The European Commission will allow Iran Air to operate more aircraft to the EU when it updates its Air Safety List later this month, Aviation Daily has learned.
Airline industry consolidation has benefited the carriers that have merged and the industry at large, but the U.S. government must ensure that independents are able to compete, the CEO of Hawaiian Airlines said.
WestJet Airlines will convert nine options for Bombardier Q400 turboprops into firm orders for delivery between April 2017 and June 2018, the carrier said June 1.  
The recent expansion of Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A350 operational commitments means the carrier can not only replace its A380s on London flights, but also can fly the new aircraft on another route.
Airlines are extending a substantial number of leases for older aircraft to take advantage of lower fuel prices, and are deferring deliveries of new jets, according to AerCap CEO Aengus Kelly.
A French naval vessel involved in the search for EgyptAir Flight MS 804 has received signals “assumed to be from one of the [aircraft’s] data recorders,” Egyptian authorities said.  
Terrorism is a concern for airlines across the world, but the biggest challenge to growth is the lack of airport infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa, according to Turkish Airlines’ chief executive.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has suspended approvals for new airlines in response to safety concerns raised by the overall fragmentation of skills within the industry, sources say.
Air China remains committed to opening a service between San Jose, California, and Shanghai, despite a delay that probably will push the commencement beyond June.
The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) is questioning whether Embraer can improve the man–machine interface for the E190 autoland system, based on three hard-landing incidents. &
Airbus sales chief John Leahy has warned that delays in setting up a secure system of money transfers in and out of Iran could jeopardize orders from the country.
Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo continues to lobby for ownership restrictions to be removed so that his company can participate in European airline consolidation.
As Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines battle in Los Angeles for share, United Airlines “won’t ignore” the market, but will concentrate its growth in San Francisco, two of the carrier’s top network executives told employees.
In observance of Memorial Day in the U.S., Aviation Daily will not be publishing on Monday, May 30. The next issue of Aviation Daily will be dated Weds., June 1.
BRUSSELS—In the same week Air France–KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac is to be named to lead IATA, Air France’s main pilot union has voted in favor of an extended strike to protest the start of cost-saving measures.
25 Years Ago May 31, 1991—Randy Babbitt, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, disputes Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner’s blaming U.S. airline problems on high labor costs. Babbitt says labor costs declined from 42% of airline operating expenses in 1977, the year before deregulation, to 37% in 1990. 50 Years Ago
DUBLIN—China’s HNA Group has agreed to purchase a stake in Virgin Australia, adding a further twist to Virgin Australia’s already complicated ownership model.
Sustained capacity discipline, combined with more diverse revenue-generation strategies, have set up the U.S. airline industry for a soft landing when the current upcycle peaks and contraction begins, a new InterVistas analysis said. This will likely occur within the next 6-12 months, the report said.
BEIJING—Construction of the second airport for Chengdu, China, began May 27, with a target to complete the work in 2019, ahead of opening the facility the following year.
