Aviation

Bloomberg Airline industry experts have been proclaiming the death of first class for years. While some airlines have done away with it altogether, others are doubling down with palatial suite-style seats, lavish amenities, and services that pamper, both on the ground and in the air. What’s ensued is a golden age of flying … for those who can afford it. ...

Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc. is crying foul over a planned $8.5 billion renovation of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, claiming a “secret provision” awards additional gates to United Continental Holdings Inc. in a terminal slated to be torn down. The arrangement favouring Chicago-based United was “inserted at the last minute,” American said. United called the claim “disingenuous,” denied there was ...

Bloomberg A venture of Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure Ltd. submitted a $3 billion proposal to upgrade and expand the Philippine capital’s 70-year-old airport, challenging a $6.7 billion bid from a group that includes billionaires John Gokongwei and Lucio Tan. The GMR-Megawide venture, which is operating and expanding another airport in central Philippines, said it can increase the airfield ...

Bloomberg Airbus SE may need to stock up on the parts it needs to build wings at its UK plants to avoid the risk of delays to deliveries once Britain formally leaves the European Union. The European planemaker has warned that it can only ensure the UK factories remain untouched if its operations retain the same level of efficiency. “If ...

Bloomberg President Donald Trump reached an informal deal with Boeing Co. on a fixed-price contract for the new Air Force One programme that will cost $3.9 billion. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said the agreement will save taxpayers $1.4 billion from the original estimate for buying and outfitting two presidential jets. But public estimates suggest the savings would be far ...

Bloomberg Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd., the airline part-owned by HNA Group Co., ditched the idea of a privatisation to end years of speculation that major shareholders would attempt a buyout. After discussions with the airline’s largest investors, Virgin Australia’s board said it had decided against a privatisation. The carrier, which has a market value of A$2.2 billion ($1.7 billion), raised ...

Bloomberg FedEx Corp. is maintaining discounts for members of the National Rifle Association, even as calls for a boycott mount on social media after a deadly school shooting in Florida. The courier said it “has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions on issues.” ...

Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc. and Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd. aren’t taking no for an answer in their bid to deepen ties on flights across the Pacific. The carriers are asking US regulators a second time for permission to coordinate fares and schedules, revamping an earlier request in response to concerns that the combination would hurt competition. American and Qantas ...

Bloomberg Logistics specialist and airports operator Stobart Group Ltd. said it’s looking at putting together a bid for Flybe Group Plc, Britain’s biggest domestic airline, as the regional carrier grapples with declining earnings. Flybe shares rose the most in four years as Stobart said options include taking a non-controlling interest in a business that would make a cash bid for ...

Bloomberg Two of London’s three biggest airports said they could add almost 30 million more passengers between them yearly without requiring extra runways. Stansted, the biggest hub for Ryanair Holdings Plc, plans to apply to raise a cap on annual passenger numbers by almost one-quarter to 43 million, owner Manchester Airports Group said in a statement. That would be 17 ...