2025

article thumbnail

How Starlab Space looks to Switzerland for the next generation of space stations  

Aerotime

Space exploration is not usually among the topics that come to mind when thinking about Switzerland. This Alpine nation is most often associated with its mountain landscapes, cheese and love for precision clockwork. However, in late 2024, Starlab Space, a Houston-based joint venture developing a next-generation space station, selected it as the location of its European hub.

Payload 302
article thumbnail

And Then There Were Two(ish): Republic Swallows Mesa’s Remains

Cranky Flier

The end of Mesa has finally arrived, and lucky for the airline, it was the rosier situation that prevailed. Instead of failing outright, Mesa has now been bought. No doubt many a United customer is now celebrating this turn of events. Republic is the winner, and that means that outside of wholly-owned regionals, there are really only two major regional carriers of note left: SkyWest and Republic.

Airlines 260
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Boom Supersonic one step from first Mach 1 flight after XB-1 completes 11th test

Aerotime

The team at Boom Supersonic are determining whether a 12 th test flight of its XB-1 demonstrator is needed before undertaking its first attempt at breaking the speed barrier. On January 10, 2025, XB-1 reached speeds of Mach 0.95 during a 44-minute flight over the Mojave Desert with Chief Test Pilot Tristan Geppetto Brandenburg at the controls. The 11 th XB-1 test flight also saw the aircraft climb to 29,481 feet as it closes in on supersonic speeds.

Approach 362
article thumbnail

Istanbul Airport, first in Europe to conduct triple-runway independent takeoff 

Aerotime

On April 17, 2025, Istanbul Airport (IST) conducted a triple independent take-off, the first time this feat has been achieved in Europe. It was undertaken by three Turkish Airlines aircraft which departed Istanbul at the exact same time, using each one of the three parallel runways. Trkiye's Istanbul Airport launches simultaneous operation on three runways, recorded by Flightradar24 1⃣ Istanbul Airport becomes the 1st airport in Europe and the 2nd in the world to launch such an operat

Runway 332
article thumbnail

Examining over 100 years of flight automation and the history of the autopilot

Aerotime

The automatic pilot (autopilot) has to be one of aviations finest technological inventions. Yet, it is also one of the earliest, having been introduced (in its most rudimentary form) in 1912, just nine years after the Wright Brothers first took to the air in their powered Wright Flyer in 1903. Since those early days, the autopilot has developed enormously, both in terms of capabilities and functionality.

article thumbnail

SAS reintroduces European Business Class in response to growing premium demand

Aerotime

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has confirmed that it will be reintroducing business class on its European flights, starting October 1, 2025. The intention had previously been announced by SAS Chief Commercial Officer, Paul Verhagen, in September 2024 during a media event in Copenhagen celebrating the Scandinavian carriers accession to SkyTeam. Although SAS offers business class on its long-haul flights to the United States and Asia, this is not the case on its European network, where the most prem

Airlines 298
article thumbnail

Air France-KLM Group makes €300 million offer to take control of Air Europa

Aerotime

The Air France-KLM Group has reportedly tabled an offer of 300 million ($330 million) to take a controlling stake in Spanish carrier Air Europa. The move places the Franco-Dutch airline consortium in the running to take control of the Spanish airline with Germanys Lufthansa Group, which until now, had been considered as the clear favorite to take a majority shareholding in the Madrid-based airline.

Stability 332

More Trending

article thumbnail

Air France launches new route between Paris and Phuket, Thailand 

Aerotime

Air France announced on April 16, 2025, that it will be launching a new destination in Thailand during the 2025/26 winter season. Starting on November 27, 2025, the French flag carrier will fly nonstop three times per week between its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Phuket International Airport (HKT). The new service, which is awaiting approval from the Thai government, will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with 472 seats.

Airlines 305
article thumbnail

Avolon: airline industry to reach US$1 trillion revenue milestone in 2025 

Aerotime

Dublin-based aircraft leasing company Avolon has published a new market outlook report , predicting that the global airline industry will reach US$1 trillion in revenue for the first time ever during 2025. According to this analysis, the main driver behind this growth is the Asia-Pacific region, which will be adding more capacity than all other regions of the world combined.

Airlines 301
article thumbnail

Wizz Air announces €14 billion ‘Customer First Compass’ investment plan

Aerotime

Wizz Air announced on April 3, 2025, that it will be investing 14 billion over the next three years to enhance the customer experience it provides to its passengers. This plan, called Customer First Compass, aims to be comprehensive in its scope, covering four major customer touchpoints: product, price, service and communications. Although no specific figures have been provided by the carrier about the exact allocation of this investment among the airlines different areas, the official announcem

Approach 310
article thumbnail

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 goes supersonic for the first time 

Aerotime

Boom Supersonics XB-1 demonstrator became the first manned civilian aircraft to break the sound barrier since the end of the Concorde era. The aircraft took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), California, at 8.22am local time on January 28, 2025, and headed towards a reserved airspace section over the Mojave Desert which had been previously approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the purpose of this test.

Pilot 329
article thumbnail

Comparing Baltic airports: do they prioritize competition or have shared goals?

Aerotime

In 2024, passenger traffic at European airports rose by 7.4%, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 1.8%, according to newly released data from Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe). While ACI data show that some smaller airports remain 34.5% below their pre-pandemic figures, three airports in North-East Europe, home to the Baltic states, have all overcome this challenge.

Airlines 272
article thumbnail

South Korea plans to rebuild aviation safety system following recent accidents 

Aerotime

South Korea is set to completely rebuild its aviation safety system after recent aviation accidents in the country, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced. On February 4, 2025, MOLIT revealed plans to create an Aviation Safety Innovation Committee, which will include around 20 private experts aimed at improving safety in the aviation industry.

Runway 299
article thumbnail

Gulfstream’s state-of-the-art G800 jet given FAA, EASA type certification 

Aerotime

Gulfstream Aerospace announced on April 16, 2025, that the G800, its newest ultra-long-range executive jet, has received its type certification from both the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The G800 is being marketed as the worlds longest-range business jet, as it is capable of flying nonstop for 8,200 nautical miles (15,186 km) while sustaining speeds of Mach 0.87.

Jet 309
article thumbnail

Delta Air Lines CRJ900 makes crash landing at Toronto Pearson Airport

Aerotime

A Delta Connection flight operating from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), United States, to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Canada, encountered an incident upon landing, prompting an emergency response at the airport. The flight, DL4819, was operated by an Endeavor Air Bombardier CRJ900, registered N932XJ, on behalf of Delta Air Lines.

Runway 326
article thumbnail

airBaltic successfully tests inflight Starlink connectivity 

Aerotime

On January 7, 2025, airBaltic announced that it had successfully conducted a certification test flight of its new SpaceX’s Starlink internet connectivity on one of its Airbus A220-300 aircraft. This flight, which departed and landed at the airlines main base in Riga, Latvia (RIX), is one of the necessary steps required in order to obtain the required certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Airlines 313
article thumbnail

Smart Skies: How IoT is transforming aircraft maintenance and operations

Aerotime

AeroTime is excited to welcome Christian Charalambous as a guest columnist. A pilot operating Boeing 767s on global routes and a consultant leveraging his extensive aviation and technology expertise, Christian also holds a First-Class Honours degree in Air Transport Operations plus a masters degree in Blockchain. In his columns, he explores the modern challenges and innovative technologies that are shaping the future of flight.

Weather 293
article thumbnail

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.

Airlines 301
article thumbnail

Volotea CEO Carlos Muñoz, the man behind two successful European airlines 

Aerotime

Few people in the airline industry can match the entrepreneurial record of Carlos Muoz. In just under a decade, Muoz launched two of Europes most successful airlines. After the sale of his first success, Vueling, to Iberia (now part of the International Airlines Group), he launched Volotea in 2012, an innovative low-cost carrier connecting Europes small and mid-sized cities.

Airlines 301
article thumbnail

ITA Airways moves to Lufthansa terminals in Frankfurt and Munich airports  

Aerotime

Germanys Lufthansa Group has declared that, from summer 2025, all ITA Airways flights at Frankfurt and Munich airports will be managed from Lufthansa terminals. On March 30, 2025, the German airline group announced that this change means ITA and other Lufthansa Group airlines will operate under one roof at all the Group’s hubs. The move follows a previous announcement in February 2025 , where the German airline outlined detailed plans for incorporating the newly acquired Italian carrier in

Airlines 303
article thumbnail

Air India and Lufthansa Group expand codeshare relationship to 60 more cities

Aerotime

Air India and Germanys Lufthansa Group have agreed to build on their longstanding codeshare partnership which intends to boost flight options and connectivity for travelers between the Indian Subcontinent and Europe. The expansion, which will also see the Indian national carrier enter into a new codeshare agreement with Austrian Airlines, will include the broadening of existing codeshare agreements between the carrier with both Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS).

Airlines 298
article thumbnail

EASA certifies modified Airbus A330neo with enhanced bonus features 

Aerotime

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved a modified Airbus A330neo (A330-900) that operates with enhanced features. EASA published details surrounding the new certification on April 9, 2024, with Airbus later confirming the first entry into service of the modified A330neo would be with the German carrier Condor. Airbus said the new incremental package, known as Step-4, would be available as a line fit option for new A330neo customer deliveries with the benefit of improved performa

Drag 302
article thumbnail

Inside Elixir Aircraft: the startup using sailing tech to change light aviation  

Aerotime

Communities along France’s Atlantic shore have long held a special relationship with the sea. What has for centuries been a region of sailors, shipbuilders and maritime traders has evolved into one of Europe’s most dynamic centers for sailing technology innovation. The region is home to a thriving ecosystem where boat builders, equipment manufacturers, naval architects, and sailing technology startups collaborate to push the boundaries of what’s possible on water.

Aileron 309
article thumbnail

Full cycle: how TARMAC Aerosave stores, maintains and recycles airliners 

Aerotime

If you were to try to list the airports around the world hosting the largest number of A380 double-decker aircraft, Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN) and London Heathrow (LHR) might possibly spring to mind. However, a rather unsuspected name pops up on that list not far behind these major global hubs, On a regular day, Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Airport (LDE), a small regional airport in the south of France, presents quite a sight to behold, with several of these giant aircraft lined up on the apron whi

Tarmac 299
article thumbnail

Alaska Airlines Flight 261: Investigating what caused the tragedy

Aerotime

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was one of the worst aviation disasters in modern US history. What should have been a routine flight turned into a tragedy after a part of the tail assembly failed. Twenty-five years on from this terrible accident, we look back at what led up to the crash, what was learned from it, and why the pilots Ted Thompson and Bill Tansky are now hailed as heroes for their actions during the incident.

article thumbnail

Virgin Atlantic posts record revenue, almost five-fold operational profit rise 

Aerotime

Virgin Atlantic has posted its 2024 financial results, which show an Earnings Before Interest and Tax profit (EBIT) of 230m (US$297 million), an almost five-fold increase over the 48 million (US$62.1 million) posted the preceding year. In terms of revenue, 2024 was a record year for the UK-based long-haul carrier. Virgin Atlantics revenues went up by 183m (US$236.7 million) to a total of 3.3bn (US$4.27 billion).

Cargo 294
article thumbnail

Singapore Airlines begins $34 million lounge refurbishment at Changi’s Terminal 2

Aerotime

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced that it has started renovation and upgrade works on its SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold lounges at Changi International Airport (SIN). The refurbishment, valued at SGD 45 million (US$34 million), officially began on April 15, 2025, and is expected to be completed by mid-2027. According to Singapore Airlines, the revamped lounges will feature 50% more space and seating capacity, and include upgraded facilities.

Ceiling 304
article thumbnail

Boom CEO claims China in the race as plans for COMAC supersonic jet emerge

Aerotime

Boom Supersonic CEO and Founder, Blake Scholl has claimed that China has entered the race as plans for a COMAC supersonic jet emerged. On March 29, 2025, the South China Morning Post reported that pubished documents suggested that the Chinese state-owned aerospace firm COMAC, was moving forward with plans for commercial supersonic flight with the introduction of the C949.

Jet 324
article thumbnail

Embraer E2 jet becomes the largest aircraft to ever land at London-City Airport

Aerotime

Wednesday, March 26, 2025, marked another milestone in the 38-year history of London-City Airport (LCY), located in the Docklands area of East London just a stones throw from the financial and legal hub of Canary Wharf. At 12:01 local time, an Embraer E195-E2 regional jet operated by Helvetic Airways and registered HB-AZI touched down at the airport, simultaneously taking a place in the airports history books.

Jet 307
article thumbnail

Robinson Helicopters launches new R88, company’s first new aircraft in 15 years

Aerotime

Robinson Helicopter Company (‘Robinson’), based in Torrance near Los Angeles in California, has just announced the launch of its first all-new aircraft type in nearly 15 years. The R88 helicopter will be a larger helicopter than both the companys existing R22 and R44 models, which, according to Robinson, is a helicopter designed to meet a wider range of mission requirements while maintaining the companys hallmark reliability, affordability, and safety.

Payload 294
article thumbnail

Riyadh Air prepares for the arrival of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 

Aerotime

Saudi startup airline Riyadh Air has announced that it is preparing for the arrival of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The leased aircraft, painted in the airlines pearl livery, will be showcased at Riyadhs King Khalid International Airport (RUH), the carrier announced on January 9, 2025. The new aircraft will be used as a technical spare and for training purposes in the upcoming months, the statement read.

Jet 293
article thumbnail

Nigeria suspends Max Air flights for three months after 737 landing incident

Aerotime

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended Max Airs domestic flight services for three months following an incident where a Max Air Boeing 737-400 suffered a nose gear collapse during landing at Kano Mallam Aminu International Airport (KAN). The announcement was made by Michael Achimugu, the Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the NCAA, on January 29, 2025.

Knot 306
article thumbnail

Vertical Aerospace performs piloted thrustborne flight test in full-scale eVTOL

Aerotime

UK-based electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace has become only the second company in the world to perform a piloted thrustborne flight test in a full-scale vectored thrust aircraft. The full-scale eVTOL aircraft, known as VX4, took off on January 7, 2024, with pilot Simon Davies at the controls, at the Vertical Aerospace test center at Cotswold Airport (GBA).

Pilot 322
article thumbnail

‘Heartbreaking’: Operations cease at Lilium as eVTOL firm files for insolvency

Aerotime

The company behind the Lilium Jet has filed for insolvency after its funding options dried up and promises of new financing failed to materialize. Lilium Aerospace , which evolved after Lilium GmbH and Lilium eAircraft GmbH filed for insolvency at the end of last year, confirmed on February 21, 2025, that operations had stopped. As the funding options to secure Liliums future have not materialized in time, Lilium Aerospace has filed for insolvency today, a spokesperson for Lilium said.

Jet 307
article thumbnail

China halts Boeing deliveries amid escalating trade war with the US: Bloomberg

Aerotime

In a significant escalation of the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China, Beijing has instructed its airlines to suspend all deliveries of Boeing aircraft, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News. The directive also includes halting purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies. The measure affects major Chinese carriers, including Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern, which collectively had plans to receive 179 Boeing planes between 2025 an

Stability 322
article thumbnail

Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways stop Mogadishu flights after US Embassy warning

Aerotime

It is understood that Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways have cancelled flights to and from Mogadishu, Somalia, following a warning from the US of a potential imminent attack at Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ). On March 4, 2025, after tracking credible information the US Embassy in Somalia issued an alert indicating multiple locations in the country, including Mogadishus airport, were at risk of attack.

Airlines 317
article thumbnail

Delta uses redundant former EGYPTAIR Airbus A220 to alleviate parts shortage

Aerotime

Delta Air Lines is utilizing a former EGYPTAIR Airbus A220-300 to help alleviate global parts shortages and ease supply chain issues. Aircraft lessor Azorra is working with the Delta Air Lines subsidiary, Delta Material Services (DMS), to strip down the Airbus A220 and use its parts to support repairs of the US carriers fleet. Parts of the former EGYPTAIR Airbus A220-300 will also be used to help other global airlines that operate the aircraft type and are in need of repairs.

Approach 295