All posts tagged: Airlines

SpaceX’s Starlink nabs American Airlines contract, another win for its IPO

SpaceX’s Starlink nabs American Airlines contract, another win for its IPO

Published by skeptic

American Airlines said Tuesday it plans to install Starlink on more than 500 narrow-body Airbus aircraft beginning early next year, the latest carrier to pick the SpaceX unit for inflight Wi-Fi service. The deal provides more than just financial lift for Starlink, the satellite communications network and the only SpaceX business unit that generates meaningful revenue. It also hands SpaceX a win over the competition — such as Amazon Leo and other legacy providers like Viasat. Starlink satellites use a low Earth orbit to provide broadband internet for consumers as well as enterprise customers like American Airlines. The company has pursued contracts with airlines and cruise operators with some success. United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa Group, British Airways, and Alaska Airlines (which merged with Hawaiian Airlines) have equipped some aircraft with Starlink, according to SpaceX’s IPO registration filing that was released last week. American Airlines is the latest, although not all of its aircraft will get the Starlink upgrade. The ​airline’s new ​Airbus A321XLR and A320neo aircraft will get Starlink; its Boeing aircraft are …

‘Summer should be fine’ as Europe’s jet fuel fears ease – POLITICO

‘Summer should be fine’ as Europe’s jet fuel fears ease – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Our fuel suppliers as recently as this week have confirmed they expect no supply disruption right out to the middle of July, and the situation continues to improve,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said on Monday. The airline boss said he is now confident that rising fuel imports from West Africa, the U.S. and Norway are making up for reduced volumes from the Middle East, caused by the blockade of most tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The more optimistic mood is a stark contrast to the warning issued a month ago by Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, who said European countries could face jet fuel shortages by the end of May. But the agency’s latest oil market report, issued earlier this month, now notes a surge in jet fuel production in the U.S. and West Africa. “Alternative suppliers have moved to fill the gap,” the IEA said. “The United States flipped from a net importer in April 2025 to net exporter in early 2026, as strong refinery runs pushed jet …

Jet Fuel Crisis: The UK and EU Airlines That May Cancel Flights

Jet Fuel Crisis: The UK and EU Airlines That May Cancel Flights

Published by Sam Flores

The US-Iran war, which resulted in the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, means that we’re about to have a lot less fuel than we’re used to. About 20% of the world’s oil and gas supply usually passes through the narrow shipping lane. Because it usually takes weeks for oil to reach Europe from this point, however, the after-effects of the closure lagged a little, as we were getting oil sent before the conflict started, days after it began. But The Guardian reports the blockage has already “doubled” the price of jet fuel, leading some carriers to cancel flights. Why are some European flights being cancelled or suspended? While Airline UK, which represents multiple big-name airline carriers in the UK, has said “Airlines continue to operate normally and are not experiencing issues with jet fuel supply,” the European Commission has created a plan called “AccelerateEU”. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, explained that it involves stepping “up coordination to optimise transport fuel distribution across Europe, starting with jet fuel”. Europe gets about 75% …

Why do airlines have so many short flights? : NPR

Why do airlines have so many short flights? : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Short regional flights are the lifeblood of U.S aviation — but they were in decline even before jet fuel concerns struck. Here, a file photo shows a Delta Air Lines Connection regional jet operated by GoJet Airlines taking off from Logan International Airport in Boston. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption toggle caption Charles Krupa/AP U.S. domestic air travel has boomed in recent years, except for one segment. Short flights of a few hundred miles decreased over the past decade, while longer flights became more popular, according to data gathered by the aviation analytics firm OAG for NPR. Nearly 4 million short flights are scheduled for this year. But as of mid-April, the number of flights spanning less than 250 nautical miles had declined by 11% from 2016 to 2026 — the biggest drop of any route length. The decline comes as no surprise to John Grant, a senior analyst at OAG. “That is an awful distance to be operating,” he says, because short flights are more expensive for airlines than flights with a longer cruise time. …

Influencer James Charles issues apology after backlash over viral video mocking laid-off Spirit Airlines worker

Influencer James Charles issues apology after backlash over viral video mocking laid-off Spirit Airlines worker

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more James Charles is walking back his explosive tirade against a former Spirit Airlines worker who asked him for help after losing her job. The beauty influencer, 26, sparked backlash after he posted an expletive-filled rant about a woman who sent him a GoFundMe link in a message asking for support after she said she was laid off in Spirit’s sudden shutdown last weekend, which cost over 17,000 people their jobs. In the original video, which has since been deleted, Charles said: “I just got a DM on here from a girl that said, ‘Good morning, James. I know you’ll probably never see this, but if you could just take one minute to read it would really mean a lot to me. I’m really struggling …

Frontier Airlines plane strikes and kills pedestrian : NPR

Frontier Airlines plane strikes and kills pedestrian : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

A Frontier Airlines jetliner waits for clearance to take off as high winds strafe Denver International Airport Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Denver. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption toggle caption David Zalubowski/AP A Frontier Airlines plane bound for Los Angeles on Friday night struck and killed a pedestrian who was crossing the runway, according to Denver International Airport. The collision happened around 11:19 p.m. local time as the aircraft prepared to take off to California. “Smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff,” Frontier said in a statement. “Passengers were then safely evacuated via slides as a matter of precaution.” The airline said it was “deeply saddened” by the event. ABC News reported that the person struck was “at least partially consumed” by one of the craft’s engines, leading to a brief fire. Denver International said the person was not believed to have been an onsite worker. “DEN can confirm the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway,” the airport said in a statement. …

Person dies after being ‘hit’ by Frontier Airlines plane during take off at major airport | World | News

Person dies after being ‘hit’ by Frontier Airlines plane during take off at major airport | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A person tragically has died after being hit by a plane that was taking off on the runway at a major international airport. The Frontier Airlines flight reportedly struck the individual who is believed to have been walking on the runway at Denver International Airport on Friday night. The incident happened at around 11.19pm when Frontier Flight 4345 reported striking a person during takeoff, according to a statement from Denver International Airport. There were 231 passengers on board. At least one of them reported a minor injury, and everyone on board is currently being assessed as part of the standard post‑evacuation procedure, reports ABC News. Passengers exited the aircraft on the runway using emergency slides before being transported to the terminals by emergency crews. Air traffic control audio published by ATC.com captured the crew alerting the tower to the situation. In the recording, the pilot says: “Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway… we just hit somebody… we have an engine fire.” When asked for the number of people aboard, the pilot replies, “We …

Flying soon? American Airlines has new portable battery rules – what to know before you go

Flying soon? American Airlines has new portable battery rules – what to know before you go

Published by skeptic

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways American Airlines passengers are limited to two portable chargers.  Portable chargers must be visible or within reach for the flight.  Take care to ensure you follow specific rules and regulations.  American Airlines introduced new restrictions on portable chargers that passengers can bring and use in-flight for charging their electronic devices, as of May 1. The new rule, which is already in effect at the time of publication, stipulates that customers may carry only two power banks, which must be visible to airline staff while in use on flights. If the portable battery is not being used for charging, American Airlines told CBS News that chargers must remain within a passenger’s reach on the aircraft and cannot be stowed in an overhead bin.  Also: High-speed Starlink internet rollout on United Airlines planes begins – and it’s free American is not the first carrier to revise or update its policies. Last June, Southwest Airlines became the first American-based carrier to enact portable power rules after …

Russia halts flights at 13 airports after drones hit air navigation center – POLITICO

Russia halts flights at 13 airports after drones hit air navigation center – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Air traffic at 13 airports in southern Russia has been suspended after drones struck a building at a local air navigation center in Rostov-on-Don, the Russian transport ministry said. The strike led to the suspension of flights to and from airports in Astrakhan, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd, Gelendzhik, Grozny, Krasnodar, Makhachkala, Magas, Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik, Sochi, Stavropol and Elista. In a post on its official Telegram channel, the ministry said: “The regional air traffic control center in Rostov-on-Don, which manages air traffic in southern Russia, has been temporarily adjusted due to the Ukrainian drone strike … personnel are safe, and equipment is being assessed” to determine whether it can be restored. Source link

Trump Pivots on AI Regulation, Worker Ousted by DOGE Runs for Office, and Hantavirus Explained

Trump Pivots on AI Regulation, Worker Ousted by DOGE Runs for Office, and Hantavirus Explained

Published by skeptic

Brian Barrett: This is the first time I’ve thought about contact tracing in many years, and I was so happy not thinking about it for so long, because it is such a complicated process and something that is really hard work to do. Emily, given all of that, what is the level of concern here, given what the World Health Organization has said and other organizations? It sounds like cautious about it, but maybe not freak out time yet, but I defer to you because maybe that’s just me trying to make myself feel better. Emily Mullin: No, I think you’re right. The hantavirus expert I spoke with said there have been past clusters of the Andes strain before, but not big outbreaks. And these clusters have tended to involve prolonged close contact with people suffering from the disease. This is a virus that does not spread nearly as efficiently as other respiratory viruses that we’re used to like Covid or flu, for instance. Hantavirus symptoms are also typically pretty severe. So this is not …