A Delta A350-900XWB (Photo: Shutterstock | GingChen)
Delta is adding another transpacific route from Los Angeles as it works to strengthen the airport’s role in its international network.
The airline will begin nonstop service between Los Angeles and Manila on March 28, 2027. Flights will initially operate three times per week before increasing to daily service on June 7.
Delta plans to fly the route with an Airbus A350-900 configured with Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort, and Main Cabin seating.
“Customers traveling through Los Angeles continue to benefit from Delta’s investments in LAX, including an expanding Asia-Pacific network and the opening of our second Delta One Lounge,” said Jeff Arinder, Delta’s vice president of network planning, in a news release. “The addition of Manila builds on the world-class travel experience our customers have come to expect from Delta while strengthening our position as LAX’s leading global carrier and premier West Coast hub.”
The new service will mark Delta’s first nonstop flight to the Philippines. It will also make the carrier the only U.S. airline offering regular service between Los Angeles and Manila.
Delta last served Manila in 2020 with fifth-freedom flights from Tokyo Narita.
The route adds to a recent wave of international growth for Delta at Los Angeles. The carrier has added or restored service to Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Shanghai while also expanding its domestic schedule at the airport.
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.
The airline said it will connect several major markets, add routes and flights from focus cities such as Austin, Texas, and Orlando, Florida, and increase flights on certain existing routes in time for next year’s spring break.
The new connections will launch in March 2027; the airline did not provide exact start dates.
The new routes are:
Austin to Detroit; four times weekly
Austin to San Jose, Costa Rica; weekly on Saturdays
Orlando to New York-LaGuardia; three times daily
Orlando to Pensacola, Florida; daily
Baltimore to Philadelphia; twice daily
Dallas Love Field to Detroit; daily except for Saturdays
Nashville, Tennessee, to Des Moines, Iowa; daily
Nashville to Wichita, Kansas; daily
Las Vegas to Boston; frequency not specified
Las Vegas to Miami; frequency not specified
Las Vegas to Philadelphia; frequency not specified
Las Vegas to Knoxville, Tennessee; frequency not specified
Nashville to Aruba; Saturdays only
Nashville to Liberia, Costa Rica; Saturdays only
Nashville to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Saturdays only
Nashville to St. Thomas; Saturdays only
Columbus, Ohio, to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Saturdays only
San Diego to Kona, Hawaii; weekends only
San Diego to Līhuʻe, Hawaii; weekends only
Existing routes set for expansion include:
Austin to Steamboat Springs, Colorado; increased service on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
Austin to Montrose, Colorado; increased service on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
Honolulu to Burbank, California; increase to five times weekly
Honolulu to Ontario, California; increase to five times weekly
Las Vegas to Honolulu; new “reverse redeye” departing at 2:45 a.m.
Tickets for these flights are now available for purchase.
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.
Former FedEx CFO Joins American’s Board of Directors
John W. Dietrich also previously served as president and CEO of Atlas Air.
“John possesses a distinguished professional background and a proven track record over his 35 years of aerospace leadership,” American Chairman Greg Smith said in a statement. “His extensive experience – coupled with his reputation and success in managing complex, capital-intensive operations as well as his insights into financial discipline, risk management, and governance – will significantly enhance the board’s capabilities as we prioritize long-term performance and shareholder value.”
Prior to joining FedEx in 2023, Dietrich worked for over 20 years at cargo airline Atlas Air. He held numerous senior leadership positions at Atlas, including CEO, president, board member, chief of operations, and, earlier in his career, general counsel. He also worked for over a decade at United, the majority of the time as an attorney.
Dietrich currently serves as chairman of the National Defense Transportation Association and on the boards of AAR Corporation and First Horizon Corporation. He is also a former member and chairman of the National Air Carrier Association and a former member of the International Air Transport Association’s board of governors.
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.
Report: Aer Lingus to Cut Some U.S. Routes
The carrier is considering laying off hundreds of workers.
An Aer Lingus Airbus A330-300 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus has proposed eliminating up to 500 positions and will axe routes to the U.S. and Europe as it works to reduce expenses, the BBC reported Thursday.
Up to 290 workers could be let go at the airline’s head office at Dublin Airport, the outlet said, along with 140 cabin crew and 70 pilots.
Aer Lingus currently has around 6,000 employees in total.
The carrier told the BBC that it is responding to higher jet fuel prices, increased competition on transatlantic routes, a worsening macroeconomic environment, and first-quarter losses of about $117 million. The airline’s leadership is reportedly looking to achieve a 12% to 15% operating margin, which would make the company more attractive to investors.
Airline spending on jet fuel has essentially doubled since February due to the on-again, off-again closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Route Cuts
Aer Lingus is also aiming for a 6% reduction in overall flight capacity, which would entail ending some routes and sidelining some aircraft.
According to the BBC, the carrier will discontinue service between Dublin and Denver, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, and Seattle.
Aer Lingus currently serves over 20 destinations in the U.S. from Dublin.
Connections to European destinations such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, Malta, and Split, Croatia, could also be axed.
Labor unions representing Aer Lingus workers said they will start discussions with the airline in an attempt to minimize layoffs.
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.
Crew Attrition Forces Sun Country Schedule Cuts
The carrier reduced roughly one-third of its September flying as it balances pilot staffing with increased cargo demand.
A Sun Country Boeing 737-800 (Photo: Shutterstock | Natmac Stock)
Sun Country reduced its September schedule after higher-than-expected crew attrition and additional cargo flying created staffing pressure, according to an internal memo viewed by AirlineGeeks.
In a July 3 message to Allegiant and Sun Country flight crews, Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson said the carrier trimmed its fall scheduled capacity “due to higher-than-expected front-line crew attrition combined with increased cargo flying.”
Anderson said passenger and cargo operations rely on the same crews. He described the reductions as temporary and said the company is increasing pilot hiring to rebuild staffing in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
In a separate statement to AirlineGeeks, the company attributed the reductions to seasonal demand, higher-than-expected cargo flying, and an expanded pilot pathway program that requires experienced pilots to move into instructor roles.
Sun Country removed roughly 348 September departures from its schedule, representing about one-third of the month’s previously planned flying, according to Cirium Diio schedule data.
The reductions are largely limited to September. Schedules from October 2026 through April 2027 remain mostly unchanged, while the airline added flights on several routes, including additional service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Providence, Rhode Island.
September Suspensions
In total, Sun Country reduced service on 34 routes. Seven Minneapolis routes were suspended for the month: Cancún; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Asheville and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Baltimore/Washington; and Phoenix-Mesa.
Several routes that remain scheduled also received significant cuts. Flights between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Los Angeles were reduced by approximately 39%, while Orlando and San Francisco saw similar reductions. Chicago O’Hare service was cut by about 62%.
Sun Country has continued expanding its cargo operation for Amazon Air using Boeing 737 freighters. In January, the airline also opened its first operational base outside Minneapolis at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, a major hub for Amazon’s air cargo network.
In the memo, Anderson said Allegiant and Sun Country will continue operating as separate airlines under separate operating certificates until the Federal Aviation Administration approves a single operating certificate. He estimated that process could take between 18 and 24 months.
An Allegiant Airbus A320 (Photo: Shutterstock | Joe A. Kunzler)
Each pilot group will also remain under its existing collective bargaining agreement until joint contract negotiations begin, according to Anderson.
The company does not expect to close additional bases beyond the previously announced Savannah, Georgia, and Bellingham, Washington, locations. Anderson also said future growth in Minneapolis would include additional locally based crews rather than displacing existing employees, though some flying could eventually be operated from legacy Allegiant bases.
Sun Country’s approximately 670 pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. Their contract became amendable in December 2025.
Allegiant pilots, represented by the Teamsters, reached a tentative agreement on July 11 that includes pay increases and an estimated $300 million in retention bonuses.
“The spike in attrition among our pilot group is deeply concerning,” Capt. Sam Larson, chair of the Sun Country Master Executive Council, said in a statement provided to AirlineGeeks. “We expect management to address the root causes without delay and to make the long-term stability of this airline and our pilots the priority, not a short-term fix.”
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.
The vote does not necessarily mean that WestJet’s flight attendants will go on strike, only that they could in the future. After a mandated 21-day “cooling off” period, the soonest the group could stop working is Aug. 2.
“The members of CUPE 8125 are united and determined,” local president Alia Hussain said in a statement. “They voted to strike because they stand behind the bargaining priorities that they have identified, especially pay for all hours of work performed. WestJet should do the right thing and prevent travel disruptions for their passengers.”
WestJet and its unionized flight attendants have been negotiating for a new labor contract for months. The current contract, which came into effect in 2021, became amendable at the end of 2025.
According to the CBC, WestJet leaders have acknowledged that some changes will be needed to keep the flight attendants’ pay ahead of inflation, but it is not clear if they will accept CUPE’s demand for a new pay model, which would provide compensation for duties and hours worked outside of flights. The airline has argued that it already pays for those extra hours with an above-standard “credit hour” system.
Similar concerns underlined a short-lived flight attendant strike at Air Canada last year.
WestJet is Canada’s second-largest airline, and a strike by flight attendants would cancel hundreds of flights per day, snarling the country’s air transportation system.
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.
Qantas A321 Becomes First Freighter to Land at New Sydney Airport
The city’s second international airport will officially open to the public on Oct. 25.
Qantas said the A321 flew into Western Sydney as part of a readiness flight that helped validate new operational processes for the airport, including aircraft handling, ground operations, airside coordination, and cargo transfer procedures.
Regular domestic freighter operations are set to commence at Western Sydney on July 27, and Qantas will be by far the largest cargo operator there.
Western Sydney Airport, also referred to as Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, is located in Luddenham and Badgerys Creek, about 30 miles west of downtown Sydney. It will supplement Sydney Airport, the busiest airport in Australia and the main hub for Qantas.
Australian officials debated building a second international airport in Sydney for decades. The federal government selected the site for Western Sydney Airport in 2014, and construction on the main facilities began in 2018.
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.
UPS, Boeing Hit With New Lawsuit Over 2025 Louisville Crash
The accident killed 15 and resulted in the temporary grounding of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
A UPS MD-11F. (Photo: Shutterstock | Austin Deppe)
The family of a man who was fatally injured when a cargo aircraft plowed into an industrial area outside Louisville, Kentucky, last year is suing several companies they say are responsible for his death, including UPS and Boeing.
A complaint filed earlier this week in Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky seeks compensation for relatives of Matthew Sweets, a 37-year-old electrician in training and father of two. Sweets was inside Grade-A Auto Parts, a parts and scrap metal recycling business, on Nov. 4, 2025, when wreckage from a UPS-operated McDonnell Douglas MD-11 hit the building. He suffered third-degree burns over most of his body and died two days later at University of Louisville Hospital.
Attorneys representing Sweets’ family said his death is directly attributable to the actions of UPS, Boeing, GE, and VT San Antonio Aerospace.
Boeing manufactured the last of the MD-11s after acquiring McDonnell Douglas in 1997 and assumed responsibility for the fleet’s maintenance and continued airworthiness; GE designed and manufactured the three CF6 engines installed on the accident aircraft, registered as N259UP. VT San Antonio Aerospace, of Texas, performed maintenance, inspection, and repair work on the airplane prior to the crash.
All four companies have been targeted in other lawsuits connected to the accident. Each has declined to comment while the cases are ongoing.
The most recent complaint alleges that Boeing did not do enough to address known problems with the MD-11’s engine pylon assembly. The NTSB has linked the crash of N259UP to the failure of the aircraft’s left pylon, which caused the left engine to detach from the wing shortly after takeoff.
Both Boeing and UPS were aware of earlier issues with the pylon’s bearing race assembly but did not report them to the FAA, the attorneys wrote. Boeing was also faulted for failing to reclassify the bearing race assembly in a manner that would have increased the frequency of inspections.
GE and VT San Antonio are accused of breaching their duty of care by failing to identify or address the risk of a structural failure in the engine pylon.
“The defendants knew that MD-11s were compromised,” the lawsuit reads. “They knew, and they flew them anyway.”
The crash of UPS Flight 2976 killed all three crew members and 12 people on the ground, including Sweets. The aircraft was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of jet fuel for the flight from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport to Honolulu, and when it crashed the fuel ignited in a massive explosion. Nearby tanks of lubricating oil, hydraulic oil, transmission fluid, and diesel fuel also went up in flames, resulting in a fire that took over a day to contain.
The global MD-11 fleet was temporarily grounded until Boeing developed and implemented a repair protocol. FedEx’s MD-11s began to reenter service in May. UPS has permanently retired the type.
Lawyers representing Sweets’ family did not attach a dollar amount to their claims but said they will seek compensatory and punitive damages, in addition to attorney fees.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
American Starts Second Service to Venezuela
Flights will operate daily using Embraer E175 aircraft.
An American Eagle E175. (Photo: Shutterstock | Austin Deppe)
American Airlines on Tuesday launched nonstop service between Miami and Maracaibo, Venezuela, the carrier’s second connection to the country.
Going forward, flights will operate daily using Embraer E175 aircraft. The carrier is using La Chinita International Airport, which is located south of Maracaibo proper.
American reestablished the air link between the U.S. and Venezuela in April with the resumption of flights between Miami and Caracas. The federal government banned passenger and cargo flights to and from Venezuela in 2019 as the country entered a period of extreme economic and political instability, but that order was reversed in January following the capture and extradition of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Relations between the two governments have somewhat normalized in the months since.
American’s service to Caracas has been suspended since June 24, when two earthquakes caused significant widespread damage across northwestern and central Venezuela. Flights will resume when the airport in Caracas reopens to commercial traffic, the airline said.
United plans to resume nonstop service between Houston Bush and Caracas next month. JetBlue has said it will connect Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Caracas, but no start date has been announced.
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.
Hawaiian Drops Seasonal Route as Alaska Adds Winter Flights
The carriers are prioritizing domestic connections to Hawaii to meet strong demand.
Most notably, Alaska will launch new nonstop service between Honolulu and Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington. Flights between Honolulu and Boise will operate daily between Dec. 17 and March 21, 2027, while flights between Honolulu and Spokane will run weekly, on Saturdays, from Dec. 19 to April 17, 2027. Both connections will use Alaska-branded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Demand from Boise and Spokane has been particularly strong during the winter and early spring seasons, Alaska officials said, with a significant number of travelers continuing to the Hawaiian islands beyond Oʻahu.
The carrier will be the only airline in the world linking Honolulu with the two Pacific Northwest cities when flights begin in December.
Hawaiian Ends International Route
Hawaiian, meanwhile, will expand capacity on certain existing routes, including Honolulu-to-Las Vegas, which will see additional flights during peak travel periods in the winter and spring. Exact dates were not provided.
As part of the schedule adjustment, Hawaiian will drop its seasonal service to Auckland, New Zealand, officials said. The service, which operated three times weekly during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, was set to resume in November.
The airline also cited high fuel costs, soft demand recovery in international Pacific markets, unfavorable exchange rates, and “evolving global travel trends” in its decision to exit Auckland.
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.
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