Aviation News

On June 25, Copa Airlines inaugurated the first flight ever from Panama City to San Diego. The Central American carrier now serves three Californian airports, with San Diego joining San Francisco and Los Angeles. Copa does not plan any other new US (or Canadian) routes this year.

United Airlines has been sued by a passenger who alleges that she was sexually assaulted twice on a flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to San Diego International Airport (SAN) in January 2024. Aundrea White, an Ohio Businesswoman, claims that the airline failed to protect her.

On Wednesday, American Airlines revealed plans to undertake an expansion of the Admirals Club located at Miami International Airport (MIA) were announced. Plans to build a new Flagship Lounge at the airport were also revealed. This is good news for American Airlines customers, as the two projects will nearly double the amount of lounge space for passengers visiting the airport.

On June 24, Royal Air Maroc debuted at London Stansted, the UK's fourth-busiest airport for passenger traffic. This means the oneworld airline now serves London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Manchester from its Casablanca hub, with a record 22 weekly departures in July. This rises to 25 weekly when its Rabat to Gatwick operation is included.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been without a permanent leader since January, following the resignation of then-Administrator Mike Whitaker. In March, President Donald Trump nominated Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the agency. His nomination has now progressed, with the Senate Commerce Committee recently voting to move it forward toward full Senate consideration.

On Tuesday, it was reported by One Mile At A Time that Spirit Airlines has announced plans to streamline its booking experience by re-branding its travel options. Fare bundles have been reorganized into Spirit First, Premium Economy, and Value options, replacing previous bundle options and eliminating the previously available Go Savvy option, which included the basic fare, with standard seat selection, including a carry-on bag and checked bag.

Amid rising tension in the Middle East, Monday's shutdown of Qatari airspace led to significant disruptions for both Qatar Airways and Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH). Departures from Doha were suspended, and inbound flights were rerouted to several nearby airports, with Istanbul and Jeddah receiving the most diversions.

FedEx has permanently retired 12 aircraft from its fleet and taken a $21 million impairment charge in its fiscal fourth quarter that ended on May 31. As part of its annual results announcement, the Memphis-based logistics giant confirmed that the retirements includedAirbus, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft, as well as eight associated engines.

There are seven passenger variants of the Boeing 777: the 200 (the original model), 200ER, 200LR, 300, 300ER, 777-8 (coming), and 777-9 (coming). Seven carriers continue to fly the 777-200LR (Long Range) in scheduled passenger roles: Air Canada, Air India, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Pakistan International, and Turkmenistan Airlines. Driven by the Iraqi airspace closure, Flightradar24 shows that Iraqi Airways' sole example last flew in mid-June and is parked in Baghdad.

An Airbus A321, operated by American Airlines, was forced to return to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) due to an engine malfunction on Wednesday. The mishap occurred shortly after the Charlotte-bound aircraft took off.

On July 3, the Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss will inaugurate the first flight ever from Zurich to Halifax, Canada's eighth-busiest airport by passenger volume. While the Nova Scotia capital and most populous city has had Airbus A340 diversions and other irregular operations in the past, it has not had regular service aboard that quadjet.

JetBlue is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a loyalty promotion unlike anything it has offered before. The airline has launched a ‘25 for 25’ challenge, which gives its TrueBlue loyalty program members a rare opportunity to secure long-term elite status. The initiative is being positioned as a thank-you to long-time frequent flyers.

The United Kingdom plans to buy 12 F-35A fighter jets that can carry nuclear and conventional weapons. The news comes in the wake of the NATO summit, which is taking place in the Netherlands on June 24–25, 2025.

After hoovering up the orders at the 2025 Paris Air Show, Airbus is looking set to continue its hot streak by getting another major aircraft deal over the line that is reported to be valued at more than $2 billion. The customer in question is said to be the Taiwanese flag carrier and SkyTeam member China Airlines, which has reportedly committed to acquiring both narrowbodies and widebodies from Airbus.

A United Airlines-operated Boeing 777-200ER en route to Rome was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Iceland on Sunday, June 22. The widebody descended to 21,000 feet and broadcast a distress signal before making a safe landing at Keflavik International Airport (KEF), according to NBC Bay Area News.

JetBlue will be bringing its Mint business class experience to Orlando International Airport (MCO) for the first time. Starting in late October, the airline will be offering two daily flights between Orlando and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) using its Airbus A321s with Mint. These flights will operate throughout the winter season, with one of the flights continuing year-round.

On June 23, Etihad Airways' last Airbus A380 flight left New York JFK. It is unknown if the Gulf carrier's double-decker quadjets will be deployed to the US's leading widebody airport again. It was replaced by the lower-capacityAirbus A350-1000, which has the airline's newest business class but no first-class seats or The Residence suites.

On Tuesday morning, June 24, a United Airlines Boeing 767-300 operating flight UA12 from Zurich to Chicago O’Hare International Airport rejected takeoff at high speed on Zurich International Airport's runway 16. The cause of the rejected takeoff remains unclear.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) blames Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration for the January 2024 Alaska Airlines door plug incident, with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy saying, “I have lots of questions where the FAA was during all of this.”

Welcome to my 173rd weekly routes article! It includes eight mini-stories about subjectively exciting services that took off between June 17 and 23. While dozens of routes worldwide started in the examined period, only a selection of intriguing additions are covered in this article.