One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

Flights divert all the time, for a variety of reasons. However, this is definitely one of the more eye-catching diversions that weve seen in some time. American 787 flies from New York to Dallas in 12+ hours This incident happened yesterday (March 31, 2025), and involves American flight AA167, scheduled to fly from New York (JFK) to Tokyo (HND). The flight was operated by an eight-year-old Boeing 787-9 with the registration code N829AN.

Jet

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

oneworld has announced that Fiji Airways has become the latest member airline to join its global alliance. The flag carrier of Fiji and the South Pacific officially began its full membership with oneworld on April 1, 2025. With its hub at Nadi International Airport (NAN), the carrier serves 25 destinations in 14 countries and territories globally, As a oneworld member, the Fiji Airways customers can enjoy a suite of benefits including: Access to a network of nearly 700 airport lounges globally,

Airline

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

United Airlines has received the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration for its first Starlink-equipped aircraft type, paving the way for further installation on other aircraft. The airline plans to install this technology across its entire fleet of regional jets by the end of this year.

Airline

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

SpaceX has successfully launched its first-ever human spaceflight to explore the Earths polar regions. The new mission comes just 14 days after the return of NASAs SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts, including Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who spent an unexpected nine months in space. On March 31, 2025, at 21:46 local time, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule lifted off to polar orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Fram2 mission from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX announced in a stat

Lift

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

American AAdvantage has four published elite tiers (in addition to Concierge Key status , which is invitation-only). In separate posts, I wrote guides to Executive Platinum status , Platinum status , and Gold status. In this post, I want to take a look at the elite tier between those, which is Platinum Pro. Id argue that Platinum Pro is a sweet spot in the AAdvantage program, and that its the all-around most valuable mid-tier elite status at any of the big three US carriers.

Threshold

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

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

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 1, 2025

“Vintage Aviation News staff did not write this article; the content comes via our partners who wish to help support our website.” Though the Wright brothers’ maiden flight in 1903 marked a turning point in aeronautical engineering, the principles of aircraft design are still anchored in the past. Aspiring aeronautical engineers can learn a great deal regarding aerodynamics, materials, propulsion, and structural advances that have defined modern aviation by studying ancient air

Drag

Cranky Flier

APRIL 1, 2025

In the post-pandemic world, airlines have been struggling to figure out how to deal with the massive variability in demand by day-of-week. Every airline has been forced to make adjustments, but now Spirit is going one step further. It will stop flying on off-peak days entirely. Just recently, Spirit began to transition to this plan. In June of 2024, off-peak days operated at 95 percent of the peak day departure numbers for the airline.

Airplanes

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

Lufthansa has temporarily deployed four Airbus A350-900s to Frankfurt Airport (FRA), with two more set to follow, in response to aircraft delivery delays. On April 1, 2025, the CEO of Lufthansa Jens Ritter said the shift to Frankfurt was needed as the airline moves into its summer flight schedule. According to Lufthansa, the Airbus A350-900s have been in service on routes to Seoul and Shanghai since March 30, 2025, and flights to Denver and Seattle will begin from May 1 and July 1, 2025, respect

Airline

Plane and Pilot

APRIL 1, 2025

Clear prop! I pulled out the choke and turned the key. The Rotax engine jumped to life and smoothed out as I pushed the choke back in slowly. I set the speed at 1,400 rpm. I focused on temperatures and pressures for several minutes, waiting for the oil to warm. I went through another checklist: headset, radio, controls, fuel flow, and mag. Altimeter set.

Runway

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

Over the last few years, Eastern Europe has seen an unprecedented increase in air connectivity. Driven primarily by low-cost carriers like Wizz Air and Ryanair, airports that were gateways for emigration not so long ago are increasingly becoming conduits for inbound investment and tourism. And few places are a better example of this trend than Cluj-Napoca Avram Iancu International Airport (CLJ), in the heart of Transylvania.

Runway

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

Anticipation for the Airbus A321-XLR (eXtra Long Range) has been widespread in the commercial aviation world. A February CNN website travel feature on the A321XLR projected that the new single-aisle long-haul jet was " changing the air map of the world. " The excitement shifts down under this spring as Australia-based Qantas Airways (Qantas Group) prepares to take possession of its first A321XLR in June with cabin and flight crew training already underway.

Jet

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

The NASA astronauts who spent an unscheduled nine months on the International Space Station (ISS) have spoken confidently about the Boeing Starliner spacecrafts future during a press conference. Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spoke publicly for the first time after they returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Approach

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

JetBlue TrueBlue is increasingly adding award redemptions on partner airlines, which is exciting. In the past year or so, weve seen TrueBlue add online redemptions for Hawaiian Airlines , Qatar Airways , and TAP Air Portugal. Now weve seen TrueBlue add redemptions on Icelandair, giving members more opportunities to redeem their points (thanks to AwardWallet for reporting this).

Airline

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

The Airbus ACJneo family of aircraft, the executive version of the popular A320neo-family, has obtained its Validated Type Certificate (VTC) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Following this decision, which essentially validates the original Type Certificate issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Airbus ACJneo aircraft can be registered in mainland China.

Flight Plan

AV Web

APRIL 1, 2025

By Cayla McLeod Sun n Fun kicked off on Tuesday, April 1 with a highly publicized MOSAIC update that did not include any big revealnor did it offer a hard timeframe for ratification of the proposal. The panel, hosted by the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, featured a range of industry executives including Scott Severen, President and Chairman of the Board of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, Darren Pleasance, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Jack Pelt

Gross Weight

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

If you ask me, United Airlines has by far the most interesting route network of any US carrier ( United flies to the most destinations and most countries of any US carriers ), and the airline keeps expanding. In recent years, United has made a game of allowing the public to guess new routes, and I sure enjoy playing along. Heres the latest example of that.

Airline

AV Web

APRIL 1, 2025

Gene Conrad, installed as President and CEO of the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo in 2022, has assuring words for those who worry that increased usage of the show site, Lakeland Linder Airport (KLAL), will compromise the future of the event. As former director of the airport, the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-raised Conrad has deep insight into the planning of the airport and its future expansion.

Runway

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 1, 2025

With “The Other First Man,” we launched a series of articles called Flight Test Files dedicated to the captivating stories of aeronautical advancements pioneered first by NACA and later by NASA over the years. The “Flight Test Files” series of articles explores the aircraft used by the Dryden Flight Research Center over the years in its pursuit of aeronautical advancements.

Airfoil

AV Web

APRIL 1, 2025

Senior v-p of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations Air Safety Institute Mike Ginter addressed a press conference this morning on the opening day of Sun n Fun 2025 today to promote the multi-organization National Pause for General Aviation Safety initiative. The purpose of the cooperative effort is to encourage pilots to deliberate and be more conscientious in the name of general aviation safety.

General Aviation

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 1, 2025

On this day in aviation historyApril 1, 1935the North American NA-16 prototype took to the skies for the first time, marking the beginning of a legendary aircraft lineage. This flight set the stage for what would become the AT-6 Texan, one of the most widely used and influential trainer aircraft in history. North American NA-16 prototype NX2080. Image via Wikipedia In the mid-1930s, the United States Army Air Corps initiated a competition among aircraft manufacturers to develop a new basic train

Pilot

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

Some of the oldest operating airports in the United States date back to the Wright Brothers. But what about Europe? Europe was the origin of human flight, which occurred in France in 1783 in a balloon , as well as many of the firsts in aviation. By the time of WWI, protracted legal battles with the Wright Brothers had contributed to holding the United States back in aviation relative to the Europeans.

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 1, 2025

At the Royal Australian Air Force Museum, Victoria, a historic, fully restored Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk, serial number A29-90, was unveiled on March 23 2025. The rare aircraft, with a notable combat history, was put on show just before the 2025 Avalon Airshow. The fighter was presented by the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, DSC, CSC, OAM, and Warrant Office of the Air Force Ralph Clifton, among several VIPs.

Pilot

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

The Airbus A380 will go down in history (and, to some extent, has perhaps already done so) as one of the most curious airliners of the early 21st century. Launched with considerable fanfare as a bigger and better alternative to the legendary Boeing 747, the so-called 'superjumbo' captured the imagination of enthusiasts and the general public alike in its early years for its long range and extremely high capacity.

Airline

AV Web

APRIL 1, 2025

Though they didnt make an appearance at Sun n Fun, Tecnams Special Missions P2012 variant and STOL editions were announced. The two aircrafts missions are significantly different, illustrating the inherent versatility of the light piston twin. British Columbia, Canada-born Sven Lincke, now a Tecnam sales representative based in Anchorage, Alaska, explained to AVweb at Sun ‘n Fun why the Tecnam 2012 Traveller airframe fits the bill for the two new mission profiles.

Knot

Aviation Bussiness News

APRIL 1, 2025

Canadian air cargo carrier, WestJet Cargo, has announced its cooperation with The Beagle Alliance, a non-profit organisation that works to rescue former research animals across Canada. The Beagle Alliance was once worried about air travel for rescued dogs due to their trauma. However, when founder Lori Cohens dog Poppy safely flew with WestJet Cargo, they saw it as a faster, less stressful alternative to long drives.

Cargo

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

The Amex Membership Rewards program has just introduced its latest transfer bonus, valid for the next several weeks. Its worth being aware of, but not one that Im particularly excited about. Amex to Etihad Guest transfer bonus Between April 1 and April 30, 2025, the American Express Membership Rewards program in the United States is offering a 20% bonus on points transfers to Etihad Guest.

Airline

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

Air China launched its inaugural flight service from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to Vladivostok International Airport (VVO) on March 31, 2025. Flight CA 811 departed Beijing at 13:01 local time, and arrived in Vladivostok at 17:00 local time, after almost two hours of flight time. The Beijing-Vladivostok service will operate on a scheduled basis, with flights departing on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, using the carriers fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Airline

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

With today being April 1st, companies around the world have taken the opportunity to spread a touch of light-hearted joy by spinning a few April Fools' Day stories that are just slightly too good to be true. Whether you were able to smell the rat straight away or briefly believed the unlikely tales, it has been a fun start to the month seeing the different things that companies across the globe have come up with.

Airline

Aerotime

APRIL 1, 2025

The United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence has extended its contract with Leonardo under a 165 million ($213 million) deal for the maintenance of the Royal Navys fleet of 54 Merlin helicopters. The Merlin HM Mk2 helicopter is the Royal Navys airborne submarine hunter, capable of carrying out search and rescue operations, intercepting drug runners and pirates, and supporting humanitarian relief efforts.

Lift

AV Web

APRIL 1, 2025

Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida is usually the place to see new avionics and Garmin was at the show this year with a new integrated CO detector, a built-in audio panel enablement feature for it’s GTR comm radio and a new application for the G3000 Prime integrated flight deck. Aviation Consumer Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano spent some time at the Garmin booth for some demos with Jim Alpiser The post SNF Video: New Features From Garmin appeared first on AVweb.

Flight Deck

Flyertalk

APRIL 1, 2025

Britains The Independent reports the airline is ready for operations, despite not yet having their own Air Operator Certificate or Operating License from the nations authorties. Weve Got A Lot of People That Want to Fly With two Airbus A380s in their fleet, Global Airlines describes their vision as travel without long security queues, late flights, lost luggage, inedible food and constant poor customer service.

Airline

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 1, 2025

As we all know, the Trump administration has operated hundreds of deportation flights in the past couple of months, to destinations like Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras. 85% of these flights have been operated by charter airlines, with GlobalX having the biggest government contract. Outlet ProPublica has just published a story about the reality of what flight attendants on these flights are dealing with, and I think it provides some fascinating insights (thanks to @xJonNYC for flagging this).

Airline

AV Web

APRIL 1, 2025

Epic Aircraft unveiled its latest variant, the single-engine E1000 AX single-engine turbine at the Sun n Fun Aerosapace Expo in Lakeland, Florida today. It succeeds the E1000 GX and includes more than 25 new features, according to Epic, including Garmin Autothrottle and Autoland technology. Among other new features (many associated with the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics system) are: an automatic yaw dampener; electronic brake hold; a new expansive windshield with CoolView glass; Garmin GDL 60 with P

Altimeter

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

Lufthansa, citing new aircraft delivery delays, has said that it will begin deploying its Airbus A350-900 aircraft from Frankfurt, including to two destinations in the United States, Denver and Seattle.

Pilot Institute

APRIL 1, 2025

Traditionally, pilots needed a third-class medical certificate to take to the skies. The introduction of BasicMed, a more flexible alternative, has changed the landscape for many pilots. But what is BasicMed, and is it even relevant to you? Lets navigate through the clouds of confusion and explain everything you need to know about BasicMed. Key Takeaways BasicMed allows eligible pilots to fly without holding a third-class FAA medical certificate.

Knot

Simple Flying

APRIL 1, 2025

Later this month, the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, Europe's second-tier club competition, will take place across the continent. Alongside Norwegian underdogs Bod/Glimt's tie against Italian heavyweights Lazio, the remaining three quarter-finals each feature a British side, with Tottenham Hotspur taking on Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester United facing Lyon, and Rangers squaring up against Athletic Bilbao.