NEW YORK, May 15- Qatar Airways' top executive said the Middle Eastern carrier wants to be a launch customer for Boeing Co's forthcoming 777 X mini-jumbo jet, and that the airline plans to open at least three new routes to the United States in the next 12 to 18 months. "
Meanwhile Southwest Airlines Co. said it will delay delivery of new airplanes and fill the gap with used planes to reduce spending over the next five years. Southwest will delay 30 firm orders for Boeing 737 jets, which CEO Gary Kelly said would cut capital spending through 2018 by more than $500 million.
NEW YORK, May 15- Qatar Airways' top executive said the Middle-Eastern carrier wants to be a launch customer for Boeing Co's forthcoming 777 X mini-jumbo jet, and that the airline plans to open at least three new routes to the U.S. in the next 12 to 18 months. "
May 15- Southwest Airlines Co on Wednesday announced a boost in its dividend and its share repurchase program and said it is changing some plane orders and deliveries.
Delta Air rose$. 69 or 3.8 percent, to $18.94. JetBlue Airways Corp. rose$. 10 or 1.5 percent, to $6.64. Southwest Airlines Co. rose$. 32 or 2.3 percent, to $14.30.
May 15- Southwest Airlines Co on Wednesday announced a boost in its dividend and its share repurchase program and said it is changing some plane orders and deliveries. Southwest also said it plans to buy 10 pre-owned 737-700 s airplanes to be delivered in 2014 and 2015, and it made changes to some existing aircraft orders.
Delta Air rose$. 59 or 3.2 percent, to $18.84. JetBlue Airways Corp. rose$. 01 or. 2 percent, to $6.55. Southwest Airlines Co. rose$. 10 or. 7 percent, to $14.08.
*Lion Air boss dismayed by recommendations. May 15- Investigators have raised questions over training and cockpit procedures at Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air after a preliminary report into a crash last month off Bali found the captain was not at the controls at a "critical time".
KUWAIT, May 15- Kuwait's state-owned Kuwait Airways has picked Airbus to provide new jets because its proposal was the best value for money, the country's transport minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
LONDON, May 15- Low-cost airline easyJet cut its losses in half in the six months to April and is nearing a decision on whether to upgrade its fleet with updated Airbus or Boeing jets.
May 15- Indonesia's largest low-cost carrier Lion Air has been criticised after a preliminary investigation into last month's Boeing 737 crash off Bali found a young, second-in-command pilot was at the controls at a "critical time".
SANTIAGO, May 14- LATAM Airlines Group SA's first-quarter net profit skidded to $42.7 million, or nearly half of a year earlier, on foreign exchange fluctuations, a drop in cargo revenue and the grounding of its three Dreamliners, the company said on Tuesday.
Delta Air rose$. 36 or 2.0 percent, to $18.25. JetBlue Airways Corp. fell$. 07 or 1.1 percent, to $6.54. Southwest Airlines Co. rose$. 03 or. 2 percent, to $13.98.
DALLAS-- Two major unions are agreeing to avoid a fight and instead will share representation of ground workers at American Airlines after it merges with US Airways.
Delta Air rose$. 29 or 1.6 percent, to $18.18. JetBlue Airways Corp. fell$. 07 or 1.1 percent, to $6.54. Southwest Airlines Co. rose$. 06 or. 4 percent, to $14.01.