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Landing gear on Pakistan International Airlines jet may not have been deployed; 97 died in crash Friday
ISLAMABAD—A Pakistani-led investigation into a deadly air crash Friday will examine whether the jet’s engines were damaged in an aborted first landing, causing a loss of power when the plane circled around for a second landing, officials familiar with the probe said.
Initial evidence suggests the engines of the Pakistan International Airlines jet made contact with the runway in Karachi when the pilot attempted to land without landing gear deployed, the officials said. Marks on the runway indicate the engines were dragged along it, while flight-altitude data and eyewitness accounts say that the plane took off again, they said.
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Industry is working to curb pandemic risks that have brought air traffic to a near standstill
Boeing Co. BA 3.31% and Airbus EADSY -0.94% SE are researching the new coronavirus’s behavior inside jetliners, part of an industry push to curb risks that have brought air traffic to a near standstill.
Their work will involve academics, engineers and medical experts expected to examine new measures to prevent disease transmission on airplanes, according to the companies and people involved in their discussions.
The effort to better understand air-travel risks during the pandemic comes as airlines try to reassure nervous passengers that masks and filtered cabin air provide reliable protection from infection in flight. Global air traffic has plunged as governments closed borders and ordered would-be fliers to stay home.
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A Q&A for anyone confused about traveling right now: How to stay healthy, how to get a refund when you cancel a trip, and when it might be safe to travel again
Is there any place abroad that’s safe to travel right now?
In a nutshell, no. The novel coronavirus has spread to more than 100 countries and every continent except for Antarctica. In March, the U.S. State Department issued its sternest warning against international travel, citing the escalating coronavirus outbreak around the globe, increasing travel restrictions, quarantines and airline cancellations. The Level 4 advisory, which means “Do Not Travel,” is the highest level, typically issued for war zones but here applied to all international destinations. The State Department also urged those U.S. citizens already abroad to return immediately or prepare to stay outside of the U.S. indefinitely. Even apart from the State Department warning, American travelers won’t be welcomed in the growing number of countries that are closing their borders to nonresidents, including Canada, the 26 countries in the European Union, India, Israel and Australia. And due to the high number of confirmed cases on cruise ships, the CDC and the U.S. State Department are advising travelers, particularly those with underlying health issues, to avoid all cruise trips. The CDC also recommends older adults and travelers with underlying health issues to avoid long plane trips.
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With the huge decline in air travel, those still flying have plenty of room. Maybe everyone was running late, Juan Grimaldo thought.
It was earlier this month at the Phoenix airport, and Mr. Grimaldo, 22, had just arrived at his gate. He had finished a stint working on a construction site and bought a cheap American Airlines ticket home to El Paso, Texas. He knew the coronavirus pandemic would keep most people at home, but there wasn’t another passenger in sight.
As he approached, the gate attendant greeted him by name. That was odd, he thought. He boarded, bemused. A sea of empty rows gaped. “Then it hit me,” he says. “I was the only one on the plane.”
To fly is an experience that upends a sense of space and time. In the wake of the coronavirus, with millions of Americans sheltering in place, that is truer than ever. Airports sit eerily empty, symbols of how the virus has devastated the economy and airlines in particular. Air passenger numbers are down a whopping 95%, according to U.S. government data, with many airline workers laid off or furloughed.
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David Calhoun tells plane maker’s shareholders he doesn’t expect air travel to return to 2019 levels for two or three years
Air traffic may not bounce back for two or three years, Boeing Co. BA -0.23% Chief Executive David Calhoun said, outlining the tough outlook for global aviation to the plane maker’s shareholders on Monday.
“The health crisis is unlike anything we have ever experienced,” Mr. Calhoun said at the annual meeting. “It will be years before this returns to pre-pandemic levels.”
Mr. Calhoun laid out the coronavirus pandemic’s toll on the industry: Global airline revenues are set to drop by $314 billion this year. In the U.S., more than 2,800 planes are idled. Passenger demand is down 95% from last year.
“We are in an unpredictable and fast-changing environment, and it is difficult to estimate when the situation will stabilize,” he added. “But when it does, the commercial market will be smaller and our customers’ needs will be different.”
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Investors in London Stock Exchange-listed funds enjoyed solid returns for years but as the global airline industry is pummeled by coronavirus, some of those investors are looking for the exits
So-called specialty aircraft-leasing funds have generated steady income for investors, but many are now bailing as dividend payments are suspended.
LONDON—The coronavirus pandemic has upended the airline industry, halting travel and grounding planes. Now, the sector’s pain is spreading to a little-known corner of the market where investors have enjoyed heady returns for years.
So-called specialty aircraft-leasing funds have generated income for investors hungry for yield. These funds buy jets from the likes of Boeing Co. BA 5.36% and Airbus SE and lease them to global air carriers such as Thai Airways International THAI 14.67% PCL and Emirates Airline.
In recent weeks, many of those investors have fled or incurred big paper losses as some London Stock Exchange -listed funds suspended dividend payments and held discussions with lenders to renegotiate payment schedules.
Two of the five LSE-listed aircraft funds have suspended dividend payments and share prices are down between 42% and 74% since mid-February.
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Airbus slashes production rates, including for A320, a rival to MAX
The crisis that has embroiled the world’s airlines is now hitting the industry’s biggest aircraft makers, Boeing Co. BA 5.25% and Airbus EADSY -2.37% SE, and further challenging Boeing’s efforts to return its 737 MAX to service.
Airbus said it was slashing production by about a third after booking just 21 net orders for jets in March and delivering 36 jets to customers, amid a flood of requests by customers to defer and cancel orders.
Underscoring the challenge for Boeing’s 737 MAX, Airbus said it was cutting its production of the MAX’s chief rival—the A320—to 40 a month, down from about 60 precrisis. Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the company was working on “operational and financial mitigation measures to face reality” amid the coronavirus pandemic, including slashing spending and cutting costs at its plants.
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Ruling could hamper antitrust enforcers in future cases
A Delaware federal judge rejected the Justice Department’s challenge of a deal in which travel-booking service Sabre SABR +11.88% Corp. is seeking to acquire an industry upstart, a stinging ruling that could hamper antitrust enforcers in future cases.
U.S. District Judge Leonard Stark, in a decision made public Wednesday, ruled the department failed to prove that Sabre’s planned purchase of Farelogix Inc. would unlawfully suppress competition.
Texas-based Sabre is the lead booking service for travel agents. The Justice Department said Miami-based Farelogix has newer, better flight-booking technology that is providing important competition and bringing benefits to airlines and consumers. Many industry participants supported the merger, but others including American Airlines Group Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. didn’t.
Sabre argued that it and Farelogix offer complementary products, and combining them would drive faster innovation that serves airlines and travelers.
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