Aviation News

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport encountered a hazardous disruption when a battery caught fire while in flight. The aircraft was promptly diverted while the fire was contained, avoiding what might have been a disastrous incident. No injuries to passengers or crew members were reported.

The 2025 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture fly-in show at Oshkosh, Wisconsin is arguably (or maybe not) the best air show in the world, but it is undoubtedly the biggest. The event will run from Monday, July 21, to Sunday, July 27 this year, and the maker of some of America’s most iconic aircraft is planning to put on its best display of the year, Textron Aviation.

Airbus recently reported that it delivered 306 commercial aircraft in the first half of this year in an official summary. According to a report by Reuters, this represents a 5.56% decrease from 323 at the same time in 2024. Airbus also reported that it received 494 gross orders in the first half of the year, which yielded a net 402 orders after cancellations.

Airlines have increasingly been launching new promotions to encourage travel and boost loyalty program engagement. Turkish Airlines rolled out a global offer last month that allowed its Miles&Smiles loyalty members to earn one million bonus miles by flying to six continents within a set timeframe. The campaign, “Route: 6 Continents”, which opened on June 27, was meant to run until late October but has now been closed early.

Spirit Airlines has had a busy month re-configuring the majority of its aircraft to expand its premium seating options. The existing premium economy layout, which has the same standard seats with the middle seats blocked, is now being phased out. From tomorrow, July 9, passengers who select its Premium Economy travel option will instead be able to book seats with four more inches of legroom across the majority of the carrier's fleet.

WestJet is Canada's second-largest carrier. According to ch-aviation, it has seven Boeing 787-9s, each factory-fresh on delivery. Between July and December, they'll be used on 13 routes, including Calgary International Airport to Los Cabos for the first time.

Boeing delivered 150 commercial aircraft in the second quarter of 2025, a 15% increase from the first quarter. This was the manufacturer’s best Q2 performance since 2018, as Boeing 737 MAX production ramped up and as China began accepting Boeing deliveries following the easing of trade tensions.

Virgin Atlantic has unveiled a range of passenger experience improvements at an exclusive event in London. At the event, attended by Simple Flying, the long-haul-focused airline revealed a range of improvements, including Starlink WiFi, refurbished aircraft cabins, and additional loyalty recognition pathways.

Welcome to my 174th weekly routes article! It includes seven mini-stories about subjectively exciting services that took off between July 1 and 7.While dozens of routes worldwide started in the examined period, only a selection of intriguing additions are covered in this article.

An Allegiant Air Airbus A320 was forced to make an emergency landing on July 6, 2025, following a reported bomb threat onboard. The aircraft landed safely, with no injuries reported and no bomb found.

The United States Air Force (USAF) just took formal delivery of the Embraer A-29C and commenced operations on July 7, 2025. The new turboprop is known as the Super Tucano by its maker. The plane will serve as an instructing platform for advanced flying techniques and testing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California.

The United Kingdom has declined to order the latest iteration of the venerable Eurofighter Typhoon, placing no order for the T5 Tranche of the supermaneuverable Eurocanard. British Aerospace (BAE) Systems and the labor union representatives have sounded the alarm that closing the plant means more than simply ending production - it means the end of an industry.

Good news for UK travelers: airports have started lifting the long-standing 100ml hand luggage liquid rule. Birmingham International Airport and Edinburgh Airport have recently removed this restriction and now allow passengers to carry up to two liters (67.62 ounces) of liquids in their cabin bags without taking them out at security.

Widebody aircraft will operate 0.8% of all domestic flights in the US and Canada in July. This is based on analyzing every service using Cirium Diio data. One in every 123 departures will be on twin-aisle equipment.

Las Vegas-basedAllegiant Air is selling its under-performing Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor to Blackstone Real Estate for $200 million. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025. Blackstone is one of the world’s largest owner of commercial real estate, with $320 billion in investor capital under management, and was one of multiple bidders for the resort property.

South Korea is reportedly looking to scrap its order for an additional 36 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters following recent budget cuts. The move comes as the East Asian country reviews the role of crewed helicopters in modern warfare. The funds previously allocated to the Apache helicopters will likely be invested in other defence projects.

European low-cost airlines operate with strict cabin baggage policies, where passengers are expected to follow tight size limits and overhead bin space often comes at an extra cost. Anything that does not fit under the seat usually gets stopped at the gate. Apparently, ground staff at seven UK and Channel Islands airports are being paid bonuses to identify those oversized bags carried by easyJet passengers before boarding.

Nine airlines currently fly the Airbus A350-1000: Air Caraïbes, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways (I recently flew one on the carrier's inaugural Atlanta service), French bee, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.

Canada may experience major staffing shortages in the aviation industry over the next decade. A report by the Alberta Aviation & Aerospace Council revealed that by 2035, the country could be short about 55,000 aviation workers.

JetBlue and United Airlines have responded to Spirit Airlines’ complaint to the Department of Transportation (DOT), claiming that the latter’s initial filing with the Department, which alleged that the partnership between the two airlines, called ‘Blue Sky,’ was anti-competitive, contained unfounded requests.