Aviation News

A Spirit Airlines passenger has vowed to never fly the carrier again after encountering what she described as a roach infestation onboard a recent flight. The traveler, seated in Spirit’s Big Front Seat, captured footage of multiple cockroaches crawling up the bulkhead.

Southwest Airlines will replace skycaps at San Diego International Airport (SAN) with self-service kiosks and contract out the service. Only ten of the airline’s 52 skycap locations were served by Southwest employees, and all will now be contracted out.

Donald Trump has confirmed that Qatar Airways has signed for 160 Boeing widebody aircraft. The deal, announced in Qatar during the US President's ongoing trip to the Middle East, is said to be worth about $96 billion.

Two major European airlines —Iberia and Jet2—have launched new cadet pilot training programs aimed at tackling the anticipated shortage of commercial pilots. Announced on May 12, both initiatives opened applications and offer prospective pilots a funded path into the cockpit.

May 11 brought bad news for Delta 360 Medallion club members, as Yahoo News reported that they will soon no longer be eligible to receive priority boarding on Delta Air Lines flights. Delta rolled out pre-boarding perks for its Delta 360 members in May 2024. However, after a year of saving time at the airport, members will have to board in Zone 2, with Diamond Medallion members, following first class, on May 16.

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) recently received a filing from Southwest asking for authorization to run service to international destinations under the Open Skies agreement. The agreement has been ratified by many nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. The news of Southwest’s request was first reported by Ishrion Aviation.

It’s no secret that President of the United States, Donald Trump, has been in a rush for a new Air Force One since his first term. In the past few days, the news has been swirling that he found a solution in the form of a gift from the Royals of Qatar. The idea of accepting the $400 million USD jet as a replacement for Air Force One has come under immediate, harsh criticism for legal and political reasons, but also because it isn’t actually a solution in technical terms.

The Boeing 777X test plane WH004 (N779XZ) has returned to the skies for the first time in over three and a half years. This test aircraft first flew in September 2020 but was grounded in late 2021, allowing Boeing to focus on the other three 777X test aircraft. The aircraft is the only 777X test plane to be outfitted with a full passenger interior, allowing the company to perform cabin systems testing. The prototype took off from Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE) for a two-hour flight on May 7.

This weekend, the eyes of the musical world will descend on the Swiss city of Basel for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. Hosted in the St Jakobshalle arena, the final of the contest on Saturday night will see artists representing 26 countries go head to head to claim the crown, as well as the honor of hosting next year's edition. As an airline with a huge presence in Basel, easyJet has got in on the festivities.

Ryanair has announced that another passenger was handed a fine for disruptive behavior while flying on its aircraft, with the latest court decision punishing a traveler who forced its flight to divert, disrupting the plans of 191 passengers and six crew members.

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.