Gordon Smith

Airlines Editor

Covers Airlines, Airports, Passenger Experience, Loyalty

Gordon Smith is Airlines Editor at Skift and Editor at Airline Weekly. He’s covered the industry for more than 15 years across television, print, and digital platforms. Since joining Skift in January 2024, he has interviewed more than 20 airline CEOs, often helping make headlines along the way. Send stories/tips via Signal: smithgme.01

For Airline Weekly Subscribers launch

Emirates Faces New Headwinds

Emirates remains financially strong and is buoyed by Dubai’s global appeal, but complacency isn’t an option. In this week’s feature story, we explore how the airline may choose to adapt as challenges mount.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
For Airline Weekly Subscribers launch

Is Frontier on the Verge of a Turnaround?

As rivals retreat and Spirit bleeds capacity, Frontier is reinventing itself with first-class seats, loyalty perks, and a bold push into new markets. But can it really fly high alone, or is consolidation still the only cure? In this week’s feature story, we weigh up the key question: Is Frontier’s independence its greatest strength or biggest risk?
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
For Airline Weekly Subscribers launch

Better Days for Mexico’s Volaris?

They say when the U.S. sneezes, Mexico catches a cold. That’s certainly true for Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris. Its earnings were in poor health throughout the first half of 2025, largely due to U.S. policies on tariffs and immigration. Those symptoms now appear to be fading. Volaris reports that demand recovered in recent months, with continued momentum into the final months of the year. In this week's feature story, we take a deep-dive look at one of the region's most interesting operators and ask what could come next. 
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
For Airline Weekly Subscribers launch

Southwest’s Numbers Are Still Ugly

Southwest Airlines is changing faster than at any time in its history. Assigned seating, bag fees, even talk of first-class cabins and airport lounges. But are its bold moves starting to pay off? Not quite yet. Southwest's latest results were rough once again, with margins barely positive and far from the glory days that made it a Wall Street darling. Still, there are signs that better times are on the horizon, as we discuss in this week's feature story.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |