July 9, 2020 - No. 050 In This Issue Rolls-Royce pads coffers with $2.5 billion loan Coronavirus: General Electric cuts 369 jobs at Nantgarw. Jet Linx buys Meridian charter fleet and management business Jet Aviation Announces Launch of hullo Aircrew in the United States Sabah to churn out skilled manpower in aircraft maintenance at KKIP. Passenger Aircraft Utilization Amidst COVID-19: New Solutions and Innovative Adaptations Constant Aviation invests in Orlando MRO site. Cutter Aviation Announces the Opening of Its New World-Class Facility in San Antonio Texas Friedman settles six-figure dispute with Atlantic Aviation Czech Airlines to Operate Scenic Flights over Prague to Celebrate 97th Anniversary SpaceX plans to launch 10th Starlink mission this weekend Rolls-Royce pads coffers with $2.5 billion loan Rolls-Royce Holdings warned it will take years to bounce back from the coronavirus crisis that's idled global jetliner fleets and robbed the engine maker of vital maintenance revenue. Shares of the London-based company slid as much as 9.5% Thursday after the London-based company said it would borrow an added $2.5 billion (2 billion pounds) to help see it through the downturn. Aircraft powered by the company's turbines logged a 75% drop in flying hours in the second quarter as governments locked down travel, reducing demand for maintenance services that provide the bulk of profit. Rolls-Royce is particularly exposed because it only makes engines for widebody jets that handle the bulk of long-haul routes, which are expected to remain subdued for years. On a conference call, East said Rolls-Royce's commercial aerospace activity will be about one-third smaller. The company will pare back its dollar-hedging by 10 billion pounds, or 27%, through 2026 to reflect the lower demand levels for its sales, which are mostly in dollars. It's unlikely Rolls-Royce will soon have the chance to get back into the market for narrow-body turbines, he said. "It's a slightly moot point because there are no single-aisle opportunities likely to materialize in the current decade," the CEO said. Rolls-Royce has time to plot moves to strengthen its balance sheet while it rides out the crisis, East said. The company obtained a commitment for the new five-year loan, which will be underwritten by a syndicate of banks and backed by a guarantee from U.K. Export Finance. The extra borrowing will lift liquidity to 8.1 billion pounds and comes on top of other moves to bolster the balance sheet. Rolls said Sunday it aims to close a pension plan four years early, while it's said to be exploring measures including a share sale and asset disposals. "We started this year with positive momentum and strong liquidity and acted swiftly to conserve cash and cut costs," East said. Rolls-Royce has decline 61% so far this year. The company may decide on an equity raise, but the liquidity now available means it can avoid doing so "against the uncertainty of a volatile trading backdrop and febrile sentiment," according to Jefferies analyst Sandy Morris. Rolls-Royce expects to make two-thirds of its announced 9,000 global job cuts this year, East said. The company will prioritize voluntary measures but there will be some dismissals, he said. Rolls-Royce opened voluntary severance to U.K. staff last month after announcing plans to eliminate 3,000 jobs in the country this year. It's had expressions of interest from more than that number, with about 2,000 of those positions expected to go by August. The company expects the cash-flow situation to ease in the second half, with an outflow of 1 billion pounds versus 3 billion pounds in the six months through June. There are early signs of a recovery in flying hours with a marginal improvement in May and June, it said. Fixes for Trent 1000 engine glitches which have plagued the company for years are on track, it said. The warning from Rolls-Royce about prospects for the industry adds to grim evidence that the fallout from the grounding of planes worldwide is hurting suppliers around the globe. French rival engine maker Safran SA, a supplier to Airbus and Boeing Co., is shedding around 13,000 jobs worldwide. Chairman Ross McInnes said last week he doesn't expect the aviation industry to recover before 2023 or 2024. In all, European aerospace manufacturers have set plans to eliminate some 33,000 jobs since the pandemic hit, based on a Bloomberg tally. https://www.middletownpress.com/business/article/Rolls-Royce-pads-coffers-with-2-5-billion-loan-15396848.php Back to Top Coronavirus: General Electric cuts 369 jobs at Nantgarw General Electric is to cut 369 jobs at its aircraft engine maintenance plant in south Wales. GE has been consulting with 1,400 staff at its site in Nantgarw, near Caerphilly, as the firm suffers from the drop of numbers in air travel. The company, which makes jet engines for Boeing and Airbus, blamed the "unprecedented impact of Covid-19". It said it remained focused on "preserving our capability to respond as the industry recovers". The announcement comes on top of 180 posts already lost at the site since the coronavirus crisis began through voluntary redundancies. "Today's news from GE is further devastating news for Welsh workers, Welsh manufacturing and the Welsh economy," said union leader Peter Hughes, the regional secretary for Unite Wales. "Our members at GE and their families will be extremely worried about their futures today. "Unite will stand completely behind our members and will not move an inch from our position that compulsory redundancies must be ruled out." The union called on GE to pause their plans and "work with us to seek an urgent UK government sector deal for aerospace that could save these jobs". Welsh economy minister Ken Skates said his officials would be working to help those affected, but said there needed to be "immediate and radical action" from the UK government. "We have already called for measures to be taken and I am repeating that once again today. Without action from the UK government, the future of the aerospace sector is at serious risk," said Mr Skates. "Other central governments have moved rapidly to protect their industries, the UK government must do the same to safeguard a sector which is vital to our economy." The UK government has been approached for comment. The Labour MP for Pontypridd Alex Davies-Jones and her Senedd counterpart Mick Antoniw said it was an "absolutely devastating" announcement. They said it was "particularly distressing" that the majority of GE's UK job cuts would fall on the Nantgarw site. "These are highly-skilled, highly-paid jobs and will be extremely difficult to replace," they said. It follows job cuts at British Airways in south Wales and the announcement of 1,435 redundancies at Airbus in Broughton in Flintshire. Ms Davies-Jones and Mr Antoniw added: "The UK aerospace industry is in crisis and it is not acceptable for the UK government to simply sit back and shrug its shoulders. "We will continue to work with Unite the union and GE management locally to do everything we can to ensure that as many jobs as possible are retained for the future and to support those who have lost their jobs in any way we can." The Conservative's business spokesman in the Senedd, Russell George, said: "If these reports are accurate, then it is clearly going to be very worrying news for the employees at the GE Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in south Wales, during what are already very uncertain times, and it follows similar recent announcements by aviation firms with operations in Wales." He said his party would do "all we can" to deal with the impact, including working cross-party with the Welsh Government. Plaid Cymru's South East Wales Senedd member Delyth Jewell called on the Welsh Government to look at investing in the "green economy". "I fear that this is just the tip of the iceberg, we will see with job losses over the coming weeks and months, which is why I urge the Welsh Government to heed Plaid Cymru's call for an All-Wales Renewal Fund to help boost sectors that are hardest hit by the crisis," she said. "In responding to this crisis, our communities need employment solutions that are sustainable." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-53352654 Back to Top Jet Linx buys Meridian charter fleet and management business Jet Linx has acquired Teterboro Airport-based Meridian's aircraft management and air charter business as part of its continuing strategy to expand its business across the USA. The acquisition makes Jet Linx the largest private jet management and jet card membership company in the tri-state region and the second-largest aircraft management company in the USA with over 120 aircraft. Jet Linx now operates from 19 locations across the USA. Last year the Omaha, Nebraska-headquartered company opened six new private base terminal locations in the USA and acquired Elliott Aviation's aircraft management and charter business in Minneapolis. The terms of the Meridian transaction were not disclosed, but the acquisition includes 23 long range and short range private jet aircraft including Bombardier Global Express 6000 and 5000s, Gulfstream G550s, GVs, G450s, GIVSPs, Dassault Falcon 7Xs and 2000s, and Embraer Phenom 300s, among others. Meridian will continue operating its FBO and aircraft maintenance businesses at Teterboro Airport and Hayward Executive Airport in California. Jamie Walker, president and CEO of Jet Linx Aviation said, "This acquisition is a significant step in our strategic plan as we continue to enhance our fleet and flight operations serving the New York tri-state area and further develop the company as the leader in private jet travel. It could also not be better timed as it follows the grand opening of our flagship private terminal at Teterboro Airport last September. "This exemplifies and underscores our unwavering commitment to provide the highest standards of excellence and the finest service experience not only to our clients in the New York tri-state area, but nationwide, as Teterboro is the busiest private aviation airport in the US." Ken Forester, CEO of Meridian said, "It was important for us to find the right company who would be able to take our existing aircraft management and charter business to the next level and Jet Linx was the obvious choice. We are excited to continue supporting Jet Linx, and our former aircraft management and charter customers, through our FBO and aircraft maintenance businesses going forward." https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/charter/jet-linx-buys-meridian-charter-fleet-and-management-business.html Back to Top Jet Aviation Announces Launch of hullo Aircrew in the United States Jet Aviation is pleased to announce the launch of hullo Aircrew, its new collaborative software platform for flight-crew staffing services,in the United States. Collaboration between the two companies began in 2019 with Jet Aviation's investment in hullo Aircrew's technology. The new aircrew staffing platform already has over 3,000 crew registered globally. The hullo Aircrew platform provides a fast and simple means to connect operators with freelance and contract crew members. It also helps crew members find their next job quickly and easily, while offering a custom dashboard that allows crew to review their trip requests, manage their calendar, view notifications of expiring documents and gain access to reduced-cost training courses-in addition to faster payment. "Through the platform, thousands of crew can be contacted with a few clicks of the mouse," says Steve Payne, Co-Founder and COO of hullo Aircrew. "Moreover, the coverage is global and always available." Offered free of charge to all crew members,Jet Aviation Staffing is pleased to provide its clients the opportunity to tap into top qualified talent across the globe with ease by offering the most advanced technology and highest service levels. VP Staffing, Elaine Lapotosky, says, "The hullo Aircrew platform completely transforms the existing hiring business model by integrating the latest technology in the marketplace to offer the most advanced system to easily match experienced certified crew to open contract positions in an instant. Using technology as a tool to source talent is relatively new in aviation, and we are proud to be an industry innovator in this space." https://www.aviationpros.com/tools-equipment/maintenance-it/press-release/21145548/jet-aviation-jet-aviation-announces-launch-of-hullo-aircrew-in-the-united-states Back to Top Sabah to churn out skilled manpower in aircraft maintenance at KKIP KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to produce skilled manpower in the nation's aviation industry as the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) Aerospace Training Centre collaborates with big companies on aircraft maintenance training and anchor vendor initiatives. The companies are MASwings Sdn Bhd, Layang-Layang Aerospace, Mega Aerospace Sdn Bhd and CAAC Malaysia Sdn Bhd for on-the-job training; as well as Bataras Sdn Bhd and the Department of Industrial Research and Development for anchor-vendor development programmes. Located within KKIP, about 30 minutes from the state capital, the training centre is expected to secure a significant share of revenue from the aerospace industry by developing skilled manpower, providing Sabah an opportunity to tap into the high value-added industry. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the state must develop and utilise the skills of young Sabahans, particularly in aircraft maintenance, especially when the world is slowly reviving the tourism industry following the Covid-19 pandemic. "I'm made to understand that five years ago, the United Nations indicated that the tourism industry would be up to the magnitude of US$3 trillion, but unfortunately, it subsided due to Covid-19," he told reporters after the signing ceremony between the companies at the Training Centre, today. "However, I am quite sure things will recover fast, and so will the aviation industry. When tourism is mobilised, more aircraft will be used and maintenance work will surely increase. "So, we need to train our young people and disseminate the right knowledge because the hub is here. In those early days, we had aircraft that couldn't fly and we had to wait for replacement (of aircraft and parts) from Kuala Lumpur. "If we have proper maintenance here, we don't have to wait as repair work can be done (at KKIP). We must utilise our people and local engineers," he added. Also present were Deputy Chief Minister cum state Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau; Deputy Chief Minister cum state Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew; KKIP Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Melvin Disimond; and KKIP Aerospace Sdn Bhd chairman Dr Oh Ei Sun. KKIP Aerospace is a wholly owned subsidiary of KKIP Sdn Bhd. Its joint venture partner in the development of an aviation and maintenance training centre is Lembaran Asia Sdn Bhd. The training centre has opened registration for its September intake. It will be the first in Malaysia to offer dual licensing from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part-66 of Category A1 Aircraft Maintenance Technician. Madius, in his speech earlier, noted that dual-licensing would enable graduates to not only work within the local aerospace industry, but also internationally. "I also understand that this is going to be the first approved aircraft maintenance training centre in Malaysia that has dual approval from CAAM and EASA Part 147 to conduct Category A1 Aircraft Maintenance Technician training. "The graduates of KKIP Aerospace Training Centre will be equipped with comprehensive skills, spaced out into 12 modules. "Among others, training will commence in the areas of avionics, engine, body and composite works both in theory as well as on-the-job-training in this hangar building and also hangars of collaborating MROs (maintenance and repair organisations)," he said. Earlier, Shafie toured the Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre; and the proposed site for the construction of a glass factory. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/07/607447/sabah-churn-out-skilled-manpower-aircraft-maintenance-kkip Back to Top Passenger Aircraft Utilization Amidst COVID-19: New Solutions and Innovative Adaptations As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the industry, many airlines were trying to sustain their daily operations as demand for passenger flights hit an all-time lows in March and April of 2020. While some carriers resorted to layoffs, operations' down-scaling and restructuring of their business, major passenger airlines explored a new service - cargo transportation on passenger aircraft later known as "preighters." During the first days of travel bans and social distancing orders coming into effect, European carriers Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France and British Airways modified their passenger aircraft by removing economy seats from multiple airplanes to be able to transport heavier and larger loads of PPE. "The modified 'preighters' were not chosen randomly. The aircraft were due to be deep cleaned or have their on board product refitted to a newer one, thus the carriers had to carry out future work earlier than expected to have an opportunity to support their business during financially difficult times to any aerospace company around the globe. FL Technics has already completed several modifications for passenger aircraft like removing seats and installing cargo nets on floors and installing solutions for cargo transportation on passenger seats for a wide range of narrow and wide body aircraft. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these kind of conversions more popular when compared to pre-crisis period, we believe that the demand for these kind of retrofits will keep growth for the upcoming years as the airlines will try to keep as much aircraft in their fleet as possible to emerge from COVID-19 with the same capacity which was available pre-COVID," commented Liudas Jurkonis, head of engineering and training at FL Technics. Since the negatively impacted cash flow affected not only major airlines and companies, smaller airlines and private charter companies had to innovate differently than carriers with fleets of 100-200 aircraft. KlasJet, a European private business charter company, "has greatly benefited from the lease of 737 freighter aircraft nicknamed Merlin," according to the company's CEO Rita Domkute. "Merlin is a truly majestic integrator aircraft connecting major cargo hubs to smaller local airports. Since our pilots are trained extensively and are certified to land in airfields located around mountainous terrain, we found a niche where we can offer flexible services, where our smaller aircraft arrive at closer or cheaper airports, which allows us to drive down the overall cost of transportation from point A to point B when compared to bigger industry players. Additionally, our acquisition of Boeing 737 freighter has led us to welcome experienced aviation professionals into our team to expand our cargo possibilities. Currently, our team consists of top notch professionals with previous working experience coming from major companies like British Airways and others. We are also very fortunate to be a part of Avia Solutions Group since other more cargo focused companies found in the group provide us with valuable know-how and current market trends, helping KlasJet to adapt to ever changing industry trends and excel in our cargo service offering," added Vaidotas Sukstulis, deputy director of flight operations at KlasJet. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/mro/press-release/21145514/avia-solutions-group-passenger-aircraft-utilization-amidst-covid19-new-solutions-and-innovative-adaptations Back to Top Constant Aviation invests in Orlando MRO site Just three years after acquiring its Orlando Sanford International Airport facility in the USA, aircraft MRO company, Constant Aviation, has added nearly 35,000 square feet of hangar space and invested more than US$2 million in physical improvements. The company has extended its hangar leases for an additional eight years so it can serve customers in Florida and along East Coast USA through to the end of the decade without uninterruption. "We took over this facility in 2017, and it enabled our business to simultaneously add capacity and increase our capabilities," said Constant Aviation's COO, Kevin Dillon. "Constant Aviation also operates aircraft maintenance facilities in Cleveland, Ohio, and a nationwide network of mobile technicians, and we have really benefitted from the traffic here at Orlando Sanford. At any given time, we have close to 20 in-work aircraft packed in our hangars and on the ramp. That's because Florida is one of the busiest states for private travel for both business and pleasure, and our Orlando Sanford location is perfectly situated in the middle of it all." Among the improvements made since Constant Aviation leased the facility, in 2018 the aircraft interior modification centre was moved to its own dedicated space, having previously been housed in a general maintenance hangar. This expansion and reorganisation freed-up existing hangar space to carry out more maintenance work, and it also generated efficiencies throughout the facility. The Orlando site consists of five hangars encompassing nearly 110,000 square feet of enclosed hangar floor space. At the interior centre, cabinet makers and upholsterers specialise in complete cabin reconfigurations and refurbishments. The paint facility can accommodate aircraft as large as a Gulfstream V, Falcon 7X or Global. Technicians can match custom colours for touchups on existing paint, or completely strip and repaint using paint schemes created by the company's in-house designers. Other capabilities at Orlando Sanford include scheduled inspections, avionics upgrades and general maintenance on aircraft from a variety of manufacturers. "Originally, the Orlando Sanford location specialised in Bombardier, Falcon and Hawker/Beech product lines," said Dillon. "In addition to increasing our hangar space over the last three years, we've invested in the necessary training and tooling to expand our capabilities to include aircraft from Embraer, Gulfstream and Textron. The diversification of aircraft has opened up many opportunities for us in Florida and the Southeast, and it has introduced Constant Aviation to a broader group of owners and operators." In order to maintain its capabilities, Constant Aviation has extended the leases at its paint and interior modification centres through 2028. The lease for its primary maintenance facility extends through 2030. "Our original strategy with the Orlando Sanford location has been successful," said Dillon. "First, we invested in the hangars and expanded the facilities to handle more aircraft. Second, we brought in the right technicians and leadership to increase our airframe capabilities. Now, we're securing our future by putting down roots and extending the leases. This will ensure we'll be able to continue to grow and meet our customers' needs long into the future." https://www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/news/mro/constant-aviation-invests-in-orlando-mro-site.html Back to Top Cutter Aviation Announces the Opening of Its New World-Class Facility in San Antonio Texas Cutter Aviation is proud to announce the completion and opening of its new world-class facility at the San Antonio International Airport. 22 years ago, Cutter Aviation began its operations on the San Antonio International Airport. As Cutter began to outgrow its old facility, the need for expansion was recognized and negotiations with the airport were started to construct a larger facility. Cutter initiated the development of an unused area on the Airport which resulted in a sprawling seven hangar complex for Cutter Aviation and other airport tenants. This new development provides a cutting-edge facility for our maintenance and aircraft sales. "Our company has dramatically increased its presence at the airport with the addition of over 38,000 square feet of hangar and office space with a comfortable lobby and executive conference room. Our new facility at San Antonio International Airport is a great enhancement to Cutter Aviation's 92-year legacy and we are thankful for the opportunity to share it with customers, colleagues and friends," said Will Cutter, President of Cutter Aviation. Our San Antonio location is a Factory-Authorized Service Center for TBM, Piper, HondaJet, Cirrus and Beechcraft products and will become an Authorized Service Center for Pilatus in the near future. For photographs, information about our new location and services provided by Cutter Aviation San Antonio, Texas, please visit our website: http://cutteraviation.com/sat-san-antonio-tx/. A Grand Opening ceremony will be hosted at a later time. https://www.aviationpros.com/fbos-tenants/press-release/21145550/cutter-aviation-cutter-aviation-announces-the-opening-of-its-new-worldclass-facility-in-san-antonio-texas Back to Top Friedman settles six-figure dispute with Atlantic Aviation The Friedman Memorial Airport Authority board approved a settlement agreement with Atlantic Aviation on Wednesday evening, directing the fixed-base operator to wire the authority $215,585 in past-due fees. In February, according to airport Manager Chris Pomeroy, airport staff discovered inconsistencies in the way Atlantic Aviation had been collecting aircraft landing fees on behalf of the airport over the past five years. Pomeroy and attorney Jim Laski subsequently conducted an audit, made a demand for payment and negotiated the six-figure settlement with Atlantic for the under-collected landing fees. Wednesday's settlement also put into place a new agreement with Atlantic regarding aircraft parking fees in which Atlantic will retain 10 percent of revenue from overnight parking fees. Atlantic must send parking charge invoices to pilots of transient, or visiting, aircraft upon or after departure, the settlement says, and the remaining 90 percent of fees will be sent to the Airport Authority each month. The board also approved a change to the airport's rates and charges schedule in relation to its landing fees. Effective August 1, Virginia-based Vector Airport Systems will track incoming aircraft and their associated landing fees. Currently, landing fees are assessed based on wingspan, approach speed and weight, Pomeroy said. The new collection system will be purely weight-based. "We have a very uncommon coding system of tracking aircraft for landing fees," he said. "These proposed changes break [planes] into different tiers based on weight, more in line with the industry standard." Starting in August, operators will pay $2.75 per thousand pounds for landing planes weighing up to 39,999 pounds; $3.60 for planes weighing up to 74,999 pounds; and $4.40 for planes over 75,000 pounds. (That means the operator of a small, 10,000-pound plane would be charged under $25 for landing, while the operator of a larger business jet maxing out the runway's weight limit would need to pay over $500.) Pomeroy said a crew from Vector Airport Systems will be installing cameras on the airfield early next week to keep better track of aircraft. "Based on analysis performed by Vector, the new system will result in similar, if not minimally more, revenue collections," he said. Budget projects big loss The Airport Authority board also reviewed a draft fiscal 2021 budget, scheduled for approval in August following a public hearing. Pomeroy said the airport's projected net income loss for fiscal 2021 is now around $2.42 million due to COVID-19. The pandemic has already dramatically slashed revenues flowing into the airport-car rental fees, tiedown and landing fees, passenger facility charges added onto ticket prices, concessions revenues from the terminal and interest revenues-and that same trend is anticipated in the fall. Pomeroy added that the cancellation of the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Conference, which brings in significant revenue from landing and parking fees, will "definitely impact the airport's financial outlook." "This is going to be an odd year," he said. SUN's recent $11.4 million federal CARES grant will help buoy the budget, however, and will be applied to operational and maintenance expenses over the next three years. Pomeroy reported that from a takeoffs-and-landings standpoint, the airport has been busy this summer, but activity levels are still below the same period last year. "Numbers show that we were down about 10 percent in June compared to last year," he said. "Over the holiday weekend, traffic was down about 17 percent." According to anecdotal reports from station managers for United, Delta and Alaska airlines, flights have been coming in "pretty full" since the summer season kicked off on June 22. "But keep in mind when I say 'full,' airlines have a cap," Pomeroy said. "Delta is at 60 percent capacity, United at 70 percent and Alaska at 60 percent." This week, Friedman Memorial Airport and Atlantic Aviation will post signs to inform travelers of Hailey's and Ketchum's new COVID-19 mask mandates. "My understanding is all people have been wearing masks in the terminal area regardless," Pomeroy said. https://www.mtexpress.com/news/transportation/friedman-settles-six-figure-dispute-with-atlantic-aviation/article_ea874e6a-c23f-11ea-8820-2be6c07caea2.html Back to Top Czech Airlines to Operate Scenic Flights over Prague to Celebrate 97th Anniversary Czech Airlines, the flag carrier of the Czech Republic, is planning to operate a number of scenic joy flights over Prague's most popular tourist attractions and interesting places. The flights will be operated with the airline's 70-seat ATR 72 regional aircraft at an altitude of approximately 2600 feet above the ground. The airline assigned OK97 as the flight number to symbolize the 97th anniversary of the company's foundation and launch of operations. The round trips will take depart from and arrive back at Vaclav Havel International Airport Prague on July 11 and 12. The airline is looking to operate more scenic flights depending on the interest in its round-trip flights. Czech Airlines celebrated its 95th anniversary with similar special round trips two years ago. According to the airline, sightseeing flights will be piloted by the company's ss most experienced captains. For maximum experience, the aircraft will fly below the lower limit of controlled airspace. Czech Airlines Ends Long-Haul Flights, Parent Company Announces Mass Layoffs Czech Airlines removed its single Airbus A330 aircraft, registered OK-YBA, from its fleet, closing a stage of its history as it has lost the only long-haul aircraft in its fleet. After seven years in service, the aircraft flew to Malta on July 5, from where it will be returned to its owner - Korean Air - after maintenance and inspection. Among other short- and medium-haul flights, the aircraft was deployed on Czech Airlines's flight service to Seoul, the airline's only scheduled long-haul destination. OK-YBA enabled the airline to initiate codeshare agreements with Korean Air in operating long-haul flights from Prague via Seoul to East Asia, making Prague more accessible to millions of passengers from East Asia and the Pacific. However, the airline was forced to suspend the Seoul flights indefinitely in February due to flight restrictions and the unprecedented slump in demand for air travel with the advent of novel coronavirus pandemic. "Given that South Korea has been hit by the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, the resumption of traffic between the Czech Republic and Korea is not in sight," a spokesperson for the Smartwings Group, the parent company of Czech Airlines, said in a statement. Czech Airlines resumed operations on May 18 with flights to Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt after more than two months of interruption. The airline, together with its parent company, gradually ramped up its flight schedules, resuming flights to 25 additional destinations in Europe in July. However, Smartwings Group announced last week that it would impose collective redundancies due to the unfavorable situation in the aviation industry caused by the ongoing pandemic. The reduction in the number of employees will affect up to 600 employees. The jobs affected will include pilots, flight attendants and members of the operational and administrative non-aviation business department. According to local reports, the airline laid off 29 pilots last week and intends to let 92 pilots, 114 cabin crew and 107 ground staff go in the days ahead. "We are facing the most difficult period of our entire existence. To save the company, we must apply painful but inevitable measures. The air transport industry is facing the biggest crisis in the history of aviation and it is our duty to make every effort to keep the Smartwings Group on the market and ensure it can provide employment and prospects to as many of our employees as possible," said Jiri Simane, chairman of the Smartwings board of directors. The termination of employment of redundant employees within the framework of collective redundancies should take place gradually from this month to February 2021. The airline was planning to expand its fleet and network in the pre-pandemic period. The pandemic and its natural consequences seriously crippled the airline's plans, forcing it to shrink its fleet and impose mass layoffs. https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/07/09/czech-airlines-to-operate-scenic-flights-over-prague-to-celebrate-97th-anniversary/ Back to Top SpaceX plans to launch 10th Starlink mission this weekend CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX is planning to launch more of its Starlink satellites and BlackSky spacecrafts this weekend. The company said it is targeting 10:54 a.m. Saturday to launch 57 Starlink satellites and two BlackSky spacecrafts, which is a Spaceflight Inc. customer. SpaceX was slated to launch another set of Starlink satellites Wednesday, but it scrubbed the mission about ten minutes before launch due to weather. The launch is part of SpaceX's ongoing mission to deploy the world's most advanced broadband internet system. If completed, it will be the company's 10th Starlink mission. Channel 9 will stream the launch on its Facebook page as well as on its website. https://www.wftv.com/news/local/brevard-county/spacex-plans-launch-10th-starlink-mission-this-weekend/ZTIF4GVDCZBNBBPHSDBU7NBSFA/ Curt Lewis