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What’s Inside:
- UPS fast-tracks the retirement of its MD-11F fleet following a fatal crash in late 2025
- Breeze Airways continues its aggressive growth strategy by announcing several new routes to markets
- American Airlines reports disappointing 2025 financial results as rising labor costs and operational shifts impact the bottom line
- WestJet reduces U.S. capacity by nearly a third as demand for U.S. routes from Canada remains soft
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Route Intelligence Report
Delta Air Lines (DL) has added a weekly flight from Detroit (DTW) to Panama City, Fla. (ECP), with Boeing 717 service set to roll on June 13.
Wizz Air (W6 has added a pair of 4x weekly seasonal routes: Kraków, Poland (KRK) and Warsaw Modlin (WMI) to Stuttgart, Germany (STR). These routes will operate from mid-April through May 20. Separately, Wizz has also scheduled 4x weekly flights from Skopje, North Macedonia (SKP) to Bergamo, Italy (BGY) from March 29.
Ryanair (FR) is adding a 2x weekly service from Gdańsk, Poland (GDN) to Palma de Mallorca, Spain (PMI) on April 2.
Gulf Air (GF) is adding a pair of 2x weekly summer seasonal routes from its Bahrain base (BAH) later this year. Service to Malaga, Spain (AGP) will run from June 17 through September 25, while flights to Al Alamein, Egypt (DBB) will operate from June 18 through the end of August.
United Airlines (UA) is keeping up its effort to remain the top carrier at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), adding five new regional routes later this year, each of which will run 4x daily: Champaign, Ill. (CMI) and Kalamazoo, Michigan. (AZO) from April 30; Bloomington, Ill. (BMI), La Crosse, Wisc. (LSE), and Lansing, Mich. (LAN) from May 7. United boasts it will offer nonstop flights to 222 destinations from O’Hare, nearly 40 more than rival American Airlines (AA), while offering some 750 flights a day at O'Hare. United is also adding daily flights from O’Hare to Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL) from June 8 -27 in support of the World Cup.
Breeze Airways (MX) has announced 10 new 2x weekly routes, with each city-pair set to start in May.
- Brownsville, Texas (BRO) to Orlando (MCO), May 1 2026
- Columbus, Ohio (CMH) to Greenville, S.C. (GSP), May 21 2026
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Huntsville, Ala. (HSV), May 21 2026
- Louisville, Ky. (SDF) to Los Angeles (LAX), May 1 2026
- Louisville, Ky. to Pittsburgh (PIT), May 22 2026
- Memphis (MEM) to San Antonio, May 22 2026
- Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) to Tampa, Fla. (TPA), February 11 2026
- Raleigh, N.C. (RDU) to Atlantic City, N.J. (ACY), May 8 2026
- Raleigh, N.C. to Madison, Wisc. (MSN), May 22 2026
- Raleigh, N.C. to San Antonio (SAT), May 1 2026
Separately, Breeze has not issued a press release, on any topic since October 21. That seems a bit unusual for any airline or public company.
Cebu Pacific (5J) will begin 3x weekly flights from Clark, Philippines (CRK) to Hanoi, Vietnam (HAN) on May 2. This route will be operated by Airbus A320 equipment.
Virgin Australia (VA) is adding a 3x weekly run from Canberra (CBR) to Denpasar, Indonesia (DPS) on June 22. This route, the airline's first international hop from Canberra, will increase to daily at the end of August.
China Eastern Airlines (MU) will run a short 3x weekly seasonal route from Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Adelaide, S. Australia (ADL) from June 20 until the start of August. This route will be flown by Airbus A350-900 equipment. Elsewhere, China Eastern is set to begin 3x weekly Airbus A330-200 flights from Xi’an (XIY) to Vienna (VIE) on April 20.
Faced with continued reduced demand from Canada to the U.S., WestJet (WS) has reduced its capacity on trans-border routes by nearly 30 percent from late April through mid-June. Additionally, the airline has temporarily suspended several routes:
- Calgary (YYC) to Honolulu (HNL), April 26 - June 26
- Calgary to Maui (OGG), May 10 - June 21
- Edmonton (YEG) to Atlanta (ATL), February 1 - June 21
- Kelowna (YLW) to Las Vegas (LAS), February 19 - May 21
- Kelowna to Seattle (SEA), April 26 - June 21
- Vancouver (YVR) to Orlando (MCO), April 27 - June 21
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Fleet Intelligence
| Rego | Type | Operator | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9V-SDC | Boeing 787-10 | Singapore Airlines (SQ) | 25 Jan 2026 |
| C-GWJJ | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | WestJet (WS) | 26 Jan 2026 |
| TC-SLF | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | SunExpress (XQ) | 27 Jan 2026 |
G-EUOE, an Airbus A319-111 with British Airways (BA), was wfu and ferried on January 28 to Cotswold, England (GBA) for part-out and scrap.
HB-JMF, an Airbus A340-313 with Edelweiss Airlines (WK), was wfu and ferried on January 27 to Enschede, Netherlands (ENS) for part-out and scrap.
N845UA, an Airbus A319-131 with United Airlines, was wfu and ferried on January 26 to Victorville, Calif. (VCV) for part-out and scrap. This frame was delivered new to United in November 2001 and had accumulated 73,167 hours and 32,917 cycles as of December 20,2025.
Editor's Note
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Flightline Pick
Nikon 8246 ACULON A211 10x42 Binoculars
I've got a pair of Nikon binoculars just like this and for years its helped me get tail numbers or just see what plane is coming into the airport. Built for durability and clarity, these binoculars feature multicoated lenses and 10-power magnification. The rubber-armored coating makes them easy to grip in any environment—perfect for spotting aircraft from the fence or the flight deck.
Ref: NIK8246
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Aviation Industry News
Boeing’s delivery pace accelerated sharply to close 2025, with 63 commercial aircraft delivered in December, including 44 737 MAXs and 14 787s as the month’s widebody handovers helped push the year to its highest delivery total since 2018. In Q4 2025, Boeing delivered 160 jets across the core programs, led by 117 737s, plus 10 767s, 6 777s, and 27 787s, underscoring a material ramp versus the prior year and setting the stage for a much stronger financial finish. For the full year 2025, Boeing reported $89.463 billion in revenue and returned to profitability with $2.238 billion in net earnings (diluted EPS of $2.48), while noting that improved operational performance and higher commercial delivery volume were key drivers, alongside a major earnings boost tied to the Digital Aviation Solutions transaction disclosed in the same results release.
On Tuesday Delta Air Lines (DL) finalized a significant agreement with Airbus for 31 additional wide-body aircraft, specifically ordered to accelerate the carrier's international expansion and long-term fleet renewal. The order is split almost evenly between 16 A330-900neo and 15 A350-900 models, with the airline also securing options for 20 more wide-bodies in the future. Deliveries for this latest batch are projected to begin in 2029, filling a strategic delivery gap between the arrival of their A350-1000s in 2027 and their new Boeing 787-10s in 2031. These next-generation jets are primarily destined to replace Delta's aging and less efficient Boeing 767 fleet, which is being phased out over the coming decade. While the specific financial terms and total cost of the deal were not publicly disclosed, Delta confirmed that the investment fits within its existing capital expenditure targets and includes long-term engine maintenance support from Rolls-Royce.
Air Antilles (4I), the small regional French airline based in Guadeloupe that serves the French Caribbean islands including Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, has formally filed for insolvency (cessation de paiements) with the Mixed Commercial Court in Pointe-à-Pitre after its cash reserves were exhausted and it could no longer meet its financial obligations. The filing follows the suspension of its air operator certificate in December 2025 by the French civil aviation authority due to operational and safety documentation issues, which forced the airline’s aircraft to be grounded and halted revenue-generating flights. The court will decide whether Air Antilles will enter judicial reorganization with a chance to restructure and continue operations, or face liquidation, potentially ending the carrier’s service. The airline’s future hangs on that judicial decision and any successful restructuring plan amid these financial and regulatory challenges.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy warned during a recent hearing that commercial airlines have raised concerns about the risk of a mid-air collision in the crowded airspace around Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), telling federal regulators that “the next mid-air is going to be at Burbank” if safety issues are not addressed. Airlines cited mixed traffic from helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft operating close together over the San Fernando Valley, and the NTSB noted at least six near-mid-air collisions around BUR since 2021, urging the Federal Aviation Administration to take stronger action; the FAA responded that it has implemented safety measures, including lowering traffic patterns at nearby Van Nuys Airport and using AI tools to identify and mitigate high-risk hotspots.
Ryanair (FR) reported for Q3 FY 2026 (quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025) that total revenue rose 9 percent year-over-year to €3.21 billion, driven by a 6 percent jump in passenger traffic to 47.5 million and modest fare increases, while unit costs remained flat on a per-passenger basis. Despite solid top-line growth, profit after tax (pre-exceptional) fell to €115 million from €149 million a year earlier, in part due to an €85 million provision related to an Italian fine the airline is appealing, and net profit after all charges was lower; Ryanair also reaffirmed its strong balance sheet, ongoing fuel hedges, and raised its fiscal 2026 traffic outlook toward approximately 208 million passengers.
Industry Insight: 2025 Spanish Airport Passenger Totals
2025 Spanish airport passenger totals are available below.
🔒 Upgrade your subscription to see this and more data throughout the year. Monday’s issue will cover Mexican airports.
American Airlines Group Inc. reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $14.0 billion for Q4 2025, marking a 2.5 percent year-over-year increase despite a government shutdown that reduced revenue by roughly $325 million, and posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.16 that fell short of analyst expectations. In the full year, the airline achieved record annual revenue of $54.6 billion (and expenses of $53.2 billion), with GAAP net income of approximately $111 million and, excluding special items, a full-year adjusted EPS of around $0.36. The results also included a reduction in total debt by about $2.1 billion during the year and a positive outlook for 2026, with expected adjusted earnings per diluted share between $1.70 and $2.70 and more than $2 billion in projected free cash flow.
For all of 2025, American eeked out a $111 million profit - 87 percent less than the year prior. With that, American flight attendants will take home a profit sharing bonus equivalent to .3 percent of their salary. So, if a flight attendant earned $100,000, their bonus will be $300. To compare, Delta Air Lines employees are set to receive a bonus equivalent to a month of their salary, with United Airlines employees set to earn bonuses of 4.5 percent of their annual salary. Of course, Delta and United combine to form the lion’s share (and then some) of total U.S. airline industry profits, as American continues for fall further behind.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) released a blistering letter calling out American’s CEO and leadership. It bears noting that American CEO Robert Isom earned over $45 million in compensation in 2023 & 2024.
| Rank | City | On-Time Departures | Total Flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama City (PTY) | 93.34% | 148,065 |
| 2 | Brasilia (BSB) | 88.36% | 114,481 |
| 3 | Johannesburg (JNB) | 86.22% | 189,542 |
| 4 | Osaka (ITM) | 86.04% | 136,489 |
| 5 | Dammam (DMM) | 85.15% | 94,768 |
| 6 | Rio de Janeiro (GIG) | 85.13% | 115,384 |
| 7 | Portland, Ore. (PDX) | 85.02% | 159,964 |
| 8 | Campinas (VCP) | 84.55% | 111,758 |
| 9 | San Jose, Calif. (SJC) | 83.66% | 99,182 |
| 10 | Belo Horizonte (CNF) | 83.57% | 113,857 |
Visit the World Record Spotters Logbook
Air Cargo
United Parcel Service (5X) confirmed the full retirement of its McDonnell Douglas/Boeing MD-11F freighter fleet, accelerating a phase-out that had been underway for several years and solidified by a deadly November MD-11 crash at Louisville, Ky. (SDF) that led to a fleet grounding and heightened safety scrutiny. UPS operated about 26 to 27 MD-11 freighters, which made up roughly nine percent of its cargo fleet prior to retirement, and elected to permanently remove them from revenue service rather than return them to flight, absorbing a one-time non-cash charge of about $137 million tied to the retirements. Most of the capacity formerly provided by the tri-jet MD-11s is being replaced with more fuel-efficient Boeing 767-300 freighters already in UPS’s fleet expansion plans and by other modern aircraft types; twin-engine freighters like the 767 offer lower operating costs and easier maintenance while meeting global cargo demand. The move reflects broader industry trends favoring two-engine widebodies over legacy trijets for efficiency, reliability, and lower emissions as UPS modernizes its long-haul cargo network.
📈 Flightline Financials 🏦
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Airline & Airport Operator Stock Prices Closing Price: January 27, 2026 |
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AAL American $13.44 |
AERO AeroMexico $21.24 |
ALGT Allegiant $86.75 |
ALK Alaska $52.37 |
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BA Boeing $241.59 |
CPA Copa $135.90 |
DAL Delta $65.83 |
EMBJ Embraer $76.48 |
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JBLU JetBlue $5.04 |
LTM LATAM $66.13 |
LUV Southwest $40.86 |
RJET Republic $16.87 |
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RYAAY Ryanair $68.70 |
SNCY Sun Country $17.19 |
SKYW SkyWest $97.48 |
UAL United $104.91 |
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ULCC Frontier $4.95 |
VLRS Volaris $9.59 |
WTI OIL Per Barrel $63.56 |
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ASR Asur $351.30 |
OMAB OMA $119.32 |
PAC GAP $281.46 |
CAAP Corp America $29.12 |
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Global Currency Exchange Rates $1 USD Equals: |
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EUR Euro 0.84 |
GBP British Pound 0.72 |
MXN Mexican Peso 17.20 |
CAD Canadian Dollar 1.36 |
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Daily Passenger Counts at U.S. Airports, 2026 vs. 2025
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