Asiana to Leave Star Alliance

The Seoul-based carrier has been a member since 2003.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 10:19 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Airbus A380 at the gate in Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

South Korea’s Asiana Airlines will exit Star Alliance later this year, the organization announced Tuesday.

Asiana, which is headquartered in Seoul, has been a member of Star Alliance since 2003, but that run will end just before midnight on Dec. 16, officials said. That date coincides with the expected completion of Asiana’s merger with Korean Airlines, which has been in the works since 2020. Korean is a founding member of rival alliance SkyTeam.

Customers enrolled in any Star Alliance member carriers’ frequent flyer program can continue to earn miles on Asiana flights through Oct. 15. Travelers can also continue to redeem miles for Star Alliance award tickets and upgrades on Asiana flights on or before Dec. 16.

Benefits such as priority services will remain available for Star Alliance Gold and Silver status customers when traveling on Asiana until Dec. 16.

Asiana serves destinations across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America from its hub at Incheon International Airport near Seoul. It currently flies to five U.S. cities – Los Angeles, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Seattle, and Honolulu.

Star Alliance noted that several member airlines will continue to serve Incheon International Airport, including United, Air Canada, Air India, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

French Bee Adds Two New Indian Ocean Island Destinations

Flights will start in December.

Joey Gerardi

Monday, June 22, 2026 at 06:35 PM ET

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Zach Vasile

A French Bee A350-900XWB. (Photo: French Bee)

French low-cost carrier French Bee has announced two new South Asian destinations, both of which are islands located in the Indian Ocean.

The routes will bring more options for leisure travel not only to French travelers, but also to those in North America, as passengers coming from the airlines’ destinations in the U.S. and even faraway Tahiti can easily connect to these new flights.

Beginning in December, the airline will fly from Paris Orly to both Malé in the Maldives and Colombo in Sri Lanka. The flights will operate twice per week from Dec. 19 until the end of the winter flight season in May 2027.

Both connections will use Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

The routes to Malé and Colombo will operate in a triangle tag route fashion, with the flight first stopping in Malé and then continuing on to Colombo before heading back to Paris Orly, picking up and dropping off passengers at each stop along the way. However, French Bee does not have fifth freedom rights, so it does not sell tickets on the Malé-to-Colombo portion on its own; the journey must be paired with the Paris flights on at least one end of the ticket.

The only exception to these twice-weekly flights will be between January 2027 and March 2027, when Colombo will receive an additional third flight by itself, which will be a nonstop to and from Paris-Orly, without the intermediate stop in Malé.

“The launch of this route aligns perfectly with our growth strategy,” CEO Marc-Antoine Blondeau said in a news release. “It allows us to capture a high-potential market that remains underserved by direct flights from France. By combining two highly complementary traveler profiles, we are tapping into both the beach-resort tourism of the Maldives and the booming cultural, nature, and wellness tourism in Sri Lanka.”

Tickets are now available for purchase.

Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself, the first thing he did with his driver's license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2022 with a B.S. in Aviation Management & Operations and a Minor in Business, and currently works for a major airline in his hometown.

United Reaches New Milestone in Starlink Rollout

The carrier is expanding the technology to its international widebody fleet.

Zach Vasile

Monday, June 22, 2026 at 04:12 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A United 777-200 in San Francisco. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ben Suskind)

United will check off another box in its ongoing Starlink rollout Monday evening when its first widebody flight equipped with the technology departs the U.S. East Coast.

Passengers on board Flight 14, from Newark, New Jersey, to London, will be able to connect to Starlink-enabled wireless internet, which is made available through a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites. The flight is operated with a Boeing 777.

United said last year that it would prioritize Starlink hookups on 777 routes from hubs such as Newark, Washington, D.C., Houston, and San Francisco to destinations including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Tokyo.

Starlink WiFi is free for MileagePlus members.

United plans to install Starlink antennas on up to 60 widebody aircraft by the end of the year. The entire widebody fleet should be connected by next summer, officials said.

“United is changing what it means to stay connected on an overseas flight,” David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, said in a news release. “Starlink offers the same fast, reliable internet access and connectivity we’re all used to at home, delivered in the air at 35,000 feet, flying anywhere around the world. This technology has the potential to transform how we think about the inflight experience for both our customers and our employees.”

United began installing Starlink on its regional aircraft in 2025. As of this week, about 400 United aircraft are equipped with the technology.

Zach Vasile

EasyJet Rejects Castlelake Takeover Offer

The investment firm has until the end of this week to secure a deal.

Zach Vasile

Monday, June 22, 2026 at 11:20 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An easyJet Airbus A320 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

British budget carrier EasyJet has rejected a roughly $6.2 billion buyout offer from U.S. investment firm Castlelake.

EasyJet’s board of directors voted unanimously against Castlelake’s bid on Monday and reiterated their earlier criticism that the company is being “opportunistic” in attempting to leverage the weakened European air travel market for its own benefit.

Castlelake, which is headquartered in Minnesota, made the details of its latest offer public in a direct appeal to EasyJet’s investors. It said it made two prior offers for the airline, which were also rejected.

The firm’s latest bid translated to about £4.7 billion, or £6.25 per share. According to EasyJet, the proposal would have given Castlelake a 49% stake in the carrier, with the remaining 51% held by “EU nationals and potentially other investors which have not been disclosed.”

The split would be needed to comply with rules requiring the airline to remain majority owned by Europeans. According to Reuters, the other investors include former Malaysia Airlines CEO Peter Bellew, an Irish national.

Castlelake announced its interest in EasyJet earlier this month, but the airline has been reluctant to engage beyond reviewing and turning down its offers. The carrier maintains that Castlake is attempting to make a deal “on the cheap” with bids based on its current share price, which has been undermined by the war in Iran and the continuing oil shock. In reality, EasyJet is in a much better position than its share price implies, officials said, with a strong medium-term outlook and healthy balance sheet and capital structure.

easyJet aircraft — An EasyJet A319 in Munich. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

Under U.K. business regulations, Castlelake has until Friday to reach a deal with EasyJet.

Castlelake entered the aviation sector last year with the launch of a dedicated lending entity, Merit AirFinance. In January, the firm reportedly entered talks with Spirit for a potential sale. A deal never materialized, and Spirit went out of business in May.

Zach Vasile

Delta Adds New Route, Flight

Service will start in October.

Zach Vasile

Monday, June 22, 2026 at 10:10 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Delta Airbus A319. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Delta is expanding service at a destination in central Texas.

Starting Oct. 6, the carrier will connect Austin, Texas, with San Jose, California. The new route will add flexibility for passengers traveling between the South and the West Coast, airline officials said.

Delta already serves the Bay Area from Austin via San Francisco.

The carrier also said it will add a third daily frequency between Austin and Orlando, Florida. Delta links Austin to several destinations in Florida, including Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville.

Both flights will operate using Airbus A319 aircraft.

Austin is a “focus city” for Delta, and the airline has greatly expanded operations and service there in recent years.

Zach Vasile

Qantas Gives First Look Inside Its A350-1000ULR

The aircraft is expected to enter service next year.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 01:55 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A rendering of seats on Qantas' new A350-1000ULR. (Credit: Qantas)

Qantas is adding amenities and a wellness center to keep passengers comfortable and healthy on its new Airbus A350-1000ULR, an aircraft that will fly for up to 22 continuous hours as it links the east coast of Australia to destinations in North America and Europe.

The carrier on Thursday detailed for the first time the cabin layout for the -1000ULR and shared renderings of what the interior will look like when it enters commercial service next year.

Notably, the airplane will have only 238 passenger seats, the lowest seat density of any A350 variant. There will be six premium First suites in a 1-1-1 configuration, 52 business-class suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, 40 premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration, and 140 economy seats configured 3-3-3.

A rendering of an enclosed First suite on Qantas’ A350-1000ULR. (Credit: Qantas)

First suites come with an 80-inch flat bed, a separate reclining armchair, work and dining space for one or two people, a full-length wardrobe, multiple storage areas, and lighting synced to customers’ circadian rhythm.

Business suites also include an 80-inch flat bed, as well as a dining table and work surface.

Other amenities, including multi-layered memory foam seat cushions, ergonomic lighting, wireless internet service, and entertainment systems, are being made available across all cabins.

Loaded on each seatback screen is a “journey planner,” which shows when meals are served and when the cabin dims for rest. Qantas said the tool will help passengers arrange their time on ultra-long-haul flights.

A rendering of a business suite on Qantas’ A350-1000ULR. (Credit: Qantas)

A “Wellbeing Zone,” set up between the premium economy and economy cabins, will feature sculpted wall panels and mounted stretch handles for exercise, plus screens for a “guided movement program” and a “hydration station.” The space will be the first on any airline dedicated solely to passenger wellbeing, officials said.

The airline did not say how large the Wellbeing Zone will be, or how many passengers will be able to use it at one time.

The A350-1000ULR is being built custom for Qantas as part of “Project Sunrise,” the carrier’s yearslong plan to serve destinations such as London and New York nonstop from Australia’s east coast. The first two -1000ULRs are currently undergoing testing in France.

Earlier this week, Qantas announced that London will be the first Project Sunrise destination, with flights from Sydney starting in October 2027.

Zach Vasile

Report: U.S. House to Hold Hearing on Airline Competition

The head of Airlines For America is expected to testify.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 11:38 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

U.S. Capitol. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee overseeing antitrust matters will hold a hearing next week on competition in the U.S. airline industry, according to a report from Reuters.

The hearing, scheduled for June 24, is titled “The 30,000 Foot View: Competition and Regulation in the U.S. Airline Industry,” the outlet reported Wednesday. Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines For America, the largest airline trade group in the country, is expected to testify.

It was not immediately clear when the hearing was announced or how Reuters found out about it. The official online calendar for the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust does not currently show any hearings scheduled for June 24.

It was also not clear what prompted the hearing, though airlines have been in the news recently as fares and baggage fees climb. Carriers around the world are scrambling to stay ahead of volatile jet fuel prices, which effectively doubled this spring after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.

Higher fuel prices ultimately triggered the collapse of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit, which had been on track to emerge from bankruptcy. The airline went out of business on May 2.

The Biden administration in 2024 announced a broad investigation of competition in U.S. air travel, with a focus on price inflation and alleged “junk fees.” The inquiry was assigned to the Justice Department and the Transportation Department, but close to two years later, neither agency has commented on the probe or produced any findings. It is possible that the investigation was quietly canceled with the change in administrations in January 2025.

Zach Vasile

Horizon Air Flight Attendants Vote to Authorize Strike

The AFA-CWA cited “seriously delayed bargaining” and “outrageously low economic proposals” from the airline’s management.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 09:45 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Alaska E175 operated by Horizon Air. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Flight attendants at Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air took the first step toward a potential work stoppage this week as frustration over contract negotiations comes to a head.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA announced Tuesday that its Horizon chapter, which includes 650 workers, voted by 99.8% to authorize a strike.

Union officials said the vote was an answer to “seriously delayed bargaining” and “outrageously low economic proposals” from Horizon management. The flight attendants are seeking pay increases, better benefits, increased pay for time at work, including while boarding aircraft, and work rule improvements, according to AFA-CWA.

The vote does not necessarily mean that Horizon flight attendants will walk off the job, only that they could in the future. The union said its right to strike is triggered when the National Mediation Board declares negotiations are deadlocked, and both parties are released into a 30-day “cooling off” period.

The flight attendants filed for federal mediation in January 2025.

“Our 99.8% vote shows Horizon and Alaska management that we will do whatever it takes to get the contract we have earned,” Lisa Davis Warren, president of the Horizon chapter of AFA-CWA, said in a statement. “We have dedicated our lives to Horizon and the communities that we serve. We are simply asking for the pay, benefits, and improvements we have earned.”

If a strike is declared, AFA-CWA would use a rolling strategy that could affect a single flight, several flights, or the entire Horizon Air network, officials said. Management and passengers would not be notified ahead of time.

Alaska Air Group told The Seattle Times on Tuesday that a strike authorization is a common step in contract negotiations and will not immediately impact operations. The company also said it is confident it will reach an agreement with AFA-CWA.

Alaska Air Group also owns Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

Zach Vasile

U.S. Airlines Lost Close to $1B in First Quarter

Carriers were stung by higher fuel prices stemming from the war in Iran.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 04:05 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

American and Delta aircraft in Los Angeles. (Photo: Shutterstock)

U.S. airlines lost $966 million in the first quarter of 2026, a sharp reversal from robust gains through most of last year.

The figure was released Tuesday in a report from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which collected data from all 22 scheduled passenger carriers in the country. The bureau is required to publish information on airline income on a quarterly basis by the Office of Management and Budget.

For comparison, U.S. airlines lost around $200 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net income surged to $4 billion in the second quarter of that year, with a more modest $1.6 billion posted in Q3 and $600 million reported in Q4.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics did not explicitly link the loss to any single factor or factors, though spending on fuel increased during the quarter as fighting in the Middle East effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz and damaged oil infrastructure in several countries.

Second-quarter statistics will likely reflect even greater fuel expenses in the April-June period.

The report noted that earnings from fares as a percentage of total income dipped slightly, while baggage fees made up some of the ground.

The 17 U.S. airlines that fly internationally posted an after-tax net loss of $435 million in the first quarter.

Zach Vasile

Riyadh Air Approved to Operate in U.S.

The start-up carrier applied for a foreign air carrier permit and exemption authority in May.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 01:55 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Riyadh Air’s first two 787 Dreamliners arrive in Riyadh. (Photo: Riyadh Air)

The Department of Transportation has signed off on Riyadh Air’s request to start flights to and from the U.S.

In a decision issued Tuesday, the department said additional air service from Saudi Arabia is “consistent with the public interest.” It also found that Riyadh Air is financially and operationally capable of supporting new connections.

The carrier has not said which destinations in the U.S. it will look to serve, and the DOT’s ruling did not provide any clues.

Riyadh Air launched its first regularly scheduled, fully public commercial route, between Riyadh and London Heathrow, earlier this month. Another five destinations have been added to the carrier’s schedule – Manchester, Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – but so far none in North America.

All six routes will operate with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Riyadh Air has said it will add over 100 destinations by 2030.

Saudi Arabia’s older flag carrier, Saudia, currently serves New York-JFK, Washington Dulles, and Los Angeles, as well as Toronto in Canada.

Zach Vasile