American Airlines chairman and chief executive Doug Parker speaks to reporters at the White House following a meeting of airline chiefs with the US government earlier this month. It secured a $5.5bn loan last week to help it cope with the fallout from the pandemic. AFP
American Airlines chairman and chief executive Doug Parker speaks to reporters at the White House following a meeting of airline chiefs with the US government earlier this month. It secured a $5.5bn loan last week to help it cope with the fallout from the pandemic. AFP
American Airlines chairman and chief executive Doug Parker speaks to reporters at the White House following a meeting of airline chiefs with the US government earlier this month. It secured a $5.5bn loan last week to help it cope with the fallout from the pandemic. AFP
American Airlines chairman and chief executive Doug Parker speaks to reporters at the White House following a meeting of airline chiefs with the US government earlier this month. It secured a $5.5bn l

Aviation

American Airlines chief 'confident' federal payroll aid will be extended

A current funding deal that protects employees jobs is due to expire on Thursday

Bloomberg

September 27, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

American Airlines chief executive Doug Parker said there’s sufficient time for the US Congress to agree on extending $25 billion (Dh25bn) in federal aid that would prevent layoffs for tens of thousands of airline workers on October 1.

American will continue urging Congress to resolve a stalemate and approve the aid as part of a broader economic stimulus package, Mr Parker said on Sunday in an interview on CBS's Face the Nation. The approaching deadline could spur action, he added.

“I’m confident” the payroll aid will be extended, Mr Parker said. “There’s certainly not much time left, but there’s enough time. Often times, a deadline like this is what is needed to get action. We’re hoping that is the case.”

Layoffs would shrink the US airline industry, seriously hampering its ability to rebuild its service once demand and the economy improve, he said.

There has been some increase in passenger demand, Mr Parker said, echoing comments made by several other carriers. Still, American expects its third quarter revenue to fall 75 per cent from a year earlier, and drop 65 per cent in the fourth quarter.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on CNN's State of the Union that there's a chance she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin can still reach a deal on a coronavirus stimulus package, and that Democrats will unveil a new "proffer" shortly.

“Our plan is to get Congress and the administration to come together and get a relief bill passed,” Mr Parker said. “There is enormous bipartisan support for it.”

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

The 10 Questions
  • Is there a God?
  • How did it all begin?
  • What is inside a black hole?
  • Can we predict the future?
  • Is time travel possible?
  • Will we survive on Earth?
  • Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
  • Should we colonise space?
  • Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
  • How do we shape the future?
Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO

Burnley 0

Man City 3

Raheem Sterling 35', 49'

Ferran Torres 65'