The Trump administration announced late Monday that it had ordered Delta Air Lines to dissolve a joint venture with Aeromexico by January 1, which allowed the carriers to coordinate flight scheduling, pricing, and capacity decisions between U.S. and Mexico. In July, the U.S. Transportation Department proposed to end the joint venture that had been in place for nearly nine years as part of several actions targeted at Mexican aviation. The department under Joe Biden announced in January 2024 that it was looking into ending it. Washington also warned that it may take action against European nations over restrictions at airports....

Alaska Air said that it expects to earn a profit at the lower end of its forecast due to high fuel prices and operational challenges. Fuel prices have risen due to refinery shutdowns on the U.S. West Coast. Alaska expects to spend up to $2.55 a gallon, compared to its previous projections of around $2.45. Alaska also highlighted weather and air traffic management issues that are driving costs up, such as compensation for passengers and crew overtime expenses. Storms and an overstretched air traffic control system have led to costly disruptions in the U.S. aviation industry this year. Alaska also...

Southwest Airlines announced on Friday that it would require its passengers to remove the lithium batteries from their powered wheelchairs or scooters prior to boarding. The airline cited fire hazards as a reason. Southwest will introduce new lithium battery size limits in January. The new rules go into effect on September 25. The Federal Aviation Administration sent out a safety warning to airlines on Tuesday about the risks of lithium batteries inside aircraft passenger compartments. "Lithium battery fires and smoke incidents are becoming more common on airplanes." Southwest stated in an employee note that while these incidents are rare, visibility...

Kyodo reported that two people were injured in a minor way after United Airlines Flight 32, which was headed to Cebu (Philippines), made an emergency landing in Osaka, a city in western Japan. NHK reported that a Boeing 737 from Narita Airport, near Tokyo, made an emergency landing after 7 p.m. (1000 GMT), after a cargo-fire indicator had activated over the Pacific Ocean. Kyodo reported that 142 passengers and crew members evacuated the aircraft by using emergency slides. The Kansai Airport, local police, fire departments, United Airlines and the Transport Ministry could not be reached by phone after normal business...

The Lufthansa Group, a German airline, said that it would be integrating more closely its European subsidiaries such as Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Swiss to increase efficiency and profitability. Brussels Airlines said that the units, including Brussels Airlines, would cede to the parent group control of network management for short- and medium-haul flight, as well information technology management from January. The operating airlines of the group, including Lufthansa Germany, will continue managing customer experience, flight operation and services. The company stated that the move would bring together the airline companies within the group and allow them to work in a...

Malaysia Airlines' national carrier, Malaysia Aviation Group, and the state-owned energy company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) announced on Friday that they had received the first locally blended sustainable aviation fuel in the country. Petronas announced in a press release that the SAF had been blended locally at its processing facilities, and was delivered to Kuala Lumpur International Airport to fuel the airline's daily flights from London to Kuala Lumpur until September 16. It said that the move marked a tangible step towards integrating renewable fuel into Malaysia Airlines' normal operations. Ahmad Adly Alias is the vice president of the company...

JetBlue Airways announced on Thursday that it was confident in its transatlantic strategy, and is working to connect as many passengers as possible with Atlantic Gateways. The New York-based carrier has reorganized its network in order to focus on routes that are more profitable. The carrier will expand its service to Southern Florida, and also focus on transiting more U.S. premium travelers to gateway cities such as New York and Boston before continuing to Europe. JetBlue's President Marty St. George said at a Morgan Stanley Conference: "This balance of good sun market in the winter, and then European markets during...

Wall Street's major indexes closed at record highs on Thursday, thanks to gains by Tesla and Micron Technology. Meanwhile, U.S. data on inflation and unemployment fueled expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut this month. The U.S. consumer price index rose faster than expected in August, and the inflation rate was higher than it has been in the past seven months. Separately, the initial claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending September 6 reached 263,000. This is a four-year high. "Inflation is sticky. Whether you call it stagflation, or not, different people define it differently. Atsi Sheth is the...

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan stated on Thursday that the company was looking into long-haul flights internationally and premium airport lounges to help it turn around. Jordan said that while the company would have to consider a wide body aircraft for international long-haul service, they could first choose a narrow-body to serve these routes. After the COVID-19 epidemic, the Dallas-based carrier has struggled to find its feet. It operates mostly domestic flights using a Boeing 737 fleet. The carrier's low earnings have increased pressure on it to change its business model. It now charges for checked baggage, ending the free...

According to Senate records, President Donald Trump has nominated an American Airlines captain and safety official for the National Transportation Safety Board. John DeLeeuw is the managing director for safety and efficiency at American Airlines, and a Boeing 777 captain. He has been appointed to replace Alvin Brown, a former appointee from the Biden administration, who was fired by the White House last May. The NTSB is responsible for investigating all major highway, rail, marine, and aviation accidents. The NTSB determines the probable causes of accidents and provides safety recommendations. If confirmed, John will be a great addition to the...

Sviatlana khanouskaya, an exiled Belarusian leader of the opposition, said that a easing of U.S. restrictions on Belarusian airline Belavia would also be beneficial to Russia. Tsikhanouskaya's comments were made in a press release released by her chief advisor after the U.S. announced that sanctions would be relaxed following the release by the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko of 52 prisoners. "We appreciate the humanitarian goal -- to release people. "We welcome their release but, in essence, it is a trade of human lives - people who shouldn't have been imprisoned to begin with," Tsikhanouskaya stated. She said that the move...

Delta Air Lines reaffirmed Thursday its full-year earnings forecasts and current-quarter earning predictions, betting on sustained demand for travel in the U.S. The carrier has also increased the lower end its revenue forecast for the third quarter to September. It now expects growth of 2%-4% from its previous projection of 0%-4% growth. This buoyant mood is in stark contrast with earlier this year when many U.S. airlines issued gloomy predictions as President Donald Trump’s tariffs, budget cuts and other measures weighed on demand. In July, major airline executives expressed confidence that the industry would be able to increase airfares by...