Emirates Forced to Ground Five A380 Superjumbos After Regulators Warn of Cracks Found in Wings
Emirates has been forced to ground five of its Airbus A380 superjumbos after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive citing cracks in the wing middle spars – the structural backbone of the wings. The directive covers 16 A380s, with the five Emirates aircraft required to be grounded immediately while the remaining aircraft may continue flying for up to 25 flight cycles before inspection. The issue traces back to a December safety notice that highlighted similar cracks in long‑term stored A380s. Because many of Emirates’ A380s are already parked, the operational impact is expected to be modest.
Miniature Galleys, More Seats, and No Seatback Screens: American Airlines Steps Up Retrofit Program of Airbus A319 and A320 Airplanes
American Airlines is accelerating a cabin‑retrofit program for its legacy Airbus A319 and A320 narrow‑body fleet. The overhaul adds larger domestic First Class cabins—12 seats on the A319 and 16 on the A320—along with new privacy‑wing seats, XL overhead bins,...
Spanish Flag Carrier Iberia Has Already Changed Hand Baggage Terminology to Comply With New European Rules
Iberia has pre‑emptively updated the language on its website to distinguish between “hand baggage” and “personal luggage” ahead of new EU passenger‑rights rules. The regulation guarantees travelers one free personal item no larger than 40 × 30 × 15 cm, while allowing airlines to keep...
United Airlines Set to Operate First Widebody Flight With Fast and Free Starlink Internet On Monday Night
United Airlines will launch its first widebody flight equipped with free, ultra‑fast Starlink Wi‑Fi on June 22, flying from Newark to London Heathrow. The Boeing 777‑200, the airline’s prototype for the rollout, joins more than 400 United aircraft already fitted...
Horrifying Near Miss at Boston Logan as Quick-Thinking Delta Air Pilots Go Around to Avoid Landing On Top of American...
Delta Air Lines Flight DL‑2351, an Airbus A319 with 129 passengers, narrowly avoided a runway collision at Boston Logan on June 20 when an American Airlines Boeing 737 was cleared for takeoff on intersecting Runway 27 while Delta was on final for Runway 33L. The Delta...
Europe’s New ‘Free’ Hand Baggage Rules Don’t Actually Change Anything: Here’s What Is Really Happening
Europe’s passenger‑rights overhaul, finalized on June 15, amends EU‑261 to require airlines to show fares that include a standard hand‑baggage allowance by default. The rule only guarantees a free personal item under the seat, while larger cabin bags remain chargeable. Low‑cost...
EasyJet Plane Was Just 20 Meters Above the Ground at the Very End of the Runway and the Pilots Didn’t...
EasyJet’s Airbus A320 to Malaga mistakenly used the Alpha intersection at London Luton, cutting 211 m off the runway despite having calculated performance for the full 1,982‑meter length. The aircraft lifted only about 20 m before the runway ended, a fact the...
Over One Third of Airline Passengers Don’t Know They Have to Leave Everything Behind During an Emergency Evacuation
A new IATA study shows that more than one‑third of airline passengers mistakenly believe they can keep their hand luggage during an emergency evacuation. The trade group has launched a global "Save a Life, Not a Bag" campaign and is...
Passenger Cabin of Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 Pierced by Ground Antenna That Tore Hole in Side of Plane When Pilots...
A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777‑300, leased from IndiGo and still painted in IndiGo livery, clipped a ground‑radar antenna while taxiing at Antalya Airport on June 11, 2026. The pilots took a wrong turn onto a narrow taxiway, causing the right wing to...
United Airlines Is Reportedly Working On a New Economy Product With a Blocked Middle Seat to Reduce Flight Attendant Requirements
United Airlines is preparing a fleet of 50 Airbus A321neo "Coastliner" aircraft, each configured with 161 seats—20 lie‑flat Polaris Business, 12 Premium Plus, and 129 economy. To meet FAA crew‑size rules, the airline is testing an economy seat that permanently...
Family Sues Delta Air For $2.35 Million After Father Is Falsely Accused of Human Trafficking His Own Daugther
A Arkansas family has filed a $2.35 million lawsuit against Delta Air Lines and its regional partner Endeavor Air, alleging a flight attendant falsely accused the father of human trafficking and sexual abuse during a 2019 flight. The attendant’s report triggered...
Air Canada Insists Passenger Safety Wasn’t Comromised After Captain Is Arrested For Flying Without a Proper Licence
Air Canada says passenger safety was never compromised after a senior captain was arrested for operating hundreds of flights with a counterfeit airline transport pilot licence. A random certification check triggered a fraud probe, dubbed Project Icarus, that led to...
United Airlines Completes First Prototype Installation of Ultra-Fast Starlink Internet On Widebody Boeing 777
United Airlines has completed the first prototype installation of SpaceX's Starlink ultra‑fast internet on a Boeing 777, marking the debut of the service on a widebody aircraft. The carrier began its Starlink rollout in March 2025 with regional jets and...
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Once Again Rejects Idea of Acquiring Another Carrier After Being Rebuffed By American Airlines
United Airlines chief Scott Kirby reiterated that United will not chase a merger after American Airlines’ board rebuffed his overture. He dismissed the notion of buying JetBlue, pointing to the carrier’s high debt and lack of financial sense. Kirby previously...
Wizz Air Will Become Europe’s First Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier With Starlink In-Flight Internet
Wizz Air announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to equip its entire Airbus A320 fleet with broadband‑quality in‑flight Wi‑Fi, with rollout slated to begin in 2027. Unlike many full‑service carriers, the Hungarian ULCC has not confirmed the service will...