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ANALYSIS: Iran's Airstrikes Have Destroyed its Aviation Industry

Iran aviation has a long and complicated history. Although being predominantly domestic, sanctions have limited their expansion into other regions.

By Lukas Woerner • 04/16/2024
The A320's First Passenger Flight Ended Horribly: The Crash of Air France Flight 296Q

Air France flight AF296Q was a chartered demonstration flight for the then brand-new Airbus A320. However, things did not go as planned on the day of ...

By Sanghyun Kim • 04/10/2024
The World's Longest Eco-Friendly Flight

The conversation about aviation and sustainability has recently revolved around sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). One company has been very progressive ...

By Lukas Woerner • 04/10/2024
What It's Like to Fly a Plane Through a Hurricane

Pilots avoid flying in poor weather conditions to prevent disturbances and catastrophic events. However, hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone hunters regul ...

By Öyküm Gelen • 04/08/2024
The Aircraft That Mysteriously Caught Fire: South African Airways Flight 295

Whenever a major air incident occurs, authorities can determine the cause of the crash following a comprehensive investigation. However, the case of S ...

By Hadi Ahmad • 04/06/2024
Long Live the Queen: The Ageless Reign of the Boeing 747

The 747 has flown for nearly half the entire history of aviation. It will continue to serve for decades to come.

By Edward Carr • 04/03/2024
Remembering Hooters Air: The Restaurant's Attempt to Launch an Airline

Hooters Air was a short-lived brand experiment by the US-based restaurant chain that ultimately failed. However, it did intrigue the public enough for ...

By Lukas Woerner • 04/02/2024
Ghost in the Machine: The Eery Aftermath of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401

The legacy of the crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 includes the ghostly appearances of the deceased pilots appearing to warn future Eastern pilot ...

By Edward Carr • 03/22/2024
North Korean Bomb in Overhead Storage Bin Explodes Mid-Flight: Korean Air Flight 858

On November 29, 1987, Korean Air Flight 858 was on its way from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok when all communications with the flight were suddenly lost. What ...

By Sanghyun Kim • 03/21/2024
Boeing's Blame Game: A History of Shifting Responsibility After Crashes

Boeing has been experiencing high pressure and complications due to accidents and a lack of safety culture. Boeing CEO David Calhoun appeared in an in ...

By Öyküm Gelen • 03/20/2024
Remembering David E. Harris: The First African American Commercial Airline Pilot

On March 8, the aviation industry was saddened by the loss of David E. Harris (1934-2024), the first African-American pilot to receive the title of ca ...

By Lukas Woerner • 03/19/2024
Crashing into the Forest Near Paris: The Story of Turkish Airlines Flight 981

Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (TK981) was a flight from Istanbul-Atatürk (ISL) to London-Heathrow (LHR) with a layover at Paris-Orly (ORY). On March 3, ...

By Öyküm Gelen • 03/18/2024
The Most Avoidable Passenger Plane Crash: Air France Flight 447

On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 was cruising from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when suddenly the communications were lost, and debris from the fligh ...

By Sanghyun Kim • 03/18/2024
Heavy Fog Leads to a Boeing 747 Crashing into Homes in Kyrgyzstan: Turkish Airlines Flight 6491

Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 was a scheduled international cargo flight operated by ACT Airlines on behalf of Turkish Cargo. An incident occurred whil ...

By Öyküm Gelen • 03/18/2024
Crashing into a Mango Garden After Takeoff: Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688

This is the story of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688, a shocking tragedy that highlighted the negligence of an airline and the ultimate pri ...

By Hadi Ahmad • 03/17/2024
How a Dead iPad Almost Killed 200 People

Mobile devices have played a pivotal role in facilitating air travel, particularly for pilots who can utilize devices like iPads for navigation. Howev ...

By Hadi Ahmad • 03/16/2024
Catching Fire After Takeoff and No Evacuation: Saudia Flight 163

On August 19, 1980, Saudia Flight 163 took off from Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia. What seemed like a normal flight started taking a tu ...

By Sanghyun Kim • 03/15/2024
Disaster in Queens Two Months After 9/11: American Airlines Flight 587

Tragedy struck New York City only two months after the attacks on September 11, 2001. This is the tragic story of American Airlines Flight 587, the se ...

By Hadi Ahmad • 03/13/2024
The 1956 Grand Canyon Mid-Air Collision: The Crash That Created the Modern Air Traffic Control System

The summer morning of June 30, 1956, disaster began with a sudden bang and the sickening crunch of metal crashing into metal. This incident facilitate ...

By Edward Carr • 02/23/2024
Exclusive: Interview With Raúl Revuelta Musalem, CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico

I had the chance to sit down with Raúl Revuelta Musalem, the CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), about Mexico's aviation industry. This i ...

By George Mwangi • 02/17/2024
Alexei Navalny's Death: Inside His Politically Motivated Flight Diversion and Airport Detention

Alexei Navalny died in a Russian Arctic penal colony after reportedly losing consciousness during a walk on February 16. He returned to Russia on a se ...

By Franco Grobler • 02/16/2024
Love in the Air: An Inflight Story for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is a special day for many aviation enthusiasts. Couples often meet each other during a flight, layover, or while working together at t ...

By Edward Carr • 02/14/2024
Exclusive: Interview With Brandon Robinson, CEO and Co-Founder of Horizon Aircraft

I had the chance to sit down with Brandon Robinson, the CEO of Horizon Aircraft, about hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft ...

By George Mwangi • 02/13/2024
The Worst Plane Crash That Never Happened: Air Canada 759

On July 7, 2017, Air Canada Flight 759, an Airbus A320, was on the verge of a catastrophic incident at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The ...

By Adnan Shaheed • 01/25/2024
Bored Pilots Pushed Their Aircraft to Its Limit: The Crash of Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701

On a repositioning flight in 2004, two bored pilots decided to push their aircraft to its limit. The results of this experiment on Pinnacle Airlines F ...

By Adam Schupak • 01/16/2024
This New Hydroelectric VTOL Aircraft Could Be the Future of Private Air Travel

Swiss aviation startup Sirius Aviation AG has unveiled the groundbreaking Sirius Jet, the world's first hydrogen-powered VTOL aircraft, designed in co ...

By Adnan Shaheed • 01/15/2024
Pilots Who Didn't Pay Attention Overshot Their Destination by Over 150 Miles: Northwest Airlines Flight 188

On October 21, 2009, one of the strangest aviation incidents occurred. A regularly scheduled Airbus A320 flight on Northwest Airlines Flight 188 lande ...

By Jack Turner • 01/04/2024
Pilot Bets He Could Land a Plane Blind, Then Crashes: Aeroflot Flight 6502

The tragic Aeroflot Flight 6502 incident occurred on October 20, 1986, as a result of a perilous cockpit bet between the captain and first officer. Ca ...

By Adnan Shaheed • 01/03/2024
AeroXplorer Screener's Choice Photo Awards 2023

Out of the 11,000 photos screened on AeroXplorer in 2023, here are our favorites from every month.

By AeroXplorer Screening Team • 01/01/2024
In Case You Missed It: Our Top Stories in 2023

2023 has been a rollercoaster of a year in the aviation industry. From record-breaking aircraft orders to close calls, the past 12 months have pretty ...

By AeroXplorer Writing Team • 12/30/2023
Dogs in First Class: The Rise and Fall of Pet Airways

Pet Airways was an innovative and risky concept when it first launched back in 2007, promising to offer safer flights for pets. Was the company doomed ...

By Davis Turner • 12/29/2023
The Russian Concorde: Why Did The Tupolev TU-144 Fail?

During the Cold War, the ever-looming threat of technological inferiority drove innovation in the aviation industry on both sides of the Iron Curtain. ...

By Adam Schupak • 12/27/2023
How This 2-year-old Airline Was Able to Push $200 Million in a Single Quarter

In the years after Norweigian’s struggles, more specifically in early 2021, Norwegian entrepreneur Bjord Tore Larsen announced plans to start a new ...

By Gabriel Kramp • 12/22/2023
Qatar Airways Under Fire For Banning Aviation YouTuber Josh Cahill

Qatar Airways, commonly praised for being among the world's best airlines, has recently come under negative spotlight over its reaction to a flight re ...

By Hadi Ahmad • 12/19/2023
The Houston Express: Why Houston Was the Only US City with Direct Flights to Angola

Angola is a country that not many Americans choose to visit when searching for an African destination since its tourist attractions are not well-known ...

By George Mwangi • 12/12/2023
How This Nigerian Scammer Sold a Fake Airport for $242 Million

In our hyper-computerized society, scammers proliferate nearly every part of modern commerce and the internet. Before the advent of mass access to the ...

By Adam Schupak • 12/10/2023
A Closer Look at Airbus's Worst-Selling Aircraft

The Airbus A330-800 never became a large component of airline fleets. The plane has received only 12 orders over the past nine years, compared to the ...

By George Mwangi • 12/09/2023
A Competition With Dallas and Houston: Can Austin Airport Meet the City's Growing Population and Influence?

Austin is becoming one of the most important cities in the US due to its rapid population growth and large tech industry. However, Austin lags behind ...

By George Mwangi • 12/02/2023
Is Boeing Leading in North Africa? A Deeper Look at Airline Fleets in Morocco and Egypt

The 2023 Dubai Airshow was eventful for North Africa's aviation industry. Boeing expanded its presence in the region through orders by Egyptair and Ro ...

By George Mwangi • 11/15/2023
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Raúl Revuelta Musalem, CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico

I had the chance to sit down with Raúl Revuelta Musalem, the CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), about the aviation industry in Mexico's ...

By George Mwangi • 08/24/2023
Championing Inclusivity at 30,000 Feet: KLM's Inspiring Initiatives

On August 1st 2023, KLM chose to show its inclusivity by supporting the LGBTQ community. The air carrier scheduled two flights emphasizing its ideolo ...

By Adnan Shaheed • 08/09/2023
Blown Sky-High: The Effects of the Russia and Sudan Conflicts on Aviation Insurance Costs

Airlines need insurance for their aircraft to deal with the potential consequences of operating flights. The need for insurance has become more promin ...

By George Mwangi • 08/02/2023
Why Biman Bangladesh Might be Eyeing the Airbus A350

Biman Bangladesh is an airline whose fleet has gone through a major modernization in recent history with the addition of new Boeing 787s. Rumors had s ...

By Hadi Ahmad • 07/06/2023
Southwest Airlines: A Unique Perspective Into a Unique Airline

Southwest Airlines is quite the unique airline compared to other legacy carriers in the United States. This article will dive into what exactly this a ...

By Gabriel Kramp • 06/29/2023
China Could Become the World's Largest Aviation Market Following C919 Release, Experts Say

According to expert Philip Meyers, China's COMAC C919 may become a huge competitor between the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing. However, China still has ...

By Adnan Shaheed • 06/19/2023
Exclusive: Interview with Scott Lewis, President of World Energy Supply Zero

I had the chance to sit down and speak with Scott Lewis, the President of WE Supply Zero about the work that World Energy does and the company's plans ...

By George Mwangi • 06/02/2023
Air Service to Small Towns In Jeopardy

While travel and air travel demand has rebounded massively since the pandemic has eased in most places, regional airports have seen major service redu ...

By Jack Turner • 04/10/2023
Why Alaska Airlines Decided to Say Farewell to the Q400

Alaska Airlines, one of the largest airlines in the United States, recently retired its fleet of Bombardier Q400 aircraft which were operated by Horiz ...

By Andy Zhao • 02/13/2023
Hiring in Aviation is Back on the Rise

The impacts of COVID-19 on the aviation industry cannot be understated. A previous report from 2020 noted how despite being one of the largest aircraf ...

By Willis V. Henderson • 09/05/2022
Top 5 Liveries at San Diego

List and explanation of my top 5 liveries to come through San Diego with descriptions of each in addition to a brief list of honorable mentions.

By Zachary Liddy-Davis • 05/09/2022
Breeze Airways Partners with Autism Double-Checked

Breeze and organization Autism Double-Checked are making it easier for Autistic people to fly. As a new entrant, Breeze seems to be fulfilling its pro ...

By Luca Azim • 05/08/2022
An Inside Perspective: Working as a Ramper

The aviation industry presents many career paths. If one is interested in working at the airport, then being a ramper may be a great choice.

By Zachary Liddy-Davis • 05/04/2022
The Frontier/Spirit Merger: Bad For Business and Bad For Consumers

With so many mergers in the airline industry throughout the past few years, many believed that the industry’s period of consolidation was over. Howe ...

By John Pullen • 03/25/2022
Supersonic Travel is Back! Or is it Really?

Will United Airlines Really Be Able to Fly Supersonic by 2029? Will they succeed?

By Arkin Si • 06/15/2021
Will Space Travel Ever Overtake Air Travel?

When will humans be able to take off in NYC and land in Singapore in just 90 minutes? SpaceX has a plan for that, but will it ever work?

By Tyler Giunchi • 04/19/2021
Avelo Airlines: Destined for Greatness or Bankruptcy?

Avelo Airlines is looking to place itself in the leisure travel market and make a change, but with so many factors not on their side, how can an aviat ...

By Nailah Blake • 04/14/2021
Could There be a 787 or A350 Freighter? 

At the beginning of the 21st century, Boeing and Airbus revealed their latest products, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350XWB. Both airframes w ...

By Arthur Chow • 04/13/2021
OPINION: Justin Trudeau has Failed Canada's Airlines

At the start of 2020 things looked promising. Swoop would be launching flights to Winnipeg in the summer, WestJet would be flying to Calgary a record ...

By Brandon Siska • 04/03/2021
Interview: American Airlines Pilots During COVID-19

A conversation with three different American Airlines pilots about flying during COVID-19 and how the airline industry is recovering.

By Ben S • 07/25/2020
What It's Like Volunteering at an Aviation Museum

This is personal experience from working at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It's an amazing experience, and most of the plan ...

By Michael Ganoe Jr. • 06/23/2020
Future of Flight and Boeing Tour Review

Have you ever wanted to visit the Boeing Tour?

By Winston Shek • 12/21/2019
My Early-Morning Plane Spotting Session in Amsterdam

Recounting my experience of spotting at Amsterdam Schipol's most famous plane spotting location, the Polderbaan.

By Daniel Mena • 12/20/2019
A Day at The Museum of Flight

More than 500,000 people each year visit Seattle's Museum of Flight. What makes this museum so special?

By Winston Shek • 12/20/2019