The family of a South Carolina woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing American Airlines of refusing to make an emergency landing after she fell ill during an April 2016 flight, leading to her death from an embolism 3 days later. According to the complaint, Oswell's flight was on its way to Dallas-Fort Worth from Honolulu when she became dizzy and disoriented before fainting. She regained consciousness after being looked at by a doctor, and later collapsed in a bathroom. Her family said the doctor recommended that the plane land at a nearby airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but the pilot flew on to Dallas after consulting with another doctor. Oswell's breathing and pulse eventually stopped, and flight attendants tried to administer CPR after an on-board defibrillator failed to work, the complaint said. <br/>
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Airlines are facing much higher fuel prices than a year ago, and those costs could be passed onto passengers soon. "If indeed this is where fuel prices are going to stay, I would expect you would see higher fares to consumers over time," said Doug Parker, chairman and CE of American Airlines Group said Thursday. In Q1, the airline saw expenses reach US$10b, a nearly 10% increase year-over-year. That was largely attributable to 25.7% higher fuel costs. American said if fuel prices for Q1 2018 were consistent with Q1 2017, expenses would have been lower by $412m. "Higher fuel prices led to a decline in year-over-year earnings, but we are excited about the future," Parker said. <br/>
Russia’s S7 Group has signed a letter of intent with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) for 50 Sukhoi Superjet 75 (SSJ75) aircraft, plus 25 options. The new aircraft design, which SCAC announced in February, is a 75-seat modification of the SSJ100. The LOI makes S7 the launch customer for the new version. SCAC expects to deliver a design proposal to the carrier by year-end. If the LOI is firmed, deliveries should start in 2022. SCAC estimates demand for the SSJ75 in Russia could reach 200-300 aircraft; global demand for the type is expected to be up to 3,000 aircraft. "Together with the size optimisation it is planned to reduce the weight of the structural weight up to 10%-15%, to improve aerodynamics up to 10% and reduce specific fuel consumption up to 5%,” SCAC said. <br/>
Japan Airlines Group’s net profit dropped 17.5% in the fiscal year ending March 31, although it saw a 2.5% rise in its operating profit for the same period. Despite the decline, JAL still recorded a net profit of JPY135.4b (US$1.27b) for the fiscal year. The drop was mainly the result of deferred taxes from the previous year, the carrier said. Excluding special items, the operating profit increased year-on-year to JPY174.5b. Group revenue increased 7.3% to JPY1.4t, with expenses up 8.1% driven by higher fuel prices. Demand remained strong in domestic and international markets because of “moderate economic recovery trends.” International passenger revenue rose 11.5% YOY to JPY462.9b. International traffic increased 3.4% on a 2.4% capacity gain, resulting in load factor rising 0.8 point to a record 81%. <br/>