Calling Spirit Airlines the “most-efficient producer of seats in the industry,” CEO Ben Baldanza said Sept. 9 that his airline probably will add 125 new markets in the next five years.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is on track to make a decision by the end of 2015 regarding whether it will order Boeing 787s or Airbus A350s to replace its A340 fleet.
Alaska Airlines expects an uptick in competitors’ capacity at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport early next year, airline CFO Brandon Pedersen said recently at the Cowen & Co. Global Transportation Conference conference in Boston.
Hainan Airlines has received preliminary approval to establish Guilin Airlines, its latest offshoot, from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Malaysia Airlines (MAB) has signed a deal to lease four Airbus A350-900s from Air Lease Corporation, in its first major fleet move since relaunching as a new company on Sept. 1. The aircraft are due to be delivered between fourth-quarter 2017 and second-quarter 2018. MAB also secured options to lease two Airbus A330neos and two more A350s. The airline has not yet specified which aircraft the A350s will replace. It has A330s, Airbus A380s and Boeing 777-200ERs in its widebody fleet.
The Japanese government may lift some of the restrictions on flights between the U.S. and Tokyo Haneda Airport, and could offer seventh-freedom cargo rights to U.S. carriers.
Early evidence gleaned by investigators probing the Sept 8. engine fire on board British Airways Flight 2276 points to an uncontained failure in the high-pressure compressor, an NTSB update suggests.
With strong signs that Boeing’s order backlog for the 767 could mushroom beyond 240 over the next decade, the company has confirmed plans to increase the production rate from 2 to 2.5 aircraft per month in the fourth quarter of 2017.
German pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) offered to resume negotiations with Lufthansa one day after a labor court declared the two-day strike earlier this week was illegal.
In contrast to their colleagues at Air France, who deliberated on Sept. 10 whether to enter into negotiations with management on productivity measures, pilots at KLM have voted to accept a new collective bargaining agreement.
Rolls-Royce’s program to boost flexibility in supporting mature engines has landed its first official widebody customer, as Cathay Pacific will use the manufacturer’s TotalCare Flex program to support the Trent 800s that power 18 of its Boeing 777s.
FAA programs — including the critical Airport Improvement Program (AIP) — will expire at the end of September, and there are just a handful of legislative days for Congress to act until then.
Frontier Airlines told the U.S. Transportation Department on Aug. 31 that it no longer requires authorization on three Mexico routes: Rockford, Illinois to Cancun, and Chicago to Puerto Vallarta and San Jose Del Cabo. All three authorizations expire in mid-November. Frontier said it has already discontinued service on all three routes.
Acknowledging that American Airlines is behind its rivals in the Asia-Pacific region, CFO Derek Kerr says the carrier plans to focus its growth across the Pacific. “That’s where our hole is,” he told investors at the Cowen & Co. transportation conference. Latin America—where American historically has been dominant—remains weak. Brazil’s economy shows no immediate signs of improving, and Venezuela remains a problem. The Caribbean network, however, is performing well, Kerr said.
A German court decision to declare the current Lufthansa pilot strike illegal could become a turning point in the most bitter dispute yet between the airline and its employees.
The government-backed arm that owns Malaysia Airlines (MAB) reports the carrier is making good progress with its restructuring plan, and more of the turnaround funding earmarked for the airline is due to be released soon.
United Airlines will make securing labor contracts with flight attendants and maintenance technicians a priority under new CEO Oscar Munoz, two airline executives told analysts.
