Divers

✈️ United Airlines is expanding its routes: starting this winter, Washington to Edinburgh flights will now run year-round, maintaining five flights per week. Post-Reyes, flights pause, resuming February 20. The route boasts an 86% occupancy rate. Newark to Venice flights will extend into winter for two additional months, with a record 93% September occupancy. The Washington-Edinburgh route uses a 757, while Newark-Venice operates with a 767.

📚 2024, Spain: Accusations over the public bailout of Air Europa involve President Pedro Sánchez. Despite public belief in favoritism, legal proceedings require conclusive proof, which is currently lacking. Calls and meetings among involved parties like Begoña, Javier Hidalgo, Ábalos, Koldo, and Aldama suggest a close relationship but lack explicit evidence. Judicial processes could escalate with solid proof, yet courts demand more than mere allegations to convict Sánchez or his circle.

💸 Expedia Group, Q1 2025, achieved a net profit of €47 million, up 81% from €25.7 million in Q1 2024. Revenues rose 3% to over €2.65 billion. EBITDA increased 16% to over €260 million. Gross bookings grew by 4%. CEO Ariana Gorin noted expected bookings and revenue despite weak U.S. demand. A 4% workforce reduction in 2024 aimed to streamline operations. Projected Q2 2025 bookings growth is 2%-4% and revenue growth 3%-5% amid economic uncertainties.

🚨 Aena, May 2025, Barajas Airport: Approximately 500 homeless individuals reside at the Madrid hub. Measures to deter them include removing benches, cooling the air at night, closing accessible restrooms from midnight to 4 AM, and removing power outlets. Security demands tickets for terminal access and restricts NGOs from distributing food, citing it causes an "attraction effect.

💸 A Transavia Airbus A321 flying from Málaga to Amsterdam was urgently diverted to Barajas Airport, as depicted by Flightradar24's image. The air traffic controllers reported on their X account that a passenger required medical attention, leading to a priority landing on runway 32L for a shorter ground taxi, coordinated with the airport's medical services.

✈ Iberojet renewed its exclusive agreement with Palmerola Airport in Honduras for three years to strengthen its presence in Central America. Since December 2022, Iberojet transported 333,500 passengers and operates three weekly flights from Spain using Airbus A350-900. The airline aims to exceed 131,000 passengers this fiscal year. Mario Domínguez, Iberojet's commercial director, praised the partnership, which also expanded logistics services with a new cargo terminal at the airport, benefiting the textile and agri-food sectors.

🛫 Ryanair, the dominant airline at London's Stansted Airport, was caught in chaos this Sunday when computer systems crashed at dawn, preventing check-in, boarding, and luggage loading. Stansted, owned by Manchester's principal shareholder and the city's municipality, acknowledged delays and cancellations. By midday, systems restored functionality, yet delays persisted throughout the day. Travelers reported disarray, misdirection to wrong flights, and lack of staff assistance, with some waiting four hours to find their flight departed without them.

✈ OnBoardHD releases a "trip report" aboard an Iberia A330-300 detailing the experience of flying business class on a long-haul flight from Madrid to Chicago, after an initial journey from Vienna to Madrid on an A320. The report showcases Barajas Airport, business seats, dining, and entertainment, with the passenger noting it as a "remarkably comfortable" first-time experience in Iberia's long-distance business class.

✈ Wizz Air, the leading airline in Armenia, announced the opening of a base in Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport from October 2025, launching eight new routes to six European countries. The expansion comes despite the collapse of Armenian Airways and positions Wizz Air as a stable presence in a market with limited aviation due to regulatory issues. The new routes include Bari, Bucharest, Hamburg, Naples, Nice, Memmingen (near Munich), Paphos (Cyprus), and Prague.

🚀 Global Airlines' inaugural flights to New York will depart from Glasgow on May 15 and from Manchester on May 21. Ticket sales began on April 15, with prices now cut by 50%, resulting in over 440 euros for economy class and around 2,400 euros for business class. The company, currently owning just one aircraft, plans to expand its fleet in 2025 and establish a base at London Gatwick, although no regular operation plan has been announced.