Airline Weekly Lounge

After not getting any aid from the Canadia government, Air Canada finally got about $5 billion in assistance. Skift Airlines Reporter Edward "Ned" Russell and Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan discuss what this might mean, why Latam is retiring its A350s, and what are they smoking at Frontier's HQ in Denver to add so many routes? Get more with a subscription to Airline Weekly. 

It's a reunion for Brian Sumers, Skift editor at large, and Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan, as they debate whether there really is that much pent-up demand for travel. Airlines are banking on it. Brian thinks there is, but Madhu is skeptical. Where do you fall on the issue?   Learn more at Airline Weekly.

Georgia's controversial new elections law caused a public relations nightmare for Delta Air Lines and its CEO Ed Bastian, whose first, tepid comment on the law caused immense blowback and calls to boycott the airline. Bastian reversed course and issued a more forceful condemnation, inviting Governor Brian Kemp's fury. Airline Weekly's Madhu Unnikrishnan and Edward "Ned" Russell discuss the perils...

Qatar Airways thinks leisure and visiting friends and relatives traffic will rebound this summer, and it thinks it has the right fleet for the moment. And Eurowings is betting the same, planning its first routes in Europe than don't go through its home base in Germany. But the virus is surging in Europe, and the pace of vaccinations worldwide may not be keeping up with airlines' hopes. Edward "Ned...

U.S. airline CEOs are pretty confident that they've turned the corner. The pandemic isn't in the rearview mirror yet, but they're fairly certain travel will rebound this summer, and some think their airlines will return to profitability this year. Is that confidence misplaced? Will business travel ever be the same as it was? Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan get into it.   Get more essen...

In this week's episode, Airline Weekly colleagues Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan get into why going public may not be the craziest idea of an airline, despite the once-in-a-century industry-wide crisis. They also look at why Lufthansa is opening its fortress hubs at Munich and Frankfurt to its own subsidiaries. And does IATA's Alexandre de Juniac really think leisure traffic will take...

Much of the world is trapped at home and shopping online. Who's transporting all those goods? Airlines, and cargo. has been the one silver lining in the airline's terrible pandemic year. But it's not a savior; airlines still are losing money. Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan talk all things cargo and look at why United is buying more Boeing 737 Max aircraft.   Stay informed about essent...

Norwegian's retrenchment is providing opportunities for all sorts of airlines, like Finnair, United, and Virgin Atlantic, Airline Weekly colleagues Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan say in this week's episode. And just why is much of the media coverage of United Flight 328 wrong, when the aircraft's systems and its crew acted just as they should have in an emergency?   Stay ahead of avia...

United's plan to bridge the "last mile" with electric aircraft is ambitious, especially since the FAA hasn't approved any electric engines for flight yet. Meanwhile, Spirit could have its 2019 capacity back by this summer. Airline Weekly colleagues Ned Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan take a look at these issues as well as why Aeromexico's bankruptcy and Interjet's inability to pay its fuel bills mi...

Sun Country has been planning to go public for more than a year, but it made it official now, during the worst crisis to hit the airline industry. Airline Weekly colleagues Edward Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan talk about why the low-cost-carrier is going public now, what's happening with Air Canada, and whether Copa will be a Wall Street darling again. Stay ahead of aviation news with a subscript...

The six largest U.S. airlines have reported their fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 results, and while we knew last year was historically bad, it doesn't look like this year will be any better. Airline Weekly colleagues Edward Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan dig into the earnings and when travel will start to rebound.   Become an Airline Weekly subscriber at https://airlineweekly.com

Airbus has a winner with the A220, and airlines are just starting to discover what they can do with the aircraft’s size and range. Chris Sloan, publisher of theairchive.net joins for a discussion on the A220 and the Boeing 737 Max.  

Expedia Vice President Air Partnerships Julie Kyse joins the Airline Weekly Lounge to let us know how data can help airlines recover. We will be on hiatus until the first week of January. Enjoy your holidays, no matter how you celebrate. 

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport moved quickly to safeguard public health when the coronavirus began to spread in the U.S. What changes will be permanent? CEO Sean Donohue explains in this week's episode. To participate live in events like this, please visit https://forum.skift.com

The airline industry is just one part of the larger travel ecosystem, and no one sector has been immune to the effects of a once-in-a-century pandemic. Skift Hospitality Reporter Cameron Sperance joins us for a state-of-play on the hospitality and cruise industries. To participate in Airline Weekly Lounge live, register at forum.skift.com.

Last week Skift and the Airline Weekly team hosted our first conference devoted to aviation. Guests including Southwest CEO and Chairman Gary Kelly, Air France CEO Anne Rigali, and Air Lease Corp. Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Házy discussed the current state of the industry. For today's podcast, the Airline Weekly team connects the dots between the conversations. To participate in weekly record...

Brett "Cranky Flier" Snyder joins Airline Weekly Lounge Live after trying Hawaiian Airlines' new rapid-response test from LAX. The process, aimed to allow travelers to avoid Hawaii's 14-day quarantine, was confusing, he said. And Cranky updates us with his latest installment of "Skeds of Airlines."

Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, argues that airlines are critical infrastructure, and pilots are essential workers. The industry needs more federal support in order to ensure it can bounce back when demand returns, or the economy as a whole will suffer, he says. Join us on November 19, 2020 for Skift Aviation Forum and learn from CEOs and leaders at Delta Air Lines,...

Boeing's grounded 737 MAX has been in the news a bunch recently, with European regulators and some airlines predicting it will be back in the air by year's end. What regulatory steps remain before the FAA approves it for flight, and what emerged in the investigation on why the aircraft's software malfunctioned? Aviation Week Air Transport and Safety Editor Sean Broderick helps break it down. To pa...

Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan is joined by Skift hospitality reporter Cameron Sperance to discuss the state of leisure and business travel.  Join events like this live by registering at https://forum.skift.com/mondays-airline-weekly/

PaxEx.aero founder Seth Miller joins us live from Philadelphia International Airport for an update on the passenger experience during this pandemic. The pandemic provides both opportunity and risk for airlines and their suppliers. With traffic light, now could the time to innovate, but with cash tight, do airlines and their suppliers have the wherewithal?

Few other airlines were as associated with luxury intercontinental travel than Singapore Airlines was before the pandemic. But when Covid travel restrictions went into force, Singapore's core business all but evaporated, and unlike many of its rivals, it has no domestic market at all to fall back on.  For airline industry intelligence every Monday morning, subscribe at Airline Weekly.

Brian Sumers, Skift senior aviation business editor, and Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan asked just why airlines are eliminating change fees (when passengers have complained about them forever). Are airlines ready to transport vaccines?  To join events like this live, visit https://forum.skift.com

Accenture's Jonathan Keane sketches four scenarios the airline industry could face, ranging from a "remarkable return" to "the darkest days." How should airlines prepare for a very uncertain post-pandemic future? Join future events like this at https://forum.skift.com/mondays-airline-weekly/

IATA Regional Vice President for the Americas Peter Cerdá explains the patchwork of travel restrictions that is making air travel in Latin America difficult and why governments in the region should invest more in air transport infrastructure. Get the latest aviation industry intelligence at https://airlineweekly.com