Sat.Aug 31, 2024 - Fri.Sep 06, 2024

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Saudia transports three Boeing 777s from Jeddah to Riyadh by road 

Aerotime

Saudia, the national airline of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently transported three of its retired Boeing 777 aircraft from Jeddah Airport (JED) to Riyadh International Airport (RUH). There, they are to be stripped down of any useful parts with the fuselages then to be used for a new tourist attraction to be known as ‘Boulevard Runway’ However, rather than ferrying the trio of widebodies on a short flight between the two airports, the aircraft were transported by road courtesy

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A Closer Look at the Problems that Face Frontier, Other ULCCs

Cranky Flier

As the big ultra low cost carriers (ULCCs) continue to bleed money, many have asked questions about how things went so wrong so quickly. The thing is, it didn’t happen all that fast. The ULCCs, specifically Frontier and Spirit, were heading in this direction for some time. It’s just after COVID settled that the problems came into focus. There are a lot of things that have gone wrong, and today I want to put some numbers to it, using Cirium data.

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Trending Sources

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Will United Airlines Introduce Starlink Wi-Fi?

One Mile at a Time

While there are lots of areas where United Airlines has been improving, Wi-Fi is an area where the carrier greatly lags both American and Delta. You’d think that something’s gotta give at some point, especially with United increasingly being in Delta’s league , and Delta offering fast and free Wi-Fi. Along those lines, here’s an interesting rumor. United expected to make Wi-Fi announcement soon The always reliable @xJonNYC reports on some interesting rumors about the future of United’s inflight

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Astronauts Report Boeing Starliner Now Making Unexplained Sonar-Ping Noises

Simple Flying

The Boeing Starliner, which is currently attached to the International Space Station (ISS), has reportedly started emitting mysterious ping noises. NASA and Boeing engineers have so far been unable to determine the cause of the unusual sounds.

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Cathay confirms 15 A350s need repairs after urgent fleet-wide engine inspection 

Aerotime

After Cathay Pacific was forced to inspect all 48 of its Airbus A350s, the airline has confirmed that engineers identified 15 aircraft that needed repairs. On September 2, 2024, Cathay Pacific initiated a fleet-wide inspection of all 30 Airbus A350-900s and 18 A350-1000s after the airline identified an engine component failure on an aircraft destined for Zurich.

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Now Starliner Is Making A Funny Noise

AV Web

When it leaves the International Space Station next Friday, Boeing’s troubled Starliner crew capsule may not be going quietly into the night. The spacecraft started making a funny noise on Saturday shortly after it was announced that Boeing would attempt to return the vehicle autonomously to Earth on Sept. 6. Astronaut Butch Wilmore, who rode Starliner to the ISS three months ago on an eight day mission with Suni Williams, heard a strange pulsing noise coming through a speaker that he play

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American Adds New Europe Routes In Summer Of 2025

One Mile at a Time

In recent years, summer demand for travel between the United States and Europe has been through the roof, so we’ve seen US airlines add as much capacity there as possible. Every year, we see airlines tweak their European route network a bit, based on both capacity and demand, and announce new services. Along those lines, American has just announced its seasonal expansion for the summer of 2025, making it the first US carrier to announce these plans for next summer.

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Junkers’ comeback: How a luggage magnate brought back a legendary aviation brand 

Aerotime

Visitors to the Sun’n Fun 2024 Aerospace Expo , which took place in April 2024 in Lakeland, Florida, came across an aircraft that looked like straight of the 1920s. The aircraft in question certainly looked the part, but it didn’t come out of a museum or some heritage flight formation, nor had it traveled through time. It was, in fact, a newly built plane.

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Unqualified Colonel Crashed Apache Helicopter

AV Web

An Army investigation found an F-35 pilot with no previous experience in the type was at the controls of an Apache attack helicopter when it crashed at a base in Utah last February. According to KUTV , which got a copy of the report, the pilot was a colonel and he had 35 minutes of sim time in the Apache before he took off on an orientation flight with a Master Warrant Officer who was qualified in the type.

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Oops: SWISS’ New First Class Is Too Heavy, And It’s A Problem

One Mile at a Time

In 2025, Lufthansa Group carrier SWISS is expected to introduce a new passenger experience , known as SWISS Senses. This includes a new first and business class, and the plan is to install this on newly delivered Airbus A350s, and also to retrofit this on existing Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s. This is virtually identical to the infamous Lufthansa Allegris concept , as I’ve already reviewed the new Allegris business class.

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Fairly New JetBlue Airbus A321LR Diverts Twice Due To Technical Issue

Simple Flying

While the global IT meltdown was probably the most significant occurrence - there was a multi-day ordeal a week prior, affecting JetBlue travelers in Paris. What was supposed to be a mere eight hour flight was actually a lengthy 3 day ordeal as a 10-month-old A321LR encountered issues!

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Six injured as Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 hit by turbulence approaching Taiwan

Aerotime

A Turkish Airlines flight en route from Istanbul to Taipei in Taiwan encountered severe turbulence shortly before it landed at Taipei. Although the aircraft, a Boeing 777, landed safely, four passengers and two crew members were reportedly injured in the incident according to local media. The flight involved in this latest incident of turbulence affecting commercial aircraft occurred as Turkish Airlines flight TK24 from Istanbul-Ataturk Airport (IST) to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

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Transportation Department Probes Big Four Loyalty Programs

Flyertalk

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an inquiry into America’s four biggest airlines on September 5, 2024, ordering information about their loyalty programs to protect customers from “potential unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.” Transportation Department Evaluating “Fairness, Transparency, Predictability, and Competitiveness” In announcing the probe of American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, and United Airlines MileagePl

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EasyJet Pilots Will Fly Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350s

One Mile at a Time

While this won’t impact passengers in any way, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic are launching an interesting pilot exchange program … Some EasyJet pilots are headed to Virgin Atlantic EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic have partnered in a pilot exchange program, which will see some EasyJet pilots join Virgin Atlantic to experience a long haul, wide body flying secondment.

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An Update To The 4 Aircraft That Jeff Bezos Now Operates

Simple Flying

Jeff Bezos, the former Chairman, President, and Chief Executive officer of Amazon, the owner of The Washington Post newspaper, and the space company Blue Origin. With a net worth north of $200 billion, Bezos is the second-richest man in the world, surpassed only by Elon Musk. He owns a fleet of private jets and has recently expanded his private jet fleet to include four aircraft.

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Aegean Airlines invests €50M to take stake of 21% in Volotea  

Aerotime

Aegean Airlines intends to acquire a 21% stake in Barcelona-based regional low-cost airline Volotea, the two carriers announced on September 3, 2024. According to the terms that have been disclosed, this investment will take the form of a €50 million convertible loan. The loan will be structured in two equal tranches, the first of which has already been disbursed by the Greek carrier, with the second expected to be formalized in Q2 2025.

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Confessions of a New Corporate Pilot

Jetwhine

Jetwhine A Part 91 corporate pilot tells the story of his first flying job in a swept-wing jet aircraft, both the good and the bad.

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Whoa: Sweden Ending Aviation Tax In 2025

One Mile at a Time

Here’s a development that counters the industry trend, especially as countries set climate goals… Sweden abolishing tax on air travelers In a major policy reversal, the Swedish government has announced that it will eliminate its aviation tax as of July 2025. This was revealed as part of the government’s 2025 budget bill, which otherwise includes more spending on infrastructure, research, and innovation, as well as tax relief on foreign exports.

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American Airlines Announces 5 New European Routes For Summer 2025

Simple Flying

American Airlines has announced a series of new seasonal European routes for summer 2025. The oneworld member airline will connect four different US hubs with five transatlantic destinations - Athens, Madrid, Rome, Edinburgh, and Milan.

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Iconic Czech airline CSA to be wound down, OK code retired 

Aerotime

Czech flag carrier CSA will cease air operations and discontinue the use of the historical “OK” code, as its parent company, Smartwings, restructures its aviation businesses. According to reports in the Czech media, while not disappearing de jure, CSA will be repurposed as a holding company after October 27, 2024. All airline operations will then be transferred to Smartwings.

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Turkish Airlines Flight Hit by Severe Turbulence, Causes Injuries

Airline Geeks

A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Taipei encountered severe turbulence, injuring several passengers and crew members.

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Delta Ends New York To Paris Daytime Flight, Best Way To Beat Jetlag

One Mile at a Time

Well, this is a shame. Several months ago, Delta Air Lines introduced its only daytime eastbound transatlantic flight. People either love or hate these kinds of flights, and personally I loved to see the option. Unfortunately this frequency isn’t lasting long, as it’s already being discontinued. Delta’s daytime eastbound transatlantic flight cut For some background, since March 31, 2024, Delta has been operating a third daily flight between New York (JFK) and Paris (CDG).

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Delta Air Lines Will Discontinue Boeing 757-200 Flights Between New York & Bogot

Simple Flying

Delta Air Lines will be suspending flights between New York JFK Airport (JFK) and Bogot (BOG) this winter season as it adjusts its schedule to align with consumer demand, the airline says in a statement to Simple Flying. At present, the US carrier flies to the Colombian capital daily with a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. It is worth noting, though, that the airline does fly from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Bogot, meaning the destination is not being cut completely from th

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EASA orders inspections on Rolls Royce Trent XWB97 engines fitted to A350-1000s  

Aerotime

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an emergency airworthiness directive requiring one-off on-wing inspections of all Rolls Royce Trent XWB97 engines fitted to Airbus A350-1000 engines. The order comes following the incident involving a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 (registered B-LXI) on September 2, 2024, when the crew was forced to shut down an engine following an inflight fire on a flight between Hong Kong and Zurich.

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From Wheels to Wings: A Young Eagle’s Story

Inspire

By John Muhle, EAA 1360048, EAA Chapter 289 President It was Wings and Wheels in the summer of 2022, and a young man had made plans to attend the event with his dad, Grant, and a friend. Ryland Anderson was 18 and had tried a few different career paths, but he wasn’t excited about any […] The post From Wheels to Wings: A Young Eagle’s Story first appeared on Hangar Flying.

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Lufthansa Wants To Invest In TAP Air Portugal

One Mile at a Time

Global aviation in Europe is very much controlled by the “big three” European airline groups — Air France-KLM, IAG, and Lufthansa Group. These airline groups strategically try to buy up independent airlines, largely in order to prevent competitors from doing the same. We’ve just seen Air France-KLM acquire a stake in Scandinavian Airlines , and we’re also seeing Lufthansa Group acquire a stake in ITA Airways.

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Airbus A380: 5 Things You Didn't Know About The Double-Decker Quadjet

Simple Flying

The Airbus A380 is an unquestionably stunning aircraft and is sure to capture the attention of many wherever it flies. While the aircraft has not had as long of a successful life compared to the Boeing 747, several planes continue to operate passenger flights today. In contrast, many 747 examples have been retired or converted into freighters. It has taken some time for A380 operators to introduce their planes back to service since the pandemic.

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Sweden planning to scrap aviation tax to boost its air travel industry 

Aerotime

Sweden will abolish its aviation tax from July 2025 in a bid to boost air travel. The tax, which has been in effect in the Scandinavian country since 2018, represents a levy of between SEK76 and 504 (approximately US$7.4 – 49) depending on the destination, on each airline ticket for flights arriving or departing Swedish airports (transit passengers are exempt).

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QANTAS to launch Melbourne – Honolulu service

World Airline News

Qantas is adding further capacity to the US with the launch of direct flights from Melbourne to Honolulu from early-May 2025*. On sale from today, the new service will boost capacity to the USA by adding more than 40,000 seats per year to the Hawaiian capital, in addition to existing Sydney to Honolulu services with Qantas and Jetstar which collectively operate eight times per week.

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New Zealand Nearly Triples Tourist Tax For International Visitors

One Mile at a Time

Visiting New Zealand is about to get more expensive, as the country is drastically increasing the fee it charges international visitors… New Zealand international visitor levy increasing to 100 NZD New Zealand requires visitors from visa waiver countries to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) prior to travel, as is the case with many countries around the world.

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The Maybach Air: A Look At Rick Ross's Private Jet

Simple Flying

Rapper and entrepreneur Rick Ross has recently made news in the aviation world by acquiring a private jethis customized Gulfstream G550, dubbed "Maybach Air." This luxurious aircraft allows Ross and his entourage to travel in style while showcasing his opulent lifestyle and business acumen.

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airBaltic announces 16 new routes from the Baltics, prepares for IPO

Aerotime

airBaltic announced on September 4, 2024, a significant expansion of its network, with 16 new routes being launched from the three Baltic capitals between October 2024 and June 2025. The new services, which will all be operated by Airbus A220-300 aircraft, are as follows: From Riga (RIX), Latvia to: Rzeszow (RZE), Poland, starting on October 28, 2024 Cluj-Napoca (CLJ), Romania, starting on May 2, 2025 Stavanger (SVG), Norway, from June 3, 2025 Mykonos (JMK), Greece, from June 5, 2025 Fro

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Pilot Swap: easyJet, Virgin Atlantic Launch New Exchange Program

Airline Geeks

Pilots from the European low-cost-carrier will be able to gain experience in the right seat of a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350.

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Lufthansa Credit Card Offering 80K Bonus Miles

One Mile at a Time

A credit card that I don’t often talk about is currently offering an improved welcome offer, as flagged by Doctor Of Credit. While it’s not the richest offer we’ve ever seen on the card, it is the best bonus the card has offered in roughly a year. Lufthansa Miles & More Card 80K bonus miles promo The Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard issued in the United States is currently offering a bonus of 80,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days.

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Airbus A330neo Tops Widebody Orders With 57 New Aircraft Since July

Simple Flying

The re-engined A330 aircraft has seen a significant order uptick since the July Farnborough Airshow; with 57 firm orders and 60 options placed by four customers, the Airbus A330neo has become the most ordered widebody aircraft in recent weeks. This raises the question of whether the aircraft type is making a comeback.

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Beond’s second aircraft enters service

Aerotime

The second aircraft operated by luxury airline Beond has entered service. This aircraft, an Airbus A321, was delivered to the airline in February 2024, and has since undergone a cabin refit to install Beond signature all-business class interior. The aircraft has also been painted in the carrier’s distinctive dark grey livery punctuated by spherical copper patterns.

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Texas Woman’s University Launches Flight Program

AV Web

Texas Woman’s University (TWU) is launching a new flight school, the Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences, this semester, aiming to empower women and address the pilot shortage. According to NBC Dallas , the university is now the only woman-focused university nationwide with a professional pilot program. Backed by a $15 million grant from the Doswell Foundation, TWU’s program will offer two degree tracks: professional pilot and flight operations.

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