Boeing 737 Max completes first passenger flight since 2019 grounding

Wednesday was a big day for American Airlines and Boeing as it was the first time since March 2019 that passengers flew on a 737 Max. The jetliner was grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes overseas. (www.cbsnews.com) Mehr...

Airlines will no longer be required to transport emotional support animals

Airlines no longer will be required to accommodate travelers who want to fly with emotional support animals such as pigs, rabbits and turkeys under a final rule announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The new rule now defines a service animal to be a dog that is “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability” and limits the number of service animals a person can travel with to two. It also requires airlines to treat… (www.msn.com) Mehr...

American Airlines goes full throttle to restore Boeing MAX fleet

American Airlines’ maintenance team is scrambling to complete safety changes to its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX jets ahead of a phased return to service, while deliveries of new jets are set to begin as early as this week. (www.reuters.com) Mehr...

Ryanair Orders 75 More Boeing 737 MAX Jets

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Ryanair announced today that Europe's largest airline is placing a firm order for 75 additional 737 MAX airplanes, increasing its order book to 210 jets. Ryanair again selected the 737 8-200, a higher-capacity version of the 737-8, citing the airplane's additional seats and improved fuel efficiency and environmental performance. (boeing.mediaroom.com) Mehr...

Southwest Airlines No Longer Social Distancing On Flights, Selling Tickets To Fill Every Seat

Southwest Airlines is no longer social distancing on its flights. On Tuesday, the airline began selling tickets to fill every seat on board its planes, including middle seats. The move comes after the airline announced a $1.2 billion third-quarter loss because of the pandemic. (philadelphia.cbslocal.com) Mehr...

Spirit Airlines expects its flights to be 70% full in fourth quarter

Spirit Airlines said on Thursday it expects its load factor for the fourth quarter to average about 70%, despite the slowdown in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said beginning with the period leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, rising COVID-19 cases have led to fewer bookings and a rise in cancellations. (www.reuters.com) Mehr...

US DOT Takes Stronger Stand Against Emotional Support Animals

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken a harder stance on service animals (simpleflying.com) Mehr...

Chinese team test jet engine ‘able to reach anywhere on Earth within 2 hours’

Scientists in China claim to have built a hypersonic jet engine—called "sodramjet"—that can fly at 16 times the speed of sound. This means that an aircraft kitted out with such engines could fly anywhere in the world in two hours, according to the scientists. (interestingengineering.com) Mehr...

He Escaped Death as a Kamikaze Pilot. 70 Years Later, He Told His Story.

For more than six decades, Kazuo Odachi had a secret: At the age of 17, he became a kamikaze pilot, one of thousands of young Japanese men tasked to give their lives in last-ditch suicide missions near the end of World War II. (www.nytimes.com) Mehr...

The Marine Corps' first F-35C carrier-variant Joint Strike Fighter squadron has officially been declared ready for combat.

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, said its F-35Cs have achieved initial operational capability, or IOC, authorizing the aircraft for worldwide carrier deployment operations, according to a service release. (news.yahoo.com) Mehr...

On the Fly: Michael Hancock Should Have Followed Head Earlier at Airport

Yes, Mayor Michael Hancock made a big mistake flying out of Denver on Thanksgiving Eve, after he told staffers and Denver residents to stay home. But there have been much bigger mistakes committed at Denver International Airport, and the most recent happened on Hancock’s watch. The disastrous Great Hall Project deal never should have been approved, and that debacle can’t be blamed on following your “heart and not your head.” (www.westword.com) Mehr...

ATR’s Freighter Gains EASA Certification

European manufacturer ATR has officially received certification from EASA for its brand new 72-600F freighter. The turboprop aircraft is the cargo version of its regional passenger plane. FedEx Express will be the launch operator of the new cargo plane. (simpleflying.com) Mehr...

Boutique Adds First Florida Destination

Boutique Air is continuing to push forward with its expansion plans of recent months, most recently announcing the small carrier would begin operating to Pensacola, Fla. Flights to Pensacola will operate out of the city of Muscle Shoals, Ala., one of the many Essential Air Service (EAS) cities the airline operates out of in the region. (airlinegeeks.com) Mehr...

GOL (GOLL4) and Alitalia resume codeshare agreement

Airlines share flights from Italy. Passengers / Customers from Italy to Brazil, who have more choice of destinations after more than two years... (cmsherbert.blogspot.com) Mehr...

New Beechcraft King Air 260 turboprop aircraft

Textron Aviation is launching an exciting new era for its renowned Beechcraft King Air 200 series of aircraft with the introduction of the Beechcraft King Air 260 turboprop. (dcnewsroom.blogspot.com) Mehr...

Rockefeller Christmas tree owl honored with Frontier Airlines tail

The owl that was found hiding out in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be featured on a new Airbus A320neo aircraft tail, Frontier Airlines announced Tuesday. (www.9news.com) Mehr...

British Airways launches investigation to identify stewardess advertising sex in mid-flight

British Airways has launched an investigation to identify a certain stewardess advertising sex between flights as well as mid-flight special adult entertainment. The flight attendant, who boasts of being part of the Heathrow-based crew, advertises her services with risqué photos while in-flight wearing her uniform. According to reports and interviews from The Sun, the unidentified attendant uses these photos to lure in clients through her blog. She writes: "If you ever want adult… (www.airlinerwatch.com) Mehr...

Couple arrested for knowingly boarding flight while COVID-19 positive

A Hawaii couple is facing charges after authorities discovered they boarded a United Airlines flight despite testing positive COVID-19. According to a local ABC station, the couple had been flying from San Francisco to Kaua'i, where they live, over the weekend. Before boarding the flight, the couple had reportedly tested positive for the illness while going through pre-travel screenings. Under United Airlines' current guidelines, customers who test positive for COVID-19 ahead of their… (www.msn.com) Mehr...