Flying Magazine

JUNE 23, 2025

I’ll start with a confession: I have never ditched an airplane. I don’t have any plans to ditch an airplane. So what follows is theoretical, which may not always be the best way to fly. But pilots like to be prepared for whatever might happen, so some theory is important. Aviation Safety ran an article, “Ten Myths About Ditching,” in 2002, and others since then, which contains a lot of information worth studying.

Pilot 81

Pilot Airplanes Descent Aeronautical Information Manual 81

Aerotime

JUNE 25, 2025

An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the door plug blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 has concluded that “multiple system failures” led to the incident on January 5, 2024. On June 24, 2025, at an NTSB board meeting, the agency chair Jennifer Homendy laid bare the “long chain of events” that caused the door plug seperation and the single reason why the “catastrophe” was averted.

Air Traffic Control 285

Air Traffic Control Cabin Crew Airplanes Lift 285

Cranky Flier

JUNE 27, 2025

Spirit’s Spirited Objection to JetBlue & United’s Budding Friendship Spirit Airlines filed a very loud, very yellow objection to JetBlue and United’ s proposed Blue Sky partnership, and hoo boy, it reads like an ex watching their former fling walk into prom with someone taller and richer who is from Chicago but keeps a house in Newark.

Airlines 130

Airlines Airline Airplanes Pilot 130

Simple Flying

JUNE 27, 2025

After being unveiled in 2014 and taking its first flight in 2017, the Airbus A330-900neo began transporting passengers on long-haul routes, serving with various airlines worldwide. However, Delta Air Lines is the only commercial airline in the United States to utilize the widebody jet today. Taking a closer look at this aircraft and its current airline activity, this article aims to shed some light on this large A330 variant.

Jet 109

Jet Airlines Airline 109

Vintage Aviation News

JUNE 26, 2025

On June 25th, 2025, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum ‘s Lockheed P-38J Lightning Jandina III (serial number 42-103988) completed its first post-restoration test flight at Stephens County Airport in Breckenridge, Texas. The flight was piloted by Kevin Eldridge and marked the triumphant return to the skies of a combat veteran aircraft meticulously restored by Ezell Aviation.

Tail 130

Tail Pilot 130

Aerotime

JUNE 24, 2025

During the Paris Air Show 2025, Eve Air Mobility, Embraer’s listed advanced air mobility (AAM) subsidiary, presented its views on the electric vehicle and takeoff and landing (eVTOL) market for the decades ahead and showcased a full-scale mockup of the aircraft it expects to start testing later this year. On June 15, 2025, Eve published its Global Market Outlook , which forecasts a global eVTOL fleet of 30,000 aircraft and a US$280 billion revenue potential by 2045.

Aviation Technology 285

Aviation Technology 285

Cranky Flier

JUNE 26, 2025

United and JetBlue carefully crafted their Blue Sky partnership to avoid any regulatory concerns. The airlines aren’t codesharing, there is no pricing or schedule coordination, and in general, they’ve followed the guidance that the judge who shot down the Northeast Alliance (NEA) between American and JetBlue gave on how to construct a legal partnership.

Knot 130

Knot Thrust Airlines Airline 130

One Mile at a Time

JUNE 24, 2025

Competition in Seattle is continuing to heat up, as Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines battle it out on long haul routes… Delta adding two new Europe routes from Seattle Delta has announced that it plans to add two new summer seasonal long haul routes from Seattle (SEA) as of the summer 2026 season: Between May 6 and October 23, 2025, Delta will fly 4x weekly to Rome (FCO) Between May 7 and October 22, 2025, Delta will fly 3x weekly to Barcelona (BCN) The routes will cover 5,688 miles and 5,439

Airlines 112

Airlines Airline 112

Aerotime

JUNE 23, 2025

Philippine Airlines (PAL) has offered a preview of the first of its nine Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the Airbus headquarters and facility in Toulouse. Once completed, the A350 will serve as PAL’s flagship aircraft for long-haul routes. It will feature a three-class cabin with 382 seats in total. An additional eight A350-1000s are slated for production and eventual delivery to the Philippine flag carrier between 2026 to 2028.

Airlines 275

Airlines Airline Jet 275

Cranky Flier

JUNE 23, 2025

Delta quietly posted on its airline partner page that its loyalty partnership with Hawaiian Airlines will be ending on June 30. This is no surprise, but it would seemingly put a little hole in Deltaʻs network. Or does it? Interisland partnerships donʻt matter nearly as much as they used to, and I ended up deep in the weeds looking at how this market need has shifted over time.

Airlines 147

Airlines Airline 147

Simple Flying

JUNE 25, 2025

The Boeing 787 has a distinctive design, including the special feature of its unique wing flex. The aircraft is one of the most advanced currently in operation, and has great fuel efficiency and enhanced passenger comfort. The dramatic wing flex usually occurs in flight, when the wings are seen bending upwards by up to 25 feet (7.6 meters). The wing flex is a deliberate design in engineering, which can enhance the performance.

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102

Pilot Institute

JUNE 27, 2025

Quickly reading and understanding airport signs is critical to becoming a safe pilot. Missing a freeway exit sign on the road isn’t a big deal. At an airport, overlooking a sign could delay traffic at best and be dangerous at worst. Luckily, we’re here to help. In this article, you’ll learn what airport signs mean, how to read them, and where you’ll find them.

Runway 89

Runway Clearance Approach Pilot 89

Aerotime

JUNE 24, 2025

Air New Zealand has announced that it will be cranking up the capacity of its short-haul routes for the forthcoming southern summer season at the end of 2025. The carrier has announced a large increase in seats across the Tasman Sea to points in Australia as well as to select destinations across the Pacific Islands. Between October 2025 and March 2026, the airline says it will operate 1.7 million seats between New Zealand and Australia, cementing its position as the largest trans-Tasman carrier.

Airlines 272

Airlines Airline Jet 272

Cranky Flier

JUNE 24, 2025

Yesterday I talked about how Delta had lost its interisland partner in Hawaiʻi , but then I wondered just how much of a problem that would be. That took me down a rabbit hole where I looked at just how much the interisland market has changed in the past 30 years. That’s what we’ll look at today. I dug into Cirium to look for answers. T-100 was my friend on this one, because it goes all the way back to 1990.

Lift 130

Lift Runway Airlines Airline 130

Simple Flying

JUNE 22, 2025

The Boeing 767-300ER has long been a key part of medium- and long-haul operations for airlines across the world. It belongs to the firm’s 767 widebody family that helped define twin-aisle travel from the early 1980s. The Boeing 767 program was first introduced in 1982 and was designed to offer transcontinental and intercontinental performance with lower operating costs than tri-jets and early quad-jets.

Jet 113

Jet Airlines Airline 113

AV Web

JUNE 25, 2025

The National Transportation Safety Board issued an urgent warning last week related to a safety issue involving CFM’s LEAP-1B engines, while suggesting that the -1A and -1C versions of the high-bypass turbofan also be evaluated. LEAP-1 engines are used on the Boeing 737 MAX and some single-aisle Airbus A320neo (new engine option) airliners. The safety issue involves the potential of introducing smoke to either the cabin, the flight deck or both in the event the engine Load Reduction Device (LRD)

Flight Deck 96

Flight Deck Pilot Airlines Airline 96

Aerotime

JUNE 26, 2025

Taiwanese carrier China Airlines intends to expand its fleet with up to 13 additional aircraft, five Airbus A350-900 and eight A321neo aircraft. These plans were revealed in a filing to the Taipei Stock Exchange published on June 25, 2025. The airline’s board of directors approved the transaction, valued at close to US$2 billion. Although it appears no specific deal has yet been finalized, at least five of the A321neos would be supplied by Aircraft Lease Corporation (ALC).

Jet 233

Jet Airlines Airline 233

One Mile at a Time

JUNE 25, 2025

United Airlines seems to be cracking down on employees who are requesting (federally protected) medical leave. There’s no doubt some abuse with this, but I can’t help but feel like this message is about intimidation, more than anything else. United may use medical leave information against employees Recently, JonNYC reported how United is starting to delay and even reject medical leave requests from crew members, particularly flight attendants.

Airlines 101

Airlines Airline 101

Simple Flying

JUNE 27, 2025

Boeing’s new Air Force One program continues to face several hurdles, with the company currently struggling to hire and retain qualified mechanics. The long-delayed Boeing 747 VC-25B program has also been held back by design issues and modification rework.

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119

AV Web

JUNE 24, 2025

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited Boeing for inadequate “training, guidance, and oversight” that ultimately led to the now-infamous in-flight blowout of a mid-exit door (MED) plug on a near-new B737-9 a year and a half ago. That’s the conclusion the NTSB reached in a public hearing into the incident today (June 24). The NTSB further concluded that Boeing’s two-year-old (at the time) voluntary safety management system (SMS) “was inadequate, lacked formal FAA oversight, and did

Airlines 94

Airlines Airline 94

Aerotime

JUNE 26, 2025

Etihad Airways’ flagship Airbus A380 aircraft touched down at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ) for the first time on June 24, 2025. This marks the start of Etihad’s daily A380 service to Toronto from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). Etihad’s superjumbo aircraft was welcomed with a water salute upon arrival in Toronto. Etihad’s iconic A380 just touched down at Toronto Pearson for the first time.

Airlines 263

Airlines Airline 263

One Mile at a Time

JUNE 23, 2025

If you notice a difference in the quality of customer service at Hyatt, particularly via phone and the chat feature, there’s probably a reason for that… Hyatt lays off most call center agents in United States View from the Wing flags a Reddit post about how Hyatt has reportedly laid off a vast majority of its US-based customer service employees, including those who provide phone support.

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103

Simple Flying

JUNE 22, 2025

The Pratt & Whitney PW1100G, a variant of the engine series marketed as the P&W GTF, used on the A320neo, has received a further update, the GTF Advantage (GTF-A). This engine was announced in December 2021, with the manufacturer claiming it to have better fuel efficiency, durability, and the ability to deliver high thrust at hot and high-altitude airports.

Thrust 105

Thrust 105

Flying Magazine

JUNE 21, 2025

The respected Mayo Clinic’s Aerospace Medicine department seems the perfect clinical advisor to the FAA, particularly at a time when the agency’s medical certification division can’t seem to keep up with demand. Moreover, with large health care companies buying up mom-and-pop medical practices, there’s a huge shortage of AMEs available to administer exams and issue medical certificates.

Pilot 100

Pilot 100

Aerotime

JUNE 27, 2025

Austrian eVTOL developer FlyNow has announced the signing of a commercial agreement with Dubai-based helicopter operator Mavi Air for the purchase of 100 eCopter eVTOLs. This deal, valued at US$35 million, represents a significant endorsement for FlyNow’s rather original low-cost eVTOL concept. The eCopter is a unipersonal fully electric automated eVTOL which is capable of carrying either people or cargo along pre-determined routes.

Cargo 225

Cargo Tail Aviation Technology 225

One Mile at a Time

JUNE 21, 2025

United Airlines is facing a discrimination lawsuit , as an Asian woman claims she was kicked off a United flight simply because she was mistaken for another Asian passenger seated several rows away from her (thanks to PYOK for flagging this). Did United mix up two female Asian realtors? This incident happened on August 29, 2024, on United flight UA1627, scheduled to operate from Las Vegas (LAS) to Washington Dulles (IAD).

Airlines 112

Airlines Airline Tarmac Weather 112

Simple Flying

JUNE 23, 2025

China Eastern has confirmed that it will begin flying Shanghai Pudong-Auckland-Buenos Aires in December, which will be the first time the SkyTeam member has flown to South America. It has applied to have fifth freedom rights, which would enable the carrier to transport passengers and freight between New Zealand and Argentina. The market has not had nonstop flights since Air New Zealand pulled out in 2020.

Airlines 115

Airlines Airline 115

Flying Magazine

JUNE 23, 2025

The 2025 Air Race Classic is now in the history books. The all-woman race traces its roots back to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby when a handful of notable aviatrixes of the time, including Amelia Earhart, Bobby Trout, Louise Thaden, and Pancho Barnes, took off from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, heading for Cleveland. These women flew solo in single-engine aircraft.

Pilot 108

Pilot Weather Airplanes 108

Aerotime

JUNE 24, 2025

Smartwings, the largest carrier in the Czech Republic, has announced a major expansion of its European scheduled route network to operate alongside its extensive charter program for winter 2025. The airline has developed rapidly since the winding down of its Czech Airlines brand in 2024, which the Smartwings Group owned. The latest announcement by Smartwings will see the carrier add another two destinations to its winter flight schedule.

Runway 246

Runway Airlines Airline Jet 246

Plane and Pilot

JUNE 26, 2025

While attending the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo back in April, I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Mr. Light Sport himself, Dan Johnson. Many of you may know Johnson from his monthly Plane & Pilot columns and website, bydanjohnson.com , a popular light sport resource that will soon be integrated into the P&P website. Since Johnson is working his way toward retirement, he is handing the baton off to people such as myself to continue the mission of telling the story of these

Aileron 98

Aileron Gross Weight Crosswind Knot 98

Simple Flying

JUNE 23, 2025

In an era where aviation faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact, FedEx has taken a bold step toward sustainability at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In this article, we will explore FedEx's recent initiative to incorporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at one of the busiest airports in the world. We'll break down why this matters, what it means for FedEx's operations, and how it fits into the broader movement for greener skies and other airlines.

Airlines 105

Airlines Airline 105

Flying Magazine

JUNE 27, 2025

A group of congressional lawmakers has introduced a bill that would block government agencies and private companies from using ADS-B data to impose fees on pilots. The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act would limit the use of ADS-B data to air traffic controllers (ATCs) for purposes of safety and efficiency. It would also ensure that investigations cannot be initiated on the basis of ADS-B data alone.

Air Traffic Control 91

Air Traffic Control AGL General Aviation Pilot 91

Aerotime

JUNE 23, 2025

Air Transat, the Canadian-based leisure airline, has commenced new non-stop services between Toronto and Berlin. The new seasonal route will operate twice a week until October 2025, with the carrier utilizing its fleet of Airbus A321LRs on all services. The eastbound flight with flight number TS418 leaves Toronto-Peason International Airport at 21:05 local time and arrives in Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) at 10:55 the following day.

Airlines 243

Airlines Airline 243

One Mile at a Time

JUNE 27, 2025

A little over two weeks ago, we saw an Air India Boeing 787 crash after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing hundreds. This is the most fatal aviation accident in roughly a decade, and it’s also one of the most mysterious. What would cause a Boeing 787 to essentially fall out of the sky just seconds after takeoff? An interesting detail has just emerged about the investigation, as India is seemingly denying some outside help in this investigation.

Jet 86

Jet Airlines Airline 86

Simple Flying

JUNE 25, 2025

There are seven passenger variants of the Boeing 777: the 200 (the original model), 200ER, 200LR, 300, 300ER, 777-8 (coming), and 777-9 (coming). Seven carriers continue to fly the 777-200LR (Long Range) in scheduled passenger roles: Air Canada, Air India, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Pakistan International, and Turkmenistan Airlines.

Airlines 102

Airlines Airline 102

Flying Magazine

JUNE 26, 2025

Every day, the team at Aircraft For Sale chooses an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, a good deal, or has other qualities we find interesting. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily. Today’s Top Pick is a 1968 Beechcraft Baron B55. For pilots looking to step into a true cross-country machine with twin-engine performance and updated systems, this Baron B55 is worth a closer look.

Transponder 104

Transponder Airplanes Knot Stability 104

Aerotime

JUNE 25, 2025

Embraer has opened a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for commercial jets in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, as it prepares for a brand-new center to be completed. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer confirmed on June 25, 2025, that its new commercial MRO facilities had opened in an existing hangar at Perot Field Alliance Airport (AFW).

Hangar 224

Hangar Jet 224