FlightGlobal
• Graham Rapier
Flight attendants at Jazz Aviation, a key operator of Air Canada Express flights, have voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations fail. The labor escalation follows strikes at Air Canada and WestJet in recent years, adding uncertainty to regional flying and Air Canada’s network operations.
Airlines
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Flight attendants at Jazz Aviation, a key operator of Air Canada Express flights, have voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations fail. The labor escalation follows strikes at Air Canada and WestJet in recent years, adding uncertainty to regional flying and Air Canada’s network operations.
LATAM Airlines Colombia has opened a new operating base at Medellín, expanding the carrier’s presence in Colombia. The move is expected to support its local operations and network strategy, although the available report does not provide details on routes, fleet allocation or capacity growth.
Portugal will enter another round of negotiations with Deutsche Lufthansa and Air France-KLM over the sale of a minority stake in TAP Air Portugal, seeking to improve the offers submitted by both airline groups before selecting a strategic partner for the flag carrier.
Poland’s LOT is set to acquire two Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Virgin Atlantic, adding to its long-haul fleet through a secondary-market transaction. The deal highlights LOT’s fleet expansion and the continued repositioning of widebody aircraft among European operators.
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Air France-KLM has appointed group chief operating officer Oltion Carkaxhija as CEO of low-cost unit Transavia, effective Sept. 4, to reinforce its position in the intra-European market. The group’s sustainability chief will also assume new responsibilities as part of the senior-management changes.
Sri Lankan lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa was arrested and remanded until Sept. 18 in an anti-graft investigation into the national carrier’s 2013 Airbus aircraft purchase. The case follows allegations by a former SriLankan Airlines chief executive that kickbacks were paid, alongside earlier findings that Airbus agreed to pay bribes in Sri Lanka.
Southwest Airlines’ on-time performance has deteriorated sharply in 2026 under AirInsight’s zero-grace-period standard, leaving the carrier well behind the broader industry. The decline puts operational reliability at the center of scrutiny as Southwest contends with a widening performance gap.
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A behind-the-scenes account follows the small team tasked with dismantling Spirit Airlines, tracing how an airline’s operations, assets and corporate structure are unwound after its failure. The episode offers a rare view of the practical mechanics—and consequences—of airline liquidation.
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