general

Bombardier is unlikely to announce new CSeries orders at the Paris Air Show next week, as it grapples with broader market weakness, though demand for smaller regional aircraft is growing, a person familiar with the matter said. Expectations are growing for the pane-and-train-maker to announce new orders for its fuel-efficient 110-to-130 seat CSeries jets after it failed to secure any substantial orders in about a year. But even as some market observers look to showcase events like Paris, planemakers are bracing for softer sales in 2017 after a prolonged order boom. "I think it is a slow time period because there was this binge of orders in the last few years," said the person. "Airlines are still trying to figure out their fleet plans." <br/>

To say April was a bad one for airline customer service would be a huge understatement. New data from the US DoT shows a 70% spike in complaints by passengers compared to April 2016. The surge in complaints may have been sparked by a couple of high-profile incidents that gave the industry a black eye — most notably, cell phone video showing a United Airlines passenger being dragged off of a plane. While United was repeatedly criticised for its customer service, there were other events in April involving altercations between passengers and flight crew including an American Airlines passenger with a baby stroller accidentally being hit after an argument with a member of the flight crew. Collectively, the focus on poor customer service may have prompted more passengers to complain to the DoT. <br/>