Madhu Unnikrishnan

U.S. airlines were in a position of strength. And then the coronavirus crisis struck. Although no carrier has announced layoffs or has requested a government bailout, the days, weeks, and months ahead look rough.

No other country or region has an airline industry as strong as that of the U.S. What's the secret? Have U.S. airlines cracked the perennially difficult code to airline profitability, and will it last? Skift Airline Weekly dove deep and zeroed in on trends that explain the U.S. airlines' success.

Alaska Airlines startled the airline world by announcing it will enter the Oneworld global alliance. It also plans to coordinate more deeply with American, especially after American launches London and Bangalore flights from Seattle. But will the two be able to compete with powerhouse Delta, which also flies internationally from Seattle?

It may have started as a fringe movement in Sweden, but flight shaming is coming to the U.S. JetBlue plans to head it off at the pass by investing in offsetting programs and biofuels. But its real green deal may be in its new aircraft.

American Airlines suggests that it's not planning for the Boeing 737 Max to return to flying until the late summer or fall. But the airline is still positive this year will be better than last. That shouldn't be too hard.

Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith inherited a complicated mess when he took the top job last year, but he has begun methodically turning the company around, winning contracts from labor and simplifying the fleet and route network.

American Airlines had a tough summer, with labor issues and the grounding of its 24 Boeing 737 Max aircraft. But Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said at Skift Global Forum that these two areas are at the top of management's agenda for next year.

It's never dull in the airline industry, and the first half of 2019 has been no exception. We were hard-pressed to single out the most interesting region. But the industry in Europe had the wildest ride in the first half, with high-profile bankruptcies, a few strikes, impending acquisitions, changing business models, and the perennial Alitalia saga.

Airlines have innovated a lot since Skift Airline Weekly's launch in June 2004, but there's one innovation that we think radically changed the industry.

Skift Airline Weekly celebrates its 15th anniversary this month, and we're taking a look back at some of our highlights. We learned in 2008 the danger of making airline predictions, especially when an airline has its government's support.