RAF Typhoon jets have caused a sonic boom after they scrambled to intercept a plane near Stansted Airport. Two Typhoon departed RAF Coningsby squawking NATO air policing due to a possible Quick Alert Answer. A RAF Voyager also departed from RAF Brize Norton. The incident happened at about 6:45 p.m. on Saturday when people in…
Some global airlines are redirecting flights to avoid Iran-controlled airspace over the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, citing safety concerns amid intensifying fears of a military confrontation in the Middle East. A flurry of airlines, including British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Air-France KLM’s Dutch subsidiary KLM, announced they would avoid…
The U.S. on Friday barred American-registered aircraft from flying over Iranian-administered airspace in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The move, in reaction to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shooting down a U.S. military surveillance drone, affects a region crucial to global air travel. The Federal Aviation Administration warned of a “potential for miscalculation or…
Boris Johnson, the front-runner in the race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, said he still has “grave reservations” about the expansion of London’s Heathrow airport, but didn’t say what he would do about it if he came to power. Johnson, a former mayor of London who represents a west London constituency, had pledged to…
American Airlines will acquire 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the new longer-range version of Airbus A321neo. The purchase agreement includes the conversion of 30 of American’s existing A321neo slots to A321XLRs and incremental orders for an additional 20 A321XLRs. The A321XLR will have the longest range of any single-aisle commercial jetliner. The added range of up…
Dutch investigators have named four people they say are responsible for the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in 2014. Three Russians and a Ukrainian have been charged with bringing a missile into the area in eastern Ukraine and with murdering 298 passengers and crew. International arrest warrants have…
Nearly 40 flights were affected after drones were spotted flying in the vicinity of Changi Airport, forcing the closure of one runway. The drones were sighted on Jun 18 and 19, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). the operations of one runway were suspended for short periods of time between 11pm on 18…
All transatlantic flights of the long-haul low-cost departing from Cork and Shannon airports will be halted. Norwegian has confirmed the suspension for the rest of the summer season. “Due to the continued grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX by the European aviation authorities, our flights to and from Cork and Shannon will be re-routed via…
IAG announced today it plans to build its future fleet with the Boeing 737 MAX with an intention to purchase 200 MAX jets. International Airlines Group (IAG) and Boeing said the two companies have been in discussions regarding the opportunity and signed a letter of intent at the Paris Air Show in a deal that…
Boeing executives apologized Monday to airlines and the families of those who died in two recent crashes involving its new 737 Max 8 aircraft. “We are very sorry for the loss of lives,” Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing’s commercial aircraft, said at a press conference at the industry-wide Paris Air Show. McAllister also…
Heathrow Airport will construct a third runway by 2026 and complete its expansion by 2050, according to its “masterplan” published on Tuesday. The plan includes diverting rivers, moving roads and rerouting the M25 through a tunnel under the new runway. Heathrow’s expansion has faced fierce opposition, but the airport says it has engaged with local…
The climate activism group, Extinction Rebellio, has postponed a plan to use drones to shut down Heathrow Airport on Tuesday. Aviation authorities went on the alert last month when the group said they would paralyse Britain’s busiest airport in June and July. The group insists a planned third runway would cause further damage to the…
