Indian low-cost carrier Go First has blamed Pratt & Whitney's failure to supply additional engines for its Airbus A320neo fleet as the reason for it suspending operations and filing for voluntary insolvency resolution on 2 May. In a statement, the carrier says that it has had to make the filing "due to the ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by Pratt & Whitney's International Aero Engines, LLC, which has resulted in Go First having to ground 25 aircraft… as of 1 May." A notice on the airline's website shows that it has cancelled flights scheduled for 3-5 May for "operational reasons" but gave no indication of if it plans to restart operations, nor how the filing with India's National Company Law Tribunal may affect its future schedule. Pratt & Whitney PW1127G engines power the 50 A320neos in Go First's fleet, Cirium fleets data shows, and at the time it suspended operations there were 24 in service and 26 in storage. It also operated five CFM International CFM56-5B-powered A320ceos, which were all in service. Go First holds orders for a further 88 A320neos. The airline has been in a long dispute with Pratt over the availability of spare PW1127G engines that culminated in a binding arbitration in Singapore during March, under which the manufacturer was ordered to provided 10 spare leased engines to the airline. Subsequent to that, Go First filed a lawsuit against Pratt on 28 April in the Delaware District Court, seeking to enforce the arbitration award, warning that it will "suffer irreparable harm and be forced to declare bankruptcy" if it is not provided with additional spare engines. The documents also show that the carrier required a minimum of 103 engines for normal operations but only around 56 were serviceable, which had "led to a profound decline in operating revenue per aircraft per month (declining from $2.08 million in FY15 to $1.22 million in FY 23)." It adds that its EBITDA margin had dropped from 6% in the 2015 fiscal year to -30%, as it has been forced to bear its fixed costs and aircraft lease rentals. Soon after the carrier posted its notice of flight suspensions on 2 May, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued the carrier a 'Show Cause Notice' for failing to report the flight cancellations, warning that it may take action against the airline. The airline has 24 hours to provide a response or face potential regulatory action. Fleets data shows that SMBC Aviation Capital and CDB Aviation have the largest exposure to the carrier, with each leasing 10 aircraft to Go First. Other significant lessors include Jackson Square Aviation (eight aircraft), ICBC Leasing (six) and Minsheng Financial Leasing (five). In April some Indian media outlets reported that Go First's owner, Wadia Group, was exploring strategic options for the carrier including a potential sale to a third party.

The EU General Court has annulled a pandemic-era decision by the European Commission to approve billions of euros in state aid to Lufthansa and SAS, following legal challenges bought by Ryanair and Condor. Lufthansa was provided with €6 billion ($6.6 billion) in state assistance as it was roiled by the Covid-19 pandemic in mid-2020, action through which the German state briefly took a roughly 20% stake in the company. In approving Germany's aid to Lufthansa, the Commission committed "several errors", the court has ruled, citing a failure to ensure the airline was unable to secure financing from the markets, a failure to require that Germany's shareholding be paid back as soon as possible, denial that Lufthansa had market power at some airports, and acceptance of some actions by the airline that did not ensure strong competition. "In the light of all of the foregoing, the General Court finds that the contested decision, as corrected, is vitiated by several errors and irregularities and, in consequence, it annuls that decision," it states. Lufthansa says it will analyse the ruling before deciding on its next steps, and notes that the financial support measures were "already terminated before today's ruling". It adds that the German government made around €1 billion in proceeds from the sale of its stake. The company can appeal the decision to the European Court of Justice. The General Court has also found that the decision regarding SAS failed to properly incentivise the airline to fully release itself from state ownership or examine alternatives to equity investments, following a challenge brought solely by Ryanair. SAS was provided with around €1 billion by the governments of Denmark and Sweden. It is unclear what the implications are for the group, especially given that it is currently under bankruptcy protection in the USA. SAS has been approached for comment. Ryanair has welcomed the decision, saying that the German, Swedish and Danish governments "rushed through" a "discriminatory subsidy scheme". It adds: "Today's judgments confirm that the Commission must act as a guardian of the level playing field in air transport and cannot sign off discriminatory state aid under political pressure by national governments. The Court's intervention is a triumph for fair competition and consumers across the EU." Stating its belief that European governments provided €40 billion in aid to carriers through the pandemic, Ryanair asserts: "This state-aid spree will distort the market for decades to come. Europe's emergence from the Covid-19 crisis with a functioning single market depends on airlines being allowed to compete on a level playing field."

Ryanair Group has placed a firm order for 150 Boeing 737 Max 10 narrowbodies for delivery between 2027 and 2033, and taken options on a further 150. The low-cost carrier says the deal has a list-price value of $40 billion, making it the largest order ever placed by an Irish company for US-manufactured goods. "Ryanair is pleased to sign this record aircraft order for up to 300 Max 10s with our aircraft partner Boeing," states group chief executive Michael O'Leary. "These new, fuel-efficient, greener-technology aircraft offer 21% more seats, burn 20% less fuel and are 50% quieter than our 737NGs." The group expect that the aircraft will enable revenue and traffic growth across Europe as it targets 300 million passengers annually by 2034, up from 168 million in the financial year to end-March 2023. "The extra seats, lower fuel burn and more competitive aircraft pricing, supported by our strong balance sheet, will widen the cost gap between Ryanair and competitor EU airlines for many years to come, making the Boeing Max 10 the ideal growth aircraft order for Ryanair, our passengers, our people and our shareholders," adds O'Leary. Ryanair Group currently operates 164 of the 197-seat Max 8, having ordered 210, as well as 737NGs. Boeing last month disclosed delays to Max deliveries, having received notification of a manufacturing issue from a supplier. Yet Ryanair has been known to covet an order for the Max 10 to enable expansion through the second half of this decade and into the next. O'Leary told Cirium in late March that negotiations with Boeing on the Max 10 were “going slowly” but that a deal was in sight as both sides had moved on pricing. The new aircraft will be configured with 228 seats, 21% more than the Boeing 737NG. Half of the order is designed to replace this older aircraft type, with the remainder allowing expansion. With the first Max 10 set to arrive in 2027, there will be a roughly two-year gap following delivery of Ryanair's final Max 8, scheduled for 2025. Capital expenditure for the deal will mainly stem from cash flow, Ryanair states, although it will remain "opportunistic" in its fleet financing strategy. "The Boeing-Ryanair partnership is one of the most productive in commercial aviation history, enabling both companies to succeed and expand affordable travel to hundreds of millions of people," states the US airframer's chief executive Dave Calhoun. "Nearly a quarter century after our companies signed our first direct airplane purchase, this landmark deal will further strengthen our partnership. We are committed to delivering for Ryanair and helping Europe's largest airline group achieve its goals by offering its customers the lowest fares in Europe." The transaction requires approval at Ryanair Group's annual general meeting on 14 September, and will not contribute towards Boeing's orders and deliveries tally until it is finalised.