Transport

Norwegian Air Retrenches as Boeing Grounding Thwarts Its Expansion Plans

Irene García Pérez and Christopher Jasper, Bloomberg

Maybe this isn't the worst thing for Norwegian. The airline probably grew too quickly. Did it need to be flying Edinburgh to Stewart, New York? The Boeing 737 Max grounding could allow Norwegian to focus on larger markets, where 787s are appropriate.

Lyft’s Good Problem to Have: Its IPO Is Oversubscribed

Olivia Zaleski and Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg

Looks like Lyft's initial public offering is already oversubscribed. Investors are willing to overlook its significant losses and forget that strong demand ahead of an offering does not mean success in public markets. As Facebook has shown.

Trump Nominates Former Delta Air Lines Executive to Lead FAA

Todd Shields, Bloomberg

Some may criticize the Trump Administration for picking an FAA administrator with an airline background. But the nominee has a deep knowledge of the industry, and should just prove a worthy choice.

Skift Global Forum Recap: How Airlines Can Maximize the Results of Ancillary Merchandising

Airlines have reaped huge rewards in recent years from sales of ancillary products. But as we discovered during this Skift Global Forum panel, their future success is by no means assured. Airlines will need to learn to think more like retailers, using what they know about customers to deliver the right products and services that meet passengers’ constantly changing needs.

Department of Transportation Requests Audit of Boeing 737 Max

Ryan Beene and Alan Levin, Bloomberg

As U.S. politicians enter damage control mode, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao makes a prudent move to further scrutinize how the Boeing 737 Max passed the certification process.

China May Exclude Boeing 737 Max From Trade Deal With U.S.

Bloomberg

China is a huge market for Boeing 737 Max jets. It is probably not good for Boeing if the country’s airlines are skittish about taking more of them.

Airlines Implement Contingency Plans to Maintain Capacity During Boeing 737 Max Grounding

Gerald Porter Jr., Bloomberg

Because the Boeing 737 Max is such a new jet, most airlines don't have that many of them. That means many carriers still may operate a near-normal schedule while the airplanes are grounded.

Skift Forum Europe: British Airways CEO on Remaking an Iconic Company

Brian Sumers, Skift

Alex Cruz said fixing British Airways would take several years. After three years on the job, he appears to be making progress. But there's more work ahead.

U.S. Travelers Are Taking Experience to a Different Level: New Skift Research

Meghan Carty, Skift Research

In its third year, Skift Research’s U.S. Experiential Traveler Survey shows us how the modern American traveler has changed and remained constant, revealing important information for travel industry insiders looking to appeal to this market.

Cathay Pacific Mines Passenger Data to Deliver Premium Service

Kyunghee Park, Bloomberg

Airlines often claim they know more about their customers than any other type of business. But when they try to use the data, they often stumble. Airlines run complex businesses, and sometimes it is difficult to translate data into customer service improvements. We'll see if Cathay Pacific has more success than other carriers.

Southwest’s Tentative Agreement With Mechanics May End Labor Dispute

Associated Press

In a court filing, Southwest accused mechanics of slowing down the airline's operation due to a labor dispute. Southwest may have been able to absorb the possible slowdown had that been the only issue affecting operations. But once the FAA grounded all Boeing 737 Max jets, Southwest had to solve this problem.

EasyJet Confirms It Won’t Take Part in Alitalia Rescue

Anthony Palazzo, Bloomberg

All eyes are on Delta Air Lines now. How interested is it in still taking part in the Alitalia rescue?