Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Lufthansa plans to retire its fleet of Airbus A340-600s at the start of 2026 as the airline introduces more efficient replacements, according to information from aero.de. This primarily concerns additional Boeing 787s, of which Lufthansa hopes to receive eight to 10 more by the end of this year.
Vintage Aviation News
MAY 31, 2025
On May 17, 2025, Douglas G. Matthews was formally inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame , honoring a lifetime of distinguished service to military and civilian aviation, warbird preservation, and flight innovation. A 28,000-hour pilot, Matthews began flying at age 14 and went on to serve two tours in Vietnam as a U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, flying 123 combat missions and earning 11 medals and ribbons, including 10 Air Medals.
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Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
The Boeing 777X is not only Boeing's latest aircraft project, but it's also, in some metrics, the largest design to ever come out of Washington. Compared to the Boeing 747-8, it has a smaller fuselage and is rated for lower weights. However, the 777-9 variant is slightly longer while also having a greater wingspan (with wingtips extended, that is).
Cranky Flier
MAY 31, 2025
I’m running out of free AI queries, but this is what “cranky flier brett snyder web” produces. This is all wrong… that is not a commercial plane in the background. Could Newark’s trouble affect your summer travels? Here’s what to know | Cruising Altitude – USA Today Newark is a mess, but should you stress? Not really.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Germanys Condor Airlines is legally challenging the European Commissions decision to approve Lufthansa Groups takeover of Italys ITA Airways. According to Condor, the move aims to protect fair competition in European aviation.
One Mile at a Time
MAY 31, 2025
In recent times, weve seen Southwest massively evolve its business models, in ways that wouldve seemed unthinkable several years ago. The airline has started charging for checked bags , has introduced basic economy , and is introducing assigned and extra legroom seating. Whats next for the airline? Well, it sounds like what weve seen so far might only be the beginning.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
The Boeing 737 family has served as the backbone of short- to medium-haul air travel for decades. With each new variant, Boeing has made iterative enhancements to balance capacity, range, and efficiency. But one versionthe 737-900ER contains an unusual feature: a mid-cabin door plug that often appears indistinguishable from a windowed fuselage panel (but looks like just another door from outside!).
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Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Starting June 2025, Air India will introduce an unusual stopover in Kolkata on its routes from Mumbai and Bengaluru to San Francisco. Previously, some of these flights made stopovers in Europe, primarily in Vienna. The shift to Kolkata is likely due to Pakistan's airspace closure following the terrorist attack in Kashmir in April 2025.
One Mile at a Time
MAY 31, 2025
A couple of days ago, Thrifty Traveler broke news about how US airlines are sometimes charging more for solo travelers vs. those traveling as a group of two or more. Presumably this was another way to try to price discriminate between leisure travelers and business travelers, which is fair enough, since airlines use all kinds of methods to do that. This ended up becoming national news.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
UK-based virtual airline Global Airlines recently launched its first flights with the Airbus A380 courtesy of a wet-lease agreement with charter carrier Hi Fly. The airline has raised eyebrows over the particulars of its operation, with many believing its choice of aircraft (the gas-guzzling four-engine A380) will not be sustainable. Nonetheless, the carrier remains firm in its ambition to bring back the Golden Age of travel using the iconic A380 and has promised a number of onboard enhancements
One Mile at a Time
MAY 31, 2025
Hopefully both passengers learned a lesson. Regardless, physical violence (especially against a child) is beyond unacceptable, no matter how immature the other person is being. 46-year-old woman & 12-year-old boy fight on flight View from the Wing flags a pretty wild story of what happened on Memorial Day (Monday, May 26, 2025), on Allegiant Air flight 2885 from Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB) to Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR).
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
A United States judge has deferred his decision on a request by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop its criminal case against Boeing regarding the 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes. This follows a non-prosecution agreement signed between the DOJ and the planemaker a few days ago.
Plane and Pilot
MAY 31, 2025
Not surprisingly, the No. 1 cause of general aviation accidents remains loss of control (LOC). Sadly, theres an average of about one LOC event a week. However, these preventable accidents can happen anywhere in our aviation world. The most famous of these was Air France Flight 447. It was the evening of June 1, 2009, and Flight 447, a 4-year-old Airbus 330, was serenely cruising just below the equator at FL 360.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Air Serbia is a small player on the global scale, all things considered. It operates to four long-haul destinations, two of which are in China and the remaining two in the United States. The carrier is truly a bridge between the two economic and political powers of the current world. As I have reflected on before, the carrier has engaged in a sort of balancing act , facilitating ties between Serbia and both countries in competition with one another.
One Mile at a Time
MAY 31, 2025
Airlines arent at all transparent about how they price tickets, and thats a good thing for consumers. I realize on the surface that might make me sound like an anti-consumer, industry shill. But let explain why I genuinely believe thats the case. Is transparency in airfare pricing actually important? One big story over the past week has been how airlines sometimes (rarely) charge lower fares if traveling as a group of two or more, rather than traveling alone.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
In a move that comes in line with the company's rhetoric in recent years, it was announced on Friday, May 30, that Indian low-cost giant IndiGo would add ten new international destinations to its route network. The airline is looking to launch new long-haul flights operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that will extend its reach into the European continent and beyond.
One Mile at a Time
MAY 31, 2025
I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far! Ive been spending the week with family, and have zero real travel planned for June, for reasons Ill get into eventually. However, Im hoping to have some travel later in the summer. In the meantime, theres certainly no shortage of airline news. On the points & travel front, this week JetBlue and United announced a partnership, Southwest started charging for checked bags, there was a lot of drama about airlines offering discounted fares for grou
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
American Airlines is the largest operator of the Airbus A321neo in the United States and the third-largest in the world with a sizable fleet of 84 aircraft. These two-class narrowbodies can seat up to 196 passengers (20 in Domestic First and 176 in Main Cabin) and can fly with a range of up to 4,000 NM (7,400 km). This makes the single-aisle more than capable of handling coast-to-coast US routes and can also be found flying some of American's overseas routes.
Alaska Air
MAY 31, 2025
As Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines grow our combined network, were hiring hundreds of flight attendants to join our outstanding crewlike Kanoelehua, who shares her journey and tips for aspiring team members. The post Aloha in the Air: Becoming a Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant appeared first on Alaska Airlines News.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
At the Bernstein 41st Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan outlined the extensive revenue and cost-cutting initiatives now underway at the carrier. This includes everything from basic economy fares to extra-legroom products. These changes primarily aim to generate around $1.8 billion in additional earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in 2025 and $4.3 billion in 2026.
Vintage Aviation News
MAY 31, 2025
Ninety-seven years ago today, on May 31, 1928, aviation history was made with the first successful trans-Pacific flight by aircraft. At the controls was former Royal Air Force pilot Captain Charles Edward Kingsford Smith, M.C., accompanied by three crewmates. Together, they undertook the daring journey in a Fokker F.VIIb/3m monoplane named Southern Cross , bearing the registration NC1985.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
For many airlines, the Airbus A380 is approaching the end of its usable life, faced with the rising popularity of smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft with lower operating costs. However, the A380 remains one of the most iconic aircraft to ever grace the skies above us, and still operates a sizeable number of flights to the US from a variety of destinations across the world.
Pilots Who Ask Why
MAY 31, 2025
Youre in the cruise, everythings stable. No warnings, no anomalies: just the hum of whatever normal sounds like Then, out of nowhere, theres a burning smell, followed by a fire, smoke in the cockpit, and a collective that cant be lowered at all. This wasnt a simulator drill. It […] The post How This AW139 Crew Dealt With Complete Loss of Collective Control first appeared on Pilots Who Ask Why.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Complaints lodged against airlines in the United States have seen a substantial increase in recent years. With an overgrowth in air travel , particularly in the US, travelers are speaking up for the issues they face, including flight delays, cancellations, lost baggage, and so on. A gradual increase in the number of complaints against US airlines has been recorded in the last four years, growing from 20,365 complaints in 2021 to 66,675 last year.
The Aviationist
MAY 31, 2025
The Hungarian Air Force received the first three L-39 Skyfox aircraft out of a total order of 12 signed in 2022, of which four will be in a reconnaissance configuration. On May 30, 2025, the Hungarian Air Force received the first three L-39 Skyfox aircraft out of a total order of 12 signed in 2022. […] The post Kecskemt Welcomes First Batch of Hungarian L-39 Skyfox Trainers appeared first on The Aviationist.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Yesterday, it was published in an article by Eye of the Flyer , that a young girl provided some musical entertainment for Delta Air Lines passengers during a delayed flight, by singing her rendition of How Far Ill Go from the Disney film, Moana. The impromptu concert was captured in a TikTok video that was posted three days ago, and is embedded below.
The Aviationist
MAY 31, 2025
Lt. Col. Alvarez, a B-1B weapons systems officer and commander of the 345th Bomb Squadron, joins a short list of aircrew who have amassed 5,000-plus flying hours in the B-1B. Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez, a weapons systems officer (WSO) and commander of the 345th Bomb Squadron which flies the B-1B Lancer bomber from Texas Dyess […] The post B-1B Lancer WSO Logs 5,000 Hours on Strategic Bomber appeared first on The Aviationist.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
The topic of the day is crew rest. If you are familiar with the acronym CRM, then you will likely know the direction this is heading. CRM stands for crew resource management, and it is a fundamental principle behind the planning and execution of every mission flown by the US Air Force , Navy , Army, Marines , and Coast Guard. Now, specifically, we will dive into the unique aircraft in the US arsenal that feature beds, bunks, and cots to maximize CRM.
One Mile at a Time
MAY 31, 2025
Let me start this post by stating that I very much respect the work that flight attendants do. I think (for the most part) they work hard and have difficult jobs. I certainly wouldnt last a week dealing with the traveling public. That being said, I think most people can agree that US airlines dont have a reputation for having the best or most consistent service.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Lufthansa operates a fleet of almost 300 mainline aircraft, with many more in the larger Lufthansa Group, which includes Brussels Airlines, SWISS, and others. Of Lufthansa's mainline fleet, 35 or over 10%, are Airbus A319s. While Airbus has produced the Airbus A319neo, Lufthansa hasn't ordered it, and all of Lufthansa's A319s are previous-generation A319-100s or CEOs.
Flying Magazine
MAY 31, 2025
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), just days before a scheduled Senate vote. Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, was nominated by President Trump in December 2024. His nomination marked a departure from traditional NASA leadership, as he would have been the first administrator without prior government or political experience.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
So this isnt new news, but for frequent flyers - particularly those belonging to the Star Alliance - we thought it would be a particularly interesting development to cover for those who missed it.
Flying Magazine
MAY 31, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.The U.S. governments Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is reviewing a pair of regulations that could open the floodgates for commercial drone operations nationwide. The Department of Transportation this month announced that Secretary Sean Duffy submitted the FAAs highly anticipated proposals for Part 108 and Section 2209 to OIRA.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
In general, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has been in the news regarding air traffic control issues since April 28, when a faulty copper cable failed, silencing radios for 30 seconds and blanking radar scopes for 90 seconds, making air traffic control blind to aircraft movements at the airport. However, the offending cable has at last been replaced by a new fiber-optic one.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
The Airbus A380 was developed in response to a problem facing long-haul aviation in the late 1990s: limited airport capacity on high-demand international routes. The French manufacturer pursued a hub-and-spoke model, anticipating that global air traffic would keep rising and that carriers would prioritize capacity over frequency.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
The Airbus A220 has two final assembly lines: one in Mirabel, Canada, and one in Mobile, Alabama. This is unusual because its manufacturer, Airbus , is a European company, and the majority of its aircraft, therefore, are manufactured on the continent. Similarly, Boeing assembles most of its aircraft in the United States. However, the Airbus A220 is exclusively manufactured in North America.
Simple Flying
MAY 31, 2025
Boeing is responsible for producing one of the most iconic aircraft ever to grace the skies - the 747. The US manufacturer has been a mainstay in the global aviation industry, albeit with increasing competition from Airbus on the other side of the Atlantic.
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