ch-aviation
• Daniel Martinez Garbuno
JetSMART has won approval for ninth-freedom operations in Argentina, while American, Delta, and Air Canada–United announced new routes for 2027. Separately, Transport Canada opened public consultation on an updated Air Canada–United joint venture, adding a regulatory review to a wave of network changes.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation has immediately rescinded its October 2025 order freezing new routes by Mexican airlines from Mexico City International Airport and Felipe Ángeles International Airport. The move restores 13 existing or planned Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva routes, while carriers must continue submitting schedules for U.S. approval.
A British Airways flight returned to London Gatwick after a passenger’s portable charger reportedly caught fire, burning one person and raising concerns about smoke inhalation. Separately, an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 returned to Chicago O’Hare after crew suspected a fire in a rear-galley trash can and smoke entered the cabin.
Emirates is seeking additional flying rights in Italy, including permission to operate more fifth-freedom services from Milan to the Americas. An initial proposal reportedly involved a Milan–Lima route, drawing opposition from Italian airlines as the Dubai-based carrier seeks to expand its access to the market.
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JetSMART has won approval for ninth-freedom operations in Argentina, while American, Delta, and Air Canada–United announced new routes for 2027. Separately, Transport Canada opened public consultation on an updated Air Canada–United joint venture, adding a regulatory review to a wave of network changes.
United Airlines Holdings and Air Canada are looking to add more U.S.-Canada routes to their existing joint venture. The push comes as travel between the countries has been hurt by geopolitical pressures, putting the partnership’s reach and cross-border demand in focus.
Southwest Airlines will replace its A-List status with Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers in 2027, while incorporating Companion Pass qualification into the revised program. The changes also alter how members earn status and what activity counts, reshaping the incentives tied to flying and Southwest credit cards.
Key Lime Air has signed a new lease in Denver following a dispute, according to ch-aviation. The available report does not specify the leased property, the terms of the agreement or how the dispute was resolved, limiting what can be concluded about the deal’s operational or financial impact.
Volga-Dnepr Group’s cargo airline Atran has returned to service after Russia’s federal regulator reinstated its operating certificate. The carrier’s first reported flight was on the Moscow–Mirny route, using a Boeing 737 freighter.
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