Aviation

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co. is considering an order for “more than a handful” of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max aircraft as the nation’s largest discount carrier benefits from lower tax rates and expanding travel demand. Discussions with Boeing are ongoing, Southwest Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said without specifying a number for a potential order. The CEO reaffirmed that the airline ...

Bloomberg United Parcel Service Inc. was already in trouble with Wall Street over a long-term investment plan to cope with soaring e-commerce. Now the company is clashing with its pilots union because of a short-term fix for the same challenge. Aviators are angry that UPS has turned to third-party cargo airlines to help make up for a shortage of aircraft ...

Bloomberg The US Air Force’s top general said the estimated cost to operate and maintain its version of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 jet is a serious issue that’s sparked a search for savings by the service and senior Pentagon acquisition and support officials. “Are O&S sustainment costs a major concern?” General David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff, said, ...

Bloomberg Embraer SA’s first new narrow-body jet is set to fly into commercial service this week to take on Bombardier Inc. But that’s just a prelude to the bigger battle emerging between heavyweights Boeing Co. and Airbus SE. At stake: possible orders from Air France-KLM, United Continental Holdings Inc., and JetBlue Airways Corp. The sales campaigns are a key test ...

Bloomberg Aeroports du Congo, a unit of Groupe Egis of France, threatened to halt operations at three airports it manages because of debts owed by the government. The state owes the company 5 billion CFA francs ($9 million), including value-added tax refunds and landing fees, Director-General Jean-Michel Ratron said in a statement emailed from the capital, Brazzaville. The company is ...

Bloomberg Qantas Airways Ltd. is evaluating direct flights from Australia to Chicago as the next step in its plan to add more ultra-long-haul destinations using an expanding fleet of Boeing Co. 787 jetliners. Fresh from launching the first-ever direct passenger service to Europe—linking Perth with London’s Heathrow hub—Qantas will turn its attention to the US with the next batch of ...

Bloomberg Boeing Co. said it was hit by a cyberattack, following a Seattle Times report that some manufacturing equipment used to build its 787 Dreamliner and newest 777 wide-body jets could be crippled. Aircraft production and deliveries aren’t affected, the Chicago-based planemaker said. Some reports on the attack “are overstated and inaccurate,” said Linda Mills, a spokeswoman at Boeing’s commercial ...

Bloomberg India is selling a controlling stake in its flagship carrier along with two-thirds of the loss-making airline’s about $7.8 billion debt, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi moves ahead with the nation’s most high profile asset sale in decades. The government will sell 76 percent of Air India Ltd., according to a document uploaded on the civil aviation ministry’s website ...

Bloomberg China Southern Airlines Co., Asia’s biggest carrier by fleet size, said profit jumped to a record on the back of a stronger yuan and as the state-owned carrier focussed on profitable domestic routes. Net income rose 18 percent to 5.96 billion yuan ($950 million) in 2017 while revenue rose 11 percent to 127 billion yuan, the Guangzhou-based airline said ...

Bloomberg JetBlue Airways Corp. flight attendants are turning in their trays and will begin using onboard carts as passengers call for faster snack and beverage service and more options. The shift on all JetBlue aircraft should cut service time by more than half, said Doug McGraw, a spokesman for the airline. Moving to carts will also enable the New York-based ...