Author: Sharad Ranabhat

Southwest Airlines operates an all-Boeing fleet of 800 Boeing 737 aircraft, making it one of the largest commercial airlines in the world.

As of February 2025, American Airlines (AA) operates a vast fleet of 981 mainline aircraft, making it the third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. The airline’s fleet consists of both Boeing and Airbus aircraft, with a strong focus on narrow-body operations. More than 80% of AA’s aircraft belong to the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 family, cementing its position as the world’s largest operator of A320 family aircraft. On the wide-body front, American Airlines operates an all-Boeing fleet, including the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airline remains the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 787-8,…

SAN FRANCISCO – An Asiana Airlines (OZ) Airbus A350-900, operating flight OZ212 from Seoul Incheon (ICN) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), was warned by air traffic control (ATC) for descending below the proper glide path during its approach to runway 28L on February 23, 2025. Flight OZ212 aborted the landing and performed a go-around before safely touching down on its second attempt. The incident, captured by LiveATC, reveals that the tower controller urgently instructed the flight crew to check their altitude, providing an altimeter setting of 3026. Moreover, the controller further inquired whether the pilots were correcting their altitude before…

Southeast Asia’s aviation sector continued to experience dynamic changes in February 2025, with some airports seeing strong growth while others faced slight declines. This month’s ranking of the busiest airports in the region showcases both resilient recovery and shifting travel patterns. Leading the pack is Singapore Changi Airport, maintaining its dominance despite moderate growth. Meanwhile, Thailand’s major hubs, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, saw notable increases in passenger volume. Conversely, some airports, such as Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta and Denpasar-Bali, recorded slight declines. With international travel demand still strong and new routes being added across the region, the top 10 busiest airports in…

DUBLIN – A Delta Air Lines (DL) Airbus A330 was forced to divert to Dublin Airport (DUB) while en route from Amsterdam-Schiphol (AMS) to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) due to a mysterious odor in the cabin. The Airbus A330-300 with registration N819NW took off from Amsterdam as flight DL135 at 13:24 GMT and initially climbed to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (10,500 meters). However, while flying approximately 320 miles (512 km) northwest of Dublin, the crew decided to divert after multiple flight attendants began feeling unwell. This incident occurred on February 24, 2025, marking the second Delta flight diversion…

DELHI – The Delhi High Court has ruled that airlines must increase pilots’ weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours starting July 1, 2025. The decision follows a prolonged delay in implementing new duty and rest regulations introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).  This rule, originally announced in January 2024, was postponed due to objections from the airlines. However, after multiple rounds of court-ordered mediation, the High Court has now set firm deadlines for their enforcement. Under the new regulations, pilots must receive a continuous 48-hour weekly rest period, ensuring that no more than 168 hours (seven…

LOS ANGELES – A Delta Air Lines (DL) flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) was forced to return shortly after takeoff on Saturday night, February 22, 2025, when smoke was detected in the aircraft’s rear galley. The Airbus A350-900 with registration N514DN was operating flight DL43 with 162 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Flight DL43 took off from Runway 25R at 9:04 p.m. However, while climbing out over the Pacific Ocean, the crew stopped their ascent at 10,000 feet (3,000m) after cabin crew reported smoke in the rear galley. Soon after, the pilots assessed the situation and decided to return to Los Angeles. Return to Los Angeles Flight DL43 turned back…

Delta Air Lines (DL), one of the world’s largest and most influential carriers, operates a diverse and modern fleet to serve an extensive global network.

BOSTON – JetBlue Airways has decided to discontinue its daily flights between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), effective April 30, 2025.  This decision is part of JetBlue’s broader strategy to streamline operations and focus on high-yielding routes. The airline had been operating this 185-mile route six times daily using Embraer E190 aircraft.  Impact on Competitors and Travelers With JetBlue exiting from this route, Delta Air Lines will further solidify its dominance on the BOS-LGA route, operating up to 15 daily flights as part of its shuttle service, with hourly departures from 6 AM to 8…

SEATTLE – On February 5, 2025, a Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787-9 collided with a Delta Air Lines (DL) Boeing 737-800 while taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The incident occurred at 10:17 a.m. local time, with the JAL 787’s right wingtip striking the tail of the parked Delta 737. Delta’s Boeing 737 was stationed for deicing before its scheduled departure to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR), with 142 passengers onboard. Moreover, the JAL 787 had just arrived from Tokyo Narita (NRT) with 172 passengers and 13 crew members. Emergency crews, including Port of Seattle Fire and police, responded to the scene,…