unaligned

Southwest is cutting jobs in its sustainable fuel operations and working to sell a renewables company, according to people familiar with the matter, an abrupt pullback after the carrier spent the past year investing in climate-focused initiatives. Southwest last week laid off seven out of 10 employees on two key teams that work to reduce its climate pollution and increase its use of sustainable aviation fuel, or “SAF,” according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal details. The airline is also eliminating a newly created team that makes investments in renewable fuel startups. That team is being given a couple of months to help unload SAFFiRE Renewables, a company that Southwest acquired just 11 months ago, the people said. SAFFiRE is seeking to develop cleaner fuels from corn husks and stalks. The cuts to Southwest’s sustainability staff were part of the broader layoffs announced on Feb. 17, when the carrier slashed about 1,750 workers, or 15% of its corporate staff. It marked the first round of layoffs in the airline’s 53-year history.<br/>

Southwest Airlines tickets are now available on Expedia. It's a big change for the airline, which previously required customers to book directly on its channels. "We are pleased to broaden our distribution with this new cost-effective channel,” Tony Roach, executive vice president Customer & Brand at Southwest Airlines, said in a statement. “Expedia provides a high-quality experience, and we look forward to partnering with them to introduce new travelers to our extensive network and Southwest hospitality." Southwest began listing fares on Google Flights in May 2024 but still required would-be customers to click through to the airline website to book. Now, all Expedia-owned sites, including Travelocity, Hotwire, Orbitz and CheapTickets, will show and allow customers to book Southwest fares. "Southwest Airlines is a beloved brand known for its customer-first service and operational excellence. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to offer the most travel options and deliver exceptional value to our customers," Greg Schulze, Expedia Group CCO, said in a statement.<br/>

Norse Atlantic Airways is crediting its new commercial strategy for slashing losses, as it seeks to balance its scheduled operation with wet-lease activity. The carrier is focusing on a fleet of 12 Boeing 787-9s after opting to return all three of its 787-8s to lessors. Two of the 787-8s were returned in February and Norse expects the third to be gone by the end of March. The redeliveries of the jets, which Norse itself had not operated, will result in a “significant positive accounting impact”, it says. Of its remaining 12 aircraft, all 787-9s, Norse has already damp-leased one to Indian carrier IndiGo, and has newly agreed to provide another three in the second half of this year. This means it will have 11 aircraft on its own scheduled operation this summer, but eight in the longer term. “We believe this represents a good balance between securing year-round fixed revenue from [wet-lease] and maximising the possibilities in our scheduled network,” says CE Bjorn Tore Larsen. Harmonisation of the 787 fleet and the leasing arrangement with IndiGo are part of a strategy unveiled in August last year, intended to offset seasonal fluctuations and improve the loss-making airline’s financial position. Norse believes the measures are already taking effect, almost halving net losses for the fourth quarter of 2024 – during which it achieved a 92% load factor, up from the prior 70% – and even generating a “standalone” profitable December.<br/>

Since the outbreak of the war, the air connection between Israel and the U.S. has become more critical than ever. With the reduced number of foreign airlines operating in Israel and the growing demand for flights from Jewish and Israeli communities, an urgent need arose to increase flight availability. El Al, which has faced much criticism for high ticket prices to the U.S. and limited flights, now announces a significant move that will bring it to a new peak of 52 weekly flights to the U.S. El Al is significantly expanding its operations in North America: Starting this May, the airline will operate five weekly flights on a new route to Boston as part of an expansion plan that will bring the company to a record 52 weekly flights to the U.S. “This is a strategic move to strengthen operations between Israel and the Americas,” said Shlomi Zafrani, El Al's Vice President of Commerce and Aviation Relations. “The direct flights to six North American destinations are operated on the company’s state-of-the-art Dreamliner aircraft, ensuring a comfortable and advanced flight experience.”<br/>

South Korea’s largest hotel and resort operator Daemyung Sono Group expanded its footprint in the aviation industry by acquiring T’way Air. With its latest deal, the company strengthened its position even further following its earlier acquisition of Air Premia. Daemyung Sono Group announced on Wednesday that it signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire a 46.26% stake in T’way Holdings from Yerimdang and related parties for 250b won ($174m). T’way Holdings is the largest shareholder of T’way Air, holding a 28.02% stake. The low-cost carrier operates under an ownership structure where Yerimdang holds a controlling stake in T’way Holdings, which in turn owns T’way Air. With this latest acquisition, Daemyung Sono Group, which already invested 176b won in 2024 to secure a 26.77% stake in the airline, now has a 54.79% stake.<br/>

Kiwis heading to Asia will now have a new service linking Vietnam and New Zealand. Vietjet Air will start flying between Ho Chi Minh City and Auckland in September 2025 and will initially operate four flights per week. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi for the announcement and said the new route will strengthen the links between both countries “and brings our people closer together”. Vietjet is a low-cost carrier and was founded in 2007. It flies predominately around Asia and Australia. The airline operates six Vietnam-Australia routes, linking Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City, and Melbourne and Sydney to Hanoi. With a fleet of 94 aircraft, the airline is rapidly expanding with more than 300 on order. Air New Zealand had previously flown the Ho Chi Minh City-Auckland route on a seasonal basis for three years until October 2018. At the time the national carrier blamed relatively low demand, but also highlighted issues with the engines of its Dreamliner planes.<br/>