Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Wednesday, 25 March 2020

BBC News

• Coronavirus: KLM cuts Cardiff Airport flightsOne of Cardiff Airport's longest-serving airlines is to
• Coronavirus: No extra help for airlines, chancellor saysThe UK chancellor has told airlines to find other forms of funding and not turn first to the government for help getting through the coronavirus crisis.

Financial Times

• US airlines seek to delay day of reckoning with $50bn bailoutEmergency capital injection may not last long as carriers burn through millions of dollars a day
• Sunak warns airlines they will receive only ‘bespoke’ helpCash-strapped industry urged to explore all other funding avenues first
• Qantas secures A$1bn in funds despite credit crunchOne of first successful private debt raisings by an airline during coronavirus crisis

The Guardian

• The UK airline industry should first ask their own shareholders for bailoutsCarriers such as IAG and easyJet have boasted of healthy cash balances – it’s the regional airports more worthy of Treasury helpRishi Sunak is right: airlines should ask their own shareholders for a bailout before they tap up the Treasury for public money.The chancellor’s stance can be considered a U-turn since he seemed only last week to be ready to regard aviation as a special case. But a lot can happen in a few days and, in the interim, Sunak unveiled his flagship “furloughâ€� scheme to keep workers in jobs by paying 80% of wages, up to £2,500 a month. That’s a huge help for all service indus...

Times Online

• Ryanair offers to fly in vital supplies [subscription]Ryanair expects its fleet to be grounded until at least the end of May. The Irish airline said yesterday that it had offered its planes to governments to transport medicine, personal protective equipment and, if necessary, emergency food supplies. It added that it was continuing to operate flights to return stranded passengers to their home countries.
• Airline anger as Sunak says he won’t fly to industry’s rescue in coronavirus chaos [subscription]Aviation bosses have warned that Britain’s airports could be temporarily closed after ministers ruled out a comprehensive state bailout for the industry.

City AM

• Australian authorities investigating Qantas over Virgin claimsAustralian competition authorities are investigating claims from Virgin Australia that rival carrier Qantas has been briefing the media that it is not financially viable and should be excluded from any state bailout of the struggling sector.

Belfast Telegraph

• Virgin Australia slashes 90% of domestic capacity and 8,000 jobs amid pandemicVirgin Australia has cut 90% of its domestic capacity and stood down at least 8,000 people as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the aviation sector.

London Evening Standard

• Qantas makes historic non-stop flight from Australia's Northern Territory to London due to coronavirusIts flagship Sydney to London service usually flies via Singapore but due to travel restrictions on international journeys it was forced to find an alternative route.

Wales Online

• The bleak state of the departure board at Cardiff AirportKLM has announced it is cutting flights from the airport

North Wales Live

• Airbus Broughton to keep operating amid coronavirus crisis - aerospace giant explains whyThe aerospace giant has been in contact with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for clarification on measures