Sky information: Air France-KLM, Air Canada, Wizzair, Xiamen Airlines, Japan Airlines, Ita Airways, etc.

Goldman Sachs warns that Europe will enter a critical phase due to the kerosene crisis at the beginning of the summer. The American bank also estimates that the continent could run out of kerosene by the end of the year if the resumption of supplies from the Persian Gulf is delayed until next July. According to their estimates, a normalization in the Strait of Hormuz could occur between June and July, although this would not prevent extreme shortages during the summer and early autumn, which could lead to rationing in countries with fewer reserves, particularly the United Kingdom.

Air France-KLM forecasts a $2.4 billion increase in fuel costs this year due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and, consequently, has lowered its capacity forecasts for the full year. During a earnings conference call Thursday, the Franco-Dutch airline group said its fuel hedging strategy helped protect first-quarter returns, despite a nearly 84% increase in jet fuel prices since the start of the conflict on February 28. The company expects its total fuel bill for 2026 to reach $9.3 billion.

Despite rising airfares and geopolitical uncertainty, Air Canada‘s first quarter resulted in « solid passenger revenues » and « good performance in the premium and corporate segments, » President Michael Rousseau said Thursday evening. « Despite fare increases due to fuel prices, we continue to see strong demand across our network and at all booking levels, » Rousseau said.

easyJet is strengthening its UK network from Nice with the launch of a direct route to Birmingham starting May 1, 2026. Perfect for enjoying the long bank holiday weekend. England’s second-largest city and its cultural attractions are becoming more accessible than ever to travelers from the French Riviera. The Nice-Birmingham route began on May 1 and is scheduled to operate two flights per week, on Mondays and Fridays.

The city of Santander will benefit from three flights to Bucharest (Romania) starting at the end of March 2027, according to Wizz Air, the airline that operates this route from Santander Airport. The service will increase from two weekly flights currently, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to three, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, starting March 29 of next year.

Furthermore, flights between Sofia (Bulgaria) and the Cantabrian capital will continue next summer according to the current schedule, with two flights per week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The European Commission has given its approval to the alliance between Airbus and the French group Air France-KLM, which aims to combine their respective maintenance service offerings for airlines operating the A350 model, concluding that this will not have a negative impact on the European Economic Area.
The European Commission considers that the operation does not raise competition concerns due to its « limited » impact on competition in the markets where both companies are active, since the new entity will continue to find « credible competitors, » such as some of the rivals that already offer maintenance services and supply components for the repair of the A350.

Brussels also took into account that, with the integration of the A350, a market for used components is expected to emerge, which, in practice, will reduce the barriers that could hinder the entry of other maintenance service providers.

European airlines buy aircraft by the dozen, while Chinese and Indian airlines buy them by the hundreds. It’s as simple as that. This is what has just happened with China Southern, one of the three major state-owned airlines. It has just announced the acquisition of 137 Airbus A320neos, the latest model manufactured by Airbus. 102 aircraft are destined for China Southern, while the other 35 are for Xiamen Airlines, a subsidiary in which it holds a 55% stake. Less than two months ago, China Eastern, also a state-owned airline, acquired 101 aircraft of the same model. Deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2028 and continue until 2032. Meanwhile, Airbus still has to deliver some of the 96 aircraft acquired by China Southern in July 2022.

ITA Airways yesterday inaugurated the very first direct non-stop flight between Rome Fiumicino (FCO).