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06/03/2026

IndiGo’s brief but notable Boeing 777 operations have come to a close, with the Indian low-cost carrier ending its wet lease agreement with Turkish Airlines for two Boeing 777-300ERs.

The agreement, which marked IndiGo’s first-ever widebody operations, saw the two jets, registered TC-LKD and TC-LKE, exclusively deployed on the Delhi–Istanbul (6E11/6E12) and Mumbai–Istanbul (6E17/6E18) routes, launching on February 1, 2023. Turkish Airlines provided the aircraft along with its crew and was responsible for maintenance and insurance, while IndiGo managed ground operations in India, sold tickets, and marketed the flights under its own code. Both aircraft were painted in full IndiGo livery.

The two widebody aircraft were configured with seven business class seats and 531 economy class seats, making them among the most densely seated Boeing 777s operating at the time.

In May 2025, IndiGo received a three-month extension to operate the aircraft until August 31, 2025. While IndiGo had transitioned its flights to the A321neo fleet from September 1, it subsequently secured DGCA approval to operate the 777 for an additional six months, as the closure of Pakistani airspace meant its A321s could not serve the Delhi–Istanbul route. This final extension set operations to continue until February 28, 2026.

IndiGo operated its last commercial service with the Boeing 777s on February 27, 2026, before both aircraft were ferried back to Istanbul Airport on March 2. As of March 2026, IndiGo had planned to continue serving the Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul routes using its own Airbus A321neo fleet, with a fuel stop in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. However, due to ongoing airspace restrictions resulting from the conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran, these flights have been cancelled and remain suspended to this day.

01/03/2026

Following airspace closures across the Middle East, four Boeing 777-300ERs operated by Qatar Airways, two Airbus A380s and one Boeing 777-300ER from Emirates, and one Boeing 787-9 from Etihad Airways have been grounded at Melbourne Airport.

Overall, the ongoing restrictions have left hundreds of Gulf carrier aircraft and hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded at destinations worldwide. Some flights have been forced to return to their departure points, while others diverted mid-route to cities including Muscat, Athens, and Istanbul.

28/02/2026

Passengers and personnel are being evacuated from Dubai International Airport (DXB) after fire alarms sounded amid reports of an airstrike targeting the facility. Authorities moved travelers out of the busy terminal areas as emergency procedures were activated.

Aviation activity across the region had already been heavily disrupted, with all flights to and from the Gulf countries suspended due to escalating regional tensions. Officials have not yet released details regarding casualties or the extent of damage to airport infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an urgent advisory instructing airlines to avoid operating in affected regional airspace at all flight levels and altitudes. The advisory applies to:

• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Oman
• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates

26/01/2026

Major winter storm Fern hit the U.S. this weekend, canceling more than 10,000 flights and impacting nearly 150 million people.

By midday Sunday, cancellations had reached historic levels not seen since the pandemic era and were concentrated at major hubs including New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Washington’s Reagan National Airport, as snow, sleet, and ice blanketed the region.

American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United Airlines issued travel waivers allowing customers to change plans without fees. Carriers also preemptively canceled flights to avoid stranding aircraft and crews, according to airline advisories.

23/01/2026

A Rossiya Airlines Boeing 747-400, registered RA-73290, skidded off the runway following an engine malfunction during takeoff at Magadan-Sokol Airport (GDX) on Thursday, January 22.

The jumbo jet, operating as Aeroflot flight SU6290 and bound for Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) with 353 people on board, had begun its takeoff roll around 6:00 AM local time. When the number one engine failed, the crew aborted the takeoff, causing the aircraft to slide across the icy runway and come to rest in the snow-covered grass off to the side.

No injuries were reported, and the plane sustained only minor damage.

22/01/2026

A Tropic Air De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registration P2-BBM, made an emergency landing at Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, after losing its nose wheel shortly after takeoff.

Video of the incident shows the nose wheel completely gone, with part of the nose gear assembly hanging down and a wire trailing behind it.

21/01/2026

U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrived in Zurich, Switzerland, aboard a backup Air Force jet, a Boeing C-32A, after a technical problem forced the primary Air Force One to turn back to Joint Base Andrews.

The VC-25, a modified Boeing 747 that serves as Air Force One, had departed Tuesday evening for Switzerland, where Trump was scheduled to attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. More than an hour into the flight, however, the aircraft returned to base because of what the White House described as a “minor electrical issue.”

The two VC-25A jets currently in service have been flying for more than 35 years. Their replacements, two new VC-25B jets based on the Boeing 747-8, are not expected until at least mid-2028, years later than the original 2022 target date. The prolonged delays have cost Boeing billions of dollars.

Video credits: ©

19/01/2026

On Monday, Lufthansa’s second aircraft in the special centennial anniversary livery, an Airbus A320neo registered D-AING, arrived at Frankfurt Airport. The freshly painted A320neo entered regular service with a flight to London Heathrow that same day.

The German flag carrier introduced the special livery on a brand-new Boeing 787-9, named “Berlin,” in December 2025. The third aircraft to receive the anniversary livery, an A350-900 registered D-AIXL, is currently being painted in Châteauroux, France, and is scheduled to arrive in Munich on February 3, 2026.

In addition to these, an Airbus A380, a Boeing 747-8, and Lufthansa’s first Airbus A350-1000 (expected in October) will also join the “Anniversary Fleet.”

Credits: ©

19/01/2026

Delta Air Lines announced that it will share 30% of its profits with employees worldwide, distributing a total of $1.3 billion. Although that is slightly less than last year, the payout still amounts to about a full month’s salary and will be issued on Valentine’s Day as part of the company’s profit-sharing program. It’s not yet clear what major competitors American Airlines and United Airlines will offer their employees, but their bonuses are often less than half of what Delta pays out.



Video credits: ©

18/01/2026

Pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have recently been conducting test flights of China’s COMAC C919 airliner in Shanghai. The South China Morning Post reports that these flights are part of COMAC’s push to obtain certification from Western regulators and gain access to international markets. EASA confirmed to Reuters that the tests are part of its standard “validation activities.”

COMAC, China’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer, launched the C919 program in 2008 with the goal of competing directly with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. So far, however, the aircraft remains restricted to the Chinese domestic market because it lacks certification from major Western authorities like EASA and the FAA. It received its Chinese type certificate in September 2022 and entered commercial service with China Eastern Airlines the following year.

The company first applied for EASA certification in 2019, but the process was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was restarted in 2023, and in 2025 EASA indicated that full certification could still take three to six years.

17/01/2026

An Enter Air Boeing 737-800, registered SP-ENG, landed at Nuuk Airport in Greenland on Friday, January 16, carrying 15 German soldiers. The aircraft was operating a charter flight, E4566, from Karup in Denmark to Greenland’s capital in support of an international reconnaissance mission in the Arctic. The mission comes in response to threatening language used by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to annex Greenland.

The reconnaissance mission is being carried out under Danish command and forms part of wider NATO efforts to enhance military presence and training opportunities in the Arctic region. Its objectives include identifying potential locations for future military exercises in Greenland, as well as assessing opportunities to increase military presence in the area for deterrence and defence purposes.

16/01/2026

On Friday morning, an Israeli military UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the West Bank. The aircraft had made an emergency landing earlier this week due to stormy weather and was later being transported by air using a sling-load cable. Video footage captured the moment the connection failed, causing the helicopter to fall and crash into a rocky hillside. No casualties were reported.

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