JetBlue now accepts Venmo payments for flights, in what it called a first for airlines on Tuesday. Venmo payment options are available on the airline’s website and will roll out on their mobile app “in the coming months,” the carrier announced. Venmo payment options are the latest announcement in a broader effort from JetBlue to enhance its services and boost profits. The struggling low-cost carrier has searched for new revenue streams as larger airlines introduce their own budget options, increasing competition for those flyers. In September, JetBlue introduced new features on its mobile app, including more easily accessible gate information and a countdown system to boarding. Many airlines, including major US carriers such as American, Delta, Southwest and United airlines, already accept payments using PayPal. Venmo, which is owned by PayPal, is a popular payment app in the United States. It is commonly used for peer-to-peer transactions and to settle group expenses. JetBlue passengers can purchase flights through their Venmo balance or linked bank accounts, debit cards and credit cards, the airline said.<br/>
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Major global airlines are in talks with Gol to invest in the Brazilian carrier, which is undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S., local newspaper Valor Economico reported on Tuesday, citing sources. The report mentions U.S.-based companies United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as European firms Air France-KLM, British Airways parent International Airlines Group and Germany's Lufthansa Group among the carriers in talks with Gol. Valor Economico said the investments from global airlines would be made as part of Gol's exit from Chapter 11. The Brazilian airline, which last week announced a memorandum of understanding to explore a merger with local rival Azul , has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings since early 2024. Gol's potential merger with Azul would create a dominant airline in the Brazil domestic market, surpassing LATAM Airlines' local unit.<br/>
Even as rival airlines limit their expansion plans, WestJet has begun to gear up for a major growth spurt this year, with a focus on in-country travel brought on by a low loonie and pinched pocketbooks. Flight volumes from the country’s second-largest airline will increase by 10% this summer compared to last, WestJet says. Fuelling that uptick are the nine planes previously leased by Lynx Air that WestJet snapped up last year after the discount carrier’s collapse. The Boeing 737 Max 8s will allow WestJet to partly make up for delays on the roughly 60 Boeing jets it was expecting by 2028, but that are held up amid production issues. WestJet plans to launch 11 new routes across its network beginning in May, on top of increased volumes on current routes. The bulk of the expansion will go toward shoring up existing service to cities in Canada, from Victoria to Montreal. The Calgary-based company will also return to Sudbury, Ont., and Sydney, N.S., after pulling out in 2018 and 2023, respectively, to dig into its home territory out west. South of the border, WestJet is gambling on new three routes between Alberta and each of Alaska, North Carolina and Utah -- Salt Lake City is a key hub for partner Delta Air Lines. The scale of WestJet’s push to fill more airspace stands in contrast to competitors. Air Canada, Porter Airlines and Air Transat are poised to boost year-over-year flight volumes between one and five per cent this summer, while Flair Airlines will scale down slightly, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. The move also comes after three airlines were scrubbed from Canadian skies since October 2023: Lynx, Canada Jetlines and Swoop, a WestJet subsidiary that folded into its owner’s mainline service. WestJet plans to integrate Sunwing Airlines into its fleet by late April after acquiring the leisure carrier in 2023.<br/>
Spanish airline Air Europa has hired adviser PJT Partners to raise cash through debt, and possibly a capital increase, to pay back debt owed to the government, a spokesperson for the airline said on Tuesday. The airline, which is 20% owned by British Airways owner IAG Group, is seeking funds to pay an outstanding package of loans worth a total E475m granted by the government during the pandemic, the spokesperson said. Air Europa would first raise money through a capital increase of potentially up to 20%, and then new debt to pay the government loans, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. Spanish website El Confidencial, which was ahead with the news, said that 20% of Air Europa could be valued at E240m. The Spanish airline said last November that several parties, including Air France-KLM, had expressed an interest in acquiring a 20% stake in the company.<br/>
GPS navigation interference in Eastern Europe is a "relatively small problem" for Ryanair at the moment, its CCO said on Tuesday, after a couple of its flights were diverted because of GPS problems. Estonia and Finland last year blamed Russia for jamming GPS navigation devices in the region's airspace. Russia has denied interfering with communication and satellite networks. "We are guided by air control and our safety department, they both talk on daily basis... At the moment it's a relatively small problem, but we review this on a daily basis," Jason McGuinness said during a press conference in Warsaw. "We can't really predict the future on this, it's very hard to know. I'm not going to make predictions on what may or may not happen." A Ryanair plane about to land at Vilnius airport was diverted to Warsaw in Poland because of GPS interference, Lithuania's air navigation authority said last week. In December, a flight bound for the Austrian capital Vienna had to land in the neighbouring Czech Republic after encountering GPS problems and poor visibility, the company said. The CEO of Ryanair's Buzz Group, Michal Kaczmarzyk, added that the scale of such incidents was not large enough at the moment to have any impact on Ryanair's routes in Poland or the Baltic countries.<br/>
Greater Bay Airlines said on Wednesday that 128 flights in February and March would be affected by cancellations announced the previous day, citing delays in new aircraft deliveries and regular inspections of existing planes. Service over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday was not affected, the Hong Kong-based carrier said in a statement, adding that it had found negligence in an internal review of its flight scheduling processe The cancellations affect 64 roundtrips with about 5,500 passengers, the airline said, noting that it was helping them to book alternative flights or issue refunds. The airline also said it had applied to aviation authorities to suspend its underperforming Seoul-Hong Kong route.<br/>