Aviation News

The Mile High City celebrated a rather huge milestone on Wednesday, welcoming the first of regularly scheduled flights on the Airbus A380. The inaugural flight, operated by Lufthansa, touched down at Denver International Airport (DEN) in the early afternoon to much fanfare.

A first-class passenger was physically restrained by crew members aboard an American Airlines flight after attempting to force her way into the cockpit shortly before takeoff from São Paulo, Brazil. The incident occurred on Flight AA950, bound for New York JFK Airport, on the night of Thursday, April 24, and caused a delay of more than two hours.

American Airlines filed a lawsuit against JetBlue on Monday, April 28, to recover funds owed by the New York-based hybrid carrier following the collapse of the Northeast Alliance (NEA). American has ultimately ended talks with JetBlue and remains focused on competing aggressively in New York and Boston.

Boeing announced today that its 787 Dreamliner fleet has carried over one billion passengers, achieving the milestone faster than any other widebody commercial aircraft in history. The company accomplished the feat in less than 14 years since the type first entered service in 2011.

Russia's ongoing military action in Ukraine is continuing to have widespread implications as far as commercial aviation operations are concerned, even more than three years after the war began. Notably, the use of the country's airspace, as well as that of neighboring Belarus and Ukraine, has become extremely limited, with Russia imposing reciprocal closures on nations that have banned its aircraft.

Air France-KLM has disclosed its Q1 results, improving its net profit by €231 million ($262.7 million), as the group welcomed more passengers, resulting in a bump in its revenue year-on-year (YoY).

Air France has increased its current thrice-weekly service from Paris, France, to Phoenix, the United States, to five, with the airline recently switching from the Boeing 787-9 and the 777-200ER to the Airbus A350-900 to serve the long-haul route.

Amid recent macroeconomic fluctuations, the global commercial aviation industry has faced a period of turmoil. Airlines have had to drastically slash growth forecasts, and airline stock prices have taken some serious blows. This comes after a trade war with the US's principal trade partners which has led many to fear the onset of a recession and an increase in the prices of many goods, especially those that are imported.

CMA CGM, the French shipping company that recently ventured into air cargo, has acquired Air Belgium and some of its assets, including four aircraft and some employees, including several dozen of its pilots.

JetBlue has been in the news for its attempts to partner up with other airlines, but there hasn’t been a successful outcome so far. Its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines dissolved in 2023 due to concerns over competition, and its attempt to merge with Spirit Airlines also ran into regulatory hurdles.

Delta Air Lines has dusted off its old playbook to avoid paying tariffs on aircraft imports, with the airline having planned to take delivery of an Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which would be subject to a 10% universal tariff, by ferrying it first to a third country, where it would enter service.

Delta Air Lines has announced a fourth consecutive year of pay rises, with employees such as ground staff and flight attendants getting a 4% increase. The news comes just months after the Atlanta-based US legacy carrier and SkyTeam founding member paid out over $1 billion in bonuses to its employees as part of a profit-sharing scheme, as the airline looks forward to another profitable year.

American Airlines will gift 100,000 AAdvantage miles to the first baby born on May 1, which marks Frequent Flyer Day. While the day honors the most loyal travelers who fly around the world, it also marks the 44th anniversary of the airline’s long-standing loyalty program.

As we have already discussed many times this year, the need for extremely efficient communication between air traffic control and pilots is critical for air safety. It is also very important for pilots to exclusively receive information and directions from air traffic control, with as few distractions as possible. This is why the recent revelation that some pilots landing at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) had heard erroneous "go around" sounds is very concerning.

Air Canada has cut back on its planned capacity growth on flights between Montreal, Canada, and San Francisco, the United States, with the airline keeping the current winter's daily flights during the upcoming winter season.

Welcome to my 166th weekly routes article! It includes seven mini-stories about subjectively exciting services that took off between April 22 and 28 (unless stated).Click here to see my last jam-packed article! Many dozens of routes started in the examined period, but, as always, only a selectionis covered.

United Airlines has now officially reopened its Polaris lounge at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) after a refurbishment program lasting several months. With an abundance of extra space and a private dining room among the perks of the new layout, the US legacy carrier and Star Alliance founding member is looking forward to welcoming its premium travelers back into the reopened lounge.

Discussions about an aircraft's entry into service with a carrier can be frustrating. After all, delays may occur while the network usually evolves, particularly with additional routes announced. As of April 29, Etihad Airways' inaugural passenger-carrying Airbus A321LR service remains on August 1 from Abu Dhabi to Phuket. For now, the Thai destination is expected to be one of 17 airports to see the LR from Abu Dhabi until early 2026.

JetBlue has detailed that 11 of its Airbus aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engine family, also known as the Geared Turbofan (GTF), are grounded as of Q1. The airline said that these aircraft are scheduled to return to service in the future.

* Article updated 16:05 UTC 29/04/2025 following clarification from Hawaiian Airlines *