- Reuters
Macron seeks to charm Xi into trade concessions in Pyrenees jaunt
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Pyrenees mountains on Tuesday, for the second day of a trip during which Xi showed little sign of being ready to offer major concessions on trade or foreign policy. Macron, who will greet Xi at the Tarbes-Lourdes Pyrenees airport at around 11:40 a.m. (0940 GMT), will take him to have lunch in the mountains dear to him as the birthplace of his maternal grandmother. Advisers to the French president described this as breaking with protocol for a chance for one-on-one direct chats with Xi, without scores of aide on either side.
- Reuters
Etihad CEO considers buying small number of Airbus, Boeing jets
Etihad Airways would consider buying a small number of aircraft from Airbus and Boeing over the next five years if delivery slots opened up, its chief executive said on Monday. Most of those new aircraft will be added through existing orders for Airbus A320s and A350s and Boeing 787s but some would need to be sourced from the leasing market and planemakers. CEO Antonoaldo Neves said Etihad was in talks with lessors and the planemakers in attempt to secure additional jets to supplement those that would be delivered from existing orders.
- Reuters
Spirit Airlines forecasts weak Q2 revenue on slow growth in domestic demand
Spirit Airlines forecast weak second-quarter revenue on Monday due to sluggish improvement in domestic demand and grounding of dozens of its aircraft. The airline is among the most heavily impacted by issues with RTX's Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines, which have forced it to ground multiple aircraft and resulted in high labor expenses and reduced capacity. The carrier estimates it will average about 25 grounded aircraft throughout 2024, while competitors expand their capacity in Spirit Airlines' core markets such as Florida.
