Aviation News

The Airbus A380 has had a curious history since it first flew over 20 years ago, on April 27, 2005. Financially, it was a massive loss for the European plane maker, which had spent €25 billion ($28.1 billion) on research and development on the double-decker, per AviationWeek’s estimates.

Air Canada has confirmed that it is going to have to wait until the next calendar year before it can take the first deliveries from its highly anticipated orders for the Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-10. The news came as the Canadian flag carrier announced its first quarter results, and, while the airline is having to work hard to mitigate the impacts of the delays, it is eagerly anticipating their arrivals.

US legacy carrier Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay $330 million to acquire a 15% stake in WestJet. This marks the latest development in the Atlanta-based SkyTeam founding member's ongoing partnership with Canada's second-largest airline, which dates back more than 14 years to the start of 2011. Delta hopes that its stake in WestJet will benefit both the airlines and their customers in various markets.

As airlines look to attract more passengers in an increasingly competitive market, it often comes down to the various product offerings both at the airport and on board the aircraft. Keeping that in mind, American Airlines has unveiled the food and beverage options at the soon-to-be-opened Flagship and Admirals Club lounges at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

The International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of such carriers as British Airways, Iberia, and others, has firmed up and ordered new aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, with delivery dates ranging from 2027 to 2033.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which investigates civil aircraft accidents in the United Kingdom, has released its findings on the rejected takeoff incident of a British Airways flight at London Gatwick Airport in June 2024.

The long-delayed new Air Force One jets from Boeing might now be delivered as soon as 2027. While that’s still years behind the original delivery date of 2022, it’s two years earlier than Boeing had recently predicted back in February. President Donald Trump had expressed anger at the delays, but this new delivery schedule would ensure he could use the new aircraft before the end of his term.

On Tuesday, May 6, a United Airlines Airbus A320 was forced to abort the landing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) after an Embraer E175 aircraft crossed the runway ahead. The flight was moments from touchdown when it made a go around.

Frontier Airlines has terminated ticketing and check-in agents working for the airline through a third-party contractor at Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) after a viral altercation with a passenger.

JetBlue, a New York-based hybrid carrier, announced today that it has been ranked as the top airline for business-class passenger satisfaction by J.D. Power's 2025 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. This award primarily underscores the competitive success of JetBlue's Mint premium cabin, which has disrupted the traditional balance of large legacy carriers offering premium services across the North Atlantic.

Two British pensioners traveling from London to Singapore on May 5 received a once-in-a-lifetime upgrade after their British Airways flight was unexpectedly disrupted. The couple was rebooked onto an Etihad Airways flight to continue their journey—and instead of standard seats, they were assigned to the airline’s ultra-premium "Residence” suite.

On May 8, KLM began the first flight from Amsterdam to San Diego, a fast-growing US city by GDP. Until then, the city pair had not been served. Announced in November, this is KLM's new longest US route at 4,878 nautical miles (9,034 km). The SkyTeam carrier joins British Airways and Lufthansa in San Diego, with the trio the only European operators to serve three Californian airports.

A UK airline will reportedly announce an order for $10 billion worth of Boeing aircraft later today. The announcement was made as part of a new trade deal revealed by President Donald Trump & Sir Kier Starmer.

Hawaiian Airlines has revealed the first of three special liveries that it has devised to celebrate the launch of Disney's new Lilo & Stitchfilm. The movie, which will be released in cinemas in a couple of weeks on May 23rd, is a live-action remake of the 2002 animated film of the same name, which explores and celebrates the bond between a six-year-old Hawaiian girl and the cute and cuddly alien she adopts.

Exclusive: Speaking to Simple Flying on a visit to the Air Canada's first A321XLR, Alexandre Lefèvre, VP of Network Planning & Scheduling, took some time to explain what to expect regarding the new aircraft type's entry into service. The conversation also touched on where the airline might fly the new aircraft type, and what sort of missions it might undertake. Unfortunately, the aircraft's cabin remains tightly under wraps.

KLM has launched its first-ever flights to San Diego, California, adding its fifth connection to the West Coast of North America, including one destination in Canada. No other airline had offered direct services from the Dutch capital to the Californian airport since at least 2000, while in the early 2000s, Northwest Airlines flew between Amsterdam and San Diego with a stop in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

According to the Times of Israel, it was announced that US-based Delta Air Lines will be extending the suspension of its Tel Aviv route through May 19, due to ongoing conflict in the region. Delta's daily nonstop service from New York JFK Airport(JFK) to Ben Gurion Airport(TLV) is affected, with service scheduled to resume on May 20.

Five foreign passenger carriers—Austrian Airlines, Azul (using a frame leased from EuroAtlantic), Icelandair, Japan Airlines, and LATAM—will have 767 flights to the US between May and December. Various others did in 2024, including Air Canada (in June and July), Azores Airlines (using leased equipment), Boliviana (until April, replaced by the A330), and Condor (in January/February; the type was retired in March).

Qantas has recently unveiled that it will join the competition for passengers between Perth and Auckland, the longest route between Australia and New Zealand. Currently, only one other airline, which has very close ties to the latter country, is flying the 5,349-kilometer (2,288-nautical mile) route, with at least daily flights being planned for the remainder of 2025.

LEGO has launched its latest Icon set – the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (10360) – featuring the modified Boeing 747 and NASA’s prototype orbiter Enterprise. Priced at $229.99, it captures a pivotal configuration used in NASA’s shuttle program and has drawn early interest from aviation and spaceflight fans.