Sun Country Pilots File Notice to Negotiate New Contract

Unionized pilots with ultra-low-cost carrier Sun Country are looking to open contract negotiations, citing a change in the airline’s focus and operations.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, September 02, 2025 at 03:57 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Sun Country Boeing 737-800. (Photo: Shutterstock | lorenzatx)

Unionized pilots with ultra-low-cost carrier Sun Country are looking to open contract negotiations.

In a statement, the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents the pilots, said the leaders of the Sun Country Master Executive Council submitted an official notice to bargain during a meeting last Friday with the airline’s CEO and senior vice president of flight operations.

The pilots’ current contract becomes amendable starting in December.

In a statement released through ALPA, MEC Chair Captain Sam Larson said a new labor agreement is needed because Sun Country has rapidly expanded its freight operations and is generating healthy income.

“Our airline and the industry as a whole have dramatically changed since our last contract was ratified in 2021,” Larson said. “We were coming out of COVID and still predominantly a passenger airline. We need a new agreement that reflects the airline we are now, and raises the standard of our contract in line with improvements secured by other pilot groups.”

Sun Country, which has its headquarters in Minneapolis, began operating cargo flights for Amazon in 2020. The partnership has grown in scope since then, and soon Sun Country will have 20 freighters in service for Amazon Air, alongside its 45 passenger aircraft.

“Management likes to remind us how Sun Country is ‘unique’ in the aviation world because very few airlines have the know-how and capacity to conduct scheduled service, freighter, and charter operations simultaneously,” Larson continued. “We agree – but our current contract doesn’t recognize that uniqueness. We need a contract that is as unique as the flying we do, and working with the company, that is what we plan to achieve.”

ALPA represents over 670 Sun Country pilots.

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.

American Takes Delivery of 1,000th Aircraft

American Airlines received its 1,000th mainline aircraft – a Boeing 787 – at Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport on Aug. 29.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, September 02, 2025 at 01:53 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An American Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner departs London Heathrow (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

American Airlines has added the 1,000th aircraft to its mainline fleet.

The carrier took delivery of the airplane, a Boeing 787-9, at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Friday. The Dreamliner is fitted with American’s recently unveiled Flagship Suites, which are being rolled out on all of American’s new 787-9s.

Airline leaders pointed out that the milestone arrived close to American’s 100th anniversary.

“We are excited to grow our fleet, adding even more aircraft that offer customers a premium travel experience,” said Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, in a statement. “Looking forward to our next 100 years, we are focused on elevating and reimagining the onboard cabin experience along with every aspect of the customer travel journey.”

American has received eight 787-9s fitted with premium seats since April and has 30 on order. The aircraft are used on the carrier’s routes between Chicago and London Heathrow, Chicago and Los Angeles, and Philadelphia and London Heathrow.

Flagship Suites American 787 — Flagship Suites on American’s 787-9P (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ryan Ewing)

American plans to add the 787-9 to its route between Dallas/Fort Worth and London Heathrow, and to select flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Auckland, Brisbane, and Buenos Aires, as well as from Philadelphia to Zurich.

Zach Vasile

Unions Sound Alarm on American’s Performance

A group of labor unions representing workers at American met last week to discuss what they called the carrier’s “trailing financial performance."

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, September 02, 2025 at 12:11 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

American aircraft in Phoenix. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

A group of labor unions representing workers at American Airlines met last week to discuss what they called the carrier’s “trailing financial performance” relative to its major competitors.

The gathering, made public on Friday, focused on American’s operations and “peer-trailing” earnings and the effect of the airline’s management on “employees and other stakeholders,” according to a statement from the participants.

“This landmark union leadership summit reflects our unified commitment to protecting our members, improving working conditions, and securing a more prosperous future for us and for American Airlines while demanding increased management accountability,” they said. “We are committed to maintaining a cohesive, coordinated labor coalition to address the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

The meeting involved officials from the Allied Pilots Association, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the Communications Workers of America-International Brotherhood of Teamsters Association, the Professional Airline Flight Control Association, the Transport Workers Union of America’s Air Division, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

An American Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The unions said they discussed joint proposals for operational and service improvements that would better protect workers and benefit American overall. They also called for more transparency and accountability from management.

The group is expected to reconvene at the APA’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 23.

American did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AirlineGeeks.

Behind The Pack?

Analysts have faulted American for failing to invest in its premium product at the same level as other legacy carriers. High-end travel has proven profitable and resistant to a slump in overall travel demand over the last year, and United and Delta are better positioned to attract those high-spending customers.

These factors have fed the perception that United and Delta are increasingly pulling away from competitors like American and Southwest, a view United CEO Scott Kirby endorsed earlier this summer.

“One thing that’s becoming even more clear… is the strength of the two brand loyal airlines really winning and everyone else losing,” Kirby said on an earnings call in July.

American recently posted results for a strong second quarter, with record revenue of $14.4 billion, although its total net income continued to trail behind United and Delta.

Zach Vasile

‘Unexpected’ Lease Dispute Pushes Spirit Into Bankruptcy

In a court filing, the airline says it had 'no choice' after its largest lessor terminated leases on 36 future aircraft and declared default on 37 more.

Ryan Ewing

Tuesday, September 02, 2025 at 11:32 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Spirit Airbus A321neo aircraft. (Photo: Shutterstock | Kevin Hackert)

Spirit’s recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing was directly triggered by an “unexpected” lease termination and default notice from AerCap, the world’s largest aircraft lessor, according to a declaration filed with the court.

The notice, which affects a total of 73 current and future aircraft, left the airline with “no choice but to quickly seek the protections of chapter 11.”

In the declaration, Fred Cromer, Spirit’s chief financial officer, detailed the events of Monday, Aug. 25. On that day, with no prior warning, AerCap sent two critical notices to the airline. The first terminated lease agreements for 36 Airbus A320neo family aircraft that were scheduled for delivery to Spirit in 2027 and 2028.

A second notice claimed events of default on leases for 37 aircraft that are already part of Spirit’s operational fleet, representing roughly a quarter of the ultra-low-cost carrier’s total fleet.

“Spirit disagrees that any termination right or event of default existed under any of these leases, and disputes the validity of the notices,” Cromer stated in the sworn declaration. He asserted that the airline was in full compliance with its obligations and that no payments were overdue.

The filing describes AerCap’s claims as “extraordinary” and alleges they were made without supporting evidence.

Immediate Catalyst

The carrier was required to disclose the notices in a public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday. According to Cromer, this public disclosure created a significant risk, as the airline became “concerned that the disclosure of these purported default notices by its biggest lessor could prompt other actions from other counterparties, including other aircraft lessors.” This concern was the immediate catalyst for the bankruptcy filing.

The airline has stated that it remains in negotiations with AerCap to seek a “holistic consensual resolution.”

A Spirit Airlines A320 landing in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

However, the court documents make it clear that Spirit is preparing for a legal battle if discussions fail, stating it “stands ready to litigate the validity of the notices and damages that Spirit has suffered as a result of AerCap’s actions.”

Spirit filed for bankruptcy on Friday, the carrier’s second Chapter 11 filing in less than a year.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

Boeing Names Buyer Behind July 737 MAX Order

Boeing revealed Tuesday that a previously unidentified order for 30 737 MAX aircraft was placed by aviation leasing company Macquarie AirFinance.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, September 02, 2025 at 10:30 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 undergoing testing at Boeing's facility in Washington. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Boeing revealed Tuesday that a previously unidentified order for 30 737 MAX aircraft was placed by aviation leasing company Macquarie AirFinance.

The Dublin-based firm agreed to buy 30 737 MAX 8 jets in July to meet growing demand. Boeing did not initially name the company on its orders and deliveries website.

Macquarie officials said they are investing in the 737 MAX because of its fuel efficiency and reliability. The recent order will grow the lessor’s 737 MAX portfolio to 70 aircraft in total.

“Macquarie AirFinance’s expanded commitment to the 737 MAX is a testament to the value of this airplane among the leasing community and our airline customers,” said Brad McMullen, Boeing’s senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing, in a statement. “Lessors remain an important partner to Boeing and global carriers in providing financial solutions that expand single-aisle fleets.”

According to Boeing, lessors now account for nearly one-quarter of the total order book for the 737 MAX family.

Macquarie owns a portfolio of 227 aircraft leased to 84 airlines. Its customers include United, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Canada, WestJet, Air France, and British Airways, among others.

The company said it has ordered a total of 105 new next-generation narrowbody jets from Boeing and Airbus.

Zach Vasile

Alaska/Hawaiian Adding Largest Dreamliner Variant

Alaska Air Group – the parent company of Alaska and Hawaiian – is planning to diversify its order book with larger widebody aircraft.

Ryan Ewing

Tuesday, September 02, 2025 at 09:51 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Boeing 787-10 in North Charleston (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Chuyi Chuang)

Alaska Air Group – the parent company of Alaska and Hawaiian – is planning to diversify its order book with larger widebody aircraft.

According to an Aug. 18 report by financial news site Seeking Alpha, the company will add Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners to its fleet, the aircraft type’s largest variant. These jets were converted from Hawaiian’s previous 787-9 order.

Five 787-9s will be converted to 787-10s, the outlet reported. On Friday, an airline spokesperson confirmed the addition of 787-10s.

AirlineGeeks validated this report using fleet data from Cirium, which shows that Alaska has four 787-10s on order. In addition, the airline has seven 787-9s on order, along with five more options.

Betting on the 787

Since its acquisition of Hawaiian, Alaska continues to bet on the 787 for long-haul flights from its Seattle hub. Hawaiian ordered the Dreamliner before the merger in 2018.

The carrier recently exercised more options for the 787, and will also open a pilot base for the aircraft type in Seattle early next year.

Alaska 787-9 livery — Alaska’s new 787-9 livery (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

The 787s will be branded as Alaska, shifting them away from Hawaiian’s operation.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. ET to add confirmation from an Alaska spokesperson.

Ryan Ewing

WestJet Signs Interline Deal With Copa Airlines

It has numerous interline partners, including United, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Canadian North, PAL Airlines, and British Airways.

Zach Vasile

Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A WestJet Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Canadian airline WestJet has signed an interline agreement with Panamanian flag carrier Copa Airlines.

In a statement, WestJet said passengers will be able to book connections on Copa flights from Panama City – which WestJet will soon serve from Calgary – to 37 destinations in Central and South America. Similarly, Copa passengers traveling north will gain access to WestJet’s North American network.

WestJet will fly nonstop between Calgary and Panama four times per week starting Dec. 13.

“Building on the announcement of our new direct service from Calgary to Panama City, this new interline partnership agreement will increase access to destinations across Central and South America for Canadian travelers,” said John Weatherill, WestJet’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “We remain focused on connecting guests to the world’s most popular sun and leisure destinations this winter, while also meeting the needs of business travelers by continuing to provide convenient access to some of South America’s largest markets.”

From Panama City, Copa serves destinations in Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay, among other countries.

WestJet primarily flies within North America and the Caribbean, though it also offers long-haul flights to Europe. It has numerous interline partners, including United, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Canadian North, PAL Airlines, and British Airways.

Zach Vasile

RwandAir Strengthens Fleet With Additional Boeing 737 Aircraft

RwandAir, the flag carrier of Rwanda, has received two additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which it said will help expand its service network.

Lorne Philipot

Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

RwandAir Boeing 737 taxiing (Photo: Shutterstock | Thiago B Trevisan)

Rwanda’s national carrier, RwandAir, has received two additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The 737s, configured with 12 Business Class seats and 162 Economy Class seats, will primarily operate short- and medium-haul services. One of the airplanes has already entered service, while the other is expected to do so in the near future.

RwandAir is also expected to take delivery of a widebody Airbus A330-200 later this year.

Airline officials said the investment in additional aircraft will help the carrier grow its intra-Africa and international networks, while also improving reliability.

Earlier this month, RwandAir announced it will start new services to Mombasa, Kenya, and Zanzibar in Tanzania in December.

Disrupted Operations

In recent months, RwandAir has experienced a number of unexpected technical disruptions across its fleet. These issues temporarily reduced the number of aircraft available for operations and impacted the airline’s flight schedule.

But the situation is improving, and the affected aircraft have been returned to service, officials said.

“RwandAir is pleased to have resolved the challenges to our schedules over the last weeks, and to welcome our aircraft back into operation,” RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo said in a press release. “We would like to sincerely apologise to all of our customers whose travel plans were disrupted during this period, and thank them for their patience while we worked on service disruptions. Together with the arrival of new aircraft, the strengthened fleet will enable RwandAir to improve reliability, strengthen our schedules, and deliver an even better travel experience to all our passengers.”

Lorne Philipot

Lorne is a South Africa-based aviation journalist. He was captivated and fascinated by flying from the day he took his first airline flight. With a passion for aviation in his blood, he has flown to destinations in all corners of the globe. Lorne has traveled extensively and lived in various countries. Drawing on his travels and passion for aviation, Lorne enjoys writing about airlines, routes, networks, and new developments.

Southwest Rolls Out Secondary Cockpit Doors

Southwest flew its first passenger aircraft with secondary cockpit doors, a safety feature the FAA will require on all new commercial aircraft by August 2026.

Zach Vasile

Friday, August 29, 2025 at 05:32 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Southwest on Friday flew its first passenger aircraft with secondary cockpit doors, a safety feature the FAA will require on all new commercial aircraft by August 2026.

The airline confirmed that the airplane, a recently delivered Boeing 737 MAX 8, entered revenue service with a flight from Phoenix to Denver on Friday afternoon.

All new aircraft delivered to Southwest will come with the feature already installed, the carrier said. The airline is not retrofitting its current aircraft with the devices because, under the FAA’s rules, retrofitting is not required, and because a retrofit option has not yet been certified by regulators.

Southwest is among the first U.S. airlines to install secondary cockpit doors, which were first proposed in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The FAA initially gave the carriers under its jurisdiction until August 2025 to install the barriers, but trade group Airlines for America lobbied for a delay due to certification holdups, and because flight crews had not been trained on how to use the doors.

Secondary cockpit barrier — Southwest’s first installed secondary flight deck barrier. (Photo: Southwest)

A4A asked to push the deadline back by two years, and the FAA ultimately settled on a one-year extension.

Southwest said it moved to put in the doors now rather than wait because it wants to be proactive about the safety of passengers and crew.

The timeline for installing secondary cockpit doors has been a contentious issue for airlines and for pilot unions, who have long supported the safety measure. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents about 80,000 pilots in the U.S. and Canada, criticized Airlines for America for asking for a delay, and slammed the FAA for agreeing to one.

Zach Vasile

Spirit Files for Bankruptcy Again

Spirit said Friday that it has filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York as part of a restructuring plan.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, August 29, 2025 at 04:27 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Spirit Airbus A321 (Photo: Shutterstock | Ron Adar)

Spirit announced Friday that it has again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York as part of a broad restructuring plan.

The ultra-low-cost carrier’s latest bankruptcy filing comes just seven months after it emerged from its previous Chapter 11 restructuring effort in February.

The South Florida-based carrier said the move will give it the tools and flexibility needed to “implement the broad changes necessary to transition the Company for a sustainable future,” according to a news release. Spirit emphasized that flights will continue as scheduled and that customers can still book tickets and use credits and loyalty points during the restructuring process.

Dave Davis, Spirit’s President and CEO, said the decision followed months of discussions with lessors, creditors, and other stakeholders as the airline worked to chart a long-term path forward. “After thoroughly evaluating our options and considering recent events and the market pressures facing our industry, our Board of Directors decided that a court-supervised process is the best path forward,” Davis said.

As part of the restructuring, the ultra-low-cost carrier plans to redesign its route network to focus more heavily on key markets, optimize its fleet size, and pursue further cost efficiencies, it said.

Spirit’s stock is expected to be delisted from the NYSE American exchange as a result of the filing, with shares continuing to trade over-the-counter during the proceedings. The company cautioned that shares are likely to be cancelled and have no value when the restructuring is complete.

The Chapter 11 filing marks Spirit’s second restructuring in recent years. The company previously emerged from a process focused on reducing debt and raising equity capital.

Ryan Ewing