Ryanair Just Cleared Its Debt: Where Do Other Major Airlines Stand?
O'Leary and team now have one of the cleanest balance sheets in commercial aviation – the timing, with fuel costs hammering rivals, could hardly be better.
Gordon Smith is Airlines Editor at Skift and Editor at Airline Weekly. He’s covered the industry for more than 15 years across television, print, and digital platforms. Since joining Skift in January 2024, he has interviewed more than 20 airline CEOs, often helping make headlines along the way. Send stories/tips via Signal: smithgme.01
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Life After Spirit: The Future of Fort Lauderdale
When Spirit Airlines collapsed, Fort Lauderdale looked destined for decline. Instead, a new battle for South Florida is erupting. JetBlue is aggressively expanding, Frontier is rapidly rebuilding, and Breeze and Allegiant are flooding the market with new routes of their own. We examine the airport’s next chapter in this week’s feature story.
Earning Its Stripes: Condor CEO on Life After Lufthansa
Condor’s stripey planes grab the attention, but CEO Peter Gerber’s bigger challenge is turning a decades-long leisure specialist into a credible network competitor to Lufthansa.
For Airline Weekly Subscribers
The Airline Europe Wrote Off — and Shouldn’t Have
Iberia has quietly become one of the world's most profitable airlines — its 16.4% operating margin now rivals Ryanair, completing a decade-plus turnaround from near-Alitalia-level dysfunction.
Riyadh Air Opens Bookings for Formal London Launch
After months of false starts, Riyadh Air finally closes the gap between operational readiness and a true commercial launch.
Ryanair CEO Ties Fuel Outlook to Trump’s Midterm Math
No one in European aviation talks more than Michael O'Leary, and few are better placed to call what's coming. His earnings Q&A is one of the most candid industry insights you'll get this quarter.
For Airline Weekly Subscribers
Singapore Airlines and Its Air India Dilemma
Singapore Airlines has a bad habit: buying into troubled airlines. Virgin Australia, Ansett, Air New Zealand — the list of regrettable investments is long. Now, its 25% stake in Air India is turning into perhaps the most painful bet yet. The timing couldn’t be worse. Even as Singapore Airlines itself benefits from booming premium demand and travelers rerouting through Changi instead of the Gulf, Air India is hemorrhaging money. Can SIA turn the investment around? We take a closer look in this week’s feature story.
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The Profit Gap Splitting U.S. Airlines
Gordon sits down with Skift airlines reporter Meghna Maharishi to break down a revealing Q1 earnings season for U.S. carriers — separating the standouts from the strugglers.
100 Million Visitors and One Very Loud Pitchman: Inside Trump’s Tourism Push
Nick Adams is the loudest tourism pitchman the U.S. has ever had, but is the world hearing what he wants it to hear?
Lufthansa Tightens Grip on ITA Airways With Majority Stake Swoop
What was sold as a minority investment has become outright control in record time. Expect Lufthansa to bring the same German gusto to the looming battle for TAP Air Portugal.