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Spirit Airlines is laying the groundwork to shut down after federal bailout talks collapsed, Bloomberg reported on May 1. The carrier, which filed for bankruptcy twice in under a year, faces liquidation after surging jet fuel costs made its planned exit from Chapter 11 all but impossible.
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American Airlines landed in Caracas on Thursday for the first time in seven years, resuming daily Miami service after the Trump administration lifted a 2019 ban. Return fares are running above $1,200, against $390–$900 via Bogotá, as the market tests whether demand justifies the route.
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China Southern Airlines and subsidiary Xiamen Airlines have agreed to purchase 137 Airbus A320neo jets at a list price of $21.4bn, as Beijing's state carriers consolidate fleet renewal around European aircraft while Boeing's China breakthrough remains tied to a Trump-Xi summit with no date set.
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Air France-KLM posted a near-breakeven Q1 operating loss of $32mn, improving $352mn year on year, as hedging delayed the Iran conflict's fuel impact. A $1.1bn fuel cost increase arrives in Q2, with the full-year bill now forecast at $9.3bn — up $2.4bn on 2025.
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Japan Airlines closed the fiscal year ending March 2026 with record revenue of $13.4bn, beating every target in its five-year management plan. The result arrived with a warning: guided operating profit falls 17% next year as the Iran conflict resets jet fuel costs.
Analysis
India's three largest airlines warned the government on April 26 that they are on the verge of halting operations, as fuel costs hit 55–60 per cent of operating expenses following a 295 per cent rise in jet fuel prices since the Iran conflict began.
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AerCap posted record adjusted earnings of $5.39 per share in the first quarter of 2026, nearly 47 per cent above analyst forecasts, as aircraft sale gains surged 64 per cent year on year. The Dublin lessor raised its full-year guidance to $14.50 per share.
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Airbus delivered 114 aircraft in Q1, its worst quarter since 2009, as Pratt & Whitney engine shortages grounded finished jets on aprons across Europe. Revenue fell 7 per cent.
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JetBlue's commercial recovery is working — revenue beat guidance, Fort Lauderdale delivered and loyalty grew 19 per cent. Then the fuel bill arrived. Q2 fuel is guided at $4.13 to $4.28 per gallon with no hedge in place.
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Norwegian narrowed its first-quarter operating loss from NOK 611 million to NOK 220 million as hedging gains cut the fuel bill by nearly a quarter and SAS's retreat filled its cabins. Load factor hit a record for any first quarter. The summer will determine whether the gains are durable.
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Alaska Airlines flight AS180 departs Seattle for Rome tomorrow — the first transatlantic flight in the carrier's 93-year history. The Hawaiian Airlines merger gave Alaska the 787s to do it.
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British Airways told thousands of frequent flyers their elite status had been extended for another year. Some held 128 tier points against a Silver threshold of 7,500. Fifty hours later, the airline reversed the decision and cited a technical error.