Aerotime

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Qatar Airways private jet charter division, Qatar Executive, has released plans for its fleet of Gulfstream G650ER to fly with Starlink connectivity. Qatar Executive made the announcement on December 12, 2024, as MEBAA Show 2024 , at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Dubai, opens its doors for day one of the business aviation event. The first Starlink-equipped Gulfstream G650ER will begin flying on December 14, 2024, and Qatar Executive plans to have the first five flying with the techno

Jet 354

Jet 354

Cranky Flier

DECEMBER 12, 2024

I know, you were probably expecting me to talk about JetBlue finally confirming to the Wall Street Journal it will install a domestic First Class product onboard its non-Mint fleet. But really, what would I say? Sure, I like the idea. It gives more upsell opportunities and makes the airline more attractive to high-dollar travelers who don’t want to fly coach.

Airplanes 169

Airplanes Airline Airlines 169

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Ive long published my rankings of the worlds best first class products and best first class lounges. In the past couple of years, Ive tried to do the same for business class. Its kind of hard to truly rank business class products, simply because theres so much variability in terms of the quality of products across aircraft, food and beverage service can vary significantly across flights, people prioritize very different things in business class, etc.

Airline 131

Airline Airlines Jet 131

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 7, 2024

A strange phenomenon occurred over Dallas late last month when pilots seemingly spotted an unidentified foreign object (UFO) or alien craft. Since the congressional hearing, there has been increased scrutiny regarding UFOs.

Pilot 144

Pilot Airline Airlines 144

Aerotime

DECEMBER 11, 2024

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced its financial outlook for the global airline industry in 2025 which forecasts a strengthening of profitability and further rises in annual passenger traffic figures which will breach the five billion passenger mark for the first time in the history of the industry. According to IATA s Director General, Willie Walsh speaking at IATAs 2024 Global Media Day in Geneva, Switzerland on December 10, 2024, the net profits for the global ai

Airline 283

Airline Airlines Drag Cargo 283

Cranky Flier

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Today’s post is coming a bit earlier than normal, and that’s because Alaska has just announced a whole lot of news in advance of today’s investor day. In addition to the blockbuster announcement that flights from Seattle to Tokyo/Narita will start in May (plus Seoul/Incheon in the fall), Alaska also put out impressive forward-looking guidance, seeing much bigger benefits from the Hawaiian merger than originally expected.

Airplanes 147

Airplanes Tail Cargo Airline 147

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 10, 2024

JetBlue has just revealed the details of two new transatlantic routes that it intends to launch in the summer of 2025, and its great news for those in Boston. JetBlue adds two transatlantic destinations in 2025 In 2021, we saw JetBlue launch transatlantic routes, with its new Airbus A321LR aircraft. Many passengers were excited about this, given JetBlues great onboard product.

Cargo 111

Cargo Airline Airlines Jet 111

Aerotime

DECEMBER 8, 2024

Sofia International Airport (SOF), Bulgarias main air gateway, is gearing up for a major expansion that will see it double its capacity, explained to AeroTime the airports CEO, Jess Caballero Pinto. The airport executive shared the airports ambitious plans with the media during Aviation-Event SOF , an aviation conference which took place in the Bulgarian capital on November 29, 2024, gathering senior industry professionals, decision makers and media representatives from across Europe.

Narrow-Body Aircraft 279

Narrow-Body Aircraft Fixed Base Operator Hangar Airline 279

Airline Geeks

DECEMBER 7, 2024

This is the second A321neo to join the carriers growing fleet this week, with the other aircraft (N54525) arriving on Monday.

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135

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 8, 2024

As someone who flies American Airlines more than any other airline, I figured it would be useful to write a guide about the carriers inflight Wi-Fi offering. Inflight connectivity has come a long way over the years, allowing travelers to stay connected above the clouds. The bad news is that American has no plans to offer free Wi-Fi to passengers on a widespread basis.

Airlines 111

Airlines Airline Jet Approach 111

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 7, 2024

On Friday, December 6th, 2024, the labor union representing the professional engineers working at Seattle-based aerospace manufacturer Boeing announced that hundreds more union employees would be laid off in the coming months. According to the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), 222 members of Boeing's current workforce received layoff notices this upcoming week, including 184 engineers and 38 technical employees.

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124

Aerotime

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Dubai-based Fixed Based Operator Jetex has been selected to run the private aviation terminal at Saudi Arabias new Red Sea International Airport due to fully open in 2025. The announcement follows a deal being agreed between Jetex and the airports operator, daa, which also runs Dublin Airport (DUB) in Ireland. Red Sea Global, the developer behind the regenerative tourism projects of The Red Sea and AMAALA in Saudi Arabia, said that the deal reached between Jetex and daa at Red Sea International

Fixed Base Operator 285

Fixed Base Operator Jet 285

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Another stunning aircraft was listed this week for sale by Platinum Fighter Sales , the leading warbird and vintage aircraft dealer. This award-winning North American P-51D Mustang, “Cripes A’ Mighty,” has 468 hours since its complete restoration by Midwest Aero Restorations, Ltd. It was the 2002 EAA AirVenture Grand Champion Warbird and Golden Wrench Winner. “This Mustang has been impeccably maintained and operated.

Cockpit 111

Cockpit Pilot 111

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Alaska Airlines recently acquired Hawaiian Airlines , fueling speculation as to whether the combined carrier might launch long haul flights from Seattle. Well, Alaska Air Group is wasting absolutely no time, and has today announced plans to turn Seattle into a global gateway, with transpacific flights launching in a matter of months. Before we even talk about this, I just have to mention how impressed I am by how quickly Alaska is moving.

Wide-Body Aircraft 111

Wide-Body Aircraft Airline Airlines Cargo 111

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 9, 2024

A routine domestic flight operated by Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris took a dramatic turn of events yesterday when a passenger attempted to have the plane diverted to the US. This prompted the service to land en route in order for the offender to be arrested, before continuing to its final destination with a considerable delay. Let's take a closer look at how exactly these dramatic circumstances played out, and what is known about the alarming incident.

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109

Aerotime

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Air France is back in the Philippines after two decades, with the launch of its inaugural non-stop flight to Manila International Airport (MNL) on December 8, 2024. Flight AF 208 departed Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) at 23:30 local time on December 7, 2024. After a flight time of less than 13 hours, the A350-941 aircraft, with registration F-HTYJ, landed in Manila at 19:26 local time the following day.

Airline 278

Airline Airlines 278

Airline Geeks

DECEMBER 9, 2024

In its latest network shake-up, Alaska will deploy Hawaiian's widebody aircraft on long-haul flights from its Seattle hub.

Airline 122

Airline Airlines 122

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Aircalin, the international airline of the South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia, has placed a fascinating aircraft order. However. Im not sure I can fully make sense of the logic. Aircalin picking up two Airbus A350-900s Aircalin has just disclosed an order for two Airbus A350-900 aircraft (meaning the order was placed at some point in the past, but Airbus didnt reveal the customer).

Wide-Body Aircraft 100

Wide-Body Aircraft Airline Airlines Jet 100

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 8, 2024

More revelations from current and former Boeing employees have surfaced after a recent report by CBS 60 Minutes once again brought attention back to the US plane makers troubled production processes. The Boeing workers told the media outlet that Boeing used faulty or nonconforming parts to keep the assembly line moving and meet delivery targets.

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131

Aerotime

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Boeing has revealed its latest orders and deliveries total for November 2024 which were hugely impacted by a weeks-long period of industrial action at the US planemaker. The company delivered just 13 commercial aircraft to customers during the month an amount less than 25% of the total amount of new airplanes delivered in the same month in 2023. The latest figure is even lower than the number of aircraft delivered in October 2024 when the company delivered 14 new jets.

Jet 246

Jet Approach Airplanes Airline 246

AV Web

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) reported last week that Los Angeles County has unwisely added $1.3 million to its $600,000 budget for assessing how to repurpose Whiteman Airport (KWHP), despite the fact that the county has a federal obligation to keep the airport operational in perpetuity. That mandate comes from language that requires perpetual support of an airport that has accepted federal funding for the purpose of acquiring real property even if that property is only a par

Pilot 110

Pilot 110

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Its common for airlines to offer some sort of status challenge or status match program, in order to lure frequent flyers who are loyal to competing airlines, but are considering a switch. In the United States, most major airlines offer some sort of a status match challenge opportunity, including Alaska , American , Delta , JetBlue , Southwest , and United.

Airline 114

Airline Airlines 114

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Japan Airlines has announced a new same-day baggage delivery service from Tokyo Haneda Airport for foreign arrivals. The service will be available from Haneda's Terminal 3 and allows arriving international travelers to have their baggage delivered to their hotel on the same day.

Airline 126

Airline Airlines 126

Aerotime

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Qantas Freight has unveiled one of its Airbus 321 freighters in a Christmas-themed livery as the aircraft prepares to deliver 50,000 tons of freight for the holiday season. The freighter, one of the carriers six A321s, has been painted in a new livery that Qantas Freighter calls, Santas Freight. The aptly-themed livery represents what the A321F will be busy doing for the rest of 2024: delivering packages, mail, and popular Australian food such as seafood, seasonal produce and even Christmas pudd

Cargo 274

Cargo Airline Airlines 274

AV Web

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Phillips 66 will supply United Airlines with up to eight million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel over the next seven months thanks to incentives from the State of Illinois. Phillips and United have signed a firm agreement for three million gallons to be delivered to O’hare and 600,000 gallons to be delivered to LAX. The deal could be expanded to a total of eight million gallons through the first half of 2025.

Jet 96

Jet Airline Airlines 96

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 9, 2024

While domestic upgrades are nice , upgrades on long haul flights are even nicer. Having a flat bed on an overnight transoceanic flight makes all the difference between arriving exhausted and arriving well rested. If not outright redeeming miles for an award ticket , there are sometimes opportunities to use miles or upgrade instruments to score a business class seat.

Airlines 108

Airlines Airline Threshold Jet 108

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 11, 2024

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has made a significant leap toward more sustainable aviation with the successful deployment of a Taxibot on its first passenger flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on December 10, the carrier announced in a press release. A KLM Boeing 737 was towed from the gate to the Polderbaan runway by an innovative tow vehicle, enabling the aircraft to keep its engines off until it reached the runway for takeoff.

Runway 121

Runway Pilot Airline Airlines 121

Aerotime

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The owners of Brazilian low-cost airline GOL Linhas Areas Inteligentes SA (GOL) have announced that the carrier intends to file an initial proposed Chapter 11 plan of reorganization with the US Bankruptcy Court. The step follows a Plan Support Agreement (PSA) reached in November 2024between Abra Group (the majority shareholder of GOL) and several of the main creditors of the Sao-Paulo-based budget airline.

Airline 274

Airline Airlines 274

AV Web

DECEMBER 11, 2024

NASA scientists are close to completing the first-ever accident investigation on another planet. Engineers from NASAs Southern California Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working with AeroVironment will publish a report on the final flight of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in the coming weeks. But there is far more good than bad in assessing the cause of the mishap.

Descent 101

Descent Jet Pilot 101

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Nowadays I dont seek out airline elite status as I used to in the past. While I still think theres huge value to earning airline miles, the value of status simply isnt there in the way that it used to be upgrades are tougher to come by, premium cabins are often priced more reasonably in cash, and all the while airlines have (mostly) made status harder to earn.

Threshold 114

Threshold Airline Airlines 114

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 9, 2024

The company's primary supplier of MAX fuselage components, Spirit AeroSystems, is in dire financial straits

121

121

Aerotime

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Kuwait-based low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has confirmed its intention to purchase six A320ceo aircraft as part of its ongoing transformation and strategic growth. The six Airbus A320-200 jets are currently on lease to Jazeera Airways and are already an integral part of the carriers fleet. Explaining the decision in a statement on December 10, 2024, Jazeera Airways said the strategic move was aimed at reducing unit costs and mitigating supply chain challenges that have impacted the aviation i

Airline 261

Airline Airlines Approach Jet 261

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 12, 2024

“Excuse me, sir, do you know how fast you were going? And how high were you flying?” The answers come from a clever little setup on your airplane: a metal tube sticking into the airstream and a tiny hole on the fuselage. These two simple features power three of the most important cockpit instruments. This setup is called the pitot-static system.

Pitot Tube 97

Pitot Tube Altimeter Descent Airplanes 97

One Mile at a Time

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The Amex Membership Rewards program has just introduced its latest transfer bonus, valid for the next few weeks. I imagine that some people might find this to be worthwhile. Amex offering 25% JetBlue TrueBlue transfer bonus Between December 6 and December 31, 2024, you can receive a 25% bonus when you transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to JetBlue TrueBlue.

Airline 111

Airline Airlines 111

Simple Flying

DECEMBER 9, 2024

For travelers, competition is wonderful, and it took a while to ramp up after airlines emerged from the pandemic lockdowns. Recently, Virgin Australia announced it intends to launch 28 weekly nonstop services from Australia to Qatar using Qatar Airways wet-leased aircraft, and today, Emirates has adjusted its schedules to cut a one-stop service via Singapore and replace it with another nonstop flight between Melbourne and Dubai.

Airline 112

Airline Airlines 112

Aerotime

DECEMBER 10, 2024

The Airbus A321XLR has been awarded Type Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved the aircraft earlier this year. According to Air Current , news of the important development has been kept low key with details regarding the approval added to the Airbus A320 family aircraft type certificate data sheet (TCDS) on December 5, 2024.

Airline 282

Airline Airlines 282

Airline Geeks

DECEMBER 10, 2024

After axing service between New York-JFK and London Gatwick last week, JetBlue is planning two new European routes in 2025.

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