🇲🇹 9H-AMV, an Airbus A320-232, was delivered to Eurowings (EW) on May 10.

🇲🇹 9H-XLE, an Airbus A321-271NY XLR, was delivered to Wizz Air Malta (W4) on May 11.

🇲🇾 9M-BJA, an ATR 72-600 (72-212A), was delivered to Berjaya Air (J8) on May 11.

🇮🇹 EI-HXH, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to ITA Airways (AZ) on May 12.

🇪🇹 ET-APL, a Boeing 737-860(WL), was delivered to Uganda Airlines (UR) on May 12.

🇬🇧 G-SUNX, an Airbus A321-251neo, was delivered to Jet2 (LS) on May 13.

🇬🇧 G-TTSI, an Airbus A320-251neo, was delivered to British Airways (BA) on May 12.

🇭🇺 HA-LDJ, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to Wizz Air (W6) on May 13.

🇭🇺 HA-LDO, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to Wizz Air on May 12.

🇨🇴 HK-5485, an ATR 72-600 (72-212A), was delivered to SATENA (9R) on May 11.

🇳🇴 LN-SAG, an Airbus A320-251neo, was delivered to SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SK) on May 13.

🇺🇸 N3308J, an Airbus A220-300, was delivered to JetBlue (B6) on May 11.

🇺🇸 N344JA, an Embraer ERJ-175LR, was delivered to Envoy Air (MQ) on May 11.

🇺🇸 N609DN, an Airbus A321-271neo, was delivered to Delta Air Lines (DL) on May 13.

🇺🇸 N81105, a Boeing 787-9, was delivered to United Airlines on May 12.

🇮🇩 PK-TLM, an Airbus A321-211, was delivered to TransNusa (8B) on May 10.

🇲🇹 9H-MLW, an Airbus A320-214 with Avion Express Malta (4X), was withdrawn from use (wfu)  and ferried on May 13 to St. Athan, Wales (DGX) for part-out and scrap.

🇪🇸 EC-ILR, an Airbus A320-214 with Iberia Express (I2), was wfu and ferried on May 7 to St. Athan, Wales for part-out and scrap.

A Delta Air Lines employee was killed May 7 in a ground handling accident at Orlando (MCO) after an aircraft tug reportedly struck a passenger boarding bridge connected to Delta Flight 2593. The incident occurred around 10:55 p.m. local time while the Airbus A321 (N324DX) was parked at the gate preparing for departure to Minneapolis (MSP). Passengers were evacuated through the aircraft’s rear door and the flight was canceled following the accident. Delta temporarily paused operations at its Orlando station and said it was “heartbroken at the loss of a team member,” while local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.

Cologne, Germany (CGN) reported a €13.5 million net profit for 2025, marking its fourth consecutive profitable year despite rising operating costs and continued pressure on the German aviation market. The airport handled just over 10 million passengers during the year, supported by strong leisure demand to destinations in Spain, Greece, and Türkiye, while cargo volumes remained stable at roughly 840,000 metric tons. Revenue increased significantly to €444.2 million, aided by the airport assuming responsibility for passenger security screening operations, as Cologne also continues a major infrastructure modernization program that includes expanded CT security screening technology.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. airlines posted a combined $6.0 billion profit in 2025, representing a decline from 2024 results as operating costs continued to rise across the industry. While carriers benefited from strong passenger demand and continued recovery in international travel, higher labor expenses, fuel costs, aircraft maintenance, and operational disruptions weighed on overall profitability. The report noted that passenger airlines generated hundreds of billions in operating revenue during the year, though profit margins narrowed compared to 2024 despite sustained travel demand and relatively high load factors across much of the domestic network. U.S. airlines took in $7.4 billion in baggage fees last year and another $1.1 billion from reservation change fees.

A new report highlighted a sharp decline in Canadian travel to the United States, with researchers from the University of Toronto finding visits to major U.S. metropolitan areas dropped approximately 42 percent between April 2024 and March 2026, significantly worse than the roughly 25 percent decline reflected in official border crossing data.

Riyadh Air (RX) has applied with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP). The carrier looks to begin direct flights from Saudi Arabia to the U.S., although no city pairs are listed in the application.

Boeing is increasingly positioning its long term recovery around renewed access to the Chinese market, support from the Trump administration, and the eventual development of a next generation narrowbody aircraft expected to succeed the 737 family. Discussions tied to President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to China could reportedly include a major order for approximately 500 Boeing aircraft, primarily 737 MAX jets, which would represent China’s first large scale Boeing purchase in several years. At the same time, Boeing continues working to restore public confidence and stabilize operations following multiple safety, certification, and production crises, while also facing ongoing challenges tied to 777X certification delays, Air Force One program overruns, supply chain constraints, and pressure to improve financial performance and competitiveness against Airbus.

Mexico’s Viva (VB) suffered a seven percent year-on-year drop in April passenger traffic, with the discounter flying 2,339,000 passengers last month. System-wide load factor for the months was 84.1 percent, down 2.5 points from one year ago. Responding to fuel concerns, Viva dropped its available seat miles by nearly eight percent in the month.

Below we look at March 2026 airport passenger counts for over two dozen airports throughout Brazil. Monday’s issue will feature well over 500 airports around the world and their March totals.

Data aggregator Cirium has released its monthly on-time performance results for airlines around the world in April. Let’s have a look at the most on-time airlines in the Asia/Pacific theatre as well as Europe. Monday’s issue will look at Latin American and Africa/Middle Eastern airlines.

The 2026 J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study found that overall passenger satisfaction increased despite a year marked by delays, cancellations, airport congestion, and rising fares and ancillary fees. Overall satisfaction rose eight points year over year on J.D. Power’s 1,000-point scale, with gains recorded across all cabin segments. The study surveyed 10,914 passengers who had flown on a major North American airline within the previous month between March 2025 and March 2026.

J.D. Power said airlines benefited from relatively resilient passenger demand and improving customer experience metrics, even as operational disruptions remained elevated. The study evaluated airlines across categories including airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, level of trust, onboard experience, pre and post flight services, and value for price paid.

Additional findings from the study showed that premium cabin satisfaction improved the most year over year, with first/business class scores increasing 17 points and premium economy climbing 14 points, while economy/basic economy improved six points.