Boeing last month delivered 60 commercial aircraft, up from 45 in May 2025. That brought year-to-date deliveries to 250 on 31 May, compared with 220 in the same period last year, Boeing data shows. May 2026's deliveries included 52 narrowbodies (51 Max jets and one 737NG for a Boeing Defense, Space & Security programme), plus eight widebodies: six 787s, one 777 Freighter and one 767F. February had previously been the month with the highest deliveries so far this year: 51, comprising 43 Max jets, three Dreamliners, three 767s and two 777Fs. Across the January-May period, the US airframer increased single-aisle deliveries to 200 (198 Max jets and two 737NGs) from 167 a year earlier (164 Max jets and three 737NGs). But widebody deliveries slightly declined. Boeing this year delivered 50 widebodies by 31 May (27 787s, 12 777Fs and 11 767s), compared with 53 in 2025's equivalent period (28 Dreamliners, 16 777Fs and nine 767s). The US airframer last month received 27 gross orders, spanning a previously disclosed 10 787-9s for Lufthansa, three Max jets (one for TUI and two for unidentified customers), and 14 737NGs for an unnamed Boeing Defense, Space & Security customer. Sixteen Max jets were cancelled from Boeing's orderbook, while 11 orders were moved out of the ASC 606 accounting category, which is used to recognise that not all orders lead to deliveries. May's net orders came in at 22. The Max order cancellations comprise eight for South Korean carrier Jeju Air, six for Aviation Capital Group and one each for Spain-based Air Europa and lessor BOC Aviation. Boeing's year-to-date gross-order intake reached 324 aircraft by 31 May, which translated to 298 net orders after cancellations, conversions and ASC 606 adjustments. Last year, the airframer received 552 gross and 606 net orders during the January-May period.

S&P Global has lowered its issuer credit rating on JetBlue to 'CCC+' from 'B-' as it expects the US carrier's operating performance to be "significantly pressured" over at least the next 12 months amid the Middle East conflict and rise in jet fuel prices. The rating agency also lowered its issue-level rating on the carrier's loyalty debt, including the senior secured term loan and notes, by one notch to 'B', with no change to the '1' recovery rating. "Our downgrade reflects our expectation for materially weaker cash flow generation this year due to sharply higher jet fuel prices, further delaying recovery in credit measures. We now project a significantly wider free cash flow deficit of about $1 billion in 2026, nearly double our previous projection, with negative free cash flow continuing into 2027," S&P said on 8 June. It adds that prior to the conflict starting the airline "already had minimal downside cushion in its metrics, with our stable outlook dependent on the airline's substantial liquidity position and our previous expectation for free cash flow generation in 2027." S&P expects that JetBlue's liquidity will decline by around $2 billion and that it will issue around $500 million on incremental debt this year, including a $250 million accordion draw. It notes that while the carrier has "ample borrowing capacity" based on the "considerable size of its unencumbered asset base", an increasing debt service burden "exacerbates an already pressured cost structure". "We view further debt issuance as likely if fuel prices remain elevated or if JetBlue's ability to raise fares does not materialise as expected. In our view, the company's capital structure appears to be unsustainable in the long term based on its significant leverage (several years at double-digit levels), and it is now increasingly dependent on much stronger earnings and cash flow in 2027," S&P says. Amid a demand environment that remains strong, JetBlue recently updated its second-quarter guidance, reflecting better-than-expected unit revenue trends, citing positive demand trends across all cabins and geographies, S&P notes, adding that it is benefiting from Spirit Airlines' closure last month. That is driving a projected 10% growth in unit revenue during the second quarter, which will reduce to 8.5% over the second half of the year. However, despite that improved outlook, it believes that JetBlue's pricing power is limited, especially compared with the network carriers. This is "mainly due to mix of premium cabin, corporate travel, and international routes".

Lufthansa Group carrier ITA Airways will become part of its parent's joint venture with All Nippon Airways from the autumn of 2026. The enlarged co-operation will include ITA's daily flights to Tokyo Haneda from Rome Fiumicino, its domestic network and services to the Maghreb region, Lufthansa says. ITA currently flies to Algiers and Tunis and plans to start flights to Tripoli in September, its website indicates. Lufthansa notes that the partnership will complement ITA's existing joint venture with ANA for the Japanese carrier's flights between Haneda and Milan Malpensa. Customers of ANA, Lufthansa and its group siblings Austrian Airlines and Swiss will be able to book ITA's service on the Rome-Tokyo route and combine it with the other carriers' flights. A joint offer will roll out sequentially from autumn 2026 onward, Lufthansa says. The airlines have signed an agreement about the joint venture's enlargement at IATA's AGM in Rio de Janeiro. ANA and Lufthansa's joint venture was established in 2012. Austrian and Swiss subsequently joined the partnership. Lufthansa intends to grow its shareholding in ITA Airways to 90%, from 41% previously owned. The German airline expects the transaction to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.