Flightline 18 for August 4, 2025

Luxair (LG) will launch twice weekly flights from Luxembourg (LUX) to Helsinki (HEL) on July 2. This route will be flown by second-generation Embraer E195 equipment.

South African Airways (SA) will begin 3x weekly flights from Cape Town (CPT) to Mauritius (MRU) on December 9.

Alaska Airlines (AS) will also step in to fill the gap of recent Avelo Airlines (XP) departures, with the carrier adding daily flights from Burbank, Calif. (BUR) to Eugene, Ore. (EUG), Pasco, Wash. (PSC), and Redmond, Ore. (RDM). Additionally, a 5x weekly seasonal run from Santa Rosa, Calif. (STS) to Palm Springs, Calif. (PSP) will be added. Each route begins on October 26, with a regional airline partner’s Embraer E175 aircraft handling the workload.

Flightline can also share that Alaska will also begin daily Embraer E175 service from Boise, Idaho (BOI) to Ontario, Calif. (ONT) as well as a Spokane, Wash. (GEG) to Santa Ana, Calif. (SNA) sector. Both routes get underway on January 7. A tip of the Stetson to IshrionA for that one.

Porter Airlines Canada (PD) will begin a pair of 3x weekly trans-border routes from Hamilton, Ont. (YHM) in mid-December: Orlando (MCO) on December 12 and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on December 13. Both routes will ferry snowbirds back and forth on Embraer E195/E2 equipment.

Riyadh Air (RX) has acquired slots at London Heathrow (LHR) for the IATA Northern Winter 2025 season in a trade from British Airways (BA). This will enable to new carrier to begin flights from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (RUH) in late October.

LOT Polish Airlines (LO) will briefly suspend flights from Wroclaw (WRO) to Seoul Incheon (ICN) from October 25 through December 4.

Brussels Airlines (SN) will conclude flights from Brussels (BRU) to Birmingham, England (BHX) on October 24.

TSA screeners processed 85,069,163 passengers at nearly 440 airports in July, a 1.1 percent increase when compared to the first six months of 2024. The for first seven months of the year, TSA has screened 525,290,727 passengers, a .4 percent decrease from last year.

Etihad Airways (EY) took delivery of five new aircraft last month, bringing the Abu Dhabi (AUH) based carrier to 106 aircraft. A pair of Boeing 787s, one Airbus A350-1000, one A321, and one A320 were onboarded.

Qatar Airways (QR) will have up to 10 daily flights from Doha (DOH) to London Heathrow this winter.

Dubai (DXB) recorded a record first-half annual passenger count of 46 million passengers, which was a 2.3 percent increase over 2024. Nearly 42 million checked bags were processed in the airport, with only two of every 1,000 being mishandled.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports global demand for air travel increased by 2.6 percent annually in June. Worldwide load factors hit 84.5 percent last month.

TARIFF WAIVER: President Trump’s Wednesday executive order imposed a 50 percent tariff on most goods imported from Brazil, but included a specific exemption for civil aircraft, their parts, and components, sparing Embraer from the steep levy. This exemption protects Embraer’s key U.S. market for regional jets such as the E175 and business jets like the Phenom and Praetor families. Industry analysis highlighted that had these aircraft been subject to the tariff, each plane could have faced an extra US $9 million in import duties, potentially jeopardizing future U.S. deliveries and undermining business stability. Embraer’s stock jumped more than 10 percent following the news.

A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court ruled on July 30, 2025 that a Cuban‑American plaintiff named José Ramón López Regueiro can pursue a lawsuit under Title III of the Helms‑Burton Act claiming that American Airlines unlawfully “trafficked” at Havana (HAV), which formerly belonged to his family before the Cuban government confiscated it in 1959. The panel unanimously concluded that the lower court erred in dismissing his claim based on citizenship timing, clarifying that the statute does not require the plaintiff to have been a U.S. citizen at the time of the confiscation or when he inherited the interest. The court further held that holding shares in a company that owned the airport is sufficient to state a claim. The ruling vacates the district court’s dismissal and remands the case for further proceedings.

Over the past year India’s aviation authority DGCA identified 263 safety and compliance lapses during audits of eight domestic carriers. Air India (AI) logged the highest number at 51 issues. The audit revealed recurrent training gaps among Boeing 787 and 777 pilots who failed to complete mandatory monitoring duties ahead of periodic evaluations. Inspectors also found unapproved simulators, poor crew rostering systems, failure to assess certain Category C routes, and inconsistencies in door and equipment checks. Air India responded by pledging full transparency and committed to submitting its corrective action plan within the regulator’s deadlines. The audit’s continued and found more violations at other Indian airlines: 23 at IndiGo (6E), 25 at Air India Express (IX), 17 at Vistara (UK), and 14 at SpiceJet (SG). DGCA emphasized that larger airlines often report more lapses due to the complexity of their operations and noted that all carriers must submit corrective action plans under close regulatory oversight. 

The Air France‑KLM Group generated $9.64 billion in revenue in Q2 2025, a 6.2 percent increase over the prior year. Operating profit rose to $845 million. The result was driven by rising demand for premium cabin products, including new first‑class and premium economy offerings. Net income surged to $745 million. The company reaffirmed its full‑year guidance, highlighted continued improvement in unit revenue, and maintained a strong balance sheet with liquidity above $10.2 billion and leverage at 1.5 times EBITDA.

767 SOLDIERS ON: The U.S. Air Force has approved a “KC‑46A Production Extension” program to purchase up to 75 additional KC‑46 Pegasus aerial refueling tankers, ensuring that the Boeing 767 production line (which opened in 1979) remains active and unbroken as it continues replacing aging KC‑135s. This follows completion of the original contract for up to 188 aircraft and avoids opening a new competitive process, allowing the Air Force to recapitalize its tanker fleet efficiently while retaining existing technical infrastructure. The KC‑46A was initially developed under the KC‑X tanker competition and first delivered in January 2019. Despite well‑documented challenges, including issues with its Remote Vision System, fuel leaks, airframe cracks, and delivery pauses, the aircraft reached global deployment clearance in September 2022 and conducted its first full operational mission in October 2024. The extension deal supports continuity in tanker modernization, keeps the production line alive, and provides force sustainment while plans for a Next‑Generation refueling system proceed. 

BOEING FINANCIALS: In the second quarter of 2025 Boeing generated operating revenue of approximately $22.75 billion, a 35 percent increase from a year earlier, driven by 150 commercial aircraft deliveries compared with 92 in the second quarter of 2024. Despite the revenue surge, Boeing posted a net loss of about $612 million, or $0.92 per share, significantly narrower than last year’s $1.44 billion loss. On an adjusted basis the loss per share improved to around $1.24. Free cash flow remained slightly negative at $200 million while operating cash flow turned positive at $227 million. The company’s commercial airplane backlog expanded to $619 billion, including more than 5,900 units, as Boeing reported progress on operational recovery and aircraft quality improvements.

AIRBUS FINANCIALS: Airbus generated $32.3 billion in revenuefor the first half of 2025, a three  percent increase year‑on‑year. Adjusted operating profit (EBIT) rose 58 percent to  $2.4 billion, and net income nearly doubled to $1.63 billion compared to the first half of  2024. The company delivered 306 commercial aircraft, down from 323, as engine supply delays led to nearly 60 completed jets awaiting installation. Airbus’ backlog remained strong at 8,754 aircraft.

A federal lawsuit filed July 16, 2025 in Charleston, S.C., accuses Delta Air Lines (DL) of negligence and infliction of emotional distress after a vendor contractor allegedly stole a child’s iPad left aboard a Delta flight in July 2023 and used it to record sexually explicit videos while wearing a Delta uniform and name badge. The videos and photos were automatically uploaded to the family’s iCloud account and escalated from initial selfies to pornographic content weeks later. The family reported the loss to Delta multiple times but say their concerns went unaddressed, prompting the lawsuit. The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages and preventative measures to ensure no other traveler’s device is similarly misused. Delta responded by stating the individual was not a Delta employee, maintaining zero tolerance for unlawful behavior, and declining to comment further due to pending litigation.

KEEP YOUR SEAT BELTS BUCKLED AT ALL TIMES: A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330‑900 (N442DZ) operating a Wednesday flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Amsterdam (AMS) encountered severe turbulence while flying at cruising altitude over Wyoming, approximately 40 minutes after takeoff. The aircraft dropped sharply by over 2,300 feet within about 90 seconds, tossing service carts and unsecured passengers into the ceiling and across the cabin. The flight made an emergency diversion to Minneapolis (MSP) and landed safely at around 7:45 p.m. local time. Of the 275 passengers and 13 crew on board, 25 individuals were transported to hospitals for evaluation and care (seven crew and eighteen passengers) but most were released quickly. Delta’s Care Team is assisting the affected customers, and the airline is fully cooperating with ongoing investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA. Experts say turbulence incidents like this may become more frequent due to climate change-driven shifts in jet stream behavior, making such occurrences more dangerous than in the past. 

United Parcel Service (5X) reported consolidated revenue of $21.2 billion in the second quarter of the year, a slight 0.8 percent year‑over‑year decline, driven by lower package volumes — particularly from Amazon shipments — but partially offset by higher air cargo demand and increased revenue per piece in its international segment. The company delivered a non‑GAAP operating profit of $1.9 billion, with earnings per share of $1.55, though profits fell short of the prior-year level as margins tightened. Air cargo volumes rose by 1.4 percent globally excluding Amazon shipments, helping soften revenue erosion and improve mix quality. UPS is undertaking major restructuring — including 20,000 staff reductions and network reshaping — to achieve $3.5 billion in cost savings.

IATA reports global air cargo demand rose just under one percent annually in June, with North American traffic dropping by over eight percent.

Air Incheon (KJ), South Korea’s sole dedicated cargo airline, has officially rebranded as Air Zeta following its acquisition of the Asiana Airlines’ (OZ) cargo division, which was Friday.

JOYRIDE: A 29-year-old Wyoming man identified as Kevin Sinning was arrested on July 28 just before 1 a.m. at Buffalo, N.Y. (BUF) after he stole an unattended airport golf cart and drove it along a moving walkway inside the terminal. The intoxicated man smashed multiple glass panels and damaged the cart itself during the joyride. Officers apprehended him at the walkway’s end without incident and charged him with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal nuisance, and grand larceny. Estimated damages exceeded $3,000, and no injuries were reported. The incident was widely circulated on social media.

🇨🇳 B-224L, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to China Southern Airlines (CZ) on July 31.

🇨🇳 B-225V, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Hainan Airlines (HU) on July 31.

🇨🇳 B-32LW, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to China Eastern Airlines (MU) on July 30.

🇩🇪 D-AIJR, an Airbus A320-271neo, was delivered to Lufthansa City Airlines (VL) on July 30.

🇪🇸 EC-OJH, an Airbus A320-232, was delivered to Vueling (VY) on July 30. This frame previously served with Wizz Air & Wizz Air Malta from 2014-2025.

🇮🇪 EI-NSH, an Airbus A320-251neo, was delivered to Aer Lingus (EI) on July 31.

🇬🇧 G-SUNU, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to Jet2 (LS) on July 30.

🇦🇷 LV-KNQ, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Aerolineas Argentinas (AR) on July 30.

🇺🇸 N843AN, a Boeing 787-9, was delivered to American Airlines (AA) on July 29.

🇮🇳 VT-NCP, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to IndiGo on July 30.

🇮🇳 VT-NCW, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to IndiGo on July 31.

🇫🇷 F-GRHS, an Airbus A319-111 with Air France (AF), was withdrawn from use and ferried on July 31 to Bydgoszcz, Poland (BZG) for part-out and scrap.

🇪🇬 SU-GFC, an Airbus A220-300 with EgyptAir (MS), was ferried on July 31 to Glamorgan, Wales (DGX) for part-out and scrap. This frame was delivered new to EgyptAir on December 22, 2019 and withdrawn from use on October 17, 2021. It was in storage in Cairo (CAI) since then.

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