News and notes from around the interweb:
- A Brazilian low cost carrier is bidding for bankrupt Silver Airways subsidiary Seaborne so it would have to be the case that voting rights are transferred to American affiliates or a neutral trustee and that Seaborne management would be substantially American, in order to avoid exceeding limits on foreign control of U.S. carriers.
- Relatedly I went down a rabbit hole on restrictions on foreign airlines operating in the U.S. and a locally-owned airline in American Samoa wouldn’t technically be allowed to fly from American Samoa. Residents there are predominantly U.S. nationals but not U.S. citizens! So every six months DOT has to grant an emergency waiver.
Meanwhile, as a good reminder that foreign ownership isn’t the predominant issue it’s foreign control former Delta President & COO (and U.S. citizen) Fred Reid was forced to step down as founding CEO of Virgin America as a condition of that carrier getting approval – DOT felt his employment contract gave Virgin Atlantic too much control. This old video of Reid telling the story about starting up Virgin America is worth a watch or listen:
- American’s first class sliders as a pre-order meal option were abruptly pulled last month due to a supply chain issue but they have now returned.
- No, no, no, no, no.
If the 2 next chairs to you are open on a flight, should you be allowed to put your bare feet up as a footrest as seen here on this return flight to Toronto? pic.twitter.com/DRLH02d0eU
— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) June 21, 2025
- Why 1,500 Hours Doesn’t Guarantee a Safer Pilot and What We Should Do Instead
- Delta Air Lines hiring a new lobbyist “Demonstrated experience and ties with the Democratic Caucus.”
@Tim Dunn — On that Delta lobbying, while I prefer that party, isn’t that an odd choice, given at least for the next 1.5 years, Congress is either inept or controlled by the other party? Load of Biscoffs.
Gary’s weekly dose of lowering requirements for…what?
Why do you advocate for lower experience and hours (again and again)? We know why you want lower requirements, but you won’t flat out say it.
There is no more pilot shortage, there is no bottleneck, and airlines don’t hire (and never have hired) 1500 hour wonders with your magical “tethered balloon time).
Also, your “source” is an absolute joke of a website.
You dont even have a student license Gary! What makes you an expert on pilot experience?
@Kb — Speaking of balloons, did you see that horrifying accident in Brazil recently? Yikes.
@Kb – lower hours is not lower experience! mindless hours aren’t experience. structured training would be far better.