Flightline 60 - January 12, 2026

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that global air passenger demand rose 5.7 percent year-over-year (YoY) in November 2025, with capacity up 5.4 percent and the worldwide load factor reaching a record 83.7 percent for the month. International traffic continued to lead growth, increasing 7.7 percent with a record November international load factor of 84 percent, while domestic demand grew a more modest 2.7 percent. Africa posted the strongest regional performance, followed by Asia Pacific and the Middle East, while North America lagged, with U.S. domestic traffic declining amid a government shutdown and contributing to ten consecutive months of (YoY) load factor erosion in the region.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require nearly 58,600 aircraft radio altimeters in the contiguous United States and DC to be upgraded or replaced to meet new interference-tolerance standards as wireless carriers expand 5G services in the Upper C-band spectrum. The FAA estimates this could cost about $4.5 billion for U.S. operators. Radio altimeters measure an aircraft’s height above the ground and are critical for safety systems such as autoland, terrain awareness, and wind shear alerts. The proposal sets a staggered compliance timeline, with larger commercial aircraft required to meet the standards by the time the FCC authorizes wireless service in the Upper C-band (likely between 2029 and 2032), and other aircraft having two additional years. The rule aims to prevent 5G interference from causing inaccurate altitude readings that could compromise safe operations.

SPOTTERS: Two Lufthansa planes are currently in the paint shop being resprayed into the wonderful 100th anniversary livery: D-AING, an Airbus A320-271neo, and D-AIXL, an Airbus A350-941. Keep an eye out for these!

DID YOU KNOW? Commercial aviation is responsible for five percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - $1.45 trillion in 2024.

Finnair (AY) transported 982,800 December passengers (up six percent annually) with a 76.3 percent load factor and 77 percent on-time performance. For the full year 2025 Finnair transported 11,884,200 passengers, which was a modest two percent more than 2024.

Hungarian discounter Wizz Air enjoyed a hefty 15.5 percent annual increase in December passenger traffic, with 5,847,828 passengers flown last month. This translated into a nearly 86 percent system-wide load factor. For all of 2025, Wizz passenger counts were up over nine percent to 68,591,371.

Grupo AeroMexico, which comprises, of course, flag-carrier AeroMexico (AM) and AeroMexico Connect (5D), carried 2,180,000 passengers in December, less than half of one percent more than December 2024. System-wide load factor for the month was just over 87 percent. For all of 2025, AeroMexico flew 24,587,000 passengers, which was down three percent from 2024. Just under 86 percent of revenue seats were filled during the year across the board.

Volaris (Y4) posted a 5.5 percent annual bump in December passenger traffic to 2,961,000 passengers. Volaris filled just over 84 percent of its available revenue seats, including nearly 90 percent on domestic flights, in December. For all of 2025, Volaris enjoyed a similar 5.2 percent increase in passenger traffic, with 30,995,000 passengers flying the Mexican airline. System-wide load factor for the year was nearly 87 percent.

IATA reported that global air cargo demand rose 5.5 percent (YoY) in November 2025, with international traffic up a stronger 6.9 percent, while capacity increased 4.7 percent overall. The cargo load factor improved to 49.1 percent as demand growth outpaced capacity additions, reflecting resilient fourth-quarter performance driven by holiday season shipping, trade rerouting, and solid emerging market demand. Asia Pacific and Africa led regional growth, Europe and the Middle East posted moderate gains, while North America and Latin America lagged amid weaker volumes and tariff related adjustments. IATA noted that higher jet fuel prices, improving manufacturing sentiment, and steady expansion across most major trade lanes set a constructive backdrop for air cargo entering 2026, despite ongoing cost pressures and uneven regional performance.

🇨🇦 On December 13, 2025, an unusual incident occurred on an Air Canada Rouge (RV) flight readying to depart from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to Moncton (YQM). As the Airbus A321 was taxiing for departure, passengers suddenly heard banging and screaming coming from the cargo hold, prompting them to alert the flight crew. The aircraft returned to the gate, where ground personnel discovered a baggage handler trapped inside the closed cargo compartment. The handler was safely removed with no serious injuries, but the flight was delayed for several hours and ultimately canceled after mechanical issues surfaced during recovery operations.

THIS IS AN ODD ONE: A 23-year-old woman from Palembang, Indonesia (PLM), managed to board a Batik Air flight on January 6, 2026, after disguising herself as a cabin crew member, raising fresh questions about airport and airline security procedures. Wearing an outfit closely resembling Batik Air’s uniform and carrying a staff-style pass, she passed standard passenger screening with a valid boarding pass and no prohibited items. The impersonation was only discovered inflight when actual crew members questioned her about her assigned duties and noticed inconsistencies in her uniform and credentials. Aviation security at Jakarta (CGK) was alerted, and she was detained upon landing. Indonesian police later confirmed she had previously failed a flight attendant job application and said she acted out of embarrassment, later issuing a public apology to Batik Air and Lion Group.