The past week saw Southwest Airlines LUV launching Cuban operations. Following the launch, Cuba became the ninth country to receive services of the low-cost carrier. In an environment-friendly move, Alaska Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group ALK, operated a flight (Seattle to Washington, D.C.) using jet fuel that included a 20% mixture of the forest residuals biofuel. The carrier was also in the news due to its expansion-related and customer-friendly updates.