END OF THE LINE. PMM on Blogger. November 30th. 2025. NOW ON SUBSTACK

Well it has been a great ride here. But the reach is pretty poor on Blogger so I am moving Professor's Minute Minute to Substack.

You can find it here: https://professorsminute.substack.com/

This will be my last post here for the PMM. 

It’s pretty dire at SEATAC.

United Airlines is now refusing Seattle cargo because fuel shortages are that bad. An airport that anchors the Pacific Northwest shouldn’t be operating at the margins like a remote outstation — but here we are.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/united-airlines-refuses-seattle-cargo-because-of-fuel-shortage

Not so great in the control towers either.

U.S. air-traffic controllers rejecting a $10,000 retention bonus tells you everything you need to know. The crisis isn’t about money — it’s about burnout, mistrust, and a system stretched far beyond its staffing limits.

https://guessingheadlights.com/air-traffic-controllers-reject-10000-bonus-as-insulting-amid-staffing-crisis/

Going, going, gone.

A nostalgic goodbye: a KLM 747 gets swallowed by time-lapse demolition. A reminder that even icons become scrap metal when the economics shift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyZ9JwLMGTc

MD-11s and MD-10s likely to sit out for a while.

Freight operators are facing extended downtime for inspection cycles, and old tri-holers are the first to feel the pain. No quick return expected.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/md-11-freighters-face-extended-grounding-for-inspections-airline-says

A320s are vulnerable to the sun?

Turns out heat cycles and exposure are stressing components faster than expected. Airbus may not like the headline, but the physics don’t care.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/pw-airbus-a320-rate-75-non-sub-14838637

Quirky: Helicopter-parenting is now literal.

A beautifully written piece about “flying” to check up on college-age kids — and what it says about us.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/11/trailing-helicopter-parent-kids-college/684768/

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

Blogger Labels 

Aviation; Travel Industry; Airlines; PMM Daily; Disruption; Operations; Quirky

MOVING TO SUBSTACK December 1st 2025. PMM — Nov. 29, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

 

** NEW SUBSTACK LOCATION - https://professorsminute.substack.com/ **

Signals, scarcity, scrapped subscriptions, and one very quirky MiG.

L2B… not good.

Filip Filipov breaks down why L2B (Lead-to-Book) metrics collapse in an AI-driven world.

Agentic Travel is coming — and so are the side effects.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/signals-systems-11-agentic-travel-filip-filipov-cafwf/

A fascinating look into ULCC strategy.

Two ultra-low-cost carriers, two opposite trajectories.

Yield vs volume; structure vs stress.

https://weekly.visualapproach.io/p/a-tale-of-two-ulcc-charts

The USA has a new #2 regional airline.

Consolidation, re-fleeting, and a massive shift in who moves America’s passengers.

https://cmemailmarketing.co.uk/A05767353-CMP21428CON3555-RCP2I375487O32-4-TRK49741ENT21428-1-Z-Z-0-0-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z

Ryanair scraps Prime.

The subscription era meets a cold shower.

Prime wasn’t sticky, wasn’t cheap, and wasn’t worth the distraction.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ryanair-scraps-subscription-service-after-costly-trial-2025-11-28/

Slot news: the world’s scarcest resource.

If you want to know who’s winning in global aviation — follow the slots.

https://airserviceone.com/category/air-service-event-news/

Quirky: “Hey Russia — want one back?”

A captured Russian aircraft.

A sarcastic social media request.

The internet delivers the rest.

https://x.com/Daractenus/status/1993678410460357102?s=20

📣 Don’t forget:

Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

Suggested Tags:

#TravelTech #Aviation #Airlines #AirlineStrategy #ULCC #OfferOrder #AgenticAI #PMM #AviationNews #AirlineSlots #Distribution #AviationHistory

MOVING TO SUBSTACK DEC 1. The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 28, 2025

Cancellations, short stories, grounded eVTOL dreams, healthy snacks (apparently), airport innovation, and WhatsApp meets the law.

The real reason your flight was cancelled.  

AirInsight digs into what airlines *don’t* tell you about operational cancellations — and why the official story is often a smokescreen.  

https://mailchi.mp/4450339fc639/airinsight-weekly-10962767?e=35e9b25991

Especially for Thanksgiving.  

Six-Word Memoirs returns with another round of perfectly condensed human truth. Bite-sized brilliance for the holiday weekend.  

https://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/

Finally, someone is being honest about eVTOL.  

A rare moment of realism in a hype-filled sector: eVTOL dreams meet infrastructure, economics, and physics.  

https://cmemailmarketing.co.uk/A05767353-CMP21433CON3560-RCP2I375487O32-4-TRK49840ENT21433-1-Z-Z-0-0-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z

Now he wants us to eat healthy. Hmmm.  

Congressman Sean Duffy thinks he can improve airline snacks. The public… let’s say the jury is still out.  

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/us/sean-duffy-healthier-plane-snacks.html

Innovation in airports.  

ACI World and Amadeus unveil the “World’s Most Innovative Airports” list. Some surprises — and a few glaring omissions.  

https://aci.aero/2025/11/26/aci-world-and-amadeus-announce-the-worlds-most-innovative-airports-at-2025-technology-innovation-awards/

Quirky: Not even WhatsApp escapes the long hand of the law.  

Italy expands its antitrust probe into WhatsApp’s AI integrations. Europe never sleeps.  

http://globalcompetitionreview.com/article/italy-expands-whatsapp-ai-tying-probe-amid-eu-interest

Abstract: 

• Abstract blue geometric illustration representing aviation, travel and technology, used as the daily PMM visual identity.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.  

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com  

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

Aviation, Airlines, Travel, Airports, EVTOL, Innovation, Regulation, Antitrust, Technology, PMM

PMM — Nov. 27, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

***NEW HOME FOR PMM STARTS DECEMBER 1 2025 ON SUBSTACK

Today’s mix: Surveys, shaky numbers, shifting power, broken search economics, phantom aircraft orders, and a cold splash of antitrust reality.

Travel Weekly’s big industry survey — can we actually use the data?

The annual Travel Weekly Industry Survey is out, and as always it’s a mirror of how suppliers want to be seen as much as how they actually behave. But there are nuggets worth mining — segmentation, spend trends, distribution pressures. The question is: how much of this can be operationalized without falling into self-reported fantasy?

https://www.travelweekly.com/Industry-Survey-2025

A number that feels wrong. Very wrong.

The headline claim in this report looks glossy, but I struggle to accept the math at face value. Assumptions drive everything — and here the assumptions appear… optimistic. Before buying the narrative, you may want to check the model.

https://alphacomm.io/fmdg-2026/fmdg-2026-webinar-travel#sign-up-form

“Asia as the new global centre” — a fine thesis, but incomplete.

This piece argues the West has ceded dominance and that Asia now anchors the global order. A compelling narrative — but sweeping geopolitical models age about as well as airline celebrity ads. Worth reading, but not worth betting the portfolio on.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-asia-new-global-centre-dr-parag-khanna-darmc/

Search is broken — performance marketing is in structural decline.

Google’s NUM100 changes have upended the entire economics of performance marketing. CPC up, ROI down, conversion loops disrupted. This is not a cycle. It’s a structural reset that hits travel harder than most industries.

https://searchengineland.com/google-num100-impact-data-462231

A firm order is not a firm order.

Dubai’s order announcements looked spectacular… until you read the footnotes. Aviation Week’s analysis shows the narrowbody backlog is thinning and that “firm” often means “politically convenient.” Reality is far less shiny than the press releases.

https://aviationweek.com/awin-knowledge-center/data-narrowbody-firm-orders-run-dry-dubai

Quirky: Antitrust is about to get very real.

He promised he’d go after big corporations. Many assumed it was rhetorical theatre. This piece suggests otherwise — and if enforcement doesn't ramp up, a lot of travel companies should be nervous.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/opinion/trump-antitrust-corporations-consumers.html

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#Aviation #TravelTech #Airlines #SearchMarketing #Distribution #Economics #PMM #TravelIndustry #AsiaPacific #Antitrust #AgenticAI

PMM — Nov. 26, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

 

Well, this is bold.

Schiphol is planning a €10B terminal expansion—an eye-watering investment for an airport still operating under political and environmental capacity caps. The ambition is enormous; the ROI is… harder to see.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/schiphol-sets-out-massive-eu10b-investment-new-terminal-plans

A real look at the TSA inspection changes.

The National Academies report on U.S. airport security enhancements is finally out. It’s dense but important—especially for anyone who thought the screening revisions were cosmetic. The operational impact is deeper than it looks.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/29288

Somehow this feels very hollow.

IATA’s call for “strengthened industry partnerships” reads like something written by a committee staring at a clock. The problems are clear, but the solutions offered here feel recycled.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/iata-industry-partners-call-strengthened-smcje/

Too good to be true? Someone checked.

Frontier’s Go Wild pass promises unlimited travel. AwardWallet broke down the actual economics so you don’t have to. Spoiler: if something sounds impossible… it probably is.

https://awardwallet.com/airlines/frontier-go-wild-pass/

Quirky: When AI chatbots fight back.

The New York Times’ Letters to the Editor section delivered a gem: humans annoyed that chatbots are “too opinionated.” The future is weird.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/science/letters-to-the-editor-ai-chatbots.html

Image description

A clean, modern, abstract geometric background in a blue palette used for the Professor’s Minute Minute daily edition. No text, no symbols—just layered shapes evoking motion, direction, and complexity.

📣 Don’t forget:

Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and catch the Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn & Instagram.

More musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

Old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#Travel #Aviation #Airlines #PMM #TravelTech #AviationNews #Airports #AgenticAI #OfferOrder #AviationPolicy #AirlineStrategy #AviationSafety #TravelIndustry

PMM — Nov. 25, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

 

The regulator steps in.

Portugal has reminded Ryanair that refusing passengers with paper boarding passes is not just rude — it’s illegal. A rare case of a regulator showing teeth.

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2025/11/14/portugal-warns-ryanair-cannot-refuse-passengers-with-paper-boarding-passes

Give us another chance, please.

Canadian airports would really like you to stop avoiding them. Hard to blame passengers for hesitating — reliability is everything.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/waterloo-region-record/20251121/281728390804739

A gift horse? Maybe not.

Delta’s “bonus miles” on gift cards… are still gift cards. A clever revenue trick, but not exactly consumer-friendly.

https://awardwallet.com/news/delta-skymiles/bonus-miles-gift-cards/

Air Transat turbulence.

Pilots have opened a strike vote and are picketing in Montreal and Toronto. Canada’s leisure market does not need more instability.

https://www.paxnews.com/news/airline/air-transat-pilots-open-strike-vote-picket-montreal-toronto

5G/6G interference is real — and expensive.

IATA’s latest release underscores what engineers have been warning for years: the interference issues with altimeters are not theoretical.

https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-11-20-01/

Quirky: Lawyers frequently win.

The saga of Charlie Javice continues. If there’s one certainty in America, it’s that litigation outlives all logic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/business/charlie-javice-jpmorgan-legal-bills.html?nl=From+The+Times

Archive Links (Standard Footer)

📚 Full Archive: https://t2ni.blogspot.com

🗄️ Substack Archive: https://professorsminute.substack.com/archive

✈️ Old Tumblr Archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

📣 Remember: Best of the Week every Sunday on LinkedIn + Instagram.

Suggested Tags

#Travel #Aviation #Airlines #Regulation #Canada #Delta #IATA #5G #PilotUnions #Quirky

PMM — Nov. 24, 2025: The Stories That Matter Today

Textron brings the Bonanza and Baron era to a close.

A quiet ending to two of general aviation’s most iconic workhorses — aircraft that trained, transported, and defined generations of pilots. Legacy fleets rarely fade loudly, but this one deserves attention.

https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/aircraft-propulsion/textron-aviation-halt-baron-bonanza-production

Google launches a travel booking engine — just don’t call it an OTA.

This is Google tightening its grip on travel intent. Their new agentic-style booking tool looks, behaves, and smells like an OTA. But of course, officially, it isn’t. The semantics won’t comfort anyone in the industry.

https://www.phocuswire.com/google-agentic-travel-booking-ai

Delta rolls out “Locals.”

An airline launching a community platform is… unusual. It feels like Delta wants to become a lifestyle brand for the neighborhoods it serves. Could work. Could also become the next Clubhouse.

https://deltalocals.com/

TSA volumes this week will tell us everything.

Thanksgiving traffic is the annual X-ray of the U.S. travel system. Infrastructure, staffing, airline scheduling discipline — it’s all laid bare. Watch for spikes, bottlenecks, and political noise.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-volumes

A stretched A220? The idea refuses to die.

Technically feasible. Commercially attractive. Politically complicated. The market keeps nudging Airbus toward the A220 that airlines really want — even if it threatens the A320 family.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/scherer-a220-dubai-non-sub?e=188028c67b

RIP Wing Commander Namansh Syal.

A reminder that aviation is built on the dedication and risk of real people. Wing Commander Syal, a respected Tejas pilot, died in service. His loss is felt far beyond India.

https://shop.ssbcrack.com/blogs/blog/meet-wing-commander-namansh-syal-brave-fighter-pilot-killed-in-tejas-crash

📚 Archives

Full archive: https://t2ni.blogspot.com

Main blog: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

Old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

Suggested Tags

#Aviation #TravelTech #Airlines #AgenticAI #GoogleTravel #A220 #DeltaAirLines #TSA #Aircraft #PMM #ProfessorSabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 23

 

PhocusWright 2025 wrapped up this week, and The Professor was on site — low on voice, high on observation. Here’s today’s quick take on what mattered.

PhocusWright 2025 ran at full buzz, with the usual promises, projections, and hallway revelations.

https://www.phocuswrightconference.com/Program/Conference-Program-Overview

The global travel outlook is shading gloomy, as financial expectations dip and demand signals lose clarity.

https://platform.airfinanceglobal.com/Articles/3598543?from=weekly

Moody’s delivered a rare upbeat moment — upgrades for several, including a well-earned nod to United.

https://www.moodys.com/researchandratings/region/004001/005000002

The hidden cost burdens of travel retailing continue to mount — search, servicing, and the invisible infrastructure strain nobody talks about.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/most-travellers-think-a-flight-or-hotel-price-share-7397545519486586880-v9WK

Data lovers: this week delivered a deep and fascinating document filled with segmentation, ratios, and behavioural insight.

https://app-na1.hubspotdocuments.com/documents/4944247/view/1536696414

Quirky: the simple joy — and surprising psychology — of watching the world drift by in “third places.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/04/third-places-meet-new-people-pandemic/629468/

📣 Don’t forget:

Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com

Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn & Instagram

The Professor’s longer essays: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

The legacy archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

PhocusWright 2025, Travel Industry, Aviation, Airline Finance, Moody’s, Travel Costs, Travel Data, Third Places, The Professor’s Minute Minute, PMM Daily, Blue Period Series

PMM — Nov. 22, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

 Today’s set: Boeing’s lost win, a leap into air taxis, space tourism’s status, France enforcing disruption, airport queue oddities, and the development funding retreat.

Why Boeing lost FlyDubai.

A “please don’t mention us” URL pushes the story — why did Boeing lose the FlyDubai order? Questions around timing, risk, and reputation.

🔗 https://cmemailmarketing.co.uk/A05767353-CMP21410CON3533-RCP2I375487O32-4-TRK49303ENT21410-1-Z-Z-0-0-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z

Someone takes the plunge.

Dubai rolls out its role as the birth-place of air taxis. Bold vision meets complex execution.

🔗 https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/why-dubai-is-the-birthplace-of-air-taxis-1.500351821

Is Space Tourism a thing? Perhaps.

Singapore Airshow’s Space Summit poses the question — is space tourism going from hype toward real utility?

🔗 http://spacesummit.singaporeairshow.com/agenda/

France does what should have been done a while ago.

New French enforcement: delay or disrupt a flight and you may pay. Regulation catching up with airline behaviour.

🔗 https://simpleflying.com/disrupt-a-flight-pay-the-price-france-fines/

A NEW CATEGORY… Weird.

Virtual queues for aircraft: planes stay at gate until take-off slot? It’s viral, unusual — but airports don’t work that way.

🔗 https://viewfromthewing.com/viral-virtual-queue-idea-says-planes-should-stay-at-the-gate-until-their-turn-to-take-off-but-thats-not-how-airports-actually-work/

Quirky: Sad but fixable.

The world’s richest nations are reducing global development aid. The drop is unfortunate, but reversable.

🔗 https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/worlds-richest-nations-are-pulling-back-global-development-efforts-study-show-2025-11-20/

Archives & Extras

Daily Professor’s Minute Minute archive: https://t2ni.blogspot.com

Full Substack archive: https://professorsminute.substack.com/archive

Alt-Text for image:

A geometric abstract illustration in deep blue hues with airplane silhouettes, navigation lines, and layered data patterns – representing aviation, travel and technology complexity.

Tags (standard PMM set):

Aviation · Airlines · Travel Industry · Travel Tech · AI · Economics · Infrastructure · Risk · Innovation · PMM

PMM — Nov. 21, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

 

Today’s mix: Japan wants digital nomads (but fewer tourists), Iberia pushes the A321XLR, Europe takes stock of itself, Florida becomes launch country, a dramatic moment in an NTSB report, and a Quirky uncertainty spike.

Japan wants you. Just not as a tourist.

Japan is exploring ways to attract digital nomads — even as the country struggles with overtourism. The contradiction is almost elegant: “Please come, but also… don’t come too much.”

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3329326/japan-eyes-boost-digital-nomads-despite-overtourism-crisis

Iberia says great. The flight attendants not so much.

Iberia is expanding long-haul operations with the A321XLR. Management is thrilled. Cabin crew… considerably less so. Narrow-body long-haul remains a very mixed blessing.

https://www.travelmole.com/news/iberia-strengthens-its-long-haul-network-with-a321xlr/

Europe: State of the State.

The annual State of European Tech is out, and it’s a sobering snapshot. Capital concentration, talent scarcity, and uneven national policies dominate. Europe is stable — but fragile.

https://www.stateofeuropeantech.com/

Space is booming in Florida.

Space launches in Florida are accelerating fast. Infrastructure, investment, and manufacturing are surging — and the state is quietly becoming the world’s most important launch corridor.

https://app.go.informamail03.com/e/es.aspx?s=966913078&e=1369728&elqTrackId=dbba9200e2ab48d88739356db370e303&elq=13e2bd1d778b4aa9b4a8cd227a91bfd6&elqaid=58959&elqat=1&elqak=8AF5475D40399535EFE7316D05A32EB9F2AD2063ACC90E20BAD77768A4D066AC099B

Dramatic.

The NTSB’s preliminary UPS crash report includes a hair-raising moment when an engine separates from the aircraft. A reminder that even in 2025, aviation’s safety margin is earned, not assumed.

https://leehamnews.com/2025/11/20/ntsb-issues-preliminary-report-of-ups-crash-with-dramatic-moment-engine-leaves-airplane/

Quirky.

The future of airfinance? Unsettled. Capital, rates, and geopolitics are reshaping expectations — and none of it agrees on the next 24 months.

https://platform.airfinanceglobal.com/Articles/3598543?from=weekly

---

ARCHIVES

Full PMM archive: https://t2ni.blogspot.com

Professor’s Minute Minute main archive: https://professorsminute.substack.com/archive

IMAGE ALT-TEXT (for when you insert the image):

“A geometric, Picasso-blue abstract illustration representing global travel, aviation, and uncertainty — with stylized aircraft silhouettes, data motifs, and directional shapes suggesting movement and volatility.”

PMM — Nov. 20, 2025: The 6 Stories That Matter

Today’s mix: quality theatre, digital ambition, painful reminders, AI hype curves, regional jet reality, and a quirky American identity check.

1. Boeing tries to sell a quality story

A broken piece of spruce wood becomes Boeing’s latest attempt at retelling its “quality journey.”

It’s charming. It’s corporate. But it still doesn’t answer the bigger question: can storytelling fix systemic manufacturing weakness?

🔗 https://www.boeing.com/features/2025/11/how-a-broken-piece-of-spruce-set-boeing-on-its-quality-journey

2. IATA’s digital travel manifesto

IATA’s latest dispatch tries to paint a unified future of seamless, digital-first travel.

The ideas are right. The execution still depends on the slowest players — and the least interoperable systems.

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-industry-trends-now-available-also-lsoke/

3. Airbus smacks Boeing — again

FlyDubai ordering 150 Airbus aircraft is more than a headline.

It’s a warning shot. Boeing’s widebody hopes can’t mask the narrowbody gap — and the Middle East is voting with its wallet.

🔗 https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-wins-150-jet-order-flydubai-2025-11-18/

4. “AI will let anyone be a travel agent”

Another confident take that AI turns everybody into an instant travel professional.

Tools get smarter; people don’t. Expertise still matters — and the gap widens when AI hallucination meets real-world logistics.

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/biggest-impact-ai-travel-anybody-can-agent-steve-endacott-maere/

5. The regional jet paradox

Visual Approach nails it: high concentration hides surprising stability.

RJs aren’t dead — they’re just awkward. Expensive to operate, essential to networks, and trapped by pilot math.

🔗 https://weekly.visualapproach.io/p/the-regional-jet-risk-paradox-how-high-concentration-masks-hidden-stability

6. Quirky: What makes an immigrant in the USA?

A NYT survey reveals how Americans define “immigrant” — and how wildly inconsistent the answers are.

It’s sociology disguised as politics, wrapped in confusion.

🔗 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/us/immigrants-survey-trump.html

Alt-Text (for your image box if you add one later)

A geometric, cubist-inspired blue-toned digital composition with aircraft silhouettes, clouds, runways, charts, and data symbols — representing modern aviation and travel complexity.

📚 Daily PMM Archive: https://t2ni.blogspot.com

📚 Old Archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

📬 Substack Home: https://professorsminute.substack.com

---

Tags (LinkedIn)

#Aviation #Airlines #TravelIndustry #AviationNews #AeroTech #DigitalTravel

#AirlineStrategy #Aerospace #AIinTravel #GenAI #AgenticAI #AviationEconomics

#FutureOfTravel #AviationInsights #TravelTech #AvGeek #Infrastructure #Strategy

PMM — Nov. 19, 2025: The Stories That Matter

 

Boeing’s 777X edges forward… slowly

The 777X moves into its next certification phase. Progress is progress — but this is now one of the slowest-moving certification sagas in commercial aviation history. The industry’s patience is wearing thin.

🔗 https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/boeing-777x-moves-next-certification-phase

Net Zero optimism meets physics, politics, and money

Bold visions are nice. Delivering them is harder. Another think-piece on Net Zero tries to rally momentum, but the gap between ambition and execution still feels uncomfortably wide.

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/road-net-zero-reviving-momentum-mobilizing-financing-dr-parag-khanna-fmqrc/

Emirates doubles down on very large aircraft

With 65 more 777Xs ordered — and support for a 777-10 feasibility study — Emirates is quietly shaping what could become the A380 replacement they always wanted, even if the rest of the industry didn’t.

🔗 https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/emirates-orders-65-more-777xs-supports-777-10-feasibility-study

Qantas pulls innovation in-house

Given their deep Amadeus integration, this was inevitable. Qantas’ new innovation centre promises agility — but history suggests airlines struggle to build and scale tech on their own. Skepticism warranted.

🔗 https://worldaviationfestival.com/blog/airlines/qantas-innovation-centre-brings-tech-development-in-house/

Virgin rethinks loyalty — again

Virgin Atlantic adds a new spin to loyalty. Their timing is smart, but the market is saturated, cynical, and increasingly transactional. Breaking through will take more than clever packaging.

🔗 https://www.virginatlantic.com/en-US/flying-club/flying-club-news

Quirky — Are snowbirds… disappearing?

Canadian travel to Arizona is dropping sharply. If the trend holds, the seasonal “snowbird economy” — a cultural fixture for decades — may be headed for extinction.

🔗 https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/airlines/2025/11/17/canadian-travel-drop-sky-harbor-impacts-arizona-economy/82570988007/

---

Image (paste this alt-text into Substack’s alt-text field)

Alt-text:

A modern geometric illustration in deep blues, showing abstract aircraft shapes, data patterns, and atmospheric gradients in a cubist style, designed as a header image for a daily aviation and travel industry briefing.

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 18 Edition

Six stories. One quirky twist. Sharp edges intact.

If the Dubai Air Show used to be a circus, this year it feels more like a polite shareholder meeting — fewer fireworks, more calculus. That set the tone for the whole day: everyone pretending things are “stable” while quietly trying not to say the word downturn too loudly.

And yes, we still managed to squeeze in a gadget, a market shock, a passenger-experience fiasco, and a Quirky entry so bizarre it reads like airport-themed performance art.

Here we go.

Dubai Air Show: The Volumes Aren’t Voluming

Link: Leeham News

The Dubai Air Show used to be the Olympics of order announcements — billions flying in every direction, Airbus and Boeing throwing elbows.

This year? Polite clapping and carefully-worded optimism. The 777X may see orders, but the swagger is gone.

The mood tells the truth: confidence is fragile, and the industry knows it.

Airbus Still Clinging to 75 A320s/Month

Link: The Air Current

Airbus insists it can still get to rate 75.

Engine makers, supply chain realities, and physics all raise an eyebrow.

As always: ambition is free, execution is not.

If production goals were airline seats, Airbus just announced “no-middle-seat-blocking” again.

When the Magnificent 7 Catch a Cold, the Market Gets Pneumonia

Link: KillerCharts

The data doesn’t lie: when the Magnificent 7 stub a toe, the entire market face-plants.

Earnings growth, the darling metric of 2023-2025, is now wobbling.

Travel, tech, AI — everyone gets pulled into the turbulence whether they earned it or not.

Need Sleep on a Flight? These Gadgets Tried Their Best

Link: Health Insider

Five sleep gadgets. Five months of testing.

The verdict: none of them turn economy class into a spa, but some at least make the nightmare survivable.

Useful takeaway: invest in anything that stabilizes your head. Gravity remains undefeated.

Wheelchair Assistance Has Become… a Drama Genre

Link: IndianEagle

Wheelchair-assistance abuse has reached peak OTT melodrama in India’s airports.

Perfectly able passengers requesting wheelchairs for faster processing is now a full-blown operational crisis.

Airports are overwhelmed, staff are exhausted, and genuine passengers are suffering.

It’s the worst version of “life hack” culture.

Quirky: The Jetway Jesus

Link: WheelchairTravel.org

A man who pretended to be disabled so he could escort passengers through jetways — blessing them as he went.

Yes, seriously.

Somewhere between bizarre performance art, fraud, and the world’s weirdest airport religion.

Perfect Quirky material.

#travelnews #aviation #airlines #markets #Magnificent7 #DubaiAirShow #A320 #supplychain #passengerexperience #sleeptech #quirkytravel #ProfessorSabena

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

---

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 17th, 2025

 

Today’s Six: Risk, Reality, and the Usual Aviation Madness

EWR should probably get fixed one day.

Newark’s relocation of air-traffic controllers has created yet another layer of operational fragility. This piece sums up how the system bends until it breaks. One day someone might actually fix it.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/newark-relocated-controllers-non-sub?e=188028c67b

I just think this is wishful thinking.

Amex GBT’s forecast for “stable US airfares in 2026” feels like a marketing slide, not an economic model. Fuel volatility, labour costs, consolidation pressure… nothing suggests “stable.”

https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Intelligence/Amex-GBT-Forecasts-Stable-US-Airfares-in-2026

Should public assets be used to back Virgin?

Virgin Atlantic has raised £745M against Heathrow slots. The question remains: should critical public infrastructure effectively be used as private collateral?

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/virgin-atlantic-raises-745m-against-heathrow-slots

A useful reminder: those spam emails are not legal. Fight back.

The FTC’s CAN-SPAM guide is clear. Most of the junk in your inbox is illegal. Most senders know it. Very few care. Consumers should.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

The scale is staggering. So is the risk.

AI spend is now projected at USD 1.5 trillion. That number is so large it hides the structural risks. Concentration. Energy dependency. Fragility. Over-promising. Under-explaining.

https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-09-17-gartner-says-worldwide-ai-spending-will-total-1-point-5-trillion-in-2025

Quirky: Airline celebrity ads.

From TikTok to long-form brand fluff, airline celebrity endorsements rarely age well. Still, this compilation is amusing.

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/tiktok-airline-celebrity-endorsements

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #AI #Cybersecurity #Amadeus #AWS #China #Freighters #Kago #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 16

 

A way to think of the future.

Amsterdam’s 109-year-old airport looks forward to its next century of operations — and the report is a masterclass in infrastructure renewal, long-horizon planning, and what happens when governments, airlines, and operators actually think 50 years ahead.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/infrastructure/our-insights/amsterdams-109-year-old-airport-prepares-for-its-next-century

RED FLAG WARNING.

A proxy-vote executive order that could let political actors influence trillions of dollars of index-fund holdings? This is the kind of regulatory earthquake that will eventually hit airlines, travel, tourism, sustainability, and ESG disclosures. It’s bad.

https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/trump-executive-order-proxy-index-fund-votes-638f396e

KSA is becoming a real player.

If you want to understand Saudi Arabia’s travel future, follow this company. Almosafer + Amadeus strengthening their AI partnership is a major marker for how the Kingdom is structuring its digital travel ecosystem.

https://www.ttnworldwide.com/ArticleTA/330407/-Almosafer,-Amadeus-strengthen-AI-travel-partnership

Space is not a good place for fraud.

A man who raised money for a “space technology” company that didn’t exist has been found guilty. A reminder that hype cycles always produce more scammers than innovators.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/man-who-defrauded-investors-sham-technology-company-found-guilty-wire-fraud-and-money

Pay attention. This cutback is staying in place.

The FAA will keep a 6% reduction in domestic flight volumes — even after funding approval. The impacts will trickle into schedules, connectivity, pricing, and delays through peak seasons.

https://www.gatechecked.com/faa-to-keep-6-cutback-on-domestic-flights-despite-federal-funding-approval-11024

Quirky: Yup, they screw up too.

China lost four spy satellites. A rare reminder that even the most sophisticated systems occasionally face glorious operational face-plants.

https://www.intelligenceonline.com/asia-pacific/2025/11/13/beijing-loses-four-key-spy-satellites%2C110559176-art

Image Description (for generation)

A Picasso Blue-Period, Cubist-style landscape in cool blues and muted grays. Symbolic elements: a future-airport skyline with geometric terminal forms; a fractured red warning triangle for the proxy-vote risk; an abstracted KSA desert motif with a rising AI-themed arc for Almosafer; a tumbling satellite to represent the fraud conviction; a truncated aircraft silhouette showing reduced domestic capacity; and fragmented satellite shapes falling across the canvas for the quirky item. No text, no logos, max two subtle brand-colour hints.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 15, 2025

 

AI grows up, real usage evolves, A380 optimism, friendly regulators, lasting cuts… and airports dreaming of tomorrow.

AI Gets Serious — In a Good Way.

Data + AI are finally reshaping aviation in practical, operational ways. Less hype, more applied value.

https://www.phocuswire.com/data-ai-reshaping-aviation

Real People Are Actually Using ChatGPT — And Getting Better At It.

The Washington Post shows how usage is shifting from novelty to competence. The learning curve is flattening fast.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/12/how-people-use-chatgpt-data/

A380 Lovers, Rejoice.

Emirates wants 110 operational A380s by end-2026. A fleet of 123 built, some already cannibalized — but the superjumbo still refuses to die.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/emirates-aims-110-operational-a380s-end-2026

DoJ Gives Airlines Room to Breathe.

Shutdown compliance flexibility from the DoJ — how thoughtful. Sometimes the “cartel” gets a compassionate moment.

https://globalcompetitionreview.com/gcr-usa/article/doj-gives-airlines-room-comply-shutdown

Cuts Will Be With Us For a While.

FAA safety data confirms flight reductions are not temporary. This is structural, not a blip.

https://theaircurrent.com/feed/dispatches/larsen-dot-flight-cuts-faa-safety-data/

Quirky: The Future Will Arrive… Eventually.

McKinsey’s take on “the next normal” for airports. Every few decades, terminals reinvent themselves — slowly, but spectacularly.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-next-normal/airports

Image Description (for generation)

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628), cool blues with muted contrasts. Symbolic elements: structured data blocks turning into aircraft shapes for AI reshaping aviation; a human silhouette interacting with layered dialogue or logic nodes for real ChatGPT usage; a large, iconic A380 silhouette emerging proudly; a softened scale or handshake for DoJ regulatory leniency; a thinning flight-path grid for persistent FAA cuts; and a futuristic terminal archway for the quirky “future airports” theme. No text or logos, max two subtle brand-color hints.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #AI #A380 #DOJ #FAA #Airports #AvGeek #Future

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 14, 2025

 

Hacks, valuations, AI booms, new platforms, lawsuits, and a gadget straight out of sci-fi.

This Didn’t Take Too Long to Surface.

Hackers find fresh ways to exploit AI systems. The problem isn’t that AI learns—it’s what it learns about you.

https://es-la.tenable.com/blog/hackedgpt-novel-ai-vulnerabilities-open-the-door-for-private-data-leakage

3rd-Party Reviews Make for Good Reading.

Analysts dissect Amadeus’s valuation post-Q3. A sober take that’s refreshingly outside the echo chamber.

https://simplywall.st/stocks/es/consumer-services/bme-ams/amadeus-it-group-shares/news/amadeus-bmeams-valuation-in-focus-after-strong-q3-earnings-a

China’s AI Boom Is Just Getting Started.

Growth is exponential, ambition is boundless. The West might want to look up from its policy papers.

https://killercharts.blog/p/chinas-ai-boom-is-just-getting-started

AWS Keeps Expanding Its Bedfellows.

IBS Software launches an “AI-first” airline retailing platform with AWS. The cloud just got more crowded.

https://www.aviationbusinessnews.com/industry-news/ibs-software-launches-ai-first-modern-retailing-airline-platform-in-collaboration-with-aws/

Oh Dear—This One Will Run for a While.

Precision Aircraft Solutions vs. Mammoth Freighters hits the courts. Two titans, one big conversion fight.

https://www.law.com/radar/card/pm-60692016-precision-aircraft-solutions-llc-v-mammoth-freighters-llc

Quirky: The Rideable AI Wagon.

Because walking your luggage is so 2024. Kago’s AI-powered outdoor wagon lets you ride instead.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kago/kago-the-worlds-first-rideable-ai-powered-outdoor-wagon

Image Description (for generation)

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in deep blues with muted grays. Symbolic elements: fragmented circuitry and a leaking data stream for AI vulnerability; a magnifying glass over a rising valuation block for Amadeus; a dynamic skyline and rising data arcs for China’s AI surge; interlinked cloud and aircraft motifs for AWS and IBS partnership; two opposing aircraft silhouettes locked in tension for the freighter lawsuit; and a whimsical motorized luggage cart or wagon silhouette for the quirky AI rideable gadget. No text or logos, maximum two subtle brand-color hints integrated into the design.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #AI #Cybersecurity #Amadeus #AWS #China #Freighters #Kago #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 13, 2025

Takeovers, antitrust echoes, AI at breakfast, frictionless borders, baggage smarts, and a runway that stops traffic.

I Deny I Had Anything to Do With It.

Creditors approve the U.S.-based Air T takeover of REX. Expect statements, denials, and maybe a few “strategic synergies.”

https://travelweekly.com.au/creditors-approve-us-based-air-t-takeover-of-rex/

The Piper Has to Be Paid—Eventually.

Competition regulators sharpen their pencils. Deferred pain is still pain.

https://www.mlex.com/mlex/antitrust/articles/2409714

It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore.

Who’s actually using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude? Spoiler: probably you—before your first coffee.

https://killercharts.blog/p/whos-actually-using-ai-tools-like

Everybody’s Doing It. Even the Brits.

UK border trials of contactless entry—no passports, no problem. What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/uk-airport-border-trials-contactless-no-passports-g7mt5g8z5

For Baggage Geeks Only.

Airports need to stop buying baggage systems blind. The analytics are in—check before you lift.

https://www.beumergroup.com/knowledge/airport/data-analytics-airports-shouldnt-just-pay-for-any-bhs-service-heres-what-to-look-out-for/

Quirky: The Airport Where Planes Cross the Road.

At Gibraltar International Airport, the runway famously cuts across the main road linking the territory to Spain. When a flight takes off or lands, traffic lights halt cars—just like a train crossing.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/gibraltar-airport-runway-road/index.html

Image Description (for generation)

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in cool blues. Symbolic elements: interlocking aircraft silhouettes for the REX takeover; a tilted balance scale and document scroll for antitrust tension; a steaming coffee cup wired with AI circuits for “breakfast with bots”; an abstract passport gate glowing contactless for UK border trials; a swirling conveyor of cubes and data lines for baggage analytics; and a road bisecting a runway under an approaching aircraft for the quirky Gibraltar crossing. No text or logos; at most two subtle brand-colour hints integrated into the art.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Airlines #AI #Baggage #Antitrust #REX #Biometrics #Gibraltar #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 12, 2025

 

Climate progress stalls, distractions in Washington, certification inches forward, health warnings, and… want to work for IATA?

America, Where Are You?

The Paris climate goals are slipping — and the US is not where it needs to be. A stark visual reminder.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/07/climate/paris-agreement-climate.html?nl=The+World

(Link Redacted – Appears Invalid or Incomplete)

A link was provided but appears corrupted or incomplete. If you share a working version, I’ll insert it into the correct position.

Like Lawmakers Have Nothing Else to Do…

US lawmakers now want Delta to explain its AI ticketing plans. Of all the things to focus on right now… really?

https://cybernews.com/ai-news/us-lawmakers-demand-delta-explain-ai-ticketing-plans-letter-nov-18/

The Big Twin Advances.

Boeing’s 777X inches forward in FAA certification trials. Progress — but slow, cautious, and heavily scrutinized.

https://theaircurrent.com/aircraft-development/boeing-faa-777x-certification-trials/

Not Good News — GET VACCINATED.

Major health warnings as cases spike. A reminder: vaccines matter, especially if you travel.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7e2lv4r8xo

Quirky: Think You Have What It Takes?

IATA is hiring. Yes, really — apply if you’re brave enough.

https://iata.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/3134

Image Description (for generation)

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in layered blues, with subtle contrast. Symbolic elements: a fading or partially shaded US silhouette against a warming globe for climate inaction; a cluttered Capitol Hill or congressional paper stack for political distraction; a ticket or boarding pass with AI circuitry for Delta scrutiny; a stylised 777X with certification check marks for Boeing progress; a syringe or shield motif blending into a travel icon for vaccination urgency; and a whimsical job-application doorway labelled only with neutral symbols (not text) for the IATA “apply” quirky element. No text or logos anywhere; max 2 subtle brand-color hints.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Climate #777X #AI #Health #IATA #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 11, 2025

Skepticism, surveys, confessions, courts, blame games… and Mercury is messing with us.

Let’s Just Say I Am Skeptical.

IATA’s latest pronouncement deserves a raised eyebrow. Progress? Or just another press release?

https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-11-06-02/

Airline Surveys — I Remain Unimpressed.

Another IATA survey, another round of “nothing to see here.” If you feel underwhelmed, you’re not alone.

https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-11-05-02/

Confessions of a Front-of-Cabin Traveller.

Mistakes at the pointy end of the plane — we’ve all made them. This one is worth a read and a smile.

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/inspiration/comment-inspiration/mistakes-ive-made-at-the-pointy-end-of-the-plane-2k3g5786t

Judges Step In… They Really Shouldn’t.

Courts interfering in aviation crash investigations? This sets a worrying precedent.

https://simpleflying.com/india-court-air-india-crash-pilot/

Wizz Blames the Tools — Convenient.

Wizz Air defers 88 A321XLRs. Sometimes it’s not the tools… it’s the carpenter.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/wizz-air-confirms-a321xlr-reduction-88-aircraft-deferred

Quirky: Mercury is in Retrograde… Again.

Prepare for tech glitches, travel mishaps, and cosmic excuses. Buckle up for planetary turbulence.

https://katu.com/news/offbeat/we-enter-mercury-retrograde-this-weekend-what-does-that-mean-and-how-will-it-affect-us

Image Description (for generation)

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in layered blues. Symbolic elements: a skeptical raised eyebrow or tilted scales for IATA skepticism; a broken clipboard or survey sheet for airline survey fatigue; a front-of-cabin aircraft nose with a small confession symbol (e.g., hand raised); a gavel clashing with an aircraft tail for court interference; a toolbox with an airplane wing awkwardly sticking out for Wizz “blaming the tools”; and a stylised planet with swirling retrograde arrows for the quirky Mercury motif. No text or logos anywhere. Max 2 subtle brand-color hints only.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Air

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 10, 2025

Political winds, earnings whispers, tech advances, AI arms races, and wanderlust measured.

What is the Logic? Probably Political. READ THIS.

A thought-provoking take on how politics might be shaping airline decisions — and you should be reading it.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/skeptical-airlines-non-sub?e=188028c67b

Hmmm — Want to Hear All That Was Said?

The full transcript of SABR’s earnings call is out. For those who want every nuance of airline distribution strategy.

https://www.morningstar.com/stocks/xnas/sabr/earnings-transcripts

Amadeus’s Money-Printing Machine Advances.

Amadeus reports strong profit growth over nine months. Distribution still pays — for some.

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/amadeus-9-month-net-profit-rises

Here It Is — The First Joby Hybrid eVTOL.

A LinkedIn post reveals Joby’s first flight-capable hybrid eVTOL prototype. Urban air mobility is inching forward.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marcel-smits-7b89a014_and-here-it-is-the-first-joby-hybrid-evtol-share-7392792913316835329-ihO9

Do Independents Stand a Chance in the AI Arms Race?

As AI channels explode, the question is whether independent agencies can keep up. The ecosystem is consolidating fast.

https://www.phocuswire.com/why-ai-induced-channel-explosion-win-independents

Quirky: Wanderlust Measured.

Yes, someone quantified wanderlust — and the results are interesting. Travel desire just got a metric.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/new-study-the-science-of-wanderlust-ugcPost-7389384916293173249-D5WR

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in cool blues with subtle warm accents. Symbolic elements: a political chessboard motif for airlines’ political logic; an open microphone or transcript lines for SABR’s earnings call; a money press rolling Amadeus profit blocks; a sleek eVTOL silhouette emerging from urban grid; diverging and converging channels for AI-distribution independents; and a stylised compass or globe icon overlaid by measurement markers for wanderlust. No text, no logos, and at most two subtle brand-color cues integrated into the art.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Airlines #AI #Tech #Wanderlust #eVTOL #Amadeus #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 9, 2025

 

Sunday brings reflections on the 777X saga, shutdown realities, AI evolution, earnings nuance, more carbon scams, and a farewell to a long, elegant classic.

The Story Behind the 777X Delays

Fresh delays hit the 777X — again. A detailed look at what’s holding back Boeing’s next flagship from taking off.

https://www.iba.aero/resources/articles/the-777x-hit-with-fresh-delays/

Airlines Didn’t Wait — Trump Did

While the administration delayed action, airlines took steps to prepare for FAA disruption. Leadership lag can be costly.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/us/politics/flight-cuts-government-airports-faa.html

AI Moves to Reasoning — Now We’re Talking

Seattle Tech Week shows AI shifting from predictions to reasoning. This is the inflection point that actually changes travel.

https://www.madrona.com/seattle-tech-week-2025/

Expedia + AI: Two Paths, One Bet

Expedia’s Q3 shows twin-track AI adoption — internal efficiency and external consumer tools. Smart move: hedge both fronts.

https://www.phocuswire.com/expedia-group-q3-2025-earnings

And the Scams Keep Coming

Carbon markets hit by yet another scandal. The credibility gap in offsets keeps widening.

https://mailchi.mp/carbonmarketwatch/newsletter-april-5864706

Quirky: Farewell, 757-300

The long, graceful Boeing 757-300 heads to the boneyard. An aircraft that looked like it skipped leg day — but we loved it anyway.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/condor-retires-boeing-757/ar-AA1PSyu6

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in cool blues with muted shadows. Symbolic elements: a stretched, incomplete aircraft fuselage for the 777X delays; a paused or suspended control tower light for political hesitation; a branching neural motif shifting into structured logic shapes for AI reasoning; two diverging yet parallel pathways merging into one travel icon for Expedia’s twin AI strategies; a cracked carbon-credit token for the offset scam; and an elongated aircraft silhouette gracefully turning toward a desert horizon for the 757-300 farewell. No text anywhere and at most two subtle brand-colour hints integrated into the art.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Airlines #777X #AI #Expedia #CarbonScam #757 #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 8, 2025

 

Strategy, shutdown pain, engine timelines, slow travel, inflight economics, and a payments mess.

Understand This or Lose the Plot

A must-read strategic take on airline models and where value is actually created. Critical context for anyone steering an airline in 2026.

Air52 Insights — Airline Strategy

Shutdown Starts to Bite Business Travel

Sabre data shows October air bookings dinged by the government shutdown. The ripple is moving from leisure to corporate demand.

Shutdown Dings October Air Bookings

Volaris Says GTF Woes Ease… in Late 2027

AOG relief not before end-2027, per Volaris. The long tail on Pratt issues just got longer.

Volaris Forecasts Being Clear of Pratt AOGs by Year-End 2027

Slow Travel in Kenya

An intentional, low-impact approach that swaps speed for meaning. Kenya’s slow-travel play has legs.

Eco-Path Adventures: Slow Travel in Kenya

Yes, You Can Understand In-Flight Dining Economics

A crisp breakdown of the numbers behind meals aloft. From cost drivers to trade-offs, it actually makes sense.

The Economics of In-Flight Dining

Massive Payments Fraud in Germany

A new fintech scandal breaks — and it’s big. If you touch payments in travel, pay attention.

Bloomberg: Fintech Fraud Scandal in Germany

Quirky: Plane Weights Are Looking Up

Obesity trends ease a bit, but diabetes still climbs. Aircraft weight assumptions may deserve another look.

Obesity Falls, But Diabetes Keeps Rising

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) in cool blues with subtle warm accents. Symbolic elements: a layered strategy grid morphing into an airline silhouette; a calendar-type notch denting a bookings curve (shutdown impact); a long, receding engine nacelle queue for the GTF timeline; a meandering path with acacia forms for slow travel Kenya; a tray-table shape resolving into cost blocks for inflight dining; a fractured euro/payment badge for the Germany fraud; and a balanced aircraft outline with shifting weight blocks for obesity/diabetes trends. No text anywhere; at most two subtle brand-color hints integrated into the geometry.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Airlines #Strategy #Shutdown #GTF #Kenya #InflightDining #Payments #Data #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 7, 2025

 

Startups reviewed, energy shocks the experts, ATPCO decoded, a tool to bookmark, a shutdown threat… and crypto royalty drama.

US Transport Policy “Not Aligned”?

Sean Duffy claims the administration doesn’t share the same transport priorities. The political tug-of-war over aviation policy is heating up.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mccartneyscott_sean-duffy-says-the-administration-doesnt-share-7391838643503525888-LVypHot 25 Travel Startups — The Final Revisit

PhocusWire wraps up its review of the Hot 25 Travel Startups. A look at who thrived, who pivoted, and who quietly vanished.

https://www.phocuswire.com/hot-25-travel-startups-2025-revisit

This Matters for Travel

Solar power keeps outperforming expert forecasts — again. Future-proof travel infrastructure will depend on energy resilience.

https://killercharts.blog/p/solar-power-keeps-proving-the-experts

ATPCO… Explained (Well, Almost)

A “comprehensive” look at how ATPCO works — as comprehensive as ATPCO can ever be. Bring caffeine.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-177560239

Get This — It’s Useful

COMET by Perplexity is worth downloading. A sharp AI assistant that’s actually helpful for research and ideation.

https://www.perplexity.ai/download-comet

Quirky: Stablecoin With Royal Ambition

Crypto investors claiming UAE royal ties are launching a rival to Trump’s US$1 stablecoin. Because what the world really needed was… more royal-backed crypto?

https://www.intelligenceonline.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/11/05/crypto-investors-claiming-ties-to-uae-royals-set-up-rival-to-trump-s-usd1%2C110545040-art

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) with cool blues and muted tones. Symbolic elements: a set of rising and falling geometric “startup tiles” showing a mix of success and collapse; a bright solar motif breaking through angular clouds; a maze-like fare filing or data grid to hint at ATPCO complexity; a small comet-like streak symbolising the Perplexity COMET tool; an airspace grid with a shrinking corridor to represent the 10% US air traffic cut; and two stylised coins or emblems facing off, one with subtle Middle Eastern colour hints. No text and at most two subtle brand colour cues integrated into the art.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Startups #Stablecoin #ATPCO #Energy #AirTraffic #AI #AvGeek

The Professor’s Minute Minute — November 6, 2025

 

Mystery flights, AI hype, fraud déjà vu, influencer realities, a “new normal,” and loyalty shock. (And today would have been my Mum's 115th Birthday!

What Was That About?

A mysterious Russian cargo aircraft flew into Caracas and then made a stop in Cuba. The internet has theories — none of them boring.

https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/11/05/mysterious-russian-cargo-plane-that-land-in-caracus-makes-visit-to-cuba/

Agentic AI + Travel

An upcoming session explores what Agentic AI really means for travel executives. Worth your ears — and possibly your strategy deck.

https://events.ringcentral.com/events/agentic-ai-and-the-future-of-travel-what-executives-need-to-know/registration

FBI Indicts Investor Over 737 MAX Fraud

An investor has been charged for fraudulently purchasing a Boeing 737 MAX. For the record, this smelled wrong in 2022.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/fbi-indicts-investor-fraudulently-buying-boeing-737-max/

So… I’m an Influencer

How do LinkedIn “voices” actually engage? A look at the mechanics behind influence — and the reality behind the glossy label.

https://traveltechessentialist.substack.com/i/177843721/how-do-these-voices-engage-on-linkedin

Is This the New Normal?

Aviation’s latest model might be “IPO first, strategy later.” If this is the playbook, the future feels more Shark Tank than airline boardroom.

https://mailchi.mp/theaircurrent/beta-clark-ipo-interview-non-sub?e=188028c67b

Quirky: Easiest No More

Aegean’s Miles+Bonus — once the easiest elite status in Europe — just got harder. The mileage bargain era is officially closing.

https://en.aegeanair.com/milesandbonus/what-is-changing/

A Picasso Blue Period–style cubist landscape (1200×628) with cool blues and muted tones. Symbolic elements: a shadowy cargo plane shape crossing abstract map fragments; angular AI and circuitry motifs connecting to a travel symbol; a fractured aircraft tail or legal gavel form to hint at the 737 MAX fraud; a stylised “spotlight” on a human silhouette for influencer culture; a tilted balance or unstable platform suggesting the “new normal” IPO feeling; and a shrinking loyalty ladder or fading stars for the Aegean status change. No text anywhere and at most two subtle brand colour hints integrated into the art.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#PMM #ProfessorSabena #Aviation #Travel #Airlines #AgenticAI #AvGeek #737MAX #Loyalty #Influencers #AviationNews