It was a busy week in commercial aviation, and the latest episode of the Simple Flying podcast rounds up the stories that matter, hosted by Senior Aviation Editor Channing Reid.
The strangest tale of the bunch: a Delta Air Lines passenger managed to breach airport security and make off with an airport tug. It is exactly the kind of story that raises obvious questions about how secure airside areas really are — and how a ticketed traveller got far enough to commandeer ground equipment in the first place.
On the route front, Air France has locked in new long-haul services to the United States for summer 2027, expanding its transatlantic footprint well beyond the usual gateways. Good news for anyone planning a US trip with a French stopover two summers out.
American Airlines has been busy on two fronts: the carrier announced a set of network changes aimed squarely at shoring up profitability, and separately had to divert a flight after its lavatories failed mid-flight — a genuine emergency rather than a mere inconvenience, since a full long-haul aircraft without working toilets cannot legally continue.
Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, confirmed a new partnership with Breeze Airways, the low-cost carrier founded by JetBlue's David Neeleman. For passengers, the interesting part is what these interline-style tie-ups usually bring: smoother connections, single-itinerary bookings and checked bags that follow you across two airlines that otherwise don't cooperate.
Episode 306 of the Simple Flying Podcast is out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Podchaser, Overcast and Google Podcasts, and the team invites feedback and questions for future episodes via email or the comments.
