Sat.Jul 12, 2025

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Air Belgium Will Retire All Airbus Aircraft Leaving Just 2 Boeing 747-8Fs In Its Fleet

Simple Flying

Belgian cargo carrier Air Belgium is in the process of retiring its remaining Airbus freighters, leaving the airline with just two Boeing 747-8F aircraft. The airline has operated the Airbus A330-200P2F since 2021, but reports have suggested the type will be exiting its fleet in the coming weeks.

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Operation Bolero: The Forgotten Flights of World War II

Aviation News

Aviation News Article – During the height of World War II, as the United States mobilized its military power to support the Allies in Europe, a massive and ambitious operation was launched: …

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Delta Air Lines Reverts Plan For Daily Flights On Its Only Transatlantic Flight From Tampa

Simple Flying

Delta Air Lines plans to continue operating four weekly flights on its only transatlantic route connecting Tampa (TPA) and Amsterdam (AMS) during the upcoming winter 2025 season, according to the aviation analytics company Cirium.

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Whoa: Delta Planning Los Angeles To Hong Kong Flights!

One Mile at a Time

Here’s something I didn’t necessarily see happening imminently, especially given the particular route… Delta will return to Hong Kong after eight years While there hasn’t yet been an official announcement, in the very near future, Delta is expected to announce that it will launch flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Hong Kong (HKG). This was reported by JonNYC , and we have reason to believe this is 100% accurate, barring any unforeseen last minute changes. confirmed, DL LAX-HKG — JonNYC ( @xjo

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This Airline Wants To Place Major Orders For Up To 200 New Planes

Simple Flying

Royal Air Maroc is reportedly in talks with multiple aircraft manufacturers to purchase as many as 200 aircraft, according to sources cited by Reuters. The move comes as the African airline seeks to modernize and significantly expand its aging fleet.

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Fifth Freedom Flights: What Are They, And Why Do They Exist?

One Mile at a Time

I often write about fifth freedom flights, though don’t typically go into much detail on why they exist, what their significance is, etc. While avgeeks and longtime readers will probably know what these are, I figured it would be useful to have a consolidated post about these very cool types of flights. What are fifth freedom flights? In the context of commercial aviation, a fifth freedom flight is one where an airline from one country flies between two other countries, with the right to transpo

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The Aircraft Replacing The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady

Simple Flying

Few aircraft of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis are as iconic as the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane. It was the U-2 that took the photographs of the missiles in Cuba, which led to the crisis of 1962, and it was the only American aircraft to be downed during the intense confrontation. Today, the Dragon Lady is one of the oldest military aircraft designs still flying for the US Air Force.

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Here's Why Ryanair Doesn't Fly To The United States

Simple Flying

Ryanair has spent decades refining its business strategy. From a single route between Waterford and London in the 1980s to becoming one of the continent's largest low-cost carriers , its growth has been built on high aircraft utilization, relentless cost control, and an ability to dominate secondary airports. The airline's model leaves little room for traditions and even less for frills, yet it has consistently remained one of the most profitable and efficient operators in the region.

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Delta Plans Atlanta To Riyadh Flights: What’s The Saudi Arabia Strategy?

One Mile at a Time

Earlier, I wrote about how Delta plans to announce a return to Hong Kong in the coming weeks, with a Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG) flight expected to launch in 2026. Here’s another interesting route update… Delta plans to fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia JonNYC has the scoop that Delta plans to announce a nonstop flight between Atlanta (ATL) and Riyadh (RUH) in late 2025.

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Are Pilots' Social Media Stunts Impacting Passenger Satefy?

Simple Flying

These days, a growing number of airline pilots are sharing photos and videos from inside the cockpit on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These clips, which often show in-flight views or behind-the-scenes moments, seem harmless at first glance, but industry experts are raising serious safety concerns.

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Preliminary Report: Air India Boeing 787‑8 (VT‑ANB) Incident at Ahmedabad Airport on 12 June 2025

Aviation News

Aviation News July 12, 2025 – A preliminary investigation has been released regarding the incident involving Air India’s Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, registration VT‑ANB, which occurred at.

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Will Airbus Build Another Double-Decker Aircraft?

Simple Flying

Could Airbus ever build a new double-deck aircraft? This was a question some started asking anew when Emirates recently stated it would like Airbus to put the Airbus A380 back into production as the A380neo. However, it seems Emirates is very much the outlier on that, with other operators like Qatar, Korean Air, and Lufthansa keen to retire their Superjumbos.

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Global SAF Mandates, Electric Aircraft Updates, and Industry Movements

All Plane

Picture: Dawn Aerospace A curated digest of the week's most important aviation stories, covering sustainable aviation fuel developments, electric aircraft progress, and key industry trends shaping the future of flight. The Big Picture: SAF Mandates Go Global The State of SAF Mandates Across the World While the EU and UK often grab headlines for their "stick" approach to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) adoption through mandates, they're far from alone in this regulatory push.

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Is Basic Economy Worth It?

Simple Flying

When you're traveling on a budget or simply have little to take with you, legacy airlines in the United States have you covered. Booking the cheapest Basic Economy fare will allow you to enjoy the usual perks of economy class, but with no seat assignment, limited changes, and certainly no refunds, and no checked bags.

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The Tragic Air India B787-8 Dreamliner Crash (VT-ANB): Key Findings from the Preliminary Report

Pilots Who Ask Why

On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 dreamliner (VT-ANB), crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, en route to London Gatwick. The preliminary report has been published, with many key findings ✅ Tragically, everyone except for 1 of the 242 people onboard and 19 people on […] The post The Tragic Air India B787-8 Dreamliner Crash (VT-ANB): Key Findings from the Preliminary Report first appeared on Pilots Who Ask Why.

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How Airbus Solved A Major Setback On The A380

Simple Flying

The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger airliner ever built. It was bigger than the iconic Boeing 747 , and by far the largest airliner ever built by Airbus, a company that, at the time, had built four aircraft families, three of which shared the same cross-section. Given that airliners are inherently difficult to design, the world's first plane with two full passenger decks would naturally have a challenging development program.

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Review: Aer Lingus AerSpace Airbus A320 (DUB-MAD)

One Mile at a Time

For the first segment of the return portion of my trip across the Atlantic on the Airbus A321XLR , I flew Aer Lingus’ Airbus A320 AerSpace on the 2hr5min flight from Dublin (DUB) to Madrid (MAD). AerSpace is Aer Lingus’ premium product on short haul flights, but it’s not quite business class. Essentially, you get lounge access, priority boarding, a seat in the first row with a blocked middle (unless you’re on an A321LR/XLR between transatlantic turns), a free drink and snack, etc.

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Why Don't Any US Airlines Want To Order The World's Largest Twinjet?

Simple Flying

The size of the anticipated Boeing 777X series conflicts with the business models of the main US carriers. Attempts to sell the next-generation widebody have faced opposition, with no US airlines currently planning to buy it. The launch customer will be Lufthansa, which plans to replace the veteran 747s flying its trans-Atlantic routes. International airlines with concentrated hubs and high demand for overseas, long-haul flights are the primary buyers.

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Now Appearing on Plane & Pilot

Plane and Pilot

Just in time for that summer celebration of flight called “Oshkosh” (more completely, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh), a favorite of many readers is now fully available on Plane & Pilot online. Thanks to Firecrown for preserving thousands of articles on all forms of affordable aircraft dating back to the first days of the Internet. It’s all here for your consumption.

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Belgian A340 Hi Fly

Simple Flying

A fairly significant visit by the Belgian Royal family to Chile was disrupted not once, but twice, after a HiFly Airbus A340-300 encountered several technical difficulties. The visit, which occurred in late June, made headlines in Belgium after Portuguese wet-lease specialist HiFly provided a less-than-royal service.

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Weekly Review: July 12, 2025

One Mile at a Time

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far! There’s no travel for me at the moment, given that we have a newborn. However, I’m finally almost caught up on my trip reports, and plan to resume flying again soon. I hope everyone is having more exciting summer travels than I am! On the points & travel front, this week the preliminary accident report into the Air India 787 crash was released, Delta revealed plans to increasingly price tickets using AI, Bilt announced it would launch three Ca

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Boeing 797: Everything We Know So Far

Simple Flying

The so-called Boeing 797 , more properly known as the New Midsized Airplane, is a proposed new clean-sheet aircraft intended to bridge the gap between the Boeing 737 MAX and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Early reports suggested the New Mid-Sized airplane would have two variants. One would be a 225-seater with a 5,000-nautical-mile range, and the other would be a 275-seater with a 4,500-nautical-mile range.

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Interior Upgrade

Gary's Flight Journal

Interior Upgrade Out with the old Mary and I decided it was time to update our seats. The foam is pretty much shot and it would be nice to upgrade. We also wanted the center console pad to be updated with new foam and leather. After talking with Jon we decided to go all out and replace the original blue check fabric portion with sheepskin. Jon recommended the new interior shop on the field to do the work.

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Norse Atlantic Airways Dumps Yet Another US Route As Paris To New York-JFK Flights Axed

Simple Flying

Norse Atlantic Airways is reportedly set to suspend another transatlantic route this winter, cutting nonstop service between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK), according to the aviation analytics company Cirium.

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Anatolian Eagle 2025 “Train as you fight” (with 40 minutes YouTube video)

Aviation News

Aviation News July 12, 2025 – Held at Konya Air Base, deep in the heart of Turkey, Anatolian Eagle 2025 reaffirmed its status as one of the most advanced multinational air combat exer…

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Why The F-22 Is Banned From Being Sold To Other Countries

Simple Flying

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is regarded as the world's first fifth-generation fighter jet and was built to take command of the skies as the world's air-dominance fighter jet. It was designed to overmatch and replace the F-15 Eagle family, although the Air Force continues to rely on that older fighter. However, the F-22 fighter jet was never sold to export customers.

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Rolls-Royce to supply engines for U.S. Navy next-gen landing craft

Defence Blog

Rolls-Royce Corp. has received a $54,7 million deal for the production of 12 MT7 turboshaft engines, ancillary parts, and installation kits to support the U.S. Navy’s Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) program and its Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100-class craft. According to Naval Sea Systems Command, the work will be performed in Indianapolis and […] The post Rolls-Royce to supply engines for U.S.

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Emirates Is Designing A Brand-New First Class Suite

Simple Flying

Emirates' Boss, Sir Tim Clark , has revealed that one of the world's most iconic airlines will look to rejuvenate its first-class product onboard the Airbus A380 , with business class also being considered for an overhaul. The airline president announced the move for the world's largest operator of the double-decker aircraft at the International Air Transport Association - Annual General Meeting & World Air Transport Summit 2025 in New Delhi.

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UK and France to Resume Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG Production

The Aviationist

The extension of the production will allow the two countries to restock the Storm Shadow/SCALP stockpiles as the work on the next-generation cruise missile. The United Kingdom and France announced on Jul. 9, 2025 that the production of the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile) will resume in 2025. The weapon, used by both the […] The post UK and France to Resume Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG Production appeared first on The Aviationist.

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Why The Airbus A350 Has Such A High Service Ceiling

Simple Flying

Since the Airbus A350 entered commercial service in January 2015 with Qatar Airways , the aircraft has proved immensely popular with airlines across the world. Thanks to its advanced fuselage and engine technology, the A350 is today one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the skies, particularly when deployed on long-distance routes.

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Fuel switches cut off before deadly Air India 787 crash, says report

Aerotime

A preliminary investigation into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, has revealed that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches were in the “cutoff” position moments before impact. The June 12, 2025, accident killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, all 12 crew members, and 19 individuals on the ground.

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Which Country Has The Most Superior Reconnaissance Aircraft In The World?

Simple Flying

Which country operates the most superior reconnaissance aircraft in the world? This question matters as ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) capabilities underpin modern military power, diplomacy, and security. The ability to gather eyes-on intelligence from the sky gives nations critical advantages in conflict, peacekeeping, and strategic planning.

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My Worst, Most Memorable Flights Ever, From The Scary To The Awkward

One Mile at a Time

Over the years, I’ve flown around five million miles, across a countless number of airlines. Obviously there’s some variance between flights, but for the most part, things go pretty smoothly, and not much catches me off guard. Of course some flights are more memorable than others. I typically make lists with what I consider to be my best flight experiences, though in this post, I figure it’s fun to maybe share some of the worst flight experiences I’ve had over the years.

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The Airport That Once Dominated Chicago Is Now a Public Park

Simple Flying

Have you ever used Microsoft Flight Simulator before 2004? If so, then you are 100% familiar with the airport we will be talking about. You are right – it is an airport located just in front of Chicago – Meigs Field (CGX), offering a magnificent view of both the city and the lake – a perfect location for your first and awkward panoramic flights in the game!

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Today in Aviation History: The First Allied Jet Fighter Enters Service in World War II

Vintage Aviation News

On this day in aviation history, 81 years ago—July 12, 1944—the first Allied jet fighter entered operational service during World War II. The British Gloster Meteor F.1 became the first Allied jet-powered aircraft to be combat-ready, a significant response to the earlier deployment of the German Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) three months prior.

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United Airlines Axes All Landline Bus Services

Simple Flying

United Airlines has scrapped its last remaining Landline bus services, with the final route due to end by early September. The carrier currently has two "flights" operated by bus - one between Denver and Fort Collins, and the other from Newark to Allentown.

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Ben Hall: Unsung Hero of Air Racing’s Golden Age

Vintage Aviation News

Editor’s Note: As Ben Hall approached his 93 rd birthday, former Unlimited champion Chuck Lyford and famed photographer and Air Classics air racing editor Jim Larsen approached Society of Air Racing Historians President, Timothy Weinschenker, about making a presentation about Ben’s flying career, especially his contributions in warbirds and air racing, at a birthday party they were planning.

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