commercial aviation

13 Stories

Pakistan to India: Here's Our 'Goodwill Gesture'

As closure of Pakistan air space snarls flights across Asia

(Newser) - Pakistan's prime minister pledged on Thursday his country would release a captured Indian jetfighter pilot the following day, a move that could help defuse the most-serious confrontation in two decades between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed region of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the announcement in an...

Aviation Industry Will Need 617K New Pilots by 2035

And even more crew members

(Newser) - Thinking about a career change? You might want to consider the aviation industry. According to Boeing's annual Pilot and Technician Outlook report, commercial airlines worldwide will need to add 814,000 cabin crew members, 679,000 maintenance technicians, and 617,000 pilots through 2035. A lot of that growth—...

South Pacific Volcano Erupts, Diverts Flights

Residents flee Papua New Guinea's Mount Tavurvur

(Newser) - Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano still hasn't blown its top, but an eruption is disrupting aviation on the other side of the world: Flights between Australia and Asia have been diverted and an ash cloud could disrupt flight plans further after a major eruption in Papua New Guinea, the AP...

Pilot Texting Linked to Fatal Air Crash

Helicopter pilot was texting about dinner date while flying

(Newser) - Texting while flying may have been a major factor in the 2011 crash of an emergency medical helicopter, according to National Transportation Safety Board investigators. Pilot James Freudenbert died along with three other people when he crashed in Missouri after running out of fuel. The NTSB, implicating distraction caused by...

Huge Airline Pilot Shortage Looms
Huge Airline Pilot
Shortage Looms
Nov 12, 2012 12:27 AM CST

Huge Airline Pilot Shortage Looms

Hiring crisis expected to be worst in 50 years

(Newser) - America's airlines are going to run out of pilot to fly their planes very soon unless action is taken, experts warn. More than half of American pilots are over 50 and there are not going to be enough qualified candidates to replace the thousands of pilots who will reach...

Judge: JetBlue Meltdown Pilot Insane, Not Guilty

Clayton Osbon sent to federal facility for examination

(Newser) - The JetBlue pilot who caused a flight to be diverted after a bizarre mid-air meltdown has been found not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors did not argue with a psychological report that concluded Clayton Osbon, 49, suffered from "a severe mental disease or defect that impaired his ability...

Cause of Russian Jet Crash: Pilot Bravado?

'Joy flight' pilot approached mountain infamous for crashes

(Newser) - The crash of a Russian jet during a demonstration flight in Indonesia last week may have been caused by pilot bravado, Der Spiegel finds. The flight was all about offering a spectacular show to journalists and potential buyers, and the captain of the Sukhoi SuperJet-100, despite his inexperience, appears to...

Riskiest Part of Flight Might Now Be on Ground

With skies safe, officials turn their attention to 'surface threats' on runways

(Newser) - "America's skies are the safest they have ever been," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters this week, and the stats back him up: Deaths from accidents in US commercial aviation have plummeted over the last 15 years, with none registered at all in 2011. Aviation officials say...

Ash Grounds Irish Planes Again
 Ash Grounds Irish Planes Again
May 7, 2010 2:24 AM CDT

Ash Grounds Irish Planes Again

Volcano's latest spewings headed for western Ireland

(Newser) - Yet another massive cloud of ash from Iceland is ruining Irish travel plans for the second time in 5 days. Six airports in the west of the country will be closed today because of a massive cloud of ash, the BBC reports. Cancellations caused by volcanic ash are likely to...

Need to Dodge Volcanic Ash? Ask an Alaskan

Alaska Airlines knows how avoid volcano chaos

(Newser) - That Icelandic volcano may have taught European airlines a lesson Alaska Airlines learned from Mount St. Helens 30 years ago. After its planes were grounded for days by the eruption in Washington state, the airline developed an effective way to navigate safely around volcanic ash. Its experience suggests that Europe's...

Stranded Travelers Turn to Private Jets

Demand for piston-engined aircraft able to enter no-fly zone soars

(Newser) - Private jet firms have found a silver lining in the cloud of ash belching out of that Icelandic volcano as desperate—and wealthy—travelers try to reach their destinations at any cost. Adam Twidell, CEO of jet-hire firm PrivateFly, says that while pilots can't be bribed to breach the no-fly...

1600 Cockpit Doors May Be Defective

Airlines ordered to repair anti-hijack doors

(Newser) - Doors designed to keep intruders out of aircraft cockpits may be faulty on at least 1,600 commercial jets, according to aviation industry insiders. Authorities in the US and elsewhere have ordered repairs be made to hundreds of Boeing 747s and Airbus A320s in the coming months, sources tell the...

Rail Travel Pollutes as Much as Flying: Study

(Newser) - Train riders might not actually have that much to lord over their jet-setting rivals as far as pollution goes, Scientific American reports. A new study shows that although planes emit three times more greenhouse gasses per passenger per mile than trains, the industrial emissions necessary to rail infrastructure makes the...

13 Stories