Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar, may make a remarkable decision in the near future: the acquisition of Airbus A330-200 aircraft originally operated by American carrier American Airlines. This would be a significant step for the airline, which is known for its strategic fleet expansion. In recent years, Qatar Airways has already resorted to the used aircraft market several times to expand its fleet, and this possible acquisition once again shows the airline's ambition to consolidate its position in the global aviation market. Background and motivation behind the possible acquisition American Airlines' former A330-200s were acquired following the company's merger with US Airways in 2013. However, they were temporarily stored during the COVID-19 pandemic and have not been actively operated since then. American Airlines still had 15 of these aircraft, all of which were stored at the Roswell Air Center (ROW) in 2020 to save costs and adapt to changing travel conditions. While the larger Airbus A330-300s were removed from American Airlines' fleet relatively quickly, the A330-200 aircraft remained on hold while the airline considered what to do with these aircraft. Qatar Airways may now decide to purchase these used A330-200s due to production delays at Airbus and Boeing. In particular, the delays in the delivery of the Boeing 777X may have provided an important impetus for this move. By integrating the used A330 aircraft, Qatar Airways could expand its capacity more quickly and bypass the existing supply bottlenecks in the aviation industry.

In 2025, US low-cost airline Allegiant Air will embark on one of the largest expansions in its 27-year history. The Las Vegas-based company will add 44 new nonstop flights to its route network and three new city destinations to its portfolio. This expansion, driven by strong leisure demand and the growing need for affordable air travel to underserved regions, represents another step in Allegiant's market strategy to consolidate and further expand its presence in the US market. New destinations and routes The planned expansion includes not only adding connections to three new airports, but also extending existing routes from major airports in the United States. The newly added destinations include Gulf Shores Airport (GUF) in Alabama, Colorado Springs Airport (COS) in Colorado and Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) in South Carolina. These airports are characterized by strong demand in the leisure and tourism sector and are intended to provide access to cheaper direct connections, especially for travelers flying to family or tourist destinations. "We are pleased that this expansion will give customers more options to reach their destinations. With these new nonstop flights, we offer travelers the opportunity to fly quickly, comfortably and, above all, inexpensively," explains Drew Wells, Chief Commercial Officer of Allegiant Air. The first flights on the new routes are scheduled to start as early as February 2025 and will expand the airline's network to 51 cities in the USA. Allegiant Air's business model A central

Lithuanian Airports have launched an international architectural competition to design a new arrivals building at Vilnius Airport (VNO). The aim of the competition is to find innovative solutions that will not only meet functional and aesthetic requirements, but also support the future development of the airport infrastructure. The winner will design not only the terminal, but also its integration into the surrounding area, including the new departure terminal, the central square and the future Rail Baltica station. Lithuanian Airports are known for their comprehensive development plans. The competition, organized in cooperation with the Lithuanian Association of Architects, is looking to attract the best ideas from around the world. Arnas Dūmanas, Head of the Development Department of Lithuanian Airports, explained that the selection will be made by a jury of renowned architects and urban planners. Among them are Laura Kairienė, Chief Architect of Vilnius, and Tom Holtmann from the Nordic Office of Architecture. Architects have until February 2025 to submit their proposals. After that, the jury will decide based on criteria such as innovation, sustainability and functionality. The winner will have the opportunity to develop the final design for the terminal, which is scheduled to go into operation by the end of 2028. Challenge and prospects The competition is part of a long-term master plan to modernize the infrastructure of Lithuania's airports. With a planned capacity of up to 17 million passengers annually by 2052, the country wants to strengthen its position as an important transport hub in the region. Sustainability is also being emphasized, for example through the expansion of solar energy and environmentally friendly architecture. The new arrival building will make a significant contribution to improving the passenger experience