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Aviation

Aviation
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on aviation, with a particular focus on the industry in Hong Kong, mainland China and Asia.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
The burnt-out Japan Airlines plane at Haneda airport in Tokyo on January 3. Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Japan

Coastguard plane in Japan airport crash mistook taxi order for runway clearance

Japan Transport Safety Board releases recordings from the aircraft that collided with a JAL jetliner at Haneda airport in January.

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United States

American Airlines resumes US flights after Christmas Eve technical issue

Music

Sonic boom as airports focus on music to lighten travellers’ moods

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Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong airport told to step up train safety after girl’s platform gap fall

A girl aged about five or six years stepped into the gap at a platform while boarding a driverless train last year.

A screengrab of footage showing the girl stepping into the gap between the train and the platform. Photo: Handout
Australia

Australia approves extradition of ex-US Marine accused of training Chinese aviators

Daniel Duggan faces charges of breaking US arms law, but his lawyers say there’s no evidence he trained Chinese military.

Hong Kong economy

Long-haul flights to cost Hongkongers more this Christmas, travel firms say

Economy-class fares to cities such as London, New York, Sydney and Vancouver will cost more compared with last year, travel agents say.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Small plane crashes in Brazil tourist city, killing at least 10

Plane was piloted by Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, a Brazilian businessman who was travelling with his family.

Firefighters and other rescue teams at the scene of the plane crash. Photo: : Mateus Bruxel, Agência RBS via AFP
Malaysia

Malaysia agrees to resume search for missing flight MH370

Malaysia’s cabinet has agreed in principle to an offer from Ocean Infinity to a ‘no find, no fee’ search deal, the transport minister says.

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United States

US bans drone flights over parts of New Jersey, New York after mystery sightings

A frenzy of concern about drones is prompting people to point lasers at planes flying overhead, which is illegal and can be dangerous.

China

China’s Dalian to host largest artificial-island airport, surpassing Hong Kong

Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport will cover an island that dwarfs the ones occupied by Hong Kong and Kansai airports.

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The Dalian Jinzhouwan International Airport construction site in late October. Photo: Xinhua
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 2 men over thefts on planes arriving from Vietnam

Incidents took place over one week, with suspects believed to have targeted cash in passengers’ carry-on bag.

Hong Kong recorded 169 cases of in-flight thefts involving HK$4.32 million worth of valuables in the first 10 months of 2024. Photo: Yik Yeung-man
Boeing

Trump unlikely to get new Air Force One in his presidency given Boeing delays

The project to build two new jets is so late that Boeing has told the US Air Force it expects to deliver the planes in 2029 or later.

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Cathay Pacific

Exclusive | Hong Kong’s Cathay reaches 3,400 pilots this year, with resignation rate of 2.9%

Company is ‘in a phase of record training’, spokesman says.

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Hong Kong transport

Global airline body expects airfares to fall in 2025, with profits set to soar

Airlines are expected to deliver a global profit of US$36.6 billion next year, International Air Transport Association says.

The average airfare next year is expected to by 1.8 per cent lower than in 2024, IATA says. Photo: Elson Li
Science

China’s hypersonic jumbo jet prototype hits Mach 6 in Gobi Desert test flight

Chinese institute reveals test footage of aircraft that could help turn dream of ‘one-hour global travel’ into reality.

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Video footage released this week shows the prototype’s 2021 test flight, which had been kept under wraps for years because of the sensitivity of the project. Photo: Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Britain

Some airline crews avoid checking in bags as luggage woes hit London’s Heathrow

British Airways told pilots and cabin crew not to check luggage due to the fault at Terminal 5, an aviation news site reported.

Singapore

Singapore Airlines joins fight to combat severe turbulence amid climate concerns

The initiative, which includes more than 25 airlines, uses anonymised data to help pilots avoid turbulence and navigate smoother flight paths.

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Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong has fully restored global aviation hub status, IATA chief says

Willie Walsh argues some foreign airlines failed to return to full capacity due to supply chain and airspace issues rather than geopolitics.

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The Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Nora Tam
Japan

Visit Tokyo ‘baggage-free’ with Japan Airlines’ new hotel luggage delivery service

The hotel delivery service aims to ease congestion on public transport and address the shortage of storage lockers, making travel smoother for visitors.

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India

Air India’s order of 100 Airbus planes set to boost alliance with SIA: analysts

The order comes as India is expected to become among the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, according to a top IATA official.

China airliners

With China’s C919 flying high, local governments scramble to cash in

Regions are racing to sign deals with suppliers for the new aircraft, with hundreds of planes set to be built over the next few years.

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The C919 is China’s first home-grown narrowbody passanger jet. Photo: CAAC
Hong Kong transport

Dubai’s Emirates to step up recruitment in Hong Kong amid global hunt for pilots

Airline already held two recruitment roadshows in Hong Kong this year and is offering tax-free monthly salaries of US$6,800 to US$12,250.

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The recruitment drive by Emirates follows the recovery of the global aviation sector from the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Roy Issa
Singapore

Australian man charged for threatening to crash plane at Changi Airport

A man will be charged with two counts of using threatening words after he allegedly threatened to crash an aircraft while boarding a flight.

Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong’s Cathay ‘confident’ of hitting full capacity but union has doubts

Hong Kong’s flag carrier says it has ‘robust plans in place’ to recruit pilots to support rebuilding plan.

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Thailand

Swiss Air crew investigated for filming passengers’ ‘intimate acts’ on flight

A flight crew member recorded a video of the incident involving two passengers from a screen in the cockpit.

The airline said disciplinary action against the crew members was being considered. Photo: Shutterstock
Business of climate change

Hong Kong’s status as aviation, maritime hub faces green fuel challenge

Hong Kong has to act fast if it wants to become a green fuel hub for the aviation and maritime sectors, as both Singapore and China are way ahead, analysts say.

Illustration by Henry Wong
Low-altitude economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can help ‘Bay Area in the Sky’ take flight

As gateway cities to the world, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have an opportunity to carve out a leadership role in the global low-altitude economy.

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Boeing

US judge rejects Boeing plea deal in conspiracy case related to fatal crashes

US judge sided with family members of people killed during 2018 and 2019 crashes, who urged him to reject ‘cosy deal’.

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