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A Hong Kong-based airline has banned two passengers from ever flying with them again, after a fight broke out over a reclined seat and descended into xenophobic insults and harassment.

SpiceJet on Tuesday announced that it has resolved its dispute with Engine Lease Finance Corporation (ELFC) through a settlement. ELFC, which had previously claimed $16.7 million, has agreed to settle for an undisclosed amount, which is lower than the initial claim. The representatives of both parties will now formalise the settlement agreement, with a view to withdrawing all ongoing litigation and ending disputes between them, the airlines company informed the exchanges This settlement marks a significant step in SpiceJet’s ongoing efforts to streamline its operations and focus on future growth.

Alaska Airlines says it halted its flights in Seattle briefly on Sunday night due to a technology problem that was resolved by about 10 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time

Key export sectors include electronics, pharmaceuticals, and perishables, with companies like DHL predicting a 20% annual growth rate in the industry. «We're bullish,» said Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves, highlighting that cargo potential from India. DHL CEO Pablo Ciano also identified significant growth areas in contract logistics and cross-border trade, emphasising that India's finished goods exports are growing at «20% year over year.» The logistics landscape is evolving, with increased investments in warehousing and fulfillment centers tailored to sectors like life sciences and healthcare.

Sensex and Nifty closed at new record highs on Monday, led by financial stocks helped by strong foreign fund inflows and a largely firm trend in Asian markets. Rallying for the third day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 384.30 points, or 0.45 per cent, to settle at an all-time high of 84,928.61. The NSE Nifty rose 148.10 points, or 0.57 per cent, to close at a record peak of 25,939.05.

SpiceJet has received a near-term tailwind with institutional investors lapping up its Rs 3,000 crore share sale. Foreign investors who have been allotted shares under the airline's Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) include big names such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Societe Generale, Nomura Singapore and Discovery Global Opportunity (Mauritius) Ltd. The QIP was oversubscribed with 87 Indian and international institutions subscribing to the issue. In addition to the Rs 3,000 crore raised through its QIP, SpiceJet will also receive an additional Rs 736 crore from the previous funding round, further boosting its financial stability and growth plans. Why are big investors betting on recovery of SpiceJet despite the airline struggling with a wide range of issues from aircraft leases to staff salaries? Investors not only hope that SpiceJet is resilient enough to survive its manifold crisis but also consider the growth prospects of India's aviation sector. Also Read: SpiceJet shares rally 6% after Rs 3,000 crore QIP attracts marquee investors

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. American Airlines Capt. Dan Carey knew his cockpit equipment was lying to him when an alert began blaring “pull up!" as his Boeing 777 passed over Pakistan in March—at an altitude of 32,000 feet, far above any terrain.

Air India, now owned by the Tata Group, has embarked on a transformative five-year plan and a lot is going on. The airline is making billions-worth of investments in new aircraft, upgrading IT systems, revamping internal processes, and enhancing the consumer experience to shed its legacy image, ToI reported. “To transform an organisation which needed large investments both in terms of the infrastructure, people, processes, in every possible area and to build it up and bring it to this level and to continue to work towards building it to a world class airline is a tough and interesting journey… but we are moving at a very good pace,” said Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Air India. After Tata Group acquired Air India in 2022, the first year focused on fixing the basics to meet customer and industry expectations. Dogra said, «The idea is to transform it from a legacy organisation which has had several issues into a new world class airline. A lot of focus was put on training programmes, recruitment.»

SpiceJet aims to have 100 aircraft by the end of 2026, its chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said, a day after the low-cost airline raised Rs 3,000 crore (about $360 million) through selling new shares. «SpiceJet is an airline that has strong fundamentals but was hamstrung by two black swan events one after the other — the worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 Max, followed by Covid pandemic,» Singh told ET in an interview. «But we have all the infrastructure ready to become a 100-strong fleet again… We have the airport slots, international traffic rights, pilots and crew, as well as the maintenance infrastructure,» he said.

Air India is planning for a faster upgrade of its in-flight product on its key international routes to US and Europe as the Tata group airline tries to attract premium customers who had till now opted for Middle East carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways due to higher service standard. The airline is planning to amplify its offerings with first class, on top of a business class in its new A350 planes and is also upgrading cabins in its A320 narrow body aircraft. Simultaneously it has planned to have exclusive lounges for its customers at Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, London, New York, San Francisco by the end of 2025. “We have been talking about the Air India transformation and took a lot of initiatives, but with our new product people are now able to feel it. We have received good reviews from our customers and they feel that it is the sign of a new Air India which will be ready in next two years,” Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at the airline said.

emergency landing after a passenger discovered a live mouse in her meal. The aircraft, which was en route from Oslo, Norway, to Málaga, Spain, diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday. According to SAS spokesperson Oystein Schmidt, the decision to land was a standard safety procedure due to the potential risk posed by rodents, including the possibility of them damaging electrical wiring on the plane. “This is something that happens extremely rarely,” Schmidt stated. “We have established procedures for such situations, which also include a review with our suppliers to ensure this does not happen again.” Passenger Jarle Borrestad, who was seated next to the woman who found the mouse, shared his experience on Facebook, stating, “Believe it or not, a lady next to me opened her food and a mouse jumped out.” Despite the shock of the incident, Borrestad noted that passengers remained calm throughout, explaining, “People were not stressed at all.” He humorously added that he put his socks over his trousers to prevent the mouse from crawling up his legs.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. If Elon Musk becomes chief red-tape cutter in a second Trump administration, he is already giving a taste of what’s to come. His recent comments suggest the Federal Aviation Administration and Environmental Protection Agency would be where he directs scrutiny if he is put in charge of leading Donald Trump’s government efficiency commission, tasked with reducing government and regulations.

American Airlines has agreed on a contract extension for ground workers including mechanics and baggage handlers

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SpiceJet to negotiate with the lessors on the weekend and refused to interfere with the previous HC order that asked the airline to ground three engines and return them to its lessors — Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS — in 15 days for non-payment of lease rentals. The Chief Justice of India told the airline, «If you don't comply, then you have to return the engines.» During the hearing, SpiceJet informed the Supreme Court that it was already in talks to make payments and was «ready to pay even today.»

JetBlue Airways plans to open its first airport lounges as part of a plan to get more business from premium travelers

Etihad Airways Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves has the precarious job of balancing growth with profitability and margins as the Abu Dhabi-based airline seeks to save $150 million in costs a year while doubling its size. In a conversation with ET’s Forum Gandhi and Anirban Chowdhury, Neves talks about Etihad’s plans for India, which is among its top three markets globally. Edited excerpts: You joined Etihad in 2022 as it narrowed losses and made management changes. With a half-year profit and shifting in its strategy, what were your main focus areas? What milestones did you achieve? We see Etihad’s journey in three phases. The first 15 years focused on creating a global brand and expanding. Then, for five years, the airline was restructured and downsized to 60 planes. Now, we are ramping up again… We have 92 aircraft in our fleet. In 2022, we broke even. Now, in phase three, we’re planning the airline’s future and restructuring the network to be more profitable, shifting from ultra-long haul to mid-haul and prioritising point-to-point operations from Abu Dhabi. We also aim to double our capacity in India, utilising the available seats in bilateral agreements, and we’re pleased with our performance here. You’re one of the few premium airline CEOs discussing costs. You have previously mentioned a target of $100-150 million in annual cost cuts. How do you balance growth with these cost reductions?

Hong Kong's air safety authority has found that a defect in an engine component of a Cathay Pacific Airways Airbus A350 that forced a Zurich-bound flight to return to Hong Kong could have caused “extensive damage” to the aircraft

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Cutting emissions from aircraft is one of the toughest challenges in the energy transition. A small group of startups say they have an answer, and investors are racing to give them cash.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IndiGo’s flight expansion plan is facing headwinds due to the grounding of over 70 aircraft on account of problems with its Pratt & Whitney engines. The grounding has implications for the aviation sector and air fares.