LATAM Airlines Group carried around 5.22 million passengers across its network in February, up 19% compared with the same month last year. Capacity, as measured in available seat-kilometres, increased by 25% year on year, while revenue passenger-kilometres grew by 29%, the Chile-based group says. Passenger load factor gained 2.1 percentage points year on year to 82%. Cargo capacity, as measured in available freight tonne-kilometres, was up by 19% year on year, while revenue freight tonne-kilometres increased by 2%. Cargo load factor fell by 8.7 percentage points to 53%. The group plans to start daily flights from Sao Paulo Guarulhos to Passo Fundo in Brazil and from Bogota to Riohacha in Colombia on 28 March. Meanwhile, LATAM's cargo unit has taken delivery of its 17th aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 converted freighter.

Air France has outlined plans to return to 2019 levels of summer capacity, citing indications of "strong customer demand".
The carrier plans to operate to 191 destinations across 89 countries, launching new routes to Dar Es Salaam and Ottawa from Paris, and Belem in Brazil from Cayenne in French Guiana. It is also continuing its rollout of new long-haul cabins which form the "cornerstone of the airline’s new travel experience", it says. The new product is being installed on 12 Boeing 777-300s and is already available on routes to New York, Dakar and Rio de Janeiro. Johannesburg joins the list later in March. "Strong travel demand combined with the lifting of the last remaining travel restrictions means the airline will be operating at 2019 levels," it says. "The summer season of 2023 will mark a turning point in Air France's long-haul flight schedule." Following the reopening of China, Air France will return to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, gradually increasing its operations through the spring to reach one daily flight per destination by 1 July. The carrier will also bolster services to Tokyo, offering up to 11 weekly flights to the city. It will also grow services to North America "in response to dynamic demand in the region", operating up to 180 flights a week to 14 US destinations plus 50 to five Canadian cities. This includes a resumption of services to Quebec City on 2 May and Ottawa flights from 27 May. "Air France will be the only airline operating direct flights between Ottawa and Europe, and this summer will become the leading European air carrier in terms of capacity connecting Europe and Canada," it notes. In short and medium-haul markets, the carrier will fly up to 650 times a day to 106 French and European destinations. Low-cost affiliate Transavia France, will operate close to 200 short- and medium-haul routes to 120 destinations. "This will make it the top low-cost airline operating out of Paris' airports," adds Air France.

Boeing during February logged orders for five 737 Max aircraft from unidentified customers, while delivering 28 aircraft amid the temporary halt of 787 widebody shipments late that month. The monthly orders report, released on 14 March, coincides with Boeing's announcement of its fifth-largest commercial order by value in its history. Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia and new airline Riyadh Air, owned by the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, together placed 39 orders each for 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft. The sole five orders booked in February is a sharp decline compared with orders for 55 in January, and 37 logged in February 2022. Net orders for Boeing during 2023 stand at 18 aircraft after the airframer factored in cancellations, conversions and the uncertainty of fulfilment. Deliveries in February included 24 737 Max aircraft. The largest shipments went to United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which received five Max jets each, followed by four sent to Ryanair and two to Alaska Airlines. United also took delivery of one 787-10, while the US airframer sent one 777 freighter to Air China Cargo. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings took delivery of the final 747 aircraft, a -8 Freighter, from Boeing’s production line. Boeing did not count letters of intent announced in February from Air India for 190 737 Max aircraft, 10 777Xs and 20 787-9s, along with options for 50 additional Max jets and 20 787-9s. The US airframer says that is its largest-ever order from South Asia. On 23 February the airframer disclosed that it had halted deliveries of 787s due to an issue with forward pressure bulkheads on those aircraft. Boeing referred to an “analysis error by our supplier”, pointing to Spirit AeroSystems without naming the company. Spirit said a day later that it was “too early to assert there was an ‘analysis error’ by Spirit”. The US Federal Aviation Administration on 13 March cleared Boeing to resume deliveries of 787s. The FAA must still issue airworthiness certificates for each 787 prior to shipment, as it has done since Boeing resumed deliveries of that type in 2022 after a 10-month hiatus due to production issues.