Private equity firm KKR announced a new $1.4 billion bet on aircraft lease with a partner Altavair on Wednesday, as Airbus and Boeing continue to struggle with a lack of planes. Private equity firms and leasing companies are playing a greater role in financing aircraft purchases. This is because airlines are facing rising costs, recovering travel demand and limited aircraft supply. About half of the world's fleet is now leased, or rented. KKR has invested more than 12 billion dollars in aviation since 2015. Altavair is a company that focuses on the acquisition of new and used aircraft, and then...

The House of Representatives will hold an hearing on June 24 to discuss 'the state of U.S. airlines competition and regulation following the collapse of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines last month. The?subcommittee of the House Judiciary that oversees antitrust matters will hold an hearing entitled "The 30,000-Foot View: Competition and Regulation in America." Airline Industry." The CEO of Airlines for America, Chris Sununu, is expected to give testimony at the hearing. Republicans will likely use the hearing as an opportunity to claim that the Biden administration failed to protect jobs through its airline competition policies, while Democrats are going to...

Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a drone strike that killed a Belarusian bus full of schoolchildren, an accusation which the Ukrainian military says is "false". Yegor Kovalchuk is the acting governor of Russia's Bryansk Region, which borders Ukraine. He said that the bus was carrying a Belarusian children's soccer club to southern Russia for a vacation. Kovalchuk wrote on Telegram that he visited the injured and described the incident as "a completely deliberate strike against civilian transport on a busy road". The Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack "another horrific crime" and said that a woman who was with...

JetBlue Airways will close its 'flight attendant' base in New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as its 'tech operations' bases at the airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York this fall. CNBC reported. The report said that the move was part of an effort to reduce costs and improve service at Florida's Fort Lauderdale airport. JetBlue is a major carrier in the area, which is a lucrative hub. According to the company's annual report, JetBlue had a 13% market share for airline seats in?five airports of the New York metropolitan area, including Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK. According to...

Qantas Airways announced on Wednesday that?London was the first destination of the world's largest direct commercial flight. The trip is roughly 20 hours from Sydney, eliminating the?traditional halt on the "Kangaroo Route". Vanessa Hudson, the CEO of Australian carrier, told an audience in Toulouse, France that they plan to start selling tickets by February, and launch flights in October 2027. The airline is part of "Project Sunrise", which will serve New York in the future using modified Airbus A350 1000ULR jets that can fly up to 22-hours with 238 passengers aboard. The announcement is part a fleet revamp that began...

Some airlines have resumed flights to certain parts of the Middle East, as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict that followed the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran gain momentum. However, many carriers continue to suspend flights, causing global travel disruptions. The following is a list of the current status of flights by alphabetical order. AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights were cancelled by Greece's largest airline until June 26. Dubai flights are cancelled until August 31. Erbil and Baghdad flights until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the 28th of June. AIR...

Australia relaxed its travel advice on Wednesday for a number of?Middle?Eastern nations, allowing Australians the freedom to transit and travel through the largest Gulf air hubs while being insured. Penny Wong, Foreign Minister, said that the "do-not-travel" warning for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and Israel, had been removed after the U.S. reached an interim agreement with Iran to end the war. She stated that the advisory has moved to "reconsider the need to travel" in these countries as the security situation can still rapidly deteriorate with little notice. Gulf airlines will benefit from the removal of "do...

Qantas Airways will announce the first destination on Wednesday for the longest non-stop flight in the world?from east Australia to London or New York. This is a major breakthrough after years of delays. Since 2017, "Project Sunrise", a plan to offer direct flights on modified Airbus long haul jets to London hubs in the Middle East and Asia, has been under development. It is expected to be operational by the end next year. It is hoped to reduce the five-day journey on the "Kangaroo Route", which used to take place from Sydney to London, to a maximum of 22 hours...

Despite the fact that most of the suspensions remain in place after the U.S. and Israeli strikes against?Iran, which disrupted global travel in February. The following is a list of the current status of flights by alphabetical order. AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights were cancelled by Greece's biggest carrier until June 26. Dubai flights are canceled until August 31. Erbil and Baghdad flights will be canceled until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has cancelled all flights to Dubai and Tel 'Aviv until June 28. AIR CANADA Canadian Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu...

Norwegian Air, a budget airline, announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to?buy the package holiday company Nordic Leisure Travel Group. The deal is worth around 8.94 billion Swedish crowns (US$842.90m) in cash and stocks. Norwegian stated that the 'deal', which includes tour operator and hotel brand names, would create a Nordic Travel Group serving 'roughly 30 millions customers annually. Revenues will increase by close to 50%, and earnings will be accretive starting in 2027. Norwegian Air CEO Geir Carlsen stated in a press release that "we?see an opportunity to grow our hotel and holiday sales amongst our existing customers."...

The Trump?administration announced on Monday that it had?closed?an?investigation, without seeking penalties, into a July 20, 2024 meltdown of Delta Air Lines sparked a global outage which disrupted the plans of 1.3 millions customers and cost $500 million to the carrier. Biden's administration launched an investigation into Delta after the CrowdStrike computer software outage. Other major carriers had been able to quickly resume normal operations. The U.S. Transportation Department spokeswoman said that the review revealed "Delta passengers received prompt refunds and adequate baggage assistance as well as appropriate?assistance to passengers with disabilities." USDOT, under President Donald Trump's administration, has rolled back...

Some airlines have begun to restore some flights in the Middle East, although many suspensions remain in place following the U.S. and Israeli?strikes against Iran in February that disrupted global travel. Here is a list of the current status of airline flights in alphabetical order. AEGEAN AIRLINES Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights were cancelled by Greece's biggest carrier until 26 June. Dubai flights are cancelled through August 31. Erbil, Baghdad and Erbil flights will be cancelled until September 30. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai until the 28th of June. AIR CANADA Canadian Airlines has...