Fahad Naim
Licensed aircraft engineer (EASA/UKCAA) posting timely commercial aviation incident analysis and maintenance/operations context.
From 747 Night Beasts to All‑777F Fleet
Throwback to when the skies still had these beasts at night 🔥 This shot from Guangzhou Baiyun Qatar Cargo B 747 freighter glowing under the floodlights, cargo pallets ready, oryx tail shining bright. Back then these 747-8Fs were regular visitors on the Doha–Guangzhou route, hauling massive loads while the rest of the airport slept. Fast forward to 2026 and Qatar fully retired its last Queen in March 2024... now it’s an all-777F fleet.... Still one of my favorite cargo scenes ever
New Dreamliner Scrapped After 13 Hours Due to Wing Issues
Imagine building a brand-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner… only for it to fly just 13 hours before getting scrapped for parts 😔 This is N947BA (serial 35507), the 17th Dreamliner ever built.... one of the 'terrible teens' with early structural issues...
STARLUX's Metallic Dream: Sorayama‑Designed A350s Unveiled
January 2026: STARLUX unveils the AIRSORAYAMA dream with Hajime Sorayama in Tokyo. March: silver A350-1000 B-58553 rolls out. April: the golden counterpart B-58554 emerges in Toulouse looking like liquid sunlight. Three years of work, one insane metallic vision.
Airlines Hustle, Passengers Linger Post‑pandemic
Qatar Airways busy on the ramp at Hamad Airport.... planes parked, ground equipment moving. Terminal? Looks totally empty with quiet seating areas. Classic “airline working hard, passengers still slow to return” situation.
Vietnam Airlines' App Mistakes Paris for Indian Biryani
Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles app: Paris is now in India.... Book “Paris” and surprise.... you’re getting biryani, not baguettes.
Turbulence Reminder: Keep Seatbelts Fastened at All Times
On China Southern flight CZ3152 from Beijing to Shenzhen today, a passenger described severe turbulence throughout the flight, followed by a sudden 3-second weightless free-fall right after meals. Trays flew everywhere, leaving them terrified and frozen until touchdown. These intense moments...
StarLUX Unveils Chrome
The new STARLUX A350-1000 gold ARSORAYAMA livery by Hajime Sorayama is finally out there.... the chrome like gold shine is unreal. They went all-in on this metallic effect for the carbon-fiber fuselage. The gold one (B-58554) pairs with the silver version...
In‑flight Qigong Unites Passengers on China Southern
Mid-flight on China Southern.. the whole cabin doing coordinated stretches with the flight attendant leading the way. She’s guiding everyone through a traditional Chinese qigong routine of gentle moves right from their seats while the demo video plays on the...
US Chinook Helicopter Severely Damaged in Kuwait
CH-47 Chinook Heavy-Lift Helicopter Heavily Damaged in Kuwait New images circulating show significant damage to a U.S. Army Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter in Kuwait. Initial reports link it to an Iranian drone strike while the helicopter was stationed on the...
Passenger Ignored Safety Call, Slaps Flight Attendant
Flight Attendant Got Slapped on Tigerair Taiwan Flight from Fukushima Tigerair IT753 from Fukushima to Taoyuan... Captain had been broadcasting multiple times during descent... fasten seatbelts, stay seated, no moving around. One lady stood up anyway, probably to put her shoes...
Airplane Window Captures Artemis II’s Moon‑bound Rocket Trail
Wild shot from an airplane window during today’s Artemis II launch... that massive white trail climbing high while the plane cruises along. First humans heading around the Moon since the 1970s, and someone caught it mid-flight. Pretty cool reminder of...
Israeli Strikes Damage Civilian Planes at Tehran Airport
Caspian Airlines MD-83 at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport after Israeli strikes. Holes ripped through the fuselage, insulation hanging out. Mehrabad handles regular passenger flights but is also used for military stuff, and reports confirm multiple civilian-registered planes got hit on the ground...
UAE Bans Iranian Nationals From Entering Dubai Airport
Official notice from FlyDubai: the UAE has banned Iranian nationals from entering or even transiting through Dubai International Airport, effective immediately This hits Iranian passport holders hard. including people with valid UAE residency visas of any kind and those with visit/tourist...
SAS 80th Anniversary Misses Bold Moves, Plays Safe
SAS turned 80 and this is what they came up with? 😅Feels like they played it way too safe
Engine Fire Forces Delta A330 Emergency Landing, All Safe
Delta Air Lines Flight DL104 from São Paulo/Guarulhos to Atlanta last night.... shortly after takeoff, the left engine caught fire with loud explosions and visible flames. Passengers described the tension during the climb, but the crew acted fast, declared an emergency,...
Preventable Airspace Failure Claims 67 Lives in 2025 Crash
New video from the final seconds of that tragic crash over Washington has everyone talking again ✈️ CBS's 60 Minutes just dropped more footage of American Airlines Flight 5342 and the Army Black Hawk helicopter colliding over the Potomac River on...
Iranian Strike Wipes Out One of Last Sentry Aircraft
Iranian strike at Prince Sultan: photos and reports show E-3G 81-0005 is gone.... clean hit on the rear radar dome. . USAF loses one of its 16 remaining Sentries (average age 40+, no new builds in decades)
Iran Destroys US KC-135, Hits Prince Sultan Base
Looks like Iran scored a direct hit on the US apron at Prince Sultan Air Base today. Smoke everywhere... At least one KC-135 Stratotanker is toast and a few others might be banged up from those ballistic missiles and drones.
China Immerses Preschoolers in Aviation to Spark STEM
A powerful glimpse into how China nurtures future talent from a very young age. These preschoolers, dressed in professional pilot uniforms, exposed to aircraft on March 27, 2026.... sitting together excitedly exploring a small aircraft up close. It’s hands on exposure...
LATAM
Lula is at LATAM’s São Carlos MRO facility... undisputed leader in aeronautical maintenance across South America. They’re highlighting the LATAM-Embraer deal for 24 firm + 50 option E195-E2 jets (deliveries kicking off late 2026). LATAM’s already pouring ~US$4B into Brazil...
Ariana 737-400 Skids Off Kabul Runway, Injuries Reported
An Ariana Afghan Boeing 737-400 veered off the runway on landing in Kabul today. Passengers slid down emergency chutes, some injuries, and the aircraft took some damage.
RT Misstates F‑18 Loss; only F‑35 Was Hit
RT drops IRGC claim: US F-18 'hit by air defenses over Iran' . In Reality the documented case is the March 19 F-35 that got tagged, pilot wounded by shrapnel, emergency landing confirmed by CENTCOM. No independent verification on a...
Miracle Survival: Flight Attendant Ejected, Lives On
Imagine getting thrown over 100 meters through the air… still strapped to your seat… and surviving. 😱 That’s exactly what happened to Air Canada Express flight attendant Solange Tremblay at LaGuardia. Her CRJ-900 hit a fire truck on the runway.....
Simulator Recreates LaGuardia Crash for Insightful Learning
CNN segment with pilot and instructor Aaron Murphy using a flight simulator to recreate what the Air Canada Express pilots saw in their final moments before colliding with a fire truck on LaGuardia’s runway 04. Erin Burnett hosted as Murphy...
Captain Balances Empathy, Crew Privacy, and Routine Safety
Watch this Air Canada captain’s announcement before takeoff: ‘We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those involved in yesterday’s LaGuardia incident. This is a difficult time for Air Canada. Thank you for your support, and we kindly ask...
Bird Strike Tears Radome Off, Plane Lands Safely
China Southern Airbus A330-343 (reg B-1062) on CZ3554 from Shanghai Hongqiao suffered a major bird strike shortly after takeoff... radome torn clean off, the crew declared emergency, returned immediately and landed safely with no injuries. This is one of the more...
Even Horses Evacuated as Qatar Airspace Closes
Qatar Airways Cargo operated two Boeing 777F flights from Riyadh to Liège, Belgium, carrying 147 horses (mostly Arabians and competition horses) after they were trucked out of Qatar due to the ongoing airspace closure... when even the horses are getting...
Teamwork Fueled Dubai Airport’s Rapid Recovery After Shutdown
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths speaking to CNN's Becky Anderson: the key to keeping flights moving at DXB during the recent suspension was the outstanding teamwork from all parties... airport, airlines, ground handlers, emergency services. IMO: it’s easy to criticise when...
Iranian Jet, Not Gulf Fighter, Likely Behind Blurry Footage
One blurry jet over Shiraz is exploding online.... some say it looks like a Mirage 2000 or Typhoon and must be a covert Gulf country aircraft. That theory doesn’t hold up at all. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar... none of them...
Dubai Halts All Foreign Flights at DXB, DWC
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice today: landing permissions at DXB and DWC are suspended for all foreign operators until further notice, citing the prevailing regional situation and safety of airlines, crews, passengers, and the public. Emirates has already...
Aeroflot Expands Asian Routes Despite Sanctions, Outpacing Rivals
Aeroflot arriving Guangzhou(and many other Asian cities)... daily service still going strong despite sanctions and the war. They’re flying to more destinations than some Middle Eastern airlines right now.
Korea-Japan Evacuation Swap Turns Rivalry Into Cooperation
South Korea's military with a flight from Riyadh carrying 211 souls... including two Japanese who got a lift home. Korean officer helping a girl and grandma board flips the script on old rivalries. Japan did the same for Koreans earlier,...
Emirates Nears Full Capacity, Boosting Stranded Passengers
Emirates says full capacity is coming “within days”... currently at ~61% pre-war schedule after 46,000+ cancellations since late February(subject to airspace and ops approvals). Good for passengers stuck or rerouted... the airline is trying to push hard to get back...
Israel Destroys World’s Sole KC‑747 Tanker, 55‑year‑old Legend
The world’s only KC-747 tanker (Boeing 747-131F 5-8107) was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran on March 7. This 55-year-old legend refueled IRIAF F-4E Phantoms during the daring 1981 Operation H-3 attack on Iraq’s H-3 base.
Air India Express B737‑8 Faces Scrap Threat in Phuket
The wrinkles on this B737-8 Air India Express could potentially render the aircraft scrap metal. Repairing it would be extremely costly. Let’s see how long it remains parked in Phuket. wheels are installed ....might as well takeoff tomorrow ...
Air India Express Hard Landing: Tire Burst, Nose Gear Lifted
Here are some additional scenes of how it happened on Air India Express. You can see the amazing landing: main gear hard landing, bounce, tire burst, and nose gear landing. No slides were deployed, so at least some money was...
UAE Airlifts Hundreds of Israelis After Netanyahu Request
Netanyahu spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed on Saturday to ask for help evacuating Israelis from the UAE, per reports. UAE chartered three planes at their expense... two arriving at Ben Gurion tonight with ~600 Israelis, one with over...
Qatar Airways Launches Relief Flight to Moscow, Prioritizing Families
Russian Embassy in Qatar just announced Qatar Airways is planning a Moscow Sheremetyevo relief flight on 9 March (~08:05 local time, flight QR339 already showing, time may still adjust). Priority boarding for families with children, elderly, urgent medical cases &...
Belgium's UAE Evacuation Proves Civil Protection Mechanism Works
Belgium just airlifted 198 of their own + 39 citizens from other member states out of the UAE using the A330 MRTT via Muscat and Hurghada. This is why the Civil Protection Mechanism exists and it actually worked.
Emirates Hits 60% Capacity, Eyes Full Network Soon
Emirates is already at ~60% capacity and expects full 140-destination network “within days”. 106 daily return flights to 83 cities, 30,000 passengers out Thursday alone, heavy boost on UK (11 daily/5 airports), India (22 daily/9 gateways), US (7 destinations). From shutdown...
DXB Sees only 8‑12 Recovery Flights, Emirates Restarting
Handful of departures from DXB.... roughly 8–12 flights airborne or boarding right now, mostly recovery runs to Moscow, India and Europe while Emirates slowly restarts. https://dubaiairports.ae/flight-status?type=departures&from=2026-03-02
Abu Dhabi Airport Restarts Flights, Sign of Slow Recovery
Abu Dhabi Airport... roughly ten flights are now open for booking at Zayed International Airport, including services to Moscow. it’s a sign that things are slowly getting back to normal after the chaos, but we’re not fully out of the...
Drone Strike Cripples Dubai Airport, Recovery Will Take Long
Drone hit at Dubai Airport... The destruction and pure chaos everywhere... Dubai airport shutdown, thousands stranded, flights diverted all over. This ain't fixing in a few days...this recovery is gonna drag on for a long time. Brutal
High‑Altitude Takeoff Fatality Highlights Bolivia’s Risky Air Transport
Bolivia’s C-130 Hercules crashed right after takeoff from El Alto Airport today... carrying new banknotes, rolled onto a highway, caught fire. At least 15 dead, 30 injured. Locals tried to grab the scattered cash, police had to use tear gas......
An-225 Remains Wrecked; Rebuild Hopes Remain Uncertain
Latest images of the An-225 at Hostomel.... the world’s largest plane has been a burned out wreck since the 2022 invasion. No restoration, just remains. Ukraine still talks about building a new one, but it’s not happening yet. The original is...
Cathay Pacific Unveils Final 80th‑anniversary Livery on 777-300ER
Cathay Pacific just dropped their third and last 80th anniversary livery on Boeing 777-300ER B-KQU at Xiamen Taikoo today... “New Hong Kong Spirit” with extra sticker-art vibes. They covered big parts with white sheets so fans couldn’t snap it immediately.
KLM Ground Collision at Schiphol Leaves No Injuries
2 KLM 737s just bumped into each other on the ground at Schiphol yesterday morning. One had literally just landed from Birmingham and was sitting there on the apron. The other was getting pushed back for its departure to Athens when...
Emirates Swaps Ultra‑dense A380 for Premium‑focused Layout
Big one from Emirates.... they’re retiring the 615-seat A380 layout (world’s highest capacity passenger jet) on all 15 of those high density frames. The 58 Business + 557 Economy setup that packed them in is done. Starting with the first ones...
FPV Drone Strikes Myanmar Plane, No Injuries Reported
Myanmar last night... MNA ATR-72-600 got hit by FPV suicide drone(s) at Myitkyina Airport while boarding for Mandalay. Minor shrapnel damage reported, but crucially no passengers or crew hurt. KIA/PDF coalition named by authorities.
FAA and EASA Qualify Boeing 777‑9 Simulators for Training
Boeing just announced FAA and EASA have given initial qualification to the 777-9 full flight simulators at Gatwick. Built with CAE, ready for proper pilot training once courseware is signed off. Capt. Gary Mandy called it ‘an important step as...
