Airlines

Drone Incidents at Gatwick Cost EasyJet $12.9 Million in Revenue in December

Christopher Jasper and Irene García Pérez, Bloomberg

EasyJet was sitting pretty last year after the demise of some of its rivals, but it is finding things much tougher now. Airfares are falling, and although the threat of a disorderly Brexit is having little impact at the moment, that might change as March 29 gets closer.

Asian Airlines Turn to Super Business Suites Rather Than First Class

Brian Sumers, Skift

Asian airlines still cling to first class, but is the product necessary anymore? Some carriers are rethinking their strategies.

Recession Watch: The Debt Load of the Travel Industry’s Public Companies

Dennis Schaal, Skift

When it comes to their debt, easyJet has a much more liquid position than Ryanair, while United and Delta have a lighter debt burden relatively speaking than American Airlines. In the event of a recession, debt loads would be one critical factor among many in hamstringing or contributing to a company's ability to maneuver.

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.

TSA Airport Screener Absences Reach 10 Percent as Shutdown Drags On

Chris Strohm, Bloomberg

Except at a few U.S. airports, lines have been moving quickly, despite fewer screeners showing up. But this can't last forever. Ten percent of all screeners didn't come to work on Sunday, and that number is increasing each day. Things could get bad.

Brexit Forces Airline Caterer to Stockpile In-Flight Meals

Ellen Milligan, Bloomberg

With the UK still divided over the hows, whats and whens of Brexit, companies are having to adapt to the uncertainty. We'll see more stockpiling across all industries as the deadline approaches.

Airbus Mulls Single-Pilot Flights as Artificial Intelligence Could Enable Autonomous Planes

Oliver Sachgau, Bloomberg

Airbus acknowledges that the "explainability" of artificial intelligence is an impediment to getting regulators to sign off on certain products. Passengers will definitely need some very good explainers, too.

Bangkok Airways Officials Fined After Manipulating the Airline’s Stock Price

Anuchit Nguyen, Bloomberg

No one at Bangkok Airways investor relations was picking up the phone on Saturday. If someone had picked up the phone the answer might have been, "Um, I don't know but I'm sure Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth will get back to you."

Avianca Brasil in Talks for Cash Infusion While It Downsizes Operations

Fabiana Batista and Paula Sambo, Bloomberg

Avianca Brasil is looking for a lifeline as it cancels routes and sees its aircraft grounded. A viable path forward isn't very clear at the moment.

TSA Sickouts Double as Backdrop to a Challenging Travel Weekend

Hailey Waller, Bloomberg

From air traffic control towers to airport security lanes, safety and staffing issues at U.S. airports are bound to get worse the longer the U.S. government shutdown persists.

AeroMexico Made a Highly Relevant Video Ad That’s the Opposite of Divisive

Isaac Carey, Skift

Twitter users are saying the airline just trolled Americans — and the outcome is pretty funny.

TSA Absences Continue to Rise as Holiday Weekend Approaches

Alan Levin, Bloomberg

A good portion of the U.S. federal government is closed, and all kinds of functions are affected. But the nation's air transport system is getting extra attention, perhaps because long security lines make good television.