Ireland’s two major airlines are expected to announce large-scale cutbacks to their services as the industry reels from the onslaught of Covid-19.

Major stock market indices were hit and the shares of international airlines fell amid concerns about the potential spread of the coronavirus on world business and tourism.

EasyJet shares jumped by more than 3% after the airline reported headline pre-tax profit of £427m (€498m), in line with guidance.

Business class flying should be scrapped to cut carbon emissions, according to the boss of the a UK airport's largest airline.

Boeing may have to book billions of dollars in additional charges, two brokers said, following latest developments around the planemaker’s grounded 737 Max jet that calls into question the timing of the aircraft’s return to service.

Disruptive passengers force planes into emergency landings at least once a month and every three hours passenger safety is threatened by unruly people on the plane. 70% of these incidents are aggressive.

The head of corporate affairs for the Irish Aviation Authority has said that banning alcohol on flights could be considered as a means to reduce the level of incidents of disruptive passenger behaviour on flights.

Michael O'Leary believes it is "inevitable" there will be just four major airlines in Europe over the next six years.

EasyJet could emerge as a surprise takeover target in an expected further wave of consolidation in the European airline sector, Davy Stockbrokers has said.

Norwegian Air has agreed to sell its stake in banking company Norwegian Finans Holding for €222m, boosting the loss-making airline’s finances and sending its shares sharply higher.

Budapest-based Wizz Air will continue to tap the low-cost airline business in eastern Europe, securing an advantage on western European rivals including Ryanair, Fitch Ratings has said in a review of European airlines’ recent earnings.

Willie Walsh, the boss of airline conglomerate IAG, which owns Aer Lingus, said that airports will have to cut charges they levy airlines and that Cork Airport’s financial health will not be harmed if they do so.

Air France-KLM said its operating profit rose 16% in the second quarter as new chief executive Ben Smith’s cost-cutting helped offset rising fuel prices, sending its shares higher.

British Airways has lost a Court of Appeal bid to block pilots from taking strike action in a dispute over pay.

The 2018 annual report by from the Commission of Aviation Regulation (CAR) revealed that the organisation received a total of 4,420 passenger queries, which resulted in 2,319 valid complaints.

The regulator in charge of enforcing air passenger rights is working to clear a huge backlog of complaints.

Shares in carrier Norwegian Air climbed after the Aer Lingus and British Airways owner IAG denied a Spanish media report it was preparing another offer for the airline.

Lufthansa has adjusted its dividend policy and unveiled a revamp of its money-losing Eurowings arm in a bid to soothe investor worries a week after issuing a second profit warning this year.

German airline Lufthansa will speed up cost cutting to try to boost productivity at its low-cost Eurowings subsidiary as it battles to defend market share in a competitive European market, chief executive Carsten Spohr has said.

Both Ryanair and IAG are facing fresh threats of strike action by their British-based pilots.

Global airlines are meeting under a storm pattern of trade tensions, rising oil prices and a two-month-old grounding of the Boeing Co 737 Max jetliner — threatening to put a halt to five years of strong profits in the cut-throat air travel industry.

Thomas Cook’s bonds tumbled to record lows after reports that questioned the company’s ability to return to profit and avoid being crushed under a pile of debt.

When John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown crash-landed into a Connemara bog almost a century ago, it was a Cork-born journalist who broke the news of their non-stop transatlantic flight to the rest of the world.

Norwegian Air filled more seats on its planes and earned higher revenues per customer in April while dealing with the grounding of its 18 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, it said, sending its shares up almost 3%.