Norwegian chief executive Geir Karlsen is concerned by what he terms "massive" hikes in fees charged by airports in the Nordic countries. During the airline's third-quarter financial results call on 2 November, Karlsen estimated that while European airports have been raising charges by on average 10-20%, counterparts in the Nordic region are raising them 20-30%. He says airports in Norway and Denmark and some in Sweden are upping fees by more than 20%, though the same does not apply at Helsinki. "I would say in the Nordics now we are probably seeing higher increases in airport charges than the rest of Europe," he says, adding: "It's just massive, and it's definitely an issue." Karlsen says Norwegian is currently trying to negotiate a volume discount with Copenhagen airport, based on having 15-16 aircraft stationed in the Danish capital. "All in all, we would not like to see the baseline increase," he says. In September, Norwegian and SAS agreed in principle to pay a new rate of DKr217 ($31.50) per passenger at Copenhagen, up 28% from DKr170 currently, from 1 January 2024. Karlsen also highlights ATC charges as an issue for his airline.

Pilots at Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation will not proceed with a 48-hour work stoppage that was to have started on 1 November with mediated talks scheduled to take place over the next week. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots says it will attend a bargaining session mediated by the Fair Work Commission on 7 November, with potential for further sessions over the following days to 10 November. "AFAP members – who make up 90% of the pilot group at Network Aviation – have given an undertaking that they will not engage in any protected action until next week’s bargaining sessions are completed," it adds. Pilots have been seeking to bring their pay in line with other narrowbody pilots across the Qantas group. Network Aviation operates Airbus A320ceos and Fokker 100s under the QantasLink banner on a mix of scheduled and charter services in Western Australia and from Perth to Darwin.

WestJet has completed the integration of its former ultra-low-cost carrier Swoop into its mainline operations. Following the ratification of a new contract with pilots at Swoop, WestJet announced its plan to integrate the ultra-low-cost carrier into the mainline operations by 28 October. "By keeping costs low, Swoop was able to offer the most competitive fares and appeal to Canadian travellers of all demographics. As we conclude this integration, we will learn from Swoop's successes to best serve our guests with diversified product offerings that meet a variety of needs," says WestJet chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech. The airline has laid out plans to add more dense seating the rear section of its 737s and providing a spectrum of in-flight offerings from ultra-low-cost to premium across its fleet, all under a single brand. At its peak in 2022, Swoop operated 11 737-800s and six Max 8s, most of which have been absorbed into WestJet's mainline fleet. The Calgary-based carrier now operates 77 737NGs, 26 737 Max 8s and seven 787-9s, while it has 59 more Max jets on order. Swoop's withdrawal from the market comes as other Canadian ultra-low-cost carriers Flair Airlines and Lynx Air continue to expand their networks across Canada, to the USA and the Caribbean. WestJet is also planning to integrate Sunwing Airlines' operations onto its air operator's certificate by October 2024, having completed its acquisition of the Toronto based carrier in May.