Aerotime

JANUARY 13, 2025

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

Approach Knot Pilot 362

Cranky Flier

APRIL 10, 2025

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

Airlines Airline Pilot 260

Aerotime

MAY 4, 2025

Travelers flying with easyJet through Gatwick Airport (LGW) in May and June should prepare for severe flight disruptions. Refueling staff and ground workers are planning coordinated strike actions that could impact over 70% of the airlines daily operations from the airport. easyJet operates more than half of all departures from Gatwick, making it the largest airline at the UKs second-busiest airport.

Airlines 319

Airlines Airline 319

Aerotime

APRIL 28, 2025

Widespread travel chaos is unfolding at airports across the Iberian Peninsula as power networks across Spain and Portugal have failed, bringing both countries to a standstill. Not only is aviation affected, with public transport and transport infrastructure, domestic and commercial customers, and widespread access to the internet all said to be significantly affected by the outage.

Airlines 339

Airlines Airline 339

Aerotime

MARCH 11, 2025

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 327

Stability Airlines Airline 327

Aerotime

APRIL 3, 2025

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.

Weight-Shift-Control 303

Weight-Shift-Control Cockpit Pilot Stability 303

Aerotime

JANUARY 10, 2025

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 294

Airlines Airline 294

Aerotime

JANUARY 28, 2025

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 325

Pilot Jet Airlines Airline 325

Aerotime

APRIL 18, 2025

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 324

Runway Airlines Airline 324

Aerotime

APRIL 24, 2025

Generally speaking, any commercial flight these days that exceeds ten hours (or so) is considered long, or at least certainly long-haul. Some of the longest airline flights operating today exceed even that length, with some lasting anything up to 17 or 18 hours flying time. Yet, as long as these flights may be, they are not even in contention for the accolade of the worlds longest-ever commercial passenger air service in terms of duration.

Payload 284

Payload Runway Airlines Airline 284

Aerotime

APRIL 21, 2025

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 283

Payload Cargo Approach 283

Aerotime

APRIL 13, 2025

A penguin which was being transported in the cabin of a Robinson R44 Raven II (registration ZS-RJC) has been, indirectly, blamed for the helicopters crash in South Africa, on January 19, 2025. According to a report issued on April 5, 2025, by the South African civil aviation authority (SACAA) , the helicopter went down due to an unsecured carboard box, in the penguin was being transported, sliding on the cyclic pitch control lever and causing an unexpected roll to the right from which the helico

Cockpit 320

Cockpit Pilot 320

Aerotime

JANUARY 8, 2025

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 306

Airlines Airline 306

Aerotime

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

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 321

Runway Airlines Airline 321

Aerotime

JANUARY 2, 2025

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 294

Airlines Airline 294

Aerotime

JANUARY 17, 2025

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 285

Weather Approach Pilot Aviation Technology 285

Aerotime

APRIL 25, 2025

Korean Air, the national airline of South Korea, has reintroduced its Boeing 747-8i fleet onto the carriers nonstop route from Seoul to Atlanta in the US, making it the longest route flown by a passenger-configured Boeing 747 by distance. The reintroduction of the type onto this particular route for the summer of 2025 sees the airline steal the crown for this accolade from German carrier Lufthansa, which was the holder until April 25, 2025, when the Seoul-based carrier brought its jumbos back to

Airlines 293

Airlines Airline 293

Aerotime

MAY 30, 2025

In an announcement on May 29, 2025, JetBlue and United Airlines have declared that they are entering into a comprehensive partnership that will see both airlines cooperating closely across a number of fields. One aspect of this agreement that will have an immediate and tangible effect on passengers is the fact that both airlines will be linking their respective loyalty programs.

Airlines 256

Airlines Airline 256

Aerotime

JANUARY 8, 2025

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 317

Pilot Thrust Stability Lift 317

Aerotime

JANUARY 9, 2025

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 286

Jet Airlines Airline 286

Aerotime

JANUARY 15, 2025

Boeing delivered 180 fewer commercial aircraft in 2024 than 2023 after a torrid year which began with a door plug separating from an Alaska Airline 737-9 midflight. On January 14, 2025, Boeing confirmed that 348 passenger jets were delivered to customers last year including just 57 in the final quarter. In 2023, a total of 528 commercial planes were handed over to operators, with 157 delivered in the final quarter.

Jet 306

Jet Airlines Airline 306

Aerotime

JANUARY 14, 2025

Lufthansa and Thai Airways International are expanding their existing codeshare program to expand connectivity between Europe and several Asian destinations. The deal will see two cities in Vietnam plus one in the Philippines join the program to be linked by the Thai carrier from its hub in Bangkok. The expansion will see flights between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Hanoi (HAN), Ho Chi Minh (SGN), and Manila (MNL) all continuing to be operated by Thai Airways but carrying an additional LH fligh

Airlines 293

Airlines Airline 293

Aerotime

JANUARY 6, 2025

Gulfstream Aerospace announced on January 6th, 2025, that two more G700 aircraft have been delivered to Qatar Executive , the private aviation arm of Qatar Airways. These deliveries take the total number of G700s in Qatars fleet to six, with four more scheduled to arrive in the near future. Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream, praised his team for the swift delivery of the new aircraft to Qatar, noting that the unprecedented speed with which the team has been able to deliver this remarkable airc

Jet 268

Jet 268

Aerotime

MAY 7, 2025

The first production Concorde named Sierra Bravo has received historic monument status from the French government in a move designed to recognize the aircraft’s significance to commercial supersonic flight. Known as Concorde No. 1, the aircraft played a key role in the certification process in obtaining an airworthiness certificate and ensuring it was safe to fly.

Cockpit 306

Cockpit Runway Pilot 306

Aerotime

JANUARY 14, 2025

Austrian Airlines has become the latest carrier from the Lufthansa Group to adopt the aerodynamics-enhancing AeroSHARK technology. The Austrian flag carrier announced on January 14, 2024, that one of its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft (OE-LPC) had flown between Bangkok (BKK) and Vienna (VIE) featuring the specially treated fuel-saving fuselage surfaces. AeroSHARK was developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik, which is the engineering and maintenance arm of airline group, and German chemicals giant BASF.

Airlines 293

Airlines Airline Aviation Technology 293

Aerotime

MAY 26, 2025

December 2025 will mark the 24th anniversary since the last ever flight operated by the one-time great American icon of commercial aviation, TWA, or Trans World Airlines, to give the carrier its full name. Having held a dominant position on routes across the Atlantic for decades, the airline became synonymous with transatlantic glamour and the epitome of long-haul travel by air.

Turbulence 263

Turbulence Jet Airlines Airline 263

Aerotime

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

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 280

Runway Pilot Airlines Airline 280

Aerotime

FEBRUARY 23, 2025

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 300

Jet 300

Aerotime

MARCH 28, 2025

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.

Horizontal Stabilizer 278

Horizontal Stabilizer Stability Airlines Airline 278

Aerotime

JANUARY 9, 2025

The number of passengers carried by Turkish Airlines reached 83.4 million in 2024, a figure which represents an increase of 2.1% year-on-year, according to a statement issued by the national carrier of Turkey on January 8, 2024. The total included 31.7 million international passengers, up 6.4% over 2023, a rise it largely credits to a major international expansion push throughout 2024.

Airlines 286

Airlines Airline Cargo 286

Aerotime

JUNE 8, 2025

Air New Zealand takes pride in being one of the world’s most proactive airlines when it comes to sustainability. It was one of the pioneering carriers to commit to ambitious net zero targets and later demonstrated remarkable transparency by publicly acknowledging the need to recalibrate its approach. Even if it decided to withdraw from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in July 2024, becoming the first major airline to reassess its 2030 climate goals , Air New Zealand remains committed

Payload 241

Payload Cargo Approach Cockpit 241

Aerotime

JANUARY 17, 2025

South Korean authorities have discovered bird feathers and blood in both engines of the Jeju Air aircraft that crashed and killed 179 people on December 29, 2024. On January 16, 2025, Korean investigators announced that feathers were found in one of the engines recovered from the crash scene, as reported by local news outlet MBN. The Korea Aviation Accident Investigation Board confirmed that feathers were also found in the other engine.

Runway 321

Runway Cockpit 321

Aerotime

JANUARY 8, 2025

International flights have resumed at Syrias Damascus Airport (DAM) for the first time since former president and dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8, 2024. Images taken at the airport, and on flights to Damascus, show scenes of celebration as crew and passengers wear Syrias independence flag proudly. One of the first flights to arrive at Damascus Airport was Qatar Airways QR 410 from Dohas Hamad International Airport (DOH).

Airlines 285

Airlines Airline 285

Aerotime

MAY 26, 2025

The Minns government, which manages New South Wales (NSW) in Australia, has announced that it is deploying Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters to deliver emergency fodder to farmers affected by major flooding in the country. Several days of intense flooding and heavy rainfall in southeastern Australia began during the week of May 19, 2025, and caused extensive damage in the Mid-North Coast, North Coast, and Hunter regions.

Weather 265

Weather 265

Aerotime

APRIL 30, 2025

Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) because of telecommunications and equipment issues at an air traffic control center in Philadelphia. The flight delays began on April 28, 2025, and continued into the evening. The airport confirmed that it was experiencing “ residual delays ” on April 29, 2025, and advised passengers to check with their airlines for flight updates.

Air Traffic Control 274

Air Traffic Control Runway Approach Airlines 274

Aerotime

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Critical data that could piece together the final movements of a Black Hawk helicopter before it crashed with an American Eagle Bombardier CRJ-700 in Washington DC are contained within the submerged wreckage, according to the National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB). On February 4, 2024, the NTSB confirmed that the US Army Black Hawk was at 300 feet (rounded to the nearest 100 feet) at the time of the collision but additional information to verify data points from the helicopter was needed.

Air Traffic Control 286

Air Traffic Control Horizontal Stabilizer Quick Access Recorder Cockpit 286

Aerotime

JANUARY 10, 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that up to 574 Boeing 767 aircraft may require landing gear inspections as part of an Airworthiness Directive (AD). The AD, issued on January 8, 2025, raised concerns over landing gear on US-registered 767-200s, 767-300s and 767-300 Freighters following an incident during maintenance. According to the FAA , the AD was prompted by a report of a main landing gear (MLG) collapse event following maintenance where a grinder was operating outside

Runway 300

Runway Airplanes 300