Articles by Brian Sumers

Airbus Threatens to Reduce Its UK Presence in Brexit Warning

Airbus Threatens to Reduce Its UK Presence in Brexit Warning

Chris Bryant, Bloomberg

Airbus is a gigantic company that needs to plan far in advance so it does not have supply chain issues. There's little surprise it wants clarity about Brexit — as soon as possible. But will it follow through on it threat to reduce UK operations if the British government doesn't show more urgency?

2 days ago

Singapore Air CEO Sees Cargo Demand Slowing as Trade Battle Brews

Singapore Air CEO Sees Cargo Demand Slowing as Trade Battle Brews

Eliza Haverstock and Kyunghee Park, Bloomberg

Earlier this month, Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg told Skift the air cargo business was holding up well, as Chinese consumers were importing high-value items from the rest of the world. Has something changed? Or is Singapore Air's situation different?

2 days ago

Bombardier’s Renewed Focus on Regional Jets Is Paying Off

Bombardier’s Renewed Focus on Regional Jets Is Paying Off

Frederic Tomesco, Bloomberg

For a long time, Bombardier was focused on getting into the bigger jet game, as it desperately tried to sell the CS100 and CS300. It is ceding control of that program to Airbus, so it will once again focus on its regional programs. Bombardier has not been known for building the most passenger-friendly regional airplanes, but that may be changing.

3 days ago

U.S. Airport Security Cracks Down On Powders in Carry-On Bags

U.S. Airport Security Cracks Down On Powders in Carry-On Bags

Mehr Nadeem, Bloomberg

Security is important, but the list of banned items in carry-on bags is getting ridiculous. We keep hearing about next-generation security screening measures that will make many of these bans obsolete. When will those come to market?

3 days ago

Virgin Atlantic Names New CEO as Richard Branson Gives Up Control

Virgin Atlantic Names New CEO as Richard Branson Gives Up Control

Kaye Wiggins, Bloomberg

Virgin Atlantic has not performed as well financially as many other European airlines. Much of the problem is the airline's scale. It is too small to compete effectively with Europe's behemoth airline groups. But Craig Kreeger is the CEO, and the CEO has to be accountable. It's unsurprising he is stepping down.

3 days ago

Should Major Carriers Be More Transparent About Their Relationships With Regional Airlines?

Should Major Carriers Be More Transparent About Their Relationships With Regional Airlines?

Brian Sumers, Skift

PSA Airlines has been in the news lately. But do travelers have any idea what PSA is? Is this a problem? Should passengers have a better idea what regional airline they're flying? Or doesn't it matter?

4 days ago

Federal Auditor to Investigate FAA’s Safety Oversight of Southwest Airlines

Federal Auditor to Investigate FAA’s Safety Oversight of Southwest Airlines

Brian Sumers, Skift

The Department of Transportation's inspector general has several ongoing audits trying to measure the effectiveness of the Federal Aviation Administration. That's probably a nuisance to the FAA, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Oversight is important.

4 days ago

Why U.S. Regional Airlines May Not Be Able to Fly Embraer’s Newest Jet

Why U.S. Regional Airlines May Not Be Able to Fly Embraer’s Newest Jet

Brian Sumers, Skift

In three years, Embraer will be able to deliver new regional jets to U.S. airlines that could significantly reduce their fuel bill. But U.S. airlines may not be able to take them because of restrictions in collective bargaining agreements with pilots. It's easy to blame pilots for their stance. But they have leverage. Why shouldn't they use it?

5 days ago

American Airlines Looks to Downsize With Executive Buyouts and Job Cuts

American Airlines Looks to Downsize With Executive Buyouts and Job Cuts

Brian Sumers, Skift

American probably does have too many executives for an airline of its size. And considering the stock is down, this is probably not a bad time to cull the ranks. If everything goes well, passengers will probably not notice any changes.

5 days ago

American Airlines Isn’t Sure When It Will Fix Computer Issues at One of Its Regional Airlines

American Airlines Isn’t Sure When It Will Fix Computer Issues at One of Its Regional Airlines

Justin Bachman, Bloomberg

It's never a good sign when an airline admits it has a technological issue and is not sure when it will fix it. The best advice is for travelers to avoid PSA Airlines. But most passengers book with American Airlines and have no idea what regional carrier is actually operating the flight. That's a problem.

5 days ago

JetBlue’s Founder Is Raising Cash for a New U.S. Airline, Report Says

JetBlue’s Founder Is Raising Cash for a New U.S. Airline, Report Says

Justin Bachman, Bloomberg

For most entrepreneurs, even otherwise successful ones, it's a mistake to start an airline from scratch. The startup costs are immense, and most new airlines fail. But David Neeleman knows airlines, and he has started many of them, including JetBlue Airways and Azul. His track record suggests he might succeed where others would not.

6 days ago

Boeing and Other U.S. Aerospace Firms May Lose Under Latest Trump Tariffs

Boeing and Other U.S. Aerospace Firms May Lose Under Latest Trump Tariffs

Julie Johnsson, Bloomberg

With its new tariffs on Chinese-made jetliners, maybe the Trump administration is thinking long-term, calculating that someday Chinese jets will challenge Boeing. But for today, it's silly. China likely will retaliate short-term, and that's not great news for U.S. manufacturers. Chinese airlines buy a lot of Boeing jets.

1 week ago

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