Airlines

Critics warned of ‘higher ticket prices, more fees, and fewer options’ for passengers if two travel giants try to combineThe CEO of United Airlines is said to have pitched a blockbuster merger with American Airlines during a meeting with Donald Trump, floating the combination of the world’s two largest carriers.Scott Kirby, who leads United, raised the prospect during an encounter with the US president in late February, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. Such a deal would overhaul the global air travel industry – and likely face intense competition scrutiny. Continue reading...

Delta, United and JetBlue hiked rates even as Delta announced $1bn pre-tax profit in quarter ending JuneMiddle East crisis – live updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Several major US airlines have raised their baggage fees in recent days, blaming ongoing volatility in oil markets caused by the US-Israeli war in Iran that has almost doubled jet fuel prices.On Tuesday, Delta followed the lead of United Airlines and JetBlue, which announced last week that they were hiking baggage prices because of the ongoing war. Continue reading...

• United Airlines Holdings (UAL) announced plans to reduce scheduled capacity by approximately 5% in the second and third quarters of 2026, citing economic pressures. • The airline's stock fell 1.95% in pre-market trading on Monday following the capacity reduction announcement. • The move reflects broader market concerns about supply chain disruptions and financial contagion stemming from escalating geopolitical tensions and rising energy costs impacting corporate profitability.

NTSB to investigate incident where commercial airliner and cargo plane tried to land on crossing runways in New JerseyA close call between a commercial airliner and a cargo plane attempting to land on crossing runways at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty international airport is being investigated by federal aviation officials.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday said it was investigating an incident two days earlier during which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 overflew a FedEx Boeing 777 at the busy New York City area airport. Continue reading...

• American Airlines integrated Google AI forecasts into its flight planning on a trial basis to suggest routes avoiding contrail-forming areas or altitude changes. • The technology significantly reduces contrails that trap heat, presented as a cost-effective, scalable climate solution for aviation amid industry pressure. • Announced Thursday, this collaboration highlights AI's role in sustainable aviation practices for US carriers.

Carriers warn they cannot hold off passing on costs for long and some airlines plan to increase flights via AsiaBusiness live – latest updatesEurope’s biggest airlines have said that that the spike in fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East will drive up fares and are advising passengers to book early.While carriers have partly hedged the price of jet fuel, bosses said they could not avoid passing on additional costs to passengers for long. Continue reading...