Travelers could soon have more rights if their flight is canceled or delayed, as the Department of Transportation looks to "strengthen" protections for consumers seeking refunds. The agency proposed a rule Wednesday that, if enacted, would define the terms of a "significant" change and cancellation for the first time. Under the rule, the department would outline significant changes as:

Amanda Maile/ABC News Alison Sider/Wall Street Journal Leslie Josephs/CNBC

The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t been all bad for airline passengers. Early in the pandemic, travelers struggled to get airline refunds. More recently, the industry’s flat-footed handling of this summer’s travel resurgence has given passengers fits. But as the pandemic upended travel, some airlines started to offer passengers something missing for years: flexibility. It started with the elimination of those onerous fees to change a nonrefundable ticket. Dawn Gilbertson/Wall Street Journal

Airlines with oil hedges are set to save billions of dollars on their fuel bills this year, the first such gains since the industry was ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Both Southwest Airlines Co. and Air France-KLM said they stand to gain about $1 billion each from their hedging policies, a benefit that will at least partially cushion the companies against higher oil prices. British Airways parent IAG SA said its fuel hedging program was worth about 1.2 billion euros ($1.2 billion). Alex Longley & Device Krishna/Bloomberg

Prosperity is perplexing for the airline industry. And vexing for passengers. This summer, Americans have invaded airports like it was the evacuation of Saigon. Cancellations are getting an extra boost from climate change, and our frustrations are mounting. You might think this misery is tied to the industry’s return to normal levels of indifferent service. But we aren’t sustaining pre-pandemic flight levels. Domestic airlines are on track to be 150 million “enplanements” behind 2019 this year, according to one estimate. That’s a lot of people going nowhere. Bill Saporito/Washington Post

The Delta Air Lines Delta Propel Program has partnered with Vero Beach, Florida-based Skyborne Airline Academy to train candidates through commercial and certified flight instructor (CFI) ratings, a career pathway toward becoming a Delta first officer. Delta Propel participants must be Delta employees who have earned a private pilot certificate and have worked at the airline for more than three years. The selection process includes an online pilot assessment, an in-person interview and psychological testing. Once selected, candidates will receive a “qualified” job offer to become a Delta pilot. Mark Phelps/AVWeb

Airbus has scrapped a deal valued at billions of dollars to supply Qatar Airways with 19 of its largest aircraft, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest fallout in an escalating dispute between the European plane maker and one of its biggest customers. The company has canceled Qatar Airways’ remaining orders for its A350 wide-body jet, the people said. The 19 aircraft are valued at roughly $7 billion at list price before the hefty discounts that plane makers typically give to customers. Benjamin Katz/Wall Street Journal

The Federal Aviation Administration's acting chief will meet with FAA safety inspectors in South Carolina on Thursday before determining whether Boeing can resume deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner after production issues prompted the planemaker to stop deliveries in May 2021, an FAA spokesman said. The purpose of acting Administrator Billy Nolen's visit "is to ensure that the FAA is satisfied that Boeing has taken the appropriate steps to improve manufacturing quality and to guarantee the autonomy of workers who ensure regulatory compliance on the company’s assembly lines," the FAA said. David Shepardson/Reuters

The operator of a terminal at the Austin airport is suing the Texas city over its plans to raze the building and terminate a 40-year contract, saying condemnation proceedings are illegal and the city’s compensation offer is an insult. Lonestar Airport Holdings, based in New York, says it spent spent more than $32.5 million after signing a contract six years ago to revive a largely abandoned auxiliary terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which it turned into a base for ultra-low cost carriers Frontier Airlines and Allegiant. Laurel Brubaker Calkins/Bloomberg