Air France-KLM Boss Says He’s Be Open to Working With Castlelake On EasyJet Acquisition
Air France‑KLM chief Ben Smith said he would gladly entertain a partnership with U.S. private‑equity firm Castlelake on a joint bid for EasyJet. Castlelake, which holds about 2.14% of EasyJet, must find an EU‑based partner to satisfy European competition rules, and Air France‑KLM is a logical ally given its low‑cost Transavia brand and lack of market overlap. The airline is currently valued at roughly £4 per share (about $5.13) as fuel‑price pressures dent its stock. A combined offer could reshape the continent’s low‑cost sector.
Qatar Airways’ Plans to Create a Oneworld Hub in Doha Fall Into Disarray as American Airlines Permanently Axes Route
Qatar Airways' ambition to turn Doha into a oneworld hub hit a setback after American Airlines permanently cancelled its Philadelphia‑Doha nonstop service. The move follows Qatar’s fleet constraints caused by an Airbus paint‑defect issue and delayed Boeing 777X deliveries, limiting...
United Frequent Flyers Took Part in a Drama Fueled Marathon Flying to Every Hub in the Airline’s Network in a...
On June 6, about 60 United Airlines frequent flyers attempted the “United 7 Hub Run,” a marathon that required flying to each of United’s seven hub airports within 24 hours. The group started in Newark at 6 a.m. but faced cascading delays at Dulles, Chicago,...
The TSA Is Testing New Biometric System to Make Program That Allows Pilots and Flight Attendants to Skip Airport Security...
The Transportation Security Administration has begun field testing a biometric facial‑recognition system to replace the decade‑old Known Crewmember (KCM) program with a new Crewmember Access Point (CMAP) that the agency will fully manage by the end of 2026. CMAP will...
British Airways Pauses Ultra-Fast Starlink Wi-Fi Rollout Until October With Just Five Planes Equipped
British Airways has halted its ultra‑fast Starlink Wi‑Fi rollout until at least late October, citing an inability to find aircraft downtime amid a packed schedule. The airline managed to equip only five Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliners before the pause, far behind...
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Diverts Back to Austin With Mysterious Metal Debris in Engine
Southwest Airlines diverted a 21‑year‑old Boeing 737‑800 back to Austin‑Bergstrom after pilots reported metal debris and damage in the right‑hand engine. The aircraft, operating flight WN‑375 to Phoenix, climbed to 13,000 feet before descending and circling before landing safely about 40...
Veteran United Airlines Flight Attendant Sues Over Allegation of Sexual Assault And Stalking
A veteran United Airlines flight attendant, Antoine B., has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York alleging that the carrier falsely accused him of sexual assault and stalking during a 2024 London layover. He claims United’s internal...
Several Injured as Nose Gear of Brand New Lufthansa Boeing 787 Dreamliner Collapses at Frankfurt Airport
Several flight attendants and ground workers were injured when the nose gear of a brand‑new Lufthansa Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner collapsed at Frankfurt Airport. The aircraft, delivered in January 2026, was being prepared for flight LH‑450 to Los Angeles and had...
Within Hours of Reopening Its Flagship Airport Terminal Bulding, Iran Targeted and Struck Kuwait International Airport in Major Overnight Escalation
Within hours of reopening Terminal 1, Iran launched ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones that struck Kuwait International Airport, causing a direct hit and new damage. Most projectiles were intercepted, but the terminal suffered a large roof hole and debris. Kuwait temporarily...
Passengers Are Still Discovering the Hard (And Expensive) Way That Ryanair Charges You to Check-In at the Airport
Ryanair continues to enforce a £55 (≈ $74) airport check‑in fee for passengers who skip online check‑in, as highlighted by a recent traveler’s tweet. The airline’s policy requires check‑in between 24 hours and two hours before departure, with mobile boarding passes strongly...
Etihad Airways Reveals Major Israel Expansion With up to Six Daily Flights to Tel Aviv Serving Pent Up Demand
Etihad Airways announced a major capacity boost to Israel, increasing service from two to as many as six daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv starting June 15. The airline will run up to 42 flights per week, making...
Burst Water Main Shuts All Rail Lines to Heathrow Airport: Officials Warn of Major Disruption
A water main burst near Heathrow Airport at 9 a.m. on May 30, flooding the tunnel that serves the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line and forcing a complete shutdown of rail access to the airport. The incident coincided with ongoing Piccadilly Line...
EasyJet Could Be Taken Private as Castlelake Investment Firm Signals Interest in the European Low-Cost Carrier
Castlelake, a Minneapolis‑based alternative investment firm, has signaled interest in taking EasyJet private, though no formal bid has been submitted. EasyJet reported a £552 million (≈$702 million) loss for the six months to April 2026, with March fuel costs adding £25 million (≈$32 million) despite...
Pilots of United Airlines Flight From Chicago Declare Emergency Level 4 Passenger Threat as Russian Citizen Tries to ‘Breach Cockpit’
United Airlines pilots declared a Level 4 passenger threat just 20 minutes after departing Chicago O’Hare for Minneapolis, after a Russian passenger tried to breach the cockpit. The crew locked down the flight deck and diverted the Boeing 737 to Madison, where...
The FAA’s New Crackdown On Drunk Passengers Could Spell the End of Pre-Departure Beverages
The FAA has intensified enforcement against boarding intoxicated passengers, exemplified by a $165,000 civil penalty levied on Alaska Airlines for 11 violations between February 2024 and February 2025. Under 14 CFR § 121.575(c), carriers must prevent visibly drunk travelers from boarding,...
One of Europe’s Largest Airline Groups Now Says Travelers Don’t Need to Fear Mass Cancellations Due to Jet Fuel Shortages
Europe’s Lufthansa Group, which operates Lufthansa, Austrian, Brussels, ITA, SWISS, Eurowings and Discover, announced that jet fuel supplies are stable for the summer, dispelling fears of mass cancellations. The airline cited diversified imports from North America, Africa and the Nordics,...
Alaska Airlines Faces $165,000 Fine For Allowing Intoxicated Passengers On Board Its Planes
Alaska Airlines is confronting a proposed $165,000 civil penalty from the Federal Aviation Administration after the regulator documented intoxicated passengers on 11 flights between February 2024 and February 2025. Under 14 CFR § 121.575(c), carriers must refuse boarding to visibly intoxicated individuals, a rule the...
Denver Airport Has a Radical Fix for Overcrowded Trains: Make Passengers Walk
Denver International Airport announced that, beginning in 2027, it will convert sections of its existing underground baggage tunnels into pedestrian walkways linking Concourses A‑B and B‑C. The move aims to relieve chronic overcrowding and reliability problems on the airport’s inter‑terminal...
Italian Regulators Investigate EasyJet Over Deceptive Checked Luggage Pricing
Italian competition watchdog AGCM has opened a formal investigation into EasyJet for allegedly misleading checked‑luggage pricing on return flights. The airline’s booking flow displays a combined cost for both legs, hiding the price for each segment and requiring extra clicks...
Air India Express Boeing 737 Grounded After Pilots Try to Takeoff On the Edge of the Runway
An Air India Express Boeing 737‑800 attempted takeoff from Muscat’s Runway 26L on May 15 while aligned with the right‑hand edge lights instead of the runway centreline. The aircraft struck multiple lights, triggering a loud bang, a master‑caution alarm, a hydraulic leak...
Airline Was Within Its Rights to Fire Pilot Arrested On Rape Charges Even Though All Charges Were Dropped, Tribunal Rules
A UK employment tribunal ruled that EasyJet was justified in dismissing a First Officer who had been arrested and later cleared of rape charges. The airline suspended the pilot after the arrest, offered a "career break" option, and ultimately terminated...
British Airways Ultra-Fast Starlink Wi-Fi Rollout Slows to a Snails Pace: Only Five Aircraft Equipped
British Airways launched free Starlink Wi‑Fi on March 19, becoming the first UK carrier to offer low‑latency broadband in‑flight. After initially fitting one Boeing 787‑8, the airline has only equipped five of the twelve Dreamliners slated for the upgrade, slowing...
Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa Extend Middle East Flight Operations… This When Flights Should Now Resume
European carriers have further extended their Middle East flight suspensions amid heightened regional tensions. Air France plans to restart Riyadh flights on May 26 and other destinations on June 3, while British Airways now expects Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Tel Aviv to...
Atlanta Is Considering Ditching the TSA For a Private Screening Company at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
Atlanta’s City Council approved a 90‑day feasibility study to determine whether Hartsfield‑Jackson International Airport could replace TSA agents with a private security firm under the federal Screening Partnership Program (SPP). The move follows a recent shutdown‑induced staffing shortfall that left...
Ryanair’s Outspoken CEO Michael O’Leary Could Be in Line For Another €100 Million Bonus After Agreeing to Delay His Retirement
Ryanair announced that CEO Michael O’Leary could receive a second €100 million (≈$107 million) share bonus after agreeing to postpone his retirement until at least April 2032. The airline hit its 2025 targets – a €21 share price and €2.26 billion (≈$2.42 billion) profit after...
American Airlines to Extend Tel Aviv Suspension Until January 2027… More Than Three Years Since It Served Israel
American Airlines announced that its flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Doha, Qatar, will remain suspended until January 5 2027, extending a hiatus that began in October 2023. The carrier cited ongoing Middle‑East security concerns and the lack of a durable peace agreement...
Emirates Boeing 777-300 Declares ‘Mayday’ For Low-Fuel in Miami After the Pilots Had to Abandon Two Landing Attempts
Emirates Flight EK‑213, a Boeing 777‑300ER carrying up to 328 passengers, declared a low‑fuel Mayday after two missed approaches at Miami International Airport. The 17‑hour‑16‑minute flight was extended by strong Atlantic headwinds and Miami windshear, forcing the crew to divert...
Mountains of Luggage Pile Up at Heathrow Airport As Passengers Slam British Airways For Chaotic Response to Baggage Breakdown
British Airways experienced a multi‑hour baggage‑system failure at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 on May 15, forcing planes to depart without any checked luggage and creating a massive backlog of delayed bags. The malfunction stemmed from Heathrow’s aging conveyor infrastructure, but BA remains responsible...
The Trump Administration Is Creating an Airline Passenger Experience Advisory Board… This Is What It Will Do
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced a new Passenger Experience Advisory Committee, bringing together airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, labor unions and federal agencies. The charter tasks the panel with improving baggage handling, wayfinding, delay communications, security screening and overall airspace...
Southwest Airlines Settles Legal Dispute With San Antonio Airport Over Access to the Newest and Fanciest Terminal
Southwest Airlines reached an out‑of‑court settlement with the City of San Antonio, securing three gates in the new Terminal C and three in the renovated Terminal B. The $1.4 billion Terminal C, featuring 17 gates across 850,000 sq ft, is slated to open in 2028. The...
Helsinki Airport Shuttered For Hours After Military Drone Threat Puts Finland On High Alert
Early Friday, May 15, Helsinki International Airport shut down after a military‑grade drone was detected, prompting a city‑wide indoor‑shelter warning for 1.8 million residents. All take‑offs and landings stopped at 4 a.m. and resumed around 7 a.m., during which nine inbound flights—including a...
Passengers Who Were Injured When Delta Air Plane Hit Spirit Jet As It Was Boarding At Cleveland Sue After Suffering...
A Delta Boeing 737 wingtip clipped the wing of a Spirit Airlines Airbus A321 while the Spirit flight was boarding at Cleveland International Airport on May 12, 2024, sending several passengers—including two children—hurt. The injured parties have filed a negligence...
U.S. Aviation Accident Investigators Urge Airlines to Improve Training for Pilots in Smoke-Filled Cockpits
The NTSB has recommended that airlines add realistic smoke‑in‑cockpit simulator training to their annual recurrent programs, citing that current refresher courses may not adequately prepare pilots for such emergencies. The push follows a Southwest Airlines incident on Dec. 20, 2023, where...
FAA Orders All Its Airport Vehicles to Be Fitted With Transponders in Wake of Deadly Air Canada Express Crash at...
The Federal Aviation Administration is spending $16.5 million to equip all of its airside vehicles with transponders at roughly 264 U.S. airports after a fatal LaGuardia crash in which an untracked fire truck struck an Air Canada Express jet. The program...
Ryanair Wins $4.6 Million Appeal in COVID-19 Flight Cancellations Dispute
Ryanair successfully appealed a €4.2 million ($4.6 million) fine imposed by Italy’s competition authority for pandemic‑related flight cancellations. Italy’s Council of State ruled the regulator discriminated against Ryanair by rejecting its mitigation commitments, a standard applied to carriers such as Alitalia and...
Southwest Airlines Flight Diverts After Cockpit Windscreen ‘Shattered’ as It Cruised at 31,000 Feet Over Oklahoma
Southwest Airlines flight WN‑2665, a Boeing 737‑MAX, suffered a sudden cockpit windscreen failure while cruising at 31,000 feet over Oklahoma on May 11. The left‑hand windscreen cracked and shattered, forcing the crew to declare an emergency and divert to Tulsa International Airport....
Police Swarm Frontier Airlines Plane at Denver International Airport After Ammunition Magazine Discovered Just Before Takeoff
Frontier Airlines flight F9-4765 from Denver to Phoenix was halted on May 10 after a nurse spotted an ammunition magazine on the cabin floor. Police and TSA evacuated the 240‑passenger Airbus A321neo, deplaned travelers, and conducted a security sweep that...
One of Europe’s Largest Airline Groups Considers Name Change as It Eyes Further Growth
Air France‑KLM is weighing a corporate name change to better reflect its expanding portfolio, which now includes stakes in SAS Scandinavian Airlines and a potential major share in TAP Air Portugal. CEO Benjamin Smith has floated a working title, “The...
British Airways Bans Passengers From Putting Power Banks in Overhead Lockers As New Safety Rules Come Into Force
British Airways has implemented an immediate ban on storing portable power banks in overhead lockers and prohibits charging them from seat‑back outlets. The rule mirrors International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidance issued after a January 2025 Air Busan Airbus A321...
Horrific Accident at Denver Airport As Person Is Sucked Into Engine of Frontier Airlines Plane as Its Speeding Down Runway...
A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 (flight F9‑4345) aborted takeoff from Denver International Airport after a pedestrian breached the perimeter and was sucked into one of its Pratt & Whitney PW1133G engines. The incident triggered a brief engine fire, prompting an...
U.S. Gives Ireland Until June to Resolve Proposed Flight Cap at Dublin Airport Or Face Retaliatory Action
The U.S. Department of Transportation has set a June 5 deadline for Ireland to abandon a proposed 32 million‑passenger cap at Dublin Airport, warning of possible retaliatory measures. Airlines 4 America, representing carriers such as American, Delta, United, Alaska and JetBlue, filed...
British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner Grounded After It Was Impaled By Engineering Steps As Passengers Watched On From Crowded Bus
British Airways’ 787‑10 Dreamliner was grounded after yellow engineering steps left under the fuselage were impaled when the aircraft was refuelled for a Heathrow‑Chicago flight. The $355 million aircraft had a hatch opened for oxygen‑cylinder replacement, and the refuelling of roughly...
Singapore Airlines Chooses Ultra-Fast Starlink Wi-Fi But Passengers Could Be Left Disappointed… Here’s Why
Singapore Airlines announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide ultra‑fast, free Wi‑Fi on its long‑haul fleet. The airline will equip only three aircraft types – the Airbus A350‑900 LR, A350‑900 ULR and the A380 – and the retrofit...
United Airlines Clips Truck Outside Airport Perimeter While Landing at Newark, Upending Vehicle in Bizarre Accident
On May 3, United Airlines Flight UA‑169, a Boeing 767‑424 arriving from Venice, clipped a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike and a light pole just outside Newark Liberty International Airport’s runway before landing safely. The low‑altitude approach caused the truck to...
American Airlines Flight Attendants Are Still Unhappy With the New and Improved Catering at London Heathrow
American Airlines abruptly ended its Dnata catering contract in March, forcing a double‑provisioning workaround that crowded galley space on transatlantic flights. By late April the airline signed a temporary deal with upscale Austrian caterer Do&Co, ending the duplicate loads but...
Southwest Airlines Puts On Special Surprise For Spirit Airlines Captain Who Was Due to Retire On Day Carrier Went Bust
Southwest Airlines arranged a surprise retirement celebration for Spirit Airlines Captain Jon Jackson, who was slated to fly his final shift on the day Spirit filed for liquidation. After Spirit’s $500 million bailout request failed, Southwest ferried stranded crew to Baltimore...
British Airways Will Pay Pilots $100,000 a Year Just to Taxi Planes On the Ground Around Chicago O’Hare
British Airways is hiring experienced Boeing 777 and 787 pilots to taxi its aircraft between Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 at Chicago O’Hare, offering a base salary of $90,000‑$100,000 per year. The role targets recently retired pilots who can no longer fly...
Everyone “Had a Blast Making Spirit the Butt of the Joke,” Flight Attendants Blast After Airline’s Sudden Collapse Leaves Them...
Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations on May 2 after a $500 million federal bailout fell through, leaving 5,500 flight attendants and other staff jobless. The collapse was driven by soaring jet‑fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict, which eroded the low‑cost carrier's...
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Says Feds Are Working With Airlines to Help Stranded Spirit Passengers and Crew
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation has coordinated with U.S. airlines to assist passengers and crew stranded after Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations. American Airlines is repatriating Spirit crew for free and launching a recruitment portal,...
“It Was a Pleasure Working With You Guys”: Air Traffic Control Issues Tribute to Pilots Of Last Ever Spirit Airlines...
Spirit Airlines entered liquidation on May 2, 2026, ending all operations after an orderly wind‑down began at 3:00 a.m. ET. Its final revenue flight, NK‑1833, departed Detroit at 10:30 p.m. on May 1 and landed at Dallas/Fort Worth, becoming the most‑tracked flight worldwide. During...