Airline Industry & Market Trends News

Skift • Gordon Smith

Nine airline CEOs in five weeks: rapid leadership churn and Europe-to-Asia executive shifts

Nine airlines have appointed new chief executives in five weeks, with several senior leaders relocating from Europe to Asia. This concentrated wave of executive turnover coincides with shifting regional strategies and will affect carriers’ network planning, fleet choices and board governance over the coming quarters.

2025-12-16T07:05:10.135207-08:00

FlightGlobal

Frontier CEO Barry Biffle departs; James Dempsey named new CEO

2025-12-15T17:03:38.184292-08:00

Cranky Flier

The Incredible Shrinking MEM: How Delta’s Hub Shutdown Hollowed Out Memphis International

2025-12-16T03:58:22.856575-08:00

Bloomberg

FAA chief defends cuts at 40 major airports during shutdown, citing safety

2025-12-15T17:03:36.706012-08:00

Airline Industry & Market Trends News Timeline

Skift

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Nine airline CEOs in five weeks: rapid leadership churn and Europe-to-Asia executive shifts Nine airlines have appointed new chief executives in five weeks, with several senior leaders relocating from Europe to Asia. This concentrated wave of executive turnover coincides with shifting regional strategies and will affect carriers’ network planning, fleet choices and board governance over the coming quarters.

2025-12-16T07:05:10.135207-08:00

Nine airline CEOs in five weeks: rapid leadership churn and Europe-to-Asia executive shifts

ch-aviation

airBaltic to shift fleet operations in‑house from 2026, cutting wet‑lease reliance Latvian carrier airBaltic will transfer fleet operations in‑house beginning in 2026, a strategic move intended to reduce dependence on wet‑lease (ACMI) partners. The decision aims to give the airline greater operational control and change how it sources short‑term capacity going forward.

2025-12-16T05:43:14.868438-08:00

airBaltic to shift fleet operations in‑house from 2026, cutting wet‑lease reliance

upgradedpoints.com

United upgrades mobile app with Virtual Gate, Club recommendation and real-time bag tracking ahead of holiday peak United updated its mobile app with five passenger-focused features — including Virtual Gate, a Club Recommendation Tool and real‑time bag tracking — to speed journeys and personalize the trip ahead of a projected 10 million‑traveler winter holiday peak. Early tests show strong uptake; 84% of customers use the app on the day of travel.

2025-12-16T05:33:09.754008-08:00

United upgrades mobile app with Virtual Gate, Club recommendation and real-time bag tracking ahead of holiday peak

AirInsight

U.S. DOT T-100 shows A330-to-787/A350 widebody replacement trends U.S. DOT T-100 traffic data reveals a clear widebody replacement trend: carriers are substituting older Airbus A330s with Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s across their networks. The pattern quantifies fleet renewal decisions and signals continued demand for modern, fuel‑efficient long‑haul twinjets among operators and lessors.

2025-12-16T05:22:18.966880-08:00

U.S. DOT T-100 shows A330-to-787/A350 widebody replacement trends

ch-aviation

Kenya Airways targets Accra as first African secondary hub, could base three Embraer E190s Kenya Airways is pursuing a secondary-hub strategy within Africa and has identified Accra as its first candidate, working with the Ghanaian government to establish a West Africa regional hub. The carrier could station up to three Embraer E190s there, with services flown under Kenya Airways or another brand.

2025-12-16T05:01:01.410681-08:00

Kenya Airways targets Accra as first African secondary hub, could base three Embraer E190s

Cranky Flier

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The Incredible Shrinking MEM: How Delta’s Hub Shutdown Hollowed Out Memphis International Memphis International — long known for punching above its weight — has been hollowed out after Delta shut down its hub, stripping the airport of significant scheduled connectivity and frequencies. The move has reshaped MEM’s operational profile and forced a rethink of regional air‑service and airport strategy.

2025-12-16T03:58:22.856575-08:00

The Incredible Shrinking MEM: How Delta’s Hub Shutdown Hollowed Out Memphis International

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Delta hit with $5.2M class action alleging payroll errors from aging IT systems A retired Delta pilot filed a class-action seeking $5.2 million, alleging the airline's aging payroll and HR IT systems caused repeated wage-and-hour violations. The suit claims systemic payroll errors led to underpayments and compliance failures that could trigger back-pay, penalties and reputational damage for Delta.

2025-12-16T03:16:37.001251-08:00

Delta hit with $5.2M class action alleging payroll errors from aging IT systems

ch-aviation

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ECOWAS to abolish air‑transport taxes from Jan. 1, 2026; passenger and security fees cut 25% ECOWAS announced on Dec. 10 it will abolish air‑transport taxes across its twelve member states, effective 1 January 2026 (Q1), and cut passenger and security fees by 25%. The coordinated package removes national aviation levies and reduces key charges across the bloc.

2025-12-16T01:27:10.053142-08:00

ECOWAS to abolish air‑transport taxes from Jan. 1, 2026; passenger and security fees cut 25%

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