Simple Flying

A security breach at Manchester Airport (MAN) left more than 20 flights disrupted on Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday, including one TUI flight that declared a low fuel emergency. The airport was forced to suspend arrivals after a man made his way onto the active airfield, with seven flights diverting to other UK airports and 17 more entering prolonged holding patterns.

Keeping a 20-year-old aircraft in service can look like an obvious financial win. If an airline already owns the jet, the largest cost associated with a new aircraft disappears from the equation. There is no need to commit tens of millions of dollars to an acquisition, arrange new financing, or accept the higher lease rates associated with scarce new-generation aircraft. Yet the apparent saving can be misleading because an older aircraft consumes more fuel and generally becomes more expensive to

French flag carrier Air France is putting an end to the risque rumor that the sauna in one of its business class lounges was used as a 'sex den'. According to People, the airline has denied allegations that the sauna in its business lounge at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG), Terminal 2E, Hall L was closed due to inappropriate passenger behavior.

Becoming an airline pilot takes years of commitment to studies and tens of thousands of dollars to pay for flight training before finally reaching the cockpit of a commercial airliner. After all that time, choosing the right carrier to sign on the dotted line with can be a complex decision. However, one of the most basic and important differentiators is baseline salary.

The Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, has four engines, but thrustreversers are fitted only to the two inboard engines (numbers 2 and 3). Unlike most four-engine airliners, the outer engines do not produce reverse thrust after landing. The reason is largely linked to their position beneath the aircraft's enormous 80-meter wingspan. Located close to the runway edge, the outboard engines would be far more likely to disturb and ingest gravel, dirt and other debris from unpaved ma

Not only has Delta Air Lines not ordered any Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, but it has also canceled orders. When Delta merged with Northwest Airlines in 2008, it inherited the former's order for 18 Boeing 787-8 variant aircraft. Delta formally canceled that order in 2016. Since the 2010s, Delta has only purchased Airbus A330 family and A350 widebody aircraft.

The distinctive sawtooth edges on several Boeing engine nacelles are more than a styling feature. Specifically, they are chevrons, a technology developed through NASA research to reduce the noise produced when hot exhaust from a jet engine mixes with surrounding air. Boeing adopted the concept on aircraft including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner , 747-8, and 737 MAX family, accepting a small aerodynamic penalty in exchange for a quieter departure footprint. NASA's documented flight testing demonstrat

The Dassault Rafale is considered one of the finest non-stealth fighter jets that money can buy. The F4 variant is classified as a 4.5-Generation, or 4++, aircraft that is only surpassed in tactical capability by the top tier fifth-generation fighters of the world. It is combat-proven and renowned for its multi-role versatility. Comparing it to the other leaders of the non-stealth class brings forward three top contenders.

It may sound preposterous, but in one of the most novel twists of fate in aviation history, the legendary Mach 3 LockheedSR-71 got its incredibly powerful engine from a canceled US Navy flying boat. The Pratt & Whitney J58 was first conceived in order to power the Martin P6M amphibious jet. The company chose not to wait for the developmental issues holding back the J58 and proceeded with the Pratt & Whitney J75.

After 35 years since the law was imposed, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will now mandate that first-class passengers will not be permitted to hold onto provided service items, such as paper and plastic cups, during pushback. As first reported by View From The Wing, this will result in less time for pre-departure beverages.

Passengers boarding an airliner often catch a glimpse of the flight deck before the cockpit door closes to see pilots reaching across the instrument panel, touching switches, adjusting knobs, and scanning displays in what appears to be a carefully rehearsed sequence. Only after completing those actions does a pilot typically pick up a written checklist and read it aloud. To an outside observer, the order seems backward. Why perform dozens of tasks from memory before consulting the document desig

American Airlines was founded in 1930 through a merger of 80 airlines. It wouldn't be until 2013 that American as we know it today was born through a merger with US Airways. With over 223 million passengers carried in 2025, the oneworld carrier remains one of the world's largest airlines alongside its largest competitors, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Despite this, American is lagging behind on one key metric: profitability. A gap the Dallas-based airline is desperately looking to close o

In May 2026, Delta Air Lines quietly ended all Boeing 717 service at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The aircraft had been a fixture at MSP for over a decade under Delta, and the T-tail silhouette it shares with the DC-9 had been a constant presence at the airport for roughly 60 years before that. Northwest Airlines operated the world's largest DC-9 fleet from its MSP hub starting in the late 1960s. Delta inherited those DC-9s in the 2008 merger, retired them in 2014, and replaced th

Flight attendants are one of the largest work groups at any airline, and they're the face of an airline once onboard. While cabin crew are legally required to be onboard for safety reasons, passengers typically see them performing service duties, which can positively or negatively reflect on the quality of an airline's onboard offering.

It has been almost 45 years since the Boeing 767 first took to the skies in 1981. The jet is now beginning to fade from commercial aviation, where modern twin-aisle jets like the Airbus A350 are taking over. However, like so many outdated jets, the 767 is taking on a new life as a freighter and military workhorse.

When we talk about air travel on a global scale, metrics like passenger numbers, number of flights, or connectivity often take center stage. But another metric, which is less-celebrated but often more spectacular, measures an airport’s significance by its physical size. The sheer land area of an airport influences everything from runway capacity to future expansion potential, cargo handling, and even landscape planning.

Members of the PSA Airlines Cadet Program received a disappointing email in late July 2026, when the company advised pilot cadets that it would no longer sponsor the ATP/CTP course that all new hires are required to complete before officially joining the airline. Traditionally, this is paid for by the company, but for those in the PSA program, it's now on the cadet's shoulders to take the course and pay for it.

Sun Country Airlines is sharply reducing its Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) schedule this fall, raising concerns that fewer seats and less competition could push airfares higher for travelers. The Minneapolis-based carrier is expected to operate roughly one-third fewer flights in September than previously planned, with some routes being removed altogether as the airline works through staffing problems following its acquisition by Allegiant Air.

24 people were left injured after an Air India Airbus A320neo flight from Phuket International Airport (HKT) to Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) lost key flight controls. The service, AI2379 on August 4, operated by the Indian flag carrier, has prompted the planemaker to request checks on the airplane's hydraulics, sensors, and wiring. According to Reuters, Airbus' initial analysis suggests the plane lost all three hydraulic systems, causing it to drop 300 feet in a matter of seco

It seems that fifth-generation aircraft are beginning to give way to the next era of air combat, as the competition to develop a sixth-generation fighter has been underway for several years. The difference now is that these aircraft are quickly becoming a reality, with China publicly displaying its J-50 during test flights, the Boeing F-47 expected to conduct its first flight in the coming years, and the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) continuing its development.