Boeing, China, and Tariffs: A Slow-Burn Crisis
Boeing is facing its most severe tariff-related crisis with China as U.S. duties on Chinese aerospace components intensify. The dispute, rooted in a 2025 freeze on certain imports, has escalated, inflating Boeing's production costs and delaying aircraft deliveries to Chinese carriers. Chinese regulators have hinted at countermeasures, threatening broader supply‑chain stability. The standoff now jeopardizes Boeing’s 2026 production targets and its market share in the world’s largest aviation market.
The Fight Is On For A Stake In TAP Air Portugal
Portugal's state-owned holding company Parpublica received non‑binding offers from Air France‑KLM and Lufthansa Group for a 44.9% minority stake in TAP Air Portugal, plus a 5% employee tranche. The government set an April 2 deadline and expects a preferred bidder to...
Icelandair Keen On Acquiring Stake in Fly Play’s Maltese Entity
Icelandair disclosed a letter of intent to acquire a 49% stake in Fly Play Europe, the Maltese‑registered entity that retained an Air Operator Certificate after the Icelandic low‑cost carrier’s bankruptcy. The transaction is contingent on due‑diligence and creditor approval. By...
Carbon Taxes and Fuel Costs Drive ACMI Fleet Realignment
Avion Express is pulling 15 Airbus A320‑ceo aircraft out of the European ACMI market and redeploying them to its Brazilian operation as EU carbon taxes and soaring fuel prices raise operating costs by roughly 25%. The shift reflects a broader...
Air Serbia Ends 2025 with a Slightly Lower Profit
Air Serbia reported 2025 revenue of €719.5 million ($834.7 million), up from the previous year, while pre‑tax profit slipped to €45.3 million ($52.5 million) versus €50 million ($57.9 million) in 2024. Passenger traffic rose 3% to 4.5 million and the network‑wide load factor improved to 77.3%, a...
A321XLR’s First Year Across the Atlantic
The Airbus A321XLR has completed its first year of transatlantic service, with Iberia debuting a nonstop Madrid‑Newark flight using a 182‑seat configuration. Iberia, the launch operator, now operates seven XLRs, marking a strategic shift toward long‑haul narrow‑body operations. Early performance...
Boeing 777-9: Phase 4A Makes 2027 Look Real
Boeing’s 777‑9 program, delayed six years and burdened with roughly $15 billion in charges, finally cleared a critical Phase 4A milestone on March 17, making a 2027 entry into service appear realistic. More than two dozen unfinished airframes sit at Paine Field, underscoring...
Air Algérie “Inherits” 10 Boeing MAX 8s From Previous GOL Order
Air Algérie will receive ten Boeing MAX 8 jets, with five arriving in July 2024 and the remaining five in 2027, taking over slots originally allocated to Brazil's GOL. The deliveries bring the carrier’s fleet renewal program to 42 new...
Volaris–Viva: Building Mexico’s “Super?ULCC”
On March 25, 2026 Volaris approved a merger with Viva Aerobus, creating a combined entity that will control roughly 71% of Mexico's domestic low‑cost market. The deal is financed by a $248.3 million capital increase that will dilute existing shareholders by...
With ITA Airways Profit Alitalia’s Ghost Is Put to Rest
ITA Airways announced its first net profit for 2025, posting €209 million (≈$230 million) after a €436 million swing from the prior year. The carrier achieved the result while operating 11% fewer flights and carrying 8% fewer passengers, lifting its load factor to...
Airbus A350: The Gap Between Ambition and Reality
Airbus’s flagship A350 program has missed its delivery targets dramatically. While the company promised nine aircraft per month by the end of 2025, actual output averaged five per month, yielding only 55‑57 units instead of the planned 108. The shortfall...
Airbus Mulls ATR Final Assembly in India
Airbus has signaled that it may establish a final‑assembly line for its 50‑percent‑owned ATR regional turboprop in India, marking the first such consideration by the European manufacturer. The move coincides with India’s revamped Regional Connectivity Scheme, which earmarks roughly $3.6 billion...
Wizz Air Starts Phases Out of Airbus A321ceo
Wizz Air has started retiring its Airbus A321ceo fleet, beginning with the 2016‑delivered aircraft, and plans to phase out all 41 units by March 2029. The carrier is replacing the older jets with higher‑capacity, fuel‑efficient A321neo models, keeping its average...
China Eastern Adds 101 A320neos As COMAC C919 Ramp Lags
China Eastern Airlines filed a follow‑on order for 101 Airbus A320neo family jets, valued at roughly $15.8 billion at list price. Deliveries are slated between 2028 and 2032, pending regulatory approval. The order builds on an existing fleet that already includes...
United’s A321 Push Transforms Fleet Economics
United Airlines has dramatically accelerated its aircraft acquisition program, with a particular focus on Airbus A321 deliveries. Since 2023 the carrier’s intake has outpaced previous years, signaling a strategic shift rather than simple fleet renewal. Boeing remains the primary supplier,...
Gulfstream Delivers 200th G600 Aircraft
Gulfstream announced the delivery of its 200th G600 business jet, a model first delivered in August 2019. The fleet has accumulated more than 197,000 flight hours, 87,000 landings and set 95 city‑pair speed records, including a 7‑hour‑42‑minute Aspen‑to‑London City run....
The Bumpy US Air Travel Recovery?
The U.S. Department of Transportation released its 2025 T‑100 airline traffic data through December, and AirInsight’s forecasting model shows domestic passenger volumes rebounding strongly but losing momentum. While year‑over‑year growth remains positive, the model struggles to shed pandemic‑era assumptions, indicating...
Finnair Opts For New Embraer E2s and Used Airbus A320/A321ceos
Finnair announced a hybrid fleet renewal, signing a firm contract for 18 new Embraer E195‑E2 jets with options that could expand the order to 46 aircraft. The airline will also acquire 12 used Airbus A320 and A321 ceo models to...
Subscriber Update on Production, Deliveries, and Orders
AirInsight’s March 2026 subscriber update shows both Boeing and Airbus struggling to keep narrow‑body production ahead of deliveries. Boeing resolved a 737 MAX wiring fault, produced 120 jets through March 18 and delivered 113, with a short‑term delivery lag expected to clear...
AerCap: Right Time for New Airbus Order – Frontier Order Restructured
AerCap announced its first direct Airbus order since 2017, committing to 100 A320neo family jets—23 A320neos and 77 A321neos. Forty‑five of the aircraft are converted options from last year’s Spirit Airlines deal, while the remaining 55 are brand‑new. Airbus will...
Boeing 737 MAX Deliveries Hit by Quality Glitch
Boeing disclosed a machining error at its Renton plant that left small scratches on wiring bundles in a batch of 737 MAX jets. The company is reworking the affected aircraft to meet its quality standards before delivery. While the issue...
Subscriber Update – Boeing 737 Production and Deliveries
Boeing recorded 16 first flights of the 737 MAX through March 11, showing the assembly line is still operating at a normal rate. However, only three MAX aircraft were delivered in March, leaving thirteen completed jets in inventory awaiting a wiring repair....
Cathay Pacific Profits Soar Past Pre-Pandemic Levels
Cathay Pacific reported a consolidated operating profit of HK$14.5 billion for 2025, eclipsing its pre‑pandemic performance. Net profit surged to HK$10.8 billion, far above the HK$1.7 billion recorded in 2019. The airline’s recovery outpaces its 2018 peak, which saw HK$3.6 billion operating profit. Strong...
Honda’s Hybrid eVTOL Could Rewrite Air Taxi Playbook
Honda unveiled its hybrid‑electric eVTOL at the Dubai Airshow, revealing more than 400 flight tests and a full‑scale demonstrator about 50 feet long. The aircraft combines eight lift propellers with two rear pusher units and a 250‑300 kW turbogenerator, targeting a 250‑mile...
Airbus Delivers Only 35 Aircraft in February
Airbus delivered just 35 aircraft in February, a sharp drop from its annual target of 870 deliveries. The A320neo family made up 25 of those planes, while A220‑300 deliveries rose to eight and the A350 program added two jets, leaving...
Turkish Airlines Takes a “Measured Capacity Expansion” As It Confronts Headwinds
Turkish Airlines posted a solid 2025 financial year, with revenue rising 6.3% to $24.1 billion and passenger revenues climbing 7.4% to $19.8 billion on 92 million travelers. The fourth quarter was especially strong, delivering a 12.7% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $5.1 billion. Cargo earnings...
Lufthansa Airlines’ Turnaround Comes In Small Steps
Lufthansa Group posted a €1.339 billion net profit for 2025, a 3% decline from 2024 and trailing Air France‑KLM and IAG. Revenue rose 5.4% to €39.6 billion, while Adjusted EBIT jumped 19% and operating margin edged to 4.9%. Within the group, Lufthansa...
WestJet’s First 737 MAX 10 Takes Flight
WestJet’s first 737 MAX 10, registration C‑FMWY, completed its maiden flight on March 2, marking the launch operator role for the new variant. The Canadian carrier now holds 96 firm MAX 10 orders with options for 25, after expanding its fleet with a 60‑aircraft...
Air Astana Grows A321LR Fleet Thanks to New Airbus Order
Air Astana has secured an incremental order for 25 Airbus A320neo family aircraft plus 25 purchase rights, with most units expected to be A321LRs. The order, approved by shareholders in February, adds to a current fleet of 59 A320 family...
Airlines Battle Over Slot Allocation at Bogota’s Airport
Bogotá’s El Dorado airport handled a record 45.8 million passengers in 2025, prompting Colombia’s Aerocivil to propose a slot‑reallocation plan aimed at reducing Avianca’s dominance and opening capacity to new entrants. The draft reform, framed as a democratization of a public...
Delta’s Latest A321neo Order Grows Its Backlog to 290 Aircraft
Delta Air Lines announced on Feb. 27 that it is exercising 34 previously held options for Airbus A321neo jets equipped with Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines. The exercise brings Delta’s total A321neo backlog to 290 aircraft, comprising 155 firm...
Flydubai Grows 737 MAX 9 Fleet, Adds Premium Capacity
flydubai announced it will receive 12 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2026, including seven MAX 9s that add business‑class seats. The carrier posted 2025 results with $531 million net profit, $3.7 billion revenue and a 6% rise in available seat kilometres. Passenger traffic hit...
Full Review Must Return Air New Zealand to Profitability
Air New Zealand announced a comprehensive strategy review aimed at restoring profitability after posting a $40 million net loss for the first half of FY26. The carrier is grappling with recurring engine reliability problems that have grounded aircraft, while domestic demand...
New Airbus Jets Power Qantas HY1 Earnings
Qantas Group’s fleet renewal accelerated with Jetstar receiving two A321LRs and one A320neo, raising the share of next‑generation narrow‑body aircraft to 45 percent. The newer Airbus types deliver about 20 percent fuel‑efficiency gains and feature modern cabins that attract passengers. Jetstar’s Adjusted...
A220 Quietly Becomes an Airbus Star — CS300 Revenge
The Airbus A220 has emerged as a top‑performing narrow‑body within Airbus’s portfolio, outpacing expectations and delivering strong order growth. Its efficient Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engine has contributed to superior fuel burn and operating economics. The aircraft’s market...
60,000 Forged Certificates — Only One Man to Blame?
A UK‑based individual forged more than 60,000 authenticity certificates for CFM56 engine components between 2019 and 2023, selling counterfeit parts valued at roughly $9.3 million. The parts entered the global aftermarket and were installed by multiple MROs and airlines without proper...
Lufthansa Advances 787-9 Allegris Bookings
Lufthansa has moved the opening of bookings for its Allegris business‑class seats on Boeing 787‑9 aircraft forward to March 29, ahead of the previously announced April 15 date. At least ten 787‑9s, nine already fitted with the premium Allegris cabin,...
SCOTUS Rejects Boeing Appeal Regarding MAX Suit
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Boeing's appeal, allowing the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association lawsuit to continue in Texas appellate courts. The case alleges Boeing interfered with the union’s business and fraudulently induced pilots to operate the 737 MAX, seeking...
Lessor DAE in Pole Position to Buy Macquarie AirFinance
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) is in advanced talks to acquire Macquarie AirFinance, a joint venture owned 50% by Macquarie Group and 25% each by PGGM Infrastructure Fund and Australian Retirement Trust. The transaction would expand DAE's owned, managed and committed...
Embraer, Adani Launch India E175 Assembly Push
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer and Adani Defence & Aerospace have signed an enhanced MoU to set up a final assembly line for the E175 regional jet in India. The venture aims to tap an estimated demand for 500 aircraft in...
Airbus Takes $500M Hit as A220 Ramp Slows
Airbus recorded a $500 million impairment on its A220 program as the aircraft’s production ramp slowed and order growth lagged expectations. The write‑down reflects weaker cash‑flow projections and higher unit costs, casting doubt on the A220’s earnings contribution. CEO Guillaume Faury remains...
GAMA Results Positive for Businesss Jets in 2025
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported that its 2025 year‑end data showed a robust rebound in the business jet segment, with 300 deliveries in the fourth quarter—up 37 aircraft from the same period in 2024. Higher billings were driven...
At Air France-KLM, the Onus Is on KLM to Do Better
Air France‑KLM posted a €1.754 billion FY25 net profit, with Air France delivering a 6.7% operating margin while KLM lagged at 3.2%. The Back on Track cost‑reduction program saved €450 million, yet KLM’s expenses rose faster than revenues, pressured by higher Schiphol...
Azul Retreats as Rivals Move In for the Kill
American Airlines and United Airlines have pledged a $200 million cash infusion to Azul as the Brazilian carrier seeks to exit Chapter 11. Instead of fueling growth, Azul is slashing capacity by roughly 35 percent to shore up its balance sheet. Meanwhile, LATAM...
American Doubles Down on CFM; P&W Hammered
American Airlines announced it will power its expanding Airbus A321neo fleet with CFM International’s LEAP‑1A engines, extending a partnership that began two years ago. The deal includes long‑term maintenance and support services for the engines throughout their service life. By...
Welcome to AirInsight — Take a Test Flight
AirInsight launches as a subscription‑based platform delivering daily, data‑driven aviation analysis for industry professionals. The service combines veteran analysts' insights with a library of live Power BI dashboards covering aircraft deliveries, OEM performance, and airline schedules. For a $1, seven‑day trial...
ATR’s Turboprop Monopoly in Slow-Growth Market
ATR reported 2025 results with $1.2 billion revenue, 60 gross orders (50 net) and a backlog exceeding 160 aircraft. Deliveries fell to 32 units, below target, as supply‑chain constraints hampered production. The company highlighted strong leasing activity, new operators across continents,...
In Conversation: Aleksey Matyushev, Natilus CEO
Natilus CEO Aleksey Matyushev outlined the company’s push to commercialise blended‑wing‑body (BWB) aircraft from its San Diego hub. The firm is developing two distinct platforms: a small turboprop‑powered freighter and a larger 250‑seat passenger jet. Both designs aim to exploit...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Aircraft Engine MRO
Aircraft jet engines are increasingly being repurposed to generate power for AI data centers, creating a new demand stream beyond aviation. Simultaneously, the industry faces a shortage of new engines and spare parts due to reliability issues with Pratt &...
United’s A350 Order In Peril Amid Rolls-Royce Legal Battle
United Airlines has removed the Airbus A350‑900 from its fleet plans after a legal dispute with Rolls‑Royce, the aircraft's sole engine supplier. The airline originally ordered 45 A350‑900s in 2009, deferred deliveries to 2027, and now faces uncertainty over the...
