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Airline News Digest: 21-27 February 2026
Our regular rundown of the biggest airline stories from the past seven days.
IAG ends strong 2025 with profit margins at top end of targets
British Airways and Iberia parent IAG closed a strong year by boosting operating profit 17.3% to just over €5 billion ($5.9 billion) and hitting the upper end of mid-term profit margin targets set out 15 months ago.
Fleet factor: How aircraft affected Qantas and Air New Zealand earnings
When Qantas and Air New Zealand each released their half-year results on 26 February, both carriers spoke at length about their fleet, and how it impacted their earnings.
Volaris buoyed by improving cross-border picture
Continued recovery in demand for US cross-border travel enabled Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris to close a challenging year with a more positive outlook.
Yield uplift helps SIA Group earnings, but Air India losses continue to haunt
Singapore Airlines Group improved its quarterly operating profit, helped by an uptick in passenger yields – its first increase in almost a year – that lifted its passenger revenue.
Airline News Digest: 14-20 February 2026
Our regular rundown of the biggest airline stories from the past seven days.
And then there were none: Jetstar Japan divestment is final nail in coffin for Qantas’ heady Asia expansion
As Qantas prepares to report is half-year earnings, the airline group’s refocusing of strategy to its core Australian market is expected to be under the spotlight.
Air France-KLM relaxed on transatlantic trends amid strong premium demand
Air France-KLM’s full-year earnings call saw the group’s executives present a positive assessment of 2025 and the year to come, as they cited the business’s focus on “premium” cabins as a boon.
Interviews
Mongolia’s Hunnu Air talks up bold network expansion plans with refreshed fleet
Few would have heard about Hunnu Air, but the Mongolian carrier is quietly growing its network reach, as it taps on opportunities gained from fleet modernisation efforts.
Why Emirates is adding an A350 service to Gatwick as it eyes further UK growth
Emirates will begin operating a fourth daily flight to Gatwick airport, bringing its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered Airbus A350-900 jets to the West Sussex facility for the first time.
How Saudia is transforming its business while growing to meet tourism demand
Commercial chief Arved von zur Muehlen outlines moves to transform the legacy carrier in tandem with the opening up of the kingdom to tourists
Neves focuses on network and frequency as Etihad gets back on growth path
Etihad Airways chief executive Antonoaldo Neves is steering the Abu Dhabi carrier into a growth phase with a strategy focused on boosting frequencies rather than dots on the route map
EgyptAir chief readies carrier for growth amid airport investment and tourism ambitions
Capt Ahmed Adel is positioning the North African carrier to play a crucial role as Egypt’s government invests in aviation infrastructure and seeks to double tourist traffic
Opinion
Branding the third space: How airlines are redefining the middle market
Airlines might have a lot to gain by offering elevated but attainable products to a willing customer base, argues Conran Design Group’s Ludwig Duran
Is the airline industry’s new-found ‘resilience’ actually just peak premium demand?
It might be the case that strong demand for the expensive seats among travel-hungry leisure passengers is a structural change in the post-Covid era. But there are clear risks in going all-in on that assumption
Is the airline industry at a point of inflection?
Some regions face a changed revenue environment amid slow GDP growth and stubborn inflation, writes CTAIRA analyst Chris Tarry
How Trump administration’s actions are weighing on airline traffic from Canada and Mexico
Demand for air travel to the USA from neighbouring countries has slumped amid trade tensions, divisive rhetoric from the US president and concerns over economies, exposing the industry’s vulnerability to forces outside its control
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