Aircraft Demand: Airline Distress & Consolidation News

Aviation Source • Len Varley

Spirit and Frontier in renewed merger talks as Spirit pursues Chapter 11 rescue

Bankrupt Spirit Airlines has reopened merger discussions with Frontier Airlines after filing for Chapter 11, people familiar with the matter said, in a potential transaction that could rescue the ultra‑low‑cost carrier from insolvency. Reports call this the third round of talks in as many years amid intense competition.

2025-12-16T15:19:47.808470-08:00

Bloomberg

Azul to Return to Profit by 2026 After Chapter 11 Restructuring Backed by United and American

2025-12-16T11:26:35.179163-08:00

Aviation Week

Austrian abruptly ends Braathens Regional wet‑lease after failed audit and Braathens International insolvency

2025-12-15T10:51:43.370608-08:00

The Air Current

Spirit labor approves pay and retirement concessions to unlock ~$100M as carrier nears bankruptcy deadline

2025-12-12T10:06:18.541668-08:00

Aircraft Demand: Airline Distress & Consolidation News Timeline

Aviation Source

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Spirit and Frontier in renewed merger talks as Spirit pursues Chapter 11 rescue Bankrupt Spirit Airlines has reopened merger discussions with Frontier Airlines after filing for Chapter 11, people familiar with the matter said, in a potential transaction that could rescue the ultra‑low‑cost carrier from insolvency. Reports call this the third round of talks in as many years amid intense competition.

2025-12-16T15:19:47.808470-08:00

Spirit and Frontier in renewed merger talks as Spirit pursues Chapter 11 rescue

ch-aviation

New York court dismisses Wheels Up's 2023 lawsuit against flyExclusive The Supreme Court of the State of New York on Dec. 3 dismissed a 2023 lawsuit filed by Wheels Up (WUP) against charter operator flyExclusive (JRE). The ruling resolves the named legal claim and removes a legal overhang that had affected both on‑demand operators.

2025-12-16T14:25:38.187093-08:00

New York court dismisses Wheels Up's 2023 lawsuit against flyExclusive

Bloomberg

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Azul to Return to Profit by 2026 After Chapter 11 Restructuring Backed by United and American Azul SA says it will return to profit by 2026 after a Chapter 11 restructuring backed by United Airlines Holdings and American Airlines Group. Bankruptcy-driven debt reductions and renegotiated aircraft leases, management says, will enable the carrier to generate positive net income within two years.

2025-12-16T11:26:35.179163-08:00

Azul to Return to Profit by 2026 After Chapter 11 Restructuring Backed by United and American

FlightGlobal

Court approves sale of Spirit's O'Hare gates G8 and G10 to American Airlines A U.S. bankruptcy court approved transfer of two Chicago O'Hare gates, G8 and G10, from Spirit Airlines to American Airlines amid Spirit's Chapter 11 proceedings. The deal follows a contentious gate reallocation at ORD that previously saw American lose four gates and highlights shifting hub capacity.

2025-12-16T09:27:05.832803-08:00

Court approves sale of Spirit's O'Hare gates G8 and G10 to American Airlines

ch-aviation

Spanish police raid Plus Ultra HQ; several C‑suite executives detained Spanish police raided Plus Ultra's headquarters and detained several C‑suite executives, authorities said. The intervention, reported today, saw police enter the airline's offices and take multiple senior managers into custody as part of a law‑enforcement operation concerning the company, officials said.

2025-12-16T09:06:30.308914-08:00

Spanish police raid Plus Ultra HQ; several C‑suite executives detained

FlightGlobal

airBaltic names Erno Hilden CEO as carrier grapples with delayed IPO and financial pressure Erno Hilden has taken over as CEO of Latvian carrier airBaltic amid mounting financial pressure and a delayed initial public offering. He inherits an airline management says has emerged from “some of the most challenging years” but is actively weighing alternatives to an IPO to secure capital.

2025-12-15T23:32:23.541621-08:00

airBaltic names Erno Hilden CEO as carrier grapples with delayed IPO and financial pressure

Aviation Week

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Austrian abruptly ends Braathens Regional wet‑lease after failed audit and Braathens International insolvency Austrian Airlines has suspended and immediately terminated its wet‑lease cooperation with Swedish Braathens Regional Airways after a Lufthansa Group audit found the carrier did not meet group standards, and amid the insolvency of sister company Braathens International Airways. The abrupt split creates immediate operational and capacity questions.

2025-12-15T10:51:43.370608-08:00

Austrian abruptly ends Braathens Regional wet‑lease after failed audit and Braathens International insolvency

ch-aviation

Albanian regulator revokes Air Albania licence; carrier grounds fleet after Turkish Airlines withdraws Albania's civil aviation authority has revoked Air Albania's operating licence, prompting the carrier to suspend all flights with effect from 7 December after its main shareholder, Turkish Airlines, withdrew. The move ends operations at the Turkish-backed flag carrier seven years after its launch.

2025-12-15T01:25:02.925916-08:00

Albanian regulator revokes Air Albania licence; carrier grounds fleet after Turkish Airlines withdraws

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