Aerotime

DECEMBER 23, 2024

In a highly embarrassing turn of events for both Malaysia Airlines and Airbus, the Kuala Lumpur-based carrier has temporarily grounded its first and only Airbus A330-900neo after operating just two return flights. The airline has stated that multiple technical defects with the plane have caused the grounding for safety reasons and so that the issues can be addressed before the aircraft flies with fare-paying passengers again.

Airline 301

Airline Airlines 301

AV Web

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Just days after announcing plans to cease operations, electric aircraft manufacturer, Lilium, has found a buyer in Mobile Uplift Corporation GmbHa coalition of European and North American investors. The German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company announced the news on Tuesday noting that the deal is expected to enable its two subsidiaries to secure the funding needed to resume operations and hire back the nearly 1,000 employees it let go.

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Simple Flying

DECEMBER 25, 2024

The largest airline in India, indigo , is allegedly close to signing a big contract with Norse Atlantic Airways to wet-lease six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The deal, mentioned by The Economic Times and other industry sources , is anticipated to be finalized shortly and would help IndiGo achieve its lofty goals of starting long-haul international service as early as 2025 to major European cities, including London and Paris.

Airline 136

Airline Airlines 136

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 25, 2024

While certainly niche, heres an interesting thing I just learned, thanks to OMAAT reader Hiro. Did you know theres an airline that offers lounge access to all economy passengers on one specific flight? Neither did I (Im not talking about Bangkok Airways, which offers lounge access to all passengers, but in reality lounges are just the gate area with some free drinks and snacks) Japan Airlines economy lounge access for one flight Japan Airlines has among the more generous lounge access policies o

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Airline Airlines 118

Aerotime

DECEMBER 25, 2024

As is the case with any year, 2024 was kinder to some companies within the global airline industry than it was to others. We have seen our fair share of casualties over the past twelve months, though, with several major carriers succumbing to a range of internal and external pressures and having to cease operations and shut down as a result. Conversely, the year seems to have created just the right market conditions in which a handful of startup carriers have been able to take to the air for the

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Airline Airlines Cargo Jet 284

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 27, 2024

PRESS RELEASE For the third consecutive year, Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia has met its annual 12 Planes of Christmas fundraising program goals to help restore its Republic P-47N Thunderbolt fighter. The online campaign has raised $11,200 to date for the P-47N. Adding a $50,000 grant from the Ray Foundation pushed donations over the original $50,000 goal, helping ensure the purchase of rims and new leading edges for the wings of the rare and historic aircraft.

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Hangar Pilot 111

AV Web

DECEMBER 25, 2024

A new bill introduced in Congress aims to digitalize pilot certificateseliminating the need for pilots to carry physical copies of their medical and airman certificates. Congressman Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) introduced the Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act earlier this month, aiming to improve efficiency by allowing pilots to store these documents on electronic devices or cloud platforms.

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Pilot 119

Aerotime

DECEMBER 24, 2024

A last-minute rescue may have saved innovative startup Lilium, as the company has announced a rescue deal with a consortium of European and North American investors. We are very pleased to announce the signing of an investment agreement with a very experienced consortium of investors, which is a major breakthrough, Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe said. Deal closing at the beginning of January will allow us to restart our business.

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Jet 293

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 27, 2024

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is entering a critical period of fleet modernization due to the discontinued production of its much beloved Airbus MH-65 Dolphin and recent mishaps involving high-flight-hour Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawks. The Coast Guard is looking for alternative paths forward as its fleet is chronically underfunded. Currently, the source for the new MH-60s is retired Navy SH-60 hulls.

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Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 26, 2024

There were almost a dozen shrink-wrapped pallets of boxes sitting on the rain soaked ramp at Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) in Anchorage, Alaska. The address labels indicated that all of the packages were bound for the general store in Stebbins, Alaska. Everything from toilet paper and paper towels to dog food and candy were on these pallets.

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Cargo Runway Ceiling Weather 116

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is one of the most useful frequent flyer programs for redeeming miles. Not only does the program have great award pricing for travel on Air France-KLM, but it also has lucrative award pricing for travel on partner airlines. Unfortunately the program isnt ending the year on a good note when it comes to redemption values Flying Blue increases many partner award costs On December 25, 2025, Flying Blue seems to have increased many award ticket costs on partner airlines.

Airline 125

Airline Airlines 125

Aerotime

DECEMBER 27, 2024

While much of the world was recovering from Christmas Day overindulgence, China was offering a glimpse of not one but two 6th generation fighter jets. On December 26, 2024, images began to emerge of what appears to be a large, tailless flying wing military aircraft undergoing a daytime test flight with a twin-seat Chengdu J-20S fighter serving as a chase plane.

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Jet Tail Cockpit 274

Airline Reporter

DECEMBER 24, 2024

The fine folks of the airline industry work extra hard this time of year so that the rest of us can enjoy the holidays. As if that weren’t enough, some of them volunteer to help share seasonal spirit with people in need. As one example, United operates “Fantasy Flights” that bring children experiencing significant medical issues or other hardships to visit Santa at the North Pole.

Airline 111

Airline Airlines 111

AV Web

DECEMBER 25, 2024

Investigators found multiple human errors to be the primary cause of the fatal collision between a Japan Airlines jet and a Japan Coast Guard (JCG) aircraft at Tokyos Haneda Airport earlier this year. In a preliminary report released Wednesday, the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) identified crew confusion as the primary cause of the incident, noting that the JCG crew mistakenly believed they had clearance to enter the runway before being struck by Japan Airlines jetliner at Tokyos Haneda Air

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Air Traffic Control Runway Clearance Jet 111

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 26, 2024

It looks like Indias largest airline, IndiGo, has plans to launch long haul flights earlier than initially planned. Im fascinated by the implications of this. IndiGo nears deal for Norse Atlantic Boeing 787s IndiGo is a powerhouse in Indian aviation, but up until now, the airline has almost exclusively operated narrow body jets, and hasnt operated long haul flights.

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Wide-Body Aircraft Jet Airline Airlines 122

Aerotime

DECEMBER 27, 2024

OAG has released the details of the busiest routes in the world in 2024, and the US has been very busy. Across the top 10 busiest routes, more than 30 million seats were offered by airlines over the year. The busiest route in the USA in 2024 is between Atlanta (ATL) and Orlando (MCO) with just short of 3.5 million seats offered. The route has risen to the top spot, beating last years busiest route – Honolulu (HNL) to Kahului (OGG) in Hawaii – by around 100,000 seats.

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Airline Airlines Jet Airplanes 260

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 25, 2024

Passengers aboard Flight EK823 from Dubai to Dammam , Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday were in for a special treat. What is usually a Boeing 777-operated service was swapped for Emirates ' first-ever Airbus A350-900 , marking a pivotal moment in the airlines fleet transformation and the expansion of its global network. This flight not only showcased the A350's cutting-edge technology but also symbolized a significant step in Emirates' commitment to enhancing passenger experience and operational effici

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Airline Airlines 137

Cranky Flier

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Ho, ho, ho fellow airline dorks. As you gather with your family and plot out plans for next year… take a little time to mark your calendars, because we have a date… Cranky Dorkfest 2025 will be on Saturday, September 13 What is Cranky Dorkfest? If you don’t know, then I’m happy to explain. For the main event, a bunch of us get together, watch airplanes near LAX, eat burgers, and talk shop.

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Tarmac Airplanes Airline Airlines 130

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 24, 2024

I imagine that most OMAAT readers already do this, but I figure that its a topic thats worth covering, and discussing the best ways to go about it Lack of change fees make repricing tickets easy One of the positive things to come from the pandemic is that airlines (at least in the United States) largely eliminated change fees on most kinds of fares, with basic economy fares typically being the only ones that dont offer this kind of flexibility.

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Airline Airlines 113

Aerotime

DECEMBER 23, 2024

10 family members have been killed after a Piper PA-42-1000 Cheyenne 400 they were traveling on crashed shortly after takeoff in Brazil. The tragedy unfolded on December 23, 2024, after the aircraft left Canela in Southern Brazil for Jundia and appeared to run into difficulties after a few minutes of flight. The Piper Cheyenne, registered PR-NDN, crashed in Gramado, around six miles from Canela, after reportedly striking the chimney of a building then impacting a mobile phone shop in a residenti

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Weather Pilot 261

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 27, 2024

The Airbus A380 is one of the most beloved commercial aircraft in service today. A trip onboard an A380 is something of a rite of passage for any plane enthusiast, and countless planespotters around the world jump at the chance to spot an A380 landing at an airport near them.

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Airline Airlines 119

AV Web

DECEMBER 25, 2024

The Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport (48Y), one of the most unique general aviation airports whose runway spans both Canada and the United States, is permanently closing due to low usage. The airport, situated roughly 20 miles northwest of Roseau, is operated through an international agreement between Minnesota Department Of Transportation and the rural municipality of Piney in Manitoba, Canada.

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Runway General Aviation 105

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 26, 2024

In July 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stepped up oversight of Southwest Airlines , after the airline hada series of close calls, mostly involving pilot error. Since then, the FAA has been auditing the airline to figure out if there are any areas for improvement, and the results are in FAA identifies no safety issues at Southwest Last week, the FAA put out a statement regarding its Southwest safety audit, indicating that it has finished its Certificate Holder Evaluation Program

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Airline Airlines Approach Pilot 115

Aerotime

DECEMBER 25, 2024

Air traffic has been steadily picking up since the pandemic disruption, with ACI reporting that it finally exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2024. Connections that were abandoned in 2020 have been bouncing back, and the worlds busiest flight routes are returning to expected volumes. Global travel data company OAG has released its analysis of the busiest international flight routes of 2024, and there have been some changes.

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Airline Airlines Clearance Lift 273

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Across the pond, a contest for the fighter of the future is unfolding. In one corner of the ring, as defending champion, is the Eurofighter Typhoon and in the other corner, as the new contender, we have the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The Typhoon is billed as a swing-role, non-stealth but low observability fighter jet capable of air superiority and attack missions.

Jet 116

Jet 116

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 27, 2024

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has rules to keep air travel safe, and one big part of that is making sure airplanes have the right transponders. Transponders are an important part of an aircraft’s avionics system and help with tracking and safety. Lets break it all downwhat transponders are, how theyre used, and the rules pilots need to follow.

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Transponder Air Traffic Control Pilot Airspace Classes 98

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Every hotel loyalty program has a different policy when it comes to being able to combine points among members. Arguably Hilton Honors has the most generous policy of any program when it comes to letting members combine points, so I wanted to take a closer look at that in this post. For what its worth, Ive written in the past about the policies of Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt when it comes to combining points.

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Aerotime

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Lilium may have laid off around 1,000 employees, almost all of its staff, on December 20, 2024, according to German digital tech media outletGrnderszene , which quoted unnamed sources within the company. According to the reports, only a caretaking team of a few dozen staff members remain at Lilium. However, the information has not been officially confirmed by the troubled eVTOL developer, nor by filings made public by the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC).

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Simple Flying

DECEMBER 22, 2024

Since its establishment almost a quarter of a century ago, JetBlue has grown to become the 7th largest carrier in the United States. While its primary hub is located at New York JFK Airport (JFK), the carrier has also maintained a presence at the two other major New York-area airports, namely LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

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AV Web

DECEMBER 27, 2024

A prominent proponent of angle of attack (AoA) indicators is applauding the FAA for recommending they be installed in all airplanes. The agency published a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) recommending AOA systems be installed as standard equipment in new airplanes and retrofitted in the existing fleet. The full document is reprinted below. “Outstanding step forward by the FAA, recognizing the importance of AoA systems in keeping the pilot better informed on where the wing

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Airplanes Flight Deck Pilot 116

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 22, 2024

In September 2024, we saw Alaska Airlines takeover of Hawaiian Airlines close. As youd expect, the process of integrating operations between two airlines is pretty complex (and its almost more complex when you consider that Alaska and Hawaiian plan to maintain two separate brands. On the loyalty program, the two airlines intend to introduce a combined loyalty program as of the middle of 2025.

Airline 108

Airline Airlines 108

Aerotime

DECEMBER 27, 2024

The COMAC C919 has been in operation for around 18 months, with 14 aircraft delivered to airlines and in service in China. However, commercial operations have been largely limited to mainland China, though the jet has made some international appearances without passengers onboard. Thats all about to change, though, with the news that C919 is to be scheduled on regular service between Shanghai (PVG) and Hong Kong (HKG) from January 1, 2025.

Jet 274

Jet Cargo Airline Airlines 274

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Developed by General Dynamics in the 1970s, the F-16 Fighting Falcon remains today as the backbone of the United States Air Force (USAF), with more F-16s in service today than any other kind of fighter aircraft. A multirole all-weather fighter capable of performing a myriad of missions while also offering impressive reliability and combat capabilities, the F-16 has unsurprisingly become one of the jets that the USAF relies on.

Weather 111

Weather Jet 111

AV Web

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona is the latest U.S. National Park to prohibit commercial air tours as part of its new Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP). The plan, a collaborative effort between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), prohibits commercial air tours over the park and within a half-mile of its boundaries.

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One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Earlier I wrote about how German airline Condor will be cutting half a dozen transatlantic routes in the summer of 2025. Were now getting more of a sense of why that is, and its very bad news for airline competition in German. The complicated Condor & Lufthansa relationship Theres a lot of history between Germanys two largest airlines, Lufthansa and Condor.

Airline 110

Airline Airlines 110

Aerotime

DECEMBER 22, 2024

Turkish Airlines has become an official Guinness World Records title champion after being recognized as the carrier that flies to the most countries around the globe. It has been widely known that Turkish Airlines holds this record since 2012 but now the incredible feat has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records. The record certificate was presented at Santiago Arturo Merino Bentez International Airport (SCL) following Turkish Airlines inaugural flight to Chile.

Airline 274

Airline Airlines Jet 274

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Last month marked 50 years since the foundation of Royal Brunei Airlines in 1974. The carrier commenced operations the following year, and has since grown to become something of an unsung hero of Asian aviation, serving a wide range of destinations with its small fleet. The airline's flagships are its Boeing 787-8s from the US manufacturer's Dreamliner family, of which it presently flies five.

Airline 122

Airline Airlines 122