Retrofitted 737 MAX 8s Enter Service With Air Canada Rouge

The carrier is reorganizing its fleet as it prepares to take delivery of new Airbus A321XLRs, A350-1000s, and Boeing 787s.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, March 05, 2026 at 01:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

The first of Air Canada’s upgraded Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets have entered service with its low-cost subsidiary, Rouge.

Air Canada is in the process of moving all of its MAX 8s to Rouge as it prepares to take delivery of new aircraft, specifically the 787-10, Airbus A321XLR, and A350-1000. The carrier is also still taking deliveries of the A220.

As part of the transfer, Air Canada is retrofitting the interiors of the MAX 8s bound for Rouge. Upgrades include personal seatback entertainment systems, reclining seats, and free wireless internet service sponsored by Bell.

Most customers flying Rouge leisure and sun routes across North America will be booked on the upgraded aircraft, officials said on Thursday.

“When customers step onto our aircraft, they should instantly feel a sense of comfort, care, and pride,” Air Canada Executive Vice President and COO Mark Nasr said in a news release. “Supported by award-winning service from co-workers across the company, this renewal program is about delivering that feeling consistently, across every flight.”

Air Canada executives said last year that they aim to move all MAX 8s to Rouge by the end of 2026 while also retiring the subsidiary airline’s older aircraft. Ideally, Rouge will have an all-737 MAX fleet by the end of 2026, they said.

New Crew Base

Also on Thursday, Rouge opened a new crew base in Vancouver. The base will support the expansion of leisure travel in Western Canada, the carrier said, including recently announced winter service from Calgary to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico.

Besides the 737 MAX 8, Rouge also operates A319s, A320s, and A321s. The A319s are set to be retired, while the A320s and A321s will be retrofitted and transferred to Air Canada’s mainline fleet.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

Jet2 Reopens Fully-Funded Pilot Training Program

Last year, the Jet2FlightPath initiative received 18,000 applicants for 60 places.

Lorne Philipot

Thursday, March 05, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET

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Edited By:

Zach Vasile

A Jet2 Boeing 737 (Photo: Shutterstock | InsectWorld)

British low-cost carrier Jet2 has reopened a program that gives aspiring pilots access to fully funded flight training.

The airline recently opened its Jet2FlightPath program for 2026. It will provide at least 60 candidates the opportunity to pilot aircraft without having to self-fund the cost of flight training, which can exceed £‎100,000.

The relaunch of the program is due to the huge interest in the inaugural program, which launched last year.

As a result, 60 candidates are already working their way through an 18-month Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) training course on their way to becoming pilots.

Last year, the program received 18,000 applications for its 60 places. Successful candidates came from various backgrounds, including school leavers, university graduates, schoolteachers, and police officers.

The Jet2FlightPath program aims to boost social mobility and promote diversity within the pilot community. Over 20% of last year’s candidates were women.

After a selection process that includes assessments and interviews, successful candidates are invited onto the 18-month ATPL course in the U.K., Spain, or the U.S. Training will begin this year.

After completing the ATPL course, trainees will be offered type rating training on either an Airbus or Boeing aircraft before they can fly for the airline.

Jet2 is the U.K.’s third-largest airline. It employs over 2,000 pilots and will operate a fleet of 138 aircraft this summer.

To apply, applicants need at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including maths and a science subject, or equivalent qualifications.

Further details and information on how to apply are available at www.jet2careers.com/pilot-careers/jet2flightpath/.

Lorne Philipot

Lorne is a South Africa-based aviation journalist. He was captivated and fascinated by flying from the day he took his first airline flight. With a passion for aviation in his blood, he has flown to destinations in all corners of the globe. Lorne has traveled extensively and lived in various countries. Drawing on his travels and passion for aviation, Lorne enjoys writing about airlines, routes, networks, and new developments.

Delta Announces Leadership Shake-Up

The carrier named a new president, CFO, and operations chief.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, March 05, 2026 at 10:15 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Delta A220-100. (Photo: Shutterstock | Minh K Tran)

Delta on Thursday announced plans to reshuffle its top ranks, with a new president in line to succeed Glen Hauenstein and a longtime operations executive set to retire after 32 years.

In a statement, CEO Ed Bastian said Peter Carter has been promoted to president. Carter will step into an expanded role, with responsibility for enterprise strategy in addition to global policy and legal matters, Delta’s international portfolio, real estate, and sustainability and diversity teams.

According to his company biography, Carter is currently chief external affairs officer.

Delta announced Hauenstein’s retirement in December, and he left the airline last month.

Longtime operations head John Laughter is set to retire effective April 30, Bastian announced. Laughter has worked for Delta for 32 years and serves as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and president of Delta TechOps.

Bastian credited Laughter with leading Delta’s teams “through some of the most challenging and exciting times in our history.”

“John has always been known as a servant leader and advocate for Delta’s people-focused culture,” he said. “I want to personally thank John for all he has done to serve our employees, our customers, and our communities during his tenure at Delta.”

CFO Dan Janki has been selected to succeed Laughter as chief operating officer, while Alain Bellemare, executive vice president and president of international, will take on the additional role of chairman of Delta TechOps.

Erik Snell, who most recently served as chief customer experience officer, has been appointed CFO.

Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillman is departing the company and will be replaced by Ranjan Goswami.

In his remarks, Bastian said the leadership changes “demonstrate Delta’s deep bench of talent and commitment to developing and uplifting the leaders who will shape Delta’s journey for years to come.”

Zach Vasile

DOT Approves American Flights to Venezuela

The carrier will connect Miami with Caracas and Maracaibo.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, March 04, 2026 at 05:22 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An American Eagle E175 (Photo: Shutterstock | Austin Deppe)

The Transportation Department on Wednesday approved American Airlines’ request to operate flights to and from Venezuela, setting the stage for the first U.S. commercial service to the country in about seven years.

American plans to connect Miami with Caracas and Maracaibo. The carrier will operate the routes through its subsidiary Envoy Air.

It was not immediately clear when flights would begin.

The DOT and Department of Homeland Security suspended passenger and cargo flights to and from Venezuela in May 2019, citing risks to customers, air crews, and aircraft. But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy canceled that directive in January, shortly after U.S. military and law enforcement detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Relations between the two countries have improved somewhat since Maduro’s removal, with President Donald Trump telling reporters that he believes he can work with Venezuela’s new leadership.

According to Reuters, TSA staff were recently in Caracas to review airport safety procedures, a necessary step before approvals could be issued.

American was the first U.S. carrier to announce plans to resume service to Venezuela.

Zach Vasile

United to Remove Passengers Who Refuse to Use Headphones

The carrier recently added the rule to its official terms of service.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, March 04, 2026 at 04:40 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A United Boeing 737 MAX 9. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

United is cracking down on passengers who listen to their phones and other devices without headphones.

The airline recently updated its “contract of carriage,” which outlines its booking and service policies. Under its “refusal of transport” subsection, the carrier said it now reserves the right to remove and permanently ban “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”

United added the language some time earlier this week but did not announce it through its usual media channels. News outlets began reporting on the update on Tuesday.

Experts cited by CBS News said United is the first major U.S. carrier to implement such a rule.

United already prohibits voice and video calls after an aircraft’s doors have been closed.

Zach Vasile

American Blames United for Scheduling Problems at Chicago O’Hare

The FAA is planning to reduce flights at the airport this spring and summer.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, March 04, 2026 at 01:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

American Boeing 737 at O'Hare. (Photo: Shutterstock | Nate Hovee)

As the FAA steps in to resolve overscheduling at Chicago O’Hare, American Airlines is placing the blame squarely on rival United.

In a message to employees, the carrier said “senior representatives” will participate in a meeting with the FAA on Wednesday to work through the issue, and took a jab at its competitor.

“Today, the FAA is bringing together airlines for a ‘schedule reduction meeting’ in Washington, D.C., to proactively address and reduce the overscheduling at ORD, driven by United,” the airline said. “Based on published schedules for summer 2026, the airport is scheduled well beyond what it can operationally handle, even on a good weather day – a trajectory that puts ORD on track for significant delays this summer and risks repeating the challenges experienced at Newark (EWR) last year.”

Both American and United have expanded their summer schedules at O’Hare in a bid to capture market share. The carriers also compete aggressively for gates, which are allocated by the City of Chicago based on recent flight numbers.

United was given five more gates at O’Hare last year despite complaints from American.

United 767-400 — A United Boeing 767-400 (Photo: Shutterstock |
MC MEDIASTUDIO)

American has said it needs to add flights at the airport to restore its pre-pandemic capacity.

FAA-directed cuts in Chicago could affect passengers flying to, from, or through the city in the coming months.

Regulators said last week that the published schedule for O’Hare shows over 3,000 takeoffs and landings on peak summer days, which is hundreds more than last year. That level of traffic risks overwhelming operations and degrading infrastructure, they said.

The FAA is expected to make a final announcement on reductions after the meeting. The cutbacks would take effect during the summer travel season, which runs from March 29 through Oct. 25.

The agency is reportedly looking to cap daily flights at around 2,800.

Zach Vasile

SeaPort Adds New Commuter Service at Boeing Field

Flights will start next week.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, March 04, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

One of SeaPort Airlines' Pilatus PC-12s outside Felts Field in Spokane. (Photo: SeaPort Airlines)

SeaPort Airlines is preparing to launch a new route between Seattle and eastern Washington state.

Starting March 9, the carrier will connect Boeing Field with Felts Field near Spokane. The “shuttle” service will operate eight times per day, officials said, with two round trip flights in the morning and two in the evening.

SeaPort said service from Boeing Field offers an “easy and fast” alternative to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the busiest airport in the state and the region.

“The Sea-Tac mega airport has outgrown short-hop travel in the Pacific Northwest,” SeaPort Airlines CEO Kent Craford said in a news release. “The solution is 100 years old, and it’s under our noses. It’s Boeing Field.”

“As Alaska Airlines becomes a competitive global airline, SeaPort Airlines is ready to become the Pacific Northwest’s regional airline,” he continued. “Boeing Field-based flights bring fun and ease back to air travel with a simple and vastly superior way of getting you to Portland or Spokane that saves hours per trip.”

Officials also highlighted free parking at both Boeing Field and Felts Field and “short, easy trips to downtown Seattle and Spokane,” respectively.

SeaPort currently connects Boeing Field and Portland International Airport in Oregon with up to 16 daily flights.

Only SeaPort and Kenmore Air offer regular scheduled service from Boeing Field. The site’s lack of infrastructure and close proximity to Seattle-Tacoma have generally kept away larger commercial carriers.

“The big airlines have an unspoken pact to avoid Boeing Field, going back to the 1990s when Southwest Airlines considered it,” Craford said. “But we’re not a party to that deal, and neither are you. It’s time to stop reserving this amazing transportation asset for just the private jet-set and start making it available for everyone. That’s what SeaPort’s Boeing Field air shuttle is doing – making Boeing Field the peoples’ airport once again.”

SeaPort is a division of the Alaska-based Kalinin group of regional airlines, which also includes Alaska Seaplanes and Island Air Express.

Zach Vasile

Reno-Tahoe Airport Starts Concourse Expansion Project

Concourses A and B are expected to be complete by late 2029.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, March 04, 2026 at 11:20 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

The entrance of Reno-Tahoe International Airport. (Photo: Reno-Tahoe International Airport)

Work is now underway on a $650 million concourse expansion project at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada.

The airport is building two new concourses, A and B, which will replace and rename the existing B and C concourses. The planned facilities will be almost twice as large, officials said, and will include gates that can be used by aircraft of all sizes.

Concourses B and C, designed in the late 1970s and put up in the early ‘80s, were built to accommodate jets such as the 737-200, which are somewhat undersized by today’s standards.

A 10-year lease agreement with airlines at Reno-Tahoe is helping support the project.

Officials at this week's groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo: Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority) — Officials at this week’s groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo: Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority)

“Today’s groundbreaking of the New Gen A [and] B Concourses marks a defining moment for our airport and our region,” Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Interim President and CEO Cris Jensen said in a news release. “This milestone means every project in our MoreRNO Infrastructure Program is now either complete or actively in progress.”

Construction will begin in phases, starting with Concourse A, officials said. Both concourses are expected to be complete by late 2029.

The new facilities were designed in partnership with McCarthy Building Companies and Gensler. They will feature upgraded technology, improved wayfinding and signage, expanded hold rooms, concessions and amenities, improved restroom facilities, and dual taxi lanes between concourses to support quicker aircraft turnaround times.

Plans also call for a “modern mountain aesthetic” inside concourses A and B, with windows offering views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada.

Eleven airlines currently operate from Reno-Tahoe, including Southwest, United, Delta, American, Alaska, Frontier, and JSX.

Zach Vasile

Lufthansa 747-8i Gets 100th Anniversary Livery

The aircraft will reenter service with its new design this week.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, March 04, 2026 at 09:55 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Lufthansa's 747 with its special livery. (Photo: Lufthansa)

Lufthansa is one step closer to filling out its special 100th anniversary fleet.

A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i received the carrier’s commemorative livery – dark blue with an oversized white crane – at a facility in San Bernardino, California. The aircraft, registered as D-ABYN and nicknamed “Niedersachsen,” is expected to depart for Munich on Wednesday and arrive there on Thursday.

The 747 will officially reenter service on Friday, with a nonstop flight to Los Angeles, officials said.

Lufthansa's 747 with its special livery. (Photo: Lufthansa) — Lufthansa’s 747 with its special livery. (Photo: Lufthansa)

The jumbo jet is the sixth aircraft to receive Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary design. Last week, an Airbus A380 and A320neo also bearing the livery landed back in Munich after paint work outside Germany.

An A350, a 787-9, and another A320neo are already flying with the extra-large crane.

This fall, an A350-1000 will also get the new livery, completing the anniversary fleet, according to Lufthansa.

The airline dates its formation to predecessor company Deutsche Luft Hansa’s founding in 1926. Deutsche Luft Hansa also used the flying crane logo.

Zach Vasile

Singapore A350 Clips Wing on Spirit Aircraft

The incident happened Tuesday morning at Newark.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, March 03, 2026 at 04:10 PM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 clipped its right wing on the tail of a Spirit aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday.

The incident happened while the A350 was pushing back from its gate at Terminal B, according to WABC-TV. The Spirit airplane, an A321, was stationary and going through deicing ahead of service to Orlando, Florida.

No injuries to passengers or crew on either aircraft were reported.

Spirit took the A321 out of service pending an evaluation by its maintenance team. The carrier said it made alternate arrangements to get customers to their final destinations.

The Singapore Airlines flight was about to take off for Changi Airport in Singapore. Service was delayed while another aircraft was brought in.

The FAA is investigating the accident.

Zach Vasile