Flying Sure Is Scary These Days

So far, 2024 really hasn’t been the year for air travel. In January alone there was the Japan Airlines fire, the Boeing 737 Max 9 that lost its door plug mid-flight, the discovery of more loose door plugs on other 737 Max 9s, a cockpit windshield that cracked mid-flight, a 747 shooting sparks through the … Read more

Supersonic Passenger Travel Is Back Thanks To Super Strong Winds

In a magical time called the 20th century, there were supersonic passenger jets that could fly rich people from New York to London in less than three hours. These days, numerous startups are promising to replicate that feat, but it turns out that if you want to fly faster than the speed of sound you … Read more

What In God’s Name Is Going On With Air Travel Right Now?

Photo: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group (Getty Images) The nose wheel of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 came off while waiting to depart from Atlanta, Georgia last Saturday. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. The venerable 757 is entering its fifth decade of service, with the newest airframes being 20 years old. While … Read more

Missing Bolts On Airbus A330

A Virgin Atlantic flight bound for New York City was canceled right before it was set to take off on January 15 after a passenger noticed that several screws were missing from the Airbus A330’s wing. Phil Hardy, a British traveler, was sitting onboard Virgin Flight 127 at Manchester Airport in England when he noticed … Read more

World’s Abandoned Airports Offer An Eerie Journey Through Bad Decisions And Worse Wars

A tiny airstrip on an atoll over 700 miles away from Hawaii doesn’t seem like it belongs with the city-wide international airports we’ve discussed so far, but the Johnston Atoll Airport was home to some fascinating U.S. history. The atoll is part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The island, for years, was used … Read more

Extreme Turbulence Hospitalizes 11 Passengers On Flight

Photo: kickers (Getty Images) A flight carrying British cruise-goers from Barbados to Manchester was forced to divert to Bermuda after an incident of extreme turbulence two days before Christmas. There were 225 passengers onboard the Airbus A330-200 operated by Maleth Aero, a Maltese charter airline. When the aircraft landed, 11 people were transported to a … Read more