Delta is flying 44 First Class seats on A321neos because Safran missed its certification deadline. Southwest exited O'Hare and Dulles this week after a failed five-year expansion. Both stories say more about aviation's supply and demand mismatch than any strategy document.
IATA cuts 2026 industry profit forecast to $23bn as fuel costs surge 70%. European passenger traffic posts its first decline since 2021. WestJet accelerates 737-700 retirements. Goldman Sachs warns European jet fuel stocks may breach the IEA's critical shortage threshold this month.
IATA called for urgent European airport tax cuts at its Rio AGM on Saturday, as fuel costs at $163 per barrel erode the margins that its December $41bn profit forecast assumed at $88 per barrel.
Emirates has cut 14 per cent of its June flight schedule, removing nearly 500,000 seats six weeks after posting a record $6.6bn annual profit. Cirium data shows 47 destinations affected, with some routes cut by more than half.
Delta is flying seven A321neos with 44 First Class seats and one lavatory. It is not a strategic statement on premium demand. It is a supply chain workaround that has accidentally created something worth watching.
