Welcome

H ello and welcome to the August issue of

Paris from Reflections

Richard Schuurman reports from the 2025 Paris Air Show – an event like no other, but possibly not for the reasons one might expect

Wizz’s XLRation

As Wizz Air becomes the first low-cost airline to take delivery of an Airbus A321XLR, Robert Veitch travels to Hamburg to witness the handover ceremony

Walsh’s wake-up call

The recent IATA AGM revealed a sector balancing record revenues with fragile margins, growing environmental pressures, and a need for urgent reform, as Thomas Haynes reports

LEVEL playing field

Spanish low-cost long-haul airline LEVEL saw good growth in 2024. Now with its own air operator certificate, it is preparing for more. Richard Schuurman spoke to CEO Rafael Jiménez Hoyos to find out what’s on the horizon

The spirit of Busuanga

Dirk Grothe visits one of the most beautiful corners of the western Philippines to meet Raymond Schwab who flies a 68-year-old DHC-2 Beaver seaplane

NICE TO SEE YOU, TO SEE YOU NICE!

Robert Veitch flies to the Côte d’Azur to learn more about the expansion and sustainability plans at Nice Airport from CEO Franck Goldnadel

“This may be hopeless”

The crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 forty years ago remains the world’s worst aircraft accident involving a single airliner. Stephen Skinner looks back at the events of that tragic day and the subsequent investigation

GOING GLOBAL

Global Airlines has rapidly become one of the most talked about start-ups in modern aviation, thanks to its bold decision to revive the Airbus A380. Thomas Haynes joins one of the carrier’s first transatlantic flights and speaks in depth with founder James Asquith about the story so far

The life and times of virgin australia

As it celebrates its 25th birthday, our man down under, Chris Frame , looks back at the airline that still regards itself as a challenger after all these years

Airliner Deliveries

ON THE WINGS OF Athena

Creating a financially successful flag carrier has long been an issue for Greece. However, despite decades of economic challenges and external pressures, AEGEAN has grown into one of Europe’s leading airlines. Lee Cross went to Athens to find out more

All change at Aurigny

(Photo Skybus) GUERNSEY-BASED AURIGNY Air Services is to

Iberia’s €6bn investment

IN A presentation from Madrid on June 18,

Ryanair boosts engine pool

RYANAIR HAS agreed a deal with CFM to

in brief

London/Luton-based easyJet has released 22 new routes from

Aeroflot announces new engine overhaul facility

(Photo Airbus) AEROFLOT IS planning to build a

Rossiya’s MC-21 focus

(Photo Yakovlev) ROSSIYA AIRLINES, part of the Aeroflot

Air Samarkand’s expansion

(Photo Air Samarkand) UZBEK CARRIER Air Samarkand has

Royal Jordanian fleet upgrade

(Photo Avolon) ROYAL JORDANIAN welcomed its first Airbus

Mango renaissance?

MANGO AIRLINES, the South African low-cost carrier based

Welcome to Syria

(Photo Airbus/ Alexandre Doumenjou) AIRLINES ARE returning to

Embraer showcases Africa’s potential

AN EMBRAER report has highlighted the need for

EU updates airline blacklist

THE EUROPEAN Commission (EC) has updated its Air

European expansion for flydubai

(Photo Boeing) FLYDUBAI HAS announced the addition of

A350 growth for Emirates

(Photo Emirates) EMIRATES BEGAN the exclusive deployment of

Benghazi Airport edges closer

(Photo Vision Libya) LIBYA IS set to gain

in brief

Ethiopian Airlines has inaugurated a new scheduled passenger

Breeze’s in as Silver melts under financial pressure

(Photo Airbus) BREEZE AIRWAYS opened two new routes

Blue sky thinking for JetBlue and United

JETBLUE AND United Airlines have announced they are

Alaska to link Seattle and Rome

(Photo Port of Seattle) ALASKA AIRLINES has confirmed

Tariffs could cause Spirit to cancel A320neo orders

SPIRIT AIRLINES has stated it could cancel some

Southwest and China Airlines fall interline

(Photo Southwest Airlines) SOUTHWEST AIRLINES and China Airlines

Avianca adds A320neos

South American powerhouse Avianca has agreed a deal

Sunwing bows out as WestJet completes merger

(Photo WestJet) SUNWING HAS operated its last commercial

Jetblue’s sweet treat

JetBlue Airways has painted an Airbus A320-200, N643JB

in brief

Air Canada Airbus A220-300, C-GNBN (c/n 55112), re-entered

Gatwick-bound Air India 787 crashes

(Photo AirTeamImages.com/Alex Peake) INVESTIGATORS IN India are probing

IndiGo adds more A350s, plans European expansion

INDIAN LOW-COST carrier IndiGo is ramping up its

Qantas to close Jetstar Asia

(Photo Bob Lee) AUSTRALIAN FLAG carrier Qantas has

Freight focus for Ascend

ASCEND AIRWAYS Malaysia – the new Kuala Lumpur-based

Virgin Australia goes long-haul

(Photo Virgin Australia/James D Morgan/Getty Images) BRISBANE-BASED VIRGIN

Vietjet doubles A330neo commitments

VIETNAMESE LOW-COST carrier Vietjet has placed a new

Air Niugini tops up A220 order

(Photo Airbus) THE NATIONAL carrier of Papua New

in brief

Air New Zealand will boost capacity to North

Chances of A380 revival remain “extremely low”

THE PROSPECT of Airbus restarting production of the

Manufacturers forecast doubling of fleet

BOEING, AIRBUS and Embraer each released their 20-year

Airbus to certify 160-seat A220

(Photo Airbus/ F Lancelot/Master Films) AIRBUS WILL this

ATR’s power play

TOULOUSE-BASED ATR and Pratt & Whitney Canada have

Airbus Deliveries

Kuwait Airways accepted delivery of Airbus A321neo, 9K-AQA

Airbus plots A319neo phase out

(Photo Airbus/H Gousse/Master Films) THE AIRBUS A319neo may

Boeing Deliveries

Allegiant Air accepted delivery of Boeing 737 MAX

Western Sydney Airport adds third carrier

(Photo Bechtel) AIR NEW Zealand has been revealed

Terminal construction tender launched for CPK Airport

(Photo Foster + Partners) WITH FINAL designs for

Leeds Bradford inaugurates extension

(Photo Leeds Bradford Airport) THE NEW £100m terminal

Sky View

Insights and opinions on the industry’s hottest topics

Jet Aviation to expand Basel facility

The latest news from maintenance, repair and overhaul providers

SAS A350s land at Lufthansa Technik

Lufthansa Technik has signed a multi-year contract with

ST Engineering signs with Air Cairo

ST Engineering has signed a five-year contract with

FL Technics introduces A321XLR course

FL Technics has developed and introduced an aircraft

A tribute to Captain John Robert Baganz (1947-2025) by Chris Sloan

Information for the traveller

Letters to the editor

Information for the traveller

UK Visitors

We present a selection of images of visiting aircraft from airports around the UK. For the most part, they’re commercial jets, but almost all of them are unusual types, wearing new or unique liveries, or first visits by an airline or airliner to a particular airport. If you see something out of the ordinary while on your travels, please send in your pictures. Photos can be emailed to airlinerworld@keypublishing.com Please ensure you provide full details with the images, particularly the date, location, airline name and aircraft identity

FTEJerez to open UK training base

The latest training aids available for the aviation professional

Talent crunch looms for global aviation

An estimated 1.5 million civil aviation professionals will

EASA green lights mixed reality simulator

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has,

Batik Air 737’s close call on inaugural flight

PK-LDK was delivered to Batik Air on April