Qantas has entered into a non-binding agreement to sell its 33.3% stake in Jetstar Japan to Development Bank of Japan that, if executed, will see the low cost carrier transition to a new brand. Any deal is subject to "further negotiation and regulatory approvals", but the parties have tentatively set a timeline of this July to finalise a shareholder agreement, then announce a new brand in October, with completion of the transfer and rebrand to be completed by June 2027. Japan Airlines and Tokyo Century Corporation intend to maintain their respective holdings of 50% and 16.7%, respectively, in the Narita-based low-cost carrier. Cirium fleets data shows that Jetstar Japan has 19 Airbus A320ceos and three A321neos in service, plus one A320ceo in storage. The shareholders say in a joint statement issued on 3 February that there will be changes to the carrier's operations, and under a new brand, it will " proactively expand its international network, centred on the future expansion of Narita Airport". There was no indication of the financial terms of the proposed sale in the joint statement. Qantas group chief executive Vanessa Hudson says that the Australian carrier was proud of the role it has played in establishing Jetstar Japan in 2012. "We’re confident the new ownership structure will deliver greater value to customers, benefitting from the Development Bank of Japan’s domestic and international aviation knowledge and industry expertise as well as their strong, long-standing relationships with national and regional tourism bodies," she adds. Government-owned DBJ has a long history in the aircraft finance sector, and has provided debt financing to ANA Holdings, but the potential Jetstar Japan acquisition is likely to be its first major equity purchase of an airline. The potential sale closes another chapter of Qantas's pan-Asian strategy after it closed Singapore-based Jetstar Asia in July 2025. It also earlier sold its stake in Vietnamese carrier Jetstar Pacific to Vietnam Airlines, with that carrier returning to its previous Pacific Airlines branding soon after.

SkyWest cited flight cancellations in October and November triggered by the US government shutdown for a 7.4% fall in operating profit during the quarter ended December, although its full‑year profit rose. The carrier's operating income came in at $134 million in the fourth quarter, down from $144 million in the corresponding quarter of 2024, as operating revenue also fell by 7.4% to $1.02 billion. Total operating expenses increased to $890 million, from $800 million a year earlier. It says that "the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated flight cancellations in connection with the US government shutdown in October and November 2025" was the main driver of the fall in operating income. Net income for the quarter fell from $97.4 million to $91.2 million. Despite the quarterly decline, full‑year operating income rose 24.8% to $618 million, year‑on‑year, as revenue grew 15% to $4.06 billion, outpacing expense growth of 2.6% to $3.44 billion. Total debt at 31 December 2025 stood at $2.4 billion, down from $2.7 billion a year earlier, reflecting $492 million in principal debt repayments during 2025. Capital expenditure in the fourth quarter totalled $214 million, covering the purchase of five new Embraer 175s, spare engines, and other fixed assets. SkyWest ended the year with a fleet of 487 aircraft, including 270 E175s, 36 MHI RJ CRJ900s, 123 CRJ700/550s, and 58 CRJ200s.

Lufthansa will install new business seats on its Airbus A380s and refurbish the entire cabins of its A350s and Boeing 747-8s. Starting in February, the Star Alliance carrier's eight A380s will be retrofitted at EFW in German city Dresden, with work on its 747-8s and A350-900s following "in close succession", the airline says. Following the refit, Lufthansa’s A380 will feature 68 instead of currently 78 business seats, along with eight in first, 52 in premium economy and 371 in standard coach. The number of seats in first, premium and standard economy will remain unchanged after the upgrade. "The retrofit underscores our commitment to providing a top flight experience on the long-haul aircraft that is so popular with our customers," states Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa's hub manager in Munich. In addition to the retrofit, routine maintenance work will also be carried out on the A380s. The first aircraft is scheduled to return to Munich in April. By mid-2027, all eight A380s are scheduled to be retrofitted. Lufthansa has 31 A350-900s in service and another 18 of the variant and 15 A350-1000s on order, Cirium fleets data shows. The carrier will have 17 747-8s following the sale of two aircraft to the US Air Force, disclosed in December, for the future presidential transport programme. Last October, Lufthansa said it planned to keep its A380s in operation until at least 2030, with chief executive Carsten Spohr describing the superjumbo as a "great aircraft" for high-season summer routes when tickets sell out. "Customers love it, and our crews love it," he said. Amid the Covid crisis, Lufthansa mothballed its A380 fleet of 14 aircraft at the time and accelerated a plan to retire six of the jets. High operating costs have been cited as a factor in decisions to retire A380s, though some such pandemic-era moves have been reversed amid resurgent demand and shortage of new widebodies. The data lists 180 A380s in service today, down from 234 at the end of 2019. Twenty-five are in storage.