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Silver Reduces Fleet, Leaves Trade Group

In addition, the carrier is no longer a member of the Regional Airline Association. Silver had just rejoined the trade group in 2022.

Ryan Ewing
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Ryan Ewing

Silver ATR 42
A Silver Airways ATR 42 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Silver Airways has abruptly halted service to Orlando, Florida, as it spars with an aircraft lessor. Orlando was the regional airline’s fifth-largest station with up to six daily flights.

In late 2024, Silver filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which revealed debts exceeding $500 million. In a statement to the Sun Sentinel, an airline spokesperson said the restructuring effort “has been going exceedingly well.”

However, one of the airline’s aircraft lessors, TrueNoord, “reversed its previously stated position” and demanded Silver pay to keep these aircraft, the spokesperson added.

According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, TrueNoord owns three Silver aircraft, including one ATR 72 and two ATR 42s. These aircraft have since been taken out of active service.

“In addition to this last-minute financial demand, TrueNoord ordered the immediate grounding of the aircraft, giving us no chance to operate the flights our customers were relying on,” the carrier stated. “We are working with our customers to rebook itineraries and minimize inconvenience for travelers. We are continuing to operate our schedules from our Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and San Juan gateways.”

A Silver Airways ATR 72 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

FlightAware data shows that 16% of Silver’s flights on Monday were canceled, while 34% were delayed.

Exits Trade Group

In addition, the carrier is no longer a member of the Regional Airline Association. Silver had just rejoined the trade group in 2022.

The association was founded in 1975 and represents most U.S. regional airlines, including large operators such as SkyWest and Republic. Currently, 14 regional airlines are members of the RAA.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Over 2,000 Spirit Workers Left Airline Last Year

Last year, the ultra-low-cost carrier reported a net loss of nearly $1.23 billion, an increase from $448 million in 2023.

Ryan Ewing
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Ryan Ewing

A Spirit Airbus aircraft
A Spirit Airbus aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock | Carlos Yudica)

Spirit lost 2,192 employees in 2024, the ultra-low-cost carrier said in its annual report published Monday. This equates to an overall turnover rate of nearly 17%, including both voluntary and involuntary terminations.

Since 2022, nearly 7,000 workers have left the beleaguered airline, which has reported continued quarterly losses following the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which it exited on Feb. 20.

The carrier had an average of 11,941 employees in 2024, down from 12,798 in 2023. 84% of which are represented by labor unions.

Earlier this year, the airline detailed an $80 million cost savings plan, which was largely driven by workforce cuts. This included 200 nonunion jobs.

In addition, Spirit has furloughed around 500 pilots in the past several months as it looks to sell 23 Airbus A320 and A321 jets.

Last year, the carrier reported a net loss of $1.23 billion, an increase from $448 million in 2023.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Boeing Completes 787 Fuselage Gap Inspections

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope recently announced that the company has rolled out the last of its 787 aircraft undergoing “join verification."

AirlineGeeks.com Staff
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Ryan Ewing

787 aircraft in storage
787 aircraft in storage (Photo: Shutterstock | cpaulfell)

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope recently announced that the company has rolled out the last of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft undergoing “join verification” at its facility in Everett, Washington.

In a social media post, Pope said the Boeing team examined the fuselage of over 100 aircraft “for possible imperfections that measured the width of a human hair.” While noting these imperfections “did not affect the safety of the airplane,” she said they did not meet Boeing’s engineering standards.

Boeing engineers completed the exhaustive work on 122 airplanes inspected over several years as deliveries plummeted.

“I am incredibly proud of our teams in Everett and North Charleston for completing this work over the past two and a half years … quietly, methodically and focused on delivering safe, quality airplanes to our customers,” Pope said in the post.

Workers who supported the 787 join verification are now moving onto new assignments. Pope said many of them would be helping the company advance its 777X program.

“This is what we mean when we said we would shut down the ‘shadow factories’ and turn our full attention to building all-new airplanes,” she said.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

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.

FAA Probing Slew of Erroneous Traffic Alerts

One crew reported an RA at around 1,200 feet, adding that “there was something diving straight onto us,” per air traffic control audio recordings.

Ryan Ewing
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Aircraft at DCA
Aircraft landing at Reagan National Airport (Photo: Shutterstock | Ceri Breeze)

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a multitude of Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerts near Reagan National Airport in Washington. Multiple aircraft from different air carriers reported the alerts Saturday while on the River Visual approach.

Despite these alerts, no other aircraft were detected nearby. Many aircraft received resolution advisories (RAs), directing the crew to maneuver away from a potential collision.

“Several flight crews inbound to Reagan Washington National Airport received onboard alerts Saturday indicating another aircraft was nearby when no other aircraft were in the area. Some of the crews executed go-arounds as a result of the alerts,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. “The FAA is investigating why the alerts occurred.”

One Republic Airways crew reported an RA at around 1,200 feet, adding that “there was something diving straight onto us,” per air traffic control audio recordings. Another PSA Airlines crew said they got two traffic advisories (TA), which warn of a non-imminent collision.

Controllers continuously advised pilots that no conflicting traffic was detected on their radars. The D.C. airport is facing arrival rate caps and ground stops following January’s mid-air collision involving a CRJ-700 and Black Hawk helicopter.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Southwest Accuses San Antonio of Bias Over New Airport Lease

Southwest has filed an amended legal complaint against the City of San Antonio and its airport director, Jesus Saenz, over alleged bias.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff
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Ryan Ewing

Southwest aircaft
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 airplanes at Dallas Love Field. (Photo: Shutterstock | Markus Mainka)

Southwest has filed an amended legal complaint against the City of San Antonio and its airport director, Jesus Saenz, further elaborating on its prior allegations regarding the decision to deny the airline a lease at the new $1.4 billion Terminal C at San Antonio International Airport.

In September, Southwest claimed that the defendants’ actions violated the Supremacy Clause and the Airline Deregulation Act, which prohibits local authorities from basing airport gate allocations on subjective criteria related to airline service routes and offerings.

In the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Southwest’s amended complaint alleged that the gate allocation process unfairly excluded the airline based on subjective factors.

The airline alleged that the city favored carriers that provide premium services and hold international routes. The complaint argues that this violates federal law designed to prevent local biases. The carrier also seeks injunctive relief, including a temporary restraining order to halt the execution of these lease agreements.

The amended legal complaint reveals internal communications that suggest the city’s preference for airlines catering to business travelers, offering first-class services, and having VIP lounges.

The documents indicate that verbal assurances were made to Southwest regarding its inclusion in Terminal C, but these were later undermined by the city’s decision-making process, which was influenced by factors such as the presence of airline clubs.

“Even though VIP airline clubs rank near the bottom of the list of airport amenities that are important to taxpayers, the City’s documents reveal that Defendants prioritized VIP clubs above everything else when designing and assigning gates in the new terminal,” the amended complaint stated.

The complaint alleged that the city instructed its master architect of the new terminal to begin by including tens of thousands of square feet of VIP clubs in its initial design.

“By insisting that the new terminal include substantial space for VIP lounges, Defendants stacked the deck against low-cost carriers that do not offer VIP lounges,” the complaint added.

The complaint alleged that the city then instructed the master architect “to make gating recommendation based on its insistence that the new terminal have large VIP lounges.”

“Third, and confirming its bias, the City agreed to assign Delta to the new terminal only if Delta agreed to build a VIP club,” it continued.

Southwest accused the city of deliberately concealing its plans to keep the airline in the older, less functional Terminal A, impeding Southwest’s ability to negotiate renovation funds.

The Dallas-based airline is the city’s largest with a 37% share of passenger traffic at the airport. Southwest has asked the court to declare the city’s criteria void and unenforceable, and has asked for damages and additional legal relief.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

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.

Alaska Flight Attendants Ratify Long-Awaited New Contract

After over two years of negotiations, flight attendants at Alaska Airlines have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new three-year contract.

Ryan Ewing
Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Alaska 737-900ER in Phoenix (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Bailey)

After over two years of negotiations, flight attendants at Alaska Airlines have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new three-year contract. The agreement, which was approved by 95% of voting members, provides significant pay increases and other improvements for the airline’s 6,900 flight attendants.

Highlights of the new agreement include:

  • Immediate pay increases of 18.6%-28.3%, with additional 3% raises in 2026 and 2027.
  • “Industry-leading” boarding pay of 0.5 trip for pay (TFP) per departure, a 19% increase from the previous tentative agreement.
  • Increased 401(k) company match, rising to 8.5% by 2026.
  • Improvements to scheduling, sick leave, and holiday pay.

The new pay rates will make Alaska flight attendants among the highest paid in the industry. By the end of the contract in 2027, top-of-scale flight attendants will earn $78.77 per TFP, a 30.6% increase from current rates.

“This contract will immediately and significantly improve the lives of Alaska Flight Attendants,” said Jeffrey Peterson, Association of Flight Attendants Alaska MEC President, in a news release. “Alaska Flight Attendants’ solidarity pushed management to recognize our critical role to the safety and success of this airline.”

The agreement comes after flight attendants rejected an initial tentative agreement in August 2024.

The ratification ends a prolonged period of labor negotiations at the Seattle-based airline. It is the eighth ratified labor contract between Alaska Air Group and its represented workgroups in the past three years.

“One of the many reasons our guests choose to fly Alaska is our flight attendants and the warm welcome, fantastic service and commitment to safety they provide onboard. I’m glad to have them working under a new contract that values their contributions to Alaska, and I’m grateful to our colleagues at AFA who bargained with determination and fierce dedication for our flight attendants,” Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said in a news release.

With this contract now in place, attention will turn to upcoming joint contract negotiations following Alaska’s recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. Union leaders see the new Alaska agreement as setting a strong foundation for those talks.

The new contract took effect on Sunday. Flight attendants will receive retroactive pay increases dating back to December 2022, when their previous contract became amendable.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Air China Plans More 747 Service to U.S.

The carrier’s 747 fleet has flown to a handful of U.S. markets in the past but only regularly serves New York-JFK at the time of writing.

Ryan Ewing
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Ryan Ewing

Air China 747-8i
An Air China 747-8i (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Air China plans to deploy its Boeing 747-8i on another route to the U.S. in the coming weeks. The carrier’s 747 fleet has flown to a handful of U.S. markets in the past but only regularly serves New York-JFK at the time of writing.

In an X post, the airline announced that the Queen of the Skies will replace the 777-300ER between Washington Dulles and Beijing. This change is slated to take effect on March 11.

The Washington-Beijing service will also no longer make a stop in Los Angeles.

According to Cirium Diio schedule data, Air China’s fleet of seven Boeing 747-8i aircraft operate to just a handful of destinations, including some domestic flights. Starting next month, the aircraft will begin serving Frankfurt, Germany.

The airline’s 747-8i has served Washington in the past but not on a regular basis. A handful of flights were scheduled with the jet in 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Southwest VP of Cargo to Retire

Southwest’s top cargo executive is leaving the company after a 33-year career that started as a customer service agent at the Dallas Love Field home base.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff
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Ryan Ewing

Southwest 737-700
A Southwest Boeing 737-700. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Southwest Airlines’ top cargo executive is leaving the company after a 33-year career that started as a customer service agent at the Dallas Love Field home base and helped cement the carrier’s strong reputation for customer service in the logistics community.

Wally Devereaux, the vice president of cargo and provisioning at Southwest, announced on LinkedIn Thursday that he will retire at the end of March. He transitioned to the cargo department 26 years ago, moved up to director of sales in 2007 and was promoted to cargo chief three years ago.

During Devereaux’s tenure, Southwest Airlines was named Domestic Airline of the Year by the Airforwarders Association for at least 15 consecutive years. Southwest is a favorite of many air forwarders for domestic air transport because of its reliability, speed, thousands of daily flights and extensive point-to-point network. In 2020, he was instrumental in the company’s launch of a new cargo tracking system that uses bar coding to confirm the onboard status of shipments and provide timely updates during the journey.

“On February 2, 1992, I got my first job out of college with Southwest Airlines as a Customer Service Agent at Dallas Love Field. A little over 33 years later I’ve decided it’s time to call it a career. I am beyond thankful for the amazing opportunities Southwest Airlines has provided me for all these years. One in particular led me to the Cargo Team in 1999 where it felt like I found my calling,” Devereaux wrote. “I have loved the business of Cargo, and I have absolutely loved being part of this incredible Team for over 25 years. I’ve also been lucky enough along the way to spend time with our Charters and Provisioning Teams which I’m incredibly thankful for as well. Thank you sincerely for the time together and the great memories!”

Wally Devereaux (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

“Wally is a leader in the U.S. air cargo market and leads a team that treats their customers like family.

During his time at Southwest has seen it grow from 200 aircraft to over 800 aircraft. Wally is known for his ‘ ‘let’s get it done’ attitude, but he always recognizes the coworkers that make cargo move,” said Michael White, an air cargo expert with years of experience at United Airlines and various trade associations, said in an email message. “His spirit to always be there for his coworkers and customers is what makes the Southwest Spirit so strong.”

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said the company plans to soon name Devereaux’s successor.

“We appreciate Wally’s longstanding support of the Southwest mission and his work to grow the Cargo business into what it is today,” the airline said in a statement provided to FreightWaves.

Devereaux received an outpouring of appreciation on LinkedIn, with nearly 600 likes and more than 180 comments from friends, competitors and industry colleagues who expressed what a positive influence he had on their lives.

“Thank you for the many contributions to build Southwest. You’re a great example of a servant leader,” said Tamra Butler, a senior manager at Southwest. Rob Lewin, who is retired, called Devereaux “one of the great gentlemen of the logistics industry.” Another individual said Devereaux’s most memorable quality is his “ability to bring humor and heart to the table of every effort no matter how big the challenge.”

The cargo chief is expected to receive more well wishes and thanks on Monday and Tuesday from attendees at the Air Cargo 2025 conference, which is being held this year near Southwest’s headquarters in the Dallas suburbs.

Editor’s Note: This story first appeared on FreightWaves.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

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.

NTSB Investigating Boeing 767 Engine Fire

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating an engine fire incident involving a FedEx Boeing 767-300F. T

Ryan Ewing
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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Fedex 767 in Las Vegas (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating an engine fire incident involving a FedEx Boeing 767-300F. The aircraft ‒ registered as N178FE ‒ landed safely back in Newark, New Jersey, Saturday morning.

According to air traffic control recordings, the crew reported a bird strike shortly after departing Newark. The flight was bound for Indianapolis.

The aircraft landed approximately eight minutes later. A fire was indicated in the No. 2 engine, which the crew tried to extinguish with both fire bottles.

However, upon landing, flames were still visible from the engine. Fire crews responded and no injuries were reported among the three crew members.

“Our B767 crew declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark after dealing with the resulting engine damage, including an engine fire,” FedEx said in a statement to NBC News.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the bird strike and subsequent engine damage. In a statement, the agency added that it will also investigate the incident.

 

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Mesa, United End CRJ-900 Operations

With the CRJ-900’s exit, the United Express fleet now consists of E145XRs, E170s, E175s, CRJ-200s, CRJ-550s, and CRJ-700s.

Ryan Ewing
Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Mesa CRJ-900
A Mesa Airlines CRJ-900 in Phoenix. (Photo: Shutterstock | Robin Guess)

After a less than three-year stint in the United Express fleet, Mesa Airlines’ CRJ-900s have officially ended revenue service, at least for now. Back in October, the regional carrier said it would phase out the CRJ fleet “at United’s request.”

United reimbursed costs up to $14 million associated with the fleet transition, Mesa said in a news release. The Phoenix-based airline operated its last scheduled CRJ-900 flight on Feb. 28, in line with previously disclosed plans.

A spokesperson from United confirmed to AirlineGeeks that the CRJ-900 will no longer operate within the airline’s regional network. Instead, Mesa will only operate Embraer E175s for United.

The aircraft – which have an average age of 19 years old – joined United’s network in 2023 after American terminated its agreement with Mesa. Some of the jets have a long history, operating under the America West, US Airways, and American brands.

Mesa sold a handful of its CRJ-900s last year. In 2023, American acquired around seven ex-Mesa CRJ-900s, which now operate for its regional subsidiary PSA Airlines.

PSA is set to add more CRJ-900s to its fleet this year, presumably from Mesa.

Currently, Mesa flies around 60 E175s under the United Express banner. Last year, 20 United-owned E175s were transitioned from Mesa to SkyWest.

With the CRJ-900’s exit, the United Express fleet now consists of Embraer E145XRs, E170s, E175s, CRJ-200s, CRJ-550s, and CRJ-700s.

 

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
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