Aviation Daily

Southwest Airlines has exercised 40 Boeing 737-8 options, while deferring 23 737-7 deliveries, a fleet adjustment the Dallas-based carrier said was driven by the tax bill passed in late December by the U.S. Congress.

Leisure travel group Thomas Cook has acquired Air Berlin Aviation, an affiliate of bankrupt Air Berlin, to speed up its growth in the German market.

The new head of Eurocontrol said his goal is to conduct air traffic management “in a pan-European way, but without duplication.”

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he will work with President Donald Trump to develop a wide-ranging infrastructure bill.

Asia-Pacific airlines continue to see healthy growth in passenger demand, and an even stronger uptick in cargo demand.

Vietjet has decided to convert all 42 of its Airbus A320neo orders to the larger A321neo, a move that further delineates the roles of Boeing and Airbus narrowbodies in its long-term fleet strategy.

The abdication of TransDigm Group’s CFO may not have anything to do with the company's financial situation, but it could add to investor hesitations.

The prototype of the Avic AG600 Kunlong amphibian has made its first flight after an apparently difficult development program.

EasyJet expects to increase its annual passenger total from 80 to 90 million in 2018, with its fleet set to grow by another 20 aircraft over the next few months.

2017 saw 10 fatal accidents involving commercial airliners—the lowest number of fatal accidents and fatalities on record, according to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN).

Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport in southeastern France expects about 3% growth in 2018 as it prepares to launch 11 new short- and medium-haul routes and to invest in necessary infrastructure.

View the SpeedNews Aircraft & Engine Marketplace chart in PDF format

Embattled TransDigm Group will sell its recently acquired Schroth Safety Products seat belt provider to the business unit’s management and a private equity investor.

The prototype of the Avic AG600 Kunlong amphibian has made its first flight after an apparently difficult development program.

In observance of the year-end holidays in the U.S., Aviation Daily will not publish again until its Jan. 2, 2018, issue.

Korean Air has taken delivery of its first Bombardier CS300, which is scheduled to be deployed in the carrier’s domestic network early in 2018.

View the American Airlines Fuel Cost 2016/2017 chart in PDF format.

View the Global Jet Fuel Prices As of December 21, 2017 chart in PDF format.

EU members have endorsed a revision of the European aviation safety regulation that, among other steps, establishes the first EU-wide framework for regulating small drones.

According to industry sources, four bidders are in the mix.

An Osaka, Japan-bound Boeing 737-300 lifted off Dec. 22 from China’s Nanjing International Airport, marking a new chapter for SF Express and SF Airlines.

Viva Air said the aircraft will be operated by two group airlines and will allow the two all-Airbus operators to modernize their fleets and capture growth opportunities across Latin America.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian estimates the 11-hr. power blackout at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) Dec. 17 cost the company $25-50 million, a Delta spokesperson confirmed.

U.S. airlines are ending another year of record profits and were once again responsible for a good chunk of the global industry’s earnings. But the costs of fuel and labor are rising.

Sino-Russian commercial aircraft consortium Craic is taking over management of the program to develop the CR929 widebody aircraft, following the partners’ approval of a proposed budget and organizational structure.