American’s New 777-300 Biz, More Tokyo Flights, MAX 7 Cleared To Fly, and More News

Welcome to another weekly roundup. It’s a mainly U.S.-focussed affair this week, with an update on American’s Boeing 777-300 retrofit program, 3 new low-cost routes to Mexico from Volaris, a new route to Hawaii from Southwest, and Delta will return to Tokyo’s second international airport. Additionally, this week saw American Airlines operate the first flight using eSAF aviation fuel.

Let’s take a look.

American Airlines Retrofitted Boeing 777-300s Coming Soon

The first of American‘s 20 Boeing 777-300s is nearing the end of its refurbishment. It will comprise 70 all-new Flagship Suite business class seats (similar to those it debuted on the Boeing 787-9P), 44 premium economy seats, and 216 seats in economy. The jet, registered N718AN, should return from Hong Kong to Dallas imminently, where it will undergo testing before carrying passengers for the first time.

Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., Get New Low-Cost Flights to Mexico

Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris is ramping up connectivity to the U.S. with 3 new routes starting December 2, 2026. Volaris will connect Guadalajara (GDL) and Atlanta (ATL), a route that Delta also operates.

However, Volaris will be the only airline to operate its other 2 new U.S. routes, connecting Guadalajara with Washington Dulles (IAD) and Puebla (PBC) — a small city about 80 miles from Mexico City — with Chicago O’Hare (ORD).

Southwest Adds New Connection Between California and Hawaii

As of Saturday, August 8, Southwest now offers a new nonstop flight from Burbank (BUR) to Honolulu (HNL), operating once weekly on Saturdays. As the IATA northern winter season starts on October 31, frequencies will increase to several times per week until the seasonal service ends on April 5, 2027.

Delta Will Return to Tokyo Narita

After a 7-year hiatus, Delta is readding Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT) to its route map. From March 27, 2027, Delta will fly daily from Seattle (SEA) to both Narita and Haneda (HND).

The move is likely to compete with Seattle’s homebase airline, Alaska. The airline, which also flies nonstop to Narita, is using its Seattle hub to expand into long-haul international service.

British Airways Starts A380 Retrofit

British Airways is one step closer to debuting its reimagined Airbus A380 cabins. The airline has confirmed that the first 2 of its 12-strong fleet of superjumbos are currently in Manila, Philippines, where the refurbishment is taking place. The original plan was for the aircraft, complete with new first class seats and cabins, to reenter service before the end of 2026.

The chances of this look slim, not only because of how long it will take to completely refit the entire double-decker plane, but also because these seats will need certification before they can carry passengers.

The U.S. Just Had Its Most Sustainable Flight

American Airlines made sustainability history this week. The Dallas-headquartered carrier was the first to operate a passenger flight using electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF). Fuel for the short flight from Corpus Cristi (CRP) to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) on August 6 was provided in collaboration with Infinium, an innovative company that wants to help decarbonize aviation by turning waste carbon emissions into low-carbon eFuels.

Good News for Boeing: 737 Max 7 Is Cleared To Fly

The years-long delay of the first commercial flight of the Boeing 737 MAX 7 is owing to safety concerns following the fatal crashes of the MAX 8 aircraft in 2018 and 2019.

After rigorous testing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally certified the aircraft to carry paying passengers. Southwest Airlines will likely debut the aircraft in the U.S. sometime in 2027 after equipping the planes with its new extra-legroom seats.

London Gatwick Will Get a Second Runway

The U.K.’s second busiest airport has been given the green light to go ahead with plans to bring a second runway into use. Gatwick Airport (LGW), which handles around 43 million passengers annually with a single runway, will have capacity for an extra 100,000 flights a year when the new runway opens in 2030.

Final Thoughts

With unique new routes, aircraft retrofit programs making progress, and American taking a step in the right direction towards a more sustainable future, we’ve had lots of positive news. Let’s hope Boeing’s 737 MAX 7 certification is a turning point for the manufacturer’s beleagured production line.