 30 October 2022. Airlines which do not use an allocated slot at a slot-controlled EU airport at least 80% of the time during one season would lose it the following year's season. The rule was suspended due to the pandemic and has been gradually increased to the current 64%. Despite plans to reinstate the rule, the Commission wants to retain the JNUS mechanism. Introduced during the pandemic, it allows airlines to return slots in case of unpredictable external factors influencing their ability to use the allocations.
INDIAN AIRLINES FACE EMPLOYEE ANGER Indian aviation companies were hoping for good business post covid, but now they face anger from employees over low pay. A section of aircraft maintenance technicians from IndiGo and Go First have gone on sick leave recently to protest at the low salaries. Both carriers however have managed to continue flying without disruption. Recently 55% of IndiGo's domestic flights were delayed as many cabin crew went on leave, with some opting to find jobs at Air India. Many airlines all over the world, cut salaries rather than making people redundant, however they have not been quick to reinstate the old salaries, hence the trouble they find themselves in now. The employees are back working at pre-pandemic levels if not more and yet they are getting lower salaries, plus rising inflation is not helping.
BBAM ORDERS 9 737-800 Aircraft lessor BBAM Limited Partnership has ordered nine 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters. The lessor will be the first to take delivery of a 737-800BCF conversion at a new conversion line due to open next year at KF Aerospace, a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in Kelowna, British Columbia. Boeing is to open two 737-800BCF conversion lines at KF Aerospace beginning in 2023. BBAM holds conversion slots at other Boeing MRO providers, including Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriale s (COOPESA), an Alajuela, Costa Rica-based MRO provider, and Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services (BSAS) in Shanghai, China.
NEW CALEDONIA'S AIRCALIN MULLS PARIS FLIGHTS Aircalin is considering adding a third A330-900, that would allow it to launch in-house services to Paris CDG. The New Caledonian carrier currently relies on its codeshare and interline agreements to connect to the Pacific Ocean. It operates two A330-900s, deployed to Papeete, Sydney Kingsford Smith, and Tokyo Narita, and has recently added Singapore Changi to its network. It has a codeshare agreement with Air France on routes from Paris CDG to Narita and Singapore, and an interline agreement with Singapore Airlines on the Singapore -Paris route.
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