A Bombardier CRJ Series aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks / Fabian Behr)
United Nigeria Airlines is aiming to launch nonstop flights to the U.S. this year, a significant expansion for a carrier that currently flies only within West Africa.
At a recent press conference, Chairman Obiora Okonkwo said the private airline will add destinations in the U.S., continental Europe, the U.K., and the Middle East by the summer, according to a report from ch-aviation.
“By the end of the second quarter of 2026, United Nigeria Airlines will fly direct to New York,” he said.
It was not clear which New York-area airport United Nigeria is planning to serve.
The carrier is also working to set up routes to Rome, Dubai, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Okonkwo said. Regional routes to Dakar, Monrovia, Liberia, and Johannesburg are also under consideration.
Currently, United Nigeria flies within Nigeria and to Accra, Ghana.
The airline is building up its fleet of longer-range aircraft to support the planned routes. It recently acquired six Boeing 737-800 Next Gen aircraft from Southwest and is in talks for three more of the same type, ch-aviation reported. United Nigeria is also leasing two Airbus A330s from Air Anka.
Previously, the carrier operated only Embraer ERJ 145s.
Okonkwo also said that, within three to five years, United Nigeria will be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
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.
Aviation Upcycler Offers Special Piece of Airbus A380
New aluminum tags commemorate Lufthansa’s “Berlin.”
A company that turns decommissioned aircraft into keepsakes is offering aviation enthusiasts their own piece of a Lufthansa Airbus A380.
Aviationtag is selling white aluminum tags made from D-AIMI, which was nicknamed “Berlin” while in service. The aircraft was operated by Lufthansa between 2012 and 2021.
Officials noted that D-AIMI was taken out of service during the COVID-19 pandemic at a relatively young age for a long-haul widebody aircraft.
Tag made from the A380. (Photo: Aviationtag)
“This edition is for everyone who didn’t just see the A380, but felt it: the boarding moment, the calm inside that vast fuselage, the unique tension right before pushback,” Aviationtag said in a statement. “Every tag is one of a kind – marked by the subtle traces that make aircraft material genuinely authentic. In your hand is aluminum from D-AIMI: material that’s been out there, lived through wind and weather, and now gets a second life as a tag – whether you keep it as a collectible, clip it to your keys, or carry it as a small everyday memory anchor.”
The company has made tags out of A380s in the past. Airbus stopped production of the jet in 2021.
On its website, Aviationtag sells pieces made from a wide variety of commercial, military, and general aviation aircraft. Among the carriers and air forces it sources from are DHL Express, Emirates, Korean Air, the Royal Air Force, and the U.S. Air Force.
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.
Lufthansa, Air India Expand Partnership, Will Coordinate on Routes
The carriers aim to grow traffic between Europe and India.
A Lufthansa A340-300. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Noah Escobar)
Lufthansa Group and Air India will deepen cooperation on everything from routes to IT in a new push to boost connectivity between Europe and India.
The two carriers announced a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday that substantially enlarges their existing relationship. An interline arrangement of some kind is implied, with the airlines set to offer “more connected and consistent experiences across some of the world’s busiest routes on a single ticket.”
The agreement is meant to capitalize on business opportunities “unlocked” by a recent free trade pact signed by the Europe Union and India, the partners said.
Under the MOU, Lufthansa Group and Air India will collaborate in areas such as route planning, flight scheduling, loyalty programs, information technology, and customer service and experience. Previously, their relationship had been limited to codesharing and shared membership in Star Alliance.
Officials said the deal encompasses all of Lufthansa Group’s and Air India’s carriers and subsidiaries, such as Air India Express, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS.
Air India’s first A350 aircraft. (Photo: Air India)
The partners will initially focus on growing traffic between India and Lufthansa’s home markets, specifically Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. The MOU would eventually expand to cover the rest of Europe and the Indian subcontinent.
“Today’s agreement with our long-standing Star Alliance partner Air India is a strong signal of our mutual determination to open a new chapter in aviation between the EU and India following the landmark trade agreement between both economic regions,” Carsten Spohr, chairman and CEO of Lufthansa Group, said in a news release. “Together with Air India, we will strengthen our access to the aviation market with the highest growth rates worldwide.”
“This milestone in our deepening relationship with the Lufthansa Group is great news for travelers and enterprises alike between India and Europe,” added Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson. “As Air India continues to expand its global footprint with a fast-modernizing fleet and transformed product and service offerings, this framework enables us to explore closer cooperation on multiple fronts to meet the growing trade, commerce, and people-to-people ties between our respective regions.”
Lufthansa Group and Air India carriers currently codeshare on 145 routes across 29 cities in Europe and 15 in India.
In its reporting on the deal, Bloomberg said Lufthansa is likely using its alliance with Air India to push back on rapidly growing Middle East carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, which compete in some of the same markets.
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.
United Orders 300 GEnx Engines for 787s
The agreement extends the carrier’s partnership with GE Aerospace.
United currently operates around 80 787s and will take delivery of dozens more over the coming decade. Its in-service Dreamliners also use the GEnx.
“GE Aerospace has an enduring relationship with United that spans decades,” Mohamed Ali, president and CEO of GE Aerospace commercial engines and services, said in a news release. “This deal will make United the largest GEnx operator in the world, and we’re honored they continue to choose us to power their success.”
Dreamliner operators have two options to power the aircraft – the GEnx and Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000. About two-thirds of the global fleet use the GEnx.
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.
Spirit A320neos Sold, Set for Teardown
The aircraft will be disassembled in Goodyear, Arizona, and their parts sent to Dallas.
Irish aviation asset management and trading firm EirTrade said Monday that it acquired the two aircraft in partnership with Chicago-based aviation and rail lessor RESIDCO.
The jets, at four and three and a half years old, are the youngest A320neo airframes ever to be scrapped for parts, according to EirTrade officials.
Disassembly will take place in Goodyear, Arizona, and all parts will go to the company’s hub in Dallas to support aircraft-on-ground requests from across North and South America.
“We are focused on newer vintage aircraft to ensure that our inventory contains the highest quality rotables which ensure that our customers can be supported with the latest modification standard components,” Bill Thompson, vice president of origination and trading for the Americas at EirTrade, said in a news release. “We have also acquired four sets of in-demand LRU and BFE components from the PW1100 engine type within this significant transaction.”
EirTrade estimated that there are over 4,400 A320neos in commercial service and another 7,200 on order, creating substantial demand for parts. And this figures excludes an in-service fleet of about 6,500 A320ceos, which use many of the same components.
“Given the size of the fleet and Airbus orderbook, this platform will remain the largest segment of the global commercial fleet with demand for USM increasing accordingly,” Thompson added.
EirTrade said that all parts from the aircraft will be repaired and made available for the market by the end of the first quarter.
Spirit has been selling off aircraft as it works to shrink its fleet and reduce costs. The carrier has been under bankruptcy protection since August 2025.
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.
Frontier Launches Two Routes
Both connections are being brought back after a four-year pause.
The carrier started service between Miami and Chicago O’Hare and between Orlando and Pensacola. The Miami-Chicago route will operate three times per week, while the Orlando-Pensacola route will run twice a week.
“We are pleased to launch convenient and affordable flight options between these destinations just in time for the busy spring break season,” Josh Flyr, Frontier’s vice president of network and operations design, said in a news release.
Frontier last served the two routes in 2022. It announced plans to add them back late last year.
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 commence service to Bangkok from Sept. 15. Flydubai will operate double-daily flights from Dubai International to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok.
The airline will operate this service from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.
It will codeshare the route with Emirates, which offers a full-service product to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the city’s primary airport for full-service carriers.
Don Mueang is the second of Bangkok’s international airports. It handles mainly budget airlines operating domestic and regional flights. These include Air Asia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and Batik Air.
“Thailand remains a very popular destination for both leisure and business travel,” Hamad Obaidalla, Flydubai’s chief commercial officer, said in a news release. “The launch of our double-daily service to Bangkok reflects continued demand across our network and underscores our commitment to providing our customers with more convenient and flexible travel options.”
Expansion in Southeast Asia
Bangkok will become Flydubai’s second destination in Thailand. The carrier already flies into Krabi, in southern Thailand.
The addition of Bangkok will take Flydubai’s Thailand operations to 28 weekly flights.
The carrier also offers service to Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia.
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.
American Plans New Lounge in Chicago
Construction is now underway in O'Hare's Concourse L.
Construction on the over 10,000-square-foot space in Concourse L is now underway, the carrier announced last week. The new lounge will eventually replace American’s existing Admirals Club at O’Hare, also situated in Concourse L.
That lounge will remain open through construction of the new facility.
The new Admirals Club will feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the runway and design elements inspired by the city, officials said.
“We’re helping customers at ORD connect to the world with more than 500 flights daily and we want to offer a premium experience from start to finish,” Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, said in a news release. “The new Admirals Club lounge will offer more seating and upgraded amenities and fully reflect the standards our customers expect when visiting one of our lounges.”
The carrier did not say when the new space will open to members.
American has three Admirals Clubs and one Flagship lounge in Terminal 3 at Chicago O’Hare.
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 Pays Out $1.3 Billion in Profit Sharing
Employees will also get a raise this year, executives said.
Airline officials said the payout represents about 9% of workers’ eligible annual earnings, or over four weeks of extra pay. This year’s bonus is among the largest in the company’s history.
“Sharing our success is central to our values,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a news release. “That’s why we’ve paid more than $11 billion in profits directly to our employees worldwide since 2015. Congratulations to every member of the Delta team on this well-earned payout and thank you for your outstanding performance taking care of our customers in 2025.”
Airline leaders also said that employees will receive a pay increase this year. More details will be shared soon, they said.
Delta beat industry expectations with its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings report, released last month. The carrier reported full-year operating revenue of $58.3 billion and income of $5.8 billion, with an operating margin of 10%.
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.
A Vietnam Airlines A350-900. (Photo: Shutterstock | Thanhliemnguyen)
Vietnam’s national airline will launch a new route to Europe this year.
Hanoi-based Vietnam Airlineswill start nonstop service to Amsterdam on June 16, officials said on Monday. Flights will operate three times per week between the Dutch capital and Hanoi, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, using an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
The carrier currently flies to various European destinations, including Paris, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Milan, and Copenhagen.
Vietnam Airlines will operate a same-day turnaround on this route.
Both Hanoi and Amsterdam are SkyTeam hubs, but they are not connected with nonstop service. Flying between the two cities currently requires connecting in Paris. Vietnam Airlines flies between Charles de Gaulle and Hanoi.
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.
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