Aviacionline
• Edgardo Gimenez Mazó
United Airlines has completed the first phase of a more than $145 million expansion at its Denver Flight Training Center, adding 40 CAE flight simulators. The facility can now train up to 860 pilots a day and supports the carrier’s nearly 18,000-strong pilot workforce while generating 1,600 direct jobs.
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A U.S. appeals court overturned the Trump administration’s September 2025 order requiring Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico to unwind their joint venture. The ruling allows the partnership to continue and reverses a major challenge to the carriers’ cross-border cooperation.
WestJet is preparing to begin South American operations in the fourth quarter of 2026, marking a new regional expansion for the Canadian carrier. The announcement establishes a broad timing target, but the available information does not identify destinations, frequencies or aircraft deployment.
Icelandair Group has completed its purchase of a 49% shareholding in Fly Play Europe Holdco, Play’s Malta-based airline entity, for $686,000. The deal gives Icelandair flexibility to streamline operations through the former rival’s European operating certificate and corporate structure.
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United Airlines has completed the first phase of a more than $145 million expansion at its Denver Flight Training Center, adding 40 CAE flight simulators. The facility can now train up to 860 pilots a day and supports the carrier’s nearly 18,000-strong pilot workforce while generating 1,600 direct jobs.
Air Canada is seeking to buy back as much as $580 million of its outstanding shares, a move that would return capital to investors and reduce the company’s share count if fully executed. The announcement adds a significant capital-allocation decision to the carrier’s financial strategy.
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Alaska Airlines will launch nonstop Seattle services to Athens and Paris in May 2027, expanding its European footprint from Washington state to seven intercontinental destinations. The new routes extend the carrier’s Boeing 787 international network and sharpen competition with Delta in Seattle’s long-haul market.
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Oman’s two airlines are changing leadership: Nasser Al Sharji will replace Con Korfiatis as Oman Air CEO on Sept. 1, 2026, while Yaqoob bin Saif bin Hamoud Al Kiyumi will succeed Adrian Hamilton-Manns at SalamAir on Oct. 1. SalamAir says it intends to continue its growth strategy.
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Eurowings and American Airlines are investing in more differentiated narrowbody cabins, including expanded premium seating and seatback entertainment, while Shenzhen Airlines plans to reconfigure seven A320neos into 174-seat all-economy aircraft. The moves show operators pursuing both higher-yield experiences and greater capacity from the same single-aisle platform.
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