Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia prompted Aerocivil to restrict or suspend commercial operations at seven airports while teams inspect airside, structural and navigation infrastructure. Avianca, LATAM and Wingo offered affected passengers free rebooking, rerouting or refunds; Popayán was separately closed because of volcanic ash.
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Israeli leisure carrier Israir has received approval from Israel’s civil aviation regulator to launch services to North America, a key step toward its planned New York operation with Airbus A330s. The airline still requires clearance from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration before flights can begin.
American Airlines is reducing staffing for September while simultaneously searching for a widebody solution. Boeing’s rejected 777-9 aircraft could offer a potential fit, linking American’s near-term capacity and workforce decisions to the disposition of aircraft tied to the 777X program.
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A magnitude 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia prompted Aerocivil to restrict or suspend commercial operations at seven airports while teams inspect airside, structural and navigation infrastructure. Avianca, LATAM and Wingo offered affected passengers free rebooking, rerouting or refunds; Popayán was separately closed because of volcanic ash.
American Airlines operated a commercial passenger flight using electro sustainable aviation fuel after receiving what it described as the first delivery of non-biobased SAF to a U.S. commercial airport. The milestone demonstrates progress toward expanding synthetic fuel use within the commercial aviation supply chain.
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Alaska Airlines Flight 305 returned to the gate at Miami International Airport on Aug. 9 after pilots reported threats from passengers during taxi. The Boeing 737 was placed under cockpit lockdown, while air traffic control audio indicated similar emergency protocols were used on another flight earlier that week.
Swiss plans to retire its A220-100 fleet by the end of 2027, marking a defined endpoint for the airline’s operation of the smallest member of Airbus’ A220 family. The decision will shape Swiss’ fleet composition and regional-capacity planning over the next two years.
Vietnam’s Sun PhuQuoc Airways plans to add eight Airbus A330-200s to support its expansion into medium- and long-haul international markets from Phu Quoc. Four aircraft are scheduled to join the fleet in 2026, followed by four more during the first four months of 2027.
Turkish drone maker Baykar may expand into commercial aviation with a cargo airline operating Airbus A321 passenger-to-freighter aircraft, according to reports. The potential move would add a logistics and air-transport business to Baykar’s established unmanned-aircraft portfolio, though details on timing, fleet size and regulatory approvals remain unclear.
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