Alex Cuenca

🛩 In January, Japanese flights dropped 40% after the Prime Minister's anti-China stance. Chinese tourists now favor Australia, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the U.S. 2,000 flights were removed, heavily impacting Osaka. South Korea benefits from increased Chinese tourists, being geographically closer. Flight prices rise, yet Japan’s accommodation costs fall.

🛩 Finales de 2025: la crisis de motores de Pratt & Whitney alcanza un nuevo pico con 835 aviones en tierra, frente a 748 en verano, según Cirium. El problema radica en la contaminación por metales en las aspas de los motores, afectando principalmente a aviones de las familias Airbus A320 y A220. Las inspecciones extensas han dejado aviones fuera de servicio hasta por 300 días. Se anticipa que la situación mejorará a finales del próximo año.

🛩 Un Boeing 737 de Transavia, en ruta desde París, declaró emergencia al aproximarse al aeropuerto de Fuerteventura por posible humo en cabina. El incidente notificó al Centro de Control de Enaire en Canarias, activando procedimientos de prioridad y causando demoras en despegues. El avión aterrizó sin incidentes bajo supervisión de los servicios de emergencia. Tras confirmar la seguridad, el tráfico aéreo se reorganizó y normalizó.

🌨 Intense snowfall in the northeastern U.S. caused the cancellation of over 400 flights from New York's La Guardia, JFK, and Newark airports on a Friday, with significant delays expected to continue into Saturday. The region experienced up to 25 cm of snow. Despite existing protocols, the situation led to operational disruptions. Public works spread salt around airport areas, yet 400 flights were canceled on Friday alone, with ongoing challenges in repositioning aircraft and crews.

🛫 Heathrow, Frankfurt, Madrid-Barajas, París-Charles de Gaulle, and Amsterdam are expanding due to increased air traffic, with Europe investing $427 billion in airports from 2021 to 2040. Aena plans to invest €12.888 billion from 2027-2031, focusing on Barajas and El Prat. Heathrow aims for a third runway by 2035, while Frankfurt's Terminal 3 will add 19 million passengers annually by 2026. ACI projects 19.7 billion passengers globally by 2040.

📈 Paradores de Turismo reported no records of ex-minister José Luis Ábalos's stay in Teruel in September 2020 due to data retention laws. The Guardia Civil confirmed his visit during official duties, but Paradores denied knowledge of his activities. Legal obligations require keeping traveler records for three years. Despite allegations of personal events, no damages or complaints were reported. This inquiry addressed Ábalos’s controversial use of Paradores during his tenure in the Spanish government.

✈️ Venezuela, December 2025: The country relies on a limited fleet of 20 aging planes due to minimal foreign flights, making it the most isolated in the West. Ticket prices have surged amid a high December demand, exacerbated by U.S. airspace restrictions. Financial issues have left Venezuela without major airlines like Avensa, Aeropostal, or Viasa. Conviasa, the largest public airline, offers impractical routes, including a Tehran connection, worsening connectivity woes.