Gulf Air Signs Deal for More 787s

The airline said Thursday that the acquisition will support plans for more long-haul routes to the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 06:48 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Gulf Air Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Gulf Air, the flag carrier of Bahrain, announced Thursday that it will purchase 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with options for six more.

The airline said the acquisition will support plans for more long-haul routes to the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

“This agreement marks a transformative step in Gulf Air’s strategic growth journey as we expand our global footprint and modernize our fleet with one of the industry’s most advanced and efficient aircraft,” said Khalid Taqi, chairman of Gulf Air Group. “The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has proven to be an exceptional aircraft for our long-haul operations, and this new order reflects our confidence in its performance, passenger appeal, and contribution to our sustainability goals.”

The deal was announced during a meeting in Washington, D.C., involving Taqi, Bahrain’s Finance Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope.

Gulf Air already has 10 787s in service, supporting flights to over 50 destinations worldwide.

The carrier recently announced that it is restarting service to New York City for the first time in 28 years. Starting on Oct. 1, Gulf Air will operate three flights per week between Bahrain International Airport and New York-JFK.

The airline currently does not fly to any destinations in the U.S. or North America more broadly.

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.

Spirit Adds New Airport to Route Network

Starting Oct. 16, Spirit will offer twice weekly nonstop flights between Middle Georgia Regional Airport and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 03:03 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Spirit A320 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Spirit is expanding operations to a central Georgia airport mainly used for general aviation.

Starting Oct. 16, the low-cost carrier will offer twice weekly nonstop flights between Middle Georgia Regional Airport near Macon and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The service will be run as a partnership with Tennessee-based Contour Airlines, the one commercial airline that currently serves Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

“We look forward to offering travelers in Middle Georgia new nonstop flights and affordable fares to our FLL gateway, expanding their travel options to the Sunshine State and other destinations,” said John Kirby, vice president of network planning at Spirit. “We’re grateful to Contour for their partnership and collaboration as we work to create exciting new connections between communities across our networks.”

The new route will also give passengers from central Georgia greater access to connecting flights to destinations across the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America, Spirit officials added.

Contour, which mainly operates in the Midwest, South, and West, currently flies between Middle Georgia Regional Airport and Washington Dulles. It previously offered service to Baltimore.

A Contour Embraer jet (Photo: Denver International Airport)

Middle Georgia Regional Airport will become Spirit’s third destination in Georgia. The airline has served Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport since 2006 and will launch service to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on Aug. 14.

Zach Vasile

Hawaiian Announces Layoffs as Alaska Integration Continues

Alaska Air Group, which is also the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, is making steady progress in integrating Hawaiian’s operations.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 11:55 AM ET

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Zach Vasile

A Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Hawaiian Airlines plans to lay off over 250 workers in the coming months.

A representative for Hawaiian confirmed to AirlineGeeks that 252 Hawaii-based non-union employees will be cut.

According to a report from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, workers will be let go around Sept. 18 – the one-year anniversary of Alaska Air Group’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian – while others will stay on until after the FAA grants a single operating certificate to the combined companies.

Hawaiian’s union positions will not be affected by the reductions. The airline said its unionized workforce actually grew, from about 5,000 to over 5,600, since the Alaska acquisition closed.

The affected workers have known for some time that their jobs, which Hawaiian described as interim roles, were ending.

“These employees have been aware of this milestone and have done meaningful work to integrate our airlines in the first year of our combination, helping us deliver greater value to our guests,” the carrier said in a statement. “We are supporting everyone through their career transition with both a retention bonus and a severance package, and individualized job placement services. We are also encouraging employees to apply for available jobs at Alaska or Hawaiian.”

Alaska Air Group, which is also the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, is making steady progress in integrating Hawaiian’s operations. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Transportation cleared the company to take over Hawaiian’s long-haul international routes.

An Alaska Airlines 737-800. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Alaska Air Group has said it plans to maintain Hawaiian as a distinct brand to capitalize on the carrier’s reputation and brand loyalty.

Zach Vasile

Breeze Adds Five New Cities

With the additions, Breeze’s network will span more than 300 routes across 76 cities in 34 states, the carrier said on Thursday.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 11:21 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Breeze A220 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Breeze announced Thursday it will launch flights to five new West Coast cities beginning in March 2026. The expansion includes new service to Burbank and Arcata in California, Eugene and Redmond in Oregon, and Pasco/Tri-Cities in Washington.

With the additions, Breeze’s network will span more than 300 routes across 76 cities in 34 states, the carrier said.

The new flights include a mix of nonstop, “BreezeThru” (one-stop, no aircraft change), and connecting service, primarily routed through Provo-Salt Lake City, Utah.

“With an expanded West Coast presence that connects travelers to our broader nationwide network, Breeze’s service will bring even more options and convenience to these underserved communities,” said David Neeleman, Breeze Airways’ founder and CEO, in a news release.

From Arcata-Eureka:

Burbank – Three times weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 12, 2026
Provo, Utah – Three times weekly BreezeThru (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 12, 2026

From Burbank:

Arcata-Eureka – Three times weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 12, 2026
Eugene – Twice weekly (Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 19, 2026
Pasco-Tri-Cities – Twice weekly (Wednesdays, Saturdays), beginning March 18, 2026
Provo – Five times weekly (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays), beginning March 11, 2026
Redmond – Twice weekly (Mondays, Fridays), beginning March 13, 2026

A Breeze A220 aircraft. (Photo: Breeze Airways)

From Eugene:

Burbank – Twice weekly (Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 19, 2026
Provo – Twice weekly BreezeThru (Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 19, 2026

From Las Vegas:

Provo – Twice weekly (Mondays, Fridays), returning March 13, 2026
Redmond – Twice weekly (Mondays, Fridays), beginning March 13, 2026

From Pasco-Tri-Cities:

Burbank – Twice weekly (Wednesdays, Saturdays), beginning March 18, 2026
Provo – Twice weekly BreezeThru (Wednesdays, Saturdays), beginning March 18, 2026

From Provo:

Arcata-Eureka – Three times weekly BreezeThru (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 12, 2026
Burbank – Five times weekly (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays), beginning March 11, 2026
Eugene – Twice weekly BreezeThru (Thursdays, Sundays), beginning March 19, 2026
Las Vegas – Twice weekly (Mondays, Fridays), returning March 13, 2026
Pasco-Tri-Cities – Twice weekly BreezeThru (Wednesdays, Saturdays), beginning March 18, 2026
Redmond-Bend – Twice weekly BreezeThru (Mondays, Fridays), beginning March 13, 2026

From Redmond:

Burbank – Twice weekly (Mondays, Fridays), beginning March 13, 2026
Las Vegas – Twice weekly (Mondays, Fridays), beginning March 13, 2026
Provo – Twice weekly BreezeThru (Mondays, Fridays), beginning March 13, 2026

The airline operates a mix of Airbus A220-300 and Embraer aircraft and has continued to emphasize service in secondary markets. Its latest network shake-up comes after low-cost rival Avelo plans to axe its West Coast network later this 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.

Israeli Airline Cleared to Fly to New York

Low-cost carrier Israir is set to become the third Israeli airline to offer nonstop service between Tel Aviv and New York City.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 10:17 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Israir Airbus A320 registered as 4X-ABG seen landing at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | Ronen Fefer)

Low-cost carrier Israir is set to become the third Israeli airline to offer nonstop service between Tel Aviv and New York City.

According to a report from The Times of Israel, the Israeli Transportation Ministry recently granted Israir a license to operate long-haul flights from Ben Gurion International Airport to New York, though it was not clear which airport the carrier will serve in the area.

Israir previously stated that it wanted to launch service between Tel Aviv and New York in the spring of 2026, in time for Passover, with as many as six flights per week.

“This is an important step to strengthen competition, lower prices, improve service, and expand options for the public,” Transportation Minister Miri Regev told The Times. “The air route between Israel and the U.S. will be growing stronger, with five airlines operating between the countries: three Israeli and two American.”

Currently, two Israeli airlines, El Al and Arkia, offer nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and New York.

Major American airlines have paused and restarted service to Israel several times over the past two years due to fighting in the region, most recently due to the air war between Israel and Iran. United will be the first of that group to return to Israel, with service between Newark and Tel Aviv scheduled to resume on July 21.

Delta has paused flights between New York JFK and Tel Aviv until at least Aug. 31. American has not flown to Israel since October 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a massive cross-border raid into the country, setting off the war in Gaza.

Zach Vasile

Delta Expanding Use of AI to Set Ticket Prices

Delta President Glen Hauenstein told analysts that the carrier wants to ramp up deployment of artificial intelligence tools to price tickets.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 04:47 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

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

After some early testing, Delta is looking to ramp up the deployment of artificial intelligence tools to set online ticket prices.

During a July 10 earnings call, Delta President Glen Hauenstein said the airline is continuing to work with Israeli technology firm Fetcherr to leverage “AI-enhanced pricing solutions.” The results so far have been promising, Hauenstein added, and the near-term plan is to have AI guiding ticket prices for one-fifth of all domestic flights.

“Today, we’re about 3% of domestic,” he said. “Our goal is to have about 20% by the end of the year. And that’s a goal. I mean, we can report back on what the actual numbers are, but you have to train these models as you might expect and you have to give it multiple opportunities to provide different results.”

“So, we’re in a heavy testing phase,” he continued. “We like what we see. We like it a lot and we’re continuing to roll it out. But we’re going to take our time and make sure that the rollout is successful, as opposed to trying to rush it and risk that there are unwanted answers in there. So, the more data it has and the more cases we give it, the more it learns.”

Delta is the first U.S. airline to publicly disclose that it is using AI for dynamic pricing. It made the announcement at its Investor Day in November, when about 1% of the carrier’s network was being priced by Fetcherr tools.

“We’ve started this and I’d say what we have today with AI is we have a super analyst,” Hauenstein said at the time. “We have an analyst that’s working 24/7, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And trying to simulate, given the same inputs that an analyst sees today, real-time, what should the price points be. And that output is different than what we have in the market. And so we’re letting the machine tell us, actually, go ahead and price in a very controlled environment.”

The use of AI to set prices would mean that customers shopping for airline tickets would not see a universal rate but a price the model determines they will likely accept. While differentiated pricing is allowed under federal law, it has still attracted criticism from some consumer protection advocates and elected officials.

“This isn’t fair pricing or competitive pricing,” Senator Ruben Gallego wrote on X on Tuesday. “It’s predatory pricing.”

Delta officials have said the implementation of AI-informed pricing will be a “multi-year, multi-step process,” with controls in place to protect the customer experience.

Zach Vasile

Air Arabia Adding More A320 Aircraft

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between Etihad and Air Arabia, has purchased two A320s and plans to add two more by the end of this year.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 04:21 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Air Arabia Airbus A321neo (Photo: Air Arabia)

An Emirati low-cost carrier is expanding its fleet with the acquisition of Airbus A320s.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, a joint venture between Etihad and Air Arabia, has purchased two A320s and plans to add two more by the end of this year. When completed, the acquisition will have increased the airline’s capacity by 40%, officials said.

“The addition of new aircraft and our strategic fleet expansion reflect our ongoing commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and expanding our network reach,” said Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali. “This growth supports the rising demand for air travel to and from Abu Dhabi. The planned capacity increase in 2025 will further contribute to the capital’s broader economic and tourism vision while continuing to offer value-driven air travel to our customers.”

News of the airline’s fleet expansion came only days after its low-cost competitor, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, announced it would cease operations in September. The carrier’s parent company, Hungarian Wizz Air, said its business model was running up against significant hurdles in the Middle East, including regulatory issues, “geopolitical volatility,” and engine reliability constraints, which were made worse by the Gulf region’s extremely hot and harsh weather conditions.

Both Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi are based at Zayed International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, and they currently compete on routes to destinations like Alexandria, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; and Salalah, Oman.

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi recently added nonstop flights to Yerevan, Armenia; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Sialkot, Pakistan. It now serves over 30 destinations in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

Zach Vasile

Gulf Air To Resume Service to U.S.

The airline is owned by the government of Bahrain through the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Gulf Air Boeing 787-9 in a retro livery. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Gulf Air, the flag carrier of Bahrain, is launching new nonstop service to New York City.

Starting on Oct. 1, the carrier will operate three flights per week between Bahrain International Airport and New York-JFK. The connection will be Gulf Air’s first to New York since 1997. The airline currently does not fly to any destinations in the U.S. or North America more broadly.

Gulf Air plans to fly the route with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Airline officials said the flight will operate from Terminal One at JFK before moving to the new Terminal One in June 2026.

“This service aligns with Gulf Air’s strategy of calibrated expansion and serving strategic markets, providing passengers with greater choice and convenience for travel, through Bahrain International Airport, between Bahrain and North America, and beyond, supporting the connectivity strategy of the Kingdom,” said Gulf Air Group CEO Jeffrey Goh.

Gulf Air is owned by the government of Bahrain through the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company. It currently serves destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and South and East Asia.

Zach Vasile

Delta Adds New International, Domestic Routes

Delta is expanding its network with two new nonstop routes launching in June 2026. This long-haul market hasn't been served by the airline since 2018.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Delta A350-900. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Delta is expanding its network out of Los Angeles with two new nonstop routes launching in June 2026.

The carrier will begin daily service to Hong Kong on June 6, 2026, and add three daily flights to Chicago O’Hare beginning June 7, 2026.

Delta last served Hong Kong from its Seattle hub in 2018, according to Cirium Diio schedule data.

The Hong Kong route will be operated with the Airbus A350-900, featuring Delta’s four-cabin layout including Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Service to Chicago O’Hare will use Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Delta 737 in Los Angeles — A Delta 737-800 in Los Angeles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Delta says the addition of Hong Kong expands its transpacific offerings and strengthens its joint venture partnership with Korean Air. The new route also complements Delta’s resumed Shanghai service and its upcoming Melbourne route, scheduled to begin in December 2026.

“Launching service to Hong Kong and Chicago from LAX strengthens our presence in two of the world’s most dynamic markets,” said Paul Baldoni, SVP of network planning at Delta, in a news release. “As the largest global carrier at LAX, we’re continuing to invest in routes that matter to our customers and deliver the premium travel experience that they’ve come to expect from Delta.”

With the addition of these two routes, the airline says its peak-day operation from Los Angeles includes more than 160 departures to over 50 destinations.

Ryan Ewing

Air Canada Signs Codeshare Agreement With European Partner

Air Canada and ITA also said they are working to implement reciprocal miles and points across their customer loyalty programs.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 10:56 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Air Canada Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Air Canada has signed a new codeshare agreement with Italy’s ITA Airways.

Under the deal, Air Canada will place its code on 10 ITA routes from Rome Fiumicino, specifically to Lamezia Terme, Palermo, Catania, Florence, and Bari, all in Italy; Cairo; Tunis, Tunisia; Algiers, Algeria; Tirana, Albania; and Tel Aviv, Israel, though this last service is temporarily suspended due to fighting in the region.

ITA will place its code on Air Canada flights from Toronto Pearson to 10 destinations in Canada and the U.S. These include Boston; Calgary; Edmonton, Alberta; Dallas; Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida; Montreal; Ottawa; St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; and Vancouver.

Codeshare tickets are now available for travel starting July 21.

“With work underway to facilitate ITA Airways’ entry into Star Alliance, we are developing significant partnership synergies,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president, chief commercial officer, and president of cargo. “This will form the foundation for a strong, long-term relationship between our two flag-carrying airlines.”

ITA is set to join Star Alliance by 2026. It officially exited SkyTeam in April.

An ITA Airways Airbus A350 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Air Canada and ITA also said they are working to implement reciprocal miles and points across their customer loyalty programs.

Air Canada launched a new connection to Italy in May with the start of nonstop service between Montreal and Naples. It operates four times weekly, with departures from Montreal on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and departures from Naples on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Zach Vasile