Delta's dominance, Spirit's bankruptcy, and Boeing's layoffs: Airlines news roundup

Graphic: Images: Ed Jones/AFP, Phelan M. Ebenhack, J. David Ake, David Ryder
Graphic: Images: Ed Jones/AFP, Phelan M. Ebenhack, J. David Ake, David Ryder

The CEO of Airbus got a little chippy talking about orbital rival SpaceX. The first Boeing layoff notices have officially begun trickling out. Spirit Airlines has officially been delisted by the New York Stock Exchange post-bankruptcy declaration. Plus: The most popular airline routes in America.

Take a moment to catch up on what’s been happening in the world of airlines and aviation.

Airbus CEO says SpaceX is successful because it’s a selfish American company

An Airbus building - Photo: Ed Jones/AFP (Getty Images)
An Airbus building - Photo: Ed Jones/AFP (Getty Images)

The CEO of France’s Airbus (AIR) is both impressed and envious of the success at its American rival SpaceX. Company head Guillaume Faury told attendees at a German aviation event that SpaceX would never have been able to achieve all it has if it were a European company, Reuters reports.

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An American Airlines flight narrowly missed a mountain

The American Airlines logo - Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack (AP)
The American Airlines logo - Photo: Phelan M. Ebenhack (AP)

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a close call involving an American Airlines (AAL) flight. The plane came scarily close to hitting a mountain while it was flying out from the largest airport in Hawaii.

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The 10 most popular airline routes in America

A plane taking off from a runway - Photo: J. David Ake (Getty Images)
A plane taking off from a runway - Photo: J. David Ake (Getty Images)

Every day, the equivalent of a decent-sized American town travels one way along the country’s most popular routes.

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Boeing layoffs will hit just before Christmas

A Boeing building - Photo: David Ryder (Getty Images)
A Boeing building - Photo: David Ryder (Getty Images)

As Boeing (BA) makes good on its promise to trim its workforce by 10%, the reality of those job cuts continues to become clearer. A layoff notice issued in Washington state shows that 2,000 workers in the area alone will be losing their jobs — with those cuts being made effective the week before Christmas.

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2 airlines that could get a big boost from the Spirit bankruptcy, according to Deutsche Bank

A Spirit Airlines plane - Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)
A Spirit Airlines plane - Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)

As the bankruptcy of Spirit Airlines winds its way through the courts, the rest of the industry is likely trying to figure out how the development will affect its own operations. Deutsche Bank (DB) says that two Spirit-familiar names, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and Frontier Airlines (ULCC), could stand to benefit more than other players in the field.

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Allegiant Air is adding dozens of cheap new routes as Spirit goes bankrupt. Here’s where they are

An Allegiant Air plane - Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images (Getty Images)
An Allegiant Air plane - Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images (Getty Images)

One of the smaller U.S. airlines just announced a major expansion.

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Delta Air Lines is beefing up its in-flight menu with Shake Shack burgers

A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency (Getty Images)
A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency (Getty Images)

Delta Air Lines (DAL) is about to start serving a tasty new item on its first-class menu. The company announced Tuesday that premium flyers will soon be able to chow down on Shake Shack burgers mid-air.

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Delta Air Lines says slow and steady wins the race

A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)
A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)

Delta Air Lines (DAL) wants Wall Street to know it’s playing the long game. At its annual investor day on Wednesday in New York, the carrier outlined a conservative growth strategy focused on premium travelers and debt reduction rather than rapid expansion.

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Delta Air Lines wants to add even more different seating classes for flights

A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)
A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)

At its investor day Wednesday, Delta Air Lines (DAL) plotted a slow and steady course toward a cautiously optimistic 2025. But one proposal that caught analysts’ eyes was a move to break up its flight classes even further from the half-dozen options that passengers already have to choose from.

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Spirit Airlines is officially a penny stock

A Spirit Airlines plane - Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)
A Spirit Airlines plane - Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)

Spirit Airlines (SAVEQ) is enduring another inevitable embarrassment of its recent bankruptcy declaration: Its stock has been delisted by the New York Stock Exchange. Shares, which are practically at zero, will now trade in the “pink sheet” market outside of the major venues.

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The CEO of Spirit Airlines got a $3.8 million bonus not to bail

Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie - Photo: Carl Juste/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service (Getty Images)
Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie - Photo: Carl Juste/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service (Getty Images)

Spirit Airlines hopes to emerge from its just-filed bankruptcy by the spring of 2025, but it needs people to run the company until then. That’s part of why CEO Ted Christie got a $3.8 million bonus just under a week before the carrier filed for insolvency.

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