Airline News: Top Air Travel Stories From The Past Month
Another Topsy Turvy Month in Aviation
So to sum up the month the last 30 days or so in aviation in a song lyric, it would be “(Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
Spirit Airlines, for the second time, delayed a shareholder vote on whether to accept the merger with Frontier Airlines or be taken over and folded into JetBlue Airways.
Or maybe the lack of satisfaction was from air travelers themselves, who have been dealing with a plethora of delays and cancellations since Memorial Day.
Or perhaps it was a fed-up federal government. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg scolded airlines over the numerous delays and said the feds would step in, if they had to, and compel carriers to hire more workers to deal with staffing shortages.
Just another fun month in Airline World.
JetBlue Improves Offer for Spirit
JetBlue Airways is just determined to take over Spirit Airlines. In the second of three upgraded offers, JetBlue sweetened the pot in its bid for Spirit including more money per share and a breakup fee.
PLAY Begins in New York
Icelandic airline PLAY entered its third market on June 9 with transatlantic service from the U.S. to Reykjavik. PLAY took off from Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York, a suburban facility about 75 minutes north of Manhattan.
DOJ Lawsuit to go to Trial
The lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and six states against the American Airlines-JetBlue Airways Northeast Alliance will indeed be heard in a court of law. A judge ruled that the suit can go to trial and will commence in September.
Delta to Transport Baby Formula
Delta Air Lines is jumping in to do its civic and patriotic duty. On June 11 the Atlanta-based carrier said it would transport much-needed baby formula – more than 3.2 million bottles in fact – from Europe to the U.S., which is in short supply of formula right now.
British Regulators Tell Airlines to Cancel Flights
And we thought America had it bad. British regulators on June 15 told airlines in the United Kingdom to go ahead and start cancelling flights. The theory being, the less flights that take off, the less that can be delayed or canceled prior to boarding.
Delta Pilots Tell Customers of Delays
In what will become a trend, pilots for Delta Air Lines reached out directly to airline customers to tell their side of the story. The pilots told of staffing shortages and canceled flights, and why Delta has been operating under delays and cancellations.
Another Lost Weekend for Airlines
In between Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July holiday weekend, airlines had a brutal Juneteenth holiday with a plethora of delays and cancellations. The ungodly amount left experts and fliers alike with little faith in the rest of the summer.
IATA Predicts Return to Profitability
The International Air Transport Association, the world’s main trade group for aviation, said airlines should be back to profitability by 2023.
5G is Still an Issue
IATA said the implementation of 5G Wireless service by the summer of 2023 is still fraught with danger. The airline trade group suggested that the rollout a year from now still isn’t enough time for airlines to make the proper technical adjustments.
Airline Unions Picket
Airline unions are taking their plight straight to the general public. Several unions have held informational pickets outside airports in mid- to late-June to speak directly with the flying public and put more pressure on management to strike deals.
Airlines Place Partial Blame on FAA
The delays and cancellations are not all our fault. That’s what the airlines said on June 25 when they blamed the Federal Aviation Administration for its own staffing shortage issues and mismanagement of air traffic controllers.
ISS Tells Spirit Shareholders to Switch Votes
An independent proxy advisory firm, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) switched gears and told Spirit Airlines stockholders to vote for the merger with Frontier Airlines after originally recommending the JetBlue acquisition. That was on June 27; days later came yet another twist.
American’s Regional Carrier Ups Pilot Pay
American Airlines’ regional carrier Envoy Air tries to solve the pilot shortage problem with good old-fashioned American know-how – money. Envoy on June 28 announced it was offering pilots triple pay to pick up open shifts during the month of July.
Spirit Delays Shareholder Meeting – Again
After yet another improved offer from JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines again delayed its shareholder vote on the proposals from both Frontier and JetBlue. This time, with barely a day’s notice, the meeting was moved from June 30 to July 8.