Lauda

This week: Ryanair cleared for Laudamotion deal; JetBlue signs Airbus order; rising fuel costs hit Delta; passenger demand rises in May; executive changes at WestJet; and Boeing's Q2 orders and deliveries.

International Airlines Group is seeking to gain a foothold on Austrian soil by using LEVEL, its low-cost weapon on transatlantic routes, to enter the crowded European short-haul leisure market.

This week: Virgin Atlantic expands US routes from Manchester and Laudamotion adds Jordan to its network.

Our top five stories on Routes Weekly: Africa's busiest routes, Ryanair's LaudaMotion plans, Southwest eyes growth, US-Brazil open skies ratified, ASM launches TakeOff

Ryanair expects Austrian leisure airline LaudaMotion to have a fleet of up to 50 aircraft over the next five years as it seeks to build a “substantial and profitable group” of European carriers.

LaudaMotion, the new Austrian airline headed by Formula One champion Niki Lauda and backed by Ryanair, is to launch a Berlin Tegel base as competition in Germany’s capital intensifies.