News notes from around the interweb:

• The 20 airline routes with the most flights

• Lufthansa is facing an FAA fine of $6.4 million over a paperwork violation (it’ll certainly be reduced). They allegedly lacked authorization to fly to San Diego and Philadelphia, even though they were entitled to obtain this authorization. (HT: One Mile at a Time)

  

• Virgin Australia has completed its buy back of the Velocity frequent flyer program and now owns 100% of it again.

  

• Hong Kong Airlines isn’t paying staff as they sell tickets for future travel they’ll use the cash to cover past obligations. That’s a precarious situation to be in, though Scott Kirby has talked about the U.S. airline industry running sales a decade ago for that exact purpose. Credit card processors could increase their hold back exacerbating the crisis though. With the airline already challenged before unrest in Hong Kong (indeed, the entire HNA Group has been troubled), the current situation there makes things worse too. I’d be careful about booking future travel on the airline.

• Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Corey Booker, and Kamala Harris are right about this

  

• What’s the longest possible commercial flight?