Nordic Aviation Capital Gets Temporary Financial Relief
US Bankruptcy Court has granted financially troubled Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) approval to tap into US$170 million of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, allowing it to continue operations. The US Bankruptcy Court has issued an interim order to NAC, allowing the company…
Aviation Revolution In French Polynesia
French Polynesia’s government has disclosed it is allowing new entrants into the domestic market to create more competition for the incumbent Air Tahiti, which last year announced it wanted to abandon some routes, creating a dilemma for the government. The…
First COMAC ARJ21 Freighter To Be Delivered This Year
The first Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) ARJ21 freighter will be delivered in the middle of this year with the first operator being an airline in China, a booming air cargo market. Norbert Marx, CEO of Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance…
Former Head Of Air Tahiti Behind New French Polynesian Start-Up
A trademark application made by Tahiti domestic start-up Air Moana reportedly shows that the airline’s founder is Christian Vernaudon, a French Polynesian politician who is the former chairman and CEO of French Polynesia’s domestic carrier Air Tahiti. French news website Outremers 360 says Natireva’s…
Nepal’s Buddha Air Plans Fleet Expansion
Nepal’s largest domestic airline Buddha Air is adding four more ATRs to its fleet to serve additional destinations as more locals are turning to air transport for travel. Buddha Air’s sales, marketing and ground handling director, Rupesh Joshi, tells Smart…
Nepal’s Yeti Airlines Set To Add More ATRs
Domestic carrier Yeti Airlines intends to add four ATRs this year because travel demand is recovering. Yeti Airlines’ spokesperson, Sudarshan Bartaula, tells Smart Aviation Asia Pacific the airline is looking to dry lease two ATR 72-500s and two ATR 42-500s this year…
Australia’s Heston MRO Signs Agreement To Buy Jet Aviation’s Cairns MRO Facility
Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organisation Heston MRO has signed a purchase agreement to buy General Dynamics’ Jet Aviation Cairns MRO facility, with the acquisition to be finalised end of March Heston MRO says in a statement the deal will…
India’s SpiceJet Loses Appeal In Court
India’s Madras High Court has dismissed SpiceJet’s appeal challenging a wind-up and liquidation order that was issued over monies owed. India news reports, quoting the Madras High Court, say that a division bench of Justice Paresh Upadhyay and Justice Sathi…
India’s Alliance Air To Refurbish ATR Fleet
State-owned Indian regional carrier Alliance Air has issued a tender to refurbish its fleet of 18 ATRs. Alliance Air says in the tender document that service providers – approved by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation – are invited to…
India State Opens Tender For Seaplane Service
Indian authorities are rebooting the Ahmedabad to Kevadia seaplane service, after Spicejet withdrew from the contract, and is looking for operators. The Gujarat state government wants to restart the seaplane service as soon as possible and has invited parties to…
Nepal Breaks Domestic Travel Record
Nepal recorded an all-time high in domestic passenger numbers last year, largely due to cheap air fares causing a surge in demand. Local media outlet The Kathmandu Post – quoting official statistics compiled by Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport – says there were…
Sri Lanka’s FitsAir To Expand Into International Passenger Ops with De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s
Privately-owned Sri Lankan carrier FitsAir plans to move into scheduled international passenger services using De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Dash 8-400s on dry lease. Omar Kayaam, managing director of FitsAir, tells Smart Aviation Asia Pacific that the airline, which has…
