33-Second Flight
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33-Second Flight
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Bankrupt Spirit Airlines lands $50M cash injection.

Narrowly avoided shutdown by meeting Saturday deadline for restructuring plan.

Lenders needed proof Spirit had viable path forward before releasing cash.

Another $50M depends on continued progress.
December 16, 2025 at 12:00 PM
beOnd America plans to launch a new all-business-class U.S. airline.

But they have a problem:

No U.S. partner yet.
Still needs $100 million in funding.

Their previous partnership collapsed.
Must find investors who are 75% American to meet regulations.
December 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
19 years ago, Boeing sold its fuselage factories to cut costs.

Today, they're paying $4.7 billion to rescue them from near-bankruptcy.

Spirit caused quality disasters and burned cash.

Now as it collapses, Boeing & Airbus split the wreckage.
December 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Air New Zealand threw a full SYNTHONY concert at 30,000 feet.

Complete with orchestra, DJs, lights...

Passengers got stadium-level entertainment while cruising.

Sound engineering and lighting had to be adapted for the cabin environment, tho.
December 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM
IndiGo cancels thousands of flights, strands hundreds for five days straight.

What happened?

India tightened limits on pilot work hours.
IndiGo didn't hire enough pilots to cover the new limits.
December 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Ever bought a pack of mints and forgot about it?

Air India forgot their Boeing 737 for 13 years.

The jet was parked at Kolkata Airport. Records fell through the cracks during merger chaos.

Total parking fee: $120,000.
December 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Global Airlines slaps its name on a plane it doesn't own?

Speculation:

Global likely paid Hi Fly to put their name on the A340. (There is no proof of lease)

The startup has no certificate nor scheduled flights.
December 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Half of all flights between China and Japan are gone.

The drama:

China issued travel warnings after Japan's PM mentioned defending Taiwan.

Osaka & Sapporo hit hardest.
$1.2B tourism losses expected.
December 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Venezuela bans six airlines.

Why?

Because they paused flights due to US warnings of airspace risk.

Airlines say it's for safety reasons.
But Venezuela accuses them of joining "state terrorism."

The six airlines: Iberia, TAP, Avianca, GOL, Turkish, and LATAM.
December 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Airbus grounds 6,000 jets mid-holiday travel.

Why?

JetBlue plane dropped altitude without warning.
Injured passengers. Emergency landed in Tampa.

Solar radiation corrupted flight control computers.

Quick software fix for 5,000 jets.
Another 1,000 need hardware replacements.
December 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Boom founder: "Airplanes shouldn’t physically line up to take off."

Novel idea or meh?

Virtual queues already exist at major airports.

But if ALL departing planes wait at gates, arriving planes can't park.
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Dubai air taxis could cost the same as Uber rides.

Why?

Economies of scale will drive prices down.

Joby Aviation's electric taxis are launching soon.
Initial fares are expected to be cheaper than helicopter rides.
November 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM
$24 billion changes hands. flydubai orders 150 Airbus jets, breaking 17 years of Boeing-only purchases.

Airbus CEO to flydubai: "What took you so long?"

Boeing continues to negotiate for dozens of new orders.
November 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Airlines won't pay you $775 for delays anymore. Trump scrapped that rule.

Reason:

"Unnecessary regulatory burdens."

18 senators protested. Airlines cheered.

Meanwhile, Europe, Canada, and Brazil still pay passengers for delays.
November 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Southwest's wheelchair passengers no longer have priority boarding.

But the real hack remains:

Requesting wheelchair assistance lets you skip security lines & cut immigration queues.

"Jetbridge Jesus" passengers — miraculously healed upon landing — live on!
November 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Pay extra for a window seat? Millions did — and got solid walls instead!

United Airlines faces lawsuit over windowless "window seats".

Airline claims label describes position, not guaranteed view.

Delta faces a similar lawsuit.
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
India's Supreme Court questions pilot-error claim in Air India crash.

Engines' fuel switches mysteriously shifted to "CUTOFF" after takeoff.

Court demands probe into whether:

• spring-loaded switches failed, or
• cockpit design enabled fatal error
November 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Airlines can now settle bills in yuan.

IATA's clearing house adds Chinese currency to seven others.

Cuts costs for Chinese airlines, simplifies cross-border transactions.

China's aviation influence expands.
November 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM
FAA cuts flights by 10% because controllers aren't showing up for their *unpaid* shifts.

Shutdown's at day 36.
3.2 million passengers already delayed.
Major airports missing up to 40% of controllers.

Can't really blame the controllers tho.
November 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Mystery cargo plane visits Latin America.

Nobody knows what's inside.

A Russian Il-76 lands in Caracas, Havana, Managua, carrying up to 46 tons of SOMETHING.

The operator? Aviacon Zitotrans — banned by the West for hauling military cargo.
November 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Goodbye purple. Hello red and blue.

Delta's new uniforms launch 2027.

Designed with crew feedback.
Made by Lands' End.
Scarves by Missoni.

The wrap dress even makes a comeback.
November 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Air traffic controllers forced to moonlight as restaurant servers & Uber drivers between shifts.

13,000 controllers are working without pay, thanks to the government shutdown.

Airlines beg Congress to end it before the holidays.
November 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Airlines deliver free meals to unpaid air traffic controllers.

Government shutdown means no paychecks, but controllers still report for duty.

As Congress stalls on funding...

United, Delta, and JetBlue step up to feed the people preventing mid-air collisions.
October 31, 2025 at 12:00 PM
India builds Russian jets domestically for the first time since 1988.

The story:

Hindustan Aeronautics signed an MoU with Russia’s UAC.

The goal: Produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in India.

To meet the demand for 200+ regional aircraft over the next decade.
October 29, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Vilnius Airport in Lithuania closed four times in one week. Balloons from Belarus carrying cigarettes keep disrupting air traffic...

Lithuania's response:

Shoot them down. Seal the border.

Who knew cigarette smuggling could ground an entire airport?
October 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM