Gordon Smith

Gordon Smith is Airlines Editor at Skift and Editor at Airline Weekly. He’s been writing about the sector for more than a decade and enjoyed a front-row seat for some of the aviation industry’s biggest stories. Since joining Skift in January 2024, he has interviewed more than a dozen global airline CEOs, often helping make headlines along the way (special thanks to Michael O’Leary!). His informed insights have led to contributions for international media, including the London Evening Standard and Canada’s CBC Radio.

Latest Stories

Airline Weekly

The Skift Global Forum 2024

15 hours ago

Airlines

JetBlue to Open Airport Lounges in Major Premium Push

Speaking to Skift, JetBlue president Marty St. George said it’s possible to balance a low-cost airline with high-end lounges. If realized as planned, these could be some of the most exclusive spaces of any U.S. carrier.

Gordon Smith | 2 days ago

Airline Weekly

Greece Lightning: The Aegean Airlines Success Story

Aegean Airlines suffered three straight years of losses from 2010 to 2012, aggravated by a surge in fuel prices. This week we discover how Aegean not only survived, but thrived under intense macroeconomic pressure.

5 days ago

Airline Weekly

Southwest’s Evolving Route Network

Airline Weekly analysis of Cirium Diio data shows fascinating shifts in Southwest’s route network over the past decade. In this week’s episode we drill into the detail.

1 week ago

Airlines

Boeing Production Crisis Deepens as Strike Begins at 737 Max Factory

What a difference a few days makes. After delight on Sunday that a tentative deal was reached with union officials, Thursday's overwhelming rejection by members sees Boeing flying into yet another storm.

Gordon Smith | 1 week ago

Airlines

Turkish Airlines Targets Sydney for First Non-Stop Australia Service

Turkish Airlines will land in Sydney for the first time in December, but this is just the warm-up act. Expect things to get really interesting once the company gets new planes capable of flying from Istanbul to Australia non-stop.

Gordon Smith | 1 week ago

Airlines

Southwest Chairman Gary Kelly to Step Down After Activist Pressure

Gary Kelly has been a part of the Southwest family for almost four decades. Will his departure and that of six other board members be enough to keep Elliott happy?

Meghna Maharishi and Gordon Smith, Skift | 2 weeks ago

Airlines

Air Canada Could Shutdown Operations Within Days Amid Fierce Labor Battle

Air Canada's shutdown plan throws fuel onto an already heated dispute. The parties are continuing to talk, but the preparation of contingency measures suggests a total shutdown of the airline by next week is a real and growing possibility.

Gordon Smith | 2 weeks ago

Airline Weekly

Thunder Down Under: Qantas Flexes Its Muscles

Ten years ago Qantas was struggling. Dangerously thin profits, if not outright losses in some periods, drove its then-CEO Alan Joyce to undertake controversial cost-cutting measures. Fast forward to 2024, and Qantas is earning higher margins now than before the pandemic.

2 weeks ago

Airlines

How Holiday Packages are Boosting EasyJet and British Airways

Once snobbishly consigned to the ‘bucket and spade brigade,’ package holidays are one of the fastest-growing products in UK travel. This lucrative opportunity to diversify revenue has not gone unnoticed by British Airways or easyJet, with both airlines rapidly expanding their highly profitable holiday divisions.

Pranjal Pande and Gordon Smith, Skift | 2 weeks ago