A JetBlue A320 aircraft. (Photo: Shutterstock | Markus Mainka)
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said Tuesday that it will file for a union representation vote for about 3,000 JetBlue ground operations workers.
The union said there is “sufficient interest” among the JetBlue employees to justify holding an election. It plans to file for a vote with the National Mediation Board.
“Now is the time for JetBlue workers to join the IAM union family and gain the dignity and respect of a union contract and a strong voice on the job,” IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen said in a statement. “Conditions for JetBlue G.O. crewmembers need to be improved. Safety on the job, pay, benefits, job security, favoritism, and general work rules can all be improved when crewmembers unionize and demand change with the backing of over 600,000 IAM union members.”
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AirlineGeeks.
JetBlue’s ground workers voted against unionizing in 2023. IAM said that vote took place following an “aggressive union-busting campaign” from the airline.
According to the union, JetBlue ground employees cited below-standard pay and benefits, poor and unsafe working conditions, and unjustified discipline and terminations, among other issues, as reasons for wanting to join IAM.
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.
Southwest Adds New California, Hawaii Routes
The carrier is adding routes as its schedule extends through September 2026.
Southwest 737 MAX 8 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Southwest on Tuesday announced a series of route additions and frequency increases as it published its schedule through Sept. 30, 2026. The carrier said the latest update includes growth in Southern California and new links to Hawaii.
Beginning Aug. 4, Southwest will launch daily service between San Diego and Santa Barbara. The airline will also double the number of daily flights linking San Diego with Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle on the same date.
According to the carrier, the changes will bring San Diego to a record 139 peak-day departures in late summer 2026.
New Hawaii Service
The airline will further expand from Long Beach, where service to Portland and Seattle will resume on Aug. 4, 2026. Both routes will operate six days per week.
Southwest is also adding new Hawaii service from the Los Angeles Basin. The carrier plans to begin peak-day service between Burbank and Honolulu on Aug. 4, going head-to-head with Alaska. A new daily Ontario–Honolulu flight will launch earlier in the season on June 4.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
A Republic Airways E175 aircraft. (Photo: Shutterstock | Austin Deppe)
Regional carriers Republic Airways and Mesa Airlines are now a single company.
The merger of the two airlines, first announced in April, officially closed Tuesday, company officials announced. The resulting entity, known as Republic Airways Holdings, now owns the world’s largest Embraer fleet, with nearly 300 E170 and E175 aircraft, and operates over 1,300 daily departures, making it one of the largest regional airlines in the U.S.
“This merger establishes a combined company with a common mission to provide safe, clean, and reliable service to connect people and communities across America,” Republic Airways CEO David Grizzle said in a statement. “The transaction will create value for all of our stakeholders and strengthen the regional aviation industry. Today, Republic returns to the public markets as a well-capitalized airline with a strong strategic plan, a capable and proven workforce of aviation professionals, and a horizon bright with opportunity.”
A Mesa-operated American Eagle CRJ-900 aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Even though they are now legally one company, Republic and Mesa will maintain “parallel operations” while executives work to consolidate the airlines into a single carrier. They will also continue to operate flights for their current airline partners. Republic has service agreements with United, Delta, and American, while Mesa works only with United, flying as United Express.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, Republic shareholders own approximately 88% of the combined company’s common stock, while Mesa stockholders will own at least 6% and up to 12%, subject to the final settlement of Mesa’s pre-closing obligations.
As of Tuesday, Republic Airways Holdings will trade under the ticker RJET on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
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.
Spanish flag carrier Iberia is expanding its footprint in the New York metro area.
Starting March 29, 2026, the airline will offer daily nonstop flights between Madrid and Newark, New Jersey. The new route will complement Iberia’s existing service between Madrid and Barcelona and New York-JFK, airline leaders said.
“The addition of Newark not only strengthens our presence in New York with a third daily frequency but also expands options for our customers by offering greater flexibility in schedules and fares, along with the advantages of multi-frequency service,” said María Jesús López Solás, Iberia’s chief commercial, network development, and alliances officer. “Diversifying between [JFK] and Newark allows us to optimize operations and better adapt to market needs, reinforcing our position along one of the most strategic corridors across the Atlantic.”
With the new flights to Newark factored in, Iberia will offer over 350,000 seats between Madrid and the greater New York area in the summer of 2026, officials said.
Deliveries of the A321XLR are allowing Iberia to gradually expand its transatlantic network. Last week, the carrier announced plans to connect Madrid and Toronto starting in June 2026.
Currently, the airline serves nine destinations in the continental U.S., including Boston, Chicago, Miami, Washington Dulles, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
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.
Air Transat Adds Routes to Europe, Africa
The new destinations are part of the airline’s summer schedule.
An Air Transat A330 in Brussels. (Photo: AirlineGeeks)
Canadian airline Air Transat is continuing to expand its schedule for summer 2026, with new routes planned to Europe and West Africa.
Starting in June, the Montreal-based carrier will fly nonstop to Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; and Reykjavik, Iceland. The airline will serve Accra from Toronto and Dakar and Reykjavik from Montreal.
Service to Ghana will operate from June 17 to Oct. 22, 2026, with two weekly flights on Wednesdays and Sundays. Flights to and from Senegal will operate in roughly the same window, from June 17 to Oct. 21, and will run twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Service to Reykjavik will be available from June 16 to Sept. 27, with up to two flights per week on Tuesdays and Sundays.
When the routes launch next year, Air Transat will be the only airline in the world connecting Canada with Ghana and Senegal.
The airline also said it will increase the frequency of returning seasonal service between Montreal and Valencia, Spain. From June 16 to Sept. 8, the route will operate twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Air Transat has added a number of new routes to its summer schedule over the past several weeks, including connections between Quebec City and Marseille; Ottawa and London Gatwick; and Montreal and Agadir, Morocco.
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.
FAA Predicts Busiest Thanksgiving Week in 15 Years
The holiday travel period will peak Tuesday with over 52,000 flights, the agency said.
The agency said it expects flights to peak on Tuesday, with 52,185 connections. Wednesday will be only slightly less busy, with just over 50,000 flights.
On Thanksgiving Day itself there will be much less travel, the FAA predicts, with only 25,611 flights. As Americans start to head back home, flights will rebound, hitting a post-holiday peak of 51,268 on Sunday, Nov. 30.
The holiday rush comes just weeks after the federal government officially reopened and the FAA dropped mandatory limits on flights at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports. The reductions were meant to ease the burden on air traffic controllers, who were working without pay and whose ranks were thinned by call-outs.
“Thanks to the dedication of our air traffic controllers and every FAA employee, we are ready for the holiday rush and take pride in helping travelers reach their friends and families during this important time of year,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to our entire FAA team. Even through a period of record-high traffic, their unwavering commitment keeps the system running safely.”
Major U.S. airlines have largely echoed the position of the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation, insisting that operations will be running smoothly and that passengers will likely not experience problems beyond the normal large crowds that are common around Thanksgiving every year.
The busiest travel days of the year in the U.S. are usually the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after, according to the TSA.
As of Monday at 2 p.m., there were around 3,000 flight delays in the U.S. and 228 cancellations, according to tracking website Flight Aware. Those numbers are roughly in line with the average travel day in the U.S.
Dallas/Fort Worth and Dallas Love Field saw the highest number of cancellations.
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 Plans ‘Anniversary Fleet’ With New Livery
The German airline will mark 100 years in business in 2026.
The blue, white, and gray design features Lufthansa’s easily recognizable crane spreading its wings into the wings of the aircraft. The numerals “100” will appear on the left side and underside of the fuselage, while “1926/2026” will be painted on the right side.
The livery will be applied to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a 747-8, an Airbus A380, an A350-1000, an A350-900, and an A320.
The “anniversary fleet” is expected to be completed and flying by the fall of 2026.
Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary livery being applied to a 787. (Photo: Lufthansa)
Lufthansa gave a first look at the 100-year livery back in September, when a 787-9 nicknamed “Berlin” was having the paint job applied at a facility in North Charleston, South Carolina. At the time, the airline suggested that only that aircraft would operate with the commemorative design.
Lufthansa traces its founding back to the 1926 formation of predecessor airline Deutsche Luft Hansa. The modern Lufthansa was organized in 1953 and uses the same crane symbol, which was designed by architect and graphic designer Otto Firle in 1918.
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 Begins Belize Flights
Despite its bankruptcy, the ultra-low-cost carrier is continuing to build connections between South Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The ultra-low-cost carrier will operate the route three times weekly, on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Spirit now serves 24 international destinations from its base at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Spirit has slashed routes and exited markets as it works to reduce its debt and streamline operations, but it continues to build up its presence in Fort Lauderdale, seeing the city as critical to its planned post-bankruptcy rebound.
The airline launched flights from Fort Lauderdale to Key West on Nov. 6 and plans to start service to Grand Cayman on Dec. 4.
Spirit declared bankruptcy for a second time in August. It is now in the process of canceling aircraft leases, reworking its flight schedule, and negotiating reduced pay for air crews in an attempt to contain spending.
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.
Airlines Cancel Flights to Venezuela
The FAA on Friday warned civilian operators about the “worsening security situation” in the country.
An Avianca Airbus A320. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Several airlines have canceled flights to Venezuela amid heightened tensions with the U.S. and an apparent military buildup in the region.
CBS News reported Monday that Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Chile’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca, Brazil’s GOL, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Airlines have canceled flights to and from Venezuela. Turkish Airlines has suspended service to the country through Friday.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ended all nonstop passenger flights between the U.S. and Venezuela in 2019, but operators are still allowed to overfly the country.
United, American, and Delta confirmed that they have already stopped flying over Venezuela.
The flight suspensions came just days after the FAA issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) warning about increased security risks in the area.
“Operators are advised to exercise caution when operating in the Maiquetia Flight Information Region (SVZM FIR) at all altitudes due to the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela,” the notice said. “Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground.”
A GOL 737-700 taxies in Porto Alegre, Brazil. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | João Machado)
The Maiquetia Flight Information Region covers Venezuela and parts of the southern Caribbean.
Relations between Washington and Caracas have been strained for decades, but they took a turn for the worse in September when the U.S. military began bombing alleged drug vessels departing from Venezuela and Colombia.
The Trump administration has also ordered U.S. Navy ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region to exert pressure on the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The White House maintains that Maduro and the highest levels of the Venezuelan regime are involved in drug trafficking and “narcoterrorism.”
Panama’s Copa Airlines, Spain’s Air Europa and PlusUltra, and Venezuela’s LASER are continuing to operate in Venezuelan airspace for now, according to CBS News.
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.
Ghost Flights and Slot Protection
How international slot rules can lead airlines to operate near-empty flights just to keep valuable takeoff and landing rights.
Regional aircraft at New York LaGuardia Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
In early 2020, images of nearly empty jets flying across Europe and the U.S. went viral. These “ghost flights,” as they came to be known, weren’t carrying passengers — but they weren’t mistakes, either. They were operating to preserve one of the most valuable assets an airline can hold: its airport slots.
While the phenomenon captured global attention during the pandemic, the practice of flying under capacity to maintain access to slot-controlled airports has existed for decades. At its core lies the balance between regulatory compliance, competitive access, and multimillion-dollar assets.
What Is a Slot?
Put simply, a “slot” is essentially an airline’s permission to take off or land at a specific airport during a designated time. Major hubs such as London Heathrow, Tokyo Haneda, and New York-JFK have limited runway and terminal capacity, so regulators allocate these rights under formal slot coordination systems.
In the U.S., the FAA Slot Administration Office manages access at airports such as JFK, LaGuardia, and Washington Reagan National. Internationally, coordination is governed by the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG), jointly maintained by IATA, Airports Council International (ACI), and the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG).
Aircraft at Reagan National Airport (Photo: Shutterstock | Kit Leong)
Each slot pair — one takeoff and one landing — can be worth millions of dollars on the secondary market. In 2016, a single pair at Heathrow reportedly sold for more than $75 million, underscoring the financial stakes at congested airports.
The 80/20 Rule
Under the WASG system, airlines must use at least 80% of their allocated slots in a given season to retain them for the next scheduling period. If they fail to meet that threshold, the slots are subject to reallocation to competitors.
This requirement — often referred to as the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule — was designed to prevent airlines from hoarding valuable time slots without operating flights. However, it also incentivizes carriers to operate underperforming routes, especially during unexpected downturns, to meet utilization minimums.
During normal market conditions, the 80/20 rule maintains schedule integrity and fair access. But during crises — such as the COVID-19 pandemic — it can lead to flights departing nearly empty, simply to protect future slot rights.
Ghost Flights and the Pandemic Exception
When global travel demand collapsed in 2020, airlines faced a dilemma: cancel flights and risk losing slots, or operate with minimal passengers to preserve them. European carriers, in particular, continued operating thousands of so-called “ghost flights” with occupancy rates in the single digits.
In response, regulators introduced temporary waivers. The European Commission suspended the 80/20 rule in March 2020 and gradually reinstated it with reduced thresholds — 50% in 2021, then 64% by late 2022. The FAA issued similar flexibility, extending partial waivers for international carriers through the 2024 summer season.
Even so, some limited ghost flight activity continued as airlines sought to maintain operational patterns, crew proficiency, and network presence.
Why Slots Are So Valuable
Slots represent long-term strategic assets. Airlines use them to anchor connecting banks, feed alliances, and secure premium schedules. For example, a morning arrival slot at Heathrow aligns with transatlantic business demand, while a late-evening departure slot connects with U.S. outbound traffic.
At airports with no new capacity — like Heathrow, LaGuardia, or Haneda — slots rarely change hands. When they do, the transactions can rival the price of new aircraft. Bloomberg has reported slot-pair valuations ranging from $10 million to $75 million, depending on airport and time of day.
A Virgin Atlantic 787-9 departing London Heathrow. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
The Regulatory and Environmental Debate
Critics argue that operating empty or near-empty flights contradicts aviation’s sustainability commitments. The European Federation for Transport and Environment estimates that thousands of ghost flights in 2020–2021 generated more than 2.5 million tons of CO₂, despite carrying few passengers.
In response, regulators and industry groups have discussed more flexible slot policies during extraordinary circumstances. Proposals include dynamic thresholds, temporary pooling mechanisms, and priority reinstatement rights for airlines affected by crises.
IATA maintains that while the 80/20 rule can create inefficiencies, it remains essential to prevent anti-competitive slot hoarding. In 2023, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh noted that “waivers should remain exceptional tools — used only when external conditions truly prevent normal operations.”
Beyond the Pandemic: Continued Relevance
Slot protection remains a central factor in network planning today. Even in recovery years, airlines may continue to operate marginal flights to maintain coordination rights ahead of future seasons. Carriers also adjust aircraft gauge — flying smaller regional jets or narrowbodies on low-demand routes — to meet slot usage minimums more efficiently.
The FAA and European regulators periodically review slot waivers in response to traffic volatility, labor shortages, or geopolitical disruptions.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
