February 2026 Sales Total Aided by Year-Over-Year Passenger Trip Increase

ARLINGTON, Va., March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) released data showing U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $9.6 billion in February 2026 — an 11% increase from February 2025.* Total passenger trips settled by ARC increased 8% year over year, reaching 25.9 million in February 2026.

In February 2026, leisure-focused and online travel agencies recorded year-over-year passenger trip growth of 6% and 3%, respectively, while corporate agency sales were flat.

Results for February 2026 showed:

“After a record-setting January, air travel demand remained strong in February, reflecting travelers’ resilience as they braved winter weather disruptions and volatility for some international destinations,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “In an encouraging sign for U.S. travel agencies, each ARC agency segment was either at or above year-over-year passenger trip levels for the first time since September 2025.”

NDC transactions accounted for 21% of the total ARC-settled transactions in February 2026 — up from 19.1% in February 2025. In February 2026, 1,189 travel agencies reported NDC transactions.

More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page.

About ARC:
ARC’s platform is the intelligence behind air travel, connecting the industry and powering commercial decisions for airlines and their partners. Our trusted services fuel airline retailing, with ARC processing over $100 billion in U.S.-based agency air sales annually. ARC leads industry collaboration between airlines, agencies, corporate buyers and other partners to enable a thriving industry ecosystem. For more information, visit arccorp.com.

Contact:
ARC Media Team
media@arccorp.com

Notes:

*Ticket Sales    

• Results are based on monthly sales data ending February 28, 2026, from 9,943 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations and online travel agencies. Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
• The average ticket price (USD) is for a round-trip ticket settled through ARC for an itinerary that included only U.S. domestic travel.
• Passenger trips include the total number of passengers traveling from one airport to another using direct or connecting flights. Newly issued trips are added, and refunded trips are deducted to provide a net view of traveling passengers.
• U.S. domestic passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where the itinerary is wholly within the U.S. International passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where some or all the travel occurs to airports outside the U.S. or originates outside the U.S.
• Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.

**Average Economy Class Ticket Price

• Economy Class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased in February 2026 under fare codes excluding First Class, Business Class and Business Class Premium.

***Average Premium Class Ticket Price

• Premium Class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased in February 2026 under fare codes assigned to First Class, Business Class and Business Class Premium.

© Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.

SMYRNA, Tenn., March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Contour Airlines is excited to announce the launch of new nonstop air service between Page Municipal Airport (PGA) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), providing the community of Page, Arizona with a convenient connection to one of the nation’s most dynamic travel hubs. Service will begin on July 2, 2026, operating four times weekly on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

The new route will make it easier than ever for residents and visitors to access the world-class entertainment, dining, and business opportunities of Las Vegas, Nevada while also opening the door for more travelers to explore northern Arizona’s iconic outdoor destinations, including Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon.

For the Page community, the new flights represent expanded connectivity, improved access to healthcare and business travel, and a more convenient gateway to national and international destinations via Las Vegas. At the same time, the service provides Las Vegas travelers with direct access to one of the Southwest’s most breathtaking outdoor recreation regions.

Contour Airlines will operate the new routes using its 30-seat regional jet, providing passengers with a comfortable and reliable travel experience. Each flight offers extra legroom along with complimentary snacks and beverages.

“Launching service between Page and Las Vegas is an exciting step for Contour Airlines and the communities we serve,” said Ben Munson, President of Contour Airlines. “This new route makes it easier for travelers to experience Page’s incredible outdoor destinations while giving residents convenient access to the connectivity and amenities of Las Vegas. We’re proud to partner with the community and look forward to welcoming passengers onboard.”

Flight Schedule:

DUBLIN, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AerCap Holdings N.V. (“AerCap” or the “Company”) (NYSE: AER) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Airbus for the purchase of 100 new A320neo Family aircraft, including the exercise of previously agreed firm options. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028 and continue through 2034.

In connection with this transaction, AerCap will also enter into long-term lease agreements with CFM International (“CFM”) for 48 LEAP-1A engines through its Shannon Engine Support (“SES”) joint venture with Safran Aircraft Engines, with deliveries beginning in the second quarter of 2026. SES is the leading provider of LEAP spare engines for CFM.

“By working closely with three of our long-standing partners – Frontier Airlines, CFM and Airbus – today’s transaction will drive long-term growth for AerCap through a portfolio of highly desirable, in-demand aircraft, while enabling Frontier to optimize its fleet. This agreement also supports both Airbus and CFM in meeting their market-leading production and in-service commitments.” said Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap.

“In addition, we are pleased to announce the exercise of 45 of our existing options with Airbus, along with the addition of a further 55 A320neo Family aircraft to our orderbook,” Mr. Kelly concluded.

“This order is the largest single direct order for the type ever placed by AerCap with Airbus, and is a powerful endorsement of the A320neo Family’s enduring value and market-leading performance,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business. “We are extremely grateful and proud to support AerCap’s vision in accelerating the global transition towards newer, modern aircraft and more efficient operations.”

About AerCap

AerCap is the global leader in aviation leasing with one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 300 customers around the world with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and is headquartered in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Memphis, Miami, Singapore, London, Dubai, Shanghai, Amsterdam and other locations around the world.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are “forward-looking statements”. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “will,” “aim,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the availability of capital to us and to our customers and changes in interest rates; the ability of our lessees and potential lessees to make lease payments to us; our ability to successfully negotiate flight equipment (which includes aircraft, engines and helicopters) purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to repossess flight equipment under defaulted leases, and to control costs and expenses; changes in the overall demand for commercial aviation leasing and aviation asset management services; the continued impacts of the Ukraine Conflict, including the resulting sanctions by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and other countries, on our business and results of operations, financial condition and cash flows; the effects of terrorist attacks on the aviation industry and on our operations; the economic condition of the global airline and cargo industry and economic and political conditions; the impact of hostilities in the Middle East, or any escalation thereof, on the aviation industry or our business; trade tensions, including U.S. tariffs and retaliatory measures by the European Union, China and other countries, and the resulting geopolitical uncertainty; development of increased government regulation, including travel restrictions, sanctions, regulation of trade and the imposition of import and export controls, tariffs and other trade barriers; a downgrade in any of our credit ratings; competitive pressures within the industry; regulatory changes affecting commercial flight equipment operators, flight equipment maintenance, engine standards, accounting standards and taxes; and disruptions and security breaches affecting our information systems or the information systems of our third-party providers.

As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. These and other important factors and risks are discussed in AerCap’s annual report on Form 20-F and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Travelers can book seats later today on the airline’s most premium aircraft yet, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with Elevated interior featuring the first United Polaris Studio℠ suites, roomier seats, larger seatback screens and Bluetooth connectivity at every seat in every cabin

The inaugural international flight, UA1, is scheduled for April 22 from San Francisco to Singapore; tickets will be for sale later today on United.com and the United app

CHICAGO, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Starting today, travelers can book seats on United’s most premium international aircraft yet – the 787-9 Dreamliner with the United Elevated interior. Unveiled last May, this new aircraft has been redesigned from nose-to-tail with 99 total premium seats – the highest of percentage among U.S. carriers – and marks the introduction of the airline’s new United Polaris Studio℠ suites: eight, lie-flat, all-aisle-access seats that are 25% larger than standard United Polaris® seats with privacy doors*, an extra ottoman seat, exclusive entrée options, an Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service, new amenity kits with elevated skincare offerings, wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and a huge 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screen – the largest among U.S. carriers.

The aircraft will take its inaugural international flight for customers from San Francisco to Singapore, UA1, on April 22. It will launch its second international route from San Francisco to London, UA901, later next month on April 30. Over the next few weeks, customers may see the plane flying on select domestic routes between San Francisco and Houston as the plane prepares for international service.

“The new era of premium air travel is coming soon with our first Elevated aircraft taking flight next month. Our new aircraft redefines international long-haul flying, providing travelers upgraded amenities and experiences in every cabin,” said Andrew Nocella, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer at United. “We’re constantly pioneering new ways to differentiate our customers’ experience in every seat, and we’re confident they will love it.”

An Elevated Experience at Every Seat

Whether flying up in United Polaris or in United Economy®, customers will notice thoughtful upgrades designed to make long-haul travel better, including:

Eight new United Polaris Studio suites

• United’s most spacious business class seats
• Fully lie-flat seats
• Ottoman with a seatbelt for companions in six of the eight seats
• Massive 27-inch 4K OLED seatback screen – the largest of any U.S. airline – with Bluetooth connectivity
• Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, including duvet, day blanket, large pillow and cooling gel pillow
• Exclusive hoodie-pajamas and slippers
• New noise-cancelling headphones powered by Meridian technology
• Amenity kits featuring clinically formulated Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ elevated skincare products
• United-branded playing cards – perfect for passing time with someone in the ottoman seat

56 United Polaris® seats

• Fully lie-flat seats
• Choice in seats that face the window or center of the aircraft for individuals or joint travelers
• 19-inch 4K OLED touchscreens with Bluetooth connectivity
• United Polaris snack bar

35 United Premium Plus® seats

• Roomier seats with added privacy dividers and built-in reading light, a first for United Premium Plus
• 16-inch 4K OLED touchscreens with Bluetooth connectivity
• Wireless charging
• Upgraded dining and amenities

39 Economy Plus® and 84 Economy seats

• 13-inch 4K OLED seatback screens with Bluetooth connectivity at every seat
• 6 power outlets per row
• Larger overhead bins

To celebrate the inaugural flight, United will hold a gate event in San Francisco before the first international departure for customers. United will also be hosting tours of the aircraft for media next week ahead of the first commercial flight.

United plans to have at least 30 787-9’s with the Elevated interior flying around the globe by the end of 2027.

Customers can view the seat map and purchase tickets at united.com and on the United app later today.

*Privacy doors are temporarily unavailable

• Economy seat pitch on aircraft HL8701 increased from 31 to 33 inches
• Total seat count adjusted from 344 to 326 as part of cabin space and comfort upgrades, including new carpet installation

SEOUL, South Korea, March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Air Premia, Korea’s only hybrid airline, has enhanced passenger comfort by reducing the total number of seats while expanding seat pitch to enhance passenger comfort.

The airline announced that the economy class seat pitch on aircraft HL8701 has been increased from 31 inches to 33 inches. Following the adjustment, the aircraft’s total seat capacity has been reduced from 344 seats to 326 seats, a decrease of 18 seats.

Unlike the common industry practice of increasing seat density to improve profitability, Air Premia has focused on expanding seat space to improve passenger comfort and overall travel experience.

The aircraft completed its seat reconfiguration in mid-March and entered service on March 16. Passengers on flights operated by this aircraft will now experience the expanded seat pitch.

Air Premia has been continuously improving seat space to enhance comfort for passengers traveling on long-haul routes. In 2024, the airline also reconfigured two aircraft previously operating with 338 seats, reducing them to 320 seats while expanding economy class seat pitch.

The airline is currently carrying out sequential seat adjustments on aircraft configured with 344 seats, with plans to expand the economy class seat pitch on all aircraft to 33 inches or more within this year.

Air Premia currently operates a fleet of nine aircraft, configured with 309 seats (three aircraft), 320 seats (two aircraft), 326 seats (two aircraft), and 344 seats (two aircraft). All aircraft except the 344-seat configuration currently operate with an economy class seat pitch of 33 inches or greater.

Along with the seat pitch expansion, Air Premia has also replaced the cabin carpet. The newly installed carpet is produced using digital printing technology, allowing the airline’s brand identity to be naturally incorporated into the cabin interior design.

In addition, the new carpet is lighter than the previous version, contributing to aircraft weight reduction and supporting environmental benefits such as improved fuel efficiency.

“Air Premia is committed to continuously improving seat space and the cabin environment so that passengers traveling on long-haul routes can enjoy a more comfortable journey,” an Air Premia official said. “We will continue to introduce various service enhancements to further elevate the customer experience.”

March 5, 2026

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian announced several executive leadership changes as the company prepares for the retirement of longtime operations leader John Laughter.

Laughter, Executive Vice President, Chief of Operations and President of Delta TechOps, will retire on April 30 after more than 30 years with the airline. He began his career at Delta as an aircraft liaison engineer in TechOps.

Following Laughter’s retirement, current Chief Financial Officer Dan Janki will become Chief Operating Officer. In that role, Janki will oversee Delta’s operational divisions including Airport Customer Service, Flight Operations, In-Flight Service, Operations & Customer Center, Reservations and Customer Care, Technical Operations, and Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance.

Delta also announced that Peter Carter has been promoted to President. Carter will expand his responsibilities to include enterprise strategy alongside his current oversight of global policy, legal affairs, international operations, real estate, and sustainability initiatives.

Erik Snell will succeed Janki as Chief Financial Officer. Snell joined Delta 20 years ago and most recently served as Chief Customer Experience Officer. As CFO, he will oversee the airline’s finance organization, fleet and supply chain teams, and refinery subsidiary Monroe Energy.

In addition, Alain Bellemare, Executive Vice President and President – International, will assume the additional role of Chairman of Delta TechOps.

Ranjan Goswami will become Chief Marketing and Product Officer following the departure of Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillman, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

Carter, Janki, Snell, and Goswami will report directly to Bastian.

PAPEETE, French Polynesia, March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Air Tahiti Nui continues to develop its international network and announces the launch of new direct service between Papeete and Sydney (PPT–SYD).

This new service forms part of the airline’s strategy to sustainably strengthen French Polynesia’s connectivity with major regional hubs across the South Pacific.

The inaugural flight is scheduled for Monday, 14 December 2026. Air Tahiti Nui will operate two flights per week, offering travelers a direct, non-stop connection between Tahiti and Australia. This service will significantly reduce travel time and simplify journeys between the two destinations.

The planned flight schedule can be found within this release (subject to validation by airport authorities).

The Islands of Tahiti continue to demonstrate strong appeal in the Australian market, which ranks among the destination’s most dynamic international segments. According to the latest provisional data from ISPF, French Polynesia welcomed nearly 279,000 visitors in 2025 — a new tourism record, continuing the positive momentum of recent years.

Australian demand remains encouraging. With approximately 8,165 visitors in 2025, Australia plays an important role in diversifying and strengthening tourism flows to the destination.

As a major Pacific hub, Sydney represents a strategic gateway for enhanced regional connectivity.

“We are very pleased to announce this new direct service between Papeete and Sydney,” said Lionel Guérin, Chief Executive Officer of Air Tahiti Nui. “With two direct flights per week and our codeshare agreement with Qantas, this service offers Australian travelers greater comfort and additional frequencies, complementing our twice-weekly service to Auckland, New Zealand.“

Beyond passenger travel, the launch of the Papeete–Sydney service also creates new opportunities for freight transport, supporting the development of economic exchanges between Australia and French Polynesia.

As across its entire network, Air Tahiti Nui will offer an immersive travel experience on this new service, inspired by the spirit of its islands. Polynesian hospitality, delivered by the airline’s teams, will accompany each passenger on a journey defined by comfort, attentiveness, and warmth.

Tickets are now available to book. This new service marks a further step in the development of Air Tahiti Nui’s network and reinforces the direct connectivity of French Polynesia with major regional and international markets.

With its unified, AI-native cloud-based architecture, Sabre enters the agentic era with intelligent retailing, autonomous workflows, and enterprise-grade governance at scale.

BERLIN, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At ITB Berlin 2026, Sabre (NASDAQ: SABR) unveiled the culmination of a multiyear, once-in-a-generation rebuild of its technology, architecture, and operating foundations.

This transformation has unshackled the company to deliver a single, unified, AI-first platform, purpose-built for velocity to innovate for whatever comes next. In the first major milestone for the new Sabre, the company has seized a first-mover position in agentic travel – a clean break from legacy industry architectures that have constrained travel industry innovation for decades. This watershed moment is visually underscored by the debut of Sabre’s new brand identity, reflecting the reality of a company fundamentally reconstructed for what comes next.

A rebuilt foundation. One platform. An open mindset.
Over the last several years, under a refreshed executive leadership team, Sabre has executed a full modernization of its technology stack, moving to the cloud, rebuilding core systems, and unifying once fragmented capabilities under the new Sabre Mosaic™ platform.

The result is a high-performance, continuously deployable platform designed for speed, resilience, and scale – one that replaces patchwork modernization with a singular architectural vision that believes open is the way forward. Customers are encouraged to adopt best-of-breed solutions and complement their own technology to modernize at their own pace. No locked-in systems.

As Sabre enters 2026, it does so from a fundamentally new technical posture: AI-native, cloud-first, and ready for production-grade autonomy.

AI-native by design with data at its core, leading the agentic shift
At Sabre, AI is not an overlay or an experiment. It is embedded across the platform, engineered into the core over multiple years, not bolted on in response to market noise. Powered by Google Gemini, Sabre’s systems are designed to learn, reason, and act across retailing, servicing, and operations, all while sitting on Sabre’s Travel Data Cloud, one of the world’s largest, with over 50 petabytes of compliant, contextualized data. This scale is paramount in an AI-first world and cannot be reverse-engineered, and AI engines cannot independently obtain and orchestrate this logic.

Last year, Sabre established a first-mover position in agentic travel with the launch of agentic-ready APIs and its proprietary Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, delivering the orchestration, context, and governance required for autonomous workflows in live, enterprise environments.

Together, these capabilities move the industry beyond static request-response models, enabling systems that can plan, execute, adapt, and improve in real time.

Strategic fiscal roadmap. Operationally primed to create value.
Sabre completed this rebuild while simultaneously strengthening its financial foundation. Disciplined debt management, portfolio actions, and operating rigor enabled the company to modernize without carrying forward legacy constraints.

A focused strategy has enabled Sabre to materially increase its engineering capacity over the past year, accelerating innovation cycles and time-to-market.

The company now enters the value-creation phase of this strategy with greater flexibility, improved cost structure, and the operational capacity to lead.

A new look to represent a new reality
The company’s new visual identity underscores the new Sabre. It is the external expression of a rebuilt reality: an AI-first platform, a unified architecture, and a markedly faster and more innovative organization working at the pace of Silicon Valley startups, backed by its inimitable experience in the complex travel space.

ITB Berlin marks the moment Sabre shows the global travel industry who it has become technologically, strategically, and culturally.

Attendees can experience the new Sabre across its main showcase in Hall 5.1, Stand 106, and its AI-focused space in Hall 6, Stand 325, with live demonstrations of intelligent automation and agentic workflows already operating in production today.

What this means for travel
With a unified platform, largescale travel data, and embedded AI, Sabre is positioned to serve as the backbone for the next wave of travel innovation supporting startups, builders, and established enterprise partners alike with shared tools, shared context, and enterprise-grade governance.

This foundation enables new retail models, cross-channel consistency, and more automated servicing – delivering greater reliability, flexibility, and differentiated value for customers across the ecosystem.

Momentum is already building. Recent industry partnerships – including those with PayPal and Mindtrip, Biz Trip AI, and Virgin Australia’s agentic chatbot integration with ChatGPT – reflect growing confidence in Sabre’s direction and its role in shaping what comes next.

“Unveiling the new Sabre at ITB Berlin marks the completion of a fundamental re-architecture of our business,” said Kurt Ekert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sabre. “We rebuilt our foundation to deliver greater stability, faster innovation, and more value for our customers, while positioning Sabre for long-term growth and leadership as travel enters its AI-native phase.”

As ITB celebrates its 60th anniversary, Sabre is using this moment to demonstrate how AI-native platforms can materially improve performance, accuracy, and operational speed – today, not someday.

“We redesigned Sabre’s technical foundations to deliver durable differentiation in AI and to give partners a system they can rely on as their needs scale,” said Garry Wiseman, President of Product and Engineering at Sabre. “By unifying our architecture, strengthening our data layer, and embedding governance through our IQ Assurance Layer, we’ve created an environment where innovation can happen faster, and with confidence, as the industry moves into the Next Age of Travel.”

As travel companies evaluate how to introduce autonomous capabilities into live environments, Sabre’s new foundation offers a clear path forward: operational reliability, enterprise-grade governance, and performance that scales with ambition.