United Airlines has added a nifty new “Control Tower” mode to its inboard IFE screens, allowing passengers to track the planes around them in real-time. JonNYC shares about a new component of United’s inflight-entertainment system that allows passengers to track the aircraft around them while on the ground, including where they are headed: Have you ever wondered where the airplane parked next to yours is heading? How about when you’re taxiing, and you see a plane take off? Well, you’re in luck,… (liveandletsfly.com) More...
Azerbaijani government sources have confirmed that a Russian Pantir-S1 surface-to-air missile was the cause of the Embraer E190 crash on Christmas Day. (aeroxplorer.com) More...
At FlightAware, our software needs to gracefully handle all sorts of weird and wonderful situations. While we as engineers might hope for aviation data to be clean and well-standardized, the real world is messy. There are a lot of assumptions one could make when designing data types and schemas for aviation data that turn out to be inaccurate. In the spirit of Patrick McKenzie’s classic piece on names, here are some false assumptions one might make about aviation. While many of these are simply… (flightaware.engineering) More...
NASA recently began a series of flight tests with partners to answer an important aviation question: What will it take to integrate remotely piloted or autonomous planes carrying large packages and cargo safely into the U.S. airspace? Researchers tested new technologies in Hollister, California, that are helping to investigate what tools and capabilities are needed to make these kinds of flights routine. (www.nasa.gov) More...
Turkish authorities penalizing travelers who stand up before the aircraft has come to a stop and the seatbelt sign is turned off. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
A Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight traveling from Denver to Los Angeles as United flight 1093 with 140 souls on board was forced to divert to Salt Lake City after a cracked windshield was discovered midair. The incident occurred on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at an altitude of 36,000 feet. No definitive cause has been declared for the incident, although a meteorite strike is the leading theory. A pilot was injured in the incident. If a meteor strike is to blame, it would be an aviation first. There’s been… (weatherboy.com) More...
A California tech executive has been sentenced to jail and ordered to pay restitution after his DJI Mini 3 Pro drone collided with a vital firefighting aircraft battling Los Angeles’ January Palisades Fire. The crash forced the plane out of service at a critical moment in the firefight, underscoring the dangers of flying drones near emergency operations. (airguide.info) More...
A UPS plane with three crew members aboard crashed late Tuesday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, officials said. UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time after departing Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. […] (www.nbcnews.com) More...
When Delta Flight 4819 from Minneapolis to Toronto crash-landed, losing a wing and flipping upside down, onlookers feared the worst. Yet, in what seemed like a miracle, all 80 passengers and crew survived Monday’s crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport. (airguide.info) More...
The FAA is urging airlines to update safety videos after seeing passengers increasingly try to take carry ons off the plane during emergency evacuations. The FAA wants airlines to change briefings and videos to make clear these items should not be removed from the plane during emergency evacuations and the risks it creates for passengers if they ignore the rule. I kind of wish airlines would not count a fanny pack as a carryon because then you could at least have keys, Passports, medicines, and… (www.patreon.com) More...
Lufthansa Technik has achieved a significant milestone with the assembly of the iconic Lockheed L-1649A Starliner. Once painted in its classic livery, the aircraft will be transported to Frankfurt, where it will take center stage in celebrating Lufthansa's 100th anniversary in spring 2026. We often receive questions about the fate of Lockheed L-1649A Starliner N7361C—the aircraft Lufthansa invested heavily in restoring for airworthy use, only to cancel the project at the final stage. Nearly… (vintageaviationnews.com) More...
Earlier today, Spirit airlines kicked off its 4th of July with a foam celebration. The unfortunate festivities started when the fire suppression system was inadvertently set off at the airlines maintenance hangar at Detroit metro airport. With the hangar doors being open, the foam also flowed onto the hangars ramp. The system was most likely set off by the lightning storm that passed over Metro airport around 5PM local time. (www.youtube.com) More...
On June 24, 2025, a United Airlines aircraft was incorrectly cleared to cross a runway while another was also cleared to depart from the same runway at the same time. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
I'm a frequent United flyer, so imagine my surprise last week when I stumbled upon a new inflight map feature: Control Tower view. This view allows you to pull up a map of the airfield that's overlaid with all the aircraft around you. Clicking on each little plane brings up its call sign and operating airline. Going forward, the pilot won't need to tell you that you're No. 25 for departure — you'll be able to see that clearly on your inflight monitor. Control Tower view… (thepointsguy.com) More...
Two ValueJet pilots were suspended after almost hitting ground staff while taxiing for departure at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
PARIS- An Air France (AF) transatlantic flight to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) was forced to return to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) after nearly seven hours in the air. (aviationa2z.com) More...
Airline pilots and flight attendants are sending food to air traffic controllers amid the shutdown. Two working controllers told Business Insider that financial strains are causing stress and fatigue. One said some controllers are looking at gig work, like driving for Uber, to make ends meet. They're keeping the skies safe without a paycheck — and now, airline pilots are sending lunch as a thank you. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told Business… (www.businessinsider.com) More...
By simplifying baggage handling, and being extremely meticulous, this airport has not lost a single checked bag since opening in 1994. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
Boeing and McDonnell Douglas agreed to a merger in December, 1996. At the time, Phil Condit, then CEO of Boeing, called the acquisition a “historic moment in aviation and aerospace”. The past 28 years have proven that it was definitely a historic moment–just not in the way Boeing originally envisioned. (avgeekery.com) More...
As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history continues, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered flight reductions at 40 major airports, including Atlanta, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. The move begins with affecting 4% of flights, with plans to ramp up to impact 1 in 10 flights at those airports, disrupting travel plans for thousands of Americans every day. (www.fastcompany.com) More...
In response to the USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy's question about making travel easier, Boom Supersonic Founder and CEO Blake Scholl said that TSA screening should be done away with completely. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
Numerous passengers have reported bedbugs falling from the ceiling and crawling on the seats on recent Turkish Airlines flights. Despite being made aware of the issue, customers say the airline is not taking the complaints of unwanted bugs seriously. (aeroxplorer.com) More...
If you’re not familiar with the whole-hearted way of life that accompanies the Midwest, look no further than Oshkosh, Wisconsin amidst the July summer heat. Held at Wittman Regional Airport, the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture (EAA) — or “Oshkosh” — has been a staple for aviation fans since it was founded in January of 1953. Each year, Oshkosh becomes the epicenter of aviation knowledge, with thousands of aircraft flying in and hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts flocking… (blog.flightaware.com) More...
A Delta regional jet on approach to Minot, North Dakota, made an "aggressive maneuver" to avoid a mid-air collision with a B-52 bomber, according to the Delta pilot. Once on the ground, the pilot apologized to passengers for the abrupt move and explained the situation. (abcnews.go.com) More...
A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) crew has successfully completed a daring 19-hour medical evacuation mission from the U.S. McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Flying a C-130J Hercules, the team rescued three American personnel—one in critical condition—amid 24-hour darkness and sub-zero temperatures during the Antarctic winter. (airguide.info) More...
A United Airlines flight from Washington Dulles to Rome was forced to make an unexpected mid-flight U-turn on October 15, 2025, after a passenger’s active laptop slipped through the cabin and fell into the aircraft’s cargo hold — creating a potential lithium battery fire hazard that pilots deemed too risky for a transatlantic flight. (airguide.info) More...
American is finally catching up with other airlines, and has started modifying their boarding pass scanners to catch those few special passengers trying sneak into higher priority boarding groups. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
A GOL Boeing 737 MAX 8 departing Rio de Janeiro in Brazil struck a service vehicle on the runway, causing significant damage to the aircraft’s fuselage. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
A new report reveals that the pilots of the Jeju Air Boeing 737 that crashed in South Korea on December 29, 2024, killing 179 people, mistakenly shut down the wrong engine following a bird strike. (airguide.info) More...
Due to lower demand, Iberojet will swap out their A330 heavies for a Boeing 737 MAX 8 on two days in April 2025 to operate flights between Madrid and Punta Cana. (www.gatechecked.com) More...
In a major strategic redeployment, more than 24 U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft crossed the Atlantic on the night of June 16, 2025. The unusual mass movement of tanker aircraft departed from North America and headed eastbound, with flight patterns suggesting a coordinated redeployment rather than routine operations, according to military analysts. (airguide.info) More...
A United Airlines Boeing 737-900 narrowly avoided a collision with a privately operated Piper Cherokee Arrow III while on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport on August 8, 2025. (communication transcript between United pilots and Newark Air Traffic Controller enclosed). (airguide.info) More...
Captain Martin Rush makes his final landing for his retirement from Delta Air Lines after 27 years of flying. Date: 6-25-25 Flight: DAL135 Airport: Detroit metro, KDTW Route: AMS-DTW Gate: A50 A/C: A330-323 Ship: N801NW/3301 (www.youtube.com) More...
Before takeoff, Delta Captain Phil took a moment to reassure passengers after a number of plane crashes in the news rattled fliers at the start of 2025. (viewfromthewing.com) More...
For John Morgan, the sky has never just been a career—it’s been a lifelong journey. A journey that has taken him from the left seat of a Cherokee 140 at age 17 to the controls of the world’s last Douglas DC-8 flying humanitarian missions around the world. (avgeekery.com) More...
There are few aircraft more iconic than the F-14 Tomcat. There are even fewer that captured the world’s imagination as strongly as the Concorde. One was a naval interceptor built for the Cold War, the other a commercial jet built for the luxury of time itself. Their paths were never meant to cross in any dramatic fashion. Yet, during the tensions of Operation Desert Shield, high above the Red Sea, they briefly did. And in that moment, a United States Navy aircrew, primed for a threat, instead… (luxurylaunches.com) More...
