EasyJet HY1 Losses Deepen as Costs Escalate
easyJet forecast a headline pre‑tax loss of £540‑560 million ($686‑$711 million) for the first half of FY 2026, deeper than the £394 million ($500 million) loss recorded in 2025. The higher loss reflects a £30 million ($38 million) strategic investment in Milan Linate and Rome Fiumicino slots, an 8% rise in unit costs excluding fuel, and an extra £25 million ($32 million) fuel expense despite 80% hedging. Fuel price volatility and the withdrawal of full‑year guidance underscore the airline’s exposure to geopolitical risk, while a £4.7 billion ($6.0 billion) liquidity cushion supports its summer ramp‑up and fare hikes.
Aura Aero Lands Additional €50 Million in Funding
Aura Aero, the developer of a 19‑seat hybrid‑electric regional aircraft, closed a €50 million (≈ $54 million) Series B financing round, bringing its total capital raised to €340 million (≈ $400 million). The round was led by Safran Corporate Ventures and included investors such as the French...
Norse Atlantic Raises Cash, Weighs Sale or Merger
Norwegian low‑cost carrier Norse Atlantic raised $110 million through an oversubscribed rights issue and secured a $70 million bridge loan to shore up liquidity. The proceeds will repay a $20 million overdraft, settle $25 million owed to lessors and suppliers, and fund general corporate...
Korean Air Shifts to Inbound, Transit Demand
Korean Air posted a strong Q1 2026, with revenue up 14.1% to KRW 4.52 trillion (about $3.5 billion) and operating profit climbing 47.3% to KRW 517 billion (≈$398 million). Net profit rose 49.5% to KRW 243 billion (≈$187 million) despite a 10.9% increase in expenses driven by higher fuel...
Duopoly Q1: MAX Surges, Airbus Starts Slow
In the first quarter of 2026 the commercial‑aircraft duopoly showed divergent momentum. Airbus recorded its slowest delivery pace since the pandemic, moving only 18 A220‑300s and seeing A321 output fall to 14% of last year’s volume, while its A330 and...
Qantas Updates Its FY26 Outlook, Cuts Capacity On Domestic Flights
Qantas updated its FY26 outlook amid the Iran‑Middle East conflict, noting sharply higher jet‑fuel margins that push H2 fuel costs to AU$3.1‑3.3 bn ($2.2‑2.3 bn). The airline will trim domestic capacity by about 5 percentage points, lowering domestic ASKs 1% YoY in...
EBACE Cancelled: Score Is Greens 1, BizJets 0
EBACE 2026 was cancelled after major OEMs withdrew, citing the loss of the static aircraft display that had been eliminated following environmental protests. Activist actions forced organizers to scrap the on‑ground jet showcase, reducing the event’s appeal to buyers and...
COMAC C919: Ambition Meets Industrial Reality
Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have collectively signaled a demand for 33 COMAC C919 jets in 2026, more than double the 15 aircraft delivered in 2025. Since the program’s launch, COMAC has shipped only 32 C919s, meaning the...
Elysian Refines Its Bold All Electric E9X Airliner
Dutch startup Elysian, backed by Panta Holding, has completed its Conceptual Design Review and unveiled a revised all‑electric E9X airliner. The new design stretches the wing to 50 m, reduces electromotors from eight to six, and raises the maximum take‑off weight...
Turkish Airlines Pivots to Finance?First Leadership
Turkish Airlines shareholders approved a sweeping leadership overhaul on Thursday, installing Chief Financial Officer Murat Seker as chairman and promoting Ahmet Olmustur to chief executive after Bilal Eksi’s departure. The board framed the change as a pivot toward financial sustainability amid rising post‑pandemic...
Delta Reports Net Loss for First Quarter 2026
Delta Air Lines posted a Q1 2026 net loss of $289 million, or $0.44 per share, even as revenue rose 13% to $15.9 billion. Operating income slipped to $501 million with a 3.2% margin, while cash flow stayed robust at $2.4 billion and liquidity...
Q1 Earnings Season Is Starting – What We Expect
Airline earnings season begins amid soaring jet fuel costs driven by the Israel‑U.S. conflict with Iran. JetA prices are expected to hover between $4.75 and $5.00 per gallon through 2026, pressuring U.S. carriers into break‑even or loss territory. While domestic...
AirAsia X Sticks to Bahrain Hub – Istanbul Is Plan B
AirAsia X reaffirmed its plan to launch a seasonal Kuala Lumpur‑Bahrain‑London Gatwick service on June 26, positioning Bahrain as its first strategic hub linking Asia and Europe. The carrier has a fallback plan to operate from Istanbul if Bahrain’s airspace...
AECC Tests Megawatt Hydrogen Turboprop Engine
China's Aviation Engine Corporation of China (AECC) successfully completed the maiden flight of its AEP100 megawatt hydrogen‑fueled turboprop engine. The test used a 7.5‑ton unmanned cargo aircraft that took off from Zhuzhou, Hunan, and flew 36 km at 220 kph while reaching...
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...
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...