Aviation News

AirAsia has announced that it will order 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with conversion rights for 20 additional planes. This is part of a move by one of Asia's most prolific low-cost carriers, with plans to expand its long-haul international network. As reported by ch-aviation, this is likely to be the first of two AirAsia orders for new aircraft, with a contract for up to 150 additional aircraft expected within the next month.

Forty-plus US airports have scheduled passenger flights to Europe during the peak summer. New York JFK,the nation’s leading widebody airport, has more flights than anywhere else. It has 80% more services than the second-ranked Newark. However, Newark has flights to more European destinations than any other US airport.

Canadian low-cost carrier Flair Airlines allegedly missed payments and ignored repeated default notices from its lessors, forcing them to seize four Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2023. The aircraft attachment resulted in significant operational disruptions and losses for the airline, which was down about a fifth of its fleet at the time.

On Thursday, the United States gave permission to engine giant GE Aerospace to resume shipments of jet engines to Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC, as first reported by Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter. The decision reverses a suspension imposed earlier this year and comes just days before a key trade negotiation deadline between the two countries.

Etihad Airways has expanded its "Extraordinary Challenge" competition launched last month, adding another 12.5 million miles to the prize pot after the first phase saw huge demand. Under the competition's second phase, Etihad will hand out 25,000 Etihad Guest Miles each to the first 100 people to visit five new destinations, and 100,000 miles to the first 100 people to visit ten new destinations.

Long-haul low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic will begin a new route: Manchester to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. It will mark the start of its ownBoeing 787-9 service from Manchester. However, it has operated charters from there for other organizations, and IndiGo now uses leased Norse aircraft on its new Mumbai to Manchester service.

On Monday, Oman Air became the 15th member airline of the oneworldalliance. The airline announced its intention to join back in 2022, meaning that the entire process took around three years. I sat down with the CEOs of Oman Air and oneworld to find out why it took so long.

Today, on July 4, Air France-KLM announced that it will initiate proceedings to take a majority stake in Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). The group currently holds a 19.9% stake and intends to raise its share to 60.5%, subject to regulatory approval. This represents a turning point in SAS’ transformation.

SAS has ordered up to 55 Embraer E195-E2s, comprising 45 firm orders and 10 options. The first delivery is due in late 2027. According to SAS's Head of International Network, the airline began a project to renew its mid-sized short-haul fleet in 2018. Its order came shortly after LOT Polish decided to replace its aging Embraer fleet with Airbus A220s.

It remains speculative as to why exactly the passenger on American Airlines flight 1847 felt that the letters “RIP” meant that there was imminent danger, but the plane was forced to set down just half an hour after departure when the flier raised the alarm. The Airbus A321 returned to base (RTB) at San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) where TSA boarded and declared the all clear.

A recent brawl on a Frontier Airlines flight sent one man both to the hospital and to jail. The fight broke out on a flight between Philadelphia International Airport and Miami International Airport earlier this week, when two men ended up in a physical altercation within a row of seats on the Airbus jet. The aggressor was ultimately detained by authorities upon arrival in Miami.

Atlas Air projects a shortage of air cargo freighter jets in the coming years as demand is forecast to steadily climb. According to data published by Boeing, the growth of air cargo demand is projected to be 4% in the next two decades.

Several sources online, including Reuters, are reporting that Embraer has delivered significantly more aircraft in Q2 2025 compared to the previous months. Embraer, across its entire product line, has delivered 61 aircraft between April 1 and June 30, 2025. This is more than double the number of deliveries for the first quarter of 2025 (30 aircraft), and represents a 30% increase from the same period in 2024.

The Russian commercial aviation sector was composed of 70-80% Boeing and Airbus models before sanctions shut off the supply chain in 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has not relented, and the flow of spare parts and new aircraft has remained blocked while domestic aerospace prices have skyrocketed.

While airline schedules might be geeky and unusual, they can be enlightening. Using Cirium Diio data to examine every scheduled transatlantic passenger flight from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to the Americas in July reveals that more services will arrive at 16:00 than at any other time.

A 19-year-old pilot attempting to fly solo across all seven continents was detained by Chilean authorities after landing his Cessna aircraft in Antarctica without authorization. The American teenager, Ethan Guo, is facing charges after changing his flight plan midair and landing at the Lieutenant Rodolfo Marsh Base on King George Island on June 28.

A two-day strike by French air traffic controllers is expected to cause at least 1,500 flight cancellations in the coming days, leading to major disruption for European airlines at the beginning of the peak summer travel season. According to lobby group Airlines for Europe, the industrial action will impact approximately 300,000 travelers.

A man has been fined nearly $60,000 for bypassing security at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and illegally boarding an American Airlines flight without being screened. The offender, Jonathan Beaulieu, boarded the aircraft without Transportation Security Administration (TSA) clearance, triggering a major security breach at one of the nation's busiest airports.

On July 2, Etihad Airways inaugurated its first flight to Atlanta,which is the world's busiest airport by passenger volume but not aircraft movements. Initially operating four times weekly on the Airbus A350-1000, the long route's frequency will rise to daily in the coming winter. Forward bookings must have been very strong.

Türkiye aims to reduce aviation-related emissions by at least 5% by 2030 by mandating airlines to increase the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). Airlines serving Türkiye and the country’s fuel suppliers will be expected to play their part in meeting the target.