Flightline for June 30, 2025

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Flight 8 // Fort Worth, Texas

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to the eighth issue of Flightline and thank you for reading. I wanted to answer a quick question I have received several times. A good number of readers recall another newsletter I did for several years, and have asked who is “Nigel Everton.” A pen name. This gives me separation from my day job and this newsletter.

NEW AND PROPOSED ROUTES  

American Airlines (AA) is adding daily service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Santa Fe, N.M. (SAF) on October 6 as well as double daily runs from Phoenix (PHX) to Santa Maria, Calif. (SMX). The former will be flown by a regional airline partner’s Canadair CRJ-700 equipment, while the latter sees a CRJ-900 rostered. Santa Maria is a new station for American.

BermudAir (2T) will add twice weekly flights from Anguilla (AXA) to Baltimore (BWI) and Boston (BOS) a week before Christmas. Both routes will be flown by Embraer E190 equipment and be branded as AnguillAir.

Air Transat (AT) will begin Wednesday flights from Quebec City (YQB) to Pointe-a-Pitre (PTP) on February 18. This route will be flown by Airbus A321 equipment.

TAP Air Portugal (TP) has extended its 3x weekly Lisbon (LIS) to Los Angeles (LAX) sector to a year round operation. This route will fly through the winter schedule with Airbus A330-900neo equipment.

SEASONAL ROUTES

American has also penciled in several seasonal routes this winter, which includes the opening of a new station at Sun Valley, Idaho (SUN). Let’s break the new routes down: The only mainline sector in our list is daily seasonal flights from Phoenix to Fort Myers, Fla. (RSW), which a Boeing 737-800 runs from November 20 until December 3, and again from December 18 until January 6. From Chicago O’Hare (ORD) the carrier is adding daily Canadair CRJ-700 flights to Santa Fe, N.M. between December 18 and January 6. The aforementioned Sun Valley station will see daily CRJ-700 flights from December 18 through April 6 from both Chicago O’Hare and Phoenix.

Norse Atlantic Airways (N0) has filed its winter schedule for U.S. operations. From New York Kennedy (JFK), 4x weekly service is operating now through November 30, while a 6x weekly route to London Gatwick (LGW) operates ever so briefly fro February 26 until March 6. 3x weekly flights to Paris deGaulle (CDG) are running until January 26, while a daily Rome (FCO) sector flies until January 11. Norse also has a 5x weekly flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Rome until January 12.

SUSPENDED ROUTES

Aer Lingus (EI) has filed several pauses on U.S. routes from Dublin (DUB) this winter, with each route pausing from January 4 or 5: Hartford, Conn. (BDL), resumes March 1; Indianapolis (IND), resumes February 12; Nashville, Tenn. (BNA), resumes February 13; Philadelphia (PHL), resumes February 28; Seattle (SEA), resumed February 14. Additionally, Aer Lingus is pausing flights from Shannon (SNN) to New York Kennedy between January 5 and February 28.

Air France (AF) is downgrading its Paris deGaulle to Denver (DEN) route to a summer-seasonal, with flights going dark from October 13 until April 28. Service resumes 3x weekly at that point with an Airbus A350-900 handling the workload.

BermudAir is suspending flights from Bermuda (BDA) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) from July 12 until December 13.

DROPPED ROUTES

China Southern Airlines (CZ) has dropped plans to begin flights grom Guangzhou (CAN) to Hong Kong (HKG). This route was set to return after an 11-year hiatus on July 1.

Porter Airlines (PD) has dropped flights from Ottawa (YOW) to Las Vegas (LAS). This seasonal route was set to return in October, that will not happen.

AVIATION SECURITY

Grand Rapids, Mich. (GRR) saw its busiest day ever, in terms of passengers, on June 23 with 9,095.

TSA screeners have caught two guns in carry-on bags so far this year at Rochester, N.Y. (ROC).

Hawaiian Airlines (HA) is currently managing a cybersecurity incident that has disrupted certain IT systems. Despite the breach, the airline reports that all flights are operating safely and on schedule. The nature of the attack has not been officially disclosed, but the language used suggests it may be a ransomware incident. The airline has engaged cybersecurity experts and federal authorities to investigate and remediate the issue. As of now, there is no evidence that passenger data has been compromised. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is monitoring the situation and has confirmed that flight safety remains unaffected.

AVIATION INDUSTRY NEWS 🗞️ 

JetBlue Airways’ (B6) “25 for 25” sale offered travelers a 25 percent discount on select flights, celebrating the airline’s 25th anniversary. The promotion required booking by June 5, 2025, for travel between September 3 and November 19, 2025. The discount applied to base fares on eligible routes and was available for both cash and TrueBlue points bookings. Those who visit 25 JetBlue destinations will receive elite Mosaic status for 25 years.

JetBlue Airways is facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly illegally retaining TSA security fees when customers cancel flights. The airline is accused of not refunding the mandatory $5.60 per-flight segment TSA fee, even though federal law requires airlines to return these fees if a passenger doesn’t fly. The lawsuit highlights that the U.S. government has confirmed such fees belong to the government, not the airline. The case could impact how airlines handle refunds for government-imposed taxes and fees on canceled tickets.

The European Union (EU) has announced new regulations that will ban airlines from charging passengers extra fees for standard carry-on baggage. The move aims to improve transparency and passenger rights across EU airlines, ensuring that travelers can bring essential cabin luggage onboard without hidden costs. The decision follows widespread consumer complaints and legal challenges over inconsistent and unclear baggage policies among European carriers, especially low-cost airlines. Under the new rules, passengers will be entitled to bring a reasonably sized carry-on bag that fits in overhead bins at no additional charge, with full implementation expected in the coming months.

London Heathrow has raised its 2025 profit forecast to £1.98 billion, driven by robust demand for long-haul leisure travel and a projected passenger volume of 84.2 million, which would be the highest among European airports. This marks an increase from the previous estimate of £1.95 billion, although it represents a three percent decline compared to 2024 due to rising operational expenses. These cost pressures stem from heightened security requirements, additional service mitigations, and increased national insurance-related expenses. Overall, Heathrow’s financial outlook remains positive, with the airport expecting to generate £3.61 billion ($4.96 billion) in revenue for the year, up from a previous estimate of £3.57 billion. 

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED: Oakland, Calif. (OAK) is once again trying to change its name, now to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport. You will recall the airport attempted to change its name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport recently, but San Francisco (SFO) sued and won. Oakland is trying again now. Narrator: Sometimes the girl just isn’t interested.

A 70-year-old Egyptian traveler, Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, was deported from Washington Dulles last week after assaulting a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detector dog named Freddie. Freddie, a five-year-old beagle and member of the CBP’s “Beagle Brigade,” alerted officers to Marie’s luggage, which contained over 100 pounds of undeclared and prohibited agricultural items, including beef, rice, vegetables, corn seeds, and herbs. In response, Marie violently kicked Freddie, lifting the 25-pound dog off the ground and causing rib contusions. Marie was immediately arrested, pleaded guilty to harming a federal law enforcement animal, and was ordered to pay $840 in veterinary expenses before being deported to Egypt. Freddie is expected to make a full recovery and return to duty soon.

OBITUARIES

FLIGHT ATTENDANT MURDERED: Rana Soluri, a 47-year-old American Airlines flight attendant, was last seen in Fort Worth in March 2025 and reported missing in June. On June 24, Fort Worth police arrested 66-year-old Dennis Day, a longtime friend and former housemate, after he confessed to strangling Soluri during a confrontation in their shared home. Day admitted to dragging her body into the backyard, concealing it in a trash bin, and dumping it off a bridge near Bowie, Texas—about 65 miles away. Police surveillance footage and Day’s own admissions led to his arrest, although Soluri’s body has not yet been found.

IN FLIGHT CREW DEATH: On June 26, 2025, a tragic incident occurred aboard a Saudia (SV) flight from Jeddah (JED) to London Heathrow (LHR) when Cabin Manager Mohsen bin Saeed Al-Zahrani suffered a fatal heart attack mid-flight. Despite immediate medical attention from the crew and onboard personnel, Al-Zahrani was pronounced dead after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Cairo (CAI). The airline expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing Al-Zahrani as a dedicated and professional team member admired for his integrity and commitment. The flight later continued to London after all necessary procedures were completed. 

AIR CARGO 📦️ 

$4.8 billion in air freight was traded between the U.S. and its two largest trading partners – Canada and Mexico – in April, with this being split evenly at $2.4 billion between both countries.

ANA Holdings’ acquisition of Nippon Cargo Airlines (KZ) from the NYK Group has been delayed by another month, marking the latest in a series of postponements. Originally slated for completion on October 1, 2023, the deal has faced multiple delays due to ongoing regulatory reviews and other procedural hurdles. This latest delay pushes the expected completion date further, though a specific new date has not been disclosed. Nippon Cargo Airlines, established in 1978, is Japan’s first all-cargo airline and operates a fleet of Boeing 747-8F aircraft, serving destinations across Asia, Europe, and North America. The acquisition by ANA Holdings aims to enhance ANA’s freight operations and expand its cargo network.

Air Hong Kong (LD) has completed its transition to an all-Airbus A330 freighter fleet, retiring its last A300-600F aircraft after more than two decades of service. The updated fleet comprises 14 A330 freighters, including 10 A330-300 passenger-to-freighter conversions and four A330-200 production freighters. This modernization enhances cargo capacity by 25 percent, allowing for up to 65 tons of payload and nearly 4,600 miles of range, facilitating expansion into new markets such as Bahrain (BAH) and Sydney (SYD). Air Hong Kong is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific (CX).

The CEO of Vietnam Airlines (VN) mentioned on Wedneday that the airline hopes to lauch a standalone cargo operation next year. Over 65 percent of the airline’s second quarter revenue came from cargo. Vietnam Airlines plans to convert multiple Airbus A321s into freighters for the new venture.

FLIGHT DIVERSION 😆 

I came across this complaint letter again recently, and I thought I would share it. This is certainly one of the all-time great gripe letters in industry history, in my humble opinion.

LATEST AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES 🛫 

C-GUWS, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to WestJet (WS) on June 27.

G-TNEH, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to British Airways (BA) on June 28.

N27404, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, was delivered to United Airlines (UA) on June 27.

N529DN, an Airbus A350-941, was delivered to Delta Air Lines (DL) on June 26.

N555DE, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to Delta Air Lines on June 26.

N722GT, a Boeing 777/F, was delivered to Atlas Air (5Y) on June 25.

N822NV, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Allegiant Air (G4) on June 26.

N8952Q, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Southwest Airlines (WN) on June 27.

N8953Q, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Southwest Airlines (WN) on June 25.

N8960L, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Southwest Airlines on June 6.

VT-NCN, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to IndiGo Airlines (6E) on June 26.

XA-VUT, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to Volaris (Y4) on June 25.

AIRCRAFT RETIREMENTS 🛬 

N285GX, an Airbus A319-112 with GlobalX (G6), was withdrawn from use (wfu) and ferried on June 26 to Coolidge, Ariz. (P08) for part-out and scrap.

AIRLINE STOCKS 💰️ 

$AAL ( ▲ 0.52% )  $ALGT ( ▲ 2.05% )  $ALK ( ▲ 0.33% )  $BA ( ▲ 1.84% )  $DAL ( ▲ 1.46% )  $FLYY ( ▲ 4.07% )  $JBLU ( ▼ 0.22% )  $LUV ( ▲ 0.27% )  $MESA ( ▲ 0.03% )  $RJET ( 0.0% )  $SNCY ( ▲ 0.88% )  $UAL ( ▲ 1.67% )  $ULCC ( ▲ 3.49% )  

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