CAPA News Briefs

Australia's International Air Services Commission, via its official website, announced (19-Dec-2025) it received an application from Qantas Airways seeking to permit Finnair and IndiGo to codeshare on Jetstar Airways' services to Indonesia.

Air T Inc announced (19-Dec-2025) the closing of its acquisition of Rex Airlines, with the company now controlling 100% of the carrier. Details include:

• Air T is providing an AUD50 million (USD33.04 million) credit facility, funded by one of the company's investor partners. Air T anticipates Rex will use the facility to bring its fleet fully back into service, from approximately 31 to 45 aircraft within the next two years;
• The Commonwealth of Australia will continue to be a secured creditor of Rex;
• Rex will have access to an additional undrawn AUD60 million (USD39.7 million) loan from the Commonwealth of Australia to support the overhaul of its current fleet of Saab 340s and general operations. [more - original PR]

Volaris and Viva entered (18-Dec-2025) an agreement to create a new airline group in Mexico under a holding company structure. Details include:

• Under the terms of the agreement, Viva and Volaris shareholders will combine their holding companies through a merger of equals. Upon closing, Viva shareholders will receive newly issued shares of the Volaris Holding Company, and Volaris shareholders will continue to hold their shares, with each shareholder group owning 50% of the Mexican airline group on a fully diluted basis;
• Upon closing, the airline holding group will be overseen by a board of directors comprised of members from both Volaris and Viva. The new airline group will be chaired by Viva chairman of the board Roberto Alcántara Rojas;
• The boards of directors of both airlines approved the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, customary closing conditions and approval by Volaris' and Viva's shareholders. The transaction is expected to close in 2026. The shares of the holding company will remain listed publicly on the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores and the New York Stock Exchange;
• Volaris and Viva will retain their current operations under their independent certificates and titles of concession. The carriers will preserve existing route offerings for passengers, while expanding distribution capacity and exploring collaboration on their respective frequent flyer programmes;
• The new airline group will include the formation of new operational bases and enhanced connectivity with potential codeshare agreements between both airlines, as well as potential global codeshare partnerships;
• The new airline group aims to invest in fleet, technology, infrastructure, training centres, maintenance facilities and tools;
• Volaris and Viva will aim to increase operations in the Mexico City metropolitan area, including at Mexico City Felipe Angeles International Airport.

Volaris president and CEO Enrique Beltranena stated: "The economies of scale and expanded distribution capacity will allow us to compete even more effectively in domestic and international markets by lowering fleet ownership costs". [more - original PR]

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) board of commissioners approved (18-Dec-2025) its USD45 billion Capital Plan for 2026 to 2035, covering the completion of initiatives from the 2017 to 2025 capital plan and new projects. Details for new aviation projects include:

• New York John F Kennedy International Airport:
  • Support the first gates of international Terminals 1 and 6, due to open in 2026, and further sections of the roadway network;
  • Design and complete development of AirTrain JFK with new train cars to double capacity and new stations;
  • The plan also funds preliminary enabling work in "the second half of the decade" to replace aging terminals and infrastructure and accommodate demand-driven growth, as needed;
• New York Newark Liberty International Airport:
  • Construction of a new gateway, providing funding for the authority to establish a public-private partnership to design and build a new Terminal B;
  • Expand Terminal A, including design and construction work on additional gates for future growth;
  • Construction of the USD3.5 billion AirTrain Newark is underway and expected to be completed in 2026 on a new community access point to the Airport Train Station;
• New York LaGuardia Airport:
  • Replace the gate and boarding areas of Terminal A to meet demand and continued passenger growth;
  • Funding for an LGALink Q70 bus service with a new bus lane on the BQE and new on-airport bus stop
  • New taxi hold lot at Terminal B;
• All airports:
  • A public safety initiative, developed in consultation with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, which will include new technology tools, such as license plate readers, AI-aided CCTV and an expanded database of unpermitted drivers;
  • Alignment with peer airports on pick-up and drop-off fees for for-hire vehicles and taxis. [more - original PR]

Delta Air Lines announced (18-Dec-2025) president Glen Hauenstein plans to retire from 28-Feb-2026. Mr Hauenstein joined Delta in 2005 and will continue to serve as a strategic advisor until the end of 2026. The carrier appointed Joe Esposito as EVP and chief commercial officer. Mr Esposito joined Delta in 1990 and currently serves as SVP network planning, pricing and revenue management. [more - original PR]

Infrabridge entered (18-Dec-2025) a binding agreement to sell a 51% stake in a newly formed holding company, which holds 100% of Leeds Bradford Airport and 49% of Newcastle International Airport, to Aena. Infrabridge will continue to manage a 49% stake in the holding company following completion. The transaction is valued at approximately GBP270 million and is subject to customary conditions for closing, including regulatory approvals, with completion to take place once all conditions have been satisfied. Leeds Bradford Airport and Newcastle International Airport will continue to be operated and managed independently of each other. [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II]

Wizz Air announced (19-Dec-2025) plans to base a 15th A321neo at Rome Fiumicino Airport from summer 2026. The LCC also plans to commence services connecting Rome Fiumicino to the following new destinations in summer 2026:

• Malta: Daily, commencing 29-Mar-2026;
• Rhodes: Four times weekly, commencing 28-Jun-2026;
• Kefalonia: Three times weekly, commencing 29-Jun-2026;
• Menorca: Three times weekly, commencing 30-Jun-2026;
• Tallinn: Three times weekly, commencing 21-Sep-2026;
• Varna: Three times weekly, commencing 22-Sep-2026;
• Constanta: Twice weekly, commencing 22-Sep-2026;
• Pristina: Twice weekly, commencing 22-Sep-2026.

Wizz Air corporate communications manager Salvatore Gabriele Imperiale stated: "With these eight new routes, we increase to 72 connections from Fiumicino to 28 countries". [more - original PR]

Angola's Ministry of Transport, via its official LinkedIn account, announced (11-Dec-2025) it selected a consortium led by Corporación América Airports as the winning bidder on its tender to operate and manage Luanda António Agostinho Neto International Airport under a 25 year contract, with the option to extend for a further 15 years.

Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines announced (17-Dec-2025) a partnership to offer passengers single ticket, trans Atlantic journeys between the US and Istanbul from early 2026. Turkish Airlines operates to more than 350 destinations in 132 countries from Istanbul Airport, including 10 airports in the US served by Southwest. International passengers will be able to connect through the shared gateway airports. Southwest announced six partnerships with overseas carriers in 2025 connecting its network to places in Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. [more - original PR]

BermudAir introduced (17-Dec-2025) the new AnguillAir sub-brand to commence the following services with Embraer E175 and E190 aircraft:

• Anguilla-Boston: Twice weekly from 17-Dec-2025 until 25-Apr-2026;
• Anguilla-Newark: Twice weekly from 18-Dec-2025 until 12-Apr-2026;
• Bermuda-Baltimore/Washington: Twice weekly from 19-Dec-2025 until 13-Apr-2026. [more - original PR]

Ryanair announced (17-Dec-2025) plans to open a new two aircraft base at Rabat Sale International Airport in Apr-2026, marking its fifth Moroccan base. The project requires an investment of USD200 million. The LCC plans to operate 20 routes from Rabat in summer 2026, including seven new connections to Milan Bergamo, Baden Baden, Frankfurt Hahn, Nuremberg, Porto, Pisa and Valencia. Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson stated: "Our latest base opening takes Ryanair's total investment in Morocco to over USD1.6 billion, supporting over 8500 direct and indirect jobs and delivering growth in the local tourism economy". [more - original PR]

US President Donald Trump announced (16-Dec-2025) the following updates to measures restricting the entry of foreign nationals to the US:

• Continue to fully restrict and limit the entry of nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen;
• Fully restrict and limit the entry of nationals of Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Syria, and individuals using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority;
• Continue to partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Togo and Venezuela. The US Government will also modify the partial restriction and limitation on the entry of nationals of Turkmenistan;
• Partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe. [more - original PR]