Air France said the service is timed to help travelers from Fort-de-France, Martinique, and Cayenne, French Guiana, reach Panama City via Pointe-à-Pitre.
The carrier’s Caribbean network, anchored in Guadeloupe, includes year-round connections to Martinique, French Guiana, the Dominican Republic, Belém and Fortaleza in Brazil, and Miami.
The airline also offers nonstop service from Paris to Panama City.
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.
CBP Expands ‘Remote’ Baggage Screening at JFK
Passengers arriving from Doha will not have to recheck their luggage for a connecting flight.
New York-JFK. (Photo: John F. Kennedy International Airport)
Passengers flying with Qatar Airways from Doha to New York-JFK no longer have to reclaim and recheck their luggage with customs for a connecting onward flight.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection last month brought the Doha-JFK route into its recently launched International Remote Baggage Screening program, which allows customs officers to inspect the bags of U.S.-bound travelers for potential threats or contraband ahead of time.
With IRBS, security agents at select foreign airports capture X-ray images of checked bags on U.S.-bound flights and transmit them to CBP officers, who remotely review them while the aircraft is en route. In this case, the scans will be sent from Hamad International Airport to JFK.
The approach expedites processing and allows connecting passengers to proceed directly to their onward flight without having to reclaim and recheck their baggage, unless they are selected for additional, in-person inspection.
“The expansion of International Remote Baggage Screening on the Doha-JFK route significantly bolsters our enforcement capabilities,” Diane Sabatino, CBP’s executive assistant commissioner, said in a news release. “This initiative leverages advanced technology and international partnerships to proactively identify and interdict threats before they reach the U.S. By collaborating with Qatar Airways, the Qatar Ministry of the Interior, and the New Terminal One, we are strengthening our security posture and ensuring that all baggage is rigorously screened to prevent the entry of illicit items and protect the homeland.”
CBP tested remote screening in 2025 on American Airlines’ route between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia. The option is now available on a handful of international routes, including United’s service from San Francisco to Sydney and American flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and London Heathrow.
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.
Delta Takes On Alaska With Restored Asia Route
The airline is returning to a market it last served in 2020.
The Atlanta-based carrier will begin daily nonstop flights between Seattle and Tokyo Narita on March 27, 2027. Delta plans to operate the route with an Airbus A330-900neo.
Delta last served the route in 2020, according to Cirium Diio schedule data. Its return will set up head-to-head competition with Alaska, which entered the market following the completion of its acquisition of Hawaiian.
An Alaska Boeing 787. (Photo: Alaska Airlines)
“Japan continues to be one of the most important and beloved destinations in Delta’s global network, and adding Seattle-Narita service gives our customers even more choice when planning their travel,” Jeff Arinder, Delta’s vice president of international network planning, said in a news release.
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.
United last served this route in 2020, according to Cirium Diio schedule data.
San Francisco will be United’s sixth nonstop destination from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, behind Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Washington Dulles, and Newark, New Jersey. United said San Francisco has historically been one of the airport’s largest underserved markets.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International is located in Boone County, Kentucky, and serves the broader Cincinnati metro area and communities around the tripoint of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.
“We’re thrilled to expand United’s presence in Cincinnati with the addition of new nonstop daily service between Cincinnati and San Francisco,” Mark Weithofer, managing director of domestic network planning at United, said in a news release. “This gives travelers in the tri-state region direct access to the West Coast and from there, convenient access to destinations across the Pacific through United’s San Francisco hub.”
The route will be supported in part through a minimum revenue guarantee from the JobsOhio Air Service Restoration program. Financial details were not disclosed.
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.
EasyJet Agrees to $7.7B Takeover By Apollo
Castlelake, which was also in the running, withdrew its bid on Thursday.
An easyJet Airbus A320 aircraft (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
British carrier EasyJet has agreed to be acquired by U.S. asset manager Apollo in a deal that would take the airline private for about $7.7 billion.
EasyJet’s directors said Thursday that they will formally recommend shareholders vote in favor of the buyout, which would entitle each investor to £7.15 in cash per share. The value represents a “significant premium” on the carrier’s current stock price, they added.
“The EasyJet board has carefully evaluated the proposal from Apollo alongside EasyJet’s standalone prospects,” Non-Executive Chairman Stephen Hester said in a news release. “While we remain confident in the strength of our business and the opportunities ahead, we believe this offer appropriately recognises the quality of the business we have built and delivers immediate, certain, and attractive value for shareholders.”
The airline’s leaders also said Apollo is highly supportive of their existing management strategy and believes there is meaningful potential for long-term growth. With a new infusion of capital, they said, Apollo will look to optimize EasyJet’s loyalty program and network, improve revenue management, and pursue new partnership and distribution opportunities.
The announcement came the same day alternative investment firm Castlelake formally withdrew from the bidding process. The company made several offers for EasyJet earlier this summer and appeared to be moving toward a deal until Apollo began its pursuit last month.
Castlelake did not give a reason for dropping its bid.
EasyJet initially insisted that it had no interest in any acquisition, but softened its position as Castlelake gradually increased its offers through June and July. The highest Castlelake offer valued EasyJet at around $7.3 billion.
To comply with EU ownership regulations, the family of EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou and other large shareholders will retain between 45% and 49% of the carrier. An EU trust will hold up to 5%.
Apollo currently owns stakes in Sun Country, Aeroméxico, and Atlas Air.
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.
Seventh 777X Completes First Flight
The aircraft will be used to conduct ETOPS and function and reliability testing.
The seventh 777-9 takes off on its first flight. (Photo: Boeing, Marian Lockhart)
Boeing’s seventh 777-9 took to the skies for the first time late last month as the testing campaign for the long-delayed type appears to be ramping up.
The aircraft departed Paine Field in Everett, Washington, on July 24 and flew for about three hours over Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. It landed back at Paine Field that evening.
According to Boeing, an engineering pilot on board the flight said the airplane performed “beautifully.”
The company said the jet will be used to conduct extended operations (ETOPS) and function and reliability testing over the next several months.
“It’s quite a milestone, but it’s not the end of the line,” JeRae McCoy, 777X change incorporation and refurbishment conformities manager, said in a news release. “We’ve got more work to do to certify this airplane and begin deliveries. We’re going to keep working together to get there.”
The 777X – designed as the successor to the 777 – has faced numerous delays since development began in the early 2010s. Preliminary testing revealed cracks in the aircraft’s engine thrust links, and an “uncommanded pitch event” in 2020 drew intense scrutiny from the FAA. At the same time, Boeing had to shuffle workers and resources to the 737 MAX program after the fatal crash of two MAX jets.
The 777X program has largely stabilized over the last two years, however, and Boeing now expects the type to be certified and enter commercial service in 2027.
More recently, on Aug. 3, Boeing said that it got five 777-9s airborne within 24 hours. Crews conducted systems, propulsion, and interior tests during about 18 hours of flight testing and additional ground tests.
Customers have so far ordered more than 650 777X airplanes.
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.
The carrier announced it will launch nonstop flights between Mumbai and Toronto on Oct. 25. The service will operate three times weekly through March 26, 2027, using 777-300ER aircraft.
Air India said it will be the only airline in the world connecting the two cities.
Dreamliner Upgrade
The carrier is also growing capacity on its existing Delhi-Toronto route with the introduction of the 787-9.
Airline officials said the type entered service on the roughly 7,200-mile connection on Aug. 1.
This winter, seven of the 10 weekly flights between Delhi and Toronto will operate with the 787. The other three weekly flights will transition from the 777-300ER to the 787 in January 2027.
Air India said these changes will increase overall capacity between India and Canada by 4,400 seats each month this winter.
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.
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Fly Baghdad
The Treasury Department formerly accused the carrier of working with the Iranian government.
The Treasury building in Washington, D.C. (Photo: U.S. Department of the Treasury)
The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that it has lifted sanctions on an Iraqi airline that it once linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The department removed all sanctions on Fly Baghdad, also known as Iraq Express, and two of its aircraft, citing a change in the carrier’s behavior. The department did not provide specifics about those changes but emphasized that there has been no shift in U.S. policy toward the Iranian government and the IRGC.
Under the sanctions, Fly Baghdad was barred from using the U.S. banking system, and U.S. citizens and corporations could not do business with it.
The sanctions relief comes as the U.S. and Iran are reportedly nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end their five-month-long war. It was not immediately clear if the federal government’s decision was a part of or influenced by the negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control first sanctioned Fly Baghdad in early 2024, alleging connections to the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, which helps support Iranian-aligned paramilitary groups across the Middle East.
The OFAC accused Fly Baghdad and its executives of laundering money for the Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, ferrying weapons and fighters from Iran to Syria, and supporting groups such as the Syrian Arab Republican Guard and Lebanese Hezbollah. The office’s initial order listed CEO Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani as a “secondary sanctions risk.”
It is not clear if al-Shabbani is still running the airline.
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.
Norse Atlantic Looks for Potential Buyer, Partner
The carrier is struggling to overcome higher jet fuel prices and route disruptions stemming from the war in Iran.
Norwegian low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic is looking for a buyer or partner as it continues efforts to restructure and cut costs.
In a recent statement, the airline acknowledged for the first time that it is exploring a potential merger or sale.
“Given the level of interest received to date as part of the strategic review, the board has decided to move forward with a formal process, which may result in a sale, merger, or partnership,” the carrier said. “Further information will be provided as and when appropriate.”
The announcement came as Norse Atlantic ended an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) agreement with IndiGo, which provided the Indian airline with six Norse Atlantic aircraft. Some of the returning aircraft will be reintegrated into Norse Atlantic’s operations, officials said, while others could be loaned out through a new ACMI deal with a different partner carrier.
“We are grateful for the strong cooperation we have had with IndiGo over the past eighteen months,” Norse Atlantic CEO Eivind Roald said in a news release. “However, there is no doubt that the elevated fuel prices, airspace disruptions, and longer flight routes resulting from the Middle East conflict have affected the commercial viability of the arrangement for both parties. We have therefore jointly concluded that alternative deployment of the aircraft will be more commercially beneficial to both parties.”
Norse Atlantic launched a sweeping restructuring plan earlier this year as higher fuel prices ate into its earnings. The airline laid off staff, furloughed some crew members, and instituted temporary pay cuts for some non-flying crew. It is also in the process of moving its headquarters from Arendal, Norway, to Oslo.
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.
Rival Hiring Surge Drains Sun Country Pilot Ranks
Allegiant says most attrition involves junior Minneapolis pilots, forcing schedule cuts while the airline expands cargo flying.
A Sun Country Boeing 737 (Photo: Shutterstock | Robin Guess)
Sun Country is losing junior pilots to the dominant carrier in its home market at a rate that has forced the airline to cut passenger flying, parent company Allegiant acknowledged Tuesday.
Speaking during Allegiant’s second-quarter earnings call, CEO Greg Anderson said the elevated attrition is concentrated among Sun Country pilots based in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The “vast majority” of those leaving joined the airline within the past three years, he said.
According to Anderson, the pilots are moving to the “largest full-service carrier in MSP” after that airline increased hiring by “maybe double or more.”
He stopped short of naming Delta during the call, which is the airport’s largest airline.
The comments represent Allegiant’s most detailed public explanation yet of the staffing woes at Sun Country, which Allegiant acquired in May.
“In general … we have a number of pilots across both airlines that ultimately, it’s a small number—but ultimately, they want to work for a full-service carrier,” Anderson said.
In a statement provided to AirlineGeeks last month, the company attributed its fall schedule reductions to seasonal demand, higher-than-expected cargo flying, and an expanded pilot pathway program that required experienced pilots to become instructors.
But an internal memo obtained by AirlineGeeks offered a more direct explanation. In the July 3 message, Anderson told employees the cuts were caused by “higher-than-expected front-line crew attrition combined with increased cargo flying.”
Sun Country subsequently removed roughly 348 September departures, equal to about one-third of its previously planned flying for the month. Seven routes were suspended, while several others received significant frequency reductions.
During Tuesday’s call, Anderson confirmed that the attrition and schedule reductions extend beyond a routine seasonal adjustment.
Sun Country and Allegiant 737 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
“Over the past few months, Sun Country has experienced elevated pilot attrition, concentrated among its junior MSP pilots and largely driven by increased hiring at the largest carrier in the Twin Cities,” he said.
“In response to this attrition and elevated fuel prices, we are reducing off-peak capacity in the Twin Cities during the back half of the year,” Anderson added.
Cargo Flying
Although Anderson described the number of departing pilots across Allegiant and Sun Country as relatively small, the operational impact at Sun Country has been substantial enough to reshape its schedule.
The airline’s growing cargo operation compounds the problem.
Sun Country generated a record $50.6 million in cargo revenue during the second quarter and recently added two more aircraft to its Amazon flying.
Allegiant executives said the cargo operation is less efficient on a crew-hour basis during the expansion period and typically draws pilots away from scheduled passenger service.
“As a reminder, at standalone Sun Country and in the current state of integration, cargo flying is less efficient on a crew-hour basis and will typically draw from scheduled service resources during the ramp-up period as additional aircraft enter the cargo program,” Chief Commercial Officer Drew Wells said.
The company expects cargo revenue to increase slightly again in the third quarter.
A Prime Air 737 operated by Sun Country (Photo: Shutterstock | Robin Guess)
Combined scheduled-service capacity at Allegiant and Sun Country is expected to fall approximately 5.5% year over year during the quarter. Executives said Sun Country’s reductions are tied specifically to pilot attrition, increased cargo flying, elevated fuel prices, and broader cuts to off-peak capacity.
“Sun Country additionally pulled down the September capacity in response to elevated pilot attrition and the planned increases in cargo flying,” Wells said.
The staffing problem is emerging during the early stages of Allegiant’s integration of Sun Country. Allegiant completed the acquisition on May 13, meaning Sun Country’s results were included in the combined company’s financial statements for only part of the second quarter.
The two airlines continue to operate under separate certificates, pilot groups, and labor agreements. Allegiant submitted a transition plan to the Federal Aviation Administration and is targeting approval of a single operating certificate during the first half of 2028.
Executives repeatedly emphasized that maintaining stability at both airlines is the company’s immediate priority.
“First and foremost, stability above all,” Anderson said during the call. “Both airlines are performing well operationally and financially.”
But the pilot situation also highlights the different labor environments facing the two carriers.
Legacy Allegiant pilots recently ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, with nearly 80% voting in favor. The deal includes improvements to pay, benefits, quality of life, and scheduling, along with the payout of an approximately $275 million retention bonus that the company had been accruing since 2023.
“We’re very happy to have a deal ratified by our pilots,” Anderson said. “It improves pay, benefits, [and] quality of life.”
Sun Country pilots, meanwhile, remain covered by a separate agreement that became amendable in December 2025. The airline’s approximately 670 pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.
The union previously called the spike in departures “deeply concerning” and urged management to address its underlying causes rather than rely on a short-term response.
Anderson said the airline’s training classes are full and that the supply of qualified applicants remains strong. The company has expanded training in preparation for 2027, with newly hired pilots expected to enter service later this year.
“Our schoolhouse is full,” Anderson said. “It’s full on the Sun Country side. We have multiple classes.”
“The number of applications for candidates, cadets, and pilots is off the charts—very highly qualified—and they value what we offer,” he added.
Allegiant expects to restore growth in Minneapolis in 2027 using a combination of Sun Country- and Allegiant-operated flights. Executives specifically pointed to March 2027 as the period when they want staffing and flying positioned for recovery.
“We’re confident we’ll manage through it,” Anderson said. “It’s a headwind in the near term.”
Still, he stopped short of declaring that attrition has peaked.
“The recent trends over the past couple of weeks have been encouraging, but we’re planning for the worst,” he said. “We’re going to continue to hire and try and get ahead of it as quickly as we can.”
Anderson added that attrition remains “out of our control to a degree.”
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.
