• A Delta plane crash-landed and flipped upside-down in Toronto on Monday.
• Airline pilots say strong crosswinds or runway debris could have caused a landing gear failure.
• All 80 passengers and crew survived, likely thanks to aircraft design and airline safety protocols.

Three airline pilots suspect some combination of faulty landing gear, wintry weather, or debris may have caused a Delta Air Lines plane to crash and flip belly up on Monday.

Former Delta captain Mark Stephens, who flew for the carrier for 30 years, told Business Insider that video of the event shows the right main landing gear collapsing within seconds of touching down.

He said it appeared the right wing then struck the ground, detached from the jet, and caught fire. The plane then rolled and came to a rest upside-down.

"There was just no stopping this once whatever forces caused the gear to fail," Stephens said. "The plane didn't fully engulf in flames likely because when the wing fell off, it left the fuel behind and reduced the risk of a major spark. Snow and ice may have also helped to control the fire."

Two other active airline pilots who asked not to be named due to the ongoing investigation and their employers' policies regarding speaking to the media agreed that the video shows the right gear likely failing during touchdown.

Investigators have not yet given any details on what may have caused the crash.

Excessive force or debris could have hurt the landing gear

A strong crosswind and possible wind shear, a sudden change in wind direction that can affect a plane's altitude, could have put high lateral force onto the right gear as the plane landed. The airport was reporting relatively high 33-knot gusts at the time.

Wind shear is a particular hazard during takeoff and landing that has caused plane crashes in the past.

"I've had some really hard landings," Stephens said. "But I don't think the gear would fail from a hard landing unless it had too many cycles."

Airlines closely monitor landing gear cycles, or how many times the wheels have gone up and down, as part of their maintenance strategies. Plane manufacturers design commercial aircraft equipment to withstand heavy landings, but even these have limits, Stephens said.

Stephens, who has a background in engineering, said metal fatigue or cracking could cause a critical component of the gear to break if the fault is missed during a maintenance check.

In 2018, a Southwest Airlines plane experienced an engine failure in which one of the fan blades broke due to metal fatigue, causing fragments of the engine to escape and hit a passenger window. One person was killed.

The Delta Bombardier CRJ900 jet involved was about 16 years old but could have flown for many more years with proper maintenance and upkeep.

Stephens said debris on the runway could have been another culprit.

"If it hit an ice block, I think that could cause the gear to fail because you're landing at 150 miles an hour," Stephens said. "It could also be something as little as just a small piece of metal that made the tire fail."

In 2000, an Air France Concorde jet hit a small piece of debris during takeoff, causing the tire to explode and sending fragments flying into the underside of the plane. Damage to flight control systems and a fuel tank explosion caused the plane to crash, killing 113 people.

The pilots would likely have minimal reaction time

Stephens said the plane landing in Toronto likely would have been flying in at an angle to handle the strong crosswinds. "Crabbing," as the common technique is known, involves pointing the plane's nose slightly into the wind to stay on course and straightening out just before landing.

Given the direction of the winds in this case, the procedure would have involved landing on the right landing gear first and keeping the right wing down into the crosswind before settling on the left main gear followed by the nose gear for a full touchdown.

"The pilots are looking straight down the runway, and they're trained not to pull that wing out, so to me, they're doing what they're supposed to do," Stephens said.

Between the landing gear failing and the wing hitting the ground, he estimates the pilots would not have time to thrust the engines to full power for a second landing attempt.

Greater Toronto Airports Authority CEO Deborah Flint said in a Tuesday press conference that the airport experienced "extreme" winter conditions over the weekend.

Monday was considered "clear," though snow was reportedly blowing at the time of the crash.

Robust safety procedures and aircraft design helped everyone survive

Stephens said the Delta CRJ900, which was operated by the wholly-owned subsidiary Endeavor Air, is very strong and its robust airframe likely contributed to the survivability despite the damaging fire and roll.

"This is why you always wear a seatbelt and pay attention to the safety instructions," he said.

For aircraft to be certified, US regulators require manufacturers to show everyone can evacuate in 90 seconds or less. This includes listening to crew instructions and leaving bags behind.

A Japan Airlines plane collided with another jet during landing and caught fire in January 2024. Experts said a detailed in-flight safety video paired with the passengers following crew instructions to leave bags contributed to all 379 people surviving.

Ignoring crew commands can be deadly.

In 2019, a Russian jet three times smaller than the JAL one caught fire upon landing, but people were seen evacuating with the carry-on luggage. It is believed the slowed escape caused some of the 41 people's deaths.

Delta said on Tuesday that 19 of 21 people injured in the crash have been released from the hospital. Canada's Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with assistance from US agencies and Bombardier.

• Southwest Airlines is cutting 15% of its corporate workforce, or 1,750 employees, the carrier said.
• They're the first major layoffs in Southwest's 53-year history and come amid profitability woes.
• Read the CEO Bob Jordan's full message on Monday to employees.

Southwest Airlines said on Monday that it is slashing 15% of its corporate workforce, or 1,750 employees.

The cuts are the first major layoffs in Southwest's 53-year history and the airline's latest response to the company's financial woes as its profits plunge.

The carrier said the layoffs will help the company save about $210 million in 2025 — excluding severance packages and post-employment benefits, which could cost the company $60 to $80 million — and around $300 million in 2026.

Southwest president and CEO Bob Jordan said the severances would take effect in late April and that impacted workers would keep their pay, benefits, and bonuses until then.

Elliott Investment Management, an activist firm that took a stake in Southwest in June, has been pushing for changes at the carrier, including a restructuring of its board and updates to its business model.

Southwest said in July that it plans to end its long-standing open-seating policy to generate more seating revenue. The company also reduced flight crew positions in Atlanta last year to cut costs.

Southwest isn't the only budget airline to take cost-cutting measures in a changing industry.

Spirit Airlines, for example, said in July it would start bundling previously a-la-carte items like snacks and checked bags to target premium passengers.

JetBlue Airways said the same month that it would delay delivering more than 40 jets to the airline's fleet until 2030 or later.

Low-cost competitor Frontier Airlines has similarly made changes, like adding a new business-class-like cabin with a blocked middle seat to lure in more customers.

Read Southwest CEO Bob Jordan's full message to employees on Monday:

Southwest Team:

We are at a pivotal moment as we carry out our three-year business plan to transform Southwest Airlines. Our transformational plan is the largest and most comprehensive in our 53-year history, and it focuses on three simple but powerful objectives. First, boost revenues and loyalty by offering our Customers the experience they want; second, maximize efficiencies and minimize costs; and third, make the most of our investments.

As we continue to work together to transform our Company, an area of intense focus will be maximizing efficiencies and minimizing costs. We must ensure we fund the right work, reduce duplicative efforts, and have a lean organizational structure that drives clarity, pace, and urgency. Improving how we work together and how we get work done has a tremendous impact on our efficiency as a Company and how we deliver against our plan.

We have made the very tough decision to move forward with a reduction in our workforce, focused almost entirely on Corporate and Leadership positions. This reduction affects approximately 1,750 Employee roles, or 15% of Corporate positions. Separations do not begin until late April. Until then, most Employees who are notified of their displacement will not work but will continue to receive their salary, benefits, and bonus, if eligible.

This is a very difficult and monumental shift, and I arrived at this decision after careful and thorough reflection, knowing how hard it will be to say goodbye to Cohearts who have been a significant part of our Culture and our accomplishments.

We are dedicated to operating safely and reliably for our Customers every single day. The fundamental objective of Leadership and Noncontract roles is to support our Frontline Employees as efficiently and effectively as possible. With the best intentions, the growth of our Leadership and Noncontract functions have outpaced our operation's growth for many years. Now, this group must become more lean, efficient, and agile to better serve our Frontline Employees in our shared mission of serving our Customers.

What to Expect

This will be hard, and we will treat our People with the care and respect they have earned and they deserve. Impacted Employees will receive severance and will be offered resources to provide an opportunity to ask questions and prepare for the future, like sessions with Human Resource Business Partners, a dedicated Offboarding Support Team, and outplacement services.

Moving Forward Together

This was an extremely difficult decision to make because of its impact on our People—both those who will be directly impacted and those who will remain.

Changing how we work is an essential part of becoming a more agile Company, and it will be a journey. We are building a leaner organization with increased clarity regarding what is most important, quicker decision making, and a focus on getting the right things done with urgency—not unlike our entrepreneurial founding spirit of the 1970s. As we focus on delivering on our plan, our future will be built upon the actions we take today to ensure an even brighter future.

Are you one of the Southwest employees who was laid off? If so, reach out to Business Insider Senior Aviation Reporter Taylor Rains on a non-work device at [email protected].

• A Delta Air Lines plane flipped with 80 people on board as it landed in Toronto Monday.
• The Bombardier CRJ900 was flying from Minneapolis, operated by Delta's Endeavor Air.
• The airline said Monday evening 18 customers with injuries were transported to hospitals.

A Delta Air Lines jet flipped with 80 people on board as it landed at a Toronto airport Monday, leaving emergency crews scrambling to reach the injured in the upside-down aircraft.

All passengers and crew were "accounted for," Toronto Pearson International Airport said. Delta Air Lines said 18 injured people were taken to hospitals. A Peel Regional Police spokesperson said the Greater Toronto Airports Authority was investigating.

Photos on X appeared to show the plane upside down and at least one wing missing. More photos of the wreck trickled out later. Delta said there were 76 passengers and four crew on board.

"Initial reports indicate there are no fatalities and 18 customers with injuries have been transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted," Delta said Monday at around 5:40 p.,m. ET.

At around 10:30 p.m. ET, the company said, "Some of the customers initially transported to area hospitals have been released."

Ornge, an air ambulance service in Ontario, told Business Insider that three people were transported to Toronto hospitals with critical injuries, including a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s.

The Bombardier CRJ900, which was flying from Minneapolis as Flight 4819, was operated by Delta's wholly-owned regional subsidiary, Endeavor Air.

"Everything just kind of went sideways," Pete Carlson, a passenger on the flight, told Canada's national broadcaster CBC.

"One minute you're landing, kind of waiting to see your friends and your people, and the next minute you're physically upside down," he said.

Carlson described the sound of "cement and metal" as the plane crashed.

Flights to Toronto Pearson were halted due to the emergency but resumed at 5 p.m. local time. More than 330 flights were delayed on Monday, and nearly 400 flights were canceled, per FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.

"The airport remains open. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before coming to the airport," the airport wrote in an X post on Monday night.

Delta said that it is working with customers flying from, to, or through Toronto and that customers should check their flight status via the Delta app.

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in an X post that investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration were traveling to Toronto and that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada would lead the investigation.

Canada's transport minister Anita Anand thanked first responders and airport staff in an X post. In an earlier post, she said she had spoken to Duffy about the crash and that the FAA was sending investigators to support the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

A bad few months for aviation safety

The Delta incident comes two and a half weeks after an American Airlines flight collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C., killing 67 people.

The event in Toronto highlights the ongoing concerns over aviation safety. Despite the incident happening in Canada, the plane was operated by a US airline regulated by the FAA.

On Monday, the Trump Administration fired hundreds of FAA staff, according to the workers' union, including people in the safety department.

Among those fired was Jason King, whose work directly involved addressessing safety concerns, the Washington television station, WUSA, reported.

He said his team's work included investigating the midair collision over D.C.

The Delta and American flights join a string of aviation safety events since December. An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer plane crashed on Christmas Day in Kazakhstan, with some blaming Russian air defenses. Thirty-eight people died.

A few days later, a Boeing 737 operated by the South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air crashed in South Korea. 179 people died, and two people survived.

A small general aviation plane crashed in Pennsylvania a few days after the American accident, killing six on the plane and one on the ground.

And on February 6, an Alaskan regional airline crashed in western Alaska, killing 10 people.

• Denver-based Boom Supersonic wants to revive Mach-speed travel with its Overture plane.
• Overture would feature improved efficiency, safety, and a quieter engine than Concorde.
• Boom's innovations include a homegrown engine and the potential for overland supersonic flights.

A startup wants to revive the era of the supersonic Concorde for the generations of flyers that missed out — but without the noisy boom and expensive ticket prices.

Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl explained to Business Insider how his company's future "Overture" airliner would look and operate compared to the iconic Concorde.

He said Overture's airframe, cabin, and avionics have been developed to improve efficiency and safety, and Boom plans to build its own homegrown supersonic engine capable of running off biofuels.

The company also recently announced progress in its intention to operate Mach-speed flights over land without the sonic boom reaching the ground.

This "Boomless Cruise" could help Overture achieve a feat Concorde never could — assuming regulators allow it.

"We didn't invent anything," Scholl said. "Concorde proved you can fly a supersonic airplane with passengers on it half a century ago. The job of the Overture is to do it economically."

An advanced airframe with no moveable nose

The Concorde — which was an expensive government project between the UK and France — first flew nearly 50 years ago but retired in 2003 after a deadly crash.

Boom, a private company, will take Concorde's proven ideas and apply modern designs to improve efficiency and safety. Passenger flights are expected to begin in 2029.

Overture kept Concorde's Delta-wing design that minimizes aerodynamic "wave drag" at high speeds — meaning the basic airframes look similar. Wave drag results from shock waves forming around an airplane, decreasing efficiency.

Scholl said Boom has changed Overture's fuselage materials and shape to make it 20% more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor.

"We can design a very efficient shape with [wind tunnel] simulation," he said. "The whole thing is accurate to the width of a human hair across a 70-foot fuselage."

Scholl added Overture's carbon fiber composite is lighter-weight than the Concorde's aluminum materials, saving fuel.

Overture also ditches the moveable nose, a staple of the Concorde design that helped pilots see out the front windshield when traversing airports.

Scholl said Overture would replace that with an "augmented reality vision system" powered by two cameras on the landing gear, which has already been successfully demonstrated on Boom's XB-1 prototype.

"The pilot gets a virtual window through the nose," he said. "It's much lighter, much more efficient, much more reliable than mechanical equipment, and gives the pilots a much better view than any kind of traditional windscreen."

Boom is building its own engine

Boom's homegrown turbofan engine, Symphony, is being built to propel Overture between New York and London in less than four hours or between Seattle and Tokyo in less than five.

They're expected to run at a maximum Mach 1.7 — slower than Concorde's Mach 2.04.

The company decided to build its own engine, which is expected to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuels, after major manufacturers declined to help.

Scholl said the four engines would sit under the wings — making them easily accessible for maintenance — and be 20% more fuel efficient than those on the Concorde. The Concorde also had four engines but used turbojets instead of more efficient and quieter turbofans.

"This is not a new technology, it's the kind of engine that's been around since the 1940s," Scholl said. "What we're doing is building the first turbofan that is designed to fit a supersonic airliner perfectly."

He added that Symphony won't need the afterburners that are common in supersonic engines. This would make Overture's engine more efficient at high speeds, require less maintenance, and be more noise-friendly to airport communities.

Possible supersonic flights over land

One of Boom's biggest challenges is flying supersonic over land without producing a disruptive sonic boom. Regulators restricted Concorde's Mach-speed flying to only over oceans because of this.

Scholl initially said eliminating the noisy overland boom would be a focus of later versions of Overture.

However, the company's recent Boomless Cruise findings — which explored a physics concept called "Mach cutoff" that refracts the boom and dissipates it before hitting the ground — may pave the way for a quicker rollout.

"This allows Boom to reexamine the possibilities of Overture quietly breaking the sound barrier over land," a spokesperson told BI, adding that data was collected and evaluated via XB-1's supersonic flights.

Boom's push for supersonic overland flights has the backing of Elon Musk, who said the Trump Administration would "get rid of all regulations that make no sense, like this one."

If the law is amended, Boom could offer domestic Mach-speed travel for the first time.

Lower airfare and a taller cabin

Boom's plan to eliminate the high costs associated with the Concorde may bring down supersonic ticket prices — making the jet more affordable for airlines and customers.

Scholl said business fares would hover around $5,000 roundtrip instead of the Concorde's up to $20,000 — and that's with fewer seats onboard to sell.

"It's not yet for everybody, but the top 20% of flyers are already at that price point today," he said. "That's tens of millions of people, so for the same price point, you'd be able to get there in half the time."

Boom has secured 130 Overture orders from carriers like American Airlines and United Airlines, and Scholl said they'd boast a better cabin than what British Airways and Air France fit on the Concorde.

Specifically, Boom's airliner is designed to have between 64 and 80 seats, instead of up to 128 on Concorde — offering more space to travelers. The seats are expected to be innovated for comfort.

The Concorde was infamous for its low door and ceiling. Scholl said Overture's entry door would be 10 inches taller.

"That's an inch taller than [the door] on a Boeing 737," he said. "Unless you're LeBron James, you won't have to duck to get on."

• Lufthansa is experiencing a disastrous rollout of its new Allegris business-class seat.
• The seats don't fit on the upper deck of Boeing 747-8s, and face certification woes on the 787.
• The Allegris-related issues are hampering Lufthansa's ability to capture more premium revenue.

Certification and fit issues with fancy new business class seats are hampering one of Europe's largest airlines and its financial turnaround.

German flag carrier Lufthansa confirmed to Business Insider that its new "Allegris" business class doesn't fit on the upper deck of its Boeing 747-8 jets because of their narrow noses.

To proceed with planned retrofits, the company has decided to fit two of the 747s with a staggered layout by the end of 2025 — meaning one level will have Allegris, while the other will have the old seats.

German aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth first reported the issues on Tuesday.

Lufthansa is also unable to receive Allegris-equipped Boeing 787 Dreamliners due to certification issues, adding to the headaches.

The Allegris rollout is meant to refresh Lufthansa's fleet with a more competitive cabin and attract more high-paying flyers as the airline struggles to turn a profit.

Boeing 747s will feature odd split cabins

Lufthansa's retrofitted 747s won't be consistent, forcing travelers to pay extra attention to their seat assignments when booking.

The project involves configuring the lower deck with 48 of the new Allegris business class seats but leaving the upper deck with the plane's 32 old business class seats.

Customers on the lower deck Allegris cabin will enjoy a posh seat with a sliding door, wireless charging, advanced in-flight entertainment, and direct aisle access.

Those on the upper deck, however, will be stuck with an older 2x2 cabin where window-seat passengers cannot freely access the aisle. The seats also lack Allegris' modern amenities.

Lufthansa confirmed the 747's old first-class seats would remain in place as the airline works out the shaping challenge.

Delayed Boeing 787s due to Allegris certification

Lufthansa has 34 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order to replace its aging Airbus A340 quad-jets. Each is expected to be delivered with the new Allegris cabin.

However, the Federal Aviation Administration has yet to certify the seat for the Dreamliner, despite Boeing fitting Allegris onto some of the already-built jets destined for Lufthansa.

The airline's A350 was delivered with Allegris because it has secured full certification by European regulators. The business class design is complicated, with seven unique seating options.

The regulatory hiccup has delayed deliveries of Lufthansa's much-needed new widebodies, impacting its planned network. The FAA told BI that it would not comment on ongoing certification work.

In the meantime, Lufthansa said the airline and Boeing are working to get some of the Allegris-equipped planes into service by the summer but with business rows blocked.

Lufthansa would instead only sell the already-FAA-certified Allegris economy and premium economy cabins and fly with business class empty.

Blocking the money-earning premium cabin could impact Lufthansa's revenue opportunities, but the airline said it plans to deploy the 787s on medium-haul routes with less business demand.

Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter told journalists in January that the airline is moving six non-Allegris-equipped Airbus A350s to Frankfurt this summer to pad its schedule, the German outlet airliners.de reported.

Allegris' disastrous rollout could hamper revenue

Lufthansa outlined a financial turnaround plan in 2024 after several quarters of losses driven by frequent aircraft maintenance, plane shortages, high costs, and labor strikes.

In January, Ritter said that despite some improvements in the second half of 2024, profitability is "not there yet."

While Lufthansa is already facing supply chain issues for its Airbus A320s and delays of its on-order Boeing 777Xs, the Allegris rollout has particularly amplified the financial woes.

The delay is forcing Lufthansa to fly gas-guzzling older planes for longer and forgo capacity on long-haul routes, increasing operating costs while simultaneously preventing Lufthansa from cashing in on booming premium demand.

US carriers like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have taken advantage of this demand for premium seats, especially across the Atlantic.

Lufthansa's fleet of nine Allegris-equipped A350s may help soften the blow to long-haul revenue.

On Tuesday, the airline announced three new US routes for the Allegris A350s from Frankfurt starting in spring, including to Newark, New Jersey, San Diego, and Charlotte.

• Boeing's quality issues and Airbus' supply chain problems have created a global jet shortage.
• American Airlines cut routes amid delayed 787s, while Ryanair lowered its capacity outlook for 2025.
• US budget carrier Breeze delayed route launches due to Airbus jets coming up to two months late.

Production struggles at Boeing and Airbus have forced airlines around the world to cut routes and spend more to keep older planes flying, even as travel demand soars.

Airlines reeling from delays have looked to aircraft lessors to fill the gaps, but likely won't see much relief in 2025 as Boeing works to get its assembly lines back on track.

The embattled manufacturer delivered 348 planes in 2024, down from 528 the year prior. Its rival, Airbus, nearly doubled that at 766 aircraft deliveries.

"The first half is going to reflect our gradual, steady restart of the factory, and the second half is likely going to benefit from achieving higher production rates," Boeing's chief financial officer Brian West said in January of the year ahead. "2025, in some ways, could look like 2023, maybe a bit better if things go our way."

Boeing's 737 Max production is still capped

A federally mandated cap on production of 737 Max planes is hampering deliveries for waiting airlines.

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, for example, cut its traffic target for 2025, and Southwest Airlines said it expects up to 100 fewer Max jets than its agreed-upon 136.

American Airlines, United Airlines, and budget carrier Allegiant Air have similarly cut their 2025 delivery expectations and are couching their schedules and crew staffing.

This is a particular nuisance as airlines try to capitalize on booming travel demand. Lower seat capacity may also result in higher ticket prices for customers.

Two new 737 Max variants — the Max 7 and the Max 10 — are still waiting on certification. It's unclear when they may enter service.

After the 2024 door plug blowout, United removed the Max 10 from its 2025 plans, while Southwest cut the Max 7 from its 2024 capacity. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in March its on-order Max 10s could be delayed to 2027.

Overall, airlines appear optimistic about Boeing's turnaround.

United's CFO, Mike Leskinen, said in a January earnings call that the airline is bullish about the Max 10 as Boeing starts to "make some real progress in improving their business."

Southwest and Allegiant also appear higher on Boeing after both received more Max planes than expected in the fourth quarter.

"[Boeing] appear[s] to be on a good path, and we're feeling more optimistic," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said. "Regardless, we think it's prudent to hedge our bets."

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company wants to increase Max production to 42 a month by the end of 2025, which can only happen if Boeing meets FAA-mandated performance standards.

Late 787 Dreamliners are forcing route cuts

Boeing's popular widebody 787 Dreamliner has faced a slew of quality problems.

American cut three planned 787 routes to Europe this summer and reduced frequencies on two others, data from Cirium shows. The delays have already forced it to delay the launch of its new Flagship business class, which is expected later this year.

This is particularly bad news for American as it tries to keep up with the growing transatlantic market, which has been a boon for United and Delta.

In the Middle East, Riyadh, a new airline hoping to boost Saudi Arabia's tourism and economy, has postponed its launch from early 2025 to the third quarter because it cannot obtain the needed 787s.

Boeing said it expects to get some backlogged Dreamliners out the door in early 2025 as it shuts down the designated "shadow factory" — assembly lines that address quality problems on already-built jets.

Boeing's newest plane is six years late and counting

Boeing said in its earnings call that it still expects to launch its long-delayed 777X in 2026 — six years after the plane's initially expected 2020 service entry.

Emirates has been vocal about the 777X production and design setbacks.

President Tim Clark said in November the airline should have already had 85 in its fleet and has subsequently spent more money flying older planes longer to cope.

About 500 orders have been placed for the 777X from over a dozen global carriers, though none are in the US.

The plane restarted test flights in January after a five-month pause.

Airbus planes face supply chain challenges

While Boeing remains the most prominent cause of airline delivery delays worldwide, Airbus has faced "persistent specific supply chain issues mainly in engines, aerostructures, and cabin equipment."

This has impacted carriers like Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways in 2024, and is expected to keep planes grounded through 2025.

Latvian carrier airBaltic recently announced thousands of summer flight cuts due to delayed Airbus A220 engines from supplier Pratt and Whitney.

Breeze Airways' CEO David Neeleman told Business Insider in January that some of the budget carrier's A220s are coming "one or two months late," adding the airline is also facing engine shortages.

The A220 delays pushed back the launch of some Breeze routes from spring 2025 to fall.

"It's been a little frustrating," Neeleman said. "I still can't figure out how you have supply chain issues four years after Covid."

• Flexjet offers luxury helicopter rides in New York City.
• I crossed Manhattan via helicopter instead of a car. It was fun, but I worried about the noise.
• Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro said the company tries to be a "good citizen" around city communities.

Most people commute in and out of New York City by train, ferry, or car. But some in the upper echelons of society can afford to fly above the chaos.

I recently took a demo flight on a Flexjet Sikorsky S-76 helicopter between Manhattan and Teterboro, New Jersey, to experience how the rich travel in a hurry. It cut travel time from what could be over an hour to just minutes

Private charter companies like Flexjet, Blade, and HeliFlite connect heliports on the east and west sides of Manhattan to suburban hot spots like New Jersey, Westchester County, the Hamptons, and other affluent areas.

I immediately saw how the pricey helicopter rides are well worth the convenience for these deep-pocketed people — and the helicopters come with ritzy perks like free alcohol and food and luxe VIP cabins.

But I couldn't ignore the effects on residents and the need for these companies and their customers to be conscious of the noise and environmental impacts.

A local activist group called "Stop the Chop" wants to eliminate non-essential helicopter rides over NYC, including for tourism and charters. The New York City Council has proposed legislation to meet this demand, including proposing a noise tax. A similar bill passed the state senate last year.

Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro told Business Insider it is aware of the disturbances to New Yorkers, adding the company is carbon neutral and works to reduce its noise footprint.

"We're always trying to be good citizens, no matter what we do, whether it's environment or noise abatement," he said. "We try to follow all of our aircraft's protocols to those who live nearby."

Flexjet says it focuses on safety, luxury, and noise abatement

Silvestro said Flexjet's helicopters are largely used for airport transfers to complement its private jet operation, with some on-demand and charter flying.

For example, someone may fly in a Flexjet Gulfstream G650 from London to Teterboro and then use a helicopter to transfer to Manhattan. Silvestro said the transfer is included in the total charter cost and helps differentiate it from other private aviation companies.

Flexjet's six-seater Sikorsky is fancy, with drawers full of drinks and snacks, including alcohol like tequila and fireball whiskey. Passengers didn't have to wear headsets.

My ride took under 10 minutes, taking off just a two-minute walk from where I parked my car — and there was no security check. We departed from and arrived at a private terminal.

Some travelers may be weary of helicopters, but Flexjet has a long history of safety and requires its helicopter pilots to have at least 3,000 hours of flight experience. The Sikorsky helicopters also require two pilots instead of one.

Thanks to the sunny weather, my journey was quick and easy. Silvestro said it wouldn't operate helicopters in rough conditions.

"Helicopters are more weather-dependent," he said. "There are a lot of times when we're flying in and out of here with our fixed-wing jets but won't fly our helicopters because the weather is below our safety standards."

Flexjet uses several noise abatement strategies when flying over cities.

For example, it doesn't fly outside curfew hours to minimize nighttime disturbances and uses specific flight corridors that reduce noise near more communities.

Helicopters are loud, but there aren't any as speedy alternatives

Helicopter flying in New York will likely remain popular in the highly populated city as a way for the wealthy to avoid the common folks' congested ground transportation, despite the ongoing efforts to reduce traffic in the city.

New York implemented an up-to-$9 congestion pricing toll in January to deter more cars from entering Manhattan's busiest areas — lessening traffic, honks, and carbon emissions — but that has only prompted more helicopter flights.

Blade has since begun offering $95 flights to and from New Jersey and Long Island to commuters who want — and can afford — to skip the traffic altogether.

The city has also considered electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, as a quieter and more carbon-friendly solution. None have been certified yet.

United Airlines hopes to begin flying air taxis made by California-based Archer Avition between Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Manhattan as soon as 2025.

These would compete with Blade, for example, which is also planning to adopt electric aircraft to battle surging noise complaints.

Silvestro said eVTOLs are a significant innovation in the industry, and Flexjet is considering how to incorporate them — especially since it already has experience flying helicopters that have similar operating factors.

"Things like air traffic control and landing zones that affect helicopters today will affect eVTOLs in the future," he said. "We feel we have a strategic, practical window into how to operate eVTOLs when they enter the market."

• Amid a blitz across the federal government, DOGE is set to take on the FAA next.
• Musk said that DOGE would "aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system."
• It comes on the heels of a deadly plane crash near Washington DC.

On the heel of a deadly plane crash outside of Washington, DC, Elon Musk says the "Department of Government Efficiency" will be making changes to the country's air traffic control system.

Musk wrote on X that he and DOGE had President Donald Trump's support and "will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system."

He noted that over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration's safety notification system "failed for several hours."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the news saying Musk's team was "going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system."

It was not immediately clear on Wednesday what changes Musk and DOGE planned to make, and the White House did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Last week, an American Airlines flight collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter above the Potomac River near Washington, DC, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance blamed diversity initiatives for the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation and expects the preliminary report to be available within 30 days of the crash.

According to the NTSB's latest update, the Blackhawk is still in the Potomac and holds key information for the investigation. The agency has completed interviews with the air traffic controllers involved.

In recent days, Musk's DOGE team has been on a blitz across the federal government, gaining access to the Treasury's payment processing system and seizing control of the US Agency for International Development, provoking outrage from Democratic lawmakers.

• Many people intentionally book flights with long connections so they can explore the layover city.
• Airlines capitalize on this trend with "stopover" programs, some even offering free hotels and food.
• Southwest's new partnership with Icelandair will enable its customers to enjoy the perk.

Southwest Airlines' new partnership with Icelandair will allow travelers to extend their layover time in the island nation for up to a week through the European carrier's popular "stopover" program.

Southwest-Icelandair itineraries connecting from the US to Europe via Reykjavik will be eligible. These itineraries can be booked via Icelandair's website.

It's part of the pair's new "interline" agreement, which means passengers can seamlessly travel on both airlines with one ticket. The main perk is not having to re-check luggage for non-stopover connections.

It's unclear if or when the stopover option will be available via booking on Southwest's website, as Icelandair manages the program. Southwest plans to begin selling Icelandair seats in 2026.

The partnership comes as Southwest shakes up its business model to create more revenue-earnings opportunities.

Southwest and Icelandair's first shared US gateway will be Baltimore, which will launch in February. Denver and Nashville will follow later this year.

What is an airline 'stopover' itinerary

A special segment of adventurous travelers will purposely book itineraries with long connections in layover cities just to leave the airport and explore for a few hours or days between flights.

This strategy has been coined as "stopovers" in the industry, and more than a dozen global airlines have jumped on the growing trend.

It's basically a vacation within a vacation. These can come with free or discounted hotels, excursions, transportation, and food at the layover destination.

Although it sounds too good to be true, stopovers benefit everyone involved.

Travelers don't have to be confined to an airport during lengthy connections, airlines gain customers who may have otherwise chosen a nonstop option on a competitor, and the carrier's home country sees a boost in tourism.

Plus, airlines typically pay a small fee for cheap or complimentary accommodations provided as part of the stopover option, thanks to partnerships with local hotels or tour companies.

Not all stopover programs are structured with an emphasis on tourism, though. Some were created simply to offer conveniences during long layovers. Still, they are a way to secure a free hotel and explore an extra city.

Here are 21 global airline stopover programs, which can range from hours to months.

Air Canada

Air Canada's Aeroplan loyalty program includes a stopover option for award flights. Adding it costs 5,000 points.

The airline also offers a stopover of up to 48 hours in Toronto for regular itineraries.

Air France/KLM

Air France and Dutch carrier KLM's Flying Blue loyalty program offers a stopover of 24 hours or more in a connecting city on either carrier or their airline partners.

Azores Airlines

The airline allows a stopover of up to seven days in the Portuguese Azores islands.

China Southern Airlines

China Southern Airlines offers a free one-night hotel stay for transfer passengers with qualifying connection times, though there are some time and route restrictions.

Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines' Panama stopover program allows customers to spend anywhere from 24 hours to seven days in the nation's capital on their outbound or return trip.

Emirates

Emirates allows a stopover in Dubai, and passengers can add discounted tours or hotel bookings to their itinerary via its website.

It also has a "Dubai Connect" program that gives eligible passengers a complimentary hotel, transfers, meals, and any needed visa. However, you can't intentionally book a longer layover to quality for the free stopover hotel.

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines' transit program gives customers flying via Addis Ababa a free hotel, transit visa, and transfers during layovers lasting between eight and 24 hours.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways offers a stopover in its Abu Dhabi hub, which comes with an undisclosed discount at select three-star hotels for up to two nights.

Fiji Airways

Fiji Airways offers a stopover program in Fiji, with options to book hotels and activities, for those traveling to and from Australia, New Zealand, and other South Pacific nations.

Finnair

Finnair allows passengers to book 6, 12, or 24-hour layovers in Helsinki at no additional fare charge and outlines itinerary ideas, like hotels and walking tours, on its website.

Iberia

Iberia customers can plan a stopover in Madrid to or from an international destination for one to six nights at no extra cost.

Icelandair

Icelandair offers a stopover option for one to seven days in its capital city of Reykjavik on transatlantic itineraries for no additional charge.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines considers itself one of the "most stopover-friendly" carriers in the world. It triggers at 24 hours.

Latam Airlines

Latam Airlines offers stopovers for between one and three days on flights that connect in select cities.

Qantas

Australian flag carrier Qantas offers its stopovers by allowing multi-city bookings to be manipulated to add extra days between flights in layover cities.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways' stopover program allows passengers with a minimum layover of 12 hours and up to 96 hours to choose from a list of deeply discounted four and five-star hotels.

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Royal Jordanian Airlines' transit program offers free hotel rooms, meals, and transit to economy and business-class travelers with eligible layover times.

Passengers can't intentionally book a longer layover to be eligible for the complimentary perks.

Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines, or SWISS, has a multi-city stopover booking tool on its website that allows passengers to find itineraries with extra days in Switzerland.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines' stopover program is available via the multi-city tool where travelers can add hotels, transfers, and activities. The stopover can last one to seven days.

Singapore also offers free transit tours to passengers with eligible layover times at Singapore's Changi Airport.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP Air Portugal allows customers to add a stopover in Lisbon or Porto between one and 10 days, offering discounts on hotels, food, and activities.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines' stopover program gives eligible travelers a free hotel between their connecting flights in Istanbul if the layover exceeds 20 hours.

• A Canadian airline plans to expand its fleet with a futuristic "blended-wing body" aircraft.
• The design would be a first in commercial aviation.
• The manufacturer plans to also build a 200-person airliner to challenge Boeing and Airbus.

Canadian charter airline Nolinor Aviation has agreed to buy an all-new aircraft type known as a "blended-wing body" as it expands beyond its all-Boeing fleet.

The futuristic cargo plane "Kona" is being developed by California-based startup Natlius. Its design combines the fuselage and wings into one section that the company says can reduce fuel consumption by 30%.

Smaller than some other cargo-specific planes in service today, Kona would complement Nolinor's fleet of larger Boeing 737-200 freighters when it enters service after 2028, all of which are at least 40 years old, President Marco Prud'Homme told Business Insider.

"It'll be like opening a new horizon for us, and we can fly to more places that we couldn't in the past," Prud'Homme said. "For example, the 737-200 would be too much capacity for some communities, but a weekly flight with Kona would be perfect."

He pointed to its 50% lower operating costs compared to similar plane types and its ability to reach more remote places, land on unpaved terrain, and carry more bulky cargo than competing planes.

Kona can handle rough terrain essential to rural flying

Nolinor's main business is flying for mining companies in Northern Canada, including carrying passengers and cargo to various sites. Prud'Homme said the airline flies five or six times a day up north.

There is little infrastructure in these areas, meaning most of the runways are gravel, grass, ice, or dirt. Nolinor has historically relied on its aging 737-200 aircraft to reach these places, thanks to a special kit that can be equipped on the jetliner.

Newer 737 models do not have this ability — greatly limiting Nolinor's fleet options. However, Natlius' Kona aircraft is being designed to tackle the job.

Natilus CEO Aleksey Matyushev told BI that Kona's field performance is focused on gravel, dirt, and grass, but it would likely not be ice-capable.

He added that the carbon-fiber fuselage would have a special coating to protect it from gravel or other terrain being kicked up, and the propellers would be optimally located away from much debris.

While competing propeller aircraft, like the De Havilland Canada Otter or the Pilatus PC-12, can also land on unpaved runways, Prud'Homme said Kona's engine placement was a major selling point.

"It's a very costly operation," he said. "When we saw their design has the engines mounted at the back of the aircraft, and basically the aircraft becomes the protection for the engines, we saw that this was a great potential for us."

Less cargo but more market opportunities

Kona would carry about 8,500 pounds of cargo — far less than the nearly 30,000-pound carrying capability of Nolinor's 737-200.

However, Prud'Homme said the smaller Kona's 900-nautical-mile range and nearly 1,200 cubic feet of cargo space would open new market opportunities and is overall better performing than competing options.

He explained that one of the mining missions Nolinor is eyeing would require 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of cargo, which Kona could carry and deliver within two hours.

Kona's fuel savings also mean it won't need to refuel after one leg, saving time and money. Its side-loading door could create efficiency in loading and unloading.

Prud'Homme said the aircraft would largely carry perishable goods, but it could also carry equipment and appliances.

He added that the diamond-shaped Kona could also uniquely accommodate awkward-sized items that traditional tube-and-wing planes can't.

"Sometimes the problem we have up north is that we bulk out on volume before payload because some of those items are not very heavy, but they take a lot of space," Prud'Homme said. "Kona has a lot of volume capacity, so that's interesting for us."

The competing ATR 72-600 freighter, for example, can carry more than twice the weight of Kona but has 150 fewer cubic feet of volume. The Cessna Sky Courier falls short of Kona in both metrics.

Natlius wants to eventually compete with Boeing and Airbus

Beyond Kona, Natilus is also looking to create a 200-passenger BWB airliner named Horizon to challenge Boeing and Airbus.

Matyushev previously told BI that the plane isn't expected to hit the market until the early 2030s. But it's expected to fill a perceived market gap that Natilus believes Boeing and Airbus cannot handle.

Prud'Homme said Horizon, with its 50% better fuel efficiency than traditional jetliners, could eventually replace Nolinor's 737 aircraft.

Matyushev said Natlius is in talks with various companies for both of its planned planes.

The company has already secured purchase agreements for Kona from the US cargo airline Ameriflight, a partner of FedEx, DHL, and UPS — and it expects to gain further cargo business in remote places in Alaska, Africa, and India.

"The only way to really connect these mines or remote communities is through air travel," Matyushev said. "Of course, freight is a huge part of that whole equation."

• The American Airlines jet that crashed in DC was given a runway change minutes before the tragedy.
• Audio tapes show the military helicopter had the passenger plane "in sight" before the collision.
• The NTSB will look at pilot and air traffic control actions when investigating the crash.

In the minutes before an American Airlines flight crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, an air traffic controller requested a last-minute runway change.

The regional jet, operated by PSA Airlines, was descending over Virginia and headed for the north-facing "Mount Vernon Visual Runway 1" approach at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Pilots had confirmed their approach to air traffic controllers at the airport tower around 8:42 p.m.

Moments later, a controller reported high crosswinds on Runway 1 and asked the pilots to shift to the intersecting runway.

"Bluestreak 5342 Washington Tower winds are 320 at 17, gusts 25. Can you take Runway 33?" the controller said. Bluestreak is the call sign for PSA flights.

The pilots agreed, and within minutes, the plane collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. All 67 people on board both aircraft died.

Business Insider reviewed official briefings, flight data, and air traffic control audio recordings to piece together what happened before tragedy struck.

The plane and helicopter's final moments of flight

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is an extremely busy airspace, but officials said it was a largely normal night of flying. Winds were gusty — something pilots are trained for — and the skies were clear.

The American flight had been approaching from the south, following the Potomac River along a well-known path for pilots and frequent flyers of the DC area.

The narrow corridor helps separate traffic from highly secure airspace around the White House, Pentagon, and other government buildings.

Seconds before the American flight agreed to change its path, another PSA jet responded to the same request to shift to Runway 33 as "unable," meaning it was not in a position to make the adjustment.

That flight, from Montgomery, Alabama, landed on Runway 1 as planned and continued to its gate.

The PSA pilots of flight 5342 accepting the change is not unusual. Runway 33 is a shorter strip that faces Northwest and can handle a regional aircraft like the Bombardier CRJ700 the pilots were flying.

The switch-up required the plane to move from its north-facing heading toward the Potomac's east bank before swinging back over the river to land.

At approximately 8:43 p.m., flight 5342 was cleared to land.

At the same time as the crew of flight 5342 was prepping for the new runway, an Army Black Hawk helicopter was making its way south along the river's eastern shore, following a standard, published path known as "Route 4."

Several of these channels cut through the DC area, allowing military aircraft to coexist with commercial traffic in and out of airports.

At about 8:47 p.m., a controller asked the helicopter, call sign PAT25, if they had "the CRJ in sight" and to pass behind it. The CRJ refers to the regional CRJ700 aircraft operated by PSA.

The helicopter pilot confirmed that they had the "aircraft in sight" and requested "visual separation."

Just seconds later, gasps from controllers can be heard on the audio tapes. ATC began canceling flight landings and diverting planes from National.

DC fire chief John Donnelly said emergency vehicles were on the scene by 8:58 p.m. to begin rescue operations.

Human factors are just one consideration for investigators

At a briefing Thursday, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board said teams will examine human factors as they piece together a complete picture of the crash.

"They will study the crew performance and all of the actions and factors that might be involved in human error, including fatigue, medication, medical histories, training, workload, equipment design, and work environment," NTSB member Todd Inman said. They'll also be combing through the wreckage and other evidence for clues as to what went wrong.

A preliminary FAA report obtained by the New York Times and others said staffing at National's ATC tower was "not normal" at the time of the crash. The outlet reported that the controller was handling the duties of two people, including directing helicopters in the area and passenger planes landing and taking off.

Inman said during a Friday press conference that an air traffic controller group will be conducting interviews over the next several days for the NTSB's investigation.

The NTSB official added that the black boxes from both aircraft, which will provide key insights into the moments leading up to the collision, were recovered.

Brian Alexander, a military helicopter pilot and a partner at aviation accident firm Kreindler & Kreindler, told BI that the nighttime conditions, many aircraft lights, and busy skies may have contributed to the catastrophe.

"There was another jet on final, a couple of other jets on final, and it's conceivable the helicopter pilot was watching the wrong aircraft," he said, emphasizing that was speculation at this point.

An airline pilot previously told BI that flying in and out of National was like "threading a needle" due to the highly restricted corridors and heavy traffic, including low-flying helicopters.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot, told reporters that military pilots generally wouldn't talk directly to PSA pilots on the radio, but "everyone's listening on the same frequency."

She said the PSA plane would know that the Black Hawk was in the area but would be relying on ATC as the intermediary.

"Did one of the aircraft stray away latitude, sideways in the airspace from the route that they were supposed to be on? Was the Black Hawk higher than the 200 feet?" Duckworth said. "These are all things that the accident investigators would be looking at."

The NTSB said its preliminary report is expected to be published within 30 days.

• An American Airlines flight collided with a helicopter, raising questions about air traffic control.
• Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot, said military and civilian pilots usually do not speak directly to each other.
• The FAA faces a shortage of controllers, impacting high-traffic areas like Washington DC.

The crash of an American Airlines flight in Washington, DC, has renewed anxiety about air-traffic control staffing and procedures at US airports, especially in crowded airspaces.

As investigators began to piece together how a military helicopter collided with the regional jet, questions swirled about communication between the pilots and Reagan National Airport's control tower.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an ex-Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, told reporters that military aircraft usually do not talk directly to commercial pilots, as ATC is the responsible intermediary.

"Everybody's listening on the same frequency," she said, adding that the American flight that crashed would have been aware of the Black Hawk helicopter in the skies. "You are listening to instructions from ATC. ATC is telling you what to do."

Duckworth said an FAA briefing involving ATC tapes revealed the helicopter pilots were told about the passenger plane, and the crew confirmed "at least twice" that they had the jet in sight before the crash.

She added that the American flight was cleared to land and would have had the "right of way" and that the Black Hawk was told to pass behind. The flight was in visual flight conditions, meaning the helicopter would be visually searching for the plane.

"They would be looking up to try to find this aircraft, pick it out of the sky as it's coming in for a landing," she said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, some military and civil aircraft, if equipped, can talk to each other using specific emergency frequencies. This is usually reserved for distress situations where immediate communication is necessary. It's unclear if the Black Hawk was equipped.

"[The Black Hawk's] flight path should have been hugging the east bank of the Potomac River, so they should not have been within the flight path of that landing aircraft," she said. "Did one of the aircraft stray away latitude, sideways in the airspace from the route that they were supposed to be on?"

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said the DC area is a unique environment for helicopters and that the Black Hawk was transitioning zones at the time of the crash. ATC is one of the "human factors" the agency will examine as part of its investigation, he said.

Air traffic control is a complex system with many moving parts and no room for errors

The national air traffic system in the US is immense in both size and complexity, 14,000 air traffic controllers handle upwards of 45,000 flights a day across 29 million miles of airspace.

It's an intricate network that includes hundreds of regional and area control centers, each responsible for a specific piece of airspace.

A pilot flying from San Francisco to Washington, DC, for example, could interact with more than 20 different controllers during the flight.

The job is infamous for its high stress and heavy workload, which can involve managing upwards of a dozen flights at a time.

These stressors are amplified for airports like Ronald Reagan National. The airport has strict flight paths and altitude restrictions. It handles more than 25 million passengers a year and is located in highly trafficked and highly controlled airspace, as it is near the White House, Pentagon, and other government buildings.

The airport has seen multiple near misses recently, including a Southwest Airlines flight that was instructed to cross the same runway on which a JetBlue plane was starting its take-off.

A month later, an American Airlines flight was cleared for takeoff at the same time another plane was given the go-ahead to land on an intersecting runway.

Controllers working the airspace in and around Reagan National also have to handle an extraordinary amount of private and military aircraft that operate in the area.

The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of around 3,000 air traffic controllers, which the FAA has worked to address with plans to hire 1,800 controllers in 2024 and 2,000 this year.

• Aviation experts have warned about the risk of a passenger aircraft collision for years.
• They cite air traffic controller shortages and airspace congestion as safety risks.
• Wednesday's crash is the first complete-loss US airline accident since 2009.

Pilots and aviation workers have sounded alarm bells for years about the risks of midair collisions. Those fears became a reality on Wednesday when an American Airlines flight collided with a helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, DC, with 67 people presumed dead.

Brian Alexander, a military helicopter pilot and a partner at the aviation accident law firm Kreindler & Kreindler, told Business Insider that a shortage of air traffic controllers and increasing airspace congestion have affected safety.

"Our whole air traffic control system has been blinking red, screaming at us that we've we've got it overloaded," he said. "The intense inadequacy of the staffing and the overwork of the controllers is palpable."

He said the US should invest in more airport technology to help controllers and pilots.

Anthony Brickhouse, a professor at the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle, also cited increased flight congestion as a significant safety risk at airports nationwide. He said he wasn't surprised a crash like this one happened.

"We've had so many close calls with runway incursions and commercial flights almost colliding, and when something repeats over and over again, we call that a trend," he said. "We've been trending in this direction for two or three years now, and unfortunately, tonight, it happened."

He said that air traffic control actions and aircraft communications will be a significant focus of the investigation.

Washington National is among the busiest and most restricted airspaces in the US. A US pilot previously told BI that flying in the area is like "threading a needle."

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who successfully landed a plane on the Hudson River in 2009 with no fatalities, told The New York Times on Wednesday that the DC airport has dated technology.

"It hasn't changed much since then," he said, referring to the airport's construction in the 1930s. "Of course, we've added technology to it. But a lot of the technology is old."

Despite the collision, experts say flying is still very safe, with thousands of planes taking off and landing safely every day.

President Donald Trump said in a Thursday press conference that he would not hesitate to fly.

"Flying is very safe," he added. "We have the safest flying anywhere in the world, and we'll keep it that way."

The US has been battling near misses for years

Wednesday's collision between a regional jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter comes after a string of near misses in recent years, including close calls in New York City and Austin in 2023.

These near misses prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to create a safety review committee to examine their causes and recommend solutions. In November 2023, the committee recommended increased staffing, added funding to enable continued FAA safety oversight, and investing in airport technology.

Several planes got too close for comfort at Washington National this past spring, followed by another near-miss in Nashville in September, all spurring investigations.

Brickhouse said that given the past few years of close calls, not enough changes have been made to prevent planes from colliding.

"If you continually have near misses and changes aren't made, eventually you will have a tragedy," he said. "For years, I've been saying to everyone who will listen that the next major accident will be something in the airport area involving a collision."

In October, the FAA launched an audit into runway incursion risks at the US's busiest airports to identify "potential gaps in procedures, equipment, and processes" and recommend safety actions. The audit was expected to be completed in early 2025.

The audit came shortly after the FAA said in September that it had exceeded its controller hiring goal for the 2024 fiscal year but was still short about 3,000 personnel.

The concept of "blood priority" is likely to emerge in the aftermath of Wednesday's crash. In aviation safety, this means that needed changes will not be implemented until after a major accident and deaths occur — despite US safety officials pushing to be a more proactive industry than a reactive one.

"We've had to learn important lessons literally with blood too often, and we had finally gotten beyond that, to where we could learn from incidents, and not accidents," Sullenberger told the Times.

First complete-loss crash of a US airliner since 2009

Wednesday's tragedy is the first time a US airline has experienced a fatal, total loss of aircraft since 2009 when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York. The 49 people on board and one person on the ground died.

A pilot's incorrect response to the plane's stall warning was eventually blamed for the crash, with fatigue cited as a contributing factor.

"After a 15-year unprecedented run of zero United States air carrier crashes, that streak has ended with this tragic crash, and the safety clock begins again a new run," Kathleen Bangs, an aviation safety analyst and a former pilot, told BI.

Another crash in 2013 on US soil resulted in fatalities when the South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines crashed while landing in San Francisco.

The American crash marks the third fatal accident globally since December. An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer plane crashed midflight on Christmas Day, likely the result of being inadvertently hit by a Russian air-defense system. Thirty-eight people died, including the two pilots, while 29 passengers survived.

A few days later, a Boeing 737 operated by South Korean carrier Jeju Airlines crashed during landing, killing 179 people. The investigation into that crash is ongoing.

• Trump suggested on Thursday that diversity initiatives at the FAA led to a plane crash near DC.
• The president said he was offering a series of "very strong opinions and ideas" on what happened.
• He also criticized former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Thursday offered heated criticism of diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration following a deadly plane crash near Washington, DC.

After calling for a moment of silence, Trump spent the bulk of his remarks in the White House briefing room laying out a series of diversity initiatives within the FAA that he suggested could have contributed to the crash, which happened Wednesday evening.

At the same time, Trump repeatedly acknowledged that he did not have direct evidence of a causal link between those initiatives and the crash.

"We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas," Trump told reporters.

During his remarks, Trump also criticized former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, suggesting that the department's policies under him contributed to the crash.

"You know how badly everything's run since he's run the Department of Transportation?" Trump said of Buttigieg.

Buttigieg later hit back via X: "As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying."

Pressed by a reporter on why he thought diversity initiatives might be behind the crash, Trump said: "Because I have common sense."

Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, said in a statement that his organization was "disgusted by this display of unpresidential, divisive behavior."

"We're proud to see thousands of first responders in the DMV region unify to support the enormous recovery efforts taking place on the Potomac," Johnson said. "The President has made his decision to put politics over people abundantly clear as he uses the highest office in the land to sow hatred rooted in falsehoods instead of providing us with the leadership we need and deserve."

Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate commerce committee's Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation, pushed back strongly on Trump's comments in a call with reporters.

"I have seen zero evidence at this point that's to suggest that this collision had anything to do with DEI," Duckworth said. "Speculation at this time is highly irresponsible, and we need to get to the facts."

Vance also criticized diversity initiatives, saying: "If you go back to just some of the headlines over the past 10 years, you have many hundreds of people suing the government because they would like to be air traffic controllers, but they were turned away because of the color of their skin. That policy ends under Donald Trump's leadership."

Since Trump reassumed the presidency last week, he's taken a series of actions aimed at ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the federal government, including one dealing specifically with the FAA. As a result, DEI-related offices in various agencies have shuttered.

Trump has directed agencies to compile lists of private companies to investigate over their DEI efforts, which could lead to a cascade effect in the private sector.

Many companies, including Meta, McDonald's, and Walmart, have decided in recent months to roll back or end their DEI programs.

"The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing," Meta wrote in a memo to employees. "The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI."

Target also recently said it was ending multiple DEI programs to stay "in step with the evolving external landscape."

Others, like Costco, have publicly supported DEI amid pressures from conservative activists. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently defended the bank's diversity initiatives in response to activist investors.

• An American Airlines flight collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, DC.
• The nation's capital is home to some of the most congested and highly governed airspace.
• Reagan National Airport has the US's busiest runway, with over 800 flights a day, the MWAA says.

An American Airlines flight and a military helicopter collided late Wednesday in one of the most congested and tightly controlled airspaces in the country.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just outside Washington, DC, is home to the country's busiest runway, with over 800 takeoffs and landings a day, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says. It's the closest of three area airports to the city, about 3 miles south of the White House.

Military helicopters also frequently fly low over the nearby Potomac River, transiting between military bases close by and the Pentagon, about 1 mile north of the airport.

Flying into and out of the airport, with short runways and such heavily restricted airspace nearby, is "like threading a needle," one pilot previously told Business Insider.

"It's a beehive of activity," Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain and spokesperson for its pilot union, told The Washington Post. "It's extremely compact, and it's a high volume of traffic."

Search efforts for the 64 people on board American Eagle Flight 5342 continued through the night. At a press conference Thursday morning, Washington, DC's fire chief said that no survivors were expected.

The Bombardier CRJ700 was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines. It collided with a military UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three people.

Along with New York's LaGuardia Airport, Reagan is one of two in the country subject to a perimeter rule. At Reagan, this limits routes to a distance of 1,250 miles — though Congress has increasingly approved more slots to operate beyond this, which has made the airport busier.

Unions and regulators have raised concerns about the country's air traffic system after several near-misses in recent years.

"We've had so many close calls with runway incursions and commercial flights almost colliding, and when something repeats over and over again, we call that a trend," Anthony Brickhouse, a US aviation safety expert, told BI.

"We've been trending in this direction for two or three years now, and unfortunately, tonight, it happened," he added.

The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Pentagon have announced investigations.

The crash brings an end to a remarkable period of aviation safety in the US.

It is the first major fatal crash on US soil since 2013. Three people died in July that year when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed short of the runway at San Francisco International Airport.

Wednesday's collision was the first involving a US airline on US soil since February 2009, when a Colgan Air Bombardier Q400 crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York.

Fifty people died after the aircraft entered a stall and the pilots failed to respond appropriately.

The Federal Aviation Administration consequently revised its pilot-fatigue rules and required that all airline pilots hold an airline pilot transport license — the highest level of certificate.

Since 2013, two flights on US soil had led to fatalities before Wednesday. One Southwest Airlines passenger died from her injuries in 2018 after she was partially ejected through a broken window.

And in 2019, a man died when PenAir Flight 3296 overshot the runway while landing in Alaska.

• A passenger jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport.
• Four crew members and 60 passengers were aboard the jet, and three were aboard the helicopter.
• President Donald Trump said there were no survivors.

Sixty-seven people are presumed dead after an American Airlines flight crashed into a military helicopter Wednesday night during the jet's final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

President Donald Trump confirmed there had been no survivors, calling the crash "a dark and excruciating night" for the country.

American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines and flying from Wichita, Kansas, was on approach to land at the airport when it struck a UH-60 Black Hawk, officials said. Several federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the crash.

A NTSB spokesperson told Business Insider in an email on Thursday evening that the "cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder," known as black boxes, were recovered from the Bombardier CRJ700 passenger jet.

"The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, crews are still searching the waters as part of the investigation and recovery efforts, while boats remain on the scene for security and search operations, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department.

"Our divers have searched all areas that are accessible," a statement from the department read Thursday night. On Friday, the statement said, "divers will work with NTSB to conduct additional searches to locate aircraft components, to support the investigation, and begin operations to salvage the aircraft.

Three Army crewmembers were aboard the Black Hawk from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, whose identities will be withheld until their next of kin have been notified, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Thursday morning video.

"It was a fairly experienced crew, and that was doing a required annual night evaluation," he said in the video. "They did have night vision goggles."

He said investigators deployed Wednesday night and that the 12th Aviation Battalion has an "operational pause on contingency missions" for 48 hours.

"We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident."

At the Thursday morning press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that both aircraft had been flying in a "standard pattern" that was not unusual, with no breakdown in communication between them.

"The helicopter was aware that there was a plane in the area," he said.

Duffy added that the fuselage of the American Airlines plane was inverted in the water.

"It's been located in three different sections," he said. "It's in about waist-deep water."

A livestream taken from the Kennedy Center by EarthCam showed an explosion as the helicopter collided with the passenger plane.

A spokesperson for US Figure Skating, the country's governing body for the sport, told BI that "several members" of the organization were aboard the flight.

"These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas," the spokesperson said.

She added: "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said Russian nationals were aboard the flight, according to the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.

At a press conference Thursday morning, Trump said he didn't know what caused the crash before laying out a series of diversity initiatives within the FAA that he suggested without evidence could have contributed to the crash.

In a video posted to the American Airlines website, CEO Robert Isom said the airline was "cooperating fully" with the NTSB's investigation of the crash.

"Anything we can do, we are doing, and right now, that means focusing on taking care of all passengers and crew involved, as well as their families," he said.

Isom said that the plane's pilot had six years of experience with PSA, and the first officer had almost two years.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was closed to all aircraft after the crash and reopened around 11 a.m.

United Airlines and Southwest Airlines said they were allowing passengers booked on flights to the airport to change their travel plans without fees.

Anthony Brickhouse, an aviation expert, told BI that the crash was tragic but that he was not surprised it happened.

"We've had so many close calls with runway incursions and commercial flights almost colliding, and when something repeats over and over again, we call that a trend," he said.

"We've been trending in this direction for two or three years now, and unfortunately, tonight, it happened," he added.

Several near misses have taken place in recent years, in cities such as Austin and New York.

But this marks the first major commercial plane crash in the US since 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed over Buffalo, New York, killing 49 on board and one person on the ground.

Kathleen Bangs, an aviation safety analyst and former pilot, told BI that she used to fly into Reagan Washington National Airport as a regional airline pilot and that the "extremely busy" airport had challenging flying conditions, including two runways of 5,000 feet and 5,200 feet, and proximity to water.

"The conversation now will be what safety steps need to be modified to ensure there's never another similar collision in the nation's capital," she said.

This was the third major plane crash worldwide since December.

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer plane crashed last month, with some blaming Russian air defenses. Thirty-eight people died.

A few days later, a Boeing 737 operated by the South Korean carrier Jeju Air crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people. Two people survived.

• Boom Supersonic's XB-1 test jet broke the sound barrier for the first time on Tuesday.
• The XB-1 is a subscale version of its planned passenger model.
• The company's CEO says the US aviation market is being held back by Boeing.

Boom Supersonic just became the first US commercial planemaker to break the sound barrier, a significant milestone in the industry's return to supersonic passenger flight.

CEO Blake Scholl told Business Insider that the company's planned Overture commercial jet is a critical technology for helping the US aviation industry stay ahead of the competition, especially as China's homegrown jetliners gain traction and Boeing continues to face delivery delays.

"Boeing hasn't built a new airplane in 20 years, and China now has a 737 competitor, and they're working on a 787 competitor, "he said. "Unless we innovate here, everyone outside the US will be flying around in Chinese planes, and that's not in the distant future — it's soon."

Overture, a larger and faster passenger-carrying version of the test jet, is planned to launch in 2029 with a top speed of Mach 1.7, Boom says. That's about twice the speed of current airliners. American Airlines, Japan Airlines, and United Airlines have already placed 130 pre-orders for the speedy jet.

Tuesday's flight was the prototype's 12th flight, hitting a top speed of Mach 1.1 over the Mojave Desert. One final test is planned for February before full production begins.

Boom wants the US to beat China to supersonic passenger flights

China's increasing interest in Mach-speed flight has caught the eye of Congress.

Trump's transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, has said he wants to establish rules that promote innovation and creativity in the faster-than-sound market and ensure companies like Boom have access to corridors to test their aircraft — something Scholl said will be an important aid in getting Overture off the ground.

"I am thrilled with the pro-innovation, pro-progress, let's go faster mindset that that we have with Secretary Duffy, he said. "I think that's important because we can't let China win this."

Chinese startup Space Transportation has been developing a Mach 4 aircraft — more than twice the speed of Overture — that it plans to develop into a full-scale passenger airliner capable of hypersonic travel, or Mach 5, by 2030.

Despite the competition, Scholl said China is about a decade behind the US in the supersonic space — but that doesn't mean it can be counted out.

"China is about 10 years behind, and what that means is in 10 years, they're caught up," he said, referring to China as a "freight train coming" in aviation. "In 11 years, they're ahead."

Scholl said Boeing is holding the US back

Scholl said Boeing's ongoing production and quality problems have stalled the introduction of new US-made aircraft types.

The last time the American planemaker built a new airliner was in 2009 when it flew its 787 Dreamliner for the first time. Its yet-to-be-certified 777X is at least six years behind schedule.

"We've watched what used to be a great company at Boeing really struggle," he said. "I think it's really important that we not just leave all of our eggs in the Boeing basket."

He said China's Comac planes, including the C909 and C919, and the under-development C929, could puncture the Airbus-Boeing duopoly.

Comac's fleet rivals Western options but has yet to fly outside of China and Indonesia. Reuters reported that China aims to expand its C919 presence into Southeast Asia by 2026 and obtain European certification as soon as 2025.

Scholl said this expansion could threaten the US's place in the global aviation market, emphasizing Boom's importance to stay ahead.

"If we don't invent and build the next generation of commercial airplanes here in America, it's a problem for jobs, it's a problem for economics, and it's a problem for national security," he said.

Overture could be less costly than the Concorde

Overture could revive the Concorde era and connect places like New York and London in less than four hours, and Seattle and Tokyo in less than five.

Scholl said Overture will be more economical than Concorde, which last flew in 2003, thanks to its 20% more aerodynamic design, lighter carbon-fiber airframe, and 20% more fuel-efficient engines.

Boom's biggest challenge is the engine. The startup chose to build its own engine, Symphony, to power the plane.

"People called us crazy for building our own engines, but what I've come to believe is we were crazy to think of doing it any other way," Scholl said. "It would be really efficient at high speed, not require a lot of maintenance, and be friendly to airport communities."

Symphony is expected to decrease takeoff and landing noise while flying subsonic over land. Scholl said future Overture versions are planned to fly Mach-speed over land by eliminating the sonic boom.

He said another significant change from the Concorde will be ticket price, which will be more affordable due to the 64-80 possible seats and Overture's fuel-saving engines and airframe.

Scholl said business fares will hover around $5,000 roundtrip instead of the Concorde's up to $20,000.

"It's not yet for everybody, but the top 20% of flyers are already at that price point today," he said. "That's tens of millions of people, so for the same price point, you'd be able to get there in half the time."

• Breeze Airways reported its first quarterly profit since launching flights in May 2021.
• Breeze contrasts with budget competitors Spirit and Frontier, which are both struggling post-COVID.
• Breeze's niche routes and premium offerings give it an edge over its larger low-cost rivals.

Some budget airlines in the US are struggling, but not Breeze Airways.

The startup carrier on Thursday announced its first quarterly profit since launching in May 2021, a feat its CEO attributed to lucrative first-class seats, a flexible Airbus A220 fleet, and a niche route structure nothing like those used by competing Spirit or Frontier Airlines.

The privately held company said it earned more than $200 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, with an operating margin of over 4%. It said the full-year earnings of more than $680 million represent a 78% increase year over year.

Because Breeze is not publicly traded, only some financials — like those self-reported or those published by the government — are available to compare against competitors. This makes the full scope of the reported profit unclear. Some public figures suggest it's a significant improvement over its third-quarter margin of -21%.

"I think, just overall, there's a stronger environment in the industry," Breeze CEO David Neeleman told Business Insider. "You've seen that from the earnings by other airlines, that, for the most part, they are doing better than they did last year."

Breeze's profitability comes as many budget rivals have failed to turn a full-year profit since the COVID-19 pandemic halted travel and sent shockwaves through the industry. That's a 180-degree shift from before, when some low-cost airlines were growing faster than many mainline competitors.

Now, they face significant headwinds as travelers opt for more premium options offered by mainline carriers and grapple with continued high costs.

Niche routes allow Breeze to avoid tough competition

Neeleman, known for launching five airlines including JetBlue, said Breeze is the sole operator on nearly 90% of its 220 nonstop routes. It avoids major airports to focus on underserved communities, such as Vero Beach, Florida, Mobile, Alabama, and New Haven, Connecticut.

"If you live in Islip [New York] and now you can fly into Vero Beach, you don't have to fly to Orlando and drive two hours, or West Palm and drive two hours," he said. "It makes things easier."

He said Spirit and Frontier can't operate in the same markets as Breeze because they cannot sustain their larger Airbus A320 family airplanes. Breeze's fleet of 33 smaller A220 and 13 regional Embraer aircraft are easier to fill.

Neeleman said the A220 is particularly efficient for short and medium-haul flying, providing Breeze with more flexibility and customers with more route choices.

"I went to our yield management team the other day and asked, what markets do you need more of, and which ones do you need less of," Neeleman said. "They said we just need more planes."

He said that the carrier is phasing out its Embraer fleet, noting that consolidating maintenance and crew members into one aircraft type will simplify the business and lower costs.

Spirit and Frontier, on the other hand, have tried to lure customers away from mainline American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines by offering cheap tickets at major airports in places like New York, California, and the Southeast.

In its earnings call this month, United CEO Scott Kirby said he doesn't "see how it's possible" for low-cost carriers to profitably fly to larger airports because governments have "priced low-cost carriers out of the market."

The fees to fly into large cities are high, but budget carriers are also impacted by congestion, which leads to longer taxi times. This makes turning planes around quickly — one of the keystones of a budget business model — much more difficult.

Struggling to stay afloat in these expensive, oversaturated airports, Spirit and Frontier have adjusted their networks, cut dozens of routes, slashed capacity by flying fewer planes, and withdrawn from some markets.

Breeze has offered premium amenities since its inception

Low-cost carriers have traditionally equipped their planes with no-frills cabins, which have minimal legroom, no recline, and offer no freebies like snacks and WiFi. Even water costs extra.

Breeze, however, launched the business with a different mindset. From day one, it installed extra legroom seats and regular coach ones that recline as part of its strategy to be a "Seriously Nice" airline.

In mid-2022, it introduced first-class loungers.

All of its fleet's economy seats offer more legroom than Spirit and Frontier's basic seats, and free amenities like movies on a personal device. Customers can bundle their fares to include perks like food and bags.

Neeleman said he recognized the evolution of premium preference and approached it like a math equation.

"When you add first class on an A220, you only lose one seat per row, so we need about 50% more for the average fare for first class," he said, noting A220s only have five seats across in coach whereas A320s have six. "If we can get 60 or 70%, great, anything more than 50 it's a net positive for us."

Spirit and Frontier have had to play catchup there, too.

Mainline carriers' cheaper basic economy fares, which often come with perks like a free carry-on, WiFi, drinks and snacks, and in-flight entertainment, have further poached business.

Budget carriers have added some similar amenities to remain competitive, like adding new business-class-like seats, offering new bundling options, and waiving most change and cancel fees.

• I get unlimited Priority Pass airport lounge access through my credit card for $550 a year.
• I worry about overcrowding as people look to banks for more easily accessible lounge access.
• Chase is still the best bang for my buck, as chasing airline status is too difficult and expensive.

As a frequent flyer who isn't loyal to any one airline — I typically just book the cheapest economy ticket — I've focused on making my airport experience as enjoyable as possible.

The best investment I've made to that end is getting Priority Pass airport lounge access through my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

The card costs me $550 a year and gives me unlimited visits to more than 1,700 airport lounges worldwide. American Express and Capital One also offer access to the network through their respective credit cards.

I've used the pass dozens of times a year in more than 20 countries since 2018. I always enjoy free food and drinks — alcohol included — and many have access to showers and private spaces to work or relax away from the busy airport terminal.

Some even have sleep pods and spas, like the airport transit lounge at Singapore's Changi Airport. The one in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, has a pool.

Priority Pass has some downsides

Some lounges have lackluster amenities, others are restricted due to crowds, and a handful of major US airports don't have Priority Pass options at all.

Christopher Evans, the CEO of Collinson International, which owns Priority Pass, told Business Insider that many people don't want to give up the perk, and the company is constantly investing in the customer experience to make it worthwhile.

"We've surveyed people asking if you lost your lounge access benefit, what would happen?" he said. "94% of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region said they were likely to change card provider. That was 62% in the Americas."

While my biggest worry is capacity and lounges cutting some access, I think Priority Pass — even with the crowds — is easily worth the hefty annual fee for frequent travelers.

Waitlists and reserved spots to tackle overcrowding

I've been increasingly concerned about Priority Pass crowds — especially as airlines make it more difficult to access their own lounges.

In 2023, Delta Air Lines changed who could access their SkyClubs and made earning status based on dollars spent instead of miles flown. British Airways recently followed suit with its own sweep of changes.

As a result, Evans said people who can no longer reach the upper echelons of airline loyalty are looking at memberships like Priority Pass as an alternative.

I've noticed the increased crowds in the US and some European airports, which were already on the rise amid the post-COVID travel boom. I've found myself on waitlists that reach up to an hour or fighting for a seat with a power outlet available.

Meanwhile, airline lounges like Lufthansa and Air France at New York-JFK, both of which are in the Priority Pass network, limit access to those using Priority Pass due to capacity.

Evans said Priority Pass has seen a spike in the number of people accessing its network and is working to address the demand by establishing waitlists, adding new lounges, creating a "pre-book" reservation system, and other app improvements.

"We have millions of visits a month in our program, two visits a second now, I think, or we're getting close," he said.

Pre-book guarantees access for a fee, with another 110 lounges soon getting the option, a spokesperson told BI.

"We'll be starting to roll out the ability to highlight to customers which lounges are likely to be busier and at which times a day," he said. "So, pre-warning people by enhancing a digital journey to then improve the physical experience when you get there."

New and improved lounges will further increase Priority Pass' value

Evans said Priority Pass has added about 200 lounges to its network in 2024 to provide more choice and a better overall experience.

I personally hope places like Newark, Denver, and Philadelphia airports see future options, as none have a proper Priority Pass lounge.

I actually try to avoid flying out of New Jersey's Newark airport — the alternative to my local New York City airports — for this reason.

Philadelphia, however, is soon getting a Chase-branded lounge as the bank expands its airport network. Reserve card members have access.

New York-JFK, LaGuardia, San Diego, Boston, Hong Kong, and Phoenix airports each also have one, and more are coming to airports like Las Vegas.

Chase is taking on competitors American Express and Capital One as banks race to take advantage of the growing interest in credit card-branded airport lounges. Amex's Centurion network is the largest of the three.

I have considered adding the Amex Platinum card to have Centurion in places without Priority Pass, like Denver (and Newark, come 2026).

But the card would add another $695 a year (at the time of publication), and I am happy with the value I get from my Chase Reserve card for now.

It's hands-down easier and more affordable than chasing expensive airline status.

• United and Delta are expanding flights to Europe to capitalize on strong travel demand.
• United and Delta are running 23% and 13% more flights to Europe compared to 2019, respectively.
• Both airlines are upping their European presence with new transatlantic routes.

Airlines say Europe remains among the biggest money-makers going into 2025 as people eagerly flock to more international destinations.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines said in recent earnings calls that they are deploying more seats than ever to Europe to take advantage of the booming travel demand, which has remained strong since the COVID-19 pandemic halted overseas vacations.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, United's passenger revenue to Europe increased 9.5% compared to 2023, with just a 2.3% increase in seat capacity.

Delta saw a 4% increase in transatlantic passenger revenue during the same period, despite a 2% reduction in capacity. (Delta's figures include Europe as well as half a dozen destinations in Africa and the Middle East.)

Both airlines have increased their planned transatlantic presence further into 2025, operating more than 100,000 flights total between the two, well above prior years according to data from Cirium.

Europe is no longer just a seasonal hot spot

Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said during Wednesday's earnings call that Europe is becoming a "year-round destination" after being a less valuable revenue stream during off-peak months in previous years, like between January and March.

"Now we're seeing a totally different result, where people are willing to go on a Southern European vacation," he said. "And that really helps de-seasonalize Europe."

Nocella later said United expects quarter one to boast the best transatlantic financial performance in its first-quarter history.

He added that stronger hub connectivity with Star Alliance partner Lufthansa in Germany and money-making business traffic returning to London Heathrow are also helping United across the Atlantic.

Delta expressed a similar sentiment about Europe's desirability as a year-round destination for US travelers, specifically noting the strong dollar's additional buying power and the smaller crowd sizes compared to peak holiday periods.

"You go to a restaurant in New York and then go to a restaurant in Europe, you'll see a vast difference in the bill," Delta president Glen Hauenstein said in the airline's January 10 earnings call. "This is a great time to travel to Europe. People are seeing that."

The Atlanta-based carrier also said it does not believe strong off-peak season demand for transatlantic flights this winter will eat into consumers' appetite for summer travel.

Bernstein analyst David Vernon maintained a buy rating for United following its earnings report, saying international flying and premium services are particularly driving revenue.

CFRA Research analyst Ana Garcia said the firm expects United to see continued profitability. She said earnings are "buoyed by network optimization and operational improvements."

United's stock is up about 13% year-to-date, while Delta's is up about 9%.

New routes to Europe from United and Delta in 2025

United has become so bullish on Europe that it plans to launch new routes to off-the-beaten-path destinations in 2025 that aren't offered by competitors.

For example, this summer, the carrier will fly nonstop to Palermo, Italy, Faro, Portugal, and Nuuk, Greenland. These flights will complement United's already extensive transatlantic network, which includes flights to more than 30 European cities from the US.

Expected deliveries of the long-haul single-aisle Airbus A321XLR — the first expected in January 2026 — will help United push further into Europe as the jet can fly routes previously unprofitable with a widebody or unreachable with older narrowbodies. It will replace the airline's aging Boeing 757s.

Still, United said widebody supply constraints, including for airframes and engines, will impact its long-haul operations through at least the end of the decade.

The carrier has placed orders for 150 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and expects to receive 11 in 2025. That is down from the 18 expected in February 2024 .

Delta has not purchased the A321XLR, and it flies only a handful of Boeing 757 aircraft across the Atlantic.

The airline instead relies on a large fleet of older Boeing 767 and newer Airbus A330 and A350 widebodies to run more than 700 flights a week to 33 European destinations.

This summer, Delta will add new routes to locales in southern Europe, such as Barcelona and Catania and Naples in southern Italy.