Accor's Focus, Air Traffic’s Labor Crisis and Qantas' Long-Haul Fights

Skift Daily Briefing Podcast

Listen to the day’s top travel stories in under four minutes every weekday.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, February 28. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin believes the company’s frequent reinventions are over and that it’s focused on executing its goals, writes Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.

Bazin acknowledged that Accor has often trailed its American competitors in building lifestyle — or non-traditional — hotels and adding members to its loyalty program. But the company has made inroads in the luxury and ultra luxury segments, with Accor set to debut the first two Orient Express overnight trains next year with French luxury titan LVMH. 

Bazin also said Accor has been removing underachieving properties from its portfolio, adding that the purge will continue throughout the year. 

Listen to This Podcast

🎧 Subscribe

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube | RSS

Next, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration plans to significantly ramp up air traffic controller hiring, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 

Duffy’s announcement comes as the airline industry is still dealing with a dire air traffic controller shortage, which the FAA has said could last until the 2030s. The Department of Transportation plans to increase salaries by 30% for air traffic controllers who go through training at the FAA Academy.

In addition, Elon Musk, who is leading efforts to cut government spending, sent out an appeal on X on Thursday for retired air traffic controllers to return to their former positions.  

Finally, Qantas is looking to debut nonstop flights from both New York and London to Sydney in 2027, reports Airlines Editor Gordon Smith.  

Qantas’ plans to connect Australia’s East Coast with North America and Europe are part of its “Project Sunrise,” a name Smith notes hints at the two sunrises that many travelers will see during the long-haul flights. But as the ultra-long-haul city pairings are too far for existing aircraft commercially, Qantas is working with Airbus to develop a modified version of its popular A350 plane.