Passenger Transportation Services

Air Canada's forecast for 2026 core profits was marginally higher than Wall -Street expectations on Thursday. The company attributed this to a strong demand on international routes outside of the U.S., and an increase in premium travel. International travel remains a relative bright light, even as domestic demand is showing signs of slowing down. This has cushioned carriers with large overseas networks. The Canadian carrier has been able to offset the softness on U.S. Canada routes with strong long-haul bookings, and a resilient demand for premium cabins. Analysts expect the Canadian flag carrier to achieve adjusted earnings before taxes, interest,...

Airbnb's first-quarter revenue forecast was higher than Wall Street's estimates on Thursday as the vacation rental company rely on premium bookings to offset a drop in demand from cost-conscious consumers. In volatile trading after the market, shares of 'the travel company' rose?about 5 percent. LSEG data shows that the company's revenue for the third quarter is expected to be between $2.59 and $2.63 Billion, compared to an average analyst estimate of $2.53 Billion. Marriott, United Airlines, and other travel companies have observed that higher-end customers are boosting results, while lower-end customers struggle with inflation and economic uncertainty. Airbnb, based in...

U.S. Senators criticized the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday for a litany of failures that occurred before the collision in January 2025 between an American Airlines regional plane?and Army chopper, which killed 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport. Senator?Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on Commerce Committee, stated at a hearing the National Transportation Safety Board's findings about the crash revealed the "failures" of the FAA. The NTSB concluded that the FAA allowed helicopters to fly close to the airport without any safeguards to separate aircraft from helicopters. It also failed to act on data or recommendations to move helicopters...

Airbnb's first-quarter revenue was above Wall Street expectations on Thursday, as it focuses primarily on premium bookings in order to offset a waning demand from budget-conscious customers. According to data compiled and analyzed by LSEG, the company expected a revenue between $2.59 billion - $2.63 billion for the third quarter. This compares with an average analyst estimate of $2.53billion. High-end travelers, such as Marriott and United Airlines hotel operators, are boosting results, while lower-end customers are struggling with sticky inflation and economic insecurity. Analysts had estimated 10,24%. San Francisco-based Airbnb expects revenue to grow "at least in the low double-digits"...

Senators from the United States criticized the government on Thursday. Brief shutdown El Paso Airport over safety concerns surrounding the use of a Military laser-based antidrone system At a hearing, he said that the incident revealed an unacceptable "lack" of coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Pentagon. The FAA announced abruptly that the airport would be closed for 10 days late Tuesday night, stranding air travelers and disrupting medical evacuation flights. This was an unprecedented move involving only one airport. The agency lifted the closure early Wednesday morning after reversing course. The sudden closure caused confusion among...

Italian high-speed train operator 'Italo' announced on Thursday that it will introduce SpaceX Starlink across its fleet, becoming the first major train company in the world to use the satellite connectivity service from low-Earth orbit. Elon Musk’s Starlink is gaining popularity among airlines that want to provide Internet access to their passengers. Other rail operators have also begun testing the system, but they are not yet ready to adopt it. Last year, the Italian state railway - Ferrovie dello Stato - ran a trial with two providers including Starlink. ScotRail, a Scottish rail company, also conducted a Starlink six-week trial...

American Airlines has been lagging behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in terms of profitability for years. The unions of American Airlines are now turning this gap into an issue of governance, pressing directors to be accountable at the top. The tensions have escalated in recent days. The pilots' association has urged the board of American Airlines to take "decisive actions" and requested a board meeting. Meanwhile, the flight attendants union issued a vote of no confidence in Robert Isom, the Chief Executive Officer, and demanded a leadership change. Labor groups making public calls for a change in leadership...

After U.S. aviation officials expressed grave concerns over?the safety? of commercial air traffic, the Trump administration banned air traffic for more than seven hours into and out of El Paso in Texas. Overnight, the Federal Aviation Administration abruptly closed?the nation’s 71st most-used airport. This left air travelers stranded and disrupted medical evacuation flights. FAA originally said that the airport would be closed for 10 days due to "special security" reasons. This would have been a first-ever action by a single airport. The FAA, according to anonymous government and airline officials, closed the airspace because of concerns that a laser-based Army...

Boeing's commercial aircraft supply chain has improved in quality over the last two years, according to a Boeing executive on Wednesday. Boeing will spend 40% less time fixing supply chain problems in 2024 than it does now, Ihssane Mounir said at the Pacific Northwest Aerospace &?Alliance Supplier Conference outside Seattle. Since 2024 when Boeing increased quality control checks at Spirit AeroSystems (which makes the 737 fuselages) defects have decreased by 60%. Spirit?was both the manufacturer and installer of a 737 MAX wing door plug which blew out in mid-air on an Alaska Airlines Flight early in 2024. This led the...

The consumer economy in America is moving in opposite directions. This gulf in opinion is becoming more apparent among C-suite executives. Premium?brands are benefiting from wealthy customers, while value-focused companies struggle to compete with cash-strapped families. The results of companies such as Ralph Lauren, Tabby, Tapestry handbags, American Express and airlines like United and Delta exceeded expectations for the latest?quarter?. Their affluent consumers spend freely on high-margin products and services. PepsiCo has also reported that Kraft Heinz, PayPal, and PepsiCo are all under pressure from consumers who want to save money and stretch their budgets. The dynamics reflect a deeper...

Rosaviatsia, the aviation regulator in Russia, said that Russia will 'fly its tourists out of Cuba within the next few days and then suspend all flights till a jet-fuel shortage subsides. Both airlines have said that they will only operate passenger flights in order to bring tourists home from Cuba. The?administration of U.S. president Donald Trump has declared Cuba a "unusual and exceptional threat" to U.S. security, and announced that the communist-run Island will no longer be receiving oil from Venezuela. Washington has threatened?impose tariffs on other fuel suppliers like Mexico if they continue to supply fuel to the island....

Bombardier Canada announced on Wednesday that Dubai's Vista Global, a?private jet provider based in Dubai, has placed an order for 40 Challenger 3500 business jets worth $1.18 billion. Bombardier stated that the order includes a?option for an additional 120 aircraft, which would bring a total value of 160 planes to approximately $4.72 billion. The deal is part of a sustained 'demand for private flying', which has swollen the?order books of business jet manufacturers. The Challenger 3500, an upscaled version of Bombardier's Challenger 350 Business Jet that seats up to ten passengers, is a variant of the Challenger 350. Bombardier is...

Industry sources claim that the French-US jet engine manufacturer CFM is evaluating a "more conventional" "advanced-ducted" engine design, alongside its preferred option for a radical open fan concept. The industry is debating fuel-savings as well as reducing emissions. The'venture' co-owned by GE Aerospace, France and Safran, has been promoting an open-rotor, with a large fan exposed instead of a conventional casing, for the next generation of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. This would "generate fuel savings and emissions reductions of 20% in a well-publicised research program called RISE. It is also examining a design that would contain the fan inside a...

Executives and suppliers claim that even years after the pandemic the aviation industry still struggles to recover from supply disruptions. These have been made worse by the record passenger demand, and geopolitical issues. Airbus and Boeing have had to delay some deliveries because they are juggling the competing demands of new plane assembly, maintenance and repair for existing fleets. Jeffrey Lam, chief operating officer and President of ST Engineering, the largest provider of airframe maintenance and repairs in the world, said that prolonged supply delays and bottlenecks have become "the new norm". "We fear that this new standard will remain,...

Executives and suppliers claim that even years after the pandemic the aviation industry still struggles to recover from supply disruptions. These have been made worse by the record passenger demand, and geopolitical issues. Airbus and Boeing have delayed some deliveries 'because of the competing demands for new plane assembly, maintenance and repair for existing fleets. Jeffrey Lam, chief operating officer and President of ST Engineering, the largest provider of airframe maintenance and repairs in the world, said that prolonged supply delays and bottlenecks have become "the new norm". "We fear that this new standard will remain, which is totally unacceptable,"...

'Airbus's main aircraft?production goal hangs in balance, as the planemaker is still without a deal with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Industry sources confirmed this. They are stuck in a dispute about the allocation of engines to Airbus production lines versus?maintenance shops that service airlines. And they have not yet reached a vital engine supply agreement for 2026 and 2027. Airbus stated last month that engines from RTX owned Pratt & Whitney were "very,'very late". It had not yet reached an agreement with Pratt & Whitney for this year or next. Rick Deurloo said at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday...

AMSTERDAM, 1 February - Airline KLM has resumed flights to Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. It announced this late on Saturday after announcing that it would not fly over many parts of the Middle East because of 'rising tensions in the region. We have adjusted our schedule to resume flights on February 2, 3 and 4. KLM announced that flights to Dubai will be operated from February 1 to 6, with a modified schedule. KLM, Dutch arm of Air France KLM, has announced that it has already resumed flights in other destinations, including Riyadh, and Dammam. The?airline...

Airbus announced on Thursday that it expects Indian airlines to triple the size of their fleets, to 2,250 aircraft, over the next decade. This is due to a resilient economic growth and an expanding middle class, as well as a surge in first-time flyers. Boeing's Wednesday outlook for India and South Asia projected that the airlines in this region, which is a major battleground between Airbus and Boeing, will require 3,300 new planes by 2044. IndiGo and Air India, the two largest domestic carriers in India, are closely watching the regional forecasts of the aircraft manufacturers. India is the world’s?third...

By Charlotte Van Campenhout AMSTERDAM - On Tuesday, a Dutch court overturned a ruling from 2021 that classified all Uber drivers as employers, and stated that each driver 'can be treated independently entrepreneurs. The Amsterdam court said that six drivers who joined the ride-sharing company in its appeal were self-employed and not employees. This is because they invested in their vehicles, had the freedom to decide their working hours, and could accept or refuse rides. Uber's spokesperson stated that the ruling was a "clear victory" for thousands of Dutch drivers who have fought to protect their status as "independent workers"...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a series warnings on Friday to airlines to be cautious when flying over Central America and parts of South America. It cited the risk of possible military activities and GPS interferance. The FAA has issued Notices to Airmen for Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia, and certain portions of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The agency said that the warnings will begin on Friday and last for 60 days. These warnings are coming amid increased tensions in the region between the United States, and other regional leaders, after the Trump administration?mounted a large-scale buildup of military...

Air India has warned that possible disruptions to its A350 routes could occur due to engine damage sustained by one of their long-haul aircraft after it encountered "a foreign object" Thursday. Air India has six Airbus A350s that fly lucrative routes between India's New Delhi, London, New York, and Newark. This makes the airline susceptible to disruptions if an aircraft is suddenly grounded. The airline said that the damage occurred while the plane was taxiing through dense fog at New Delhi. The carrier did not provide any further information on the 'foreign object' or possible routes affected. Air India stated...

Airbus delivered 793?planes last year, a 4% increase, and is on track to remain the largest?planemaker in the world despite recent industrial snags. Airbus has warned that it is facing a "continued dynamic and complex operating environment", as its deliveries are edging beyond the revised goal of 790 jets. This was lowered last month from 820 due to an issue with a Spanish supplier of fuselage parts. Airbus reported that it won 1,000 'gross orders' last year or 889 net orders after cancellations, both of which are higher than 2024. Boeing is set to release its own full year data...

France's aerospace sector expressed concerns on Thursday about the "weaponisation of global supply chains" as major powers pursue their geopolitical goals. It also warned that rare earths remain a possible pressure point, despite an?U.S. - China trade truce. Olivier Andries is the president of France's GIFAS aeronautical association and CEO of Safran. He said that 90% of the industry’s needs for rare elements are supplied by China. "There's a trend to weaponise the supply chain and use the dependence on critical supplies as a means of creating a geopolitical edge. This is especially true for 'rare earths, which is a...

Snow and ice brought misery for travellers in north-west Europe on Wednesday, but joy to others who set off to explore a snowy Paris on skis and sledges. Storm Goretti, which blew in from the Atlantic Coast, hit Paris at dawn, with heavy snowfall that caused further flight cancellations, traffic jams, and transport disruption. As shops prepared for the first New Year's sales, the city's buses were suspended. Tourists and locals alike enjoyed the rare sighting of snow-covered Paris. Some even took the opportunity to ski along the Champs de Mars gardens and down the slopes at Montmartre. "It's exceptional,...