Aviation

The analysis looked at departure data for six of the biggest airlines – British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air – between May 2024 and April 2025. They show that all of the airlines were less punctual now than before the pandemic in 2019

The worst offending airlines for delays have been revealed amid an industry-wide slipping of standards.

Take-offs within 15 minutes of planned departure times are down significantly pre-Covid compared to now for almost all major airlines flying through UK airspace, according to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data.

There are several factors in play, including a rise in the number of flights taking off, airspace restrictions as a result of military conflicts and issues with air traffic control (ATC) staffing.

Which? studied checked departure data for six of the biggest airlines – British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air – between May 2024 and April 2025. They show that all of the airlines were less punctual now than before the pandemic in 2019.

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Out of the six big UK airlines, Tui was the worst for punctuality according to the analysis, with the lowest average percentage of on-time departures. Back in 2019, an average of 67.2 per cent of Tui’s departures were on time, but by 2024–25, that had slipped to 59.2 per cent.

Second-worst for punctuality for the time period Which? looked at was Wizz Air. Its average on-time rate was already as low as 66.8 per cent back in 2019, and by 2023 it had plummeted to 55.6 per cent. In 2024–25 it now has fewer delays with 66 per cent, almost back to its pre-pandemic level.

It’s a similar story for Ryanair, whose average on-time departures were at 77.8 per cent in 2019 but fell to 63 per cent by 2022, only recovering to 66.5 per cent by 2024–25.

easyJet’s punctuality was 70.6 per cent in 2019 but dropped to 67.8 per cent in 2024–25, while the CAA data also showed a decline in Jet2’s punctuality. In 2019 departures punctuality was 81.8 per cent, and in 2024–25 was 68 per cent.

British Airways’ punctuality was at 71.5 per cent in 2019, and as high as 75.8 per cent the year before. By 2024–25 it had fallen to 68.7 per cent.

Some airlines are blaming air traffic control (ATC) for these delays. In May, Ryanair launched a website called ‘Air Traffic Control Ruined Your Flight’, along with a ‘League of Delays’ claiming to expose the worst ATCs across Europe for delays ‘due to mismanagement and staff shortages from January to May 2025’.

Eurocontrol, which speaks for the European network of air traffic controllers, admitted that in some parts of the network, the number of ATC officers is 10–20 per cent lower than would be needed to manage the demand.

The UK’s own ATC body, NATS (formerly known as National Air Traffic Services), said that it is “fully staffed and operating normally”.

Any other air traffic control delays are only exacerbated by other factors at play. Some parts of the airspace, through which major airlines fly, are closed off for military or geopolitical reasons.

Eurocontrol has said that the crisis in the Middle East has led to traffic becoming unevenly spread – after already losing 20 per cent of airspace following the war in Ukraine. Those complexities add to an already expanding ATC workload. Airport capacity is another issue.

And while delays are worsening, airlines are putting on record numbers of flights. Although Ryanair hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels of punctuality, it scheduled 162,411 flights in 2024, according to CAA data – 24,192 more than in 2019. Wizz Air put on 29,325 flights in 2024, up 3,534 from the 25,791 it flew in 2019.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “easyJet always does all possible to get our customers to their destinations on time and minimise any delays despite flying in some of the most congested airspace in the world.”

A spokesperson for Tui said: “Punctuality is super important to us and has highest priority but there is one topic even more important: to operate each and every flight and to not cancel any flight. That’s what we do at TUI because we have holidaymakers onboard which we want to fly to their destination and also back.

“So, sometimes we have flights delayed by a couple of hours because we need to get a replacement aircraft ready. But for guests the good news is: their flight isn’t cancelled and they can still fly. Other airlines have or use the possibility to cancel flights which then would also not be part of the delay statistics anymore.

“And, one important point: within our overall fleet of 130 airplanes we have about 11 spare airplanes – the highest number we ever had and which helps us to keep a network alive without cancellations.

“So yes we want to be more punctual but we also keep our credo to never cancel, which is the even more important topic for our holiday guests.”

A spokesperson for Wizz Air said: “At Wizz Air, every minute matters, and that’s why we are committed to ensuring our customers reach their destinations as smoothly and as promptly as possible. Some delays are outside of our control, and we do whatever we can to avoid cancellations. Our completion rate (meaning completing the flights we schedule) was one of the best in the entire industry in 2024 at 99.4% – and that has increased to 99.9% for flights from the UK between January and April this year. While we know delays are frustrating and we always try our best to avoid them, we would rather delay than cancel a flight, as we know how important it is for our passengers to reach their destinations.

“Our on-time performance (flights arriving when they are scheduled to) continues to improve. From 2022 to 2024, our on-time performance for flights from the UK improved by more than 20%. We were also named the UK’s second-most punctual airline in Cirium’s 2024 On-Time Performance Review, achieving a 70.54% on-time arrival record. The percentage of delayed flights is also decreasing year-on-year. In particular, longer delays are a rare occurrence, with just 1% of flights from the UK in 2025* delayed for three hours or more.

“The facts speak for themselves, and this progress reflects the effort and investment we have made in improving our service, which is a daily focus for us. But we know there is more work to be done. Punctuality is a key priority of our Customer First Compass – a £12 billion framework to ensure we can deliver the best possible service for our customers. As part of this, we are enhancing the resilience of our operations to minimise cancellations, reduce delays and provide fast solutions in the event of a disruption.”

British Airways and Ryanair did not comment.

Air taxi company Joby Aviation (JOBY 2.27%) announced Friday that it will participate in the White House eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) announced back in June, aiming to “demonstrate eVTOL use cases, such as passenger transportation, cargo delivery, and emergency response, ahead of achieving type certification.”

Joby stock soared 5.7% through 10:10 a.m. ET Friday in response to the news.

Image source: Getty Images.

President Trump loves to fly

The eIPP in question was itself announced by executive order in June, with the White House promising to “create a pilot program testing flying cars, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.” Joby notes that this program “directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that mature eVTOL (electric vertical take off and landing) aircraft can begin operations in select markets ahead of full FAA certification,” which could potentially give the company a revenue boost, and sooner than if full certification were required before operations begin.

Joby argues it has a leading position in this race because it “has the most mature eVTOL aircraft in the sector,” which has flown 600 times in 2025 alone, and it has amassed a total of more than 40,000 miles of flight across its fleet. Moreover, the company is already in stage four (out of five) in the FAA Type Certification process and expects to begin test flights with FAA pilots aboard next year.

Is Joby stock a buy?

Now, don’t get too excited. Even if Joby is in the lead here, this race is a marathon, not a sprint, and profits remain a long way off. Analysts who follow Joby don’t expect it to report its first profit until 2031.

Until Joby turns profitable, the stock remains speculative.

A survey conducted by consumer group Which? placed Manchester’s Terminal 3 at the bottom of the list for the fourth consecutive year, with a customer satisfaction score of just 43%

Travellers have delivered their verdict on the UK’s airports – and Manchester has been branded the worst to fly from.

A survey conducted by consumer group Which? placed Manchester’s Terminal 3 at the bottom of the list for the fourth consecutive year, with a customer satisfaction score of just 43%. The terminal received a dismal one-star rating out of a possible five for measures such as security queues, seating, and the pricing in shops and food outlets.

One frustrated Terminal 3 passenger fumed: “It’s impossible to get a drink or something to eat, but much worse than that – there is nowhere to sit.” Manchester’s other two terminals didn’t fare much better in the survey. Terminal 1, which is set to close later this year, was ranked second-worst.

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Another traveller said: “The cleanliness in Terminal 1 is appalling. Toilets are often overflowing, and there’s rubbish everywhere.”

Terminal 2 at Manchester could only muster fourth from bottom, with a customer satisfaction score of 53%, although there was at least some positive feedback. One traveller commended its “good facilities prior to long-haul flight and helpful staff at baggage check-in”.

At the other end of the scale, Exeter Airport topped the list with an overall customer satisfaction score of 80%.

However, Exeter serves around 500,000 passengers annually, compared to 29 million at Manchester or 84 million at Heathrow.

Close behind, with a score of 78%, was Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which now caters to five million passengers each year. Passengers lauded its swift, efficient process and friendly staff.

You can search for your closest airport and check the ratings using our interactive gadget.

Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport’s managing director, has hit back at the Which? survey and criticism the airport has received. He said: “Through our historic £1.3 billion transformation programme, we have created a world-class and award-winning Terminal 2. We have also announced plans to invest significantly in Terminal 3 – starting this year.

“I am also proud to say customer satisfaction has increased significantly over the past four years. We know how customers feel about their experience because we asked hundreds of them every week about it. Between January and June this year, 91% of 3,045 people surveyed told us their experience was good, very good, or excellent.

“That is how I know this latest outdated and unrepresentative report from Which? bears no resemblance to the experience people receive at Manchester Airport day in, day out.”

A Gatwick spokesperson added: “In the first half of 2025, passengers received great service, as the airport significantly improved its on-time performance, following excellent collaboration with airline partners and National Air Traffic Services.”

A statement from Heathrow read: “Which? has relied on unrepresentatively small sample sizes and recollections to assess an industry that already collects vast amounts of data on a daily basis, all verified and published by an independent regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.”

While London Luton Airport’s spokesperson said: “Whilst we value all feedback, a sample size of just 255 Which? readers is simply not representative of the 16.7 million passengers who travelled with us in 2024.”

London Stansted’s spokesperson said it was “proud to have welcomed a record-breaking 30m passengers to the airport in the last year, driven by the great value and reliable service on offer, and convenient access to over 200 destinations across Europe and beyond.”

The low-altitude economy is on the verge of rocketing higher over the next few decades. Bank of America sees the global adoption of electric vehicle take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to increase by 62% by 2030.

While Joby Aviation is one way to profit from this opportunity, it’s worth noting that Cathie Wood of Ark Invest has placed her bet on Archer Aviation (ACHR 2.93%) for the Ark Innovation ETF, which holds almost 18 million shares. There’s one reason that may explain why Wood is bullish, and it’s also why I hold shares — and that’s a steady flow of positive developments in the past year that position Archer to be a leader in the air taxi market.

The Midnight model eVTOL aircraft. Image source: Archer Aviation.

Why buy Archer Aviation stock

Over the past year, there have been a number of announcements that show the company progressing toward receiving the required certifications and launching commercial operations. This has had a significant impact on the stock price, which has doubled over the past year despite the company not generating significant revenue yet.

Archer has previously announced partnerships with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines to operate air taxi networks across major cities in the U.S. It also has financial backing from Stellantis and other investors as it works toward its goal of manufacturing 50 aircraft per year. In its second-quarter earnings report, Archer reported there were six Midnight aircraft in different production stages, with three in final assembly at its Georgia and Silicon Valley facilities.

In June, Archer, along with the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced an alliance with the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand in streamlining the certification and commercial launch of eVTOL aircraft.

Finally, Archer Aviation was recently named the official air taxi service for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which will be valuable marketing in demonstrating its capabilities. Given these developments, Archer Aviation is a potential breakout growth stock to watch over the next year.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has said Air Canada’s ongoing strike, in which 10,000 cabin crew members have walked off their jobs, is illegal after strikers ignored orders to return to work.

The regulatory board made the call on Monday after it previously declared that workers must return to the job as of 2pm ET (18:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The cabin crew for the Montreal-based carrier had pushed for a negotiated solution, saying binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. Workers have said that the proposed wage hikes are insufficient to keep up with inflation and match the federal minimum wage.

The attendants are also calling to be paid for work performed on the ground, such as helping passengers to board. They are now only paid when planes are moving, sparking some vocal support from Canadians on social media.

A leader of the union on strike against Air Canada said on Monday that he would risk jail time rather than allow cabin crews to be forced back to work.

“If it means folks like me going to jail, then so be it. If it means our union being fined, then so be it. We’re looking for a solution here,” said Mark Hancock, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) national president, at a press conference after a deadline by the board to return to work expired with no union action to end the strike.

Air Canada’s CEO Michael Rousseau told the news agency Reuters that he was “amazed” that the union was not following the law, adding, “At this point in time, the union’s proposals are much higher than the 40 percent [hike we have offered]. And so we need to find a path to bridge that gap,” he said, without suggesting what that process would be. “We’re always open to listen, and have a conversation,” he said.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney voiced his support for the cabin crews, saying that they should be “compensated equitably at all times”.

Pushing for a resolution, Carney said, “We are in a situation where literally hundreds of thousands of Canadians and visitors to our countries are being disrupted by this action.”

The airline normally carries 130,000 people daily during the ongoing peak summer travel season and is part of the global Star Alliance of airlines.

On Monday, Air Canada suspended its third-quarter and annual profit forecasts as its planes remained grounded.

The union said it would continue its strike and invited Air Canada back to the table to “negotiate a fair deal”.

A government nudge

The government’s options to end the strike now include asking courts to enforce the order to return to work and seeking an expedited hearing.

The minority government could also try to pass legislation that would need the support of political rivals and approval in both houses of the Parliament of Canada, which are on break until September 15.

“The government will be very reticent to be too heavy-handed because in Canada, the Supreme Court has ruled that governments have to be very careful when they take away the right to strike, even for public sector-workers who may be deemed essential,” said Dionne Pohler, professor of dispute resolution at Cornell University’s Industrial and Labor Relations School.

Another option is to encourage bargaining, Pohler said.

The government did not respond to requests for comment.

On Saturday, Carney’s Liberal government moved to end the strike by asking the CIRB to order binding arbitration. The CIRB, an independent administrative tribunal that interprets and applies Canada’s labour laws, issued the order, which Air Canada had sought, and unionised flight attendants opposed.

The previous government, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, intervened last year to head off rail and dock strikes that threatened to cripple the economy, but it is highly unusual for a union to defy a CIRB order.

Travellers at Toronto Pearson International Airport over the weekend said they were confused and frustrated about when they would be able to fly.

Italian Francesca Tondini, 50, sitting at the Toronto airport, said she supported the union even though she had no idea when she would be able to return home.

“They are right,” she said with a smile, pointing at the striking attendants.

The dispute between cabin crews and Air Canada hinges on the way airlines compensate flight attendants. Most, including Air Canada, pay them only when planes are in motion.

In their latest contract negotiations, flight attendants in both Canada and the United States have sought compensation for hours worked, including for tasks such as boarding passengers.

New labour agreements at American Airlines and Alaska Airlines legally require carriers to start the clock for paying flight attendants when passengers are boarding.

American flight attendants are now also compensated for some hours between flights. United Airlines’ cabin crews, who voted down a tentative contract deal last month, also want a similar provision.

On the markets, Air Canada’s stock is down 1.6 percent as of 12pm in Toronto (16:00 GMT). US carrier United Airlines – another Star Alliance member, which does not have a striking cabin crew and which serves several major Canadian cities – is up 1.4 percent.

Workers at Canada’s flagship carrier defy back-to-work order as they stage first strike in 40 years.

Air Canada flight attendants have said they will remain on strike despite a government-backed labour board’s order to return to work by 2pm ET (18:00 GMT), which they described as unconstitutional.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees said in a statement on Sunday that members would remain on strike and invited Air Canada back to the table to “negotiate a fair deal”.

Canada’s largest airline now says it will resume flights on Monday evening. The strike was already affecting about 130,000 travellers around the world per day during the peak summer travel season.

The Canadian government on Saturday moved to end a strike by more than 10,000 flight attendants at the country’s largest carrier by asking the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to order binding arbitration.

The Canada Labour Code gives the government the power to ask the CIRB to impose binding arbitration in the interest of protecting the economy. The CIRB issued the order, which Air Canada had sought, and unionised flight attendants opposed it.

It is unusual for a union to defy a CIRB order. It was not immediately clear what options the government has if the union continues its strike.

Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job on Saturday for the first time since 1985, after months of negotiations over a new contract.

Natasha Stea, an Air Canada flight attendant and local union president, told Reuters that other unions joined the flight attendants’ picket line in solidarity in Toronto on Sunday.

“They are in support here today because they are seeing our rights being eroded,” Stea said.

The most contentious issue has been the union’s demand for compensation for time spent on the ground between flights and when helping passengers board. Attendants are largely paid only when their plane is moving.

Workers are also unhappy with Air Canada’s proposed wage hikes and other compensation terms, which they see as insufficient to keep pace with inflation or match the federal minimum wage.

Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, started suspending flights on Thursday morning ahead of a potential strike by its flight attendants.

Hundreds of flights are expected to be cancelled by the end of the week if the flight attendants walk off their jobs as expected.

Air Canada and the flight attendants’ union have struggled to agree upon a deal that would increase compensation for the airline workers.

Here is what we know about the labour dispute and its potential consequences:

What is happening to Air Canada?

The Montreal-based airline has reached an impasse with the union representing more than 10,500 flight attendants in a dispute over compensation, despite eight months of negotiations. Both the company and the union have issued notices that disruptions to the airline’s services will begin on Saturday.

What services will be affected, and when?

Air Canada said it will reduce flights gradually over three days, starting with dozens of cancellations on Thursday and about 500 more by Friday evening. By 1am Toronto time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, all flights will be halted.

Cargo services will also be affected, but Air Canada Express regional flights will operate as usual, as they rely on contracts with other airlines.

However, these partners handle only about 20 percent of Air Canada’s daily passengers. Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, a subsidiary that offers low-cost flights, carry roughly 130,000 passengers a day.

In response to the walkout anticipated for early Saturday, Air Canada has announced its own “lockout”, a strategy that prevents employees from coming into work in order to force them to the negotiating table.

The airline has warned that once the lockout begins, about 1:30am Toronto time (05:30 GMT), it may not be able to quickly restore flights.

Mark Nasr, the chief operations officer for Air Canada, explained that a restart, “under the best circumstances, will take a full week to complete”.

Why are flight attendants striking?

Wages are the main sticking point in the negotiations.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said its negotiators are unhappy with Air Canada’s proposed wage hikes and other compensation terms, and they have therefore turned down an offer to move the contract discussions into arbitration.

“For the past nine months, we have put forward solid, data-driven proposals on wages and unpaid work, all rooted in fairness and industry standards,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE, in a statement. “Air Canada’s response to our proposals makes one thing clear: they are not interested in resolving these critical issues.”

According to the union, the airline declined to raise flight attendant pay to meet industry standards, keep pace with inflation or match the federal minimum wage.

Since 2000, starting wages for flight attendants with Air Canada have risen only $3 per hour, while inflation has climbed 69 percent over the same period, the union explained.

We stand in solidarity with Air Canada flight attendants who are done with unpaid work and poverty wages!
📢 Fair pay. Dignity on the job. No more excuses!
Read more → https://t.co/YqVQEwTbpC#aircanadastrike

— CUPE Ontario (@CUPEOntario) August 12, 2025

Air Canada, however, said the union turned down a proposal sent on Monday that included a 38-percent pay increase over four years, along with other benefits and protections.

But the union disputed the benefits of that deal. Instead, it explained that the flight attendants suffered a 9-percent cut in their last contract, meaning that an 8-percent increase over the first year of the new deal is inadequate to recoup the costs.

“It is, in effect, a pay cut,” CUPE said in its statement.

The union also argues that Air Canada does not currently offer “ground pay”, an industry term that describes compensation given for all the services provided before a plane’s doors close.

That work can include assistance given to travellers in the airport, baggage handling and helping travellers get settled in their seats as the plane prepares to push back from the airport gate.

“[For] any of our federally regulated safety checks, which we do an hour before boarding, we are not compensated. We are not compensated for boarding and deplaning,” Shanyn Elliott, the chair of the CUPE strike committee, told the news outlet Global National.

“It averages about 35 hours a month that we are at work not paid.”

The union said that it is seeking full pay for all hours worked, along with cost-of-living increases.

Ground pay, also called “boarding pay”, has been a key issue in negotiations at US airlines as well, since many carriers do not compensate flight attendants at their hourly rate during crucial periods before or after the flight.

How many passengers will be affected, and what will they get in return?

The airline, which serves 64 countries with a fleet of 259 aircraft, said the shutdown poses “a major risk” to both the company and its employees. The disruption could impact 130,000 passengers each day, including 25,000 Canadians, during the height of the summer travel season.

Air Canada has nearly 430 daily flights between Canada and the US, reaching more than 50 US airports. It also provides domestic service to 50 Canadian airports and averages more than 500 daily flights.

The airlines said that passengers whose flights are cancelled will be notified and can receive a full refund online.

The airline has also arranged with other Canadian and international carriers to offer alternative travel options where possible. But it emphasised that some flight alternatives may not be feasible.

“Given other carriers are already very full due to the summer travel peak, securing such capacity will take time and, in many cases, will not be immediately possible,” the airline explained.

How has the government responded?

Air Canada has said it has sought government-directed arbitration to resolve the situation.

Under Canada’s Labour Code, the government’s labour minister has the power to intervene and trigger the imposition of a deal through the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

That, in turn, could force flight attendants back to work. The union has asked Canada’s PM Mark Carney “to refrain from intervening”. It argued that government action would tip the negotiations in Air Canada’s favour.

“Why would any employer bother negotiating if they know the government is going to bail them out when negotiations get tough?” the union wrote in a letter posted to social media.

Canada’s Labour Minister Patty Hajdu urged both sides to return to the bargaining table. “To be clear: deals that are made at the bargaining table are the best ones,” Hajdu said.

“I urge both parties to put their differences aside, come back to the bargaining table and get this done now for the many travellers who are counting on you,” she added.

Please see my statement on the latest development between CUPE Flight Attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada: pic.twitter.com/hqQJ5JDYkN

— Patty Hajdu (@PattyHajdu) August 14, 2025

Around 20,000 passengers have been affected by flight cancellations, delays and rerouting.

Torrential rains have forced Mexico City’s main airport to suspend numerous flights for multiple hours for a second consecutive day, causing chaos in one of Latin America’s busiest travel hubs.

Authorities at Benito Juarez International Airport said on Tuesday that all runways were operating again by midday, after all flights were suspended for at least four hours earlier that day. Around 20,000 passengers were affected by flight cancellations, delays and rerouting.

The Mexican capital is experiencing one of its heaviest rainy seasons in years, leading to constant flooding in other parts of the city.

Passengers have reported numerous cancellations and delays this week as heavy rains fall on the capital.

Alicia Nicanor, 69, said her Sunday flight to the northern city of Tijuana was cancelled, and when she returned Tuesday morning for her early morning flight, it was also cancelled.

“I told them I have to go because I have an important appointment with my doctor, but they didn’t listen,” she said.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said heavy rains on Sunday flooded the city’s main plaza, known as the Zocalo, with more than 76mm (3 inches) of water, much of which poured down in just 20 minutes. It broke a record set in 1952.

Meanwhile, videos from the city’s south showed cars floating on flooded streets. The flooding has fuelled criticism by some in the capital, who call it a sign of larger infrastructure failures by the city’s government.

Aug. 12 (UPI) — American social media influencer and pilot Ethan Guo, who is circumnavigating the globe to raise money for childhood cancer research, was facing expulsion from Chile’s Antarctic region after charges that he landed on a remote island without permission were dropped.

Guo, 19, from California, was ordered by a judge on Monday to leave King George Island, make a $30,000 donation to a children’s cancer foundation and prohibited from re-entering Chilean airspace for three years.

Setting off from Memphis, Tenn., in May 2024, Guo’s attempt to raise $1 million for the city’s St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by becoming the youngest person to solo fly to all seven continents ran into trouble in June when he allegedly diverted 770 miles to the island from Punta Arenas in the far south of Chile.

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics said Guo amended his flight plan for his Cessna 182 after departing Punta Arenas “without notifying the respective air traffic control centers of the airport” and accused him of providing false flight plan information to officials when he was detained at Teniente R. Marsh Airport.

Regional prosecutor Cristian Crisosto Rifo said at the time that Guo had submitted a flight plan that involved flying over the city of Punta Arenas and that by departing from the route without informing anyone, had “seriously endangered the safety of air traffic to Antarctica and the Magallanes region.”

He was also alleged to have breached international law, with the GDCA saying “the unauthorized operation at the airfield in Antarctica also implied non-compliance with the Antarctic Statute.”

The 1959 treaty governs international relations with regard to the seventh continent.

After having formal charges laid against him on June 29, one of which carried jail time, Guo was freed but ordered to remain in Chile pending the outcome of an investigation.

Guo’s legal team argued that he was forced to make the diversion due to unforeseen complications during what they termed an “exploratory” test flight.

The teen, whose record-breaking feat is being tracked by at least 1.7 million followers on Instagram, TikTok and other social media, had already visited the six other continents before he ran afoul of the Chilean authorities.

Guo launched the fundraising effort after his cousin was diagnosed with Stage -4 blood cancer.

Footage from a forest in Ghana’s Ashanti region showed smouldering wreckage from a helicopter crash that killed the country’s defence and environment ministers. Three other officials and three air force crew members were also killed.

Thousands of US workers hit the picket line at three plants in Illinois and Missouri.

Thousands of workers at Boeing plants across the United States that develop military aircraft and weapons have gone on strike.

The strike began Monday at Boeing facilities in St Louis and St Charles, Missouri, as well as Mascoutah, Illinois, after failed negotiations over wage increases and other provisions of a new contract.

About 3,200 local members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted Sunday to reject a modified four-year labour agreement, the union said.

“IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe,” Sam Cicinelli, the general vice president of the union’s Midwest division, said in a statement. “They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise.”

The vote followed a weeklong cooling-off period after the workers rejected an earlier proposed contract, which included a 20 percent wage increase over four years and $5,000 ratification bonuses.

Boeing warned over the weekend that it anticipated the strike after workers rejected its latest offer, which did not further boost the proposed wage hike. However, the proposal removed a scheduling provision that would have affected workers’ ability to earn overtime pay.

“We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40 percent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules,” said Dan Gillian, Boeing Air Dominance vice president and general manager, and senior St Louis site executive.

“We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers.”

Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security business accounts for more than one-third of the company’s revenue. But Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told analysts last week that the impact from a strike by the machinists who build fighter jets, weapons systems and the US Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aircraft would be much less than a walkout last year by 33,000 workers who assemble the company’s commercial jetliners.

“The order of magnitude of this is much, much less than what we saw last fall,” Ortberg said. “So we’ll manage through this. I wouldn’t worry too much about the implications of the strike.”

The 2024 strike shut down Boeing’s factories in Washington state for more than seven weeks at a bleak time for the company. Boeing came under several federal investigations last year after a door plug blew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

The Federal Aviation Administration put limits on Boeing plane production that it said would last until the agency felt confident about manufacturing quality safeguards at the company. The door-plug incident renewed concerns about the safety of the 737 Max. Two of the planes crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.

Ortberg told analysts that the company has slowly worked its way up to an FAA-set 737 Max production cap of 38 per month and expects to ask regulators later this year for permission to go beyond it.

Last week, Boeing reported that its second-quarter revenue had improved and its losses had narrowed. The company lost $611m in the second quarter, compared to a loss of $1.44bn during the same period last year.

Boeing’s stock tumbled on the news of the strike. Trending downwards earlier in the day, it has since been trending upwards, but is still below the market open by 0.26 percent as of 12:30pm ET (16:30 GMT).

Monica Clare, 68, was onboard an Aer Lingus flight from Heathrow to Shannon, Ireland, when the problem began. Her flight was one of more than 150 cancelled on Thursday

Passengers swept up in the air traffic control chaos of Wednesday evening have now found out why their flights were disrupted.

Monica Clare, from Brentford, west London, is one of the unlucky group who had their holiday plans ruined last night. The 68-year-old was on an Aer Lingus aircraft ready to depart from Heathrow to Shannon, Ireland, when things went south. She recounted how the plane stayed on the runway for roughly three hours before the captain informed that his “shift was going to finish”, necessitating the passengers’ return to the terminal.

Ms Clare described the scene inside Heathrow as “bedlam”, with “suitcases everywhere”. The retired maintenance manager had to return home after being informed that Aer Lingus had no available seats on flights that would get her to her friend’s wedding in Limerick on Friday. Her frustrating situation comes as holidaymakers with trips booked this week scramble to figure out what they should do.

READ MORE: UK flights LIVE: Heathrow and Gatwick chaos sees Brits face DAYS of delaysREAD MORE: Your compensation rights as air traffic control chaos causes ‘delays for days’

Ms Clare found that alternative routes, such as travelling to a port and taking a ferry, were impractical and too costly after already shelling out for flights. She is currently seeking refunds for car hire and hotel reservations.

“I’m absolutely numb. I’m so upset. I’m heartbroken. It’s disgraceful. I think it’s absolutely unbelievable in this day and age that something that went down for 20 minutes has caused havoc like that all over the country,” she said.

“I’m so upset, I’m so angry. I’ve spokem to my friend who’s getting married. They’re devastated. We can’t now go to the wedding. I was so excited, and it’s all gone.”

Ms Clare is far from the only one who has been impacted. Asha, 18, from Manchester, said the chaos had ruined her first holiday Interrailing. She told the BBC her 3.10pm flight to Amsterdam had actually departed and was in the air for 50 minutes – before turning around. Hours later, she said she was still ‘stuck’ on the tarmac at the city’s airport

John Carr, a chiropodist from Stourbridge, was one of thousands of stranded Brits left in limbo after his flight from Heathrow to Norway was cancelled at the last minute. He and a group of friends were on their way to his brother’s wedding, for which he is best man, when he found out after checking in that his flight was cancelled.

The 35-year-old said: “I’m pretty gutted. We’ve got loads of stuff in the suitcases to set up the venue, because we’re obviously flying to Norway. We’ve got the wedding rehearsal to do. It’s quite stressful. It’s rubbish. There’s nothing we can do. We don’t know what we’re going to do tonight in terms of accommodation. We have put our cars in special car compounds for the next six days.”

It has now come to light that a “radar-related issue” was at fault for the mass disruption, which saw flights grounded across the UK on Wednesday.

NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe was summoned to speak with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday morning, a day after thousands of passengers were disrupted by the technical problem which forced the cancellation of more than 150 flights.

Airlines are demanding a deeper explanation for what happened. A spokesperson for NATS said, “This was a radar-related issue, which was resolved by quickly switching to the backup system, during which time we reduced traffic to ensure safety. There is no evidence that this was cyber-related.”

It is understood that the back-up system continues to be used by controllers while investigations continue. Ms Alexander said: “I have spoken with Nats CEO Martin Rolfe who provided further detail on yesterday’s technical fault.

“This was an isolated event and there is no evidence of malign activity. I will continue to receive regular updates.”

The problem happened at NATS’ control centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, and affected the vast majority of England and Wales. A Government source said the failure lasted around 20 minutes, and the level of disruption was similar to a day with bad weather.

Booking tumbled in the summer months as consumers pulled back on travel expenses

American Airlines has restored its full-year outlook as broader economic uncertainty continues to weigh on domestic consumer demand across the travel industry.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier on Thursday offered a wide range for its full-year forecast on the heels of its earnings report, saying the broader economic uncertainty is hobbling consumer spending. The airline had suspended financial guidance in April.

The airline says it expects an adjusted loss per share of 20 cents a share to a profit of 80 cents a share in 2025. The midpoint of the forecast is 30 cents per share, compared with analysts’ average estimate of 61 cents a share, according to LSEG data.

American, which generates more than two-thirds of its passenger revenue from the US domestic market, said that if domestic travel demand continues to strengthen, it expects to hit the top end of its outlook. But if the economy weakens, it only expects to be at the bottom end of the forecast.

“The domestic network has been under stress because of the uncertainty in the economy and the reluctance of domestic passengers to get in the game,” CEO Robert Isom told analysts on an earnings call.

American said tepid domestic travel demand affected its bookings in July. Isom, however, said the performance is expected to improve sequentially in August and September.

“We expect that July will be the low point,” he said.

The company expects its domestic unit revenue, or revenue generated from each seat, to remain lower year-over-year in the third quarter. Its non-fuel operating costs are estimated to be up as much as 4.5 percent in the September quarter.

American expects an adjusted loss per share in the range of 10 cents to 60 cents in the third quarter, compared with analysts’ estimates of a loss of 7 cents, according to data compiled by LSEG.

The company’s outlook contrasts with upbeat forecasts of rival Delta and United Airlines. Alaska Air Group has also reported improvements in passenger traffic and pricing power.

Most US airlines withdrew their financial forecasts in April as President Donald Trump’s trade war created the biggest uncertainty for the industry since the COVID-19 pandemic. While some have reinstated their expectations, there is lingering uncertainty as to how the economy will fare in an ever-evolving tariff landscape.

Demand in the domestic travel market has remained subdued, with budget travellers approaching their plans with caution, hurting carriers that primarily service the US domestic market and price-sensitive customers.

Even summer, typically the peak money-making season for airlines, is falling short this year, with unsold standard economy seats forcing carriers to cut fares.

It dented the second-quarter earnings of Southwest Airlines, the largest US domestic airline.

At American, the domestic market was the weakest in the second quarter, with its unit revenue declining 6.4 percent from a year ago. The company’s unit revenue in international markets was up, led by a 5 percent annual jump in the transatlantic market.

On Wall Street, the stock is taking a hit and was down 7.2 percent from the market open as of 11:30am in New York (15:30 GMT).

Marcus Daniels, a former flight attendant who spent five years in the job, claims that airlines are too afraid of offending passengers to resolve an apparently longstanding toilet-related issue

A former flight attendant claims that airlines are afraid of teaching passengers how to use toilets properly, for fear of offending them.

Marcus Daniels spent five years working the aisles at 30,000 feet. He loved his job, but not all aspects of it. Marcus says he was disgusted on multiple occasions by messes left behind by passengers. He believes many of these incidents occurred because some flyers were unfamiliar with these types of toilets, and he noticed a trend emerging on certain routes.

“On those flights, passengers will defecate on the floor, and you just do your best to smile and not say anything. You get used to it after a while and can start mentally preparing yourself for those flights,” Mr Daniels said.

The flight attendant added that the language barrier made it difficult to address this delicate topic with passengers.

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“It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing,” he added, according to the Daily Mail.

Daniels recalled one occasion when he had to lock off the toilet for the remainder of a flight after a passenger repeatedly urinated on the floor. “Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don’t want to offend anyone,” he said.

In other plane-toilet news, a flight attendant recently revealed that birdsong is now being played in lavatories to mask embarrassing “toilet sounds.” KLM attendant Esther Sturrus posted a video on TikTok demonstrating this new feature inside the bathroom of a brand-new Airbus A321neo.

Sturrus, 24, who has worked for the Dutch airline since 2020, laughed as the sound of birds chirping filled the space. Since summer 2024, KLM has gradually replaced its Boeing 737 fleet with A321neos, according to its website.

“The birdsong definitely catches people by surprise the first time. You’re expecting the usual hum of the engines or total silence, and instead you’re suddenly surrounded by chirping birds. The idea behind it is to make the onboard experience a little more soothing and enjoyable, even in the smallest and most unexpected places,” said Sturrus, who is from Rotterdam.

“The birdsong gives a sort of spa-like vibe. Let’s be honest, it also nicely covers the classic toilet sounds, so it might just be functional too. I found it unusual and amusing and just had to capture the moment. It’s little touches like these that show how much thought can go into even the tiniest details of a flight experience.”

A Bangladesh air force training jet has crashed into a school campus, killing at least 19 people.

Here’s the latest we know:

What happened during the Bangladesh plane crash?

“Bangladesh Air Force’s F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 [07:06 GMT],” the Bangladesh military’s public relations team said.

Local media reported that the plane crashed at about 1:30pm.

Videos emerged of the aftermath of the crash, showing a fire, as well as plumes of thick smoke rising into the sky as people watched from a distance.

The crash marks the deadliest aviation incident in Bangladesh since the 1984 crash of a plane travelling from Chattogram to Dhaka killed all 49 people on board.

Last month, an Air India passenger plane crashed into a medical college hostel in India’s Ahmedabad city, killing 241 of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground. This incident marked the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.

Where did the plane crash?

The plane crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College, a private school in the northern Dhaka neighbourhood of Uttara.

Footage shared online after the crash showed the point where the aircraft had crashed into the side of a building, leaving a gaping hole.

At the time of the crash, students were taking tests or attending regular classes.

How big is this school?

According to the information available on the school’s website, there are 6,000 enrolled students at Milestones.

What kind of plane was it?

The F-7 BGI is a light, “multi-role” fighter aircraft manufactured by the Chinese Chengdu Corporation.

Multi-role fighter aircraft are built to perform several “roles” in combat, including air-to-air combat, aerial bombing, reconnaissance, and suppression of air defences.

The BGI was billed as the most advanced F-7 when Bangladesh bought 36 of them in 2022.

It had been upgraded according to Bangladesh’s specifications.

What do we know about the victims?

At least 19 people have died and more than 100 have been injured, based on data from multiple hospitals.

Authorities have not released details about those who have died or are injured.

“A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,” Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, told the Reuters news agency.

What do the rescue efforts look like?

More than 50 people, including children, were admitted to the hospital with burn injuries following the crash, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery told reporters.

An emergency hotline has been set up at the institute, Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, wrote in a post on X.

Local media reported that several of the injured were transported to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) through air force helicopters.

The army, air force, police and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), a paramilitary border security force, are working together on rescue efforts, local media reported.

Eight units of the fire service are working to contain the fire, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

What is the latest situation on the ground?

Yunus said the government is taking all “necessary measures” in the aftermath of the crash.

He posted on his X account that the bodies of those who can be identified will be returned to their families as soon as possible.

Those whose identities cannot be immediately confirmed will undergo DNA testing, after which their remains will also be released to their families.

In another post, Yunus shared the emergency contacts of different rescue departments regarding missing school students.

Mostly students killed and more than 50 wounded as training aircraft crashes into campus in capital Dhaka.

At least 19 people have been killed as a Bangladesh air force training aircraft crashed into a college and school campus in capital Dhaka, a fire services official and local media reports said.

The F-7 BGI aircraft crashed into the campus of Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara neighbourhood at about 1pm (07:00 GMT), when students were taking tests or attending regular classes.

More than 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalised with burns after the crash, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery told reporters.

Videos of the aftermath of the crash showed a big fire near a lawn emitting a thick plume of smoke into the sky, as crowds watched from a distance.

Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of a building, damaging iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure.

“A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital,” Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some victims were taken, told the Reuters news agency.

Social media videos showed people screaming and crying as others tried to comfort them.

“When I was picking [up] my kids and went to the gate, I realised something came from behind … I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke,” Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school, told Reuters.

Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, said “necessary measures” would be taken to investigate the cause of the accident and “ensure all kinds of assistance”.

“The loss suffered by the air force … students, parents, teachers and staff, and others in this accident is irreparable,” he said.

Yunus also announced that an emergency hotline has been activated at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in the wake of the crash.

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society called for donations for those injured.

The incident came a little over a month after an Air India plane crashed on top of a medical college hostel in neighbouring India’s Ahmedabad city, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, marking the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests, marking the first time this one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft has moved under its own power

NASA is testing a new aircraft that could pave the way for a new era of supersonic air travel by addressing an issue at the heart of Concorde’s commercial failure.

The dream of a ‘son of Concorde‘ capable of whisking passengers from New York to London in under four hours is edging closer to reality.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests, a significant milestone as this unique experimental plane moves under its own power for the first time.

On 10 July, NASA test pilot Nils Larson, alongside the X-59 team comprising NASA and Lockheed Martin staff, carried out the craft’s inaugural low-speed taxi test at the U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.

This taxiing phase signals the final ground test sequence before the X-59’s maiden flight. In the upcoming weeks, the aircraft will incrementally boost its speed, culminating in a high-speed taxi test that will bring it tantalisingly close to lift-off.

READ MORE: ‘Concorde’s final flight was 20 years ago – the supersonic jet was always doomed’

During these initial low-speed trials, engineering and flight teams observed the X-59’s performance on the tarmac, ensuring essential systems like steering and braking are operating correctly. These evaluations are crucial for confirming the aircraft’s stability and control under various scenarios, instilling confidence in pilots and engineers that all systems are functioning optimally.

At the heart of NASA’s Quesst mission, the X-59 aims to revolutionise quiet supersonic travel by transforming the traditionally loud sonic boom into a more subdued “thump.”

This is considered key to the commercial success of any supersonic air travel. Crashing through the sound barrier causes a huge bang that has big consequences for those on the ground. During a 1965 test of the original Concorde over Oklahoma city by the US Air Force, hundreds of reports of smashed windows were made.

The potential to cause this kind of disruption meant that Concorde could only fly certain routes at supersonic, meaning no high-speed flights over land. This crushed the business case for the aircraft in the US as cities such as Los Angeles and New York could not be linked up effectively.

Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, told the Mirror how NASA’s new ‘quiet’ tech is causing is a huge amount of excitement in the industry.

“From what I’ve been able to read, it does work. As a supersonic aircraft flies, every leading part of the aircraft creates a shockwave, and that shockwave creates a sonic boom. The NASA tech has shaped the aircraft so as the shockwaves move away from the plane in flight, they interact with each other and cancel each other out,” he explained.

The X-59 is expected to reach speeds of Mach 1.5, or roughly 990 mph (1,590 km/h), which could potentially cut the London to New York flight time down to approximately 3 hours and 44 minutes – a significant reduction from the usual 7-8 hour journey.

In 2023, NASA explored the feasibility of supersonic passenger air travel on aircraft capable of reaching speeds between Mach 2 and Mach 4 (1,535-3,045 mph). Information collected from the X-59 will be shared with U.S. and international regulators to help establish new, data-driven noise standards for supersonic commercial flights over land.

New details about last month’s Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, have emerged this week, shifting focus onto the actions of the senior pilot during the last moments before the plane crashed.

According to a report published on Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal quoting sources close to United States officials’ early assessment of evidence, the black box audio recording of the last conversation between the two pilots indicates that the captain might have turned off the switches controlling the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines.

Last week, a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that both engines had shut down within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude, before the plane crashed into a densely populated suburb of Ahmedabad. However, that report, which stated the fuel-control switches had moved to the “cutoff” position, did not assign blame for the incident.

Two groups of commercial pilots have rejected suggestions that human error may have caused the disaster.

What happened to the Air India flight?

At 1:38pm (08:08 GMT) on June 12, Air India Flight 171 took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad for London Gatwick Airport, carrying 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew and two pilots.

About 40 seconds after taking off, both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost power during the initial climb. The plane then crashed into the BJ Medical College Hostel in a populated suburb 1.85km (1.15 miles) from the runway.

The aircraft broke apart on impact, causing a fire that destroyed parts of five buildings. All the passengers on the plane died except one – Vishwaskumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin. Some 19 people on the ground were killed as well, and 67 were injured.

What did the AAIB report say?

The AAIB is investigating the crash, the deadliest aviation incident in a decade, along with Boeing and experts from the US and United Kingdom. A preliminary report from the investigators released on Saturday found the aircraft had been deemed airworthy, had up-to-date maintenance and carried no hazardous cargo.

But the report noted that a 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration advisory warned of a potential flaw in the fuel-control switch system of some Boeing planes, including the Dreamliner. The report said Air India did not inspect the system and it was not mandatory for it to do so. During the crash, recovery systems activated, but only partial engine relight occurred, the report stated.

Both engines shut down just after takeoff as fuel switches moved from the “run” to “cutoff” positions. The report cited a black box audio recording in which one pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” and the other denied doing so. The speakers were not identified.

Despite taking emergency measures, only one engine partially restarted, and moments before impact, a “Mayday” call was issued before communications were lost.

Air traffic control received no response after the distress call but saw the aircraft crash outside the boundary of the airport. CCTV footage from the airport showed one of the flight recovery systems – known as the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) – deploying shortly after liftoff, followed by a rapid descent.

Who were the pilots?

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, served as the pilot-in-command on the flight. A soft-spoken veteran who had logged more than 15,600 flight hours, 8,500 of them on the Boeing 787, Sabharwal was known for his reserved nature, meticulous habits and mentorship of junior pilots.

He trained at India’s premier aviation school, the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, and friends who spoke to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recalled him as deeply committed to his career as a pilot as well as caring for his ageing father, a former civil aviation official.

First Officer Clive Kunder, 32, was the pilot flying the aircraft at the time of the crash while Sabharwal was the pilot monitoring.

Kunder had accumulated more than 3,400 flying hours, including 1,128 hours on the Dreamliner. Flying was his childhood dream, inspired by his mother’s 30-year career as an Air India flight attendant.

At age 19, he trained in the US and earned a commercial pilot’s licence before returning to India to join Air India in 2017.

Described by family and friends in the WSJ as joyful, curious and tech-savvy, Kunder was said to be passionate about aviation and excited to be flying the 787.

What has emerged this week?

According to US officials who examined evidence from the crash and were quoted by the WSJ, the cockpit voice recording suggests it was Sabharwal who may have moved the fuel control switches to “cutoff” after takeoff, an action that cut power to both engines.

The switches were turned back on within seconds, but it was too late to regain full thrust.

As the flying pilot, Kunder would have been occupied with the climb-out, making it unlikely he could have manipulated the switches, according to unnamed US pilots quoted by the WSJ. Sabharwal, as the monitoring pilot, would have had a freer hand, they said.

What are the fuel-control switches?

Located on a key cockpit panel just behind the throttle levers between the two pilot seats, these switches manage the flow of fuel to each of the aircraft’s two engines.

Pilots use these fuel cutoff switches to start or shut down the engines while on the ground. In flight, the pilots can manually shut down or restart an engine in the event of a failure.

How do fuel-control switches work?

The switches are designed for manual operation. They are spring-loaded to stay firmly in place and cannot be moved accidentally or with light pressure during flight operations.

The switches have two settings: “cutoff” and “run”. The “cutoff” mode stops fuel from reaching the engines while “run” allows normal fuel flow. To change positions, a pilot must first pull the switch upwards before shifting it between “run” and “cutoff”.

Could the crash have been caused by human error?

Experts are cautious about this. US aviation analyst Mary Schiavo told the Financial Express in India that people should not draw premature conclusions, arguing that there is as yet no definitive evidence of pilot error.

She highlighted a similar incident during which one of the engines suddenly shut down midflight on an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 during its final approach to Osaka, Japan, in 2019.

Investigators later found that the aircraft’s software had mistakenly interpreted the plane as being on the ground, triggering the thrust control malfunction accommodation system, which automatically moved the fuel switch from “run” to “cutoff” without any action from the pilots.

Schiavo warned that a similar malfunction cannot yet be ruled out in the Air India crash and stressed the importance of releasing the full cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript to avoid misleading interpretations.

“There is nothing here to suggest pilot suicide or murder,” she said. “The voices, words and sounds on CVRs must be carefully analysed.”

India’s Federation of Indian Pilots criticised the framing of the preliminary findings in the media this week.

In a public statement, the federation noted that the report relies heavily on paraphrased CVR excerpts and lacks comprehensive data.

“Assigning blame before a transparent, data-driven investigation is both premature and irresponsible,”  the statement read before adding that it undermines the professionalism of the crew and causes undue distress to their families.

Campbell Wilson, chief executive of Air India, this week urged staff not to make premature conclusions about the causes of the crash, telling them this week that the investigation was “far from over”.

The airport, which has not been operational since the group seized Mosul in 2014, will have a main terminal and VIP lounge.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has inaugurated the northern city of Mosul’s newly restored airport, more than a decade after it was destroyed in a series of battles to dislodge the now vanquished ISIL (ISIS) group.

“The airport will serve as an additional link between Mosul and other Iraqi cities and regional destinations,” the prime minister’s media office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Al-Sudani’s flight landed at the airport, which is expected to become fully operational for domestic and international flights in two months. Wednesday’s ceremony was held nearly three years after then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi laid the foundation stone for the airport’s reconstruction.

Airport director Amar al-Bayati told the AFP news agency that the “airport is now ready for domestic and international flights.” He added that the airport previously offered international flights, mostly to Turkiye and Jordan.

In June 2014, ISIL seized Mosul, declaring its “caliphate” from Iraq’s second biggest city after capturing large swaths of Iraq and neighbouring Syria, imposing hardline rule over millions of people, displacing hundreds of thousands and slaughtering thousands more.

Nouri al-Maliki, who was the Iraqi prime minister at the time, declared a state of emergency and said the government would arm civilians who volunteered “to defend the homeland and defeat terrorism”.

At its peak, the group ruled over an area half the size of the United Kingdom and was notorious for its brutality. It beheaded civilians, massacred 1,700 captured Iraqi soldiers in a short period, and enslaved and raped thousands of women from the Yazidi community, one of Iraq’s oldest religious minorities.

A coalition of more than 80 countries led by the United States was formed to fight the group in September 2014. The alliance continues to carry out raids against the group’s hideouts in Syria and Iraq.

The war against the group officially ended in March 2019 when US-backed, Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured the eastern Syrian town of Baghouz, which was the last sliver of land ISIL controlled.

The group was also defeated in Iraq in July 2017 when Iraqi forces recaptured Mosul. ISIL then declared its defeat across the country at the end of that year. Three months later, the group suffered a major blow when the SDF took back the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, its de facto capital.

The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has not been operational since the initial fall of Mosul.

It now includes a main terminal, a VIP lounge and an advanced radar surveillance system, al-Sudani’s office said, adding that it is expected to handle 630,000 passengers annually.

For the past 30 years, Mark Gregory’s Air Salvage International (ASI) has been assessing, chopping up, disassembling, and recycling planes at the private airfield, which sits two miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire

What connects Saddam Hussein, Tom Cruise and Doctor Who? Cotswolds Airport, of course.

The mass murderer, the action star, and the BBC space drama have all starred, in their own way, at one of the most curious pieces of the aviation industry: the plane graveyard.

For the past 30 years, Mark Gregory’s Air Salvage International (ASI) has been assessing, chopping up, disassembling, and recycling planes at the private airfield, which sits two miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire.

Armed with redundancy money in the early ’90s, Mark bought his first plane and spent six months breaking it down into sellable bits. More than 1,400 aircraft later, the business is thriving and employs dozens of people to cope with the growing demand from the ever-expanding aviation industry.

READ MORE: ‘I lost my mind taking the train to Spain – there are three problems’

And there are big bucks at stake. The equivalent of a commercial jet’s MOT costs around £1 million, which is why many plane owners decide to send their ageing aircraft to Mark instead. Sometimes as much as £12 million can be salvaged from them, either in reusable parts or recyclable materials.

There are a few other strings to the business’s bow, Mark explained as he took me on a tour around the facility.

ASI puts on dramatic training scenarios for organisations including the SAS, helping them practise plane-related emergencies. One mock-up situation had Mark and his team crush a van with a plane fuselage, creating a tricky day out for the special forces, who also had to deal with hijackers and “injured” passengers on board.

The airport and its jets are also movie stars. Countless films have been shot at ASI, including The Fast and the Furious 6, World War Z, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Mission: Impossible, and Batman. You may also recognise it from small-screen appearances on The One Show, Horizon, Inside Out, Terror in the Skies, Engineering Giants, Casualty and, of course, Doctor Who.

Look closely the next time you see a dramatic plane disaster or runway scene on screen, and you might spot some suspiciously Gloucestershire countryside in the background — or even Mark’s arms.

When not making cash out of old planes or hammering away at the drum kit set up in his runway-side office, the ponytail-sporting scrap magnate can be partially seen on the silver screen, “piloting” the Boeing 727 in its latest movie escapade.

Although many of the firms that send their planes to ASI know exactly what they want back — a demand list that can stretch to 2,000 parts from a single jet — other aircraft meet less formulaic fates.

One big chunk of fuselage ended up in the shadows of The Swarm rollercoaster at Thorpe Park. Others are sent out to aviation buffs who want to decorate their homes with various bits and pieces. Through ASI’s sister site, planestation.aero, you can buy a redundant pilot’s seat for £6,000, or small sections of fuselage with a window for £150. The money raised is spent on the staff Christmas party.

Seat pockets filled with cash-stuffed wallets also occasionally bolster the coffers, although most of these find their way back to their owners.

Another offshoot of the business is crash site investigation. Although downed planes rarely make it to ASI due to the extent of the damage, members of Mark’s team are occasionally called out to inspect the aftermath of major aviation tragedies.

Their expertise in breaking aircraft down makes them particularly useful when it comes to identifying remains and helping determine what went wrong. They were part of the investigation into the Afriqiyah Airways crash in Tripoli, Libya, in 2010, which killed 104 people.

While most of the firm’s planes get broken down and flogged off — sometimes for £10 million for a single jet — Mark Gregory can’t bear to give up certain flying machines that come his way.

One such plane is a VIP-fitted Boeing 727 that was once part of Saddam Hussein’s fleet, after he instructed Iraqi Airways to steal all of Kuwait Airways’ planes during its 1990 invasion of the country. Mark loves the historical significance of the aircraft and its classic ’80s interior.

When owned by the Kuwaiti royal family, the 189-capacity jet was stripped of its standard bum-numbing plane seats and kitted out with enough chintzy furniture to fill a retirement village. We’re talking plush velour seats with extendable footrests, cutting-edge JVC TVs built into mahogany walls, and glass vases filled with plastic roses next to still-unopened bottles of bubbly.

Before Iraqi forces swooped in and took over the Kuwaiti fleet, Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other well-heeled royals used the plush plane to jet-set. On a patch of carpet now taken over by mould spores, the Emir would sit in a specially constructed throne, using radio equipment to issue commands to his staff from 30,000 feet.