Iceland to manage Kosovo’s lower airspace

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Dubai-based Emirates airline has posted a $5.5 billion annual loss, its first in more than three decades, after the coronavirus pandemic devastated the aviation industry. The carrier said it received a capital injection of $3.1 billion from its owner, the government of Dubai, to help it survive the crisis. The Emirates group was "hit hard by the drop in demand for international air travel as countries closed their borders and imposed stringent travel restrictions", said Chairman and Chief Executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. "No one knows when the pandemic will be over, but we know recovery will be patchy", he said in a statement. The Middle East's largest carrier said that the fallout triggered a loss of 20.3 billion dirhams ($5.5 billion) over the financial year to March, after last year's 1.1 billion dirhams ($288 million) profit. The airline, which was forced to temporarily suspend scheduled operations last year, saw revenue fall 66% to $8.4 billion. Over the fiscal year Emirates carried 6.6 million passengers, down 88% from the same period in the previous year. "The Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a tremendous toll on human lives, communities, economies, and on the aviation and travel industry", Sheikh Ahmed said. "Economies and companies that entered pandemic times in a strong position, will be better placed to bounce back", he added. The last time the airline reported a loss was in the 1987-88 financial year, when it was starting up its operations. Like other major carriers, Emirates began announcing heavy layoffs when its fleet of A380 superjumbos and Boeing 777s was grounded. The Emirates Group's employee base - which includes ground-handling firm Dnata - was slashed by 30.8% to 75.145 employees. Before the virus hit, Emirates airline alone employed some 60.033 staff, including 4.300 pilots and nearly 22.000 cabin crew. The workforce has now shrunk to 40.801 staff. Emirates is currently flying to 157 destinations, almost its full travel network of 158 destinations in 85 countries before the pandemic.
Source: France 24

Iceland to manage Kosovo’s lower airspace

NEWS FLASH

Iceland has acquired the rights to manage Kosovo's lower airspace. On behalf of Kosovo, the framework agreement with Iceland was signed last Friday by the commander of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR), General Michele Risi. “The conclusion of this agreement is an important step in the process of creating all the conditions necessary for the opening of new routes in Kosovo's lower airspace in a safe and orderly manner. The agreement will also contribute to ongoing efforts to promote the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, within the framework of the EU-sponsored dialogue", KFOR said in a statement. In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and the 1999 Military Technical Agreement, KFOR retains the authority over security in the lower airspace over Kosovo, which has been closed to commercial air traffic, with exception for flights to and from Pristina Airport. The development of new air routes is pursued within the framework of the NATO’s Balkan Aviation Normalisation Meetings (BANM), under the lead of NATO, and with the participation of all relevant stakeholders. The normalisation of the lower airspace of Kosovo will shorten routes and generate environmental benefits and costs savings for airlines and military aviation. Kosovo’s upper airspace is controlled by Hungary.

Comments

Anonymous14:05
Hungary who doesn't have enough personel for their own airspace.
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Anonymous23:55
When will the airspace open, to allow JU flights to fly over Pristina on the way to Skopje from Belgrade?
It should shorten their flight time quite a bit
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Anonymous12:09
I wonder if they are trained to spot Mig-29s flying at supersonic speed towards the airspace there? LOL
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