Airlines News

AeroTime

U.S. airlines forecast nearly 29 million Thanksgiving travelers in 2026, with peak airport crowds expected Nov. 29–30

U.S. airlines expect nearly 29 million passengers to travel over Thanksgiving in 2026, according to the report. The busiest airport days are forecast to be Nov. 29 and 30, following a record for TSA passenger screenings during the previous year’s holiday period.

ch-aviation

Nakash family to sell controlling stake in Arkia after 20 years for reported NIS 40–50 million

The Nakash family is selling its controlling stake in Israeli airline Arkia after two decades, with the transaction reportedly valued at NIS 40 million to NIS 50 million. A separate report says Arkia is seeking renewal of its U.S. foreign air carrier permit, a key regulatory matter for its U.S. operations.

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

High activity

FAA grounds U.S. flights nationwide after air traffic control communications outage; nearly 7,000 flights delayed or canceled

The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop after communications problems affected regional air traffic control centers, citing safety and extraordinary circumstances. Aircraft already airborne could land, but those on the ground could not depart; FlightAware reported nearly 7,000 delays or cancellations. The FBI was reported to be examining whether a software update caused the outage.

Reuters

Microsoft outage disrupts airline communications worldwide, grounding select flights in India

A Microsoft service failure lasting about 18 hours affected businesses across 74 countries, disrupting airline email and communications and forcing localized cancellations and delays, including grounded flights in India. Microsoft said overwhelmed servers—not a cyberattack—caused the outage; services are recovering, prompting renewed scrutiny of airlines’ operational dependencies.

PaxEx.Aero

High activity

Southwest stages live gaming tournament at 35,000 feet while promoting Starlink inflight internet

Southwest Airlines hosted a live gaming tournament aboard a flight at 35,000 feet, turning the cabin into an inflight gaming arena. The event coincides with the carrier promoting Starlink as it refreshes its inflight internet, though one report questions claims about gamer performance on the service.

Cranky Flier

Alaska and Hawaiian pilots’ leaders approve tentative labor agreement after nearly two years of talks

The Master Executive Councils representing Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines pilots have unanimously approved a tentative collective bargaining agreement. The move brings the two sides closer to ending almost two years of negotiations, though the articles do not say the agreement has been finalized.

ch-aviation

Ryanair expands Porto line-maintenance hangar from one bay to three

Ryanair inaugurated a 4,900-square-metre line-maintenance hangar at Porto on Nov. 10, 2026, expanding its existing airport facility from one aircraft bay to three. The added capacity increases the airline’s on-site maintenance footprint in Portugal.

Air Data News

Lufthansa extends A340-300 operations into summer 2027 as Boeing 777-9 delays persist

Lufthansa will keep more A340-300s available through the summer 2027 schedule as continuing Boeing 777-9 delays constrain fleet replacement. The carrier has retained 11 four-engine aircraft after retiring its last A340-600, with some A340-300 flights already scheduled for winter 2027/2028.