Gordon Smith travel tips

A seemingly routine flight between Madrid and Paris made aviation history on Wednesday morning. Just after 8:15 am local time, Iberia became the first airline in the world to fly Airbus’ newest passenger airliner. 

India is firmly in the sights of a rapidly expanding Saudi low-cost airline. Flyadeal has ambitious plans to more than double the size of its fleet during the next four years. This will see it transform from a largely domestic airline to one with much greater international connectivity.

The world’s largest airline alliance is ramping up the battle for premium travelers. On Thursday, Star Alliance opened its first branded airport lounge in Asia. The new facility is in Terminal One at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in southern China. A second lounge will operate from the new Terminal Three when it opens next year.

AirAsia co-founder Tony Fernandes is one of the best-known leaders in the airline industry. He’s also one of its most outspoken. Addressing the Skift Global Forum East in Dubai on Wednesday, he described sustainable aviation fuel as “stupid” and said he has no regrets about exiting the Indian market.

Air France insists it is playing the long game after a costly Olympic Games. The French flag carrier – part of the Air France-KLM Group – posted its third-quarter earnings Thursday and quantified the negative financial impact from the Paris event.

Average CO2 emissions for flights between the UK and Japan have jumped by more than 21% since 2019. The data – at odds with industry sustainability initiatives – is due to aircraft flying longer and more complex routes.

Agreement has been reached in a bruising labor dispute between Boeing and its largest union. Late on Monday, it was announced that members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) had voted to accept the latest pay offer. It ends a hugely damaging 53-day walkout by staff that crippled production of Boeing’s best-selling planes. 

Ryanair warned Monday of a continued hit to passenger growth amid Boeing delivery delays. Europe’s biggest airline expects to carry 210 million passengers next year, down from the previous target of 215 million. It comes as the company reported a fall in first-half net profit of 18%, slightly below analyst forecasts. 

Singapore Airlines is betting big on the continued popularity of premium travel. On Monday, the airline announced an SG$1.1 billion ($835 million) project to overhaul a huge chunk of its long-haul fleet.

The chief executive of Riyadh Air will announce a major plane order later on Wednesday. Speaking on CNN’s Quest Means Business on Tuesday night, Tony Douglas dropped his biggest hints yet about the highly anticipated deal.

The Lufthansa Group painted a mixed picture on Tuesday as it reported its latest financial results. The German company said its earnings position “deteriorated significantly” in the first nine months of 2024 compared to a year earlier. This was despite record-breaking revenues and overall capacity growth. 

Several prominent airlines have recently made significant investments in premium cabins and products. Airlines Editor Gordon Smith discussed that trend and his recent in-depth look at airlines that are quiet quitting China in this episode of the Skift Travel Podcast with Head of Research Seth Borko.

Get ready for an inspiring journey at the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas on November 12, 2024. This event gathers industry leaders and visionaries to illuminate the latest trends and transformative developments shaping the future of aviation. 

A major strike at Boeing will continue after union members rejected a revised deal. The IAM union announced on Wednesday night that 64% of mechanists turned down the offer.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, October 23, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

Last week was an important one for Cathay Pacific. The Hong Kong carrier unveiled its new business class cabin, known as the ‘Aria Suite’. The product represents a significant leap forward in passenger comfort and design for some of the airline’s most lucrative customers – but the launch presented questions about future of first class.

The Skift Aviation Forum is shaping up to be the industry event of the year. On November 12, we’ll be joined in Dallas by an all-star list of CEOs, company presidents, and other top-level players. 

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, October 18, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

“I’ve been pregnant for a very long time, but my baby is finally born,” said Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific’s head of customer experience and design.

The Boeing Company announced Tuesday that it entered a $10 billion credit agreement. The deal with a consortium of major banks should help the troubled planemaker shore up its balance sheet. 

Nonstop travel options between Texas and Tokyo are about to get interesting. On Thursday, low-cost carrier ZIPAIR Tokyo announced a major new route linking Houston with the Japanese capital.