Airline News: Top Air Travel Stories From May

Merger Dominates May’s Big Airline News
Once again a sort of complicated love triangle among three airlines regarding a potential merger dominated the aviation industry headlines in May.

The month began with Spirit Airlines rejecting an offer to merge with JetBlue Airways, which jumped in with a bid some $700 million more nearly two months after Frontier Airlines had originally proposed a merger.

The month ends with the merger in disarray. A spurned JetBlue initiated a hostile takeover bid of Spirit, but Spirit’s Board of Directors recommended rejecting the takeover. A full vote by shareholders will take place on June 10.

But that wasn’t the only big news. Here’s a look at all big headlines from May of 2022.

Airport Asks Airlines to cut Flights
Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, the third-busiest airport in Europe, asked airlines in early May to cut back the number of its flights. Airport officials said a combination of staff shortages, increased passenger traffic from pent-up demand, and an impromptu strike by baggage handlers has created an overcrowded situation.

Spirit Rejects JetBlue Offer
On May 2, Spirit Airlines said thanks but no thanks to JetBlue’s merger proposal. Spirit said it would stay with the proposal from Frontier Airlines, but it won’t be the last time Spirit hears from JetBlue.

Southwest to Test Free Wi-Fi
Southwest Airlines said it would start beta testing of a program that will no doubt please its customers. The airline in the first week of May announced it would begin offering free Wi-Fi service on select flights to test out a possible wider launch.

One Year Until REAL ID Goes Into Effect
As of May 3, travelers had one year to comply with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) REAL ID full enforcement date of May 3, 2023. Implementation of the new program had been delayed by the pandemic.

Airline Incidents Fall Dramatically
No surprise here. In the week after a Tampa, Fla. judge struck down the federal transportation mask mandate in April, onboard airline incidents by unruly passengers dropped a whopping 57 percent according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Almost 75 percent of airline and airport confrontations between passengers and crew involved having to wear a mask.

Flight Turns Around After Startling Realization
A Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York had to make an abrupt turn back toward England. The reason was not mechanical, however. It was personnel. The captain realized that his co-pilot had yet to complete all of his training and was not certified to fly.

Some Officials Question Legitimacy of Pilot Shortage
For more than a year, many airline executives – United CEO Scott Kirby and Delta CEO Ed Bastian among them – have talked about a pilot shortage. Spirit CEO Ted Christie and two pilots unions questioned that logic in an interesting counterpoint.

Europe Bags its Mask Mandate
The European Union (EU) said it would lift mask mandates for airplanes and airports as COVID travel restrictions began to be eased. After two devastating years of lack of tourism, the EU said it would be “a big step forward in the normalization of air travel.”

TSA, FAA Take Steps to Avoid Summer Delays
After a spring filled with delays and cancellations, the Transportation Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration said they were taking proactive steps to avoid that for the summer. The TSA is adding more screeners to major airports, while the FAA is adding more air traffic controllers to Florida airports to help alleviate backups, mostly caused by severe weather.

United, Pilots Reach Agreement
It’s one thing to make sure you have enough pilots to handle what is expected to be a heavy load of passengers over the summer. It’s another to make sure they’re all under contract. United Airlines did that in mid-May, becoming the first major airline to reach an agreement with its pilot union following the pandemic.

Airlines Pressure White House Over Restrictions
In an effort to increase tourism, U.S. airlines have been pressuring the Biden Administration to lift pre-departure restrictions on flying. Many travelers are reluctant to fly overseas for fear of testing positive and not being allowed to return home without quarantining.

United CEO Says It’s Safe to Fly Without Masks
It’s safe. That was the simple message from United Airlines CEO about whether or not you can travel mask-free on an airplane.

“It literally is the safest environment (you’ll be in) indoors anywhere that you are,” Kirby said. “That’s why being on an airplane next to two people in a middle seat is the equivalent of being 15 feet away from someone in a building. You’re safer sitting next to me on an airplane that you are sitting across from me right now.”

Spirit CEO Believes Shareholders Will Opt for Frontier
Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie said in the last week of May that he believes his company’s stockholders will vote in June to approve the carrier’s proposed merger with Frontier Airlines – and reject a hostile takeover bid by JetBlue Airways.

Delays, Cancellations Mar Memorial Day Travel
While the number of passengers going through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints on Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend still suggest a robust surge for the industry, it wasn’t a smooth – nor timely – ride for some fliers.

According to the flight tracking service flightaware.com, more than 2,300 flights were canceled worldwide on Friday to kick off the long holiday. On Saturday, 1,543 flights worldwide were canceled and 14,524 were delayed. In the United States alone, domestic carriers canceled 565 flights and delayed 5,156 on Saturday.