FLEET - Wizz Air (Hungary) had 27 aircraft grounded due to GTF engine-related inspections as of 30 June 2026, reducing to zero by the end of calendar year 2027

The carrier ended the period with a total fleet of 270 aircraft, having took delivery of eight new A321neo and two new A321XLRs, while redelivering two A320.

Photo: Flyingphotos

Jin Air to take A321ceo in late 3Q26 - report

Jin Air (LJ, Jeju) is scheduled to take delivery of one A321-200 transferred from Asiana Airlines on September 10, 2026, South Korean news outlet iNews24 reported. The aircraft would become the low-cost carrier's first Airbus jet.

The unidentified A321-200 is due to be withdrawn from Asiana's operations on September 1, before undergoing repainting to Jin Air's livery at Changzhou. Following the handover, Jin Air will conduct airworthiness inspections, amend its air operator's certificate, and perform test flights before placing the aircraft into revenue service.

The A321-200 was originally due for Air Busan (BX, Busan), but was reportedly reassigned to Jin Air under the fleet plan for the group's future integrated low-cost carrier. The publication reported that Jin Air plans to take four factory-new A321neo series aircraft between September and December 2026.

According to ch-aviation data, Asiana has eleven A321-200s, one of which, HL8278 (msn 5500), has been ferried to and stored at Seoul Incheon since July 24. Overall, Jin Air operates an all-Boeing fleet of 33 aircraft, comprising seven B737-8s, nineteen B737-800s, three B737-900s, and four B777-200ERs.

Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) plans to combine Jin Air with Air Busan and Air Seoul (RS, Seoul Incheon) under the Jin Air brand as part of its integration with Asiana. As previously reported by ch-aviation, the group continues to target the first quarter of 2027 for the LCC consolidation.

CH Aviation

RETRO LIVERY - American Airlines / A321-200 / N582UW -

 Duncan Stewart

FLEET - Arkia to add two A321-200s on lease

Arkia Israeli Airlines (IZ, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) has signed a dry-lease agreement with AerCap to add two A321-200s, its first units of the type.

Deliveries are expected in 2027. The aircraft will join the Israeli carrier's in-house fleet comprising three A320-200s, two A321-200NX(LR)s, and two E195s.

Arkia has been heavily relying on wet leases to boots its peak capacity, and currently, among other aircraft, already sources an A321-200 from Electra Airways.
CH Aviation

FLEET - Jin Air (South Korea) is introducing five A321 aircraft to its fleet in 2H 2026 as the carrier is slowing shifting to Airbus aircraft ahead of its merger with Air Busan and Air Seoul

The B737-800s will remain in the fleet for the time being.
Aviator

ROUTES - JetBlue axed several routes for summer 2026, including Newark to Aruba, Cancun, Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, as well as Orlando to San Jose, CR, and Providence to San Juan.

Photo: Duncan Stewart
 

FLIGHTS CANCELLED - Spirit Airlines suspends operations

Spirit Airlines (NK, Fort Lauderdale International) suspended operations as of 0300 Eastern Time (0700Z) on May 2, 2026, according to a memo sent to Spirit's flight attendants by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, seen by ch-aviation. The suspension of all flight operations has been confirmed by a statement from the airline.

Spirit Aviation Holdings said in its statement, dated May 2, that it "regretfully announced that the company has started an orderly wind-down of operations, effective immediately. All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and Spirit guests should not go to the airport."

The wind-down follows "the company's extensive and comprehensive efforts to restructure the business and pursue transactions to strengthen Spirit's financial position and create a sustainable path forward. Unfortunately, despite the company's efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit's financial outlook."

With no additional funding available, it added, it had no choice but to begin the wind-down process.

The United States government was reportedly close to disbursing up to USD500 million in the ailing carrier, which was under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This could have saved it from collapse. However, it was reported at the end of April that these talks had hit an impasse.

"For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines has played a pioneering role in making travel more accessible and bringing people together while driving affordability across the industry," Dave Davis, Spirit's president and chief executive, said in the statement.

"In March 2026, we reached an agreement with our bondholders on a restructuring plan that would have allowed us to emerge as a go-forward business. However, the sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the company."

He added: "Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure. This is tremendously disappointing and not the outcome any of us wanted."

He thanked the US administration for their "extraordinary efforts to try to preserve jobs and service across the country," along with the US Department of Transportation for "their assistance to minimise the disruption to our guests in the days and weeks ahead."

Spirit Airlines said compensation for flights would be determined at a later date through a court-led bankruptcy process. It said it was unfortunately unable to reimburse affected passengers for costs such as replacement flights or emergency hotel stays. Its customer service is no longer available.

Flights cancelled
Two out of three red-eye flights scheduled to leave Las Vegas Harry Reid and four flights scheduled to leave from Los Angeles International before midnight Pacific Time have been cancelled, according to the Las Vegas and Los Angeles airport websites.

Flight NK615 from Las Vegas to Detroit Metropolitan shows as being delayed. Another flight from Guayaquil to Fort Lauderdale had not taken off as scheduled at 2359L (0459Z) in Ecuador. One out of two flights scheduled to leave San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin in the middle of the night has been cancelled.

The memo seen by ch-aviation stating that Spirit would permanently cease operations at 0300 Eastern Time on May 2, 2026, acknowledged the difficulty of the news and assured employees of union support and ongoing communication.

It explained that all flight attendants would be assisted in returning home and would receive updates regarding logistics, pay, and next steps, while management and the union worked to address questions and provide support. It also emphasised solidarity, appreciation for employees, and efforts to coordinate with other airlines to help affected staff.

According to ch-aviation data, Spirit Airlines operates a trimmed-down fleet of fifty-seven A320-200s, thirty-five A320-200Ns, twenty-nine A321-200, and twenty-seven A321-200NX aircraft. Ninety-one of these are leased, the rest owned.

 CH Aviation  - Photos: Duncan Stewart

FLEET - Electra Airways to add three aircraft by YE26

Electra Airways (3E, Sofia) has revealed plans to add three unspecified aircraft in 2026, which would take the ACMI/charter specialist’s fleet total to 15. Speaking at a press conference in Sofia, CEO Stefan Trifonov elaborated that the carrier’s strategy remains focused on the use of "mid-life aircraft, about 15 years old". 

According to ch-aviation fleets data, Electra Airways currently operates eleven A320-200s (five owned, six leased) and one leased A321-100.
CH Aviation

ROUTES - BeOnd (United Arab Emirates) plans to launch two new routes.

BeOnd (United Arab Emirates) plans to launch the Malé – Dubai Al Maktoum – Moscow Sheremetyevo route starting in December 2026, using A321 aircraft.

It also plans to launch a new service to London and Paris departing from Malé via Dubai Al Maktoum in mid-December 2026, also using A321 aircraft.

 

FLEET - US’s Spirit Airlines seeks approval to sell 20 aircraft

Spirit Aviation Holdings, parent entity of Spirit Airlines (NK, Fort Lauderdale International), is seeking authorisation from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy court to sell thirteen owned A320-200s and seven owned A321-200s via bidding as part of its ongoing financial restructuring. It seeks to raise at least USD533 million from the sale.

It has scheduled an auction to take place on April 20, 2026, with the deadline to participate in the bidding on April 1. At this time, the 'stalking horse' buyer is CSDS Asset Management LLC, which can be outbid if larger offers are presented.

The company is contemplating the sale of all aircraft to a single buyer, as this is “critical to maximising value for the debtors estates,” chief financial officer Fred Cromer said in a statement before the court.

The ultra-low-cost carrier owns forty-eight Airbus aircraft. As part of its revised business plan, it has been actively marketing twenty of these as part of “efforts to optimise the fleet and monetise certain assets” to improve its financial position. Removing them from the fleet will reduce related labour, maintenance, storage, flying, and other associated costs.

Spirit embarked on its latest Chapter 11 process with a fleet of over 200 aircraft. At this time, the company expects to emerge with a fleet of 94 Airbus narrowbodies, 28 owned and 66 leased, it said in a filing.

All aircraft to be bid were previously included in a now-failed sale to GA Telesis, Spirit explained. At the time, in October 2024, Spirit sought to sell twenty-three A320 and A321 aircraft to GA Telesis for USD519 million, as part of the company’s first Chapter 11 bankruptcy procedure. The sale was eventually cancelled, with only three aircraft removed from Spirit’s fleet, A320-200s N632NK (msn 6331) and N695NK (msn 8696), and A321-200 N657NK (msn 6672).

According to the terms and conditions between Spirit and CSDS Asset Management, all aircraft will be delivered in “as is, where is” and “with all faults” conditions.

Spirit will sell the following aircraft, along their V2500 engines: N694NK (msn 8632), N638NK (msn 6463), N639NK (msn 6487), N650NK (msn 7724), N649NK (msn 7679), N647NK (msn 7635), N658NK (msn 6736), N696NK (msn 8824), N693NK (msn 8659), N692NK (msn 8611), N682NK (msn 7957), N681NK (msn 7908), N678NK (msn 7857), N675NK (msn 7668), N674NK (msn 7462), N640NK (msn 6507), N642NK (msn 6586), N691NK (msn 8614), N673NK (msn 3795), and N641NK (msn 6566). All A320-200s are priced at USD26.5 million and all A321-200s are priced at USD27 million.

The aircraft will be delivered to the buyer in five separate lots, with the first four arriving 45 days after the entry of the sale approval order, Spirit said. The fifth group, comprising two aircraft, will be delivered 150 days after the order.

CH-Aviation / Photo: Duncan Stewart

ROUTES - NovoAir (Bangladesh) looks to finalize deals for A320 or A321 jets soon, ahead of a planned mid-2026 launch of flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, and Muscat.

Aviator / NovoAir
 

NEW AIRLINE - Sun PhuQuoc Airways' takes off from 1 November 2025.

 

The airline has already taken delivery of its first three aircraft, including Airbus A321NX and A321CEO models, out of a total of eight aircraft planned for operation in 2025.

The fleet will be further expanded to 25 aircraft by the end of 2026, and around 30 to 35 aircraft by 2027.

Initial routes will connect Phu Quoc with Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang, as well as the key domestic route, Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang. From December 2025, the airline will launch new routes connecting Hanoi - Da Nang and Cam Ranh–Phu Quoc.

Expanding Phu Quoc’s reach

Photo Credit: Sun Group / Travel Weekly Asia 

FLEET - Finnair to return all A321 aircraft to service by the end of the month

Finnair is replacing approximately 1,700 seat covers in eight A321 aircraft, and six of the planes will be back in service within a week. All eight aircraft are expected to be back in operation by the end of the month. Finnair temporarily suspended operations of these aircraft on Monday, 13 October, after having been informed by the manufacturer of the original seat covers that the impact of washing on the fire protection of the seat covers had not been verified in the required manner.

The affected seat covers were manufactured by a long-standing Finnair partner, based on specifications provided by the original seat manufacturer. The covers have been washed in accordance with the information received from the original seat manufacturer. Seats are typically washed every two years. Washing is a standard cleaning method for aircraft seats and is used across the rest of Finnair’s fleet.

As a result of the situation, Finnair has had to cancel approximately 70 flights since 13 October, affecting the travel plans of around 11,000 customers.

“We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption this has caused to our customers. The safe operation of our flights is the foundation of everything we do. Once we received information that the impact of washing on the fire protection of the seat covers had not been verified in the required manner, it was clear that the aircraft had to remain on the ground until the issue was resolved,” says Pekka Korhonen, SVP Technical Operations at Finnair.

New seat covers are now being installed to allow the aircraft to return to service. The first aircraft has already resumed operations, and Finnair expects all eight to be back in service by the end of October. The new covers are being sourced from multiple suppliers.

To support its customers' travel plans, Finnair has leased two aircraft with crew to operate part of its network. However, some individual flight cancellations may still occur until the full A321 fleet is back in use. Customers may also experience overbookings or changes in the operating airline. Finnair will contact affected customers directly if there are any changes to their flights.

Finnair / Photo: Flyingphotos

 

ROUTES - VUELING NW25 BARCELONA FREQUENCY CHANGES – 03AUG25

Vueling in recent weeks filed changes to its Northern winter 2025/26 season, which sees selected frequency changes to its Barcelona base. Between 26OCT25 and 28MAR26, the airline schedules 26375 flights (one-way departure from Barcelona) as of 03AUG25, compared to 27154 flights as of 15JUN25. This results in 2.9% flight reductions.

When comparing to the period of 01NOV – 15MAR, in 2024/25 Vueling operated 22741 flights (one-way departure from Barcelona), while planned 2025/26 currently lists 23041 flights, approximately 1.3% flight increase.

Frequency changes for the entire season (26OCT25 – 28MAR26) on selected routes include the following, based on comparison 15JUN25 vs 03AUG25.

Barcelona – A Coruña Reduce from 352 to 348 flights
Barcelona – Alicante Reduce from 890 to 866 flights
Barcelona – Amsterdam Reduce from 968 to 878 flights
Barcelona – Asturias Reduce from 394 to 346 flights
Barcelona – Athens Reduce from 264 to 245 flights
Barcelona – Basel/Mulhouse Reduce from 110 to 102 flights
Barcelona – Berlin Reduce from 418 to 373 flights
Barcelona – Bilbao Reduce from 983 to 935 flights
Barcelona – Bologna Reduce from 220 to 202 flights
Barcelona – Bordeaux Reduce from 308 to 261 flights
Barcelona – Brussels Reduce from 572 to 540 flights
Barcelona – Catania Reduce from 110 to 106 flights
Barcelona – Copenhagen Reduce from 242 to 206 flights
Barcelona – Dublin Reduce from 154 to 134 flights
Barcelona – Dusseldorf Reduce from 264 to 246 flights
Barcelona – Florence Reduce from 462 to 440 flights
Barcelona – Geneva Reduce from 264 to 221 flights
Barcelona – Gran Canaria/Las Palmas Reduce from 719 to 677 flights
Barcelona – Granada Reduce from 627 to 615 flights
Barcelona – Hamburg Reduce from 264 to 234 flights
Barcelona – Ibiza Increase from 946 to 1035 flights
Barcelona – Istanbul Increase from 154 to 172 flights
Barcelona – Jerez de la Frontera Reduce from 132 to 126 flights
Barcelona – Lanzarote Reduce from 308 to 298 flights
Barcelona – London Gatwick Reduce from 1144 to 1049 flights
Barcelona – Lyon Reduce from 264 to 248 flights
Barcelona – Mahon Reduce from 924 to 777 flights
Barcelona – Malaga Reduce from 1000 to 913 flights
Barcelona – Malta Reduce from 88 to 85 flights
Barcelona – Manchester Increase from 154 to 198 flights
Barcelona – Nantes Reduce from 352 to 328 flights
Barcelona – Naples Reduce from 308 to 292 flights
Barcelona – Nice Reduce from 308 to 289 flights
Barcelona – Palermo Reduce from 132 to 102 flights
Barcelona – Palma de Mallorca Reduce from 1738 to 1540 flights
Barcelona – Paris Charles de Gaulle Reduce from 560 to 532 flights
Barcelona – Porto Reduce from 418 to 410 seats
Barcelona – Prague Reduce from 308 to 292 flights
Barcelona – Rome Fiumicino Reduce from 890 to 820 flights
Barcelona – Santiago de Compostela Reduce from 517 to 391 flights
Barcelona – Seville Reduce from 1078 to 1064 flights
Barcelona – Stockholm Arlanda Reduce from 66 to 62 flights
Barcelona – Stuttgart Reduce from 264 to 255 flights
Barcelona – Tangier Reduce from 154 to 137 flights
Barcelona – Tenerife Norte Reduce from 770 to 711 flights
Barcelona – Turin Increase from 88 to 110 flights
Barcelona – Vienna Reduce from 98 to 80 flights
Barcelona – Vigo Reduce from 220 to 215 flights
Barcelona – Zurich Reduce from 330 to 326 flights

Flyingphotos

SPECIAL COLOURS - Juneyao Airlines / A321-200 / B-9957 - Shanghai LEGOland Livery

Photo: Jay Lee
 

SPECIAL LIVERY - HK Express Partners with Asia’s First CR7® LIFE Museum Hong Kong as Exclusive Official Asia Airline Partner / Exposição em Hong Kong acerca da carreira de Cristiano Ronaldo

Debuts ”HK Express x CR7® LIFE Museum Hong Kong” Themed Aircraft Livery

Promoting the special exhibition held in Hong Kong that features the career of a football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo
https://www.k11musea.com

https://museucr7.com

Articles

https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/news/cristiano-ronaldo-will-visit-hong-kong-for-the-opening-of-his-cr7-life-museum-062725

Golden Boots

Four times Europe’s best scorer, and the golden boots are here for posterity.

Botas de Ouro

Quatro vezes o melhor marcador da Europa, e as botas de ouro estão cá para a posteridade.

Ballon d’Or
Five times Best Player of the World, and the best portuguese player of all time.

Ballon d’Or

Cinco vezes Melhor Jogador do Mundo, e o melhor jogador português de todos os tempos.

Troféus de Clubes

Club Trophies

You can see every club trophy Cristiano has won, including the five UEFA Champions League cups.

Troféus de Clubes

Pode ver todos os troféus ganhos pelo Cristiano nos clubes por onde passou, incluíndo as cinco UEFA Champions League.

Osaka - Kansai International (KIX / RJBB), Japan
A321-200 / B-LEE

Photo: Akira Uekawa

Photos: HK Express

FRONTIER / A321-200 / N713FR - Mitch the Wolverine Livery

 Duncan Stewart

FLEET / ROUTES - Asman Airlines eyes A320/1s for European routes

Asman Airlines (KGN, Bishkek) is looking to lease two A320 Family aircraft - either A320-200s or A321-200s - in 2025 for a launch of routes to Europe, although this expansion is contingent on Kyrgyzstan being removed from the EU Air Safety List, according to a statement from the office of the country's president, Sadyr Japarov.

Following a meeting with the president of Airbus Europe, Johan Pelissier, Japarov expressed hope that Asman Airlines would be allowed to fly to Europe already in 2025.


He underlined the strides the country has made to increase the regulatory oversight of airlines operating in Kyrgyzstan and modernise the country's infrastructure.
Once the EU ban is lifted, Asman will consider Berlin, London, and Paris as its initial European destinations.

Japarov added that if the first phase of narrowbody operations is successful, Asman Airlines will lease more Airbus aircraft of undisclosed types.

Asman Airlines currently operates two DHC-8-Q400s with plans to take two more in 2025.
It previously touted the possibility of adding narrowbody jets to support international growth but did not disclose any details.

Manas International Airport (operator of Bishkek and other Kyrgyz airports) wholly owns Asman Airlines.
The state holds an 87.51% stake in Manas International Airport OJSC, with the remaining shares listed on the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange, making the nascent airline a de facto flag carrier for the Central Asian country.

As a part of the regulatory clean-up, Kyrgyzstan recently suspended the certification of new airlines.

 CH Aviation

FLEET - BeOnd takes first A321

BeOnd (B4, Malé) has taken delivery of its first A321-200 to support its network expansion and increase its operational readiness.

8Q-FBB (msn 1711) was ferried from Hyderabad International to Malé on September 3, 2024, and operated via Kuwait to Oslo Gardermoen the next day. The 22.5-year-old aircraft formerly operated by Fly2Sky underwent total cabin refurbishment and is currently configured for up to 68 passengers in an all-business class layout with lie-flat seats only. The aircraft is on lease from Aerovista.

The aircraft joined BeOnd's hitherto only aircraft, A319-100 8Q-FBA (msn 2119), which seats up to 44 passengers.

The scheduled premium leisure carrier currently connects Malé with Riyadh, Dubai World Central, Zurich, and Milan Malpensa. The two European destinations are served via Dubai. BeOnd recently secured fifth-freedom rights to sell tickets for the Zurich-Dubai leg only. It said that the A321 will be used to expand its network to Europe, Dubai, and Bangkok.

CH Aviation / Beond

 

SPECIAL SCHEME - LATAM Airlines: A321 in honor of Chilean athletes who will compete in Paris 2024

LATAM Airlines Chile presented the aircraft that will operate within Latin America, displaying ten Chilean athletes who will participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic/Paralympic Games.
The ceremony took place at the Arturo Merino Benìtez Airport in Santiago, Chile (SCL/SCEL).

The plane is an A321-211 (CC-BED)

The 10 athletes are Francisca Crovetto (target shooter), Antonia Abraham (rower), Arantxa Inostroza (fencing), Tomás Barrios (tennis) and Diego Moya (triathlete) from Team Chile. The members of Team ParaChile are Camila Campos (powerlifting), Joseline Yévenes (table tennis), Jaime Aránguiz (para-badminton), Hernán Moya (para-cycling) and Constanza Fuentes (para-taekwondo).
Photos: LATAM Airlines.