Air Greenland Expands Fleet With First Narrowbody Jet

The airline has also announced further expansion, with a new addition to its fleet: the carrier's first-ever narrowbody jet.

Joey Gerardi

Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 10:12 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An A320neo aircraft. (Photo: Airbus)

Greenland has been in the news a lot in the past few months, and with the opening of the new expanded runway in the country’s capital of Nuuk, many carriers are introducing service to the country. The country’s flag carrier, Air Greenland, moved its trunk international route on the Airbus A330-800neo from Kangerlussuaq to Nuuk as well.

But, the airline has also announced further expansion, with a new addition to its fleet: the carrier’s first narrowbody jet, which they signed a lease for on Feb. 14 that will last for six years once delivered to the company.

In the past with new aircraft like the A330-800neo and the A330-200, the carrier ordered the aircraft directly from Airbus, but a brand new jet could take six or seven years to be delivered straight from the factory. Air Greenland will be leasing a single Airbus A320neo from a company called Carlyle and is expected to join the airline’s fleet in its distinctive red livery in December 2026.

The delivery of the aircraft in late 2026 will line up with the opening of another expanded runway in the country, this time in the city of Ililissat, and will be ready to serve that community and others for the busy Summer 2027 tourist season.

Pilot Training

The introduction of this aircraft will also mean it will be retraining some pilots, more specifically from its Airbus A330-800neo, so that they will be able to fly not only the widebody aircraft but the new narrowbody A320neo as well. The carrier will also be retraining a handful of Dash-8 pilots to fly the new A320neo, although the exact number has not yet been determined. Its A320neo will be maintained by SAS in Copenhagen, similar to the A330-800neo.

Air Greenland’s sole Airbus A300-800neo seconds before touching down in Kangerlussuaq (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

The name of this new aircraft has not yet been chosen, and will be added to the airline’s current fleet of one Airbus A330-800, and eight Dash-8~200s, the latter of which are used primarily for domestic operations within Greenland, along with the occasional international flights to nearby Canada and Iceland.

Joey Gerardi

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

American to Resume Its Longest Domestic Route

American plans to relaunch its longest regularly scheduled domestic service in October 2025 following a four-year pause.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 09:42 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

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

American plans to relaunch its longest regularly scheduled domestic service in late 2025. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline has not operated this route since September 2021.

Starting on Oct. 26, the carrier will resume flights from its Chicago O’Hare hub to Honolulu. At 4,243 miles, this route will be the longest in American’s domestic network.

American’s Dallas/Fort Worth-to-Honolulu route is its current longest domestic flight at 3,784 miles. The airline has also linked Charlotte, North Carolina, and Honolulu in the past.

The airline hasn’t provided frequency information for the route yet, but a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will operate it. Previously, Chicago-to-Honolulu was served on a daily basis.

Chicago O’Hare to Honolulu route (Photo: gcmap.com)

United currently flies between the two cities up to two times per day.

O’Hare Growth

American continues to restore capacity at its Chicago hub. In recent months, it has announced several new and resuming routes from the airport, including long-haul service to Madrid and Naples, Italy.

The airline says it will operate up to 480 daily flights from O’Hare this summer, a 25% increase in seats over last year.

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.

Breeze Adds New City to Route Map

Breeze is expanding again, this time with a new point on its route map. The airline, which began service in 2021, operates to nearly 70 cities in 31 states.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 06:00 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

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

Breeze is expanding again, this time with a new point on its route map. The airline, which began service in 2021, operates to nearly 70 cities in 31 states.

Beginning this summer, the carrier will also fly to Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which will become Breeze’s fourth destination in the state. Currently, it flies to New Bern, Raleigh/Durham, and Wilmington.

Flights to Greensboro are scheduled to start on June 6, 2025. Service to Orlando, Florida, will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays.

The airline will also connect Greensboro and Hartford, Connecticut, with twice-weekly flights on Mondays and Fridays. This route will be seasonal.

All routes will be operated by Breeze’s Airbus A220 aircraft.

“We continue to see massive growth in the Mid-Atlantic region and are excited to welcome Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) to our growing list of cities that Breeze serves in the region,” said Lukas Johnson, chief commercial officer of Breeze Airways, in a news release. “It’s clear our Guests in North Carolina love our premium travel options and convenient service and policies, and we look forward to welcoming more Guests in the region with this new service from GSO.”

Breeze’s May 2025 route map (Photo: Cirium Diio)

Other Service Increases

Greensboro joins a handful of new airports that Breeze has added recently. Earlier this month, the carrier announced three new destinations, including Rochester, New York; Albany, New York; and Memphis, Tennessee.

Alongside these new cities, the airline is also slated to bolster frequencies on some existing twice-weekly routes. Service between Orlando and Portland, Maine, will increase to four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, starting on June 4,

In addition, service between Orlando and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will increase to four times weekly on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, starting on June 6.

Ryan Ewing

Delta Offers Over $2 Million to CRJ Crash Passengers

Delta has offered $30,000 to each one of the 76 passengers aboard Endeavor flight 4819 that crashed while landing in Toronto.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 05:51 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

The wreckage of Delta flight 4819 (Photo: TSB of Canada)

Delta has offered $30,000 to each one of the 76 passengers aboard Endeavor Air flight 4819 that crashed while landing in Toronto on Monday.

According to a Star Tribune report on Wednesday, the airline said it is telling customers the money is a gesture that comes with “no strings attached and does not impact rights.”

Combined across all passengers, the money offered totals $2.28 million from the Atlanta-based carrier.

The CRJ-900 flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport crashed while attempting to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 80 people aboard the non-fatal crash evacuated the jet, 21 of which were transported to local hospitals for injuries.

As of Wednesday morning, only one victim remains hospitalized. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation into the accident along with other agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board.

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.

$250 Million Lawsuit Prepared Against FAA, Army Over D.C. Collision

Aviation attorneys at the Chicago-based law firm Clifford Law Offices have filed pre-case claims against the FAA and Army.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 05:37 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A crane removes airplane wreckage from the Potomac River (Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Aviation attorneys at the Chicago-based law firm Clifford Law Offices have filed pre-case claims against the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Army regarding the Jan. 29 midair collision in Washington D.C.

The claims were filed Tuesday on behalf of the widow and three children of Casey Crafton of Salem, Connecticut, who died in the collision over the Potomac River. Crafton was on board the CRJ-700 aircraft.

Clifford Law Offices stated in a news release the $250 million in claims are directed against multiple government agencies that it says may be responsible.

The law firm filed a government-issued “Form 95” against the federal government and FAA for wrongful death allegedly caused by a federal employee’s negligence or wrongful act occurring within the scope of the employee’s federal employment.

Clifford Law cited the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reporting that staffing in the tower of air traffic controllers was “not normal” at the time of the collision and that there were communication issues between the air traffic control and the aircraft.

“The government now has six months to act upon the claims, and if rejected or not acted upon within that time, plaintiffs have the right in the next two years to file lawsuits in federal district court that would be heard by a judge,” the release stated. “Jury trials are not allowed in civil wrongful death actions against the government.”

Clifford Law further said that the notice of a claim against the FAA was sent to the agency on Tuesday. A pre-case Form 95 claim also was filed Tuesday against the U.S. Army at its Fort Meade, Maryland, offices.

Robert Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law offices, sent overnight mail preservation letters to American Airlines and its regional carrier, PSA, to preserve all evidence in the midair crash. He also sent preservation letters to Sikorsky Aircraft – the manufacturer of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash – and Collins Aerospace.

“Clifford Law Offices also has initiated an investigation into potential claims of willful neglect by the airlines for the many years of congestion of commercial aircraft and helicopters that went ignored in the air space near Reagan National Airport,” the release stated.

Clifford gained notoriety as the lead counsel in the pending litigation regarding the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet in Ethiopia six years ago.

Crafton, who was 40, studied aviation management in college at Bob Jones University, where he met his wife, Rachel. The release stated he was returning from Wichita, Kansas, on a business trip working as a technical support manager at Guardian Jet, an aviation consulting firm.

“Casey was an incredible human being,” Clifford said. “He was a giver. He was a loving husband and father. He enjoyed coaching his boys on their youth soccer and little league baseball teams. They will be grieving him for the rest of their lives that will never be the same. This crash involves complex matters, and the family deserves answers as to what happened to their loved one.”

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

GTF Engine Woes ‘Largest Headwind’ for JetBlue

JetBlue continues to sound the alarm over ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan engines on some of its Airbus jets.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 02:11 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

The wing of a JetBlue A220 jet (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

JetBlue continues to sound the alarm over ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan engines. The airline expects aircraft groundings to peak in the next one to two years.

The engines power the New York-based carrier’s Airbus A220 and A321neo aircraft. Last year, it had 11 grounded jets due to these issues, JetBlue CFO Ursula Hurley said during an investors conference on Wednesday.

“ Clearly the largest headwind for JetBlue at the moment is the GTF engine,” she added.

According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, JetBlue has 15 GTF-powered aircraft grounded, including six A220s and nine A321neos. The carrier has a total of 38 A220s and 28 A321neos in active service.

Issues with the Pratt & Whitney engine type have plagued airlines worldwide. Cirium data shows around 700 GTF-powered aircraft out of service.

JetBlue’s plans are “pretty conservative,” Hurley said. Aircraft may return to service sooner depending on supply chain and shop availability.

“ We’re very excited for GTF when it works. We just need to get through the quality issues now,” JetBlue President Marty St. George added. The engines can be off-wing for as long as a year, per the airline.

Ryan Ewing

Boeing Delays Continue for Alaska, Hawaiian

Boeing expects to further delay 737 and 787 aircraft deliveries to Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 01:24 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Alaska's first 737 MAX 8 spotted at Boeing's Renton factory. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Boeing expects to delay 737 and 787 aircraft orders from Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines.

According to Alaska’s Form 10-K filed on Friday for the 2024 fiscal year, the carrier had firm orders to purchase 74 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with deliveries expected between 2025 and 2029. Alaska also had rights for 100 more 737 aircraft through 2030.

Hawaiian had firm orders to purchase 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft with deliveries expected between 2025 and 2028.

“Boeing has communicated that certain B737 and B787-9 aircraft are expected to be delivered later than the contracted delivery timing,” Alaska stated in the filing.

For Alaska, Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft contracted for delivery in 2024 have been moved to 2025. Certain 737 MAX 8 aircraft slated for delivery in 2024 and 2025 have also been moved later into the contracted year or into the following year.

737 MAX 10 aircraft contracted for delivery in 2025 and 2026 have been moved to 2026 or 2027, pending regulatory certification of the aircraft type.

Widebody Woes

Hawaiian’s Boeing 787-9s planned for delivery between 2024 and 2026 were moved later into the contracted year or into the following year. Currently, the airline has just two 787s in its fleet.

A Hawaiian Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: Hawaiian Airlines)

“Management expects that other Boeing aircraft deliveries could be delayed beyond the contractual delivery,” Alaska stated.

Alaska expects to receive nine 737 MAX 8 aircraft and eight 737 MAX 9 aircraft in 2025. The carrier will also retire its six remaining Boeing 737-900s this year.

In 2026, Alaska plans to receive six more 737 MAX 8 jets and three MAX 10s – pending certification. The carrier plans to have 17 more 737 MAX 10s delivered in 2027.

Hawaiian expects three Boeing 787-9 aircraft in 2025, two in 2026, and four in 2027.

Alaska reported in November that then-ongoing labor strikes at Boeing were impacting the carrier’s capacity growth.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

JetBlue ‘Still Talking’ to Multiple Airlines

JetBlue is still in talks with other airlines on a potential partnership, President Marty St. George said during a conference on Wednesday.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 10:25 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A JetBlue Embraer E190 in Boston. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

JetBlue is still in talks with other airlines on a potential partnership, President Marty St. George said Wednesday. These discussions come nearly two years after its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines was struck down by a federal judge.

The New York-based carrier also mentioned partnership talks during a recent fourth-quarter earnings call.

“ We have said we’re talking to multiple airlines, we’re still talking … . If we find a deal that’s accretive, we will absolutely do it,” St. George said during an investors conference this week. “There is an amount of money in the JetForward plan for partnership, but we didn’t really gauge how big it would be or how small it would be.”

When the judge struck down JetBlue’s deal with American in 2023 on antitrust grounds, he laid out a “road map” for what a revised deal could look like that would appease regulators. The JetBlue-American partnership debuted in 2020 and allowed for schedule and slot coordination, revenue sharing, and various customer benefits.

Loyalty Benefits

St. George added that frequent flyer benefits would be a major component of a partnership. Under the NEA, American and JetBlue members could earn and redeem miles on both carriers, along with reciprocal loyalty benefits.

“ I think the ability to bring that utility as TrueBlue would be fantastic. We’re very happy with where TrueBlue revenues have been as far as percentage total, which I think we talked about in the last call. But we think that there’s a lot of upside,” he shared, referring to the airline’s loyalty program.

There’s been plenty of speculation over airline deals in recent weeks, especially as the new Trump administration took office. Recently, United dispelled rumors that it was in talks over a merger or acquisition of JetBlue.

Ryan Ewing

Southwest Transformation Chief to Depart Airline

The airline's transformation chief, Ryan Green, leaves as activist investor Elliott plans to take a bigger stake in the carrier.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 09:20 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Southwest Boeing 737-700. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Just a day after Southwest firmed up its first-ever mass layoffs, the airline’s executive vice president and chief transformation officer, Ryan Green, will leave the company on April 1.

Green had been at Southwest for over 20 years, and most recently oversaw the Dallas-based airline’s transition to assigned and premium seating. His exit comes as activist investor Elliott plans to take a bigger stake in the airline.

Both moves were disclosed on Wednesday. Southwest and Elliott recently inked an agreement to allow the firm to take a 19.9% stake in the airline, up from the original agreement of 14.9%.

A Pivot

Through his over two decades at Southwest, Green held various high-level positions. Before taking on the transformation role, he was the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer.

His exit joins Chief Financial Officer, Tammy Romo, and Chief Administrative Officer, Linda Rutherford, who will also leave the airline in April.

On Monday, the airline informed employees that it would be laying off 1,750 corporate workers. Employees learned whether their roles would be impacted on Tuesday.

Throughout its 53-year history, the airline has never laid off any employees. Its first-ever round of layoffs includes several high-ranking executives, including vice presidents and above.

Ryan Ewing

WestJet Adds New Transatlantic 737 Route

WestJet will fly from Halifax to Amsterdam up to six times weekly this summer, with connections on both sides allowing more choices for travelers.

Anthony Bang An

Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 03:11 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A WestJet 737 MAX 8. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Calgary-based WestJet is launching a brand new connection between Halifax in Nova Scotia and Amsterdam. It will be the only non-stop link between Amsterdam and Atlantic Canada, operating during the summer season, with the first flight taking off from Halifax on May 29.

The carrier plans to run up to six weekly services through Oct. 26. Flights will be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

WestJet’s Transatlantic Expansion

The new service joins WestJet’s rapidly growing portfolio of transatlantic flights out of Atlantic Canada, specifically from Halifax and St John’s. Besides Amsterdam, the airline will fly to Dublin, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, and Paris from Halifax this summer.

WestJet transatlantic map (Photo: gcmap)

The airline’s transatlantic seat capacity from Halifax will almost double compared to 2024. In the summer of 2024, the airline had up to 11 weekly flights across the pond from Halifax. This summer, the number of weekly services is expected to rise to 20, thanks to the addition of Amsterdam and Paris.

The airline had an extensive transatlantic network from the Nova Scotian city before the pandemic, before shifting its strategy and concentrating its transatlantic network to its main hub in Calgary in 2022. As a part of the shift in 2022, WestJet served Amsterdam with three weekly services on its Dreamliner for the summer season, though the flight did not return the following year.

Despite resuming transatlantic services from other Canadian cities since 2023, Calgary remains its most important intercontinental hub, with year-round services to London and Paris, as well as seasonal services to Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, Rome, and Reykjavik.

A WestJet Boeing 787 enters the runway at Paine Field in Washington. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Connections on Both Ends

The new route will allow Canadian passengers to connect in Halifax, which, thanks to its position in Eastern Canada, minimizes travel time. During the peak summer season, according to aeroroutes, WestJet plans to offer the following domestic destinations from Halifax:

Destinations	Frequency
Calgary	Up to four daily
Edmonton	Up to two daily
Toronto	Up to two daily
Winnipeg	Daily

The new connection will serve as a new option for travelers from these cities to reach Amsterdam, with an eastbound schedule also designed to cater to connecting domestic flights.

“We are very pleased that WestJet will be resuming service at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and we look forward to welcoming the first flight on 30 May. Halifax is an exciting new destination at Schiphol and will be our sixth in Canada. The deployment of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft contributes to our policy to encourage airlines to operate their quietest and cleanest aircraft at Schiphol,” said Patricia Vitalis, executive director of operations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, in a news release.

On the other end, Amsterdam is the hub of WestJet’s partner KLM. The two airlines have a codeshare agreement and passengers are expected to be able to connect to KLM’s European network on a single ticket, though it is unclear what destinations will be available at this moment.

Anthony Bang An

Anthony is an aviation enthusiast who grew up around the world from St. Louis to Singapore, and now lives in Amsterdam. He loves long-haul flying and finds peace in the sound of engine cruising. He aspires to share his passion for the sky though writing and providing another angle on the stories.