A study led by Air New Zealand and LanzaJet has found that New Zealand could produce enough sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from woody waste feedstock to fulfil up to a quarter of the country's aviation fuel requirements. Funded by Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Government, and conducted in collaboration with Scion, Z Energy, and Wood Beca, the research suggests that domestically-sourced feedstock for SAF could contribute hundreds of millions of dollars annually to New Zealand's economy and create numerous regional jobs. It would, however, require significant investment in infrastructure which in turn would require the right policy settings. "The right settings and regulatory environment will be important as New Zealand considers homegrown SAF because it's the only way to secure the necessary global investment," says Air New Zealand chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer Kiri Hannifin. "There is already significant international momentum and in our view New Zealand shouldn't get left too far behind or we risk seeing the flow of capital go elsewhere or our valuable raw materials being swooped up by other markets for their own SAF." The study focused on using LanzaJet's CirculAir production approach which can convert gasified forestry residues into ethanol, which is then further processed into SAF using its alcohol-to-jet technology. A second phase of the study will further explore municipal solid waste as a potential feedstock for this process, with results expected in the coming months. "The good news is that turning woody biomass into SAF is technically possible in New Zealand, and with the right settings, is an industry that can get started fairly quickly. We look forward to completing additional analysis into what other feedstocks, such as municipal household and commercial waste, could be used to make domestic SAF production an even more attractive option in Aotearoa," says LanzaJet chief executive Jimmy Samartzis.

SkyWest Airlines more than doubled its operating profit for the quarter ended 30 September to $131 million and reached a new multi-year agreement with United Airlines to operate 40 MHIRJ CRJ550s on its behalf. The operating profit was a significant improvement from an operating profit of $49.3 million during the same period last year. The Utah-based airline says it generated $913 million in operating revenue during the quarter, up 19%, outpacing 9% growth in operating expenses to $781 million, as block hour production increased 15%. During the quarter it recognised $19 million in deferred revenue under its flying contracts, and at the end of the period had $342 million in deferred revenue remaining on its balance sheet. Its net profit rose from $23.5 million to $90 million, up from $23.5 million in the previous corresponding period. As of 30 September, the airline leased 35 MHIRJ CRJ700s and five CRJ900s to third parties and had 17 CRJ200s that are configured for service under charter operations. During the quarter, SkyWest acquired the first CRJ550 as part of a multi-year contract with United Airlines to operate 40 of the type. Under the agreement, the airline will add 11 used CRJ550s and convert 29 of its CRJ700s to the CRJ550 model. These aircraft are anticipated to enter service gradually from late 2024 through the end of 2026. Additionally, the airline took delivery of nine Embraer 175 partner-financed aircraft under a previously announced agreement with United. By the end of 2026, SkyWest is scheduled to operate 278 E175s. At 30 September, SkyWest had $836 million in cash and marketable securities, similar to the $835 million balance at 31 December 2023.

Spirit Airlines will furlough around 330 more pilots from 31 January 2025 as it scales back its operations. The US carrier confirmed the new round of furloughs in a statement provided, noting that the decision was taken to "align with our expected flight volume", as part of the wider plan to slash costs and regain profitability. This latest move comes after Spirit furloughed 186 pilots in September 2024, citing aircraft groundings caused by the enhanced inspections of Pratt & Whitney geared turbofans. That number was down from a planned 260 furloughs announced after the airline posted an operating loss of $153 million for the quarter ended 30 June. Schedules data shows that in its latest update the carrier has culled over 1,600 flights in January, over 1,200 in February and just over 1,000 in March compared with the schedule filed the previous week. To preserve cash, it has rescheduled new aircraft deliveries from Airbus that were due in the period from the second quarter of 2025 to the end of 2026, while it agreed to sell 23 A320ceo-family jets to GA Telesis for $519 million.