A Republic Airways Embraer 170 in New York. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford is reportedly the top candidate to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to a recent Reuters report citing unnamed sources, Bedford interviewed for the position in recent weeks. His appointment to FAA administrator would require approval by the U.S. Senate.
Bedford has served as the regional carrier’s president since 1999. According to Republic Airways’ website, he has over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry and holds commercial multi-engine and instrument pilot ratings.
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
An airBaltic Airbus A220 touches down.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
As Ukraine eyes the reopening of its airspace, Latvian carrier airBaltic is making tangible strides toward resuming commercial flights, underscored by a delegation visit to Kyiv this week. This move highlights the airline’s commitment to re-establishing vital air links, as the carrier prepares to reintegrate Kyiv and Lviv into its network.
Expanding Reach Beyond Direct Routes
In addition to preparing for direct flights, airBaltic says it is monitoring developments at nearby airports, such as those in Poland, which have become increasingly vital for Ukrainian travelers during the war. The airline has already launched new flights to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in Poland, located near the Ukrainian border.
The airBaltic delegation engaged in crucial discussions with key Ukrainian stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, Boryspil International Airport, and the Embassy of Latvia. These meetings centered on the intricate logistical preparations necessary for resuming flights, alongside exploring opportunities to expand routes beyond Riga, potentially linking Kyiv with other Baltic capitals like Tallinn and Vilnius.
“We have consistently communicated our intent for airBaltic to be the first airline to return to Ukraine when it is safe, and we remain steadfast in that commitment,” stated Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic. “The safety of our employees, passengers, and operations is paramount, and following our second in-person visit to Kyiv, we are making significant strides in our return preparations.”
Serhiy Derkach, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories, acknowledged airBaltic’s dedication. “We highly value airBaltic’s ongoing cooperation and commitment to restoring Ukraine’s connectivity as soon as conditions permit, and we welcome their readiness to expand operations and reconnect Ukraine with Europe as we rebuild our aviation sector,” Derkach affirmed.
Tolga is a dedicated aviation enthusiast with years of experience in the industry. From an early age, his fascination with aviation went beyond a mere passion for travel, evolving into a deliberate exploration of the complex mechanics and engineering behind aircraft. As a writer, he aims to share insights , providing readers with a view into the complex inner workings of the aviation industry.
Southwest Teases Different Aircraft
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan hinted at a “different aircraft” amid ongoing delivery woes at Boeing during a recent conference.
A Southwest 737 MAX 8 in Las Vegas. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan hinted at a “different aircraft” amid ongoing delivery woes at Boeing. The airline is still awaiting delivery of the long-delayed 737 MAX 7, which is pending Federal Aviation Administration approval.
At a J.P. Morgan investors conference on Tuesday, Jordan said he sees progress at Boeing. The Dallas-based carrier has over 100 MAX 7 jets on order.
“I see [Boeing] looking at the right questions. On the MAX 7, that’s a certification question with the FAA, so I really can’t opine on the timing,” he added.
Despite these delays, Southwest leadership still expressed interest in the MAX 7.
“We certainly need the MAX 7 in certain markets, short airfield, places like Chicago Midway, maybe underlying Hawaii,” he continued. “So there is a need for that gauge aircraft. And so if you’re thinking about, [if] there is a chance that we don’t need the MAX 7, I see a need for that smaller aircraft.”
Also during the conference, Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson added: “The MAX 7, as you mentioned, does have very high performance. So certain long, thin routes [are] where we’d like it. Part of the original desire was to have an aircraft suitable for high-frequency business markets, which is less a market now than it was pre-pandemic. So the percentage of our fleet that would be Max 7 is less today than it would have been, when we first ordered it, but it’s not zero.”
“But as we look to serve everything that our customers want in places that we really dominate, the Nashvilles and the Austins and Kansas City, etc., we need to be able to serve more and more of what a customer wants. That can mean more out of the network, more destinations. That could mean more about the product,” Jordan added.
Some of these markets, he said, could require “different aircraft,” though he noted that the company is “not anywhere close to ready to talk about that.”
“But just know that beyond what you saw today, this is a bill to the next thing that we will be talking to you about in the future,” Jordan concluded.
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.
Trump gets off an aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock |
Ringo Chiu)
Legislation proposed to the Tennessee General Assembly aims to change the naming of the Nashville International Airport to the “Trump International Airport.”
Tennessee House Bill 217 (HB0217) and Senate Bill 265 (SB0265), jointly filed in January 2025, propose spending over $10 million to redesignate BNA under the new name after President Donald Trump. The House bill is sponsored by State Rep. Todd Warner and State Sen. Joey Hensley.
The legislation requires the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) to put up signs or markers reflecting the new name. It also requires the MNAA to “amend, surrender or abandon any established trademark,” as well as revise any bylaws or governing documents and update contracts with third parties.
The $10.34 million price tag is broken down into four expense categories: administration/operations ($2.25 million), branding ($2.22 million), infrastructure/signage ($3.59 million) and trademark/legal ($2.28 million).
HB0217 has received a negative recommendation from the Tennessee House Naming & Designating Committee with four votes in support of the renaming and six votes against. SB0265 is expected to be reviewed by the Tennessee Senate Transportation and Safety Committee on March 19.
It is currently unknown when either bill will go to an official vote.
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
A United Boeing 757-200 aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock | Robin Guess)
United has seen “a pretty material” short term impact on its government business, according to company leadership speaking at the J.P. Morgan 2025 Industrials Conference.
United CEO Scott Kirby said during Tuesday’s conference that 2 to 3% of the carrier’s business comes from the U.S. government – including accompanying consultants and contracts.
“That’s running down about 50% right now,” he said. “So [that’s] a pretty material impact in the short term. … And we’ve seen some bleed over to that into the domestic leisure market.”
“We have seen government at some low-end consumer leisure weakness, which also appears consistent to me with a lot of other data that I look at,” Kirby continued. “We’ve had a fuel price benefit from that, but our internal costs are also better. You put all that together and we now expect to be at the low end of our guidance range.”
Kirby said that capacity changes have allowed United to take more leisure bookings, offsetting much of that 50% drop in government business. He also said he expects “modest supply changes in the very near term” as summer approaches.
Additionally, Kirby said United will be retiring 21 aircraft for a “cash positive this year” and to avoid $100 million in expenses on engine overhauls for those airplanes.
“[W]e built a plan with optionality and flexibility that if we see short term headwinds, we can make short term responses,” he said.
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
During a recent J.P. Morgan investors conference, Jordan added that there’s “a lot of excitement” among its workforce about the airline’s recent changes. This also includes a move to assigned seating later this year.
“Our employees wanted to move to assigned seating because it clears up the job in the gate of policing boarding and policing pre-boards and those kinds of things,” he stated.
Beginning in May, only select Southwest passengers will be able to check bags for free, including Southwest credit cardholders. The airline has never charged for the first two bags in its nearly 60-year history.
The Dallas-based carrier highlighted research that showed 97% of customers were aware of the policy.
“A lot of the policy changes that we’re making, it’s very clear that our employees want them,” Jordan said. “… Our employees want to move – many of them – want to move to a bag fee because they’re dealing with the 2X bag volume as an example. So many of the policies that we’re implementing are exactly what our employees are looking for the company to do.”
Last month, the airline – facing ongoing pressure from activist investor Elliott – announced its first-ever mass layoff: 1,750 corporate jobs were axed. “Now you take something that’s difficult like the layoff, obviously very difficult or just the pace of change at Southwest Airlines,” Jordan added.
“… I wear the heart on my lapel, but it’s deeply embedded in who I am at the time that I’ve been at Southwest for 37 years. We love our people. We love each other. We’re a family,” he said.
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.
Aer Lingus is the largest carrier at Dublin Airport. (Photo: Dublin Airport)
Dublin Airport will see a decrease in passenger volume on the coming St. Patrick’s weekend. As a result of the passenger cap, the Irish hub will welcome around 400,000 passengers, compared to more than 410,000 last year. The airport said that the cap is “an impact.”
The airport also saw a decrease in passengers in February, while other European airports saw an upward trajectory. However, Cork Airport stands to benefit from the cap, seeing an increase in passengers.
Earlier, Kenny Jacob, head of the Dublin Airport Authority, hasn’t stopped criticizing the policy and has spoken to two U.S. airlines who “can’t get their head around the winter cap.” But Jacob forecasts the passenger volume can rise to 40 million before 2030.
Back in 2007, Fingal County Council set a 32 million passenger cap in exchange for building the new terminal, considering the large number of passengers using the airport could cause gridlock in the area.
Dublin Airport urges the government to relax the cap in the next six months.
“Numbers coming to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day will be a little more subdued this year due to the passenger cap, which is currently limiting the number of flights that airline can operate,” Graeme McQueen, the airport’s media relations manager, said in a statement.
Ryanair Urges the Government to Relax Cap
Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, is also taking a firm line on lifting the cap, believing it could hinder the economic growth in Ireland. In addition, the council gave a green light to the second runway in 2017 with no concern about the traffic.
“We’re going to take 330 aircraft over the next 10-year and the only question in my mind is, how many of those aircraft can we put in Dublin?” O’Leary told Newstalk.
An American Airlines aircraft at Washington Reagan National Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | The Bold Bureau)
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said that January’s mid-air collision between its PSA subsidiary and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter had a “big impact” on its operations at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington.
Speaking during the J.P. Morgan 2025 Industrials Conference on Tuesday, Isom said DCA is a center for a lot of corporate and government-contracted business.
“[T]here are government contractors that have been affected,” Isom said. “Anyone as well in that area is [also] feeling the concerns of uncertainty. We know that there’s some follow-on effect in terms of leisure travel associated with that as well.”
Despite setbacks, Isom said that Reagan National has historically been one of American’s most profitable hubs.
“We have an enviable position there, and over the long run, I’m confident that it will return to its full share of profitability,” he said.
Isom outlined that the D.C. airport makes up roughly two percent of the carrier’s total available seat miles.
“I’d love to get it back to that profitability level that we had seen,” Isom said. “We’ve taken some actions to address capacity. But over the long run, that’s going to work out really well for us. Government travel has a way of coming back.”
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
Aircraft landing at Reagan National Airport (Photo: Shutterstock | Ceri Breeze)
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) gave an urgent recommendation Tuesday for the Federal Aviation Administration to limit helicopter operations near the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
The decision comes after January’s midair collision between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 jet and U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.
According to an NTSB news release, the federal agency recommended the FAA permanently prohibit helicopter operations near the DCA Airport while runways 15 and 33 were being used for arrivals or departures.
In its 10-page urgent recommendation report, the NTSB called the allowance of these aviation activities “an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chance of a midair collision.”
The NTSB explained that helicopters flying on the Route 4 helicopter corridor at the highest authorized altitude of 200 feet could have only about 75 feet of vertical separation from an airplane on landing approach to Runway 33.
“[T]he lack of separation was insufficient and said vertical separation could potentially be even less than 75 feet depending on the helicopter’s lateral distance from the Potomac River shoreline or if an approaching airplane was below the designated visual glidepath to Runway 33,” the NTSB release stated.
Investigators examine wreckage from the CRJ-700. (Photo: NTSB)
The report recounted the timeline of PSA Airlines flight 5342 prior to the collision. It also reviews the experience of the pilots who were flying the aircraft.
According to the report, both the captain and first officer piloting flight 5342 held transport pilot certificates with type ratings for the CL-65 – which includes the CRJ-200, CRJ-700, and CRJ-900 airplanes.
The captain had accumulated about 3,950 hours of flight experience, of which around 3,024 hours were in the CRJ-700.
The first officer had 2,469 total hours of flight experience, of which about 966 hours were in the CRJ-700.
The flight crew of the Black Hawk helicopter – flying under callsign PAT25 – consisted of an instructor pilot, pilot, and a crew chief. According to information provided to NTSB by the U.S. Army, both pilots were current and qualified in the accident helicopter.
“The [instructor pilot] held the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2 and had accumulated about 968 total hours of flight experience, of which about 300 hours were in the accident helicopter make and model,” the NTSB report stated. “The pilot held the rank of Captain and had accumulated about 450 total hours of flight experience, of which about 326 hours were in the accident helicopter make and model. The crew chief held the rank of Staff Sargeant and had accumulated about 1,149 total flight hours, all of which was in UH-60 helicopters.”
The NTSB’s investigation into the cause of the incident is still ongoing.
“[Analysis] comes later in our investigation,” said NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homandy during a press conference on Tuesday. “Right now, we are still in the fact-finding phase of this investigation. I often say that the easiest and quickest part of the investigation is determining what happened. The part that takes longer is the ‘how’ and ‘why.’”
FAA, Pilots Union Respond
Following the NTSB report, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy reportedly said the helicopter ban near the DCA airport will continue per NTSB’s safety recommendation.
“How did the FAA not know that this was a hotspot,” he said, according to an X post by CNN Aviation Reporter Pete Muntean on Tuesday afternoon.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) issued an emailed statement responding to the NTSB’s preliminary report findings and call for prohibiting helicopter travel near the airport.
ALPA President Jason Ambrosi said the union was grateful to the NTSB for its report, and ALPA will continue efforts to help advance aviation safety.
“ALPA pledges our full support to the continued investigation and to work with government and industry stakeholders to implement the NTSB safety recommendations, including the ones issued by the Board today,” Ambrosi said in the emailed statement. “We will continue to work diligently to advance aviation safety and honor the legacies of those lost by ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”
“We continue to strongly support the Federal Aviation Administration’s decisive action to restrict helicopter operations near Washington National Airport and support the NTSB’s safety recommendation to continue this restriction,” he continued. “While our pilots are the most highly trained in the world and fully capable of navigating complex airspace, removing this risk factor represents a significant safety improvement.”
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
Ultra-low-cost carrier Avelo has announced the addition of 13 new routes and three new destinations, including Nassau, Bahamas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and New York/Long Island.
New Routes
From Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the carrier will add service to:
Nassau – Starts June 11, with flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Grand Rapids – Starts May 23, with flights on Mondays and Fridays.
Wilmington, Delaware – Starts May 22, with flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
From Lakeland International Airport in Florida, new routes include:
Grand Rapids – Starts June 13, with flights on Mondays and Fridays.
New York/Long Island – Starts June 12, with flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
From Wilmington International Airport in North Carolina, Avelo will add service to:
Houston – Starts June 11, with flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Washington Dulles – Starts June 13, with flights on Mondays and Fridays.
Detroit – Starts June 12, with flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
New York/Long Island – Starts June 12, with flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
From Charlotte, North Carolina’s Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, new routes include:
Detroit – Starts June 13, with flights on Mondays and Fridays.
Washington Dulles – Starts May 23, with flights on Mondays and Fridays.
New York/Long Island – Starts May 22, with flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
From Delaware’s Wilmington Airport, Avelo will introduce service to:
Jacksonville, Florida – Starts May 23, with flights on Mondays and Fridays.
All routes will be operated by the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Since the start of operations in 2021, Avelo now serves 56 destinations.
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.
