Hawaiian Airlines has announced that Diana Birkett Rakow will become Chief Executive Officer on October 29, 2025, succeeding Joe Sprague, who is retiring after a distinguished 25-year career with Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, and Hawaiian Airlines. The leadership change comes as Hawaiian continues its integration into Alaska Air Groupand prepares to operate under a single FAA operating certificate later this fall.
airBaltic, the Latvian national carrier, has issued a preliminary trading update for July–August 2025, ahead of its Q3 interim results due in November. The airline highlighted a 12% year-on-year increase in ticket yields for Augustand consistent growth in revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK), even as overall passenger volumes declined.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has inaugurated a landmark service, launching its first-ever non-stop connection between Scandinavia and Korea. The new route, linking Copenhagen with Seoul, was officially launched on September 12, 2025, and represents a major expansion in SAS’s long-haul network.
Embraer is confronting a significant production challenge as shortages of GE Aerospace CF34 engines slow the pace of deliveries for its popular E175 regional jet program. The disruption threatens to reduce the manufacturer’s output in 2025 to only around 30 aircraft, well below its typical delivery schedule.
Air China has completed the sale of a retired Boeing 747-400, marking another step in the carrier’s efforts to raise cash from non-active aircraft assets. The transaction was finalized for US $13.6 million, with the deal covering aircraft MSN 25882, which had spent its entire career flying under the Chinese flag carrier.
China Eastern Airlines is preparing to set a new benchmark in ultra-long-haul operations with the announcement of a groundbreaking route between Shanghai and Buenos Aires, scheduled to begin in December 2025. The new service will claim the title of the world’s longest scheduled flight, surpassing all current records in terms of both distance and duration.
Capital Airlines, a subsidiary of the HNA Aviation Group, has officially received its second Airbus A330-200P2F, further strengthening its growing freighter operations. The delivery underlines the carrier’s continued role in supporting China’s expanding air cargo market, particularly amid the country’s increasing reliance on converted widebody freighters to handle growing logistics demand.
Air Cambodia has announced plans to expand its fleet with Chinese-built COMAC C909 regional jets, signing a memorandum of understanding in China on September 9, 2025. The agreement covers 10 firm orders and provides an option for 10 more, potentially bringing the total acquisition to 20 aircraft.
AirAsia is exploring a potential fleet expansion with the COMAC C919, marking what could become a historic order for the Chinese-built narrowbody aircraft. Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, AirAsia’s parent company, revealed during the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong that the group is in active discussions with COMAC to acquire the type. If finalized, this would make AirAsia the first foreign…
Boeing’s 777X program continues to face serious delays, with certification now unlikely before 2027—six years behind schedule and far past its original 2020 target. The prolonged setbacks have forced major airline customers, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, to revisit their fleet strategies as international travel demand rebounds.
