Reuters
• Alexander Cornwell, Joanna Plucinska
A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed a colleague and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft. Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was hailed by Israeli and Indian leaders for helping save passengers; the motive remains unknown.
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A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Saudi Arabia after one pilot allegedly stabbed a colleague and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft. Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was hailed by Israeli and Indian leaders for helping save passengers; the motive remains unknown.
Avelo Airlines is expanding its planned McKinney National Airport base in Texas ahead of its commercial launch, adding four U.S. destinations and a third Boeing 737-800. The expansion increases the carrier’s initial footprint at the new operating base and broadens connectivity from the Dallas-area airport.
A panel will examine air traffic control challenges after a series of near-misses at Sydney Airport, with preliminary reports identifying controller “resourcing” as a recurring area of enquiry. The review puts staffing and operational capacity at the center of scrutiny over recent safety events.
Transportation Security Administration officers checking passenger IDs at U.S. airport security checkpoints will no longer be allowed to sit. The policy is intended to make the first checkpoint interaction more welcoming, but a major union has raised concerns about ergonomics and worker safety.
The FAA proposed civil penalties of $87,000 against Comfylife for an alleged hazardous-materials violation and $260,868 against ExcelAire for allegedly unauthorized charter operations. Separately, Nigerian ground handlers withdrew services from XEJET over an estimated N300 million ($218,000) debt, disrupting the airline’s ground operations.
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Severe rainfall and flooding in Bangkok left Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports open but disrupted ground handling, baggage delivery and flight schedules. Thai Airways canceled several services, including Bangkok–Singapore flights, while working to clear about 5,000 to 5,600 stranded bags within 72 hours.
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Germany’s BFU preliminary report says the left brake pedal was activated shortly after Vietnam Airlines Flight VN34 began its takeoff roll from Munich, followed by additional braking inputs. The Boeing 787-9 rotated below V1, lifted off beyond the runway from grass and sustained a tail strike.
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Legislation backed by the Department of Transportation and aviation groups would direct $30 billion toward digitizing key aviation systems and upgrading airport infrastructure. The proposal positions airspace modernization and airport investment as central priorities for improving the nation’s aviation network.
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