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.

An illustration showing the U.S. map with sunshine and planes.
North America

Summer in America: A Q3 U.S. Preview

Welcome to the new U.S. airline industry. United is now friends with JetBlue. Southwest will now charge you for bags. United and American are both investing in Brazil. Delta is investing in Canada. But is this a new and improved U.S. airline industry? That will likely depend on what wins the race to the bottom: Demand, supply, or fuel costs? All three are declining, as we discuss in this week's feature story.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing IndiGo planes and positive market symbols
India

The IndiGo Show

Congratulations, IndiGo! You’re now a member of the Ten Billion Dollar Club. Only about 20 other airlines generate more than $10 billion in revenue annually. India's largest airline is also the club’s youngest member — it’s still a teenager at just 19. But much more important than either its size or its age is its consistently strong profitability. In this week's feature story, we examine some of the secrets behind IndiGo's enormous success.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing the Singapore Merlion with a Singapore Airlines jet.
Asia-Pacific

The Mean Seats of Singapore

Uh oh. Looks like the party is winding down. Are the good times over for Singapore Airlines? Last week, it unveiled a lackluster 6% operating margin for the January-to-March quarter. It was roughly half the figure it earned at the same time last year, suggesting that indeed, the balloons might be popping and the dance music fading. In this week's feature story, we assess the prospects for one of Asia’s most esteemed carriers.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing a classic style Florida postcard with an Allegiant Air jet.
North America

Allegiant’s Unique LCC Story

Allegiant earned a +9% operating margin in Q1 2025. That seems downright triumphant compared to Southwest’s figure of -2%, Frontier’s -5%, or JetBlue’s -8%, but context is key. In 2019, Allegiant’s operating margin in the first quarter was 20%. In other words, it’s performing 11 points worse today, a drop repeated at most of its LCC peers. In this week's feature story, we ask what's going on.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |
An illustration showing a Lufthansa aircraft
Europe

Cheer in a Time of Fear: Why Lufthansa Feels So Optimistic

Heavy first quarter losses. A tariff war that threatens global commerce. Signs of softening in the all-important transatlantic market. Surely the Lufthansa Group must be worried? On the contrary, despite the rather nasty $932m Q1 net loss it reported last week, bosses at the European aviation powerhouse struck a decidedly upbeat tone. In this week's feature story, we ask if this optimism is justified.
Gordon Smith and Jay Shabat |