Flightline Briefing 76 - March 9, 2026

🇦🇪 A6-EWK, a Boeing 777-F, was delivered to Emirates (EK) on March 6.

🇦🇪 A6-EXQ, an Airbus A350-941, was delivered to Emirates on March 6.

🇹🇼 B-16867, an ATR 72-600 (72-212A), was delivered to Mandarin Airlines (AE) on March 7.

🇨🇦 C-FSCY, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Air Canada (AC) on March 5.

🇮🇪 EI-SCH, an Airbus A320-251neo, was delivered to SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK) on March 5.

🇮🇪 EI-TEE, an Airbus A220-300, was delivered to ITA Airways (AZ) on March 5.

🇩🇴 HI1140, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Arajet (DM) on March 5.

🇰🇷 HL8746, an Airbus A350-941, was delivered to Korean Air (KE) on March 5.

🇹🇭 HS-LVV, a Boeing 737-9GPER(WL), was delivered to Thai Lion Air (SL) on March 6.

🇯🇵 JA18XJ, an Airbus A350-941, was delivered to Japan Airlines (JL) on March 6.

🇺🇸 N338DU, an Airbus A220-300, was delivered to Delta Air Lines (DL) on March 5.

🇺🇸 N475US, a Boeing 737-752(WL), was delivered to United States Department of Homeland Security on March 6.

🇺🇸 N61103, a Boeing 787-9, was delivered to United Airlines (UA) on March 4.

🇺🇸 N8996Q, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was delivered to Southwest Airlines (WN) on March 5.

🇳🇱 PH-AXN, an Airbus A321-252neo, was delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL) on March 6.

🇵🇭 RP-C4166, an Airbus A320-271neo, was delivered to Cebu Pacific (5J) on March 5.

🇷🇴 YR-RUN, an Airbus A220-300, was delivered to Animawings (A2) on March 5.

🇲🇦 CN-RNU, a Boeing 737-8B6 with Royal Air Maroc (AT), was withdrawn from use (wfu) and ferried on March 5 to Cotswold, England (GBA) for part-out and scrap.

Significant aerial activity involving Iranian drones and missiles has caused widespread operational disruptions across the Middle East since late February 2026. At Dubai (DXB), operations were temporarily suspended following an interception on March 7 that resulted in falling debris and minor damage to Terminal 3. While Dubai has since partially resumed limited services, authorities have urged travelers to confirm flight statuses due to ongoing regional instability. Kuwait (KWI) has faced more severe direct impacts; on March 8, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense confirmed that drone strikes successfully targeted the airport’s fuel storage tanks, resulting in a large fire at one depot and a continued total suspension of commercial civilian flights. Other regional hubs have also been affected by the escalation, including Abu Dhabi (AUH), which reported a fatality and multiple injuries from interception debris, and Bahrain (BAH), where minor material damage was reported following similar aerial incursions.

In January 2026, U.S. scheduled service airlines used 1.441 billion gallons of fuel, 10.8 percent less fuel than in December 2025 (1.614 billion gallons) and one percent less fuel than January 2025 (1.456 billion gallons). The cost per gallon of fuel in January 2026 was $2.36.

Abra Group has confirmed that five Airbus A330-900neos will be assigned to Brazilian carrier GOL as it prepares to launch widebody operations for the first time in its history. The aircraft are part of a lease agreement for up to seven A330-900neos, with deliveries expected during 2026 and 2027; the remaining two aircraft will join Avianca’s widebody fleet. Configured with more than 290 seats including a business class cabin, the aircraft will support the group’s strategy to expand long-haul connectivity between South America and key markets in North America and Europe, helping address a long-haul network gap compared with competitors such as LATAM (LA). The move marks a major shift for GOL, which has historically operated an all-Boeing 737 narrowbody fleet.

Wizz Air (W6) enjoyed a 6.7 percent year-on-year increase in February passenger traffic, with the carrier flying 4,919,712 passengers last month. System-wide load factor in February was 90.5 percent.

The Norwegian Group flew 1.6 million passengers last month, split with 1.32 million on Norwegian (DY) and 298,000 on Widerøe (WF). System-wide load factors were 89.5 percent for Norwegian and 72.5 percent for Widerøe.

Finnair (AY) enjoyed a seven percent annual increase in February traffic, flying 904,400 passengers last month. System-wide load factor came in just under 78 percent, with 68.4 percent of flights arriving on time during the harsh winter month.

The Lufthansa Group reported record financial results for 2025, with revenue rising to about $43.3 billion, up roughly 5 percent from the prior year, while adjusted operating profit increased about 20 percent to approximately $2.2 billion. The group carried around 135 million passengers, reflecting continued strong demand for air travel, while operational improvements and lower fuel costs supported profitability. Overall operating margin improved to about 4.9 percent, as stronger performance from segments such as cargo and maintenance helped offset weaker results in parts of the passenger airline business.

Eurowings (EW), the Lufthansa Group’s low-cost carrier, reported a strong operational performance in 2025 as passenger demand continued to grow across its European leisure network. The airline carried significantly more travelers than in 2024, with passenger numbers rising by over 900,000, while operating flights to roughly 150 destinations across Europe. Operational reliability remained solid, with about 72 percent of flights arriving on time, despite challenges such as European air traffic control constraints and weather disruptions. Customer satisfaction also improved, with roughly two-thirds of passengers recommending the airline, and Eurowings was named “Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe 2025” by Skytrax, highlighting the carrier’s strengthening position as Lufthansa Group’s value-focused leisure airline.

Brussels Airlines (SN) reported a modest profit in 2025, though its financial performance lagged behind the broader Lufthansa Group. The Belgian carrier posted an adjusted operating profit of about $30 million, down roughly 52 percent from the previous year, despite revenue rising 7 percent to more than $1.7 billion. The airline carried 9.1 million passengers on over 68,000 flights, an increase of about 11 percent year over year, but profitability remained weak with an operating margin of 1.7 percent, well below the 4.9 percent margin reported by the Lufthansa Group overall. Results were impacted by disruptions including national demonstrations in Belgium, operational irregularities at Brussels (BRU), and technical issues with parts of the long-haul fleet that forced temporary aircraft wet-leases and added costs.

SWISS (LX) reported a decline in profitability in 2025 despite remaining solidly profitable. The airline posted an operating profit of about $600 million, down roughly 26.6 percent year over year, while revenue slipped about 2.6 percent to approximately $6.6 billion as structural cost pressures and market headwinds weighed on results. Despite the weaker performance compared with 2024, the carrier remained one of the stronger performers within the Lufthansa Group network airline portfolio.

Wizz Air UK (W9) has received regulatory approval to operate flights between the United Kingdom and the United States, though the airline does not plan to launch scheduled transatlantic service. Instead, the authorization allows the carrier to offer charter flights across the Atlantic, primarily targeting European football teams and supporters traveling to the U.S. for major tournaments this summer. The flights may also be used by corporate groups, tour operators, sports organizations, and private clients seeking dedicated charter services, marking a notable operational milestone for the airline as it expands its charter capabilities beyond Europe.

🇮🇳 Indian commercial airports accounted for 38,634,665 passengers. Next Monday’s Flightline will have a full breakdown across some 140 airports.

🇪🇸 Passenger traffic totals for nearly 40 airports across Spain for January 2026 are as follows below. Thursday’s issue will cover Italian airports.

In 2025, DHL Global Forwarding experienced a challenging fiscal year as airfreight volumes and overall revenues saw a notable decline compared to previous periods. The company reported that air cargo volumes dipped by seven percent, a trend attributed to a combination of normalizing global demand and a shift toward sea freight by some shippers. Consequently, the division’s revenue dropped by nearly 25 percent, as the market moved away from the record-high rates seen during previous supply chain disruptions. Despite these headwinds, the company noted that capacity remains stable and expects moderate demand growth of approximately four to five percent as the market stabilizes throughout 2026.

United Parcel Service (5X)'s Worldport hub in Louisville, Ky. (SDF) has officially overtaken FedEx’s Memphis (MEM) base as the world's largest express air cargo hub. Analyzing data from early 2026, researchers found that Louisville now leads in daily flight activity, tonnage, and volume capacity, averaging 202 flights per day during peak mid-week periods—37 more than Memphis. This shift in the global rankings is attributed to FedEx’s "Network 2.0" strategy, which has reduced excess flight capacity in favor of regional trucking, as well as the 2024 loss of a major U.S. Postal Service contract to United Parcel Service.