American Airlines has announced that it will fly 70 World War Two veterans from the United States to Europe to commemorate the upcoming 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. The special flight will operate on May 31, 2024, and is being provided free of charge by the airline to “honor [the servicemen] for their service and sacrifice,” according to the airline.  “We’re honored to play a part in helping this group of heroic veterans return to Normandy,” said David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer, and a veteran of the US Army.   “This special journe ..read more

A Transair Senegal Boeing 737-300 operating a scheduled flight from Dakar in Senegal to Bamako in Mali has suffered extensive damage after veering off the runway at Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS). Of the 78 passengers and crew onboard the flight, 11 are reported to have suffered injuries with four of the cases described as “serious”, including one of the two pilots. The aircraft registered as 6V-AJE was performing Transair flight R2 3043 from Dakar to Bamako at around 04:30 local time on May 9, 2024. While the aircraft was accelerating for takeoff from Dakar’s runway 01, the ..read more

Boeing has filed a notice with the Alabama Department of Commerce to lay off more than 100 workers at its Huntsville, Alabama location. According to the WARN List of Made in Alabama, a site that lists Alabama plant closings and layoffs, Boeing plans to lay off 128 workers beginning June 28, 2024.  In a statement sent to Alabama news outlet WSFA12, Boeing said it had “notified some team members in Huntsville of a potential layoff” and will explore alternative placement opportunities within Boeing for affected employees. Local media outlet WHNT said Boeing, which employs more than 3,000 peo ..read more

Etihad Airways has disclosed its financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The airline reported a profit after tax of AED526 million (US$143 million), a substantial improvement compared to the same period last year.   Total revenue for Q1 2024 surged to AED 5,739 million (US$1,563 million), representing an increase of AED 987 million (US$269 million) from Q1 2023. This growth is attributed to expanded network capacity and a rise in passenger numbers, with 4.2 million passengers flown during the quarter, marking a 41% increase year-on-year.  “We are pleased to report a str ..read more

An altercation between two passengers over an empty seat escalated into a brawl on an EVA Air flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on May 7, 2024.  Flight BR 08 departed TPE Airport and was just three hours into the 11-hour flight when the fight began. EVA Air told local Taiwanese media the commotion began when a passenger decided to switch seats because the person next to him was coughing. According to the airline, the man found an empty seat and settled in it. However, the original occupant of the seat returned several minut ..read more

Korean Air has agreed to sell five Boeing 747-8s to US manufacturer Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in a deal worth approximately KRW918 billion ($674 million), a source familiar with the matter disclosed to Reuters.   As stated in an exchange filing released on May 9, 2024, the transaction is expected to take place in September 2025.  The move comes after SNC recently secured the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) contract from the US Air Force, which is tasked with developing a successor to the current E-4B Nightwatch aircraft fleet. Boeing’s exclusion from the compe ..read more

Low-cost carrier Air India Express has canceled flights for the second day running after around 300 cabin crew staff members called in sick.  On May 9, 2024, Air India Express announced that its passengers would face more disruptions due to the airline being forced to cancel around 85 flights and was subsequently being supported by parent company, Air India.   “We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilized all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly ..read more

Air Vanuatu has canceled all its international flights to and from Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland and Noumea for the rest of the week ending May 12, 2024.  The decision follows news that the airline has dissolved its board and is considering entering into voluntary administration. The Port Villa-based airline canceled a total of 22 flights for the week, leaving mostly Australian and Kiwi travelers stranded and needing to find alternative ways to return home.  The airline’s travel advisory section on its website cites “ extended maintenance requirements” on its aircraft as the reason for ..read more

Mexican budget carrier Volaris has announced the reactivation of its previous reciprocal codeshare agreement with US carrier Frontier Airlines. The agreement, announced on May 9, 2024, will facilitate travel between the United States and Mexico, with the new codeshare services already on sale and in both airlines’ reservations systems for flights departing from May 16, 2024.   The pair of airlines first formed their codeshare partnership in 2018. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Mexico’s safety status to Category 2 from Category 1 in May 2021, hindering U ..read more

On May 8, 2024, the European Union’s General Court annulled a previous decision made by the European Commission (EC) to approve a restructuring aid package for German leisure airline Condor in 2021. The EC approved the €321 million ($344.4 million) funding package in July 2021, allowing the German government to provide financial aid to the airline to support the restructuring and ongoing operations of the airline during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby throwing the carrier a financial lifeline.  The case was brought by the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair which had challenged th ..read more