Aviation News

Boeing has reportedly leased additional space at the Bridge Point Everett 500 Building A, a building complex close to its aircraft assembly site at Paine Field in Everett. The American aircraft manufacturer will now occupy 278,900 square feet in the facility. The news regarding the lease of additional space comes in the wake of recent layoffs.

Spirit Airlines has announced new upgrades aimed at enhancing the onboard experience and loyalty benefits for its passengers. These include the introduction of extra-legroom seating and a revamped Free Spirit loyalty program, set to roll out across its network next month.

American Airlines is reinstating an additional inflight beverage service on select flights. The carrier announced on Tuesday that “domestic long-haul flights” are subject to the update, which will be implemented beginning Wednesday.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) experienced an equipment outage that caused significant flight disruptions, leading to hundreds of flight delays in recent days. The delays have caused significant disruptions for passengers, leaving many stranded either at the airport or onboard aircraft. According to FlightAware.com, the airport suffered a total of 675 flight delays originating from ATL on May 11, 2025. The disruptions continued into May 12, with the flight tracking data showing 463 additional delays.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set up an emergency task force to address telecommunications issues at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The task force comprises Verizon and L3Harris executive experts and is working to add three new telecommunications connections between New York and Philadelphia to ensure redundancy.

On May 12, a Qatar Airways Airbus A330-300 operating flight QR-289 from Doha was unable to vacate the runway after landing at Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) due to a technical issue, The Aviation Herald reported. The aircraft remained on the runway for around half an hour before being towed.

Saudi Arabia has placed a significant order with Boeing during US President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the country. The President will seemingly collect aircraft orders on his trip to the Middle East. Qatar Airways is also understood to be planning a significant widebody order with Boeing for around 100 aircraft.

Qatar Airways has announced that it held an in-flight gaming show match, including some famous social media personalities within the gaming sphere, on a flight between Doha, Qatar, and London, the United Kingdom.

German police have enlisted aerial help from a local university (and, more specifically, one of its planes) in their search for a wanted triple murder suspect. As detailed yesterday in a statement released by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center), the DLR provided a special camera system to the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, which fitted it to a Stemme S10.

United Airlines has officially unveiled new Polaris suites on Boeing 787-9 aircraft, saying the incoming Polaris Studios suites are 25% larger than the current Polaris seats. They also offer numerous improvements to the passenger experience compared to the current business-class seats.

On May 10, 2025, a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 operating a flight from Houston to Orlando was forced to divert to Pensacola after the crew experienced issues with the autopilot. The aircraft landed safely, but remained on the ground for over 24 hours.

On May 1, 2025, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 aircraft headed for Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) from El Paso International Airport (ELP) did not take off as planned due to a rather bizarre incident. The airline's jet was forced to return to the gate as one passenger's cell phone unexpectedly caught fire as the aircraft was making its final preparations for departure, on what was otherwise an uneventful Wednesday morning.

Emirates has reportedly made its first class award seats even more exclusive by limiting access to its frequent flyers. The Dubai-based airline has blocked non-elite members from securing first class awards. This move is part of a broader trend, as Emirates has been steadily tightening access to its most prestigious cabin product, particularly for members of partner programs, in favor of its own Skywards loyalty members.

Jazeera Airways has announced its Q1 results, which include a massive jump in net profitability, with the carrier improving its unit revenues and unit costs compared to the same three-month period in 2024.

The US President Donald Trump will be making a flying visit to the United Kingdom onboard one of the Boeing VC-25As designated as ' Air Force One' for such flights later tonight. Trump's stopover at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk will not see him undertake state business himself in the UK, but, rather, serve as an en route refueling stopover as his lavishly outfitted 747 derivative heads for the Middle East.

In some shape or form, airlines’ growth is somewhat limited. Carriers are essentially competing for finite resources, especially regarding slots and/or landing rights at airports, with very few new runways and/or airports being built in the main markets in the Western Hemisphere in the past few years, especially in Europe and North America.

JetBlue has added to its impressive arsenal of special liveries with a vibrant new color scheme that celebrates its partnership with Dunkin Donuts. Recently applied to an Airbus A320, the jazzy new paint job features the catering giant's signature shades of pink and orange, with the livery instantly standing out from the crowd when compared to JetBlue's usual offering. It reentered service over the weekend.

The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) has launched an investigation into imports of commercial aircraft and engines, as well as parts for aircraft and jet engines. The investigation aims to determine whether such imports from other nations affect the country’s national security.

Spirit Airlines has filed a notice, informing stakeholders, including the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that it will delay the issuance of its Q1 quarterly report following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Frontier Airlines has reportedly cut two more routes from its summer schedule. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, the airline is suspending service between Chicago (MDW) and Las Vegas (LAS), as well as between Long Island (ISP) and Palm Beach (PBI). Cirium data reveals that the budget airline will stop operating on these routes in July and August 2025.