Airline Weekly Lounge

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 that lie in wait for companies when they weigh in on thorny social issues and why CEOs increasingly feel compelled to have an opinion on social and political matters.   Stay ahead of aviation industry news at airlineweekly.com/subscribe  

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" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan dive into these topics and into why Wall Street is betting big on Frontier Airlines' stock market debut.   Get daily updates at airlineweekly.com to better understand the industry.

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 essential airline news at airlineweekly.com

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 off this summer?   Get more essential airline news at airlineweekly.com/subscribe

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 essential aviation news with a subscription to Airline Weekly.  

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 aviation news by subscribing to Airline Weekly.

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 might help Volaris. Don't miss out on the latest news in the aviation industry. Subscribe to Airline Weekly. 

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 subscription to Airline Weekly.

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