Ayesha de Kretser

1 week ago | afr.com | Ayesha de Kretser

Macquarie Group’s infrastructure arm has acquired stakes in three United Kingdom airports from Canadian pension investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, as it seeks to capitalise on a rebound in post-pandemic travel demand. The European infrastructure fund of Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) has bought a 55 per cent stake in Bristol Airport, 26.5 per cent of Birmingham Airport and a quarter stake in London City Airport.

1 week ago | afr.com | Ayesha de Kretser

Regional Express could remain in limbo until the end of the year after the Albanese government was forced to extend the collapsed airline’s administration amid a long delay in finding it a new owner. In a statement late on Tuesday, the government said it would hand another $30 million to the airline, known as Rex, which collapsed almost a year ago after a boardroom brawl and the failure of a strategy to expand from regional services and compete on popular capital city routes. Loading...

1 week ago | afr.com | Ayesha de Kretser

Morningstar says Virgin Australia’s long-awaited float will be overpriced, and its private equity owners are taking advantage of high travel demand. In the first analyst note circulated to clients ahead of the airline’s listing on June 24, Morningstar’s Angus Hewitt placed a $2.60 per share value on the company’s stock. Virgin has secured an IPO at $2.90 per share, raising a total $685 million in an offer that saw heavy demand from investors. Loading...

2 weeks ago | afr.com | Ayesha de Kretser

Qantas is closely monitoring the implications of the devastating Air India crash that killed more than 200 people, but experts say it is unlikely to signal broader safety issues. The plane that crashed in Ahmedabad in western India on Thursday was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, but Qantas flies the bigger 787-9 variant. Both airlines use the same General Electric GEnX engines. Loading...

2 weeks ago | afr.com | Ayesha de Kretser

Air New Zealand will add more than 30,000 seats to North America this year as it targets Qantas’ dominance of the lucrative premium travel market between Australia and the United States. The ASX and NZX dual-listed carrier said the new seats, which come at the same time as seven refurbished Boeing Dreamliners, will increase its capacity by 8 per cent to the US and Canada compared to the previous year, including a 15 per cent rise in business class. Loading...