The incident occurred on the evening of May 6, 2024, when Flight DL 604 had just arrived from Cancun International Airport (CUN) and the aircraft had reached the gate. 

When the terminal精东影业 electrical network was plugged into the aircraft, it generated sparks and eventually burst into flames. 

Surveillance video of the incident has been posted on social media, including X (formerly Twitter). 

The footage captured the moment sparks began to fly from under the cockpit after the aircraft was plugged into the ground electrical network. This then turned into a fireball.

A spokesperson for Seattle Tacoma Airport told The New York Post that the pilots became aware of smoke soon after landing, and immediately instructed the crew to deploy the emergency slides.

The surveillance video also captured the moment slides were deployed and passengers evacuated. Some passengers also used the middle emergency exit window and walked onto the aircraft wing to reach the inflated chute.

Only two-thirds of the 189 passengers exited via the slides, as the rest had already deplaned through the passenger loading bridge.

鈥淥ut of an abundance of caution, slides were deployed and passengers still on board deplaned via the rear of the aircraft. Passengers were fully evacuated, and those deplaned to the ramp returned to the terminal via the ramp stairs,鈥� Delta told The NY Post, adding that the aircraft had since been removed from service for inspection and maintenance. 

Fire officials also responded to the incident, although the fire had gone out on its own. 

No injuries were reported and no passenger needed any medical attention.聽 All 189 passengers and six crew members were safe.

Huge fire at Luton Airport rips through 1,200 vehicle terminal car park: video

• Airport

byIan Molyneaux

2023-10-11

The seasonal flights began on April 2, 2024, and will operate until October 26, 2024. 

The flights will be operated using the airline精东影业 fleet of A321neo aircraft. The route is currently being flown twice weekly, every Tuesday and Saturday, but will also include Thursday flights starting June 25, 2024.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to welcome our seasonal services back to Cairns and look forward to welcoming even more Aussies onboard over the next few months,鈥� Air New Zealand精东影业 General Manager of Australia, Kathryn O鈥橞rien was quoted to have said by Australian media. 

鈥淲hether you鈥檙e an adventure seeker, looking for a family getaway or a solo traveler, New Zealand has something for everyone, including stunning snow-capped mountains and pristine beaches,鈥� O鈥橞rien continued.

In 2023 1.26 million Australians traveled to New Zealand, making it the second most visited country by Australians. The first destination was Indonesia, which welcomed 1.27 million.

Passengers claim Air New Zealand kicked them off flight for being 鈥榯oo big鈥�

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-03-18

Madeira is famous for its strong winds, which can challenge even the most experienced pilots during their final approach. This makes it an ideal location for videographers interested in capturing thrilling footage. At the meteorological station in Madeira Airport, the average wind speed is 22.76 knots (42.1 kilometers per hour).

On March 26, 2024, a TAP Airbus A321neo was carrying out a repositioning flight from Porto Santo Airport (PXO), so as well as managing testing weather conditions the pilots were also contending with a much lighter aircraft than usual due to no passengers being onboard.  

In the one-minute and 33-second clip videoed by Madeira Airport Spotting, the Airbus A321neo initially appears steady on its approach, but a small wobble escalates into something more.听听

Around 40 seconds into the video, the wind picks up, which can clearly be heard on the camera精东影业 microphone, causing the narrowbody jet to begin to sway from side to side.听听

As the A321neo grows more challenging to control against the winds, the aircraft精东影业 nose begins to tip downwards.聽

At the point of almost landing, the aft end of the aircraft rises up, leading to the A321neo landing with its nose first.听听

During a few more concerning seconds, the aircraft bounces from right to left before the pilot eventually brings the situation under control.聽

After the incident became public, some argued that the pilots should have initiated a go-around.

Air Canada B777 suffers hard landing due to strong winds at Toronto Pearson

• Airlines
• Aviation Safety

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-11-17

According to the publication, United Airlines is in the market for 36 or more Airbus A321neo aircraft as it responds to delays of the Boeing 737 MAX 10.听听

Speaking with sources familiar with the matter, was told that the jets are due to be delivered between 2025 and 2027.聽

At a JPMorgan investor conference on March 12, 2024, United CEO Scott Kirby appeared to confirm rumors that the airline was looking to the Airbus A321 as a possible alternative to some of the MAX 10s it has on order.听听聽聽

鈥淲e are in the market for A321s, and if we get a deal where the economics work, we鈥檒l do something. If we don鈥檛, we won鈥檛 and will wind up with more Max 9s,鈥� Kirby said.   

Kirby also said that he had told Boeing to 鈥渟top building Max 10s, which they鈥檝e done for us, and start building Max 9s鈥�. 

Once the MAX 10 receives certification, United will switch back to the larger family aircraft variant.   

The move to acquire A321neos comes as type certification of the MAX 10 looks increasingly unlikely to happen within the next couple of years, with Boeing精东影业 production ambitions hampered by the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout and resulting investigations.聽

United tells Boeing to swap 737 MAX 10 build for MAX 9s; A321 talks confirmed聽

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-03-13

The Airbus A321neo, registered N716NK, was unveiled on February 23, 2024, despite the new aircraft already having flown multiple revenue flights over聽the last few weeks.聽

鈥淥ur 10th A321neo is giving s across the board! A321精东影业 are the largest planes in the @Airbus A320 Family and with the new NEO engine option, we can fly further and quieter while reducing our emissions. Guests can also ride in style thanks to our latest cabin upgrade with enhanced, wider seats and extra comfort,鈥� Spirit Airlines wrote on X.  

According to , in its latest flight on February 24, 2024, the new A321neo flew from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport (FLL) to Santiago de los Caballeros Cibao Airport (STI) in the Dominican Republic.聽

Over the preceding weeks N716NK has聽flown between Los Angeles, Baltimore and New York and on February 25, 2024, the busy new aircraft will travel to no less than four cities.聽

Our 10th A321neo is giving 馃敓s across the board!

A321精东影业 are the largest planes in the A320 Family and with the new NEO engine option, we can fly further and quieter while reducing our emissions. Guests can also ride in style thanks to our latest cabin upgrade with鈥�

— Spirit Airlines (@SpiritAirlines)

The latest arrival continues the expansion of Spirit Airlines鈥� all Airbus fleet which according to now stands at 180 aircraft.聽

On February 21, 2024,聽Spirit Airlines revealed an Airbus A320-271N聽painted in a Super Nintendo World livery.聽 聽

The external design was part of a brand-new collaboration between Spirit Airlines and Universal Studios Hollywood.聽

Spirit Airbus A320 adorned in Super Nintendo livery for Universal Studios collab

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-02-22

The announcement was made on February 22, 2024, as AirAsia welcomed the CEO of Commercial Aircraft business of Airbus, Christian Scherer, to RedQ 鈥� the airline精东影业 corporate headquarters in Malaysia.

During the ceremony, Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A which owns AirAsia, set out his vision for the airline to become the world精东影业 first low-cost network carrier.

Fernandes is looking to expand to new markets in North Asia, Australia and Central Asia from Southeast Asia – and eventually as far as Europe, Africa and the east coast of North America.

鈥淲ith our wide-body Airbus A330 fleet including the introduction of A330neo, we are also looking to expand our medium to long-haul network to the European continent, to cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Africa (Cairo, Nairobi, Cape Town), East Coast North America (New York, Miami, Toronto) via Europe and West Coast North America (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver) via Japan,鈥� Fernades said.

With a focus on the new markets, AirAsia announced that existing orders for 36 Airbus A321neos would be switched to A321LR aircraft.

According to ch-aviation.com, AirAsia currently has an order for 362 Airbus A321neo aircraft, with deliveries set to begin in June 2024.

As well as the A320neo and A321XR, Air Asia is also awaiting delivery of A321XLRs and A330neo aircraft.

AirAsia has not taken delivery of any new planes since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

鈥淲e look forward to expanding our narrow-body fleet with the introduction of the A321XLR and exploring opportunities with the A321LR, which will gradually replace our workhorse A320 predecessor over the coming years from our key hubs including Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila and more,鈥� Fernandes said.

AirAsia精东影业 Thai airlines will not merge with rest of group 鈥� at least not for now聽

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2024-01-15

Announced by AerCap on February 21, 2024, Thai Airways agreed to lease seven widebody aircraft comprising four Airbus A350-900s and three Boeing 787-9s, and 10 Airbus A321NEO aircraft.聽

According to the lessor the agreement was sealed between the two parties for the aircraft in 2023. 

From the new aircraft announced two A350s have already been delivered to Thai Airways, with the other pair set to arrive before the end of second quarter  

The 787 Dreamliners are expected to begin arriving in the second quarter of 2024 through the fourth quarter of 2025, while deliveries of the A321neos are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 through the second quarter 2026. 

“This marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the continuing partnership with AerCap. It’s a testament to the trust and commitment we share, as we emerge from the recent challenging period. The addition of these new generation aircraft enhances our ability to swiftly adapt to the evolving market demands, and not only enhances our operational capacity but also offers exceptional levels of comfort for our passengers,” Chai Eamsiri, the CEO of Thai Airways, said. 

The latest acquisition announcement comes after Thai Airways confirmed on the first day of the Singapore Airshow 2024, that a rumored order for 45 Boeing 787-9 aircraft was going ahead.听听

“AerCap is very pleased to announce this significant transaction with Thai Airways and to support them with both their widebody and narrowbody fleet modernization plan as they emerge from a very challenging period,” Peter Anderson, Chief Commercial Officer of , said. “AerCap’s business relationship with Thai Airways began in the mid-1990s with the lease of Boeing 737-400s and Airbus A330-300s, and we have worked closely together during both the upcycles and downcycles to maintain and strengthen the partnership between our two companies.鈥澛�

聽Thai Airways already operates eight B787s, comprising of six -8s and two of the larger 鈥�9s.听听

Thai Airways orders 45 Boeing 787-9s at Singapore Air Show聽

• Aircraft
• Airlines
• Singapore Airshow

byMiquel Ros

2024-02-20

The new Wizz Air Airbus A321neo flew from Hamburg-Finkenwerder Airport (XFW) to London-Luton Airport (LTN) at the start of February 2024.听听

Wizz Air精东影业 latest Airbus A321neo will be based at the carrier精东影业 hub at LTN in the United Kingdom, a market that the airline is keen to expand in.  

The aircraft精东影业 inaugural flight departed LTN to Bac膬u in Romania, but has since been flying across Europe including Istanbul, Belgrave and Lisbon.  

Valued at over 拢100 million, the aircraft will help deliver passengers to the 59 destinations from London-Luton, including the recently announced routes to Salzburg, Austria and Cairo, Egypt.听听

UK G-WUNC
MSN11715

— Tobi (@Tobias_Gudat)

鈥淭he UK remains a priority market for Wizz Air, and we are excited to welcome a new aircraft to our UK fleet. We only invest in the latest and best technology and our new A321neo will ensure our fleet remains modern and comfortable, while helping to meet our environmental commitments,鈥� Marion Geoffroy, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK, said.   

Geoffroy added: 鈥淲e are seeing increased demand for more flights to destinations across Europe, and the new aircraft will help us deliver even more holidaymakers from London to their favorite European destinations at the best possible price.鈥� 

The new aircraft will take the average age of Wizz Air精东影业 UK fleet from 2.07 years to 1.97 years, making it the youngest in Europe. 

Launched in 2004, Wizz Air has seen extraordinary growth in Europe and currently has more than 300 A321neo aircraft on order.聽

Wizz Air reports $196 million loss in Q3 2023 but growth to continue in 2024

• Airlines
• Aviation Economics & Finance

byLuke Peters

2024-01-26

Flight PC690 departed Istanbul at 21:37 local time on January 27, 2024. Shortly after takeoff, it was reported that a voice shouting, 鈥淗elp me!鈥� could be heard from the cargo hold of the A321neo. 

Fearing that it could be a baggage handler accidentally trapped inside the cargo hold with no heater and low oxygen, the flight crew decided to divert the flight to Antalya Airport (AYT), approximately 460 kilometers from SAW airport.

The flight landed at Antalya safely, and the cargo was immediately searched for the presumably trapped person.

A passenger who was on the flight managed to take video footage of airport crew from Antalya removing bags from the aircraft cargo in search for the person.

However, nobody was found after a thorough search was conducted, and there was no trace that anyone had been in the cargo hold. 

The plane was eventually cleared to take off and it proceeded to fly to Riyadh. It arrived in Riyadh at around 05:30 local time the following day, almost four hours later than scheduled.聽

Covid-inspired innovation: how is cargo stored in a passenger cabin?

• Air Cargo

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2021-10-06

EVA Air was reportedly weighing up aircraft made by both Airbus and Boeing before finally deciding on the A350 and A321neo.聽

News of the deal first came to light in November 2023, after the $10.1 billion deal was confirmed in a filing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. 

鈥淪o excited that #EVAAir has chosen the #A350-1000, our #LongRangeLeader, to modernize its long-haul fleet. Adding to this news, the airline has also announced that it will order the #A321neo for its regional routes,鈥� Airbus wrote on November 7, 2023, in a social media post.听听

So excited that has chosen the -1000, our , to modernise its long-haul fleet. 鉁堬笍
Adding to this news, the airline has also announced that it will order the for its regional routes! 馃檶

— Airbus Newsroom (@AirbusPRESS)

The order with Airbus is a coup for the planemaker with EVA Air精东影业 current long-haul fleet including 32 active Boeing 777-300ERs.   

鈥淲e have selected the Airbus aircraft following a thorough evaluation of the various models in each market segment. In both size categories we have selected the most modern and fuel-efficient types, that offer the highest levels of passenger comfort. The aircraft also bring significant reductions in carbon emissions, which is in line with our company精东影业 sustainability goals,鈥� Clay Sun, President of EVA Air, said. 

Sun added: 鈥淔or long-range operations the A350-1000 sets new standards in its class and will allow us to offer our passengers the best possible in-flight experience.鈥� 

The purchase also includes 15 A321neos, the longest member of Airbus鈥� renowned A320 family aircraft, which will be used for regional operations.   

鈥淭his order marks a new phase in our relationship with EVA Air and we thank the airline for its confidence in Airbus. In the long-range market, it精东影业 another major endorsement for the A350-1000 as the natural replacement for previous generation aircraft in the larger widebody size category,鈥� Beno卯t de Saint-Exup茅ry, Airbus EVP Sales, Commercial Aircraft, said. 鈥淲e also thank EVA for reaffirming its commitment to the latest generation Airbus single aisle family with its first direct purchase of the A321neo and we look forward to working closely with the airline as it prepares for its new Airbus fleet.鈥� 

The A350 is available in two sizes, with the A350-900 typically seating up to 350 passengers in a standard three-class configuration and the larger A350-1000 seating up to 410 passengers.   

The A350 family has won more than 1,000 firm orders from 60 customers worldwide, with more than 570 aircraft currently in the fleets of 39 operators, flying primarily on long-haul routes. 

In March 2023, EVA Air purchased five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.聽 聽聽

Capital A to merge Air Asia X with remaining Air Asia airlines聽聽

• Airlines
• Aviation Economics & Finance

byMiquel Ros

2024-01-08