Aviation

  Bloomberg Demand for plane tickets at Southwest Airlines Co. has climbed since Election Day, the carrier’s chief executive said, adding that he’s encouraged by President-elect Donald Trump’s stated plans to unwind regulations, cut corporate taxes and build infrastructure. “There’s definitely a lift in spirit,” Gary Kelly said in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York, citing the stock ...

  Bloomberg The US Transportation Department proposed requiring airlines to tell consumers if passengers can use mobile phones for calls during their flight, and said it’s considering banning voice calls, rekindling a years-long debate centered on jabbering seatmates in close-quarter cabins. “Consumers deserve to have clear and accurate information about whether an airline permits voice calls before they purchase a ...

  Bloomberg The aviation industry is set to post record net earnings this year and is expected to remain profitable in 2017, despite rising oil prices and global political turbulence, its trade association said. “Airlines continue to deliver strong results. This year we expect a record net profit of $35.6 billion” (33 billion euros), said Alexandre de Juniac, the new ...

  Bloomberg Pilots of at least three Indian flights, including one operated by market leader IndiGo, lied to air traffic controllers about being short on fuel to get priority landing at an airport, according to an investigation by the country’s aviation safety regulator. The incident occurred on November 30, when pilots of an IndiGo plane radioed traffic controllers at Kolkata ...

  AFP / Reuters Iran Air said on Sunday it had finalised a contract to buy 80 planes from US firm Boeing, the official IRNA news agency reported. “Fifty of the planes are 737 and the other 30 are the long haul 777 that will be delivered to Iran Air in a period of 10 years,” said Farhad Parvaresh, chief executive ...

  Bloomberg Alaska Air Group Inc. won U.S. antitrust approval for its acquisition of Virgin America Inc., a takeover that extends years of consolidation in the industry and expands Alaska Air’s access to the lucrative cross-country market. Under an agreement with the Justice Department announced, Alaska Air must reduce the scope of a marketing accord that allows it to sell ...

  Bloomberg Global airline earnings are set to decline next year after reaching a record in 2016 as higher oil prices clip margins, according to the industry’s main trade group. Net income across the sector is likely to total $29.8 billion in 2017, the International Air Transport Association said. That’s 16 percent lower than the $35.6 billion forecast for this ...

  Bloomberg Emirates, the biggest long-haul airline, said it struck a deal to accept deliveries of A380 jets powered by Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc engines after the UK manufacturer agreed to fund measures to address performance and maintenance concerns. Dubai-based Emirates will take the first double-decker with Trent 900 engines from Rolls-Royce on December 16, two weeks later than planned, in ...

  Bloomberg Vietnam Airlines Corp. plans to lease 20 A321neo aircraft to add domestic as well as regional flights after carrying a record number of passengers in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. The Airbus planes, to be delivered starting 2018, will be used for flights within a five-hour radius, including the popular Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route, Chief ...

  Bloomberg Delta Air Lines Inc. passengers flying coach between New York City and California may get a treat rarely seen on U.S. flights since 2010: free meals. The airline is testing the complimentary food on flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles and San Francisco, which are some of the industry’s most competitive and ...