Alex Cuenca

🛫 Sunday, passengers on a Volotea flight from Sevilla to Bilbao were diverted to France due to adverse weather at Loiu airport. Strong wind gusts, reaching up to 160 km/h during the week, forced the crew to land in Bordeaux. The challenging conditions have led to numerous diversions to alternative airports and difficult landing footage.

🛸 In Bilbao, Vueling pilots faced challenging landing conditions due to wind gusts reaching up to 160 kilometers per hour. Despite the disruption, their skills ensured a safe and incident-free touchdown.

✈ Ryanair met with Boeing in Seattle early January to expedite aircraft deliveries, essential for meeting its passenger traffic goals. With a current fleet of 609 planes, including 172 B737-8s, Ryanair's CEO Michael O´Leary stated delivery delays will impact expansion plans for fiscal 2026. Adjusting its 2026 forecast to 206 million customers (+3%), Ryanair expects the remaining 29 of 210 ordered aircraft by March 2026. Financially, Ryanair reported a Q3 net profit of €149 million, up from €15 million the previous year, with a 9% increase in traffic to 45 million passengers. Despite a 12% drop in accumulated profits over nine months to €1.94 billion, Ryanair is optimistic about reaching 300 million annual passengers in a decade. For summer 2025, Ryanair's capacity is nearly full, adding 164 new routes for a total of 2,600 across its network.

✈ ITA Airways, after starting operations in October 2021, doubled its fleet from 52 to 100 aircraft by 2025. With 60 new-generation planes, the airline achieved a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and significant emissions decrease. The fleet now includes 7 A321neo, 19 A320neo, 9 A220-300, 8 A220-100, 11 A330-900, and 6 A350-900. ITA Airways' winter 2024/2025 schedule boasts 55 destinations and the company reported a €1.4 billion turnover with a €62 million EBITDA in H1 2024, and €393 million in cash reserves. Integration into Lufthansa remains pending due to last-minute price disputes.