A trusted source of Asia-Pacific commercial aviation news and analysis


OCTOBER 2020

Week 43

Orient Aviation Daily Digest October 23, 2020

A look at the week in the Asia-Pacific

By Jordan Chong

On Wednesday, Cathay Dragon was added to the list of COVID-19 casualties with the announcement the carrier would be closed with immediate effect. Known as Dragonair until a rebranding in January 2016, Cathay Dragon joins the region’s AirAsia Japan and NokScoot as victims of a traffic collapse brought on by border closures and quarantine rules introduced worldwide to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cathay Pacific Group’s decision to shut down Cathay Dragon will lead to thousands of job losses. The company said it is offering generous severance packages to those losing their livelihoods, but there will be pain ahead for everyone impacted by the regional airline’s immediate closure.

Overnight, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officer’s Association, which represents approximately 2,200 Cathay Pacific Group pilots, announced it was advising members against signing the new reduced salary packages after consulting with its lawyers. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: Qantas Group boss “hoping” to reach 50% of pre-pandemic domestic capacity by Christmas

October 29, 2020

  • Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said today the airline company was “hoping” to reach 50% of pre-COVID-19 domestic capacity by Christmas across its Qantas and Jetstar networks if interstate borders continued to be relaxed. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: Hong Kong to remove quarantine for citizens returning from China

October 28, 2020

  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region chief executive, Carrie Lam, told reporters yesterday she hoped to remove a 14-day quarantine requirement for Hong Kong residents returning to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from China in November. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: ANA HOLDINGS reports US$1.8 billion interim loss

October 27, 2020

  • ANA HOLDINGS INC. the parent company of Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), today reported a net loss of 188.4 billion yen (US$1.8 billion) for the six months to September 30, 2020, slumping into the red from a net profit of 56.7 billion yen in the same months last year. Read More »

 

Daily Digest

Orient Aviation Daily Digest: AirAsia Group documents details of US$72 million loan from Sabah Development Bank

October 26, 2020

  • AirAsia Group has reported details of a 300 million ringgit (US$72 million) loan from Sabah Development Bank Berhad. Read More »

 

News

ANA tipped to post annual loss, announce fleet, network changes

Market watchers expect All Nippon Airways (ANA) parent, ANA HOLDINGS INC. to announce a hefty loss, the retirement of scores of aircraft and new measures to shore up its position from the pandemic in its financial results release next week. Read More »


 

News

Cathay chairman has “every confidence” airline will survive the COVID-19 crisis

Cathay Pacific Group chairman, Patrick Healy, said this week the shutdown of regional wing Cathay Dragon, the loss of 8,500 jobs and lower pay and conditions for many staff remaining with the group would ensure its survival beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Read More »


 

News

Singapore Airlines has spent 70% of the US$4.6 billion in fresh capital raised last June

Singapore Airlines (SIA) said this week it was taking a prudent and proactive approach to liquidity as it disclosed S$6.2 billion (US$4.6 billion), or 70%, of the $8.8 billion in fresh capital it raised in June has been spent. Read More »


 

News

New Zealand fishermen case highlights challenges of accurate pre-departure COVID-19 testing

News this week that 18 fishermen from Russia and the Ukraine were diagnosed with COVID-19 after arriving in New Zealand, despite undergoing pre-departure testing, has highlighted the challenges of resuming air travel with the virus still in the community. Read More »


 

News

End of Cathay Dragon likely to lead to greater role for HK Express

Cathay Pacific Group chairman, Patrick Healy, said most of the destinations served by Cathay Dragon, known as Dragonair until a rebranding in January 2016, were expected to be served by Cathay Pacific or the airline group's 100%-owned LCC, HK Express. Read More »


 

Short Takes

Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, told shareholders at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) today the "unexpected closure of several domestic borders" in Australia had resulted in a A$100 million (US$71 million) negative impact on earnings for the first quarter of the financial year, as well as an undisclosed financial impact in the second quarter. Read More »