Bloomberg
• Albertina Torsoli, Henrique Almeida, Sonje Wind
Portugal’s privatization of TAP Air Portugal is entering a decisive phase as Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM submit binding offers for a minority stake. The state is preparing to sell up to 49.9% (with plans also cited for a 44.9% stake), positioning both bidders for a long-term partnership approach.
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Portugal’s privatization of TAP Air Portugal is entering a decisive phase as Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM submit binding offers for a minority stake. The state is preparing to sell up to 49.9% (with plans also cited for a 44.9% stake), positioning both bidders for a long-term partnership approach.
American Airlines’ net income fell 88%, and the carrier attributes the drop primarily to fuel. With fuel excluded, the underlying operating performance is described as stronger than Wall Street’s reaction suggests—highlighting sensitivity to energy input costs in airline earnings.
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Airlines’ latest earnings point to uneven margin pressure: Frontier reported a Q2 net loss of $90M but expects Q3 RASM growth over 20% and highlights pricing strength, while Europe’s supergroups (Air France-KLM, IAG, Lufthansa) face soaring fuel costs that will test summer profits. In parallel, Airbus delivered 351 commercial aircraft and posted €2.2B first-half net profit, while Argus forecasts continued fractional business-aviation growth into the second half (excluding September).
JetBlue reported a $247 million loss, driven almost entirely by fuel costs. The analysis argues that, when fuel is stripped out, JetBlue’s turnaround is working—using GTF data to support that operational improvements are holding even as energy prices weigh on results.
AirBorneo says it will more than double its narrowbody fleet from two to five aircraft by the end of 2026, with additional aircraft scheduled to arrive in October, November and December, CEO Megat Ardian Aminuddin told Channel NewsAsia.
Cathay Pacific has postponed the planned return of passenger service from Hong Kong International to Dubai International and Riyadh, citing a re-escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The carrier now expects to restart the routes in early 4Q26.
Heathrow reported that it retained its position as Europe’s most punctual hub, showing steady progress in the first half of 2026 despite geopolitical headwinds. The operator said performance and service strength continued through the period, underscoring resilience in demand and operations.
Air New Zealand will begin operating three return services per week to Western Sydney Airport (WSI) starting 26 October, positioning the carrier as the inaugural international airline for the new airport.
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