Aviation News

On January 9, anger-inducing news broke that an amphibious Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper of the Canadian Province of Quebec had hit a drone violating Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airspace restrictions and was unable to continue aiding aerial firefighting efforts around the Los Angeles, California megalopolis. This tragic incident highlights once again the need for drone pilots to be mindful of other aviators, especially first responder aviators.

Who doesn't love time travel? This is the concept of arriving at your destination airport before you have left, which is possible because the time zone change is greater than the block or scheduled time. It is particularly intriguing when applied to long-haul or transatlantic travel.

Big changes are afoot at the flag carrier of Argentina ahead of privatization and a potential full-fledged buy-out of the nationalized airline.

An Allegiant Air Airbus A319 was forced to return to Las Vegas after one of its engine indicator lights illuminated after takeoff. The aircraft landed safely back at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), and would remain grounded for almost four days before returning to the air.

* Updated 16:58 UTC 10/01/2025 with a comment from American Airlines *

This winter, the UK's airports have non-stop and one-stop international flights to 383 airports globally. Obviously, London is massively dominant—it has services to 378 of them.

Pakistan International Airlines has resumed flights to the European Union (EU), with the first flight following its ban in 2020 taking off from Islamabad to Paris on January 10.

Jeju Air's maintenance records and high aircraft utilization rates are being scrutinized more closely following last month's crash. The low-cost carrier has undergone a sizable run of growth in recent years, but authorities are looking at whether this has come at the expense of adequate safety and maintenance practices.

Delta Air Lines has announced its 2024 results, with the airline reporting a record-breaking full-year revenue, pre-tax income, and cash flow. The company said that strong demand should continue in 2025, with travelers increasingly seeking the premium products provided by such airlines as itself.

Toulouse-based Beyond Aero has secured a significant amount of funding for its sustainability-centered private and business jet, which it plans to launch in 2030. Beyond Aero's One aircraft aims to be the first electric business aircraft powered by hydrogen propulsion. It can carry between six and eight passengers and travel up to 800 nautical miles.

Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of Africa's first Airbus A350-1000 (registered ET-BAW) on November 5. Its second example (registered ET-BAX) arrived in Addis Ababa on December 7. The pair is used to multiple destinations. However, while things may change, including unplanned equipment substitutions, the carrier expects more A350-1000 flights to Washington Dulles than anywhere else in its network.

A wing panel that fell off a Boeing 747 freighter upon landing was discovered in a grass area next to the runway at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). After inquiries were made, it was discovered that the panel had been there for over two months, having detached from a One Air 747-400 freighter that landed in early January 2024.

Readers will not be surprised that New York JFK Airport to Los Angeles International Airport is the most popular and highest revenue-generating US airport pair. In the 12 months to September 2024, US Department of Transportation data shows that 2.7 million roundtrip passengers flew between the two airports, both point-to-point and transfer combined. They spent a total of $973 million.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency ( EASA) has updated its Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) board, warning about operating flights above certain regions in Russia due to the country’s deficiencies in coordinating civil and military air traffic.

The flag carrier of Portugal is starting off the new year with a flurry of discounts for US travelers. TAP Air Portugal confirmed this morning that it is welcoming 2025 with special offers to seven cities in Portugal and another to 40 destinations across its European and African networks from each of its seven US gateways.

A new United States Department of Transportation ( DOT) filing has revealed the flight timings of beyond-perimeter flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that were rewarded to five airlines in December 2024.

According to the latest Cirium Diio data, Dubai International Airport is the world's leading airport in the first three months of 2025 (Q1) by available seats. It has 15.1m departing seats, surpassing the next busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,by 2.0%.

A Riyadh Air Boeing 787-9 has been spotted sporting the airline's new white livery. While this is the first aircraft that the airline will use operationally, it will not be used in regular passenger service and will rather be kept as a technical spare.

Emirates announced that it has launched the process to become the world’s first ‘Autism Certified Airline (ACA),’ introducing new standards and services for customers with autism and sensory conditions throughout 2025 and beyond.

Cranfield University of Cranfield, Bedfordshire, is seeking volunteers to help with a research project to analyze aircraft evacuation. The university, known for public research, has partnered with the University of Greenwich, to run a series of evacuation trials next month.