Loading

CAPA News Briefs

CAPA publishes more than 1,000 global News Briefs every week, covering all aspects of the aviation and travel industry. It’s the most comprehensive source of market intelligence in the world, with around 50 per cent of content translated from non-English sources. The breadth of our coverage means you won’t need any other news sources to monitor competitors and stay informed about the latest developments in the wider aviation sector.

Request More Information

Complete the following to request more information.

Our daily News Briefs are only available to CAPA Members

Membership provides access to more than 1,000 News Briefs every week, with quick links to our Analysis Reports, Research Publications, Data Centre and more.

It’s easy to keep your News Briefs relevant by customising your email alerts based on topic, region, sector, frequency and more. Once you’ve saved your settings, you can stay up-to-date wherever you are, by quickly scanning our News Briefs online or via the CAPA mobile app.

Membership also provides full access to our Analysis Reports, in-depth Research Publications and comprehensive Data Centre. Premium CAPA Members can also access add-ons such as our exclusive Fleet Database, Airline Cask Data tools and more, to enjoy the full capabilities of our global platform.

Below is a sample of the latest news headlines. 238 news briefs have been published for CAPA Members in the past 2 days.

Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein, speaking on the airline's 4Q2025 earnings call, stated (13-Jan-2026) revenue has "definitely accelerated", adding: "We're very excited about it, and it's across all entities, it's across all geographies". Mr Hauenstein said: "The booking curve really hasn't moved out that far", adding: "It's just kind of returned to a more normal level".

Background ✨

Delta reported that demand remained "healthy" for 4Q2025, with booking growth returning to expectations after a temporary softening in Nov-2025 due to a government shutdown, which was expected to impact pre-tax profitability by approximately USD200 million1. Glen Hauenstein also emphasised balanced domestic growth across hubs and a focus on aligning products and pricing, alongside expansion plans in Asia and the Middle East2.

Air India and Saudia signed (14-Jan-2026) a codeshare agreement, with codeshare services to commence in Feb-2026. Air India passengers will have access to connections via Jeddah and Riyadh to Dammam, Abha, Gassim, Gizan, Madinah and Taif. Saudia passengers will be able to connect to services from Mumbai and Delhi to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Jaipur "and more than 15 other destinations as interline". Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson stated: "Saudi Arabia is amongst our most important markets in the Middle East, with the country fast transforming into a major international gateway to the region", adding: "We are happy to be partnering with Saudia to provide greater access to the large Indian diaspora spread across Saudi Arabia as well as to open up the Kingdom's rapidly evolving and diverse tourism offerings and remarkable destinations to holidaymakers from India". [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Air India expanded its codeshare partnerships in recent months, including agreements with Lufthansa Group, Singapore Airlines, Kenya Airways, and several regional carriers, increasing its connectivity to Europe, Africa, and beyond while offering more destinations within India to its partners' customers1 2 3 4. Saudia has also pursued similar codeshare expansions with carriers such as ITA Airways and Malaysia Airlines5 6.

flynas announced (14-Jan-2026) plans to establish Abha Airport as a base from 29-Mar-2026. Abha will be the LCC's fifth base in Saudi Arabia, following Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah. flynas plans to commence services connecting Abha to Dubai, Cairo, Istanbul, Addis Ababa, Kuwait and Trabzon in 2026, expanding its network at the airport to 11 destinations, including existing domestic services to Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah and Tabuk. flynas CEO and MD Bander Almohanna stated: "The launch of our new operations base in Abha represents a strategic investment designed to build an integrated national operating network". [more - original PR]

Lufthansa Group announced (13-Jan-2026) plans to install Starlink inflight connectivity across its entire fleet of approximately 850 aircraft. Starlink connectivity is expected to be available "as early as" 2H2026. Installation is expected to commence in 2H2026 and be completed by 2029, comprising newly delivered aircraft and retrofit installation on existing aircraft. Lufthansa stated: "The new internet service will be free of charge for all status customers and Travel ID users - across all travel classes". Lufthansa Group also confirmed it will be "the largest airline group in Europe to upgrade its fleet with state-of-the-art broadband internet - no other airline will equip more aircraft with Starlink technology". [more - original PR]

CAPA - Centre for Aviation, in a report entitled 'Viva-Volaris merger puts Mexico's LCC-driven aviation model at a crossroads', stated (13-Jan-2026) Viva and Volaris' proposed merger marks a potentially transformative moment for Mexico's aviation market, which has been shaped decisively by low cost carriers over the past two decades. The two airlines have played a central role in expanding access to air travel, helping grow Mexico's passenger numbers from fewer than 50 million in 2009 to nearly 120 million in 2024. Their tie up aims to create scale in an increasingly constrained global aviation environment, with both carriers arguing that a combined fleet of more than 250 A320 Family aircraft would materially reduce aircraft ownership costs, which is the largest expense category for airlines in the region. [more - CAPA Analysis]

Background ✨

Viva and Volaris agreed to form a new airline group via a merger of equals, each holding 50% of the new holding company, which will remain publicly listed and retain both airlines' independent operations, with approval pending from regulators and shareholders and closing expected in 2026. The group planned investments in fleet, technology, operational bases, and connectivity, aiming to enhance scale and lower fleet ownership costs1. President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed the proposal, highlighting its potential benefits for tourism and competition, but confirmed it would undergo antitrust review2.

European Parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee voted (13-Jan-2026) to update EU air passenger rights rules, in force since 2004, to ensure that passengers are sufficiently protected against travel disruption such as denied boarding and delayed or cancelled flights. The vote is the draft Parliament response to the European Council's Jun-2025 position on air passenger rights. European members of parliament consider that air passengers should maintain the following rights:

  • Reimbursement or rerouting and the ability to claim compensation if a flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled, or if the passenger is denied boarding;
  • One personal item plus one small piece of cabin luggage for free;
  • Complimentary choice of seating for people accompanying children under 14 or persons with reduced mobility;
  • Airlines should provide a pre-filled form for compensation and reimbursement.
The committee acknowledges that airlines' responsibility for disrupted flights should be limited to situations within their control. The Parliament's draft position on air passenger rights will go to the Jan-2026 plenary session for a final vote by the House as a whole. [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Airline associations including IATA, Airlines for Europe, and the European Regions Airline Association criticised the committee's vote, arguing that the proposed rules would increase burdens on airlines and fail to address operational realities, such as appropriate compensation thresholds and carry-on luggage restrictions. The groups called for a more balanced and impact-assessed regulation that supports both consumer protection and the viability of European air services1 2.

Delta Air Lines ordered (13-Jan-2026) 30 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, with 30 additional purchase rights, marking its first direct order with Boeing for 787s. The aircraft will have capacity for up to 336 passengers and will support the carrier's expansion and modernisation plans on trans Atlantic and South American routes. Delta selected GE Aerospace GEnx engines to power the 787-10s, including spare engines and long term services support. The order brings Delta's firm order book with Boeing to 130 aircraft, including its previous order for 100 737 MAX 10s. [more - original PR - Boeing] [more - original PR - Delta Air Lines] [more - original PR - GE Aerospace]

Background ✨

Delta amended its Boeing 737 MAX 10 purchase agreement, with the first 20 deliveries expected in 2026 and the remaining 80 thereafter, following its previous order for 100 737 MAX 10s and options for 30 more aircraft1 2. Additionally, it ordered 20 A350-1000s, with options for 20 more, scheduled for delivery from 2026 to support international expansion and fleet renewal3.

Boeing and Aviation Capital Group (ACG) finalised (13-Jan-2026) an order for 50 737 MAX aircraft. The order comprises 25 737 MAX 8 and 25 737 MAX 10 variants scheduled for delivery in 2032 and 2033. The aircraft increase ACG's 737 MAX orders to 121. [more - original PR - Aviation Capital Group] [more - original PR - Boeing]

Background ✨

Aviation Capital Group previously ordered 35 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, scheduled for delivery by 2031, and managed a portfolio of 364 owned and managed aircraft as of 31-Mar-2024, with a total fleet of 483 including previous orders1. It also delivered its last of three 737 MAX 8s to Neos from its Boeing order book2.

Shannon Airport Group reported (12-Jan-2026) Shannon Airport it handled more than 2.3 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 9% year-on-year and the busiest annual traffic at the airport in 16 years. The airport reported serving airlines are scheduled to operate 40 routes in 2026 to destinations across Europe, the US and the UK, including new connections to Rome, Warsaw, Madrid and Poznan with Ryanair - as well as Frankfurt with Discover Airlines. Shannon Airport Group interim CEO Ray O'Driscoll stated: "We achieved our highest passenger numbers in over 16 years and invested over EUR20 million in projects that have a very tangible benefit to both passengers and our sustainability goals. This brought our overall investment in the Group to almost EUR200 million in just over a decade". Mr O'Driscoll added: "We're looking forward to an even more ambitious 2026, during which passengers will have the choice of 40 routes, the highest number operating from Shannon Airport in 17 years". [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Ryanair scheduled a record 30 routes from Shannon for summer 2026, including new services to Rome, Warsaw, Madrid and Poznan, and added a fourth based aircraft, contributing over 180,000 additional seats and supporting forecast traffic of more than two million seats per annum1. It marked its 22 millionth passenger milestone at Shannon since 1987, underlining the significance of its expanded operations at the airport2.

London Heathrow Airport reported (12-Jan-2026) it handled 84.5 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 0.7% year-on-year and the first time the airport has surpassed the 84 million passenger mark. The airport handled 7.2 million passengers in Dec-2025, an increase of 1.6% and its "busiest December on record". CEO Thomas Woldbye stated: "December's record-breaking performance shows the strength of demand for Heathrow and the benefit to passengers of the great service our colleagues are providing. Last year, there was no hub airport in Europe that was more punctual than Heathrow and we look forward to building on that success in 2026". Mr Woldbye added: "With the Government's support for our expansion plans - and the right regulatory framework from the CAA to secure private investment - we can unlock even more of that connectivity, trade and economic growth for the UK". [more - original PR]

Background ✨

Heathrow consistently set new monthly and quarterly passenger records throughout 2025, including its busiest ever months in July, September and October, and surpassed eight million passengers in August for the first time at any European airport1 2 3 4. The airport exceeded its 2024 annual record of 83.9 million passengers while maintaining the highest on-time performance among European hubs5 2.

Manchester Airport reported (12-Jan-2026) it handled 32.1 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 4.2 year-on-year and the airport's busiest year on record. The airport handled 2.4 million passengers in Dec-2025, an increase of 5.9% and a new monthly record. The airport attributed the performance in part to a record Christmas break period, which saw more than one million passengers travel through the airport between 19-Dec-2025 and 31-Dec-2025. MD Chris Woodroofe stated: "Passengers in Terminal 2 will have noticed some big differences. The full footprint of the terminal is now open including extra space as well as new shops and eateries. There's still more to follow in the early part of this year too". Mr Woodroofe added: "That alone means it would be an exciting 2026 as we put those final touches on Terminal 2 - but we're also going to be really getting stuck into the improvement work we're doing in Terminal 3 as well, which will bring more space and new shops, bars and restaurants". [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]

Background ✨

Manchester Airport achieved its busiest year on record in 2025, continuing a trend of record-breaking monthly passenger figures over the previous two years, driven by investment in Terminal 2 and network growth from both new and existing airline partners1. In 2025, international passenger growth offset a decline in domestic and charter segments, and cargo volumes also increased year-on-year2.

London Stansted Airport reported (12-Jan-2026) it handled more than 30 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 0.9% year-on-year and the first time the airport has achieved the milestone in its history. The airport attributed the performance to route development and seat capacity increases, resulting in a "record 16 days" in which passenger numbers exceeded 100,000. The airport handled 2.3 million passengers in Dec-2025, an increase of 1.6% and a new record for the month of December. The top three destinations to and from London Stansted during the year were Dublin, Istanbul and Edinburgh. Airport MD Gareth Powell stated: "The strong passenger growth during 2025 was driven by many of our airline partners increasing capacity, adding more seats and choice of destinations, particularly Ryanair, Pegasus and Jet2.com - and we're confident we will continue to grow passenger numbers and provide even more choice of airlines and destinations in the year ahead". Mr Powell added: "We were delighted to last month receive the green light to increase our annual passenger limit to 51 million, which paves the way for us to make best use of the existing single runway and grow passenger volumes towards the new limit over the next two decades". [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]

Background ✨

London Stansted Airport recorded new monthly passenger records throughout 2025, including 2.3 million in December, 2.7 million in October, and 3.1 million in August, with Istanbul, Dublin and Edinburgh consistently ranking among the busiest destinations1 2 3. The airport handled 29.8 million passengers in 2024, up 6.4% year-on-year, and began a GBP1.1 billion transformation programme during that period4.