Spirit Airlines chief executive Ted Christie has stepped down from his role, less than a month after the US carrier emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. "The board of directors is in the process of appointing a permanent replacement," Spirit states. The Florida-based carrier has established an "office of the president" to carry out Christie’s duties until a permanent chief executive is hired. This will see his responsibilities split between the airline's chief operating officer John Bendoraitis, its chief financial officer Fred Cromer and Thomas Canfield, who serves as Spirit's general counsel and secretary. The airline says that it has entered into a "separation and release" agreement with Christie, under which he will receive severance payments in accordance with a 2017 executive severance plan. These payments are contingent upon "Mr Christie's agreement to a standard release of claims and continued compliance with applicable restrictive covenants". Christie joined Spirit in 2012 and has been chief executive since 2019. He has held previous positions at Pinnacle Airlines and Frontier Airlines. The carrier's chief commercial officer, Matthew Klein, has also stepped down from his role with immediate effect. He has been replaced by senior vice-president and chief transformation officer Rana Ghosh. Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2024. On 11 February 2025, Spirit reiterated its intention not to merge with Frontier Airlines after the latest proposal and counter-proposal exchanged between the US carriers failed to culminate in an agreement. Spirit's plan of reorganisation under Chapter 11 bankruptcy from the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York was confirmed by the court on 12 February. The plan was made effective on 12 March, the day that Spirit emerged from Chapter 11 with a reconstituted board of directors.

Fitch has hiked British Airways' (BA) credit rating to 'BBB' from 'BBB-', citing the airline's consistently strong operational results and improved financial metrics. It maintains a stable outlook for the carrier. A 'BBB' rating denotes a "good" credit profile with a low risk of default, according to the agency's definitions. It is above speculative grade but below a "high quality" rating of 'A', with an even lower default risk. The upgrade reflects a significant improvement in BA's standalone credit profile, driven by robust financial performance in its latest annual results published on 28 February. Notably, strong earnings at the Oneworld carrier has enabled it to pay down debt, a factor behind a recent decision by S&P to also raise the company's credit profile. Fitch highlights that BA's EBITDAR leverage improved to 2.6x in 2024, and forecasts it will further decline to around 2x by 2027, supported by capacity expansion, resilient margins, and debt reduction. The agency notes that several key other factors that have contributed to the upgrade, including improved profitability and BA's transformation initiatives which have resulted in cost reductions, with margins having significantly increased in 2024. The airline's resilient yields, particularly on transatlantic routes, and ongoing cost-efficiency efforts have also played a crucial role. Fitch expects BA to invest approximately £6 billion over the next three years in fleet renewal and digital enhancements, largely funded by its own cash flow. Furthermore, BA's financial flexibility is improving, with growth in EBITDA leading to higher cash flow from operations. The airline has also resumed dividend distributions, reflecting its strong financial position. Meanwhile, BA benefits from the stronger consolidated credit profile of its parent IAG. The ratings agency considers BA's strategic importance to the group to be high, given its strong business profile and significant contribution to the group. Fitch's analysis also compared BA's business profile favourably to other major airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, and Air France-KLM, emphasizing BA's diversified route network and strong hub position at Heathrow. BA's stable outlook reflects Fitch's expectation of continued profitable growth and moderate leverage for BA, although it cautions that downside risks could arise from economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

Air Botswana is seeking bids for an ATR 42-500, having previously offered the turboprop for sale in 2022. The African carrier identifies the aircraft as MSN 507 and says it is selling it and associated inventory on an "as is, where is basis". Fleets data records the 1996-vintage turboprop as being retired. It was first owned and operated by Continental Airlines before being leased to Air Botswana by ATR in 2000 and then sold to the African carrier in 2003. Sealed bids for purchase need to be submitted by 25 April.