Ryan Ewing

I often ask myself what makes aviation so special. Is it the miracle of flight? Absolutely. But I also like to think about what we are doing: connecting people from all walks of life. To most, these trips are significant life events. To us, they’re just another day in the life.

ICYMI: @FAANews said this week PBI officially become DJT on July 9 federalregister.gov/documents/2026…

.@Allegiant has completed its acquisition of @SunCountryAir. The now-combined carriers will serve nearly 175 cities, with more than 650 routes and a combined fleet of 195 aircraft. Here's their route network in June 2026, via Cirium Diio.

For those who have spent years traveling in and out of @DFWAirport like me, you know just how special this store was. End of an era. airlinegeeks.com/2026/05/12/bel…

N637NK Landing KMZJ #spiritairlines

Royal Jordanian officially arrived at DFW today, launching new nonstop service from Amman as RJA291. After a 14-hour haul from Jordan, the inaugural flight touched down straight into some classic North Texas spring storm chaos. Even under gloomy skies, the livery looked fantastic. Genuinely one of the better airline liveries out there in an era of increasingly bland paint schemes. May 10, 2026 - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas) #Aviation #AvGeek #DFWAirport

Another casualty of rising fuel costs? @AmericanAir will end service to Tijuana, Mexico, the city's only nonstop link to the U.S. airlinegeeks.com/2026/05/09/onl…

Based on ADS-B data, the aircraft reached a max ground speed of 127 knots before rejecting the takeoff roll. That’s about 146 miles per hour.

DEN can confirm the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway. The pedestrian is deceased, and is not believed to be an employee of the airport nor have they been identified. (2/4)

“We're stopping on the runway there. We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire,” an awful story unfolding at DEN tonight. Appears Frontier 4345 to LAX hit a pedestrian on the runway prompting an emergency evac via exit slides Passengers are reportedly safe Airline statement:

We’re charting a clear new course after a transitional year. vist.ly/42jsc

Nearly seven years ago, Spirit Airlines began service at CLT and that unmistakable yellow became a familiar sight for millions passing through the Airport. After this departure, only one remains before we say goodbye.

The planned logo for Palm Beach airport after it is renamed for @POTUS

A few Spirit aircraft are in the air today heading to storage facilities in Arizona.

Our business has increased this week, but it's not the kind we like to see. From the human POV, it is sad to see so many good people out of work. After working with several Spirit pilots through the weekend, they have proven to be one of the best pilot groups that I've worked with. I can relate to what they are going through. I have been through 5 airline closures myself (it’s why I started this business over 25 years ago) and been involved in more repo situations than I can remember. It can feel like the death of a close friend or family member. I am empathetic to what they are going through. From the business POV, it is low-margin, high-touch revenue. It’s hard on cash flow, takes a tremendous amount of time and resources away from other projects. This is a difficult and expensive situation for our clients. They are taking heavy losses and expending significant cash to repossess the aircraft. We have to be respectful of that and operate as efficiently as we can. No price gouging just because they are in a vulnerable position. It's why clients stick with us for decades.

There is still good left in humanity. Captain Jon Jackson was supposed to take his final retirement flight with Spirit Airlines today. But after Spirit's shutdown, he instead found himself as a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight into Baltimore. What happened next was truly special. Capt. Jackson was honored with a traditional water cannon salute and a surprise welcome celebration at the gate. This is a powerful reminder that the aviation community is built on respect, compassion, and solidarity—especially when it matters most. Above all, this moment was about honoring a fellow aviator. Congratulations, Capt. Jackson, and thank you for your years of service in the skies. Well done Southwest Airlines 💙

WATCH: A pilot who spent 14 years with Spirit Airlines breaks down in tears while making a passenger announcement on the second-to-last Spirit flight to land at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. After losing a job he clearly loved, he told passengers: “I don’t remember any of the bad times… just the good ones.”

I think it’s easy to make jokes about Spirit and the airline’s rather unique legacy. And yes, some of that reputation was self-inflicted through years of viral videos and jabs on late-night shows. But all of that overlooks what Spirit did for the U.S. airline industry and broader travel ecosystem. It created access. Spirit arguably pioneered the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) model in the U.S. Was it pretty? No, but it was never supposed to be. This model — spearheaded by the airline’s former CEO Ben Baldanza —opened the door to people who otherwise would not be able to fly commercially. It opened up new markets, while also bolstering capacity on key hub-to-hub routes. But perhaps even more importantly, the ULCCs create pricing pressure in an already heavily-consolidated industry. A world without the low-cost model will completely shift how Americans access travel. Spirit is just one piece of this pie, but a very notable one. Let’s also not forget the 10,000+ Spirit employees who are without jobs today. My heart is with you in this very uncertain time.

.@ALPAPilots — union representing Spirit pilots — reacts to carrier shutting down.

U.S. government will be a "lender of last resort" if other carriers need a bailout, @SecDuffy adds.

POTUS was like a "dog on a bone" on how to keep Spirit alive, Duffy says. Ultimately, this was a "creditor issue."