Jay Shabat

David Neeleman launched Breeze with the promise of reinventing travel for underserved cities. Nearly five years on, the U.S. airline still hasn’t cracked annual profitability. With rising costs, powerful rivals, and a growth plan that stretches from Jamaica to California, 2026 will be a pivotal year. In this week’s feature story, we explore the factors that will determine whether Neeleman’s latest venture can finally take off.

For most airlines, the post-Covid era started in 2022 or 2023. For the AirAsia family, it feels like it’s only just beginning now. In this week’s feature story, we explore AirAsia’s long-delayed restructuring, its move to fuse shorthaul and longhaul operations, and the sweeping fleet ambitions that could redefine low-cost flying well beyond its Asia-Pacific heartland.

Nashville is a city best known for its music. Airlines know it for something else: Spectacular growth. Of America’s 75 busiest airports, none are growing faster than the Tennessee capital's international gateway. In this week’s feature story we examine the factors driving its recent success.

Despite a global backdrop filled with geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, European airlines delivered a strong and highly profitable summer. Ryanair at 36% margins, long-haul premium demand booming, consolidation reshaping the map, and tourism still powering the continent like a force of nature. This week’s feature story tries to make sense of it all.

Emirates remains financially strong and is buoyed by Dubai’s global appeal, but complacency isn’t an option. In this week’s feature story, we explore how the airline may choose to adapt as challenges mount.

As rivals retreat and Spirit bleeds capacity, Frontier is reinventing itself with first-class seats, loyalty perks, and a bold push into new markets. But can it really fly high alone, or is consolidation still the only cure? In this week’s feature story, we weigh up the key question: Is Frontier’s independence its greatest strength or biggest risk?

They say when the U.S. sneezes, Mexico catches a cold. That’s certainly true for Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris. Its earnings were in poor health throughout the first half of 2025, largely due to U.S. policies on tariffs and immigration. Those symptoms now appear to be fading. Volaris reports that demand recovered in recent months, with continued momentum into the final months of the year. In this week's feature story, we take a deep-dive look at one of the region's most interesting operators and ask what could come next. 

Southwest Airlines is changing faster than at any time in its history. Assigned seating, bag fees, even talk of first-class cabins and airport lounges. But are its bold moves starting to pay off? Not quite yet. Southwest's latest results were rough once again, with margins barely positive and far from the glory days that made it a Wall Street darling. Still, there are signs that better times are on the horizon, as we discuss in this week's feature story.

Virgin Atlantic is getting a new captain, but can he steer the airline toward lasting profitability? As longtime CEO Shai Weiss prepares to step down, Corneel Koster inherits a carrier with a famous brand, deep-pocketed partners, but a shaky financial record. In this week’s feature story, we unpack the daunting to-do list awaiting Koster and his team.

Big changes are underway in the U.S. airline market. In its Q3 earnings presentation last week, Delta described a domestic sector that’s getting significantly stronger, but that's far from the only highlight. In our feature story, we dissect the data and cut through the executive commentary to explain why Delta is upending industry norms.