Southwest Flight Nearly Departs From Taxiway

The Boeing 737-800 – operating flight 3278 from Orlando, Florida to Albany, New York – “began its takeoff roll on a taxiway."

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 06:10 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Southwest Boeing 737-800. (Photo: Shutterstock | Markus Mainka)

A Southwest flight nearly took off from a taxiway on Thursday. The Boeing 737-800 – operating flight 3278 from Orlando, Florida to Albany, New York – “began its takeoff roll on a taxiway,” a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said.

According to the FAA, an air traffic controller halted the attempted takeoff. No other aircraft were involved.

Southwest told NBC News the crew “mistook the surface for the nearby runway.” The flight returned to the gate and departed roughly three hours later with a new aircraft and crew.

According to the FAA, a Southwest 737-800 “began its takeoff roll on a taxiway” this morning in Orlando.

Ground speed ADS-B data shows the aircraft reaching a top speed of nearly 70 knots on Taxiway H. https://t.co/x1vNl0zCoc pic.twitter.com/7QHn6YQYOQ

— Ryan Ewing (@FlyingHighRyan) March 20, 2025

ADS-B data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft reached a top ground speed of nearly 70 knots on the taxiway. The flight departed around 9:30 a.m. local time, and visibility was clear.

The FAA spokesperson noted that the taxiway runs parallel to a runway. Thursday’s incident appears to have occurred on Taxiway H, which is adjacent to Runway 17R.

No injuries were reported. The FAA said it will investigate, and Southwest says it is “engaged with the NTSB and FAA to understand the circumstances of the event.”

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

Southwest to Cut More Jobs

Citing overstaffing at four of its stations, Southwest is eliminating a total of 120 positions. This move comes on the heels of its first-ever mass layoffs.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 05:33 PM ET

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A Southwest Airlines 737-700 pushing back in Pittsburgh. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Citing overstaffing at four of its stations, Southwest is eliminating a total of 120 positions. This move comes on the heels of its first-ever mass layoffs last month.

These job cuts will impact workers in Baltimore, along with Los Angeles, San Jose, and Burbank, California. Last year, the Dallas-based airline offered early buyouts to some workgroups at these airports.

Impacted employees – who include ground crew and catering staff – can move to other positions within the company or take a severance package. These changes are slated to take effect in June, per WBALTV.

“Our current flight schedule and modest growth plan for 2025 require alignments to our workforce at four airports where we operate,” a Southwest spokesperson told AirlineGeeks in a statement. “We always try to minimize the impact to our Employees and all will have an opportunity to remain with Southwest.”

In February, the airline cut 1,750 corporate jobs. It has also offered early buyouts at several airports.

Ryan Ewing

Arajet Eyes Four More U.S. Markets

Currently, Arajet serves 22 international destinations in 18 countries. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 12:48 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Arajet 737 MAX (Photo: Arajet)

Arajet is planning another round of U.S. expansion. On Wednesday, the Dominican airline petitioned the Department of Transportation to add more service.

As part of a December agreement between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, Arajet was permitted to add three destinations: Miami, New York, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Flights from Santo Domingo to Miami are slated to begin on April 11. The carrier will start service to San Juan on June 4 and Newark, New Jersey, on June 16.

More Destinations

In its DOT filing, Arajet said it plans to add Chicago, Washington, Boston, and Orlando, Florida, to its route map. The airline hopes to begin selling tickets for these routes no later than March 31.

Currently, Arajet serves 22 international destinations in 18 countries. It operates a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Ryan Ewing

‘High Rate of Descent’ Noted Before Delta Crash

At 50 feet above ground level, the aircraft’s rate of descent had increased to 1,114 feet per minute, triggering a “sink rate” warning.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 11:23 AM ET

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Investigators inspecting the wreckage in a hangar. (Photo: TSB of Canada)

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released a preliminary report on the Feb. 17 crash of Endeavor Air flight 4819 at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The CRJ-900 aircraft, operating as a Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis, crashed on landing, resulting in the right wing detaching and the aircraft overturning.

According to the Thursday report, the aircraft was on approach to Runway 23 in gusty wind conditions. At 50 feet above ground level, the aircraft’s rate of descent had increased to 1,114 feet per minute, triggering a “sink rate” warning.

This audible call-out, investigators stated, indicated a “high rate of descent.”

Just before touchdown, the aircraft had a 7.1-degree right bank angle and was descending at 1,110 feet per minute.

Interior of CRJ-900 after Delta crash — Interior of CRJ-900 after Toronto crash (Photo: TSB of Canada)

The right main landing gear made initial contact with the runway at a 7.5-degree right bank angle. This caused the landing gear side-stay to fracture, allowing the gear to collapse. The wing root then fractured and the wing separated, releasing fuel that ignited.

The aircraft slid inverted down the runway, losing its tail section before coming to rest near an intersecting runway. All 80 occupants evacuated, with 21 sustaining injuries, including two serious injuries.

Investigators stated that the flight crew had to evacuate through an overhead hatch, and some passengers experienced difficulties releasing their seatbelts while suspended upside down.

During the evacuation, some passengers were sprayed with foam from the airport firefighting (ARFF) vehicles. An off-duty pilot and flight attendant also assisted in the evacuation.

Endeavor Air CRJ-900 wreckage (Photo: TSB of Canada)

After airport firefighters entered the aircraft, an explosion occurred near the left wing root. Investigators said the cause of this explosion remains unknown.

Crew Qualifications

The TSB’s report confirms Delta’s news release disputing “disinformation” regarding the crew’s qualifications. The captain, who had been with Endeavor Air since October 2007, had logged approximately 3,570 flight hours. Of these, 764 hours were on the CRJ.

The first officer, employed by Endeavor Air since January 2024, had accumulated a total of 1,422.3 flight hours, including 418.7 hours on the CRJ. She was the pilot flying at the time of the accident.

Both pilots were in compliance with company rest guidelines, with the captain having flown just three-and-a-half hours in the preceding 30 days and the first officer having flown 56.3 hours in the same period.

Ryan Ewing

Allegiant Exits Five Airports

These market exits come just weeks after the ultra-low-cost airline announced plans to close its Los Angeles base after 16 years.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 10:27 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Allegiant A319 in Pittsburgh. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Allegiant will halt flights to five airports. The ultra-low-cost carrier already suspended service to these markets, where flights are no longer for sale.

According to Ishrion Aviation, the airports include Baltimore; San Antonio and El Paso, Texas; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Gulfport, Mississippi.

Baltimore

The airline first began serving Baltimore in 2016, and its last flight to the city was in December 2024, per Cirium Diio schedule data.

During its eight years at the airport, Allegiant served a handful of destinations, including Asheville, North Carolina; Cincinnati; Lexington, Kentucky; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In late 2021, the carrier began serving Washington Dulles International Airport. It also serves Hagerstown, Maryland.

El Paso

Allegiant started serving El Paso in 2016 with just a handful of routes. The airline connected the West Texas city with Orlando Sanford in Florida; Las Vegas; and Oakland and San Diego, California.

Its last regularly scheduled service to the airport was in January.

An Allegiant 737 MAX at Boeing Field (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)

Grand Junction

The airline had served Grand Junction for over 13 years with flights to Phoenix/Mesa, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana, California.

Allegiant’s last two flights to the Colorado city were scheduled in January.

Gulfport

The carrier briefly served Gulfport from 2017 to 2024 with its last flight in August of last year.

Year-round service was offered to Orlando Sanford. In April 2020, Allegiant also scheduled a handful of flights from Gulfport to Nashville, Tennessee.

San Antonio

Finally, Allegiant does not plan to return to Texas’ second-largest city. The carrier began regular service to San Antonio in 2015.

Flights were offered to Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Las Vegas; and Orlando/Sanford. Allegiant’s last scheduled flight to San Antonio was in August.

An airline spokesperson could not be reached for comment on the network shake-up. These market exits come just weeks after the airline announced plans to close its Los Angeles base after 16 years.

Ryan Ewing

Airlines Lose Jobs Amid Bleak Spending Report

Airlines are reportedly feeling the brunt of recent economic dips, and recent jobs have been lost amid financial uncertainty.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 12:00 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Aircraft movements at New York LaGuardia Airport. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Airlines are reportedly feeling the brunt of recent economic dips, and over 5,000 jobs have been lost amid financial uncertainty.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, Bank of America said customer spending on airlines fell by 7.1% in the week ending March 8.

The drop coincided with recent comments from airline leaders at the J.P. Morgan 2025 Industrials Conference. Notably, CEOs at both United and Delta talked about future capacity cuts.

Several carriers have cut their financial outlooks for the beginning of 2025 due to poor weather, recent aircraft accidents, and less consumer spending affecting revenue.

That reduction in spending also coincides with a drop in the number of airline jobs this quarter.

According to a Tuesday report by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, passenger airlines lost 411 employees in January 2025. Combined with cargo airlines, the U.S. airline industry as a whole lost 5,188 workers for the month.

1,159 total jobs were lost during the same period last year.

Despite United recently losing 50% of its government travel, the carrier still led scheduled passenger carriers by adding 791 employees in January. It was followed by Southwest with 194 and Envoy Air with 98 new workers.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.

Caravan Overweight Before Deadly Crash

The Bering Air flight that crashed last month in remote Alaska was more than 1,000 pounds overweight for the conditions, investigators said Wednesday.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 05:13 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Bering Air accident site (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The Bering Air flight that crashed last month in remote Alaska was more than 1,000 pounds overweight for the conditions, investigators said Wednesday. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary findings into the Feb. 6 crash.

According to the report, the flight departed Unalakleet Airport at 2:37 p.m. local time, bound for Nome Airport. As the aircraft neared Nome, air traffic control informed the single pilot that the runway was temporarily closed for deicing, with an expected 10-to-15-minute delay. The controller suggested the pilot could slow down to avoid arriving before the runway reopened.

Data shows the plane’s airspeed began decreasing around this time, dropping from about 160 knots to 110 knots. The aircraft leveled off at 6,000 feet before being cleared to descend to 4,000 feet.

Minutes later, with the Cessna Caravan’s airspeed at 99 knots, the autopilot disengaged. Over the next 19 seconds, the plane’s airspeed fell to about 70 knots and its altitude dropped to 3,100 feet as it turned from a westerly to a southerly heading.

The final recorded data point showed the aircraft at just 200 feet above sea level, about 32 miles east of Nome and 12 miles offshore over Norton Sound. Attempts by air traffic control to contact the pilot after this were unsuccessful.

Overweight Aircraft

The NTSB’s preliminary calculations indicate the aircraft was significantly overweight at takeoff. The estimated gross weight of 9,865 pounds exceeded the maximum takeoff weight for known icing conditions by about 1,058 pounds. It also surpassed the absolute maximum takeoff weight by approximately 803 pounds.

Weather conditions at the time included light snow, broken cloud ceilings between 2,500-3,500 feet, and well-below-freezing temperatures. An airmen’s meteorological information advisory had been issued earlier, forecasting occasional moderate icing between 2,000 and 8,000 feet.

The wreckage was located on a large, moving ice pack in Norton Sound. Investigators observed minor ice accumulation on some of the aircraft’s leading edges and more significant icing on the vertical stabilizer’s beacon light base.

Nine passengers and the pilot were killed as a result of the accident. The NTSB’s investigation is ongoing.

Ryan Ewing

FAA Deploys Runway Safety Devices at U.S. Airports

The deployment of the Runway Incursion Device at airports marks the third and final fast-tracked initiative from 2023’s Safety Call to Action.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 04:07 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Air traffic control tower in St. Louis. (Photo: Shutterstock | ArtByArthur)

The Federal Aviation Administration is rolling out runway safety technology upgrades at 74 air traffic control towers in the U.S.

According to an FAA news release published Wednesday, The Runway Incursion Device (RID) is the last of three fast-tracked initiatives launched from the February 2023 Safety Call to Action aimed at improving runway safety and reducing incursions.

The RID assists air traffic controllers by indicating when a runway is occupied or closed, and can identify up to eight runways. The memory aid replaces a variety of devices at control towers and is now designated by the FAA as “a standard technology.”

“The Runway Incursion Device is another vital tool to keep the flying public safe,” said Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, in the release. “These initiatives will continue to address the needs of our controllers by cutting through the red tape and bringing the most up-to-date technologies to their fingertips.”

According to the release, the RID is operational in four locations: Centennial Airport in Colorado, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Missouri, and Portland International Airport in Oregon.

The FAA aims to deploy the device at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, and Boise Airport in Idaho in the next month. It will also be deployed at 69 other airports throughout the country by the end of 2026.

An American Airlines jet landing on runway 18R with the Austin skyline in the background. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Mateen Kontoravdis)

Finalizing Safety Upgrades

The RID joins the Surface Awareness Initiative system (SAI) and the Approach Runway Verification system (ARV) as the final of three situational awareness solutions commissioned by the FAA.

The FAA release stated that SAI is operational at 18 airports, and there are plans to install it at 32 more by the end of 2025. ARV is in 85 control towers and will continue to be implemented at other airport facilities.

SAI uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data to show surface traffic to controllers at airports without a surface surveillance tool. ARV gives controllers visual and sound alerts if an approaching aircraft is positioned to land on the wrong airport surface.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Japan Airlines Adds More 737 MAXs

Japan Airlines will introduce 17 Boeing 737 MAX 8s to its fleet in anticipation of strong domestic travel demand, the company said.

Pete Ainsley

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 03:58 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Japan Airlines 737 MAX 8 (Photo: JAL Group)

Japan Airlines will introduce 17 Boeing 737 MAX 8s to its fleet in anticipation of strong domestic travel demand. It comes after a recent order of 77 aircraft from its rival, All Nippon Airways. The airline group says it is looking forward to welcoming a total of approximately 90 aircraft in the coming years.

In 2023, Japan Airlines also acquired 21 737 MAX jets to replace the single-aisle Boeing 737-800s mainly operating on domestic routes. A total number of 38 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s are expected to be delivered by 2026.

Earlier, the airline confirmed an order of 11 Airbus A321neos to replace Boeing 767s operating to and from Tokyo Haneda Airport. The new aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2028.

Significant Growth in International Travel

On the other hand, the group is optimistic about international travel, expecting the fiscal year of 2030 will expand by approximately 1.5 times compared to 2023. The frequencies between Japan to the rest of Asia and North America will be increased.

In response to the demand surge, ZIRAIR, the group’s low-cost carrier, will spread its wings by introducing 10 Boeing 787-9s reassigned from JAL by the early 2030s. Last year, Boeing praised Japan Airlines for being a global Dreamliners ambassador after confirming an order of 10 Boeing 787-9s. The low-cost carrier currently operates international routes with eight Boeing 787-8s.

Pete Ainsley

Transportation Head Spoke With Southwest Pilots After Near-Miss

He added that the Flexjet crew had a “decent amount of experience,” but a process to review their certificates is underway by the FAA.

Ryan Ewing

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 01:38 PM ET

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. (Photo: Department of Transportation)

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said he spoke with the pilots of Southwest flight 2504 following last month’s high-profile incursion in Chicago. The crew initiated a go-around when a Flexjet aircraft improperly crossed the same runway.

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report regarding the incident on Tuesday.

“Had that Southwest jetliner touched down, it would have stayed down, and you would’ve had a collision,” Duffy said during a Wednesday “Fox & Friends” interview. “Again a really close call. … [W]e need pilots to pay attention to what air traffic controllers are telling them.”

He added that the Flexjet crew had a “decent amount of experience,” but a process to review their certificates is underway by the Federal Aviation Administration.

In the NTSB’s report, the Flexjet crew noted sun glare that hindered visibility as they turned left onto runway 4L/22R. The crew did not recall seeing any hold short line/pavement markings or any other signs for the runway 31L intersection as they taxied onto 04L/22R.

The cockpit voice recorders on both aircraft were overwritten.

Praising Southwest Crew

Duffy gave kudos to the Southwest crew during Wednesday’s interview, saying neither pilot wanted to be publicly named.

“I talked to the Southwest pilots after this incident … great people,” he added. The crew told Duffy that they were just “doing their jobs.”

“I appreciate the expertise and excellence of those pilots and their willingness to say … ‘I’m not going to take credit for just doing my job and keeping my passengers safe,’” Duffy continued.

At the time of the incident, the Southwest captain was the pilot flying and the first officer was monitoring, according to the NTSB. Parties to the agency’s investigation include the FAA, Southwest, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, Boeing, and Flexjet.

Both Duffy and President Donald Trump have recently stated that pilots should lose their licenses if they are at fault for incidents and accidents.

Ryan Ewing