Aviation

The UPS cargo plane that crashed Nov. 4 in Louisville appears to have undergone heavy maintenance during a six-week period in September and October, based on flight records and remarks from the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane stopped in San Antonio from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18, where ST Engineering operates a facility providing "exclusive heavy maintenance" to UPS MD-11 planes like the one involved in the recent crash, according to the firm. The NTSB is in the proc

Lawmakers ask the Education Department to define aviation and flight training as ‘professional degree’ programs A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is pushing to give students enrolled in aviation programs and FAA-certified Part 141 flight training schools increased access to federal loan aid. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July, sets up new lifetime borrowing caps for graduate and professional degree students. These limits, which are higher than those u

LONGMONT, Colo. (AP) — The windows shook as dynamite aboard an airplane exploded over Conrad Hopp’s family farm in northern Colorado 70 years ago. Hopp, then 18 years old, saw a ball of fire streaking across the night sky and rushed with his brother toward where the burning wreckage came down, dodging objects that turned out to be the bodies of victims of the first confirmed case of sabotage against a commercial U.S. airliner. Hundreds of miles away, Marian Poeppelmeyer’s mot

Secretary Duffy gave a press conference on Tuesday where he updated reporters on the effects of the shutdown Transport Secretary Sean Duffy delivered his most urgent warning yet about the operational crisis facing aviation. If the government shutdown extends into next week, the Department of Transport will be forced to close critical sectors of U.S. airspace—a move that could critically disrupt life and earnings for US pilots. Speaking directly to Democrats on Tuesday about n

ALL flights were grounded at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for over an hour after a terrifying bomb threat targeting a United Airlines plane was reported. Eerie audio captured the moment an air traffic controller instructed the pilot to make a sudden 180-degree turn on the tarmac late Tuesday morning. All departing flights at the Washington DC airport were paused from 11:18 am until 12:50 pm as police investigated the terrifying situation. Passengers were forced

A former Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to cut the engines of a passenger flight in 2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit pleaded guilty or no contest to all charges against him on Friday, saying in court that he regretted endangering those on board as well as the damage he caused to his former profession. Joseph Emerson reached the plea agreements because he wanted to take responsibility for his actions and hoped to avoid further time behind bars, said his atto

American Airlines Flight 191 was set to fly from Chicago to Los Angeles, but the routine journey ended in a tragic disaster It was an ordinary day at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport - and the routine domestic flight to Los Angeles was prepared to depart as scheduled. Carrying 258 passengers alongside 13 crew members, American Airlines Flight 191 enjoyed perfect conditions on the bright May afternoon. However, mere moments after the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10's landin

Isaacman's comeback marks Trump's renewed push to blend private innovation with NASA's goals. US President Donald Trump has vowed to make America's space programme 'greater than ever before' as he dramatically re-nominates billionaire pilot and astronaut Jared Isaacman to head NASA, months after his original nomination was withdrawn. In a statement posted on Truth Social , Trump declared that Isaacman's leadership would launch 'a bold new era' for the United States in spa

It isn’t possible for the  Condé Nast Traveler  team to see and do everything, everywhere, all at once—though we try our best! Fortunately, we also have you, our readers. This year you cast an astonishing 757,109 votes in the 38th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, sharing your opinions on the very best in travel. You told us you were enchanted by Italian hotels, went on safari in Botswana, took to semiprivate aviation, and advocated for newcomers to the top American citi

Flight returned to Omaha airport minutes after departing for Los Angeles, after intercom was left on by accident Pilots aboard a US commercial jet mistakenly thought someone was trying to invade the cockpit on Monday, leading the flight to return to the Omaha airport fewer than 40 minutes after departing for Los Angeles . The misunderstanding on American Airlines Flight 6469 came about because the intercom that pilots and flight attendants use to speak to each other had been

Have you ever wondered what your colleagues are really earning? Thanks to an ongoing pilot shortage that's flipped the bargaining table, US airline pilots have locked in some seriously impressive contracts in recent years. The bottom line? It's never been more lucrative to pursue those captain's wings. But which airline should you choose? Let's break down the numbers. Pilot salaries vary wildly depending on where you are in your career and who you're flying for. First-year pi

As the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, its effects on air traffic control are being felt at major airports across the country.   Delays specifically related to controller shortages have been infrequent although there were a few incidents at high traffic airports, Chicago O’Hare and Newark.   Yesterday, air traffic controllers missed their first full pay checks and although they will, in theory, receive back-pay after the shutdown ends, dialogue in

In 2025, the question of how much flight attendants earn in the United States is once again drawing attention. With the rising cost of living, new union negotiations, and growing public interest in what cabin crew members actually take home, pay transparency has become a crucial topic. For anyone considering a career as a flight attendant, understanding how salaries are structured helps paint a clearer picture of life in the skies. The reality is that Flight Attendant pay is

Thanksgiving air travel is shaping up as a stress test for the U.S. aviation system: rising demand, a shrinking Spirit Airlines, and the looming threat of a prolonged government shutdown converging at once. A slow but steady rise in holiday air travel demand is building across the U.S. as travelers head into the 2025 peak season, according to new booking and schedule data from Cirium . The analytics firm reports that advance reservations for both Thanksgiving and the December

As the government shutdown enters its third week, air traffic controllers are bracing for financial uncertainty: potentially weeks of work without a paycheck. Recommended Video Deemed essential workers, air traffic controllers are expected to work during the government shutdown that began Oct. 1, but are not being compensated during the funding lapse. They received a partial paycheck on Oct. 14 for work performed before the shutdown, but will receive a $0 paycheck for their

The Kremlin shuts its airspace to US airlines in 2022 in response to Western sanctions over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. China's largest state-owned airlines have condemned a US plan to stop them flying over Russia on journeys to or from America. The US Department of Transportation said the current shorter routes used by Chinese planes give them an unfair advantage over their American competitors. "Being able to use the most efficient route provides a competitive advan

American Airlines is axing Ozempic and other popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs from its health care plan as part of a cost saving plan, angering the carrier’s flight attendant union which says the new policy is excluding crew members from vital health coverage. From January 1, 2026, American Airlines will only cover GLP-1 medications for crew members who have Type 2 diabetes, while employees who have used drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro to manage their weight as a chronic heal

LOS ANGELES- Pilots on American Airlines (AA) Flight 6469 mistakenly believed a cockpit breach was underway, prompting the flight to return to Omaha Airport (OMA) less than 40 minutes after departing for Los Angeles (LAX) on Monday (October 20, 2025). The false alarm occurred when the cockpit intercom, accidentally left open, transmitted static noise that the pilots misinterpreted as an attempted intrusion, according to an airline spokesperson. American Airlines Pilots Ge

ARLINGTON, Virginia/NEWARK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - More than 13,000 U.S. air traffic controllers face rising stress and financial insecurity after Tuesday's disbursement of what will be their last paycheck during the government shutdown, posing potential risks for air travel, the head of an employee union said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last week that staffing issues among air traffic controllers were to blame for 53% of flight delays since the shutdown, now in its

As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, a familiar crisis is unfolding across America's skies. Air traffic controllers - who keep millions of passengers safe every day - are once again working without paychecks, and the cracks in the system are showing. On Monday evening, pilots preparing to depart from Hollywood Burbank Airport in California  heard silence from their control tower. Unstaffed due to controller absences, it had simply closed. For several hour