DHL 737 Crashes Near Lithuania Airport

A DHL cargo plane crashed as it was trying to land Monday morning at the Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 04:48 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A DHL 737-400 aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock | Adomas Daunoravicius)

One crew member is dead and three others hospitalized after a DHL 737-400 freighter crashed on approach to the Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania.

The cargo flight was operated by Madrid-based carrier Swiftair on behalf of DHL. It had taken off from Leipzig, Germany, and was scheduled to land in Vilnius.

The Boeing 737 crashed around 4:30 a.m. central European time (CET) on Monday as it tried to land at the airport, exploding into a fireball after it plowed into the courtyard of a house, according to Lithuanian officials.

Thirteen residents were evacuated from a building near the crash site without injuries, authorities said.

German logistics company DHL said the cargo aircraft was making an “emergency landing” in Vilnius.“We can confirm that today, at approximately 4:30 am CET, a Swiftair aircraft, operated by a service partner on behalf of DHL, performed an emergency landing about half a mile from VNO Airport while en route from Leipzig, Germany to VNO Airport,” DHL said in a statement to CBS.

Lithuanian counter-intelligence chief Darius Jauniskis told reporters during a news conference Monday that officials are investigating the cause of the crash and have not ruled out sabotage, CBS and others reported.

“We cannot reject the possibility of terrorism. We have warned that such things are possible, we see an increasingly aggressive Russia … but at the moment we can’t make attributions or point fingers, because we don’t have such information,” Jauniskis said.

Early Monday morning, a cargo plane crashed into a residential building near Vilnius Airport in Liepkalnis, according to preliminary data. As a representative of the Fire Protection and Rescue Department (PAGD) told LRT RADIO, at least one person was killed and one was injured. pic.twitter.com/7enowhI2n6

— Aviation_VNO (@Aviation_VNO) November 25, 2024

Western security officials have said that incendiary devices that ignited on planes in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Editor’s Note: This story first appeared on FreightWaves.

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.

Charlotte Airport Service Workers Host ‘Strikesgiving’

Service workers at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport began a strike Monday morning demanding increased wages amid the busy holiday travel season.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 03:57 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An American 737-800 aircraft in Charlotte (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Service workers at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport began a strike Monday morning demanding increased wages amid the busy holiday travel season.

According to an emailed news release from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the strike includes cabin cleaners, wheelchair agents, and trash truck drivers employed by American Airlines contractors ABM Industries and Prospect Airport Services.

The release stated that these workers are paid so little that they struggle to secure basic housing, with some going homeless, sleeping in their cars, or cramming their families into rented rooms.

“I love talking to the passengers I help get home for the holidays, but it’s hard when my only affordable option for a home is a storage unit,” said Timothy Lowe II, a Prospect wheelchair agent, in the release. “ I am one of the workers that is the heart and soul of travel by getting people who need wheelchair service to their destination, but I need to be paid enough to afford an apartment and not have to rely on tips from passengers with disabilities.”

The release stated that Prospect threatened to fire wheelchair agents if they went on strike. SEIU Workers walked off the job starting at 5 a.m. Monday joined by Workers United and the Union of Southern Service Workers.

Additionally, those participating in the strike hosted a “Strikesgiving” at 1 p.m. in place of a Thanksgiving meal that the release says many of the workers won’t be able to afford later this week. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is expecting a record-breaking one million passengers in the coming weeks and is American’s second-largest hub.

According to the release, most of these workers earn between $12.50 and $19 an hour, while the living wage for a single person with no children in the Charlotte-Metro area is $23.26 an hour.

An American spokesperson told AirlineGeeks in an emailed statement that despite the strikes, both vendors were staffed to support its operation Monday morning. The carrier expected this to continue throughout the day.

“American is ready to take care of our customers this Thanksgiving holiday,” the spokesperson said. “There is no current impact to our customers or operation at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) as a result of ABM or Prospect staffing, and we don’t expect any significant disruption this week. We remain in close coordination with ABM and Prospect as they proactively work to mitigate any potential impact.”

AirlineGeeks reached out to ABM and Prospect Airport Services for comment.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Emirates Receives First New Aircraft Type Since 2008

The long-awaited new aircraft type in Emirates' fleet is finally on the way to Dubai. Its first Airbus A350-900 is scheduled to enter service in January 2024.

Filip Kopeć

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 03:29 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Emirates A350 aircraft (Photo: Airbus)

Emirates announced a new milestone on Monday with the delivery of its first Airbus A350 aircraft.

Completely New Aircraft Type

The unit registered as A6-EXA is marking a new era for the airline’s fleet. This delivery is the first of 65 A350 aircraft slated to join Emirates over the next several years and represents the first new aircraft type to enter the airline’s fleet since 2008.

The handover ceremony took place in Toulouse, France, with the A350 scheduled for a ferry flight to Dubai at 4 p.m. local time.

Emirates’ first Airbus A350-900 delivery flight from Toulouse to Dubai. (Photo: flightradar24.com)

Soon in Commercial Service

Once it lands in Dubai, the aircraft will undergo final preparations at Emirates Engineering before its official unveiling at a special event later this week.

The new aircraft type was scheduled to enter service in 2024, with later timeline adjustments pushing that deadline into 2025.

After months of delays, the Airbus A350 will officially begin commercial operations in January, debuting with a flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. It will then expand its reach to eight additional destinations across the Middle East, West Asia, and Europe.

Filip Kopeć

A passionate aviation enthusiast that started off his career as an aerospace engineer, but found his true calling on the commercial side of the airline business. Now as a finance guy among avgeeks and an avgeek among finance guys, he has experience working in the Revenue Divisions of three airlines. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, but admittedly sometimes is more about the journey than the destination.

Injuries Reported After American Flight Hits Severe Turbulence

One passenger has been taken to the hospital after a four-and-a-half hour American Airlines flight ultimately turned around due to severe turbulence.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 01:37 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An American Boeing 777-200 in Dallas/Fort Worth. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

One passenger has been taken to the hospital after a four-and-a-half-hour American Airlines flight ultimately turned around due to severe turbulence.

A Boeing 777-200 operating flight 930 departed from Sao Paulo to Miami on Saturday when around two hours into the flight the aircraft U-turned. It landed back in Sao Paulo roughly two more hours later, according to data from FlightRadar24.

American 777 returns to Sao Paulo following severe turbulence. (Photo: Flightradar24)

Business Insider reported that the flight holding 12 crew members and 221 passengers landed safely in Sao Paulo after encountering severe turbulence. One passenger was reportedly taken to a hospital in Brazil.

“We thank our crew members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding,” an airline spokesperson told Business Insider.

The Aviation Herald reported the passenger taken to the hospital had a leg fracture, while several other passengers were assessed for minor injuries.

In May, one person was killed aboard a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore during severe turbulence. Turbulence resulting in the deaths of passengers has historically been rare.

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Delta Plans Two Regional Routes

Delta is bolstering its regional network next year, adding two more routes from New York's LaGuardia Airport, one of which is new.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 10:21 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Delta Connection CRJ-900 aircraft. (Photo: Shutterstock | Wenjie Zheng)

Delta is bolstering its regional network next year, adding two more routes from New York-LaGuardia. In recent months, the carrier has been working to restore its regional capacity to pre-pandemic levels.

In 2025, the airline will resume flights between New York and Lexington, Kentucky. The market was last served with regular Delta flights in March 2020.

LaGuardia to Lexington flights are slated to begin on May 7, 2025, operating daily with a 76-seat CRJ-900. Delta’s regional subsidiary Endeavor Air will serve the route.

An Endeavor Air CRJ-900 painted in the Delta Connection livery.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

New Service

In addition, the Atlanta-based airline will add a new route between LaGuardia and Huntsville, Alabama. Flights are set to begin on April 14.

According to Cirium Diio schedule data, the new route will operate on a daily basis. Similar to the Lexington service, the airline will use an Endeavor Air CRJ-900.

Delta hopes to have its regional fleet operating at full utilization by Summer 2025, company leadership said during a recent earnings call. The carrier has recently planned new and resuming regional routes across its network.

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.

EVA Air Plans New U.S. Service

EVA will begin flying from Taipei to Dallas/Fort Worth in November 2025, which is also its second destination in the state of Texas.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 09:12 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An EVA Air 777-300ER in Los Angeles (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Taiwan’s EVA Air is slated to add a new U.S. destination to its route map next year. Currently, the airline serves six markets in the country, including San Francisco, Chicago O’Hare, Houston, New York-JFK, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

According to the Central News Agency, EVA will begin flying from Taipei to Dallas/Fort Worth in November 2025, which is also its second destination in the state of Texas. Flights will operate five times per week beginning on Nov. 3.

The airline’s president, Sun Chia-Ming. noted rapid passenger growth at the North Texas airport and a shift in tech companies from California.

As noted by Ishrion Aviation, EVA Air will become Dallas/Fort Worth’s 10th new airline in just five years. While being American’s largest hub, the airport has seen an increase in long-haul routes from other carriers, including Fiji Airways and Cathay Pacific.

By the end of 2024, EVA plans to have 84 aircraft in its fleet. The carrier is also set to take delivery of six new Boeing 787 aircraft during the first quarter of 2025.

Ryan Ewing

British Airways Flip-Flops on Flights to Bahrain

Bahraini flag carrier, Gulf Air, also operates the London Heathrow route 28 times weekly with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Sam Jakobi

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 09:09 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (Photo: AirlineGeeks | James Dinsdale)

The U.K.’s flag carrier British Airways has decided to not cancel flights to Bahrain, despite announcing that it would do so earlier this year.

In a statement to Aviation Week, a spokesperson from the airline said: “Following discussions with our partners and stakeholders, we can confirm we will operate a service between London Heathrow and Bahrain International Airport three times a week from the start of the Summer 2025 season. This will increase to a daily service from the start of the Winter 2025 season.”

The move comes after the airline received international backlash for cutting the twice-daily flight. According to Bahrain Airport, British Airways is the longest-serving airline in the Bahraini capital, having flown there for 92 years.

Bahraini flag carrier, Gulf Air, operates the route 28 times weekly.

Both airlines operate the route using the Boeing 787-9 aircraft, however, British Airways has been suffering in particular with its Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines. As a result, the carrier has halted several routes.

The route has also been affected by conflicts in the Middle East, leading to the flight having to deviate north over Iraq rather than straying into Syrian, Lebanese, or Israeli airspace. British Airways has confirmed that its route from London to Kuwait City is still being cancelled.

Sam Jakobi

Sam Jakobi is a young aviation journalist based in London, U.K. A lifelong Airbus fan, he has adored aviation for as long as he can remember. Sam writes articles and conducts interviews with members of the aviation community.

Etihad Adds Fifth U.S. Destination

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier announced 10 new routes on Monday as part of its "rapid expansion program," which are set to begin next year.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, November 25, 2024 at 08:44 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Etihad Airways' new A350-1000 aircraft. (Photo: Etihad Airways)

Etihad is set to serve its fifth U.S. destination next year. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier recently announced 10 new routes as part of its “rapid expansion program.”

One of the new destinations will be Atlanta, which will begin in July 2025. Currently, the airline serves four U.S. markets: Boston, Chicago, New York-JFK, and Washington Dulles.

Flights between Abu Dhabi and Atlanta will operate four times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The new route will be flown by Etihad’s Airbus A350-1000 aircraft starting on July 2, 2025.

The carrier’s A350s can accommodate up to 371 passengers, including 44 business class seats. Previously, Etihad has served other U.S. markets, including Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, the latter of which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Other New Routes

In addition to Atlanta, Etihad will begin serving Algiers, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Krabi, Phnom Penh, Taipei, and Tunis next year. The airline says this is the first time it has announced 10 new routes in a single day.

“This expansion reflects our commitment to listening to our valued guests. We’ve carefully chosen cities that embody the experiences, adventures, and opportunities that matter to them,” said Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad’s chief executive officer, in a news release. “Whether seeking inspiring landscapes, vibrant cultural experiences, reuniting with family and friends, pursuing business growth, or educational journeys, our new routes will help make their travel dreams a reality.”

Ryan Ewing

American Adds New Longest Regional Route

American is set to operate its longest scheduled regional service next year, which is also a new addition to the carrier’s route network.

Ryan Ewing

Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 09:57 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

An Envoy Air Embraer E175. (Photo: Envoy Air)

American is set to operate its longest regularly scheduled regional route next year, which is also new to the carrier’s network.

Starting in February 2025, the airline will add flights between its Phoenix hub and Appleton, Wisconsin. According to Cirium Diio schedule data, the service will operate approximately once per week on an Embraer E175 aircraft.

Flights are scheduled to begin on February 15 and continue through May 3. American’s regional subsidiary Envoy Air will operate the route.

American adds new service from Phoenix to Appleton. (Photo: Cirium Diio)

At 1,463 miles, the Phoenix-Appleton route becomes the airline’s longest regional flight. It is just slightly shorter than the current titleholder, Dallas/Fort Worth-Santa Rosa, California, which switches to mainline jets in 2025.

American also serves Appleton from Chicago O’Hare, Charlotte, and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The average block time on the new route is just over four hours on the westbound leg, while eastbound flights are planned around three hours.

American has flown longer routes with regional aircraft in the past, including Miami to Minneapolis at just over 1,500 miles along with Martinique. Both are now operated by mainline aircraft.

Other New Regional Routes

In addition, American is adding two regional routes from its Chicago O’Hare hub starting in June 2025. These include Bismarck, North Dakota, and Boise, Idaho, both of which will be operated daily by Embraer E175 jets.

When Phoenix-Appleton ends in May, the Chicago-Boise service will become the carrier’s longest scheduled regional route at 1,437 miles.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 at 5:41 p.m. ET to clarify other longer routes operated by American’s regional fleet in the past.

Ryan Ewing

Passenger and Cargo Traffic Boost Cathay Pacific in October

October brought strong traffic growth for Cathay Pacific, with increased demand for both passenger operations and cargo.

Tolga Karadeniz

Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 07:32 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Cathay Pacific 777 at the gate in Los Angeles. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Cathay Pacific Airways reported significant growth in passenger and cargo traffic for October 2024.

The airline carried 2,014,105 passengers during the month, marking a 19.6% increase compared to October 2023. Revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 19.1% year-over-year, although the load factor went down to 83.1% due to a 21.3% rise in available seat kilometers (ASKs) as the airline expanded its network.

From January through October 2024, Cathay Pacific transported 18,567,818 passengers, a 27.4% jump from the same period last year. Both RPKs and ASKs also saw sharp increases, up 26.8% and 32.7%, respectively.

“October was another good month for our travel business, with strong demand for both leisure and business travel resulting in a solid load factor of 83% across our network,” said Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer, in a news release. “We saw considerable leisure traffic from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to destinations in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and Europe over the National Day ‘Golden Week’ holiday at the beginning of the month.”

She added that the Chung Yeung Festival long weekend also boosted short-haul travel demand from Hong Kong, with Japan emerging as the most popular destination.

Cathay Pacific launched a new non-stop passenger service between Hong Kong and Riyadh in October, which Lau described as “well-received by customers.”

Cargo Performance Surges

The airline’s cargo operations also delivered strong results, with the airline carrying 142,323 tons of freight in October, a 14.3% increase compared to the previous year. Cargo revenue tonne kilometers (RFTKs) climbed 9.8%, while the cargo load factor rose to 61.5%.

“The traditional cargo peak season continued in October, with tonnage 7% higher than the previous month and 14% above October last year,” Lau added. “Our cargo business performed well, driven by demand from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and the Americas.”

Looking ahead, Cathay Pacific anticipates robust demand for the holiday travel season, with Japan expected to remain a top destination for Hong Kong travelers. The airline also projects strong inbound traffic from North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe.

Tolga Karadeniz

Tolga is a dedicated aviation enthusiast with years of experience in the industry. From an early age, his fascination with aviation went beyond a mere passion for travel, evolving into a deliberate exploration of the complex mechanics and engineering behind aircraft. As a writer, he aims to share insights , providing readers with a view into the complex inner workings of the aviation industry.