Jay Shabat

We’re just about to start the second half of 2025, which means Q2 earnings season begins next week. As usual, Delta will get the party started, with an earnings call scheduled for July 10. Make no mistake: The first half of the year provided uncomfortable levels of uncertainty for many airlines. But amid the adversity, there are plenty of plucky carriers who aren't letting global headwinds hold them back. Among these is Saudi LCC Flynas, as we discuss in this week's feature story.

It's fair to say 2025 won't go down in Le Bourget history as a vintage year for orders, but there were still a few champagne corks flying at the biennial show.

In this Australian version of David versus Goliath, Goliath always wins — at least until now. After years in the long shadow of Qantas, Virgin Australia appears to be closing the profitability gap. For the 2024 calendar year, it posted a superior operating margin of 10.8%, edging out Qantas at 10.6%. With Qatar Airways now holding a 25% stake and an IPO on the horizon, this week’s feature story explores what lies ahead for Australia's resurgent challenger.

Virgin Australia is headed to an IPO. How did that happen? Our hosts get under the story in this week's episode.

Just two weeks ago at the IATA AGM in Delhi, the aviation world was celebrating a new golden age for Indian aviation. Last week, the mood abruptly shifted as the industry confronted its worst nightmare. For all the marvels of air travel – its economic influence, its cultural influence, all the jobs it provides, all the joy it provides – there’s nothing more distressing than a fatal accident. Our sympathies go to all affected by the Air India tragedy. In this week's issue, we explore Air India's turnaround plan as it grapples with last week's crash.

Spirit Airlines and Wizz Air are an ocean apart, but share common challenges which are impacting profitability and operational efficiency.

Ever wake up in the morning and feel like your engines just won’t start? Now you know how Wizz Air has felt every day of the post-pandemic era. Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier (after Ryanair and easyJet) just reported another dismal quarter, one much worse than even its official negative 10% figure suggests. In this week's feature story, we explore the key factors causing problems for the LCC and examine plans to get Wizz Air onto a stronger, more strategic, flight path.

We sort the speculation from the facts, contextualize the JetBlue-United deal, and ask what it really means for the carriers and the wider industry.

Welcome to the new U.S. airline industry. United is now friends with JetBlue. Southwest will now charge you for bags. United and American are both investing in Brazil. Delta is investing in Canada. But is this a new and improved U.S. airline industry? That will likely depend on what wins the race to the bottom: Demand, supply, or fuel costs? All three are declining, as we discuss in this week's feature story.

Congratulations, IndiGo! You’re now a member of the Ten Billion Dollar Club. Only about 20 other airlines generate more than $10 billion in revenue annually. India's largest airline is also the club’s youngest member — it’s still a teenager at just 19. But much more important than either its size or its age is its consistently strong profitability. In this week's feature story, we examine some of the secrets behind IndiGo's enormous success.