Southwest Airlines experienced a short computer outage Wednesday afternoon amid severe weather affecting the central and eastern U.S. that resulted in numerous flight delays, according to the carrier. The airline said it "resolved a brief technology issue that was caused by a power outage at one of our data centers in the Dallas area this afternoon" in an email statement to USA TODAY. "While we were able to continue overall operations, some flights across the system were delayed while our teams addressed the outage and restarted systems," the airline continued. "We apologize to our customers and appreciate their patience as we work to get them to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible." Southwest’s technology has been under a microscope for years because of a previous meltdown. Over the winter holidays in 2022-2023, weather delays and backend technology issues conspired to cause a true meltdown for the airline. During a 10-day period in December 2022, the airline canceled nearly 17,000 flights, stranding passengers and baggage all around the country.<br/>
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A union representing about 4,100 flight attendants at Frontier Airlines filed for federal mediation on Wednesday over the carrier's operations overhaul. Frontier is reworking its network to allow almost all of its planes to return to their stations every night. The so-called out-and-back model inspired by European budget carriers is meant to minimize flight cancellations and delays. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) filed with the National Mediation Board seeking bargaining over the change that it says "is causing a dramatic reduction in compensation while sharply increasing time on the job or commuting to it." Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said earlier this month the carrier was adding crew bases to support its "ability to achieve our target of out-and-back flying by June and drive further network efficiency." The ultra-low-cost airline has estimated the changes will improve productivity and save $200m this year, as it tries to return to sustainable profitability and deliver double-digit profit margins in 2025. "The company is ready and willing to negotiate with the AFA on the impact of its network changes within the context of our current active CBA negotiations," Frontier said in a statement, referring to the collective bargaining agreement. In April, the union filed a dispute notice under the Railway Labor Act that governs airline industry labor relations. The company's new operational model is a shift from the typical method employed by US airlines of flying multi-day trips with two or three overnight stays for cabin crews.<br/>
JetBlue Airways on 29 May disclosed plans to open a crew base in San Juan, Puerto Rico amid a sweeping strategy shift to focus more on the Caribbean. The New York based carrier said the base at Luis Munoz Marin International airport is expected to open toward the end of the year, and “underscores the airline’s commitment to growth and investment in the region”. By 2025, the base will employ about 125 pilots and 325 flight attendants, boosting its operations from San Juan to destinations in the US, Caribbean and Latin America. “We’re so excited to base hundreds more crew members right here in San Juan, where we are proud to be the largest airline with plans to grow even more,” says Warren Christie, JetBlue’s chief operating officer. “The new crew base will support our operation as we grow.” JetBlue has stationed aircraft in San Juan for more than a decade and opened a maintenance base there in 2020. It first launched flights to Puerto Rico’s capital city 22 years ago. More recently, the carrier has been attempting to chart a new path forward following the collapse of both its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines and its long-planned combination with Spirit Airlines. Both deals were blocked on anti-competitive grounds in the same US federal court. JetBlue has since pivoted to the Carribean and Latin America in an effort to target ”core customers and geographies, redeploying capacity from underperforming markets and doubling down on proven leisure and [visiting friends and relatives] markets,” JetBlue president Marty St George said on 23 April.<br/>
WestJet Encore pilots could walk off the job this weekend if an agreement isn’t reached with the airline, after filing a 72-hour strike notice. The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l(opens in a new tab) (ALPA), the union representing the pilots, announced the strike notice on Wednesday, saying its members can begin job action on June 1 if the two parties can’t come to terms on a new contract. WestJet(opens in a new tab) issued an advanced lockout notice to the ALPA on Wednesday afternoon. The airline said a work stoppage could occur as early as 6 p.m. MT on June 1. The union and the airline resumed bargaining two weeks ago after the pilots rejected a tentative agreement. ALPA noted that progress has been made, but the two sides are still apart on some of the issues important to the pilots. “After eight months of negotiating, and a failed (tentative agreement), unfortunately management has not recognized the pilots’ needs. We have expressed to management that we are willing to work with them to further address the issues that clearly remain for our pilots,” said Capt. Carin Kenny, chair of the WestJet Encore ALPA Master Executive Council. “Until WestJet Encore management negotiates a contract that recognizes the current labour market conditions in Canada’s airline industry, and addresses the needs of our pilots, management will continue to struggle to attract and retain the well-trained, highly skilled pilots required to help our airline be successful.”<br/>
Canadian North and the federal government are facing criticism over major changes to the airline's baggage rates, effective on tickets booked as of Wednesday. Two weeks ago, the airline unveiled sweeping changes and increased costs. While passengers still receive their first bag for free, the cost of a second bag on the lowest ticket fare has jumped by 50%, and the cost of an overweight bag (anything over 51 pounds) has tripled on all fare types. "Because we have such a heavy reliance on airlines for transportation and cargo most of the year, it's a staggering impact on the cost of living," said former Nunavut senator Dennis Patterson. "It's well known that people always [maximize] their baggage allowances. And so to hit people who are bringing up essential goods that they can't otherwise get in the North when they're travelling from southern Canada is punitive. It's really punishing." Iqaluit resident Nicole Jackson echoed Patterson's concerns. She said while the changes don't affect her so much, people from smaller communities will be hit hard bringing goods up from the capital — particularly after Canada Post closed a loophole last month many communities were exploiting to gain access to Amazon's free shipping.<br/>
Brazilian airlines Azul and Gol have informed local antitrust regulator CADE of their new codeshare agreement and do not expect hurdles to be imposed, Azul's CE said. The carriers, which each have around 30% of domestic market share, unveiled the deal last week, covering all domestic routes operated by one but not the other, along with their frequent flyer programs. The move also reignited speculation of a potential merger between the airlines, which would need antitrust approval. Azul said in a late Tuesday securities filing, after the Reuters interview, that it had been in talks with Gol's parent Abra Group to "explore opportunities." Codeshare agreements, which allow airlines to sell seats on each other's flights, do not require antitrust green light in Brazil, but some have voiced concern about market concentration and suggested the watchdog should look into the matter anyway. "We went to CADE to explain what we are doing, and if they decide to look at it, that is fine," Azul CEO John Rodgerson said. "There is no overlapping routes, no pricing coordination. So we don't see problems." Rodgerson noted that Azul had a similar deal with rival LATAM in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the air travel industry. That agreement fell apart the following year as Azul unsuccessfully bid to combine with the Chile-based carrier. Azul's new codeshare deal with Gol came after the latter filed in January for bankruptcy protection in the United States, amid struggles with heavy debt and delayed deliveries from planemaker Boeing. But Rodgerson said the companies had been in talks for some sort of agreement even before that, given their complementary networks. Gol focuses on big cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, while Azul has a more dispersed network.<br/>
The controlling shareholder of Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA has started talks with Azul SA. Holding company Abra Group Ltd seeks to “explore opportunities”, Gol said in a statement late Tuesday. Any potential agreement between Abra and Azul would not be binding on the company, according to the document. Sao Paulo-based Gol is said to be in talks for a merger with rival Brazilian airline Azul. In one scenario under consideration, Abra Group would contribute its Gol shares to Azul in exchange for a stake in the combined entity. Last week, both airlines announced an agreement to connect their flight networks, which is said to be the first step toward the companies consolidating. Azul added in a securities filing it is holding “independent talks” with Abra and has not signed any agreement regarding a potential business combination with Gol.<br/>
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is running out of time to salvage ITA Airways, the successor to serial loss-maker Alitalia. If her bid to cut a deal and free Rome from a longtime financial burden fails, there’s no plan B in sight. European Union antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager is pressing hard for tough concessions on the planned E325m investment in the Italian flagship by Germany’s Deutsche Lufthansa, citing concerns on higher prices and reduced options for passengers. Lufthansa has in turn peppered Brussels with a few proposed remedies in a bid to break the deadlock. It has suggested sharing routes with rivals out of hubs in Rome and Milan, giving up slots on some European routes, or freezing minimum capacity on flights to the US, Canada and Japan. But so far, that hasn’t been enough to placate European regulators, and the Italian media has speculated darkly that the impasse could mean the deal, which carries an approval deadline of July 4, will fall through. On Wednesday, the Italian government said it submitted its replies to the EU, and that it’s not seeking an extension on the deadline. Asked Wednesday about the status of the review, Vestager said that merger cases are “complex” and certain reviews can “take effort to solve.” She added that the European Commission remains in discussions both with Lufthansa and ITA Airways regarding the future outcome of the deal. Its collapse would be a big problem for Meloni. Her right-wing government, which swept to power in 2022 on a pro-business platform, was counting on not having to continue paying to keep ITA flying. “The intercontinental air market from Italy is extremely competitive. If ITA does not end up within the Lufthansa group, Italian taxpayers are at risk of spending much more on the company,” said Andrea Giuricin, a consultant specializing in the aviation industry who’s affiliated with the Milano Bicocca University. Italy is facing rising deficits, debt loads and anemic economic growth, while Meloni has been eager to concentrate the meager resources at her disposal on keeping key electoral promises like cutting taxes.<br/>
El Al Israel Airlines Wednesday swung to a first-quarter profit, boosted by strong demand at a time when foreign carriers have halted or curtailed flights to Israel because of the conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Israeli flag carrier said it earned $80.5m in January-March, versus a $34.4m loss a year earlier. Revenue rose 48% to $738m, while its passenger load factor rose to 93% from 85%. El Al's CEO called on foreign airlines to resume flying and add flights to Israel to help alleviate pressure on the Israeli carrier. "There is more demand than supply and we cannot add more capacity," Dina Ben Tal Ganancia told Reuters. "We did whatever we could and we are stretched to the edge of our capacity ... There is a lot of pressure on our shoulders to add more flights but we can't." Since Israel's war with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas which followed Hamas' attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, almost all foreign airlines halted flights to Tel Aviv. This left El Al - with a fleet of just 43 planes - to handle all passenger traffic. European carriers have started flying to Israel again, although on a reduced schedule. United has restarted U.S. flights but they are currently suspended for another week, with Delta also set to resume in June. The CEO said El Al had ended non-performing routes like Johannesburg and Toronto and has boosted flights to popular destinations such as the United States and Asia.<br/>
El Al Israel Airlines is expected to make a long-awaited decision on an order of around 30 short-haul aircraft in "a few weeks", CFO Yancale Shahar said on Wednesday. Israel's flag carrier will decide between the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320 family in what could a deal worth $2b, he said. "We are at the last mile," Shahar told Reuters after an El Al news conference to announce its Q1 financial results. Since its inception in 1948, El Al has maintained an all-Boeing fleet, owing to Israel's close ties with chief ally the United States, but Shahar said it was still possible the airline would shift to Airbus, acknowledging that both firms' product lines have had their problems. "At the end of the day, you have to find the right asset for the company and the price that will make sense," he said. "It's finance. It's economics." Last August, El Al said it was in "serious" talks with Airbus to buy as many as 30 A321neo jets, in what would be an historic change of supplier as it looks to replace its aging short-haul fleet. Since then officials have said both Boeing and Airbus have made aggressive proposals. El Al, which posted a Q1 net profit of $80.5m versus a year-before $34.4m loss on revenue of $738m, plans to replace its fleet of 24 Boeing 737-800s - which have an average age of 20 years - and 737-900s, while possibly buying another six. The purchases would be made in tranches. Shahar noted that making a decision now was challenging, since severe backlogs at both planemakers meant deliveries would be years away. "You have to make a decision according to a market that will be completely different," he said.<br/>
India’s largest airline is trialling a new feature for females to be able to choose to sit next to other females on its flights. Live from a Lounge reports “While checking in my wife for an upcoming flight on IndiGo, I noticed pink bobbleheads on board, rather than just the standard grey ones, to indicate that these were the spots where women patrons of the airline were seated on board.” It is currently in pilot mode and will display as long as there is a female on the booking. Male passengers won’t be able to see if the passenger next to them is a woman. The airline said the feature aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for its female passengers and is visible only during web check-in, as part of its “#GirlPower ethos”. “We are committed to providing an unparalleled travel experience for all our passengers, and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving that goal,” the airline said. IndiGo is not the first airline to do this, but it is the largest. India’s Vistara has used a similar concept, referred to as Vistara WomanFlyer.<br/>
AirAsia Aviation reported its highest-ever quarterly financial results, on the back of sharp rise in revenues, and despite operational costs increasing. For the three months ended 31 March, the low-cost airline group, which is part of Malaysia-based Capital A, posted a positive EBITDA of MYR958m ($203m), up 91% year on year. The figure is also an improvement on the seasonal peak of the 2023 year-end period, the group notes. The group, with units in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Thailand, more than doubled its Q1 revenue to around MYR5b, amid a sharp rise in passenger volumes across the network. The airline units carried 15.4m passengers during the quarter, an 80% jump year on year, with traffic and capacity rising 86% and 81% respectively. At the same time, the average airfare had also rose about 26% year on year to MYR264 per passenger. AirAsia saw its operational expenses increase – with staff costs up nearly three-fold, and fuel costs doubling – as it ramped up operations. AirAsia Aviation chief Bo Lingam says: We’re thrilled to kick off the year with a strong start achieving our highest-ever quarterly performance after a year of revitalising our aviation business. As we transition into the second quarter and demand stabilises, we remain confident with plans to optimise operations and increase ancillary revenue.” The airline group expects to increase its operating fleet - by reactivating its remaining stored aircraft - by the year-end, which it intends to us “to extend our reach to new destinations, including the potential of some we have never flown before”, says Lingam. <br/>
The aviation safety regulator believes Virgin Australia is rostering pilots “closer to the limits” of anti-fatigue standards, amid fears some are working 12-hour days back-to-back but are hesitant to report feeling tired out of fear of losing shifts. Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) officials’ comments at Senate estimates on Wednesday evening followed revelations in the Guardian that pilots had repeatedly raised concerns over Virgin’s rostering system adding to fatigue levels. As Virgin Australia and the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) remain in a standoff over a proposal to strip pilots of six days’ annual leave during negotiations for a new enterprise agreement, email chains between pilots and management as well as pilot-only discussion groups raised frustration at what they allege was management’s failures to recognise the fatigue issue. The correspondence seen by Guardian Australia revealed anger at outdated roster software which they claim has not been replaced despite a promise to do so by the owners of the airline, private equity firm Bain Capital. In addition, there is an alleged reliance on routinely scheduling pilots to work maximum shift lengths – 12 hours and longer in the event of delays – on back-to-back days, while allowing for just the legal minimum rest period of 12 hours. Matthew Bouttell, the executive manager of Casa’s regulatory oversight division, responded to questions from Labor senator Tony Sheldon about the pilots’ concerns, as well as the results of a TWU survey of 180 pilots – of the roughly 1,000 who work at Virgin – which showed that 85% said the rostering system had affected how they manage their fatigue.<br/>