airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday, with a commitment for €350 million in debtor-in-possession financing pending court approval. The Riga-based carrier reported €472 million in borrowings in Q1 earnings at the end of March, alongside nearly €900 million in lease liabilities.

The airline says operations — flights, refunds and all — will continue as normal for the foreseeable future. The Latvian government holds 88.4% of voting rights; Lufthansa holds most of the remainder. airBaltic expects its reorganization to wrap up next summer, provided the court grants access to the DIP financing. Ryanair, which unveiled a €16 billion Baltic investment plan this week, is watching closely.

What is Delta building at LAX?

Delta announced its largest LAX schedule in company history: more than 200 departures to almost 70 destinations next summer. The expansion includes a daily A321neo service to Philadelphia starting June 7, new flights to Monterey announced earlier in the week, and previously announced routes to Manila and Vancouver.

The carrier will add frequencies on seven destinations: Boston, Cincinnati, Houston Intercontinental, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, San Diego and Seattle. San Diego alone gets five daily flights.

Delta also picked LAX for its second Delta One lounge — a 75-seat facility in Terminal 2, sparing top-tier passengers the trek to T3. Even with the most flights of any carrier at the airport, Delta still trails United on transpacific capacity.

Why are Breeze pilots requesting federal mediation?

ALPA filed a request for a federally appointed mediator after four years of stalled contract talks with Breeze Airways. The airline acknowledged the filing but disputed the characterization of negotiations.

Breeze pilots joined ALPA in 2022 and began collective bargaining work in early 2023. ALPA sued the carrier in January, alleging it was obstructing negotiations. According to the union, only two contract sections have reached any consensus stage since January 2025.

Under the Railway Labor Act, mediation continues until the government determines a voluntary agreement is unlikely. A 30-day cooling-off period must then expire before either side can take self-help action — including a strike.

What does Lufthansa's MAX 10 order signal?

Lufthansa exercised options from a 2023 737-8 order to purchase 20 Boeing 737-10s at a rack rate of roughly $3.4 billion. Deliveries are not expected to begin until the next decade — a notably vague timeline.

The group says the MAX 10 will burn 30% less fuel and cut unit costs by 20%, claims that remain to be tested against actual delivery and operating records. For Lufthansa, the order also diversifies a narrowbody fleet stretched thin by both manufacturers' delivery shortfalls: Airbus cannot produce enough aircraft, and neither can Boeing.

American and Condor: interline only, for now

American Airlines and Condor announced an interline partnership — the lowest rung of airline cooperation. American notes it flies to more than 150 cities from Condor's U.S. gateways: Boston, JFK, LAX and, soon, Chicago O'Hare.

Condor, an alliance-free leisure carrier that competes with Lufthansa, lost its LH feeder agreement a year ago. The German carrier already partners with oneworld member Alaska, and closer ties with American fuel speculation about an eventual oneworld entry — though nothing beyond interline is on the table today.

In brief

• Korean Air confirmed a 103-aircraft Boeing order led by the 737 MAX and 777X.
• Qatar Airways plans to add 138 jets over the next five years, according to its CEO.
• TAP received a share-swap proposal from Air France-KLM offering a Lisbon exchange option.
• Harbour Air is acquiring Pacific Coastal Airlines.
• BermudAir becomes the second operator of the Embraer E190 freighter.
• Cape Air will fly Cessna Grand Caravan EXs on its Montana operation beginning next year.
• La Compagnie is eyeing a doubling of its fleet by 2028.
• Air Astana resumes Dubai services in October.
• Smartwings: the Czech government conditionally approved Pegasus Airlines' takeover.
• Etihad unveiled new A330 cabins with first-class suites.

With airBaltic's reorganization timeline running through next summer and Breeze's pilot talks heading into federal mediation, labor and balance-sheet pressures will shape both carriers' trajectories into 2027.