From the Control Tower
The industry faces no shortage of challenges on any given day. Product branding recognition, new network deployments, production delays, and more all contribute to the chaos.
But this week I'm more focused on a sillier sort of challenge, taking on JetBlue's 25th Birthday Loyalty celebration.
PaxExTRA by PaxEx.Aero
Connectivity
LATAM Taps Viasat for Long-Haul Internet Service
LATAM (finally!) has a plan to fit inflight internet service on its long-haul fleet. The carrier announced a deal to fit more than 60 wide-body aircraft with Viasat's Ka-band satellite solution.
paxex.aero
Gogo Hits Two Major ATG Milestones
Gogo's new 5G chipset is out of the labs, and its C1 LRU is ready to swap in for legacy ATG connections, two major milestones for its upgraded connectivity plans.
paxex.aero
Cabin Design
Spirit Rebrands On-Board Options, Again
Spirit Airlines is changing its on-board branding and offering for the third time in less than a year, retiring its cutesy names for more traditional options.
paxex.aero
Inside the airline seat industry crisis delaying jet deliveries
To understand the often overlooked issue of how something as outwardly simple as a seat can slow the entire jet supply chain, Reuters spoke to over a dozen people involved in seat making and purchasing, airline chief executives and designers.
reuters.com
SAS Picks E2 for Short-Haul Fleet Boost
SAS will acquire 45 Embraer E195-E2 jets from late 2027, refreshing and revamping its short-haul operational capabilities.
paxex.aero
Loyalty
JetBlue's 25th Birthday Challenge, and My Plan of Attack
This is a pretty terrible idea. But, at least for the moment, I've got a plan that will see me fly to 25 unique JetBlue airports over the next few months, collecting 350,000 TrueBlue points and 25 years of Mosaic 1 status along the way.
paxex.aero
Other Industry News
Cabotage in Canada? Competition Bureau Recommends Increased Foreign Airline Ops
Can foreign investment help crack the Air Canada/WestJet duopoly in Canada? The country's Competition Bureau believes cabotage and foreign ownership of airlines are part of a multi-pronged solution.
paxex.aero
JetBlue Trims 5%+ of Flights, Plans Miami Exit
JetBlue is dropping more than 5% of its previously planned operations later this year, part of plans to cut costs.
paxex.aero
Air France–KLM moves to become majority owner in SAS
Consolidation in the European aviation sector has been considered a certainty for some time. Here's another bit happening, with TAP likely to come next.
sasgroup.net
Planes and Politics: Major Airbus Orders from Malaysia
A pair of major aircraft orders, announced on an official government visit, is a big deal. But is it a political statement or just the natural growth path for AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines?
paxex.aero