Airlines

Fuel prices are so high that airlines are at risk of disappearing, according to Deutsche Bank

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On February 28, the United States and Israel bombed several cities in Iran, starting a conflict that has already spread to other countries in the Middle East, when Iranian missiles responded to Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Dubai and other emirates. One of the consequences has been the rise in fuel prices at a dizzying pace due to the paralysis of a key corridor for global energy: the Strait of Hormuz. The days go by, prices continue to rise and when something as strategic as oil rises, it is a matter of time before the accounts come together. Deutsche Bank warns: the sword of Damocles is on the neck of the airlines. The context. Bloomberg collects the information sent by the German financial institution to its clients: while the price of crude oil has increased by 50% so far this year, it is aviation fuel that takes the cake. The British Argus Media collects the price of the jet in recent days for the hubs of Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York, where we see how it goes from 2.17 dollars per gallon on January 5 to 2.29 on February 5 until approaching 4 dollars per gallon on March 5 (3.95). In the United States, the price differentials between jet fuel and the price of crude oil range between $85 and $95 per barrel, equal to or higher than the cost of oil. That huge gap between the price of crude oil and that of refined products (called the crack spread) wreaks havoc. The last time a crack spread like this occurred was in 2005, when hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Why is it important. Because as the German entity highlights, 20 years ago the crack spread caused significant and widespread damage to the airline industry, which was the trigger for airlines to Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines filing for bankruptcy. The historical precedent sets off all the alarms. And Deutsche Bank is not alone: the CEO of United Airlines At the moment it has already warned that the increase in jet fuel prices will have a “significant” impact on first quarter results and that there could be an increase in air fares. Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Linenberg is forceful: Without immediate price relief, “some of the most financially vulnerable airlines could halt operations” and “airlines around the world could be forced to ground thousands of aircraft.” In detail. At the moment, airlines have plummeted on the stock market since the beginning of the conflict. American Airlines has lost 19% so far this year, but the blow is global: a group of 29 airlines, hotels and travel companies from Europe, Asia and North America together lost $22.6 billion in market capitalization in a single day, according to Reuters. In Xataka | The rocket and the pen: the theory that explains why the rise in gasoline is here to stay In Xataka | There is a hidden war to sell us the cheapest possible gasoline. One that Ballenoil and Plenergy already dominate Cover | Dawn McDonald and Daniel Shapiro

The island has so little oil that foreign airlines will not be able to refuel

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There is no fuel. A message as simple as it is terrible. It is the one that the Government of Cuba has sent to foreign airlines. This is what the news agency claims EFEfrom where they point out that none of the island’s airports will be able to refuel planes arriving from abroad. JET A1 FUEL NOT AVBL. That is the message that appeared yesterday in the database of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. “A1 jet fuel not available” is what that message means. It arrived, they assure EFEin a Notam message, one designed to alert pilots and air traffic controllers of a dangerous and unexpected situation. The fuel deficit is confirmation of the problems that the island is having in supplying itself. Without Venezuela supporting and Mexico in clear retreat, the Cuban Government has an almost impossible mission to replenish the 70,000 barrels of oil per day who have stopped coming to the island. And now? The big question is how airlines are going to operate in order to maintain their operations, as far as possible, within normality. The simplest thing, obviously, is to refuel with enough fuel near the island to be able to leave it without impediments. The situation It is not new for airlines who have had to play with restrictions of this type before. The biggest problem is with long-haul direct flights to the island (those in which you have to cross the ocean) because they would have no choice but to stop in countries in the area such as the United States, Mexico or the Dominican Republic, among others. In Xataka We have contacted Iberia. When we write these lines we have not received an answer as to whether they already have an alternative plan on the table. More pressure. The lack of fuel is, as we said, a direct consequence of the strangulation that the United States is carrying out on the country through pressure on countries that until now supplied crude oil to Cuba. Since US special forces will take away by force To Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela is not supplying barrels to a country that, until now, had an oxygen cylinder in its ally. days later, Donald Trump already announced in their own social network that no more oil or money would reach Cuba, in a clear movement to continue suffocating the Cuban regime. These statements referred to oil that arrived from Venezuela But over time we have learned that Mexican oil has not been reaching the Cuban coasts either. In total, it is estimated that it has represented a deficit of 70,000 barrels per day of the 110,000 barrels that Cuba needs to function with a certain normality. Now, this shortage is being felt in air traffic but for a long time people have been living on the streets with Regular power outages that can last more than a day. Humanitarian aid? In its pressure to prevent more oil from reaching Cuba, the United States focused on Mexico. As confirmed France 24a few days after the overthrow of Nicolás Maduro the last successful shipment from Mexico to Cuba occurred. The freighter that was to take over in mid-January never left the port. Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico, has defended her ability to decide whether to “sell or give” crude oil to Cuba. That “da” makes all the sense in the world because, supposedly, since 2024, Mexicans have been delivering oil to Cuba as “humanitarian aid” but according to Pemex accounts Oil worth almost 500 million dollars was sold to Cuba in 2025 and the figure rises to over 1.4 billion euros if the accounts are backdated to 2023. And the company’s own directors have confirmed that they are being paid daily. The question is whether or not Mexico has actually been sending barrels to Cuba as “humanitarian aid.” And it is that chow we count on XatakaWhile the oil business has very tight accounts, the supposed humanitarian shipments are very opaque. Shipments that the United States threatens to collect for itself with more tariffs on countries that help Cuba in managing this crisis. We have already seen this. With Venezuela out of the game, Mexico was supposed to be Cuba’s energy lifeline. Without the entry of oil from abroad, the Cuban Government faces suffocation. The current situation forces the same rationing that was already experienced in the so-called Special Periodwhen the island faced the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was then its safeguard against the American blockade. “How do we farm our land? How do we get around? How do we keep our children in class without fuel? We are going to take measures that, while not permanent, will require effort. What else can we do? Are we going to give up? There is so much to defend,” Miguel Díaz-Canel, president of Cuba, stated just a few days ago. In his speech, Díaz-Canel also sent the message to the United States that they were willing to negotiate: “Cuba is willing to have a dialogue with the United States on any of the issues that we want to debate or discuss.” Less than a week later, the island is experiencing one of the most complicated energy situations in decades. Photo | Tacorontey and Edward Galitsky In Xataka | For the first time, electrified cars are outselling gasoline cars. It is the beginning of the inevitable

Ryanair and the rest of the low-cost airlines have been charging for your carry-on suitcase for years. The European Union is tired of it

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It is no surprise that the main business of “cheap airlines” is precisely charge you for cabin luggage. A cheap Ryanair or EasyJet ticket can easily be double the price if you include a small suitcase to carry in the cabin. And from Europe I want this to end nowboth by users and legislators. not so fast. In this regard, the European Parliament has voted in favor to allow all passengers to carry one cabin bag of up to 7 kg free of charge, in addition to their personal bag or backpack. The measure has sparked criticism from low-cost airlines, since they rate it ‘existential threat’ to its business model, and that could raise ticket prices by up to 25%, according to EasyJet. The trigger. The European legislative proposal establishes that any passenger may carry at no additional cost one personal item plus one piece of hand luggage of up to 7 kg and with combined dimensions of 100 cm. This would affect all flights to or from EU airports operated by EU airlines. Of course, it should be noted that this bill must still go through the European Council before becoming law. Baggage and margins. Bag fees have become a great source of income for low-cost airlines. Jay Sorensen, airfare expert at consulting firm IdeaWorks, counted to the Financial Times that European airlines raised $16 billion in 2025 just for baggage, of which 60% went to low-cost airlines. Although these fees are not usually broken down individually, Sorensen estimates that they represent almost a fifth of the total revenue of low-cost airlines. Reaction of the industry. Kenton Jarvis, CEO of EasyJet, has qualified the “lunatic idea” proposal and warns that the additional costs “would have to be passed on” to all passengers through higher prices, even for those traveling without luggage. On the other hand, József Váradi, CEO of Wizz Air, account to FT that consumers are “much smarter” and “are able to navigate the current system of optional tariffs.” For its part, Airlines 4 Europe, the industry lobby, has presented a survey according to which half of passengers would prefer to pay lower fares and keep suitcases as an optional extra. Margins. The low cost model is based on eliminating minutes on the ground and fuel costs. Augusto Ponte, European director of the consulting firm Alton Aviation, account FT that if each passenger carried between 2 and 4 additional kg, a plane with 150 people would have 500 kg extra weight, which translates into between 15 and 20 additional euros of fuel per hour of flight. According to Ponte, for an airline like EasyJet, which flies approximately one million hours annually, that would mean more than €28 million extra per year in operating costs, approximately a tenth of its total profit. In addition, the executive says that 150 additional suitcases in the cabin per flight would cause delays of about 10 minutes in each boarding, not counting the time necessary to relocate the excess in the hold. Ponte assures that, in short-haul aircraft that make six flights a day, this would be equivalent to one hour less operation per plane each day. Consumer protection. Beuc, the European consumer association, strongly supports the proposals of Parliament and even proposes raising the permitted weight to 10 kg. Agustín Reyna, its general director, argues that passengers “expect their hand luggage to be included in the price of the ticket” and that forcing them to pay turns luggage into “a luxury item.” For his part, Andrey Novakov, the Bulgarian MEP who is leading the parliamentary negotiation on these rules, has declared that the goal is “to strive for clearer and more predictable rules for airlines and a stronger aviation sector, but never at the expense of passengers.” Cover image | Gabor Koszegi In Xataka | When Ryanair CEO went to a restaurant he was charged for two extras: “priority seating” and “legroom”

Airlines justify price increases with additional premium services. All except one: Ryanair

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The increase in operating costs It is making it increasingly difficult for airlines to offer low-priced flights. The low-cost They are becoming less and less, and with each passing year the prices of their tickets increase. Airlines have found a simple way to justify that increase: offer more comfort with wide seats and extra services that sound like luxury. Ryanair, however, does the opposite. Although the Irish company is forced to raise the price of its tickets, the company is reluctant to include any “luxury” options to justify the price increase. The boom in “premium” seats. As and how he published The New York Timestraditional airlines are dedicating more and more space on airplanes to seats for “premium” tourist class, with larger seats and improved services. This allows them to charge much more for those seats, while maintaining the number of passengers. The data they point because tickets for these “premium” tourist zones cost up to five times more than a normal one and represent close to 15% of revenue per passenger. According to data of Financial Timesuntil 2028, the number of seats of this type will grow by 11% each year, while the basic economy class stagnates in terms of sales. With this new “premium” tourist model, airlines earn more for each person who travels, without having to squeeze passengers into increasingly tight seats. The low-cost ones join the cart. Such is the success of this model, that even low-cost airlines have begun to offer packages with more services and, of course, with a higher price. Companies like EasyJet or Frontier Airlines They sell “premium” options with priority boarding, seat selection or even complete vacation packages. This adds extra costs to the way you work. The problem is that these added services make the ticket more expensive, so now they depend more on charging for the large baggage check-in or reservation changes. This makes them lose their price advantage and brings them closer to traditional airlines. Their response has been to stop competing for passenger volume at a low price, and now they seek to offer prices equivalent to a single ticket on a conventional airline, but with extra amenities. Ryanair does not take the bait. Ryanair has already announced that the price of your tickets will increase up to 9% in 2026. The company has achieved keep your costs very controlled placing its expenses per passenger and kilometer at only 4.5 euro cents, compared to more than 7 cents for rivals such as EasyJet or Eurowings, or 9 cents for British Airways. Keeping operating expenses low is what allows Ryanair to continue with its low pricing policy without having to offer “premium” features. Something in which its CEO seems not to give in one bit, judging by the clash in X between Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary for connectivity WiFi on airplanes. Musk claimed that more and more airlines were offering WiFi connection packages on their flights as a “premium” option, and criticized Ryanair for not including it. The response from the controversial CEO of Ryanair was immediate, ensuring that he was not going to offer anything that would increase the operating costs of his planes, and the installation of a Starlink antenna increased fuel consumption. That ignited the spark of a small brawl in which Musk threatened to buy the airline but O’Leary knew how to take to his field. Costs are the key. As demonstrated by the latest financial balance of the Irish airline, savings and containment of operating costs are the secret of Ryanair’s success which, with its refusal to pay the increase in Aena rates and at the price of fuel, it recorded profits of 2,540 million euros in the last half of 2025. While the rest of the airlines must resort to “premium” services to justify their price increases. Ryanair seems to be comfortable with its role as stingy in services to its passengers, and prefers to continue betting on a strategy of low prices and moving a highest percentage of passengers. For now, that model works for them. In Xataka | The CEO of Ryanair would govern a country like his airline: a “low cost” state with millionaire politicians and cuts in services Image | Ryanair

There will be a third search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370

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With permission of Amelia Earhart and the Bermuda triangle, what happened with Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 on March 8, 2014 constitutes one of the greatest mysteries of modern commercial aviation: It seems that he disappeared from the face of the Earth without a trace*. 12 years later, we still have not found an explanation for his disappearance and it is not the first time we have tried: in fact, the third search mission has just been reactivated. We are going to D-Day, H-Time. A Boeing 777-200ER with 239 people on board (227 passengers and 12 crew) left from Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12:41 am to Beijing International Airport, with an expected landing time at 6:30 local time. It never reached its destination. At 1:19 a.m. Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah he said goodbye from the Malaysian controllers with a “Good night Malaysian three seven zero”. It was the last time they contacted. A few minutes later and according to the radar record collected in the final report According to the Malaysian Ministry of Transport, the aircraft’s secondary radar went out at 01:21 over the South China Sea. Likewise, it registered a turn towards the west as if it were returning towards Malaysia, passing near the island of Penang and continuing towards the Strait of Malacca. Map of the scheduled flight of MH370. Weaveravel – Wikimedia Although it had its communication systems turned off, it continued to send a satellite signal that was key to following its subsequent trajectory. Using a methodology based on Doppler effectthe scientific team of the British satellite company Inmarsat determined that the ship was moving away from the satellite towards the south. He final report of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirms these facts, concluding that the combination of radars and mathematical data from satellite signals allowed us to conclude that the plane allegedly flew for just over six hours until its fuel was exhausted. in a remote area of ​​the southern Indian Ocean. Andrew Heneen. Wikimedia In the following hours, the news broke. At that time, the CEO of Malaysia Airlines, Ahmad Juahari Yahya, explained that there were no indications that the pilots sent a distress signal and their willingness to collaborate with the authorities in the search, since no remains had been sighted, as USA Today collected. A missing plane, a huge area to explore and many unknowns Shortly after, the airline updated its statement reiterating that it had not “established any contact or determined the whereabouts of flight MH370.” Malaysia’s Transport Minister at the time, Hishammuddin Hussein, explained that although there was no reason to suspect terrorism, all possibilities were being studied. Days later, the country’s prime minister, Najib Razak, declared that it was clear that the radars and flight data transmission system were deliberately turned off by someone trying to conceal the position and heading of the plane. The first search operation was international in nature, although it was led by the Australian ATSB and extended from 2014 to 2017, in which it was classified at the time as the most expensive search in aviation historywith an approximate investment of at least 44 million dollars by Australia, China, the United States and Vietnam, Reuters estimated. This operation included the deployment of military ships and aircraft in an area of ​​120,000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea defined by the analysis of Inmarsat satellite data and called “Seventh Arc”. After almost three years of tracking with high-resolution sonar, the search was officially suspended in January 2017. without finding remains of the fuselage. The conclusions of the report detailed that it was not possible to determine with certainty the cause of the disappearance and that this change of course: “It cannot be explained by a known technical failure or by adverse weather conditions”, pointing to a “probably intentional” route modification. Which yes it has been found over time they have been more than 30 fragments identified as belonging to MH370such as parts of the wing, tail, cabin or engine in places as diverse as the coasts of East Africa and various islands such as Réunion, Mauritius or Madagascar. No human remains have been found, but it is assumed that all the people who traveled on the flight died. In fact, the first piece of the aircraft was identified by French experts on a beach on Reunion Island a year after the disappearance. More specifically, it was the flaperon, a mobile part with a wingspan of almost three meters placed on the trailing edge of the wing that is used to increase aerodynamic resistance. In 2018 the first Ocean Infinity missiona private robotics company specialized in the study of seabeds. In his history, helped locate the Endurance of the legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton in 2022 providing specialized personnel and underwater robots. On the table, initially an area considered a priority of 25,000 square kilometers located to the north of the previously explored area taking into account the new drift analyzes of the remains found on African beaches. Ocean Infinity Finally, 112,000 square kilometers were covered in just over three months thanks to a fleet of eight autonomous underwater vehicles, faster than the vehicles used in the initial search. It was not enough: in June 2018 he ended his mission with disappointing results, as its CEO explained. After a few years in standbyin Malaysian government has authorized a new search mission to an old acquaintance: Ocean Infinity, which got to work on December 30, 2025 after accepting the order in modality no find, no fee aka, what If they don’t find anything, they won’t be paid.. If you do so, the maximum reward will be 70 million dollars, about 60 million euros, according to El País. It is not much for the cost of the operation, but it would be the definitive boost to consolidate Ocean Infinity as the best underwater search company in the world. Little has emerged about the operation, beyond the fact that it will last … Read more

other airlines have seen their opportunity

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A dead king, a king. This saying perfectly summarizes what is happening in the airports of northern Spain after Ryanair’s decision to cut its presence in regional airports. after his scuffle with AENA for airport taxes. The most affected airports Due to the cutback in Ryanair’s operations in Spain, they are concentrated in Galicia (-80%), Asturias (-16%), Cantabria (-38%) and the Basque Country, where the Irish company had built a very relevant position in low-cost flights and now leaves a gap that conditions the connectivity of residents and tourists. However, other airlines They are taking advantage of Ryanair’s withdrawal to occupy their space with more flight offers and new routes. ​Fewer places, but more routes. The Cantabrian coast is one of the main areas affected by these Ryanair cuts. According to data of RTVEthe balance of the 41% cut in the peninsular airports represents 600,000 fewer seats (spaces are eliminated in some, but they are increased in the most profitable airports), but the company has eliminated bases and routes in various parts of the country, with a special impact on the airports of Asturias, Santander, Vigo and, especially in Santiago, which is facing the final stretch of its works. The result of this movement has been an adjustment in the capacity and repertoire of airlines: Vueling, Iberia Express, Volotea and others have expanded their seats at these airports and have created new routes to take advantage of the freed demand. Vueling, for example, raises an increase of 15% in its offer of places for Santiago de Compostela. According what was published by The Economistthe IAG group would also have announced new routes from the Irish Aer Lingus that connect Santiago and Cork, as well as Dublin and Asturias, while KLM will link Amsterdam with Galicia and Asturias. ​Volotea takes over in Bilbao. While Ryanair reduces its presence in the Basque Country, Volotea has announced the increase in its activity in the north of the peninsula, with Bilbao as one of the main axes. The company foresees by 2026 “a 10% increase in its capacity from Bilbao by 2026 —which also represents a growth of 320% compared to 2018, the year the base was inaugurated—, approaching the 730,000 seats offered and reinforcing its commitment to the region.” This will be Volotea’s largest seat offering at this airport since the beginning of its operations. This move makes the airline one of the main actors called to occupy the space left by Ryanair in the north. It will also expand its operations at the Santander airport, where it will not only consolidate its current routes, but also plan to open new international connections to Cantabria. ​A market in recomposition. The gap left by the Ryanair cut has activated a response from other airlinesbut the previous volume of operations has not yet been reached in all airports, showing an asymmetric recovery. While airports such as Vigo or Santiago are still far from achieving this recovery of seats, others such as Bilbao or Santander register a positive balance with an increase in operations of 10% and 1.4% thanks to the strengthening of the position of Ryanair’s rivals at those airports. That is, the withdrawal of Ryanair has meant that its rivals have recovered in just a few months 41% of the share that the Irish airline previously had, which will increase throughout 2026. ​Less negotiating pressure for Ryanair. The political dimension of the conflict also influences the recomposition of the market. Faced with this new scenario, institutions and regional administrations are seeking agreements with new airlines to sustain key routes and avoid a further deterioration in connectivity, while the market moves towards greater diversification of operators. The increase in weight of other operators on the airport board of these airports takes away the strength of the pressure strategy of the Irish company, which could use its withdrawal as a measure to obtain better conditions at other airports compared to AENA. In Xataka | In the midst of the battle between Ryanair and Aena, there is a Spanish airport that is suffering more than any other: Valladolid Image | Ryanair, Volotea

Ryanair is known for being one of the cheapest airlines. It is not so much if we look at its RASK

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Iberia reaches third place in AirAdvisor ranking over the best airlines on the continent, even surpassing Ryanair in a key indicator to evaluate cost-efficiency. The study analyzed more than 7.6 million flights and 831,000 passenger opinions to determine which airlines best combine price, service and reliability. Low cost vs. traditional. Iberia is positioned as cheaper than Ryanair when we measure the real cost per seat kilometer, as revealed the latest report AirAdvisor Annual. The Spanish airline ties with Vueling in seventh place if we stick to the price (with a RASK of 0.0824 euros), while Ryanair falls to the last position of this specific indicator, tied with Air France. Why is RASK important?. The RASK indicator (the formula being total revenue between available seats per kilometers flown) measures how much a passenger actually pays for each kilometer traveled, including all additional charges. With this parameter, we can see that low-cost airlines They are not so low-cost when we add extrassuch as checked baggage, seat selection or priority boarding. In this sense, if we stick to the RASK indicator, Iberia demonstrates that a traditional airline can also compete on prices without sacrificing basic services. The complete ranking. According to the report From AirAdvisor, Aegean Airlines repeats as the best European airline for the second consecutive year with 93 points, followed by Finnair (89 points) and Iberia (88 points). The Spanish airline recovers positions after falling to sixth place in 2024, rising three places in one year. Lufthansa and KLM complete the top 5, tied with Scandinavian Airlines. At the opposite extreme, Air Europa once again occupies the last place in the ranking with 48 points. Where Iberia stands out. The Spanish company obtains the highest scores in three key categories, according to the AirAdvisor report: travel with pets, family travel and safety. Its VIP lounges are ranked third in Europe, only behind Aegean and Finnair. In addition, Iberia was ranked 15th in the ranking of the 100 best airlines in the world in 2024. Its main weakness according to the report: reputation among customers, where it is the third worst valued. The Ryanair case. The Irish airline leads with 88% punctuality in both 2023 and 2024, but loses ground in almost all other categories. Ryanair is ranked 12th in the AirAdvisor overall ranking with 58 points, surpassing only Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines and Air Europa. In addition, the company obtains the second worst reputation score among customers and, according to the ranking, it is the worst option for traveling with pets and in comfort. The cheapest in Europe. For the third consecutive year, Wizz Air maintains the title of the continent’s cheapest airline, with a RASK of just 0.0417 euros per seat kilometer. They are followed by TAP Air Portugal (0.0713 euros) and Scandinavian Airlines (0.075 euros). However, it’s not all about the price, and Wizz Air occupies 13th place in the general classification, being the worst rated by passengers and registering the lowest scores for travel with pets and comfort. The methodology behind the numbers. According to they claim From AirAdvisor, its team spent weeks analyzing nine different categories to create this ranking. The data includes 7.6 million flights operated between 2023 and 2024, more than 831,000 customer reviews from nine different sources, 75,000 lounge reviews, 46 industry awards and pet, family and comfort policies of 13 airlines. Each category receives a specific score that then adds points for an overall ranking. What does this mean for the travelers. “Low-cost” and “traditional” airlines are becoming diluted and are no longer defined entirely by their quality/price ratio. There are other important indicators, such as the RASK, and airlines such as Iberia, KLM or TAP Air Portugal have adjusted to compete on price with low cost airlines, while ending up offering more complete services without surprise charges. Therefore, for the passenger this means that comparing only the base fare of the ticket can end up being misleading. Hence, a recommended practice is to see the final price of the ticket on each airline that we weigh once all the extras have been added and basic services have been taken into account. Cover image | Wolfgang Weiser In Xataka | In the midst of the battle between Ryanair and Aena, there is a Spanish airport that is suffering more than any other: Valladolid

Airlines have invested millions in entertainment. Passengers use it to see an plane icon slowly moving

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In an episode of the mythical Seinfeld seriesElaine is exasperating from her boyfriend Puddy, who passes a whole flight looking fixed to the seat back. That image, a custom joke of the nineties, today makes sense again with a technological nuance: and we do not look at the vacuum, but yes – and I include myself – we can get hypnotized with a point on the screen, the flight map. Of rarity to viral tendency. It is not an isolated mania. In a report by The Washington Post They have portrayed the phenomenon Through the story of Nicole Sunderland, creator of content that divides her time between Washington DC and Phoenix. Sunderland admits that on a 14 -hour flight Catar keeps the map on “all the time”, although the flight assistants try to turn it off. His custom went viral in Tiktok along with dozens of passenger videos They presumed to “endure” without films, without music and without wifi, looking only at the progression of the plane on the digital globe. Others, like Manu, seminated, turned the practice into a public hobbie: while the screens showed the screens showed films and series, she recorded the route map For social networks. The map as king content. Beyond the meme, the numbers suggest that this obsession has mass backup. FlightPath3D, leading flight maps provider in more than 90 airlines, states that 68% of passengers Open the map at some point and that 20% sees it exclusively. On average, users spend 52 minutes in front of the map on backup screens and 18 minutes on synchronized mobile devices. In total, about 400 million passengers used the product last year. The airlines themselves reinforce the idea. Last year, Delta Air Lines launched a new flight map designed for people with low vision. In the statementthe company was categorical: the map is its number one content in Delta Studio, ahead of films, series and games. According to their figures, 45% of customers interact with it on each flight. Also, media specialized in aviation, as paxex.aerothey emphasize that the map is “the most popular content of the IFE (entertainment on board) for a reason”, and that the airlines already experiment with integrating it into other formats: from a persistent side tape on the screen to brief overlays at the end of a movie. Why hook so much? Testimonies point to several keys. For some, the map is a control instrument in the midst of aerial uncertainty: Sunderland, for example, monitors it especially during turbulence to check altitude and speed. For others, it is a light meditation form: seeing slowly advance the plane icon produces calm in an environment saturated with stimuli. “There are map fans,” says Duncan Jackson, president of FlightPath3D. “They love to see where they are, how much is missing, observe the progress of the flight plan. For some it is almost meditative,” duck. An academic study of the University of Lund (Sweden), made in collaboration with Etihad Airwaysreinforces the explanation from the design perspective. In interaction tests with 3D maps prototypes, passengers valued more those interfaces that offered clear signs of navigation and sensation of control, and reported greater orientation with three -dimensional views. Even the choice of command influenced: some users developed better with gyroscope than with tactile controls. In other words: the map experience responds to deep psychological and cognitive needs. Simple map to travel assistant. The fascination is not limited to the luminous point that advances on an ocean. The industry is expanding the concept. FlightPath3D has transformed The map on an interactive platform: now shows previous views of destinations, animated global routes, children’s maps with animals, tourist suggestions and even Uber prices to reach the center once landed. In addition, Cathay Pacific He launched in 2024 “My Journey”an experience that combines an animated journey of the journey with information on services on board and points of interest. For its part, Panasonic Avionics has developed ARCthat integrates data on different plane screens so that the progress of the flight accompanies the passenger even when watching a movie. And in the field of accessibility, Delta has marked a milestone With its high contrast map, extended iconography and suitable palettes for Daltonics, which in the future will incorporate voice narrative with real -time updates. What began as a simple line chart in the eighties has become a sophisticated product that aspires to be inclusive, personalized and profitable for airlines. An obsession with future. The attractiveness of the map is not a passenger fashion. It is explained by the combination of three tendencies: the search for calm in overloaded environments of stimuli, the desire for spatial control and orientation, and the technological evolution of the product itself. In times of excess options – hundred hours of cinema and television in each seat – the map offers something more basic and powerful: the certainty of knowing where we are. As the Washington Post points outfor some travelers looking at the map is as necessary as tieding your belt. And as Delta acknowledgesit is already the star content of your digital offer. Puddy may seem eccentric in Seinfeld, but three decades later, it turns out that he simply advanced to the trend. Image | Freepik Xataka | Ryanair is abandoning small airports in France. There is an unexpected beneficiary: a Spanish airline

A rate conflict that leaves other airlines hole

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The IAG group airline takes advantage Ryanair’s withdrawal to expand your offer in the archipelago 5% during the winter season. The measure includes 116 additional flights and the change to planes with greater capacity on its Canary Routes. The perfect opportunity. Only 24 hours after Ryanair announced The cut Of 400,000 squares in the Canary Islands for its conflict with the Aena Rates, Iberia Express has taken the opposite step. The company will add about 30,000 additional seats Between October 2025 and January 2026, which represents an increase of 5% compared to the initially scheduled. 30,000 extra places. The plan includes 116 additional flights and more than 150 aircraft changes for others of greater capacity, mainly A321neo models. Tenerife Norte will be the great beneficiary with more than 15,000 additional places and up to 8 daily frequencies with Madrid, precisely the airport most hit by Ryanair’s withdrawal. Gran Canaria adds almost 8,300 more seats and will operate 10 daily frequencies with the capital, while the rest of the islands total 4,500 additional places among all. Beyond opportunism. The airline assures that the movement is not just reagent. “This increase in capacity in the Canary Islands reflects the firm commitment we have acquired with the islands since the beginning of our operations,” says Isabel Rodríguez, commercial director of Iberia Express. The company emphasizes that optimizes the use of its fleet to take advantage of the fact that around 21% of its Canarian passengers fly in connection with other destinations through Madrid. THE PRICE WAR. To accompany the increase in capacity, Iberia Express has launched its ‘Express Days’ campaign with prices from 13 euros for Canarian residents and from 20 euros for the rest of the passengers on the Madrid-Gran Canaria route. A strategy that seeks to stimulate demand after summer peak months and compete directly with cheap flights that characterized Ryanair’s offer. The fight between Ryanair and Aena. Ryanair’s decision to reduce 400,000 places in the Canary Islands is part of a broader offensive. The Irish airline will eliminate one million seats in regional airports and will cancel 36 direct routes in Your tension escalation with Aena For airport rates. The cuts include the complete closure of its base in Santiago de Compostela, the suspension of all flights to Vigo since January 2026 and the end of the operations in Tenerife Norte, precisely where Iberia Express now concentrates its greatest reinforcement. The justification of the tariff war. Eddie Wilson, CEO of Ryanair, has attributed These measures to the 6.62% increase in airport rates that AENA will apply. “We cannot justify a continuous investment in airports whose growth is blocked by excessive and uncommunchanting rates,” Wilson said. For his part, Aena responded hard, accusing Ryanair of practicing “Phariseism, bad education and blackmail” through its president, Maurici Lucena. With the withdrawal of Ryanair, key connections disappear and a capacity hole is generated than other airlines, such as Iberia Express, are willing to fill. Cover image | Gabor Koszegi In Xataka | Lack of a hole, prize on the payroll: Ryanair will upload the prize for employees who discover too large handbags

Why the airlines continue to force us to put the airplane mode in 2025

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“Please be sure to put your electronic devices in airplane mode Before takeoff. If your device does not have a plane mode, bring it completely during the flight. ” Something similar to this message is reproduced thousands of times every day in the world and, although not everyone pays attention, a usual gesture when sitting on the plane is to connect the plane mode. 25 years after birth The plane mode, although the message continues to reproduce, it is no longer mandatory to put the mobile in plane mode. However, there are pilots who continue to defend their use for a reason: their comfort. It made sense. The airplane mode was born as a result of a concern: the possible electromagnetic interference that electronic devices could cause in both communication and navigation systems in airplanes. It was a possibility, like the one that existed of light fourth to gasoline in gas stationsbut the chances of a catastrophic failure They were very low. However, to mitigate any potential risk and guarantee safety, the measure of prohibiting the use of electronic devices during certain phases of the flight was adopted. Fiction has contributed to still thinking that something can go wrong, such as the moment of ‘The Simpsons‘In which Bart is playing with a Game boythe hostess asks him to turn it off and, in doing so, the plane begins to plumn). As these devices advanced and added more networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more powerful connections, the “plane mode” was adopted that disable these transmissions. And, as the main motivation of this function was its use in commercial flights, the name and icon of the plane was consolidated although its use was recommended in other environments such as hospitals or the aforementioned gas stations. 2014 and 5G. After implanted and turned into A standard for several devicesin 2014 things began to change. In September, the European agency EASA He gave the passengers free to use their electronic devices without plane mode. That most lax attitude left the ball on the roof of the airlines, which could maintain or not the mandatory use of the airplane mode and, in fact, many have adopted internal Wi-Fi systems that allow them to earn more money. One of the famous Extras of the companies. Asterisk. While the plane is not going to fall, the use of this way is still promoted for a very specific reason: the crew comfort and controllers. These years, in well -known blogs such as’Ask The Pilotor like Some pilots commentAviation experts have appeared that comment that the way to prevent an annoying buzzing for communications is recommended. And it is logical. As Comment The pilot Rafa San Julián, from Iberia, the aircraft teams are “much more protected than formerly and are much less vulnerable.” Now, the plane mode is still recommended for a very specific reason: technology and Power of mobile networks It advances every few years and “it cannot be predicted if these interference will occur with the new equipment. Therefore, as a safety measure, it is requested that the mobiles put in plane mode so that they do not emit with the same power with which they would issue without that mode,” he says. Concern by the way 5g. And block with what Boeing detected a few years ago. FAA, which is the US aviation agency, He issued Directives warning about possible 5G signal interference in band C (3.7 to 3.98 GHz in the US) Be too close of the frequency used by the radio heights of Boeing and Airbus aircraft (4.2 to 4.4 GHz). These radio altimeters are essential in landing maneuvers and in other systems such as soil proximity notice. The concern would affect airplanes such as Boeing 737, 747, 777 and 787, and would force pilots to perform landing maneuvers in safe and more manual mode. However, no serious accidents or incidents have been reported due to this interference and, if They have canceled or delayed flightsit was due to an increase in caution. In fact, FAA itself command Shortly after a message of tranquility. That distance of 0.22 GHz It is enough As if there are no interference, but at that time it was not more caught. Fly calm. Therefore, not remove the plane mode during a flight will not make the plane fall, but it can generate a buzz or White noise In communications, being annoying for pilots and controllers. Activate it is a good idea to save battery and so that if you are going through a country without roaming and remotely get coverage, do not charge you five euros for downloading a WhatsApp message. Images | Nejc SokličXataka In Xataka | Why more and more pilots use the continuous descent maneuver in the airplanes when it comes to landing

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