Commercial Aviation News

The latest commercial aviation news and analysis about new airlines and airliners entering service, new routes being opened up by the world’s many carriers, their cabin offerings, and many other topics can be found here. From the future of one long-haul aircraft type to the retirement of another, the mix of airliners that the airlines operate is changing.

Airlines continue to grow in number in Asia while Europe sees operators fold in their challenging mature market but new routes between the two continents continue to be opened. Alliances between airlines shift and mergers have seen fewer airlines in North America while carriers in the Far East have proliferated. Despite China’s dominance in manufacturing and a strong export sector, air freight has stagnated on long-haul routes while internet shopping boosts the industry’s short-haul profitability.

Airlines are constantly having to adopt new technologies and tactics to deal with increasing volumes of passengers, security threats and environmental challenges. More and more biofuels are being approved for use and airlines in recent years have used them for revenue earning flights, while also investing in the most efficient engines.

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Qantas returns to continental Europe

Boeing 787-9s from the Australian flag carrier have touched down in mainland Europe

BREAKING: Lufthansa is bringing back the Airbus A380

In the latest revival of fortunes for the super jumbo, Lufthansa has confirmed it will return the A380 to service. 

Embraer receives firm P2F E-Jet order

Brazilian-based Embraer has secured a maiden firm contract for its passenger-to-freighter (P2F) E-Jets programme

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“I thought we were gone”: American A321 crew left shaken after wing strike

Newly released cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcripts have revealed the shock and confusion expressed by an American Airlines Airbus A321 crew involved in a 2019 wing strike incident.

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Doha debrief from IATA's Annual General Meeting

Labour shortages don’t seem to worry the International Air Transport Association (IATA), but some airlines see a looming problem, reports Richard Schuurman from the IATA AGM in Doha

CONFIRMED: Norwegian inks mega MAX deal

Norwegian has confirmed that all the conditions have been met for its blockbuster deal for 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets.

Korean Air to resume more long-haul links

Amid the recovery of international travel demand, Korean Air plans to resume flights to several popular long-haul destinations.

Honda Aircraft and FSI strengthen ties

Honda Aircraft Company and FlightSafety International have extended their existing
15-year-old partnership by 25 years

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JetBlue to add more UK flights

There are positive developments from JetBlue Airways regarding its transatlantic operations as more flights to the United Kingdom are planned from later this year…

How to pay for your shopping with a 747

Delta Air Lines has made it easy for you to squeeze the Queen of the Skies into your wallet

Global Corporate and Business Aviation News

On this page you will find the latest news on airlines expanding their fleets and changes in aircraft types, covering a wide range of commercial airlines, countries and regions, whether it’s the growing regions of Asia and Africa or the more mature markets of Europe and North America.

Airlines are also examining new technologies and greater fuel efficiencies on the ground with electric power for taxiing. When passengers board the aircraft they have their faces recognised by a computer instead of airline staff checking boarding passes. Security threats were once hijacking terrorists, but now conflict zones’ airspaces are to be avoided and virus carrying passengers pose a problem for crew and customers alike.

Airlines across the planet are expanding their fleets and sometimes ordering as many aircraft as they have in service or even up to two to three times more. The aim of many airlines is to have the youngest fleet with the most efficient engines, and that may see a mix of orders and leasing. Aircraft development is seeing more truly international collaboration, from Airbus absorbing the Bombardier C series to Boeing and its joint venture with Brazil’s Embraer. Markets are seeing strategic manoeuvres by major players.

In business aviation, the corporate jet market aimed at the time constrained executive is being teased with supersonic jets that could enter service in the 2020s. This market is also seeing onboard technical improvements so aircraft can be tracked anywhere over land and oceans. The larger the corporate jet, the more valuable the asset to be tracked and secure. Another trend in the market has been more demand for larger business aircraft and that is set to continue well into this decade. These larger aircraft are also adopting new features aimed at passenger wellbeing with lower altitude cabin air pressures and lighting that compliments the body’s natural circadian rhythms.

Keep on top of the latest news from the rest of the aviation industry including airport news, new airport technology and trends and aviation engineering.

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