Sat.Dec 28, 2024 - Fri.Jan 03, 2025

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airBaltic cancels 4,670 flights for summer 2025 due to engine maintenance delays 

Aerotime

Latvian-based carrier airBaltic has announced the cancellation of 4,670 flights from all its bases for the summer season of 2025. The decision is due to unexpected delays and prolonged engine maintenance by its supplier Pratt & Whitney, the carrier announced in a press release published on January 2, 2025. airBaltic said the engine manufacturers inability to meet its timely maintenance obligations has impacted the operational capabilities of the airlines Airbus A220-300 fleet.

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JetBlue Fined For Chronic Flight Delays, A First-Ever DOT Penalty

One Mile at a Time

While JetBlue is known for its pleasant passenger experience, the airline hasnt historically been known for its operational reliability. The situation got so bad that the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has just issued its first-ever fine for chronic flight delays against the airline. DOT fines JetBlue $2 million for unrealistic scheduling The DOT has today announced a $2 million penalty against JetBlue for operating multiple chronically delayed flights. $1 million of that goes

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WWII Combat Veteran B-17 ‘The Pink Lady’ Update

Vintage Aviation News

The Boeing B-17 The Pink Lady , a historic aircraft and one of the few remaining Flying Fortresses, last took to the skies in 2010 when it landed at the La Fert-Alais airfield in France. While the aircraft has remained grounded since then, it continues to be maintained in airworthy condition. During a recent conversation with Maxime Senante, founder and president of the French-based aviation apparel company Barnstormer , we discussed the current status of the airplane and the potential hope to s

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The US Air Force Sent 39 A-10 Warthogs To The Boneyard At Davis-Monthan AFB In 2024

Simple Flying

As Simple Flying has previously reported, the Air Force is progressively retiring its fleet of A-10s. As they retire, they are sent to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. Publicly available data from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (the group responsible for maintaining the aircraft in storage at the boneyard) shows that the United States Air Force sent at least a total of 39 A-10s to be mothballs at the famous Boneyard.

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World’s first: easyJet tests paint that enables fuel savings and cuts emissions 

Aerotime

easyJet has become the first airline in the world to trial a new lower-weight paint, which should cut emissions and enable fuel savings. On January 3, 2025, easyJet announced that it is working with Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings to create the new solution. Compared to previous systems, this will use less paint to create the colors for easyJets livery. easyJet is constantly exploring and developing innovative solutions to lower the impact of our operations, said Lahiru Ranasinghe, Director of Sust

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American Airlines Expands Espresso In First & Business Class

One Mile at a Time

Its not often we see American leading the way when it comes to inflight service, so heres a small but noteworthy victory, as reported by @xJonNYC. American expands premium cabin espresso offering American Airlines is expanding the planes and cabins on which it serves espresso-based drinks. Thanks to a recent change, American now offers espresso in first and business class on Boeing 777s (777-200ERs and 777-300ERs), Boeing 787s (787-8s and 787-9s), and Airbus A321Ts.

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Naples Airport Authority Launches App For Noise Complaints

AV Web

The Naples Airport Authority (NAA) introduced a new app to make it easier for disgruntled neighbors to file noise complaints. NAA partnered with EnviroSuite in developing the app, which allows users to report aircraft noise events directly from their smartphones. The Naples Airport is no stranger to noise complaints as it saw more than 123,000 aircraft operations in fiscal year 2024 a significant increase from the 119,000 in 2023, intensifying long-standing noise issues.

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Weaponized Airbus A350: The defense systems of Germany’s ‘Air Force One’

Aerotime

The Airbus A350 is becoming a common sight at international airports as airlines build up their fleets of the efficient widebody aircraft. But only one nation so far has picked the aircraft as its VIP transport – Germany. Used for transportation of high-ranking government officials, the three Airbus A350s owned by the Bundeswehr are the German equivalent of the iconic Air Force One, as it is in the US.

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Alaska Mileage Plan Elite Status For Award Flights: Game Changer?

One Mile at a Time

Alaska Airlines has rolled out some major changes to its Mileage Plan program as of 2025. In this post Id like to discuss the details of my single favorite change, which is that you can now qualify for elite status with award flights. If you ask me, this is a pretty revolutionary development. Alaska credits elite qualifying miles on all award flights As of January 1, 2025, the Alaska Mileage Plan program has started awarding elite qualifying miles (EQMs) for award tickets, when redeeming Mileage

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Report Finds FAA Ignores Majority Of Whistleblower Complaints

AV Web

A new Seattle Times report took a deep dive into whistleblower complaints concerning the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeingfinding that the agency dismisses the majority of complaints it receives. Looking at data from 2020-2023, the report found that more than 90 percent of safety complaints ended with no violation found by the FAA. The Times article highlighted that the FAA dismisses whistleblower complaints on preliminary review when they lack sufficient information to investigat

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How Do Flight Crews Prepare For Some Of The World’s Longest Flights?

Simple Flying

With advancing aircraft technology and rising globalization, air travel continues to expand, resulting in higher demand for longer flights. The longest commercial routing is currently being operated by Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR , with an almost 19-hour flight between New York (JFK) and Singapore (SIN) covering a total distance of over 9,500 miles.

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South Korean police ban Jeju Air CEO from leaving country amid investigation 

Aerotime

With the investigation into the fatal Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport (MWX) taking longer than expected, South Korean police have prohibited Jeju Air CEO Kim E-Bae from leaving the country. “The investigation team imposed a travel ban on two individuals, including Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae,” a Korean police official from South Jeolla Province told AFP News agency, in a report seen by Barrons.

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Delta SkyMiles Elite Status (MQDs) With Credit Card Spending: Worth It?

One Mile at a Time

The big three US carriers make a large percentage of profits from their loyalty programs, and in particular, their lucrative co-brand credit card agreements. As part of this, were increasingly seeing airlines offer ways to earn elite status through credit card spending. American Express and Delta have a portfolio of co-branded credit cards , and under the current program, its possible to earn SkyMiles Medallion elite status either partly or entirely through credit card spending.

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How to Read a Windsock

Pilot Institute

Have you ever wondered how pilots determine wind direction and speed at a glance? Windsocks may look like simple fabric tubes fluttering in the breeze, but theyre valuable tools for safe flying. If youre preparing for takeoff, navigating an approach, or landing at an uncontrolled airport, knowing how to read a windsock can give you quick wind information.

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How Startup Airlines Have Found Unmatched Success In Small Markets

Simple Flying

It can be difficult for new airlines to compete with established airlines like Delta Air Lines , American Airlines , United Airlines , and Southwest Airlines. While these airlines may have already claimed most of the busy and profitable routes, there are still crumbs to be had. Low-cost and ultra-low-cost airlines now make up around 34% of the US airline market share (around average for the rest of the world).

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No delay: These were the most on-time airlines in the world in 2024

Aerotime

Aviation analytics company Cirium has released its rankings for the most on-time airlines in the world in 2024. Data is based on hundreds of real-time feeds, from airlines, distribution systems, and aviation authorities, providing a thorough and objective view of the performance of carriers. Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, said, 2024 was a difficult year for airlines, facing a large-scale IT outage, and unseasonable and severe weather patterns.

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My Airline Elite Status Strategy For 2025: I’m Nearly A Free Agent

One Mile at a Time

With it now being 2025, I thought it would be fun to share myairline elite status strategyfor the coming year, following my recent post about my hotel elite status strategy. While I for the most part value airline elite status less than in the past, there is one program that Im newly excited about. Still, Id consider myself to largely be a free agent, since elite status isnt my primary consideration when booking flights.

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Delta Adds More 717 Routes

Airline Geeks

Delta plans to expand its Boeing 717 network next summer. The Atlanta-based airline has roughly 80 717-200s in its fleet.

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Emirates Begins Flying The Airbus A380 Superjumbo To 51st Destination From Dubai Hub

Simple Flying

After almost five years, Emirates has resumed flying the Airbus A380 to Copenhagen. According to OAG schedules data, the Danish capital became the carrier's 51st superjumbo destination globally and number 21 in Europe from its Dubai International Airport hub. It followed the return of double-decker quadjet flights to Prague in December 2024.

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South Korea orders inspection of all Boeing 737-800s after Jeju Air crash 

Aerotime

The government of South Korea has ordered the inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by domestic airliners after 179 passengers died when a Jeju Air aircraft crashed during an emergency landing at Muan International Airport (MWX) on December 29, 2024. The announcement was made by Joo Jong-wan, Aviation Policy Chief at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) during a press briefing at the Sejong Government Complex on the morning of December 30, 2024.

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Awful: SWISS Flight Attendant Dies Following Emergency Landing

One Mile at a Time

Last week, a SWISS flight had an emergency landing, leaving a flight attendant hospitalized and in critical condition. Theres now a tragic update, as that flight attendant has passed away. 2024 sure isnt ending on a good note when it comes to aviation safety SWISS A220 diverts to Graz due to smoke onboard This incident happened on Monday, December 23, 2024, and involves SWISS flight LX1885, scheduled to operate from Bucharest, Romania (OTP), to Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH).

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Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Vintage Aviation News

On this day in aviation history, December 29, 1939, the first prototype of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator made its first flight. In time, the Liberator would become the most widely produced American heavy bomber of WWII, with 18,188 examples being built between 1939 and 1945. While it served in virtually every operational theater of WWII, the Liberator’s post-war legacy was overshadowed by the Boing B-17 Flying Fortress, and only a handful remain in existence today.

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Another Jeju Air Landing Gear Fails After Crash: South Korean Regulator Orders Boeing 737-800 Inspections

Simple Flying

The government of South Korea has ordered Boeing 737-800 aircraft inspections following another Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 landing gear malfunction, according to a report by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

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Jeju Air B737-800 carrying 181 people onboard crashes in South Korea

Aerotime

A Jeju Air B737-800 crashed during an emergency landing at Muan International Airport (MWX) in South Korea. The accident occurred at around 09:08 local time on December 29, 2024. The B737-800, with registration HL8088, was operating as flight JJA 2216, a scheduled five-hour flight from Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The flight was carrying 181 passengers, mostly families returning from a five-day Christmas holiday tour package in Thailand.

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A Look Back at 2024 with Alaska Airlines 

Alaska Air

Its been a big year! We joined forces with Hawaiian Airlines, expanded our global network, made strides in sustainability, enhanced the travel experience with premium perks, and supported the communities where we live, work, and fly. The post A Look Back at 2024 with Alaska Airlines appeared first on Alaska Airlines News.

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Lufthansa Business Class Awards: What Happened?

One Mile at a Time

While this is hardly breaking news, I think its worth addressing just how bad long haul Lufthansa business class award availability has become. The sad decline of Lufthansa business class awards Historically, Lufthansa has been one of the best airlines when it comes to making long haul business class award seats available, including to members of partner airline frequent flyer programs.

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Another United Airlines Boeing 757-300 Mechanical Issue Prompts Return To Los Angeles

Simple Flying

A United Airlines transpacific flight to Hawaii was recently diverted to its airport of origin due to a technical glitch with the aircraft. The flight was on a Boeing 757 plane, which is over 20 years old. While Uniteds 757 fleet continues to reliably transport passengers across the US and on international flights, the carrier will gradually phase them out in the coming years, replacing them with new-generation narrowbody planes.

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Etihad opens US Preclearance lounge at Abu Dhabi airport for eligible guests

Aerotime

Etihad Airways has opened its dedicated US Preclearance Lounge at Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi, as of December 30, 2024. The lounge, available to eligible passengers, is located close to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance facility. It serves as a place for travelers to unwind after completing US entry formalities and before boarding their respective flights.

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JetBlue Fined for ‘Chronic’ Flight Delays

Airline Geeks

For the first time ever, the Department of Transportation is penalizing a U.S. carrier for so-called chronic flight delays.

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Fascinating: Hidden Airport Design Tricks That Guide Travelers

One Mile at a Time

The Wall Street Journal just published a cool video interviewing an architect about how airports are designed. If youre an aviation geek, or even just a frequent airport user, its worth a watch. I even learned a few things. Airports are fascinating, complex places As much as people love to hate on airports, the reality is that were all reliant on them, and theyre incredibly complex businesses: In terms of monetization, airports dont just make money from airlines and passenger fees, but they also

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7 Popular Upgrades That Will Be Made On The Gulfstream G800

Simple Flying

The Gulfstream G800, the latest flagship aircraft from Gulfstream Aerospace, is redefining the limits of long-range private aviation. Packed with cutting-edge upgrades , it represents a leap forward in speed, comfort, and sustainability. As one of the most anticipated private jets in the industry, the G800 continues Gulfstreams legacy of delivering state-of-the-art innovation for high-profile clientele, including corporate executives, heads of state, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

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US investigators, Boeing officials join probe of Jeju Air crash site in Muan 

Aerotime

A team of investigators from the US government and Boeing have arrived at the site of the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport (MWX) to participate in the investigation into the accident, Yonhap News, a South Korean news agency, reported. Starting from December 31, 2024, US investigators will join South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) at the crash site of the accident.

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Airport Design Under Scrutiny In JeJu Air Accident Probe

AV Web

While much remains unknown about the fatal Jeju Air accident in South Korea, what is clear is the tragic role played by the localizer antenna installation off the end of the runway. The hardened structure surrounding the antenna undoubtedly contributed greatly to the destruction of the Boeing 737 as it skidded off the runway and slammed into the unyielding concrete.

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Interview: Atlantic Airways Eyes Return to North America

Airline Geeks

We had a chance to interview the CEO of Atlantic Airways, Jhanna Bergi, at their headquarters in the Faroe Islands

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2024 Vs. 2023: Airbus Delivered 20 More Aircraft While Boeing Had Over 140 Fewer Deliveries

Simple Flying

2024 is now over, and the divide between US plane maker Boeing and its rival, European Airbus , has been made clear in the total number of aircraft ordered and delivered up until the end of November 2024.

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KLM Boeing 737 skids off runway in Oslo after hydraulic failure

Aerotime

On the evening of December 28, a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 737-800 made an emergency landing at Oslo Torp Sandefjord Airport (TRF) after experiencing hydraulic failure shortly after takeoff from Oslo-Gardermoen Airport (OSL). The aircraft registered PH-BXM was conducting flight KL1204 to Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS), carrying 176 passengers and six crew members.

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Slovenia’s Gogetair Chooses Turboprop Power

AV Web

Slovenian aircraft manufacturer Gogetair has taken a different approach to the issue of avgas availability worldwide. While there are a number of piston engines capable of operating on more readily available jet fuel, late last year, Gogetair flew its top-of-the-line G750 aircraft with a Turbotech TP-R90 turboprop engine. Rated at roughly 122 shaft horsepower, the French-built TP-R50 is a regenerative turbine with a heat exchanger to mix intake air with exhaust gas to be reinjected into the comb