Singapore Changi Airport Confronts Copycat Allegations and 7 Other Top Aviation Stories This Week

Did Singapore’s Changi Steal Qatar’s Airport Design? Looks like Qatar Airways’ CEO should have done his math first before accusing Singapore’s Changi Airport of plagiarizing the design of the airport expansion of Hamad International.

British Airways Owner IAG Makes Offer for Spanish Airline Air Europa: It’s easier to understand IAG CEO Willie Walsh’s sanguine tone on last week’s earnings call given he clearly had this deal in the pipeline. If it goes through — and it’s still a big if given the competition concerns — it will ease the pain of Delta’s recent Latam deal.

Why Wizz Air Has No Plans to Try Low-Cost, Long-Haul Anytime Soon: Wizz Air is probably right to steer clear of trying its hand at long-haul flights, at least for the moment. CEO József Váradi’s assessment seems correct — the industry is still waiting for the right aircraft to come along.

Ryanair CEO: ‘No Justification’ for More Environmental Taxes on Air Travel: Airlines think they can win over consumers, investors, and other stakeholders with their environmental spin. Ryanair is clearly doing some things right, but the sector has a structural problem that isn’t going to be solved by tweaking the edges.

United’s New Elite Status Requirements Could Spell End of an Era for Budget Travelers: If American and Delta follow United in raising requirements to earn elite status, it could drive a whole new class of budget travelers away from airline loyalty programs.

Is Lufthansa’s Coolness on Stakes in Alitalia and Condor a Ploy? What are the chances that Lufthansa ends up owning at least parts of Alitalia and Condor? It doesn’t seem enthusiastic about either, but it might be better than letting a competitor get hold of them — as long as regulators agree.

Case Studies in Wellness Tourism That Go Beyond the Spa: New Skift Research: Wellness tourism is here for the long term. Understanding what it is today can help stakeholders find their place in this booming sector.

United Airlines, Explained: United Airlines has been around a long time and has a huge globe-spanning presence. How did it get to where it is today? We try to wrap our heads around the company’s somewhat complicated history.