Gordon Smith

“Steady as she goes.” That’s Michael O’Leary’s latest assessment of Ryanair’s business – a phrase that feels almost understated coming from one of aviation’s most outspoken CEOs. But beneath the familiar bluster, the numbers tell a quietly impressive tale. In this week’s feature story, we look past the theatrics to examine why Europe’s largest low-cost carrier remains one of the industry’s steadiest performers.

Wizz Air’s U.S. filing looked like the opening whistle on a transatlantic push, but management says it was just a paperwork technicality. However, World Cup charters could still come off the bench.

We’ve seen Star Wars, Pokémon, and Hello Kitty jets, but a fully gold widebody takes the concept to its gleaming extreme.

Following a very public clash with Elon Musk, Michael O’Leary acknowledges that onboard Wi-Fi will soon be ubiquitous, but Ryanair won’t absorb the cost until the tech aligns with the economics.

United Airlines is feeling good. After another strong earnings report last week, CEO Scott Kirby took aim at rivals with unmistakable confidence. United, he insists, now belongs in an exclusive club at the very top of the U.S. airline industry. But how durable is that swagger? In this week’s feature story, we dig into United’s success and discover how it’s closing the margin gap with Delta despite clear structural disadvantages.

Europe’s legacy business class meal may no longer reflect how passengers eat – or how airlines want to operate.

A public spat with the world’s richest man would be a PR disaster for many airlines. Not to worry, courting controversy is part of Ryanair’s DNA.

Allegiant and Sun Country are merging at a time when low-cost models are under pressure – and even Delta is flagging weakness in its Main Cabin. In this week's feature story, we explore the strategic logic, risks, and opportunities behind the low-cost leisure tie-up.

Viewed from the lemonade-not-lemons perspective, Europe's short-haul business class does at least bring flexible capacity to the (tray) table.

For a remote destination selling silence and sustainability, geopolitical attention may prove harder to manage than rapid tourism growth.