Sun Country Airlines unveils a 1994 retro livery honoring its 43-Year legacy as Allegiant completes the acquisition of the company

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Sun Country Airlines on May 12, 2026 unveiled this special retro livery on the pictured Boeing 737-800 registered as N826SY.

The special livery celebrates the airline’s origins and honoring the people and communities who have shaped its 43-year journey. This is only Sun Country’s second special livery.

The special livery, inspired by Sun Country’s 1994 design, honors the airline’s Minnesota roots and the generations of employees and customers who helped shape its story. What began as a small hometown carrier founded by a passionate group of aviators has grown into an airline deeply woven into the fabric of the Twin Cities and the communities it serves.

The aircraft is also dedicated to Sun Country pilot, co-founder, and first president Jim Olsen, who passed away in April 2026. Alongside his fellow founding members, Olsen defied the odds, building the airline from the ground up. Uniforms were hand-sewn, flights were catered with wholesale goods, and aircraft were cleaned every Tuesday by the very crews that flew them. That roll-up-your-sleeves spirit that defined Sun Country in its earliest days and remains central to the airline today.

This livery, while a nod to the past, is also meant to represent a bridge for the future. While much of the livery is the original 1994 design, the tail features the current Sun Country compass logomark as a nod to the current brand, which is set to be acquired by Allegiant Air in a deal expected to close May 13. Both brands represent strong value airlines, and their combination will bring more value and more service to their customers, with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport being the largest hub of the future combined company. Following deal close, there will be no change in service or schedules for either Sun Country or Allegiant customers.

The aircraft is expected to touch down in Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) for the first time on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

Also on May 13, 2026 Allegiant Travel Company (Allegiant Air) announced it had successfully completed its acquisition of Sun Country Airlines Holdings, Inc., bringing together two complementary carriers focused on affordable leisure travel. The transaction closed following satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by the shareholders of each of Allegiant and Sun Country.

The combination strengthens Allegiant’s position as a leading U.S. leisure airline by expanding its network, increasing scale, and enhancing its diversified operating model.

Together, Allegiant and Sun Country will serve approximately 22 million annual customers across nearly 175 cities, with more than 650 routes and a combined fleet of 195 aircraft.

Financially, the combination of Allegiant and Sun Country brings together two profitable airlines with complementary networks, diversified revenue streams and strong balance sheets, creating a platform with meaningful long-term value creation potential. Allegiant expects to realize approximately $140 million in annual synergies within three years following closing and integration, driven by expanded customer choice across the combined network, scale efficiencies, fleet optimization, and procurement benefits. The transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings per share in the first full year post-closing, while maintaining balance sheet flexibility.

Sun Country’s cargo operations for Amazon Prime Air and charter contracts with casinos, Major League Soccer, collegiate sports teams, and the Department of Defense, complement Allegiant’s existing charter business and further diversify the combined company’s revenue base. With 195 aircraft at closing, 30 aircraft on order and an additional 80 options, the combined company will have greater flexibility to optimize aircraft deployment, improve utilization, and support long-term growth through economic cycles.

Greg Anderson will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, and Robert Neal will serve as President and Chief Financial Officer. Jude Bricker, Jennifer Vogel and Thomas C. Kennedy were appointed as members of Allegiant’s Board of Directors.

Sun Country Airlines route map (2026):

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American Airlines introduces limited-edition U.S. Soccer amenity kits in celebration of the 2026 summer of football

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Ahead of North America hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026^™, American Airlines, as the Official North American Airline Supplier of FIFA World Cup 26^™ in partnership with Qatar Airways and the Official Airline of U.S. Soccer, is helping fans everywhere celebrate with the introduction of new U.S. Soccer-themed amenity kits. These new kits will debut at the beginning of June and fly through July.

From the plane to the game

Designed for the journey and the celebration, these amenity kits can move with fans from the cabin to the stadium all summer long.

Flagship^® First and Flagship Suite^® Preferred seats: A clear bag with blue leather piping and a removeable crossbody strap.
Flagship^® Business and Flagship Suite^® seats: A clear bag with leather piping detail that can be worn two ways — as a belt bag or crossbody.
Premium Economy: A clear pouch with a removeable wrist strap.

Tim Howard wearing Flagship^® First and Flagship Suite^® Preferred seat amenity kit.

American gives fans more ways to experience the beautiful game

Throughout the summer, American customers will have new ways to join the excitement, including special gate celebrations ahead of some of the tournament’s most anticipated matches.

American also added 27,000 seats across 12 new and existing routes to support fan travel and is providing 1.45 million premium seats during the tournament. AAdvantage^® members have also enjoyed exclusive opportunities to use miles — with millions of miles redeemed for thousands of match tickets.

Arrive refreshed with curated skincare essentials

American’s new amenity kits feature a curated selection of travel-ready skincare designed to refresh customers throughout their travel journey. Each kit features a curated selection of hand and body lotion, lip balm and brand-new items fit for summer: after-sun cooling gel and soccer-style socks, which will be available in both Flagship^® First and Flagship Suite^® Preferred seats and Flagship^® Business and Flagship Suite^® seats.

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JetBlue arrives in Italy: New Boston-Milan service takes off

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JetBlue Airways on May 11, 2026 launched its new daily summer-seasonal service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP), marking the airline’s first-ever service to Italy. The new route expands JetBlue’s transatlantic network from Boston and reinforces the airline’s position as New England’s leading leisure airline, while also strengthening convenient connections for customers traveling across JetBlue’s broader network.

With the start of service to Milan, JetBlue now offers customers nine daily nonstop destinations from Boston to Europe during the summer season, complementing existing year-round service to Amsterdam, London-Heathrow and Paris, as well as seasonal flights to Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, London-Gatwick and Madrid. The new route builds on JetBlue’s continued investment in Boston, coming just weeks after the airline launched new seasonal service to Barcelona, Spain, and further strengthens Boston’s role as a key connecting hub.

JetBlue continues to build Boston into a transatlantic gateway, offering customers throughout New England more ways to reach Europe with competitive fares and a high-quality onboard experience. Following the launch of service from Boston to Madrid and Edinburgh last year, and Barcelona earlier this spring, Milan now becomes the newest addition to JetBlue’s European map from Logan.

Daily seasonal service between Boston (BOS) and Milan (MXP)
(Through October 5, 2026)
All times local

BOS-MXP Flight #331	MXP-BOS Flight #332
6:25 p.m. – 8:10 a.m.	10:00 a.m. – 12:47 p.m.

Now available on Amazon:

Britten-Norman delivers a BN2T-4S Islander to Xen Aviation and Services Inc. (Xen Aviation), a new regional operator in Guyana

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Britten-Norman has delivered a BN2T-4S Islander to Xen Aviation & Services Inc. (Xen Aviation), marking the operator’s introduction of its first Islander aircraft as it prepares to launch regional operations in Guyana.

The aircraft was completed at Britten-Norman’s UK facility and will support Xen Aviation’s planned commuter services in Georgetown, becoming the first BN2T-4S Islander to operate in the country.

The BN2T-4S is the enlarged turboprop variant of the Islander, offering approximately 30% more cabin space and an increased Maximum Take-Off Weight of 8,925 lbs (4,408 kg). Powered by twin Rolls- Royce 250-B17F engines, it delivers enhanced performance while retaining the Islander’s long-established reputation as one of the world’s leading short take-off and landing aircraft.

Purpose-designed for reliable, day-to-day operations from short, challenging and infrastructure-limited airstrips, the BN2T-4S supports consistent access in environments where runway length, surface condition and weather variability are routine considerations. This capability is well established across regions such as Guyana and the wider Caribbean, where the Islander has supported short-field operations from demanding and unprepared airstrips for decades.

The aircraft is equipped with a modern Garmin glass cockpit and integrated avionics suite, supporting enhanced situational awareness, operational safety and long-term supportability. The BN2T-4S can also be configured with full airframe de-icing, extending operational capability in more variable and demanding climates.

Britten-Norman continues to support operators worldwide with aircraft delivered to current operational standards, backed by OEM engineering, certification and through-life support.

The BN2T-4S Islander is certified in the UK, EU, US, Canada and Guyana. The aircraft is approved for up to 10 passengers, subject to local air operations regulations.

Xen Aviation & Services Inc. is the aviation investment arm of Adamantium Holdings, a Guyana based business conglomerate with a footprint in mining, construction, agriculture, real estate, general services and petroleum production support.

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American Airlines is ready for a record-breaking summer travel season in 2026 – July 17 being the busiest day

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American Airlines announced:

The centennial summer for American Airlines is shaping up to be one for the record books, with the airline set to welcome more customers than ever across its largest summer schedule to date.

During American’s summer travel period, which runs from May 21 through Sept. 8, the airline expects to welcome 75 million customers across 750,000 flights, smashing its previous record set in 2019. The summer kicks off with Memorial Day weekend, when American expects to welcome more than 4.2 million customers across more than 40,000 flights from May 21 through May 26. The most traveled day that weekend is Friday, May 22.

American has prepared to welcome record numbers of customers this summer by performing offseason preventive maintenance on its fleet, ensuring its facilities are ready for the summer heat and staffing up in key locations. In addition, the airline has made key changes to improve reliability across its network — and early results are promising:

Reimagined DFW schedule: At its largest hub, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American introduced a new 13-bank schedule that has already minimized delays, reduced customer misconnects and gate changes. The new schedule has also delivered record baggage handling performance and an increase in customer satisfaction in its first month. Given the outsized impact DFW has on the broader airline, those improvements are having a ripple effect across American’s operation.
Bolstering the transatlantic gateway: At Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), a redesigned afternoon schedule for transatlantic flights is giving customers more travel options while easing congestion and improving our on-time performance.
Investing in schedule resilience: American’s significant investment in scheduled block time — or the amount of time allotted for each flight — has added more certainty for customers’ travel. American had the best block performance among the major U.S. carriers in April, meaning more flights were completed within their scheduled time. This sets the airline up for success as it delivers a reliable operation this summer.

Focus on Chicago

Thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration’s action to bring flight schedules back within Chicago O’Hare International Airport’s (ORD) operational capacity, customers traveling through this key hub can expect a more reliable experience this summer with improved on-time performance, fewer congestion-driven delays and a more predictable operation overall.

American expects to welcome more than 5.2 million customers at ORD this summer — an 11% increase since 2025 and a 48% increase compared to 2023.

Putting customers first

With a renewed focus on customers, American has made several enhancements as the summer travel season kicks off, including:

Improving how it handles flight disruptions, with new digital tools that explain the why behind delays and cancellations and offer easy, self-service options like rebooking, bag tracking and digital vouchers — all in the American app.
Expanding digital wallet integration, including industry-first Samsung Wallet boarding passes, further keeping customers informed with live updates without needing to open the app.
Continuing to expand its Connect Assist technology, which proposes a short hold to save the day for connecting customers.
Offering free Wi-Fi, sponsored by AT&T, for all AAdvantage^® members on nearly every American flight.
Making the security process more seamless with TSA PreCheck^® Touchless ID, which is now available at 60 airports, including all of American’s hubs. The customer opt-in program brings participating customers a much faster, touchless identity verification process and eliminates the need to present an ID at the security checkpoint. Travelers aged 30 and under save $20 on TSA PreCheck^® during the month of May.
Easing flight connections at DFW and London Heathrow (LHR) with One Stop Security, which is now live on all flights between those two airports. This program allows customers to proceed to connecting flights without needing to claim and recheck baggage or pass through additional security screening.

Four facts about American’s summer operation

American’s most-traveled day this summer is July 17, with 6,995 flights. Its second most-traveled day is July 10, with 6,991 flights.
Throughout the summer, there will be five flights — or nearly 500 customers — taking off each minute.
American is adding two exciting new destinations to its route map this summer: service from PHL to Budapest, Hungary (BUD), and Prague (PRG). That is in addition to three new long-haul routes: DFW to Athens, Greece (ATH), and Zurich (ZRH), and Miami (MIA) to Milan (MXP).
American’s top three non-hub destinations this summer are Orlando (MCO), LHR and Boston (BOS).

Lufthansa’s first Boeing 777-9 takes flight

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Boeing flew the first 777-9 for Lufthansa Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Tim Stake photo)

The first 777-9 airplane for Lufthansa, Europe’s largest airline and one of the 777X launch customers, flew for the first time ahead of certification testing in the weeks ahead.

Instead of a test interior, the airplane features Lufthansa’s fully outfitted passenger cabin, from premium and economy seats to in-flight entertainment systems.

About the flight: Boeing pilots Capt. Ted Grady and Capt. Jake Miller flew a three‑hour, 27-minute profile over Washington and Oregon, completing a standard flight designed to test the airplane’s systems and structures, with systems operators Zach Lewis and Joel Conard, flight analysts Cody Bruinsma, Mike Deutsch and Carl Zietz, and engineers Ben Wolter and Scott Dailey. The airplane landed at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 4:52 p.m. PT.

“The airplane performed as we expected,” said Grady, 777/777X chief pilot. “The 777-9 continues to handle beautifully. Thank you to everyone who worked to get the airplane ready for this flight and its next phase of testing.”

Why it matters: First-of-model airplanes, like this one, establish a baseline configuration for customer deliveries. The airplane will undergo ground and flight tests, with an emphasis on cabin systems and connectivity.

Preparing the airplane: Since the airplane rolled out from the Everett factory, teams applied a clear top coat to protect the structure and completed fueling, engine runs and taxi tests.

As Engineering ship captain for the airplane, Sam Damico supported the production and test teams as they completed the airplane and prepared it for flight.

“We’re taking part in something really significant for the company,” Damico said. “There’s a lot of pride from everyone who helped bring all of these pieces together, working late nights and weekends, so this airplane can go and do its mission.”

Boeing will paint the airplane with the full Lufthansa livery before delivery.

Capt. Jake Miller inspects the 777-9 prior to Thursday’s first flight. (Tim Stake photo)

Testing, certification, delivery: The program has logged more than 4,700 flight test hours across the 777-9 test fleet. In addition to the dedicated test airplanes, production airplanes – like this sixth 777-9 to fly – are essential to completing certification requirements and preparing for first delivery in 2027, the company said.

“Our team continues to face into the challenges of bringing a new airplane to market, and preparing to begin certification testing on this 777-9 is one more example of our progress,” said Terry Beezhold, 777-9 vice president and program manager. “I’m grateful to our team whose skill and dedication will help us deliver this airplane and to Lufthansa and all of our customers for choosing the 777X family.”

About the family: The 777X family – the 777-9, the 777-8 Freighter and the 777-8 passenger airplane – are the newest members of Boeing’s market-leading widebody family.

Customers have ordered more than 620 777X airplanes.

Emirates unveils a striking new UAE flag livery on its A380 (A6-EVG)

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Emirates on May 8, 2026 unveiled a striking livery of a large UAE flag emblazoned across the fuselage of its iconic Airbus A380 aircraft, the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft. The new livery on A6-EVG, is an extension of the airline’s iconic tail design, and a powerful tribute to the spirit, ambition and unity of the UAE.

This initiative is part of Emirates’ ‘This Flag Will Always Fly’ campaign, responding to the nationwide initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. This initiative called on all citizens and residents to raise the UAE flag as a unifying symbol across society, a shared responsibility and pride in the nation’s strength and cohesion during recent challenges.

The special livery features the colours of the UAE rendered in a bold, eye-catching 3D design that drapes elegantly across both sides of the aircraft. The moving canvas of national pride has already flown to New York and Brisbane and is scheduled to operate to more A380 destinations in the Emirates network, becoming visible from runways, skies and cities around the world.

Plans are underway to apply the flag design to an Emirates Boeing 777, the next largest commercial airliner in the sky after the A380.

The UAE flag is already a hallmark of every Emirates aircraft, painted across the tails of one of the world’s most recognisable fleets, and carrying the nation’s colours across continents, time zones and cultures each day.

The special flag livery is one of many that have marked special national events and commemorations in the UAE. In 2017, the airline featured a customised decal of the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, with a bespoke livery for its 100th A380. The initiative marked the airline’s first initiative for the ‘Year of Zayed’, with 10 aircraft flying the special livery. That same year, the airline revealed the first of 40 aircraft carrying livery designs dedicated to Expo 2020 Dubai.

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AirAsia places landmark order for 150 A220s

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AirAsia has placed an order for 150 latest generation A220-300 aircraft. The purchase agreement is the largest single firm order placed for the A220 and propels the programme beyond the 1,000 firm order milestone, underscoring the aircraft’s global market appeal.

The contract was announced at a ceremony at the Airbus facility in Mirabel attended by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital A and Advisor to AirAsia Group and Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. The event took place in the presence of the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada and the Honourable Christine Frechette, Premier of Quebec.

The purchase agreement makes AirAsia a new customer for the A220. The airline also becomes the launch customer for the aircraft’s new cabin configuration of 160 seats. The increase in capacity, adding 10 seats, is made possible by the addition of an extra overwing exit on each side of the aircraft.

The A220 complements AirAsia’s existing Airbus fleet and will play a key role in advancing the Group’s network and growth. The aircraft will service destinations across ASEAN and into Central Asia, freeing up larger aircraft to fly longer routes.

Elevate Jet acquires a VIP-configured Boeing 757-200

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Elevate Jet announced:

Elevate Jet proudly announces the successful acquisition of one of the few VIP Boeing 757-200 airliners in the world on behalf of a long-standing private client. The specially configured aircraft represents a rarified category within U.S. private aviation: a true airliner-class platform configured to VIP standards, capable of transporting up to 50 passengers in complete comfort across long distances and supporting complex, multi-city itineraries. By comparison, the largest executive jets from manufacturers like Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Dassault Aviation typically accommodate just 12 to 14 passengers, putting the VIP Boeing 757 in a different class of scale. Having closed on the purchase, Elevate is currently conforming the Boeing 757 as part of Elevate’s managed fleet.

Designed to meet a vast array of diverse, mission-critical demands from professional sports teams playing across the country, global touring productions, and large-scale executive travel for the world’s largest corporations, the new aircraft addresses a longstanding gap in the domestic market for high-capacity, ultra-premium group transport. This capability is held by only a handful of FAA and DOT approved management companies in the United States.

Elevate Jet is one of a select number of U.S. FAA Part 135 operators authorized to manage and operate VIP airliner-class aircraft, including Boeing Business Jets and Airbus Corporate Jets. This special certification, combined with decades of experience through its Private Jet Services (PJS) division supporting Fortune 500 companies, professional sports franchises, music tours, and government operations, made Elevate Jet the natural partner for this exclusive acquisition.

The aircraft is slated to receive high-speed satellite wifi later this year, making the airliner among the most capable large-group, long-haul private transport solutions in the country. The 757-200 VIP Boeing Airliner is not available for general charter and reserved exclusively for use by Elevate Jet’s client.

While aircraft like the VIP Boeing 757-200 remain reserved for large format, high-capacity charter solutions arranged directly through the PJS division, Elevate Jet continues to innovate in the private aviation industry through its newlylaunched booking app, designed to simplify and modernize the charter experience. The app features an AI-powered pricing and booking assistant named Ruby. Rooted in Elevate Jet’s customer-obsessed ethos, the app is designed to pair technology with the samehigh-touch service the company is known for.

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Spirit Airlines shuts down all operations

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Spirit Airlines at 2 am (0200) EDT on May 2, 2026 made this announcement:

It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately.

To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available.

We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 34 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come.

Spirit Airlines route map, basically at the peak before it started cutting routes and grounding aircraft: