Fastjet CEO Quits and 5 Other Aviation Trends This Week

Fastjet CEO Quits as Problems Mount: Given the constant drip of bad news coming out of Fastjet since it launched in 2012, it’s amazing that the airline is still flying.

New Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith Begins Putting His Imprint on Air France: Insiders sometimes privately ask if Ben Smith will be a short-timer at Air France-KLM. He is trying to bring big change to a company plagued by inertia. But change is happening. Let’s see if Smith will have traction.

Southwest Air’s Paint Guru Keeps 750 Airplanes Looking Sharp: Peeling paint is a fact of life at an airline. But most carriers try their best to keep aircraft looking sharp. They view an airplane’s livery as free advertising. That’s why jobs like Corey Culbertson’s are so important.

Beijing’s New Airport to Open in September: With two international airports, Beijing will be able to handle 170 million fliers annually by 2025. More wooing of Chinese outbound travelers is in store.

Airport Lines Won’t Be Crazy Despite TSA Agents Being Redeployed to Border: While officials say the redeployment of TSA agents to the border has not had a significant effect on airport wait times thus far, the situation is a testament to the far-reaching effects of the U.S. border crisis.

For ‘Terminal Tourists,’ Airports Aren’t Just for Flying Anymore: At least since 9/11, American airport terminals have typically been places that a traveler endures, rather than enjoys. Let’s hope that opening up post-security to some non-flyers will mean U.S. airports will have further reason to upgrade their amenities.