Flightline Briefing 71 - February 19, 2026

🇫🇷 F-HOZD, an Airbus A220-300, was delivered to Air France (AF) on February 17.

🇮🇪 EI-JAD, a Bombardier CRJ-900ER, was delivered to SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK) on February 15.

🇵🇱 SP-LYH, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to LOT Polish Airlines (LO) on February 16.

🇲🇺 3B-NCL, an Airbus A330-243 with Air Mauritius (MK), was withdrawn from use (wfu) and ferried on February 16 to Teruel, Spain (TEV) where it was returned to its lessor.

On February 17, 2026, the TSA issued a final rule titled "Restoration of Statutory Terms in TSA Regulations: Use of Alien; Technical Amendments." Here is a summary of the change, the background, and the rationale behind it as detailed in the Federal Register:

The TSA is making "nomenclature changes" across several parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), specifically 49 CFR Parts 1500, 1552, and 1570.

In recent years, various federal agencies (under previous administrative guidance) had moved away from using the word "alien" in favor of more inclusive language like "non-citizen" or "undocumented non-citizen." This specific document marks a reversal of that trend for the TSA, reverting the regulatory language back to the terminology used in older founding statutes.

Because these are considered "technical amendments" and "rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice," the TSA implemented this as a Final Rule without a public comment period. They argued that the change is non-substantive, meaning it does not change the actual security requirements or the rights of individuals—only the words used to describe them in the books.

According to the filing, the primary reason is statutory conformity.

The document was signed by Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Latvia’s Air Baltic (BT) flew its busiest January in history, with 338,500 passengers across 3,507 flights. System-wide load factor during the month was slightly under 73 percent.

Jet streams over the U.S. were over 200 mph at 30,000 feet on Tuesday, with a JetBlue Airways (B6) Airbus A321neo clocked with a ground speed of 755 mph over New Mexico.

Pilots at Chicago O’Hare have been advised by both the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) to decline LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations) clearances over safety concerns tied to unusually positioned hold-short points that have led to past runway incursions and violations. Because LAHSO allows intersecting runway and taxiway operations to increase throughput, widespread refusals could further degrade performance at an airport that already posts roughly a 65 percent on-time departure rate, raising the risk of longer delays through 2026 and highlighting persistent airfield-design and procedural challenges at one of the nation’s busiest hubs.

Spirit Airlines has filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to auction 20 aircraft as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring. The group consists of 13 Airbus A320s and seven A321s that Spirit wants to sell in an April auction to help trim the airline’s debt and align its fleet with its revised network plan.  Spirit has already secured a stalking horse bid from CSDS Asset Management with a floor price of about $533.5 million, and bidders at the auction would have to exceed that minimum. If court approval is granted, the auction is slated for April 20.

Spirit’s capacity is down nearly 24 percent year-over-year and the airline is serving fewer destinations as it reshapes its route network.  Despite that, Spirit Airlines 14 percent of its schedule on Monday, largely due to lack of crew. Cancelations dropped to eight percent of the planned schedule on Tuesday.

Now, let’s have a quick look at some outstanding debts Spirit owes to various airport authorities:

Critical Context for These Debts

In Q4 2025, United Airlines (UA) focused its $1.49 million lobbying spend on four critical pillars: operational resilience, workforce modernization, financial protection, and sustainability. To safeguard against federal instability, they advocated for legislation like the Aviation Funding Stability Act to ensure the FAA remains operational during government shutdowns and pushed for accelerated Air Traffic Control (ATC) modernization and staffing. On the workforce front, United championed the Mental Health in Aviation Act to reform medical certification for pilots and supported the Flight Education Access Act to expand the pilot pipeline. To protect its bottom line, the airline lobbied aggressively against the Credit Card Competition Act, arguing that it would jeopardize the revenue from co-branded credit cards that funds its loyalty programs. Finally, United reinforced its "net zero" ambitions by pushing for expanded tax credits and domestic crop eligibility through the SAF Act and the Farm to Fly Act, aiming to scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Lufthansa’s (LH) rollout of its new Allegris business-class cabin on the Boeing 787-9 has faced significant challenges due to seat certification delays. Although the Allegris concept, featuring multiple innovative business-seat types, first entered service on Airbus A350s in 2024, the 787-9s delivered from late 2025 could not initially sell most of their 28 business seats because the FAA had not yet certified them. For months only four seats per aircraft were available for booking, leaving the rest blocked and hurting premium revenue. After recent progress in the certification process, Lufthansa announced that 25 of the 28 business seats on its 787-9s will be available for booking for flights from April 15, 2026, with three seats in the second row still temporarily unavailable pending final approval. This opens the cabin to most of its premium options while the full regulatory sign-off is completed. 

Iran’s Airports and Air Navigation Company reported that over 30.4 million passengers passed through the country’s airports in the first ten months of 2025. During that period, 274,696 flights were operated and 294,628 tons of cargo and postal shipments were transported. Tehran Mehrabad (THR) was the busiest hub handling more than 9.4 million passengers, followed by Mashhad (MHD) and Shiraz (SYZ) in second and third place respectively.

Oman’s aviation sector showed resilient growth in 2025 as total passenger traffic rose 2.8 percent to 14,939,209, despite a slight 2.8 percent dip in overall flight movements. While Muscat MCT) saw a 4.5 percent decline in international flights, its passenger volume grew by 1.3 percent, bolstered by a significant 12 percent surge in domestic travelers, ending the year at 13.159 million passengers. Salalah Airport (SLL) emerged as a highlight for regional connectivity, recording a 17.7 percent increase in domestic passengers. Conversely, Suhar (OHS) and Duqm (DQM) faced contractions in activity, with Suhar seeing a sharp decline in international traffic through the end of 2025.

🇬🇧 LONDON CALLING: 302,178,981 passengers flew to and from airports in the United Kingdom in 2025, with over 59 percent of those flying through the six London airports: London City (LCY), London Gatwick (LGW), London Heathrow (LHR), London Luton (LTN), London Stansted (STN), and London Southend (SEN).

A British tourist was arrested at Hong Kong (HKG) after a violent outburst in the departures hall saw him overturn and destroy roughly 10 self-service check-in kiosks, along with metal barriers and counters, during the early morning hours of February 16. Video footage shows the man knocking over a line of kiosks before using a metal stanchion to repeatedly strike the machines. Airport security and Hong Kong Police quickly intervened, and no injuries were reported. Flight operations were not materially disrupted, though several kiosks were taken out of service.

Authorities confirmed the suspect faces criminal damage charges, which in Hong Kong can carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison, as well as a separate charge for illegal possession of sildenafil (Viagra), classified locally as a restricted pharmaceutical requiring a prescription. The incident underscores growing operational challenges tied to passenger behavior in highly automated terminal environments, where frustration around self-service systems and ticketing can escalate rapidly, placing added emphasis on visible security presence and fast-response protocols in landside areas.

A LATAM Brasil (JJ) Boeing 777-32W/ER (PT-MUH) rejected takeoff during a high-speed departure from São Paulo (GRU) to Lisbon (LIS) on February 15 after the aircraft briefly pitched nose-up during the rotation attempt. The crew aborted at approximately 174 knots groundspeed (200 mph), bringing the aircraft to a safe stop near the runway end before vacating onto a parallel taxiway, where emergency services responded and passengers later disembarked via stairs. ATC was reportedly advised the rejection was due to an “internal parameter” indication, though no definitive cause has yet been confirmed. Video of the event shows the nose gear momentarily lifting before deceleration, fueling debate over whether the abort occurred at or just beyond V1 and what specific system cue prompted the decision. Certainly this incident is a testament to the immense braking capability of the 777. The only thing shut down faster were my college-era attempts at talking to women.

Two passengers on a Jet2 (LS) from Antalya (AYT) to Manchester (MAN) were banned for life by the airline after a violent mid-air altercation forced a recent flight to divert and land in Brussels (BRU), where Belgian police arrested the individuals. Video shared online showed the two men shouting and fighting in the aisle, and Jet2 described their conduct as “appalling behaviour.”

United Parcel Service (5X) has proactively grounded 24 of its Boeing 767 cargo aircraft for a comprehensive maintenance review after a routine internal inspection identified the need for additional technical work. The carrier confirmed that these aircraft, which serve as a primary workhorse for the global fleet, were removed from service to ensure they are fully compliant before returning to flight operations. Despite the scale of the grounding, United Parcel Service stated that contingency plans are in place to prevent disruptions to its delivery network. This fleet action comes at a critical time for the airline following the retirement of its MD-11/F fleet recently.