Alerts Sign-up
Sky Industry News News UOE
As an aviation design enthusiast, I appreciate airlines that express their identity uniquely. However, when design overshadows passenger needs, it becomes problematic. Complexity can render a product inaccessible, especially for neurodivergent travelers.
Cathay Pacific, the flagship carrier for Hong Kong, has grounded its fleet of Airbus A350-1000s for inspection after identifying faulty engine components in 15 out of 18 aircraft. According to a report on September 3 by Channel News Asia, Cathay Pacific Flight CX383 departed from Hong Kong en route to Zurich, Switzerland but returned shortly after takeoff due to a failure in an unspecified component of one of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. The twin-aisle Airbus landed safely 75 minutes after takeoff following two holding circuits to burn fuel.
Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., visited Aims Community College’s Flight Training campus at Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland on September 3. The college offers two-year degrees in professional pilot careers, air traffic control, and unmanned aircraft systems. It plans to add a degree program in airframe and powerplant maintenance, with classes set to start in 2026 at a new Aircraft Maintenance Training Center.
United Airlines is offering aviation enthusiasts a unique opportunity to claim a free paper copy of the final issue of its Hemispheres magazine, which will no longer be available in print. This move marks the end of an era for the publication.
When it leaves the International Space Station next Friday, Boeing's troubled Starliner crew capsule may not be going quietly into the night. The spacecraft started making a noise on Saturday shortly after it was announced that Boeing would attempt to return the vehicle autonomously to Earth on Sept. 6. Astronaut Butch Wilmore, who rode Starliner to the ISS three months ago on an eight-day mission with Suni Williams, heard a strange pulsing noise coming through a speaker that he played for mission control.
The prototype of the future Loyal Wingman uncrewed fighter flew for the first time last week with test pilot Brian Maisler at the controls. The Scaled Composites Model 437 Vanguard took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California for a local flight, and Maisler did not report any issues.
Two women flying Delta from Los Angeles to San Francisco experienced a dispute on Monday after missing their flight. Upon arriving at the LAX gate, they found a gate agent closing the boarding door.
Passengers have expressed frustration over the issue of unused overhead bin space on flights, leading to forced gate checks and delays in retrieving their luggage. Several individuals took to social media to voice their complaints.
Roughly seven months before Qantas is scheduled to receive the first of 28 two-class Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the Australian carrier has unveiled renderings of what passengers can expect in business and economy class. The new images indicate that Qantas is maintaining a consistent approach to its domestic passenger experience.
Brian Sumers, in his subscription newsletter, interviewed former American Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Vasu Raja and shared a story about American Airlines canceling its order for Airbus A350 widebody aircraft. The account sheds light on the unconventional approach taken by Raja.
Air traffic controllers reported on social media that radar screens in Philadelphia covering Newark Airport "went blank for five minutes" on Labor Day. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) subsequently ordered a ground stop at Newark and reduced incoming traffic. Some international flights were diverted, while others were delayed at departure airports nationwide. As of late Monday, FlightAware indicated departure delays of up to 89 minutes and arrival delays of 61 minutes. A ground stop was also implemented at Teterboro.
A well-known luxury travel influencer expressed frustration over a claim that Qatar Airways was the first to outfit business class cabins with suites featuring doors. The influencer had written that JetBlue was the pioneer, leading one of her readers to cite a conflicting report.
An Army investigation has revealed that an F-35 pilot with no prior experience in the Apache attack helicopter was at the controls when it crashed at a base in Utah last February. According to KUTV, which obtained a copy of the report, the pilot, a colonel, had only 35 minutes of simulator time in the Apache before embarking on an orientation flight with a Master Warrant Officer qualified in the type.
Southwest Airlines has introduced a limited-time promotion offering customers the opportunity to receive two months of free companion travel. To qualify, customers must book one round trip or two one-way flights by September 5 and complete their travel by November 20. Upon meeting these conditions, participants will earn a companion ticket valid from January 6 to March 6, 2025. Registration for the promotion is required.
Friday night’s Delta flight 112 from Boston to Rome turned back over the Atlantic two hours after departure, diverting to New York, when a passenger reportedly had “severe bouts of diarrhea all over” their seat.
The Department of Transportation has urged airlines to revert to the practice of offering meal vouchers during long delays, specifically those deemed 'controllable' such as mechanical issues. This policy is now part of customer commitment documents and incorporated into contracts of carriage, making it enforceable. Policies are also summarized on a DOT dashboard.
Twenty years ago, a flight attendant gave a passenger $20, and it changed her life. A Reddit user by the name of "itspritt" posted in the Alaska Airlines subreddit seeking assistance in finding this flight attendant.
One of the enduring mysteries of the summer aviation news cycle was how the world's largest flying boat would reach one of the country's most land-locked museums. The team responsible for maintaining the A-26K "Special Kay" announced on Facebook that the massive Philippine Mars, which lacks landing gear, will be flown from its current base on Sproat Lake on Canada's Vancouver Island to Lake Roosevelt, Arizona's largest body of water. From there, it will be dismantled and trucked 150 miles to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, where it will join about 400 other...
Soisa Aircraft Interiors, based in Chihuahua, Mexico, attended the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg to promote its new buyer-furnished equipment (BFE) dress cover management program and an organic armrest designed to enhance eco-credentials.
A United Airlines passenger recently reported finding insects in their premium class meal. The incident occurred on Flight 2679, with the passenger seated in 4B. The passenger, identified as Alexander, shared an image of the meal on social media, stating: "An office w bugs in polaris class food.. Flt 2679 seat 4B."