Flightline for June 19, 2025

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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NEW AND PROPOSED ROUTES  

Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) began 4x weekly service from Hong Kong (HKG) to Munich (MUC) on Monday. This route is operated by Airbus A350-900 equipment.

American Airlines (AA) will take over the Washington National (DCA) to Halifax, N.S. (YHZ) route from American Eagle regional partners, with an Airbus A319 operating the route daily from August 6 until October 5. It appears that in October the route then returns to a weekly Embraer E175.

Iberia (IB) has signaled it will begin new North American routes from Madrid (MAD) to Monterrey, Mexico (MTY), Philadelphia (PHL), and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) in the coming year or two. This expansion is part of the carrier’s 2030 Flight Plan, which calls for the Spanish airline to increase its long-haul fleet from 45 to 70 aircraft.

SUSPENDED ROUTES

Air France (AF) will suspend flights from Paris DeGaulle (CDG) to Denver (DEN) this winter, with the route’s last flight on October 12, resuming on April 28.

ITA Airways (AZ) will take a break on its Rome (FCO) to Washington Dulles (IAD) route this winter as well, with flights going dark from October 16 through March 1.

DROPPED CARRIERS

Qantas Group has announced the closure of Jetstar Asia (3K), its Singapore-based low-cost carrier, with operations to cease by July 31, 2025. Surging supplier costs, high airport fees, and intense competition in Southeast Asia are blamed for the move. The shutdown will result in up to 500 job losses in Singapore and incur approximately A$175 million (USD 115 million) in redundancy and restructuring costs. Thirteen Airbus A320s will be redeployed to Qantas and Jetstar’s Australian and New Zealand operations, supporting fleet renewal and creating around 100 new local roles. Singapore Airlines’ (SQ) low-cost arm Scoot (TR) will assume several former Jetstar Asia routes, while Qantas (QF) promises refunds or alternative arrangements for affected passengers.

AVIATION SECURITY

TSA screeners have now caught nine firearms in carry-on baggage at Boston (BOS) this year, as well as two at Manchester, N.H. (MHT).

AVIATION INDUSTRY NEWS 🗞️ 

Etihad Airways (EY) reported strong growth in May 2025, carrying 1.7 million passengers, which represents a 19 percent year-over-year increase compared to May 2024. The airline achieved a passenger load factor of 87 percent, up from 84 percent a year earlier, while operating a fleet of 100 aircraft across 72 destinations. In the first five months of 2025, Etihad has flown 8.4 million travelers, marking a 17 percent rise over the same period in 2024 and maintaining an average load factor of 87 percent.

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 547,424 workers in April 2025, or 54 percent of the industry-wide total. Passenger airlines hired 477 new employees in April 2025.

Air China (CA) reported solid growth across key performance metrics, with passenger traffic rising by 8.4 percent year-over-year and 13.4 million passengers carried during the period. The airline’s Passenger Load Factor reached 81.3 percent, reflecting efficient seat utilization. On the cargo side, traffic rose by 6.2 percent, with Revenue Freight Tonne Kilometers (RFTK) up 11.1 percent and a Cargo and Mail Load Factor of 41.5 percent. Overall, Revenue Tonne Kilometers (RTK) increased 4.7 percent, while Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) rose 4.5 percent, highlighting balanced growth in both the passenger and freight segments.

Copa Airlines (CM) enjoyed an 87.6 percent system-wide load factor in May.

A Frontier Airlines (F9) passenger made a disturbing discovery on June 9 when they retrieved their carry-on backpack from the overhead bin and found it soaked with urine. The incident occurred during a flight from Seattle (SEA) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), when the passenger noticed a strong odor and dampness, later confirming it was caused by another traveler urinating inside the bin. Frontier Airlines apologized for the incident and stated that the offending passenger had been reported to authorities upon arrival. The affected customer expressed frustration over the airline’s handling of the situation, and the incident has sparked renewed concerns about in-flight behavior and airline accountability.

A federal court has ordered travel-hack site Skiplagged to pay American Airlines $9.4 million after a jury determined that Skiplagged’s use of American’s logo constituted copyright infringement. The ruling granted $4.7 million in actual damages and an additional $4.7 million in disgorged profits, though Skiplagged alerted that the jury did not find its hidden-city ticketing methods unlawful. Skiplagged’s CEO pushed back, asserting that American’s goal is to “take us down,” and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to keeping its core business intact. Meanwhile, American plans to appeal the decision despite the nominal victory.

PAGING JACKIE CHILES: A 78-year-old Queens resident, Aymara Corbo, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Scandinavian Airlines (SK) after allegedly being severely burned by a flight attendant’s spilled coffee during a flight from Copenhagen (CPH) to Oslo (OSL) on April 3, 2024. According to court documents, the excessively hot coffee caused significant pain, scarring, and cosmetic deformity, confining Corbo to her cabin for much of the couple’s planned British Isles cruise. Her husband, Giuseppe, is also seeking $1 million for loss of companionship and support. Their legal team is invoking the Warsaw Convention, the Montreal Convention, and IATA agreements to waive monetary limits, allowing full compensation for physical, emotional, and financial harms. Scandinavian Airlines has not yet responded.

The New York Times reports that air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International (EWR), whose traffic is managed from a facility in Philadelphia, have voiced serious safety concerns after repeated equipment failures earlier this year—describing the recurring issues as a “plug‑and‑pray” environment when they plug in headsets and hope everything works. Between January and June 2025, over 300 unscheduled outages occurred, ranging from radar blackouts and “phantom” radar targets to static‑filled radios and unusable backups. A particularly alarming incident on April 28 involved a 90‑second radar outage and a 30‑second radio breakdown, prompting delays and fear among controllers. In response, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has imposed flight caps (28–34 arrivals/departures per hour), secured a $12.5 billion FAA infrastructure boost, and initiated upgrades like fiber‑optic wiring and backup systems to restore reliability. These troubling incidents and ongoing aging‑system failures, including phantom targets and nonfunctional backups, have troubled controllers for years yet only recently prompted federal action.

Last weekend, WestJet (WS), Canada’s second-largest airline, experienced a cyberattack that disrupted access to its internal systems and mobile app, causing intermittent errors and login issues for customers and staff. The breach — which didn’t impact flight operations—was detected late last week and has prompted an ongoing investigation in cooperation with law enforcement and Transport Canada. WestJet emphasized that its core operations remain safe while efforts continue to safeguard sensitive passenger and employee data, with updates being issued regularly. Cybersecurity experts note that airlines’ extensive passenger data and global IT networks make them prime targets, mirroring similar recent breaches affecting major carriers and airports — heightening urgency around bolstering digital defenses across the travel industry.

On Monday, a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) flight was forced to return to Amsterdam mid-flight after it was discovered that the aircraft was overdue for scheduled maintenance. The flight, which had already departed and was en route to Toronto Pearson (YYZ), was turned around as a precaution once the maintenance oversight was identified. KLM stated that the safety of passengers was never compromised and that the decision to return was made in strict compliance with aviation regulations. Passengers were rebooked on alternative flights, and the airline apologized for the disruption caused by the operational error.

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reported a first-quarter 2025 after-tax net loss of $225 million and a pre-tax operating profit of $138 million. One year earlier, in the first quarter of 2024, the airlines reported an after-tax net loss of $1.7 billion and a pre-tax operating loss of $297 million.

JetBlue Airways (B6) has announced plans to ground several aircraft and reduce flight capacity due to ongoing engine supply and maintenance challenges. The airline cited delays in receiving Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for its Airbus A320neo family aircraft, which have forced it to temporarily park a portion of its fleet. As a result, JetBlue will cut planned flying by about five percent in the second half of 2025, with a focus on improving reliability and operational efficiency. The airline emphasized that while these reductions are short-term setbacks, they are necessary to ensure long-term performance and customer satisfaction amid broader industry supply chain disruptions.

Enilria, a fantastic aviation account you should be following, recently compiled the latest quarterly losses for Avelo Airlnes (XP) and Breeze Airways (MX). The results aren’t the best, with Avelo losing $17 million in the first quarter of the year and Breeze seeing nearly $23.5 million of red ink. For the last five quarters, Breeze has lost over $145 million while Avelo has lost $45 million.

178,672 cars were rented at Los Angeles (LAX) in April, bringing in $60.4 million in total revenue.

Air Canada (AC) has been named the Best Airline in North America for 2025 by Skytrax, marking its fifth time receiving the prestigious honor. The award, announced at the Skytrax World Airline Awards during the Paris Air Show, recognizes Air Canada’s excellence in customer service, onboard experience, cabin innovation, and overall operational performance. The carrier was also honored as having the Best Business Class Lounge in North America. CEO Michael Rousseau credited the airline’s 40,000 employees for their dedication to enhancing the travel experience, and noted that the recognition reflects Air Canada’s ongoing efforts to lead in sustainability, technology, and customer care.

TOP TWENTY: Here are the Top 20 airlines (as judged by Skytrax) for 2025, and once again, no U.S. airlines crack the list. Delta turns up at No. 22, United at No. 51, JetBlue at No. 52, and Alaska at No. 69. Rounding things out were Southwest at No. 76, American at No. 83, and Hawaiian at No. 100.

1. Qatar Airways

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Cathay Pacific Airways

4. Emirates

5. All Nippon Airways

6. Turkish Airlines

7. Korean Air

8. Air France

9. Japan Airlines

10. Hainan Airlines

11. Swiss International Air Lines

12. EVA Air

13. British Airways

14. Qantas Airways

15. Lufthansa

16. Virgin Atlantic

17. Saudi Arabian Airlines

18. Starlux Airlines

19. Air Canada

20. Iberia

LOT Polish Airlines (LO) has placed an order for 28 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, marking a significant shift as the carrier introduces Airbus into its fleet for the first time. The deal is valued at approximately $2.9 billion at list prices. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026, with the new aircraft intended to modernize LOT’s regional and short-haul operations. The A220s will replace older Embraer and Boeing 737 models, offering improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and enhanced passenger comfort. This move aligns with LOT’s broader strategy to renew its fleet while expanding connectivity across Europe and into the Middle East.

Riyadh Air (RX) placed an order for up to 72 Airbus A350 aircraft, consisting of 39 firm orders and 33 options, as part of its ambitious plans to establish itself as a global carrier based in Saudi Arabia. The deal, announced in June 2024, is valued at approximately $16 billion at list prices. The A350s will form the backbone of Riyadh Air’s long-haul fleet, enabling nonstop service to destinations across Europe, Asia, and North America. This order supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative to diversify its economy and transform the kingdom into a major global aviation hub.

AviLease, a Saudi-based aircraft lessor, made a major splash at the 2025 Paris Air Show with a groundbreaking deal for Airbus jets. The company firmed up an initial order for 10 Airbus A350F freighters and 30 A320neo family aircraft, with options to increase the order to 22 A350Fs and 55 A320neos—bringing the total potential fleet up to 77 aircraft. The agreement is valued at approximately $3.5 billion at list prices for the 40-aircraft package, with the potential full-scale order reaching as high as $8 billion USD after typical industry discounts. This marks AviLease’s first direct order with Airbus, representing a strategic move to build a modern, fuel-efficient fleet aimed at both passenger and cargo markets across global aviation. Deliveries are scheduled to roll out through 2033.

EgyptAir (MS) has expanded its Airbus A350‑900 order by adding six firm aircraft, bringing its total commitment to 16 jets . The move supports the airline’s strategy to meet growing long‑haul demand and expand its global network over the next five years  . Deliveries are set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, accelerating EgyptAir’s fleet renewal and positioning the carrier to enhance services on key international routes.

ANA Holdings announced a significant multi-manufacturer fleet renewal plan, placing orders for a total of 77 aircraft across Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer. The order includes 15 Airbus A321neo, 45 Boeing aircraft (including 787-9 Dreamliners and 737 MAX 8s), and 17 Embraer E190-E2 regional jets. The total value of the deal is estimated at approximately $14 billion at list prices. This strategic investment aims to modernize ANA’s fleet, improve operational efficiency, and support long-term growth in both domestic and international markets. Deliveries are expected to begin in the late 2020s.

PRATT & WHITNEY: Frontier Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney’s GTF Advantage engines to power 91 new Airbus A321neo aircraft, as announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show . The order brings Frontier’s total commitment to 235 GTF-powered A320neo family jets (including previous deliveries). The first of these engines is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the deal also includes a long-term EngineWise maintenance plan. The GTF Advantage version offers enhanced takeoff thrust, improved fuel efficiency, and longer engine life, supporting Frontier’s goals of affordability, sustainability, and environmental responsibility.

PRATT & WHITNEYII: Cebu Pacific (5J) has signed a 12‑year EngineWise comprehensive maintenance agreement with Pratt & Whitney (an RTX company) to service its fleet of GTF engines, announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show. The deal covers engines for up to 152 Airbus A321neo jets ordered in 2024, along with those for 15 A320neo family aircraft, aligning maintenance costs with engine usage and enabling better fuel efficiency and operational predictability.

China Airlines (CI) has placed a landmark order for Boeing’s next-generation 777X aircraft, including 10 firm 777‑9 passenger jets and 4 firm 777‑8 freighters, with options for an additional 5 more 777‑9s and 4 more 777‑8Fs, making them the first Taiwanese carrier to adopt this new widebody family. At Boeing’s list prices, the package totals roughly $5–6 billion, based on around $350 million for each 777‑9 and $400 million for each 777‑8F. The order supports China Airlines’ strategy to modernize its long-haul fleet and boost cargo capacity; deliveries are expected to begin around 2030, enhancing routes to North America, Europe, and its global freighter network .

SkyWest Airlines (OO) has placed a firm order for 60 Embraer E175 regional jets, with purchase rights for an additional 50, announced at the Paris Air Show. The agreement, valued at $3.6 billion USD at list prices, will be added to Embraer’s Q2 backlog. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027, reinforcing SkyWest’s position as the world’s largest operator of E‑Jets — currently flying 263 Embraer jets—and enhancing its long-term dual-class fleet strategy. 16 of the new frames are already tipped to operate for Delta Connection flights.

Starlux Airlines (JX) has placed an additional order for 10 Airbus A350 aircraft, further expanding its long-haul fleet as the Taiwan-based luxury carrier continues its rapid international growth. The deal, announced during the 2025 Paris Air Show, includes both A350-900 and A350-1000 variants and is valued at approximately $3.2 billion at list prices. These new widebody jets will support Starlux’s plans to add more nonstop routes to North America and Europe while enhancing onboard passenger comfort and fuel efficiency. Deliveries are expected to begin later this decade, positioning the airline as a rising premium player in the transpacific market.

AIR CARGO 📦️ 

U.S. cargo airlines employed 460,968 workers in April 2025, or 46 percent of the industry-wide total. Cargo carriers gained 3,362 employees in April, with FedEx (FX) leading the way with 3,445 new hires.

APRIL 2025 AIRPORT PASSENGER TRAFFIC, U.S. AIRPORTS

POLICE BLOTTER 🚨 

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Philippine national legally residing in the U.S. with stealing the identity of a U.S. citizen and falsely impersonating the victim while on a cruise ship in Alaska.

According to court documents, between May 11-14, 2025, Enrico Ronquillo, 37, falsely represented himself as a U.S. citizen on a cruise ship for entry into the vessel’s manifest. Ronquillo allegedly used a counterfeit California driver’s license and California birth certificate that contained the victim’s personal information while aboard the ship. The indictment further alleges that Ronquillo made and used a fraudulent IRS Form W-9 that contained the victim’s name, signature, address and social security number while aboard the ship.

Ronquillo is charged with one count of false impersonation of a citizen of the U.S., one count of making and using a false document, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count, and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the other two counts. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

LATEST AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES (U.S. AIRLINES)

N24542, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to United Airlines (CA) on June 18.

N811AV, a Boeing 737-8EH, was delivered to Avelo Airlines on June 15. This frame was previously PR-GUA with Brazil’s GOL from 2010-2025.

N8955Q, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Southwest Airlines (WN) on June 16.

N8958Q, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Southwest Airlines (WN) on June 17.

AIRLINE STOCKS 💰️ 

$AAL ( ▲ 4.31% )  $ALGT ( ▲ 4.75% )  $ALK ( ▲ 3.83% )  $BA ( ▼ 0.18% )  $DAL ( ▲ 2.72% )  $FLYY ( 0.0% )  $JBLU ( ▲ 4.15% )  $LUV ( ▼ 0.06% )  $MESA ( ▲ 2.84% )  $RJET ( 0.0% )  $SNCY ( ▲ 5.7% )  $UAL ( ▲ 2.66% )  $ULCC ( ▲ 7.56% )  

DAILY PASSENGER COUNTS AT U.S. AIRPORTS, 2024 vs. 2025

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