EasyJet has rejected a takeover offer worth £4.74 billion from US investment firm Castlelake, accusing it of trying to buy the airline "on the cheap." The carrier's comments came after Castlelake said it had made three takeover approaches to the airline this month, all of which had been rejected. The US firm has now made details of its latest offer public to allow shareholders to assess the proposal.

Vietnam Airlines has secured an in-principle commitment from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) to fund its purchase of 50 Boeing 737 Max 8s. The preliminary agreement covers a guaranteed loan of up to $2.9 billion to finance the purchase. Vietnam Airlines in February firmed up its orders for 50 Boeing 737 Max 8s, making it the type’s newest customer.

According to American Airlines, from this summer it will offer more premium seats than its rivals as a result of increasing the number of seats in its premium cabins through its Airbus A319 and A320 retrofit program. American's A319 passengers will see the premium class cabin increase to 12 seats and to 16 when traveling on A320s.

Three months on from the last ‘What’s Onboard’ feature, IFSA highlights more new menu offerings global airlines including Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia are presenting to passengers as part of their latest food and beverage updates, both in terms of buy-on-board and included meals as part of fares.

United and DIRECTV have partnered to enable passengers to live stream TV on Starlink-enabled United seatback screens through July 20, allowing soccer fans to watch the FIFA World Cup on as many as 150 Starlink-enabled aircraft. Through DIRECTV and BBC, passengers on these aircraft have free access to over 12 live TV channels, including FOX, Fox Sports 1, Apple F1, ABC, ESPN, TNT, CNN, CBS, NBC, TBS and BBC News.

Air Charter Service (ACS) has completed the first phase of a major upgrade program at its London headquarters as part of an £18 million investment in the 47,000 square-foot facility. The five-story building, which houses more than 200 staff, is home to the company’s three UK sales divisions as well as centralized functions including finance, IT, flight operations, marketing and HR.

Korean Air has expanded its Seamless Baggage Transfer service with Delta Air Lines to two more US gateways, allowing passengers connecting through Incheon International Airport to skip the baggage recheck process and save up to 20 minutes. The service is now available on flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, bringing the total number of US airports offering the feature to five.

On June 22, Southwest Airlines rolled out Starlink internet connectivity on a commercial flight for the first time. The Starlink-equipped Boeing 737-800 operated a flight between Dallas-Love Field and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Southwest Airlines expects to complete the installation of Starlink terminals on 300 of its aircraft before the end of 2026.

Virgin Australia has launched its first-ever international flight from Canberra, connecting the Australian capital directly with Bali. The inaugural service departed Canberra Airport (CBR) for Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Denpasar on June 22. The route will operate three times per week using Boeing 737-800s, adding over 40,000 seats annually between Canberra and Bali. 

Airbus has entered into a long-term supply agreement with 3M for the supply of advanced thermal and acoustic insulation materials for the A220 narrowbody aircraft cabin. The thermal materials are intended to help improve the aircraft’s operational performance, while the acoustic insulation will be integrated throughout the cabin to absorb and reduce engine and airframe noise.

Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines have formally launched their strategic joint business partnership, beginning with the introduction of joint fare products on services between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The move follows regulatory approval from competition authorities in both Malaysia and Singapore earlier this year, clearing the airlines to deepen cooperation on one of the world's busiest international air corridors.

Air passenger rights platform AirHelp said its independent flight tracking app has reached one million users in just 12 months. It argued that as airlines continue to face challenges in real-time communication, passengers are increasingly seeking independent data to track flights, monitor disruptions and protect their schedules.