Intensifying competition among airlines operating on European routes was today blamed by Virgin Express for a 13% slide in annual revenues.

A MISSILE attack on a passenger plane is something the aviation industry has long feared, experts said yesterday.

A missile attack on a passenger plane is something the aviation industry has long feared, experts said today.

Virgin Express airlines today said its second quarter profits had jumped by 38%, showing it has recovered following the September 11 terror attacks.

British Airways and SN Brussels Airlines have signed a new commercial partnership.

Virgin Express is to seek talks with Go, the budget airline set to be taken over by rival easyJet, in a move which could have implications for Ryanair in expanding the European budget airlines market.

Merger talks between SN Brussels Airlines, the successor airline of collapsed Sabena, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Express collapsed today.

The successor to Sabena is to be called SN Brussels Airlines.

Airbus is claiming the lead over Boeing despite seeing more than 100 orders cancelled by airline customers facing bankruptcy.

Delta Air Transport - the successor to the bankrupt Sabena - may soon merge with Virgin Express.

Efforts to develop a successor to Belgium’s failed national airline were thrown into doubt on Wednesday when a commercial court refused to extend bankruptcy protection to Sabena’s former in-house bank.

A Belgian commercial court is due to decide whether to grant bankruptcy protection to the former in-house bank of collapsed airline Sabena.

Virgin Express confirmed today it is in talks with the successor to collapsed Belgian state airline Sabena on a possible co-operation agreement, but denied that a merger is imminent.

Richard Branson's Virgin Express airline has confirmed it is talking to a subsidiary of the collapsed Belgian airline Sabena about a possible deal.

Richard Branson’s Virgin express airline is thought to be close to a merger with a subsidiary of beleaguered Belgian airline, Sabena.

Aer Lingus is cutting its sponsorship links with some major sporting events, including the Ryder Cup which will be held in Ireland in 2006.

Canada's second biggest airline is being forced to close, laying off 4,800 staff.

Sabena has filed for bankruptcy at Brussels commercial court.

Belgian airline Sabena has just announced that it has filled for bankruptcy.

One of Europe’s oldest airlines is hours from going bust.

All flights into Shannon Airport in Co Clare were diverted today after a bird flew into the engine of a Ryanair plane that was preparing to take off.

Sabena staff are demonstrating on the tarmac at Brussels Airport as the airline faces bankruptcy.

Sabena is to suspend all of its flights from Wednesday. It's understood that the Belgian national carrier is to be placed in liquidation this week, after the company failed to attract investment.

Extra police were sent to Brussels international airport today to contain any protests in case state airline Sabena files for bankruptcy this week.

Sabena, the Belgian state airline, will file for bankruptcy next week, union officials said today.

Budget airline Ryanair is to challenge a Belgian Government loan to its ailing national carrier Sabena in the courts, chief executive Michael O’Leary said today.

The European Union has approved the Belgian government's plan to give Sabena airlines a short-term loan of £80m.

The Government will next week approve a guaranteed loan plan to bail out their troubled Aer Lingus airline - even though the European Commission looks likely to oppose the move.

SIPTU's Eoin Reidy has said it is vital the Government should maintain the pressure on the European Commission to relax its policy of refusing exchequer backing for airlines.

Sir Richard Branson says Virgin Atlantic will survive the crisis surrounding the aviation industry.

Public Enterprise Minister Mary O’Rourke tonight pledged a fight to ensure that European airlines were not left at a cashflow disadvantage against their American rivals.

Sabena is scrapping two of its three daily Belfast-Brussels flights.

Sabena is being reprieved from the threat of bankruptcy until the end of next month.

The taxpayer is facing an insurance bill of up to £5bn to keep Irish airlines in the air after insurers pulled the plug on third party war risk cover in the wake of the September 11 atrocities.

Irish airline Ryanair has complained to the European Commission about the Belgian Government’s decision to arrange a bridging loan for its struggling national airline, Sabena.

Passengers will face higher ticket prices if the decline in the airline industry continues, according to analysts.

Passengers will face higher ticket prices if the decline in the airline industry continues, according to analysts.

Hotels and airlines moved to help thousands of stranded passengers today as the Swiss Government pressed Swissair and the largest banks to find a lasting solution to the sudden shutdown of the airline.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary says the collapse of Swissair will benefit consumers.

Troubled Belgian state airline Sabena will seek bankruptcy protection today after Swissair failed to provide promised financial assistance, the government announced.

Belgium's state airline Sabena says it has enough cash to keep it flying for the moment.

The battle to have the EU lift its ban on state aid for Aer Lingus will be fought on two fronts in Europe today.

Germany’s Frankfurt airport today closed its check-in hall to anyone without a ticket to prevent the area being invaded by human rights activists protesting at the deportation of rejected asylum see

A Brussels court has upheld a complaint against Ryanair from the Belgian carrier, Sabena.