unaligned

Elliott Investment Management has increased its equity stake in Southwest Airlines Co. to 9.7%, nearing the amount needed to call a special shareholder meeting at which the activist hopes to replace most of the carrier’s board. The larger holding, up from about 8% previously, was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Monday, just after Elliott renewed its call for sweeping leadership and operational changes at Southwest in a letter to shareholders. The activist needs a 10% stake in order to call a special gathering for Southwest investors to vote on its director nominees. The latest volleys advance Elliott’s campaign to overhaul the carrier, which the activist has criticized for refusing to adopt changes embraced by rivals over the last 15 years, such as offering a bare-bones economy fare, charging customers for checked luggage and assigned seats. Elliott has called for the ouster of Southwest CEO Bob Jordan and Chairman Gary Kelly and has named 10 people it would nominate for the airline’s 15-member board of directors. The activist’s economic interest in Southwest, which includes financial instruments such as derivatives, remained at roughly 11%. Elliott said it’s eager to engage with Southwest’s board and plans to meet with the carrier on Sept. 9. However “so long as the jobs of Jordan and Kelly remain sacrosanct,” the activist said in its letter on Monday, “it is preferable to give shareholders a direct say on the question of who should be leading Southwest.”<br/>

Lufthansa Group's Discover Airlines will seek to operate as many flights as possible during a four-day strike starting on Tuesday, the subsidiary said on Monday. Discover said around 270 Discover flights were scheduled out of and into Frankfurt and Munich airports during the next four days, and that short-term changes were possible.<br/>

Ryanair has lost its appeal against a ban on airlines charging extra fees for seat reservations when travellers need to sit next to children under 12 or people with disabilities, Italy's Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) said on Monday. The Irish carrier challenged the ban after ENAC introduced it in 2021. The company lost a first appeal in 2022, in a ruling that has now been upheld by the Council of State, Italy's top administrative court, ENAC said. Ryanair normally charges more to people who want to choose their seat on the plane - something they might do if they wanted to make certain they were sitting next to another specific passenger. According to the airline's website, the surcharge for such a seating arrangement on a one-way flight within Italy can vary from 22 euros to 30 euros ($24.58-$33.52). ENAC said this surcharge should not apply to people accompanying passengers who cannot travel alone, such as young children and people with disabilities. The Council of State agreed, with ENAC quoting its ruling as saying that "the need for proximity of the seats between minor and accompanying person is clearly connected with the safety obligation" that falls upon airlines and which cannot be linked to extra costs. Ryanair told Reuters the ruling "does not require any change" to its current seating policy, and stressed that the company "does not charge any fee for children under 12 travelling with an adult." At an earlier stage in the proceedings in 2021, Ryanair said the way ENAC had characterised the situation was "misleading".<br/>

Aer Lingus will cut back the number of Dublin-London Heathrow services from this winter but the Irish airline could get up to six new aircraft that will potentially boost its North American network. The airline agreed to increase pilots’ pay by 17.75% last month following a bitter dispute that sparked industrial action and cancelled flights. Management told staff on Monday that it planned to cut its Dublin-London Heathrow services by about two flights a day from this winter. Passenger numbers on the route have failed to recover after the Government rolled back Covid-19 travel curbs, largely because business people are flying less. That, and a controversial planning condition limiting passenger numbers at Dublin Airport to 32m a year, prompted the decision, the airline said. Aer Lingus will cut winter services to nine or 10 flights daily from between 11 and 12 in 2023-2024, with summer 2025 capacity coming back to 11 or 12 trips instead of the 13 or 14 a day it is operating this year. The airline said it was assessing damage caused by the dispute against a background of increased competition and the passenger cap. “This includes a review of the weaker parts of the airline’s network and its cost base,” a statement added. The company blamed increased competition on North American routes for a fall in profits for the six months to June 30th to E9m this year from E31m in 2023. All Heathrow flights from Cork, Shannon and Knock airports will continue.<br/>

Boeing B787-9 aircraft, the first of three scheduled for this year. <br/>Part of an existing order, which includes eight more aircraft by 2027, the newest marks the 10th Dreamliner in the airline’s fleet. As one of the world’s most modern and advanced passenger aircraft, the B787-9 is known for its innovative design and exceptional fuel efficiency, while its wide cabins and large windows offer unparalleled on-board comfort for guests. The aircraft touched down in Muscat on Friday afternoon, arriving from the Boeing facility in Seattle. “We’re excited to welcome our new Boeing B787-9 to our aircraft line-up, which aligns with our strategy to fly a modern and common Oman Air fleet. It allows us to maintain efficiency in operations, optimise maintenance costs and ensure a seamless and consistent experience for our guests,” said Con Korfiatis, CEO. “Our latest addition to the fleet is also consistent with our focus on transforming our airline towards financial sustainability, while upholding our reputation as a world-class carrier and supporting Oman’s ambitions to increase tourism and connectivity in the years to come.”<br/>