Jay Shabat

3 weeks ago | airlineweekly.skift.com | Gordon Smith |Jay Shabat

Skift Take Welcome to the new U.S. airline industry. United is now friends with JetBlue. Southwest will now charge you for bags. United and American are both investing in Brazil. Delta is investing in Canada. But is this a new and improved U.S. airline industry? That will likely depend on what wins the race to the bottom: Demand, supply, or fuel costs? All three are declining, as we discuss in this week's feature story. Issue Overview Welcome to the new U.S. airline industry.

1 month ago | airlineweekly.skift.com | Gordon Smith |Jay Shabat

Skift Take Congratulations, IndiGo! You’re now a member of the Ten Billion Dollar Club. Only about 20 other airlines generate more than $10 billion in revenue annually. India's largest airline is also the club’s youngest member — it’s still a teenager at just 19. But much more important than either its size or its age is its consistently strong profitability. In this week's feature story, we examine some of the secrets behind IndiGo's enormous success.

1 month ago | airlineweekly.skift.com | Gordon Smith |Jay Shabat

Skift Take Uh oh. Looks like the party is winding down. Are the good times over for Singapore Airlines? Last week, it unveiled a lackluster 6% operating margin for the January-to-March quarter. It was roughly half the figure it earned at the same time last year, suggesting that indeed, the balloons might be popping and the dance music fading. In this week's feature story, we assess the prospects for one of Asia’s most esteemed carriers. Issue Overview Uh oh.

1 month ago | airlineweekly.skift.com | Gordon Smith |Jay Shabat

In this week's show, Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat preview the latest financial results from Singapore Airlines, traditionally one of the world's most profitable long-haul operators. The pair also discuss highlights from an airline leadership conference and the latest Q1 earnings from global carriers. Listen to This PodcastApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSSTakeawaysThe mood at the Airline Leaders Conference was one of cautious optimism.

1 month ago | airlineweekly.skift.com | Gordon Smith |Jay Shabat

Skift Take Allegiant earned a +9% operating margin in Q1 2025. That seems downright triumphant compared to Southwest’s figure of -2%, Frontier’s -5%, or JetBlue’s -8%, but context is key. In 2019, Allegiant’s operating margin in the first quarter was 20%. In other words, it’s performing 11 points worse today, a drop repeated at most of its LCC peers. In this week's feature story, we ask what's going on. Issue Overview Allegiant earned a +9% operating margin in Q1 2025.