Tag: Airlines

Fake flight cancellation texts target travelers

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When your phone buzzes with a message saying your flight is canceled, your first instinct is to panic. Scammers are counting on that.

A new travel scam is spreading through fake airline texts that look convincing but connect you to fraudsters instead of customer service.

These cybercriminals claim to help rebook your trip. In reality, they’re after your credit card or personal details.

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How the flight cancellation text scam works

The scam starts with a text that looks like it’s from your airline. It may include your name, flight number and a link or phone number. The message includes urgent language that says your flight is canceled or delayed and tells you to “call this number” or “click to rebook.”

PILOT WARNS ‘SHORT-HANDED, STRESSED’ AIR TRAFFIC DELAYS WILL LINGER AFTER SHUTDOWN

Scammers send fake flight cancellation texts that look official, using real airline names, flight numbers and logos to trick travelers into calling them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Once you do, you’re talking to a scammer pretending to be an airline agent. They’ll offer to “help” rebook your flight for a fee. They might ask for payment details or personal information like your birth date or passport number.

In some cases, they’ll send confirmation emails that look official to make the lie more believable.

AI-generated messages make these scams harder to spot, mimicking airline alerts so well that even frequent flyers can be fooled during busy travel seasons. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why the scam feels real

Scammers use real airline names, logos and flight numbers to make their messages look official. Many now use AI tools to generate convincing language and fake confirmations that mimic real airline alerts. These messages often arrive during busy travel seasons or storm delays, which makes them feel even more believable.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that criminals impersonate airline customer service through fake texts and calls that say your flight is canceled. They use that panic to push you into rebooking or sharing personal details.

Meanwhile, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports a surge in fake cancellation notices that include phony phone numbers leading straight to scammers.

Because these alerts look real and use urgent language, even experienced travelers can mistake them for genuine updates. Staying calm and verifying directly with the airline is the best defense.

Staying calm and verifying through official airline apps or websites is the safest way to protect your money and personal information before you take action. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to stay safe from fake flight cancellation texts

Scammers use fear and urgency to trick travelers into clicking bad links or calling fake numbers. Follow these steps to keep your trip and information safe.

1) Verify flight changes only through official airline sources

Always confirm flight updates using the airline’s official website or mobile app. Log in directly instead of clicking on links from unexpected texts or emails. Scammers design fake links that look real, but one tap can expose your personal information.

PILOT GOES VIRAL FOR REVEALING REAL REASON YOU NEED TO SET YOUR PHONE TO AIRPLANE MODE BEFORE FLYING

2) Call only verified airline phone numbers

If you need to call customer service, use the number listed in your booking confirmation, the airline’s app or on its verified website. Never trust a phone number sent by text or social media message. Real airlines will never change their contact information mid-trip.

3) Stay calm and spot urgency traps

Scammers count on panic. Messages that say “call now,” “act fast” or “your seat will be canceled” are meant to rush you. Slow down and verify before responding. Taking a minute to check the official flight status can prevent you from losing money or data.

4) Protect your personal and financial information

Legitimate airline staff will not ask for gift card numbers, wire transfers or your bank login. Use a strong antivirus program to block phishing sites and malware designed to steal personal data if you accidentally click a bad link.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Remove exposed data before scammers find it

Use a data-removal service to help scrub your personal details from people-search websites. These sites make it easier for scammers to target travelers by name, location and phone number. Keeping your information private reduces your risk.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

6) Report suspicious messages immediately

Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and report fake airline messages to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Sharing reports helps agencies shut down active scams and protect other travelers.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Fake flight cancellation scams are spreading fast, especially during busy travel seasons. Stay calm, verify changes through official airline sources, and never click random links or call unknown numbers. Technology makes travel easier, but awareness and caution are still your best defense.

Have you ever received a fake flight alert that almost fooled you? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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November 17, 2025
Record travel expected for Thanksgiving as airlines resume normal capacity following shutdown

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The Federal Aviation Administration is allowing airlines to resume their normal schedules at the country’s busiest airports after the government shutdown came to an end last week, just ahead of holiday travel. AAA says nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel next week for Thanksgiving and more than 6 million are expected to fly. Kris Van Cleave reports.

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November 17, 2025
White House drops plan to make airlines pay travelers for delayed flights

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The Trump administration is scrapping a proposed Biden-era rule that would have made airlines pay customers for long waits when their flights were delayed, according to a document from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Transportation Department on Friday published a notice that it is officially withdrawing the proposed rule, introduced in 2024 under President Biden and then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The regulation would have required airlines to pay passengers $200 to $300 for domestic delays lasting at least three hours, and up to $775 for flight delays lasting at least nine hours.

The agency, which announced in September that it planned to abandon the proposal, said the notice will be published in the Federal Register on Monday. The passenger protection measure would have created “unnecessary regulatory burdens,” the Transportation Department said Friday.

In October, a group of Democratic senators defended the regulation in a letter to the Trump administration, calling it a “common-sense proposal” that would have held airlines accountable for their mistakes. They noted that delays can place a financial strain on families when they are forced to rebook flights or secure overnight accommodations.

Customers in the U.S. are entitled to refunds for canceled flights, but no similar protections are in place for delays.

The agency on Friday explained its rationale for ditching the measure, saying the move would “allow airlines to compete on the services and compensation that they provide to passengers rather than imposing new minimum requirements for these services and compensation through regulation, which would impose significant costs on airlines.”

When reached for comment Friday, the Transportation Department told CBS News that the “Biden-Buttigieg proposal was just that — a proposal.”

“It was dropped after the election in the waning days of the administration. It was never enacted, and does not reflect the compensation consumers are currently entitled to with respect to delays and cancellations,” an agency spokesperson said.

Edited by

Aimee Picchi

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November 14, 2025
Trump Kills Plan to Compensate Travelers With Cash for Delayed Flights

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In the wake of the government shutdown that resulted in nearly one out of every 10 flights getting delayed, you’d imagine the Trump administration would do something to restore its reputation and consumer confidence in air travel ahead of the holidays. But, wild pitch here: what if they did the exact opposite? In a new filing from the Department of Transportation, the Trump administration said it would kill a Biden-era rule that would have required airlines to provide meals, hotels, and cash to passengers hit with flight delays.

According to the document, the Trump administration has decided that it isn’t authorized under existing rules to require airlines to provide compensation to travelers, which seems like one of the few times it is concerned with what the law says. It also argued that the changes wouldn’t “yield meaningful improvements in airline flight performance.” Even if that were true, and performance didn’t improve, there would be a rubric in place to compensate people when their carrier of choice fails to get them to their destination on time. Now there is both no incentive to improve and also no mandate to compensate affected travelers.

The Trump administration cited industry groups representing the airlines that claimed the required payments could cost carriers up to $5 billion per year. The groups also not-so-subtly suggested that cost “could potentially be passed down to American consumers in the form of higher ticket prices.”

Instead of the required compensation established under Biden, the Trump administration is going with the old “free market” approach. “The Department concludes that it is consistent with this statute to continue to allow airlines to compete on the services and compensation that they provide to passengers rather than imposing new minimum requirements for these services and compensation through regulation, which would impose significant costs on airlines, and potentially consumers,” it wrote.

The Biden-era rule, first proposed in 2023, would have required airlines to pay travelers between $200 and $775, depending on the length of their delay, as well as offer free meals, lodging, and rebookings when flights were disrupted for circumstances within the control of the airlines. While most carriers do offer things like free rebooking and vouchers for food or hotels during extended delays, the rules vary depending on who you’re flying with. None of the carriers, prior to the Biden proposal, offered cash compensation for the inconvenience of getting delayed.

Had the rule gone forward, it would have standardized what people can expect from an airline during a delay. Instead, we’re back to a free-for-all. Consumers will surely take solace during their next delay that their airline won a battle in the marketplace of ideas to deny them compensation.

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November 14, 2025
US airlines again cancel more than 1,000 flights on second day of cuts tied to government shutdown

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U.S. airlines again canceled more than 1,000 flights Saturday, mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic.The slowdown at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports is now in its second day and so far hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.Related video above: What to do if your air travel is impacted by the government shutdownTHIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below:Hundreds of flights at the busiest airports in the U.S. are being scratched this weekend as airlines move forward with reducing air service due to the lingering government shutdown.So far, the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated slowdown across the airline industry that began Friday hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. But it has widened the impact of what’s now the nation’s longest federal shutdown.”We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying out of Miami Saturday to visit family in the Dominican Republic for the week. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt far beyond air travel if the cancellations pick up and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.Already, there are concerns about the impact on cities and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of shipping interruptions that could delay getting holiday items on store shelves.Here’s what to know about the flight reductions:How many flights have been canceled?The first day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slowdown saw more than 1,000 flights canceled, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.More than 950 were off for Saturday — typically a slow travel day. The airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was by far the hardest hit with 120 arriving and departing flights canceled by midday.Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando, Florida, were among the most disrupted. Staffing shortages in Charlotte and Newark, New Jersey, were slowing traffic too.Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide, but they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be bumped up again on Tuesday before hitting 10% of flights on Friday.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more flight cuts might be needed if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.Why are the flights being canceled?Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages.Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.How are passengers being affected?Most were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven’t been interrupted.There’s still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next.And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.”Travel is stressful enough, then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling flights altogether.What could be the impacts beyond air travel?First, there’s the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.”This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel,” he said. “It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.”___Associated Press journalists Cody Jackson in Miami, Paul Wiseman in Washington, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed.

U.S. airlines again canceled more than 1,000 flights Saturday, mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic.

The slowdown at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports is now in its second day and so far hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were canceled Friday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.

Related video above: What to do if your air travel is impacted by the government shutdown

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below:

Hundreds of flights at the busiest airports in the U.S. are being scratched this weekend as airlines move forward with reducing air service due to the lingering government shutdown.

So far, the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated slowdown across the airline industry that began Friday hasn’t caused any widespread disruptions. But it has widened the impact of what’s now the nation’s longest federal shutdown.

“We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying out of Miami Saturday to visit family in the Dominican Republic for the week. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”

Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt far beyond air travel if the cancellations pick up and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Already, there are concerns about the impact on cities and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of shipping interruptions that could delay getting holiday items on store shelves.

Here’s what to know about the flight reductions:

How many flights have been canceled?

The first day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s slowdown saw more than 1,000 flights canceled, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.

More than 950 were off for Saturday — typically a slow travel day. The airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was by far the hardest hit with 120 arriving and departing flights canceled by midday.

Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando, Florida, were among the most disrupted. Staffing shortages in Charlotte and Newark, New Jersey, were slowing traffic too.

Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide, but they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.

The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at 4% of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be bumped up again on Tuesday before hitting 10% of flights on Friday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more flight cuts might be needed if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.

Why are the flights being canceled?

Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages.

Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.

How are passengers being affected?

Most were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven’t been interrupted.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next.

And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.

“Travel is stressful enough, then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.

Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday, and some people are simply canceling flights altogether.

What could be the impacts beyond air travel?

First, there’s the potential for higher prices in stores, as nearly half of all U.S. air freight is shipped in the bellies of passenger aircraft.

Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.

More losses will ripple through the economy if the slowdown continues — from tourism to manufacturing, said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.

“This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel,” he said. “It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.”

___

Associated Press journalists Cody Jackson in Miami, Paul Wiseman in Washington, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed.

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November 8, 2025
Flight chaos grips US airports as some airlines advise booking ‘backup ticket’: See the list

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Over 1,000 flights are now experiencing delays as flight cancellations grow during the government shutdown.

As of 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, 1,094 flights within, into or out of the U.S. had been delayed, while 49 had been canceled, according to FlightAware.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a flight reduction plan limiting air travel capacity to 40 airports.

AMERICANS COULD FACE AIRPORT CHAOS IF DEMS DON’T END SHUTDOWN, TRUMP OFFICIAL WARNS

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday travelers might see additional delays.

“Now, does that mean there’s going to be no delays? No … there’s potentially still going to be delays if we have staffing triggers, and we don’t have enough controllers in an aerospace where we did cut 10%, you might see additional delays,” said Duffy.

The U.S. government shutdown has triggered 1,000-plus flight delays as the FAA cuts capacity at 40 airports. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

Many airlines are updating customer policies and warning travelers of potential itinerary updates.

Here are a few worth noting.

United Airlines

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby updated employees in a press release about the impact of FAA reductions.

“United’s long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted,” wrote Kirby.

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The Chicago-based airline is offering refunds to customers who do not want to fly during imposed restrictions on flights, “even if their flight isn’t impacted.”

Travelers will be notified if there are any changes to their flight through the United app, website and push notifications.

Airlines offer refunds and policy changes amid ongoing travel disruptions. (Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images)

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is evaluating how the flight restrictions will “affect our schedule and will communicate directly with customers as soon as possible,” according to the company’s website.

The Dallas-based airline is reminding travelers they must cancel their reservations at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time in accordance with airline policy.

American Airlines

American Airlines wrote in a press release that the company “expect[s] the vast majority of [its] customers’ travel will be unaffected.”

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However, American says it will reach out to customers as schedule changes are made.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline is placing pressure on Congress, emphasizing the strain on the aviation industry.

“As we come into Thanksgiving, if we’re still in the shutdown posture, it’s going to be rough out there,” said Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

“We continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown,” the release added.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines will waive change or cancellation fees for flights between Nov. 6 to Nov. 12, and travelers will be refunded through travel credits for their itinerary, the company said.

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Frontier CEO Barry Biffle shared travel advice with followers on Instagram.

“If you are flying Friday or in the next 10 days, and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded, I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier,” wrote Biffle.

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Duffy shared that Americans should still book holiday travel if they see deals they would like to grab, but also said it is “hard to predict” what may happen.

“As we come into Thanksgiving, if we’re still in the shutdown posture, it’s going to be rough out there. Really rough,” said Duffy. “And we’ll mitigate the safety side, but will you fly on time? Will your flight actually go? That is yet to be seen, but there’ll be more disruption.”

Rachel Wolf of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Ashley J. DiMella is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.

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November 6, 2025
UPS cargo plane engine fell off before fiery Kentucky crash that killed 12; FBI investigating

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The left engine of the UPS cargo plane involved in the fiery crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Kentucky Tuesday fell off during takeoff, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed Wednesday.

UPS Flight 2976 crashed with three crew members on board and more than 200,000 pounds of fuel into the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building after departing from SDF at about 5:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.

At least 12 people are dead, including the three crew members onboard and a young child, and 11 others on the ground were injured, Beshear said.

Though the cause of the crash has not yet been released, NTSB officials said the left engine detached from the plane and was found on the airfield.

HONG KONG CARGO PLANE SKIDS OFF RUNWAY, KILLING TWO

CCTV footage from a Kentucky business showed the moment a UPS wide-body cargo plane went down Nov. 4, 2025. (Kentucky Truck Parts & Service)

Preliminary information indicates the flight was not delayed, and no immediate maintenance work was performed before takeoff, officials said. There are no known airworthiness directives tied to the aircraft or its engines.

The NTSB confirmed the FBI is assisting with the investigation “under a longstanding Interagency agreement.”

It is unclear if criminal intent was suspected or what the plane was carrying at the time of the crash.

NTSB officials said shipments that travel through the Louisville UPS hub daily contain “life-saving drugs, postal products, food, supplements, you name it.”

A fireball erupts near airport property after a UPS plane crashed at Louisville International Airport Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Jon Cherry/AP Photo)

LOUISVILLE UPS PLANE CRASH CAUGHT ON CCTV FOOTAGE

Investigators on Wednesday afternoon recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder commonly known as the “black box,” which the NTSB said was exposed to heat but appeared intact.

They will be analyzed at the NTSB’s lab in Washington, D.C.

Several specialized groups have been established by the NTSB, including an operations group to review the flight history and crew duties leading up to the crash; a structures group to document the wreckage, impact angles and aircraft trajectory before impact; a power plants group to examine the engines and related accessories; a systems group to investigate hydraulics, electrical, instruments and flight controls; and a maintenance group to review maintenance records and history of work performed on the aircraft.

Smoke rises from the site of a UPS cargo plane crash near the UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 4, 2025. (Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images)

UNITED PLANE AT SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT COLLIDES WITH ANOTHER JET WHILE PULLING BACK FROM GATE

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records showed the plane was in service for nearly 35 years, according to a report from Reuters.

The agency said it is balancing investigative thoroughness with the need to reopen runways at the airport, which it said is critical for essential supply chain operations.

The Louisville airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the shipping company’s air cargo operations and its largest package-handling facility worldwide. UPS is the largest employer in Louisville, providing 26,000 jobs, according to Louisville Business First.

Fire and smoke mark where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Nov. 4, 2025. (Stephen Cohen/Getty Images)

AIRLINES TOLD TO REEVALUATE EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES AFTER CARRY-ON CONCERNS

Beshear declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning to assist in recovery efforts.

“I’m deeply saddened to share that the death toll has risen to 12, with several individuals still unaccounted for,” Lousiville Mayor Craig Greenberg wrote in an X post Wednesday night. “No one should face tragedy alone. Please take a moment to hug your loved ones and check on your neighbors. We will continue providing resources and support to everyone affected by this heartbreaking event.”

The NTSB will hold an organizational meeting to establish party status for various entities, including the aircraft manufacturer, operator, labor unions representing crew members and relevant government agencies. Once they join, they are prohibited from commenting publicly without NTSB consent.

Officials noted the investigation will not be affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown.

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The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias and Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

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November 5, 2025
U.S. airlines ordered to slash thousands of flights due to government shutdown

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U.S. airlines ordered to slash thousands of flights due to government shutdown – CBS News

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Federal officials announced that the U.S. will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets, citing staffing shortages related to the ongoing government shutdown. Kris Van Cleave has details.

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November 5, 2025
FAA Plan to Cut Flights Might Not Be an Utter Nightmare

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The US Federal Aviation Administration plans to cut 10 percent of flights in 40 high-traffic airports on Friday morning if Congress fails to reopen the federal government by then, Transportation secretary Sean Duffy and FAA chief Bryan Bedford said Wednesday.

The announcement came days after the US agency said it faced widespread shortages of air traffic controllers in half of the country’s 30 busiest airports and hours-long security lines caused by absences of Transportation Security Administration agents. Federal workers have now gone 35 days without a paycheck amid the longest government shutdown in US history.

Which flights might be canceled, and where, “is data-based,” Duffy said Wednesday. “This is based on, where is the pressure and how do we alleviate the pressure?”

When passengers fly, “they are going to make it to their destinations safely, because we’ve done our work,” Duffy said.

The FAA did not immediately respond to WIRED’s questions, and it’s unclear whether the flight cut will affect only commercial airlines or cargo and private flights as well. A 10 percent reduction in scheduled commercial flights at 40 airports could lead to some 4,000 to 5,000 canceled flights per day.

For airlines and travelers, a sudden cut in flights will likely lead to some serious logistical headaches. Duffy earlier this week warned of air travel “mass chaos” should the shutdown drag on.

But airlines have some experience responding to sudden flight reductions due to staffing issues, says Michael McCormick, a former FAA official who now heads the Air Traffic Management program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

In the spring of 2023, during another period of air traffic controller shortages, the FAA allowed airlines to reduce their capacities in New York–area airports. (Such reductions usually force airlines to forfeit the right to a takeoff or landing; the FAA temporarily nixed that penalty.) In response, airline schedulers were able to quickly “up-gauge,” compensating for the reduced number of flights by replacing small aircraft with larger ones. That way, cutting flights didn’t necessarily reduce the number of passengers flying overall.

Should the FAA follow through on Friday, airlines will likely be able to pull off a similar up-gauging process, says McCormick. While flights will be canceled and passengers moved around, this could mean that plenty are still able to get to their destinations. The move might actually give airlines more time to prepare.

“Under the current state, it’s unpredictable which airports are going to be impacted tomorrow,” he says. “This restores some predictability.”

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November 5, 2025
Brace for more air travel delays as government shutdown drags into second month, experts say

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Travelers heading to airports this week may face more flight disruptions as air traffic controllers missed their first full paycheck late last month and with the government shutdown on the cusp of becoming the longest in U.S. history.

Almost 6,000 U.S. flights were delayed on Sunday, Nov. 2, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service. Newark Liberty Airport on Sunday had a four-hour ground delay, while staffing triggers — a Federal Aviation Administration alert system to indicate an air traffic control facility is understaffed — were reported at airports including Nashville, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Austin, Texas; and Denver, Colo.

Airport delays are “going to get worse,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on Sunday.

The shutdown on Tuesday is set to become the longest in history, when it would eclipse the 2018-2019 funding lapse. In the meantime, air traffic controllers and workers for the Transportation Security Administration — both considered essential workers — are required to show up at their jobs even though their pay is halted until lawmakers agree on a new deal to fund the federal government.

The longer the shutdown stretches on, the more likely it is to cause flight delays and snarls at security checkpoints, Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going.com, told CBS News.

“We’re over a month into this shutdown, and in the last few days is really when we’ve started to see that the seams are ripping,” Nastro said. “It’s not just in air traffic control staffing triggers, but we’re seeing TSA lines hit the 3-4 hour mark.”

Some Houston travelers faced waits of about an hour to get through airport security lines this weekend, according to CBS affiliate KHOU. Only two out of five security checkpoints are open at Houston’s Bush airport, the station noted, while the Houston Chronicle reported that some people faced waits of three hours to get through the airport’s security.

Thanksgiving outlook for air travel

If the shutdown drags longer into November, the real pain point could come during Thanksgiving week, when a record number of Americans are expected to travel for the holidays, Nastro said.

“I would be cautious if this continues into Thanksgiving — we’re likely to see multiple days of 3 million-plus travelers,” she said. “At that point, we would be coming into almost two months of a shutdown.”

Some holiday travelers might be better off driving to their destinations given the potential for flight disruptions, Nastro added. Booking early morning flights, such as those that depart between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., can also help minimize delays because these departures are more likely to be on time than flights that are scheduled later in the day, travel data shows.

Still, experts said that air safety isn’t an issue, given that the FAA will slow flights if there aren’t enough air traffic controllers directing flights. That was reiterated by Duffy on Sunday, who told “Face the Nation” that the federal government will “stop traffic” if it becomes a safety issue.

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Duffy added.

Edited by

Alain Sherter

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November 3, 2025
Update: Pilot in fatal plane crash near Lincoln Airport ID’d by family as Spokane auto dealer

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Update- Pilot in fatal plane crash near Lincoln Airport ID'd by family as Spokane auto dealer

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November 3, 2025
11/1: Saturday Morning

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11/1: Saturday Morning – CBS News

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U.S. airports see major delays amid shutdown staffing shortages; SIFR brings a refreshing take on Middle Eastern food to Chicago’s River North

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November 1, 2025
Aviation experts tell White House things are

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The White House held a roundtable on Thursday with aviation experts to discuss the impact of the government shutdown on U.S. airports. Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America, joins “The Takeout” to break down the discussion.

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October 30, 2025
Flying Is Safe Thanks to Data and Cooperation—What the AI Industry Could Learn From Airlines on Safety

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Approximately 185,000 people have died in civilian aviation accidents since the advent of powered flight over a century ago. However, over the past five years among the U.S. airlines, the risk of dying was almost zero. In fact, you have a much better chance of winning most lotteries than you do of dying as a passenger on a U.S. air carrier.

How did flying get so safe? And can we apply the hard-earned safety lessons from aviation to artificial intelligence?

When humanity introduces a new paradigm-shifting technology and that technology is rapidly adopted globally, the future consequences are unknown and often collectively feared. The introduction of powered flight in 1903 by the Wright brothers was no exception. There were many objections to this new technology, including religious, political and technical concerns.

It wasn’t long after powered flight was introduced that the first airplane accident occurred – and by not long I mean the same day. It happened on the Wright brothers’ fourth flight. The first person to die in an aircraft accident was killed five years later in 1908. Since then, there have been over 89,000 airplane accidents globally.

I’m a researcher who studies air travel safety, and I see how today’s AI industry resembles the early – and decidedly less safe – years of the aviation industry.

From studying accidents to predicting them

Although tragic, each accident and each fatality represented a moment for reflection and learning. Accident investigators attempted to recreate every accident and identify accident precursors and root causes. Once investigators identified what led up to each crash, aircraft makers and operators put safety measures into effect in hopes of preventing additional accidents.

For example, if a pilot in the earlier era of flight forgot to lower the landing gear prior to landing, a landing accident was the likely result. So the industry figured out to install warning systems that would alert pilots about the unsafe state of the landing gear – a lesson learned only after accidents. This reactive process, while necessary, is a heavy price to pay to learn how to improve safety.

Over the course of the 20th century, the aviation world organized and standardized its operations, procedures and processes. In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act, which established the Civil Aeronautics Authority. This precursor to the Federal Aviation Administration included an Air Safety Board.

The fully reactive safety paradigm shifted over time to proactive and eventually predictive. In 1997, a group of industry, labor and government aviation organizations formed a group called the Commercial Aviation Safety Team. They started to look at the data and attempted to find trends and analyze user reports to identify risks and hazards before they became full-blown accidents.

The group, which includes the FAA and NASA, decided early on that there would be no competition among airlines when it came to safety. The industry would openly share safety data. When was the last time you saw an airline advertising campaign claiming “our airline is safer than theirs”?

It’s down to data

The Commercial Aviation Safety Team helped the industry transition from reactive to predictive by adopting a data-driven, systemic approach to tackling safety issues. It generated this data using reports from people and data from aircraft.

Every day, millions of flights occur worldwide, and on every single one of those flights, thousands of data points are recorded. Aviation safety professionals now use Flight Data Recorders – long used to investigate accidents after the fact – to analyze data from every flight. By closely examining all this data, safety analysts can spot emerging and troublesome events and trends. For example, by analyzing the data, a trained safety scientist can spot if certain aircraft approaches to runways are becoming riskier due to factors like excessive airspeed and poor alignment – before a landing accident occurs.

Flight voice and data recorders are well known from accident investigations, but the data from ordinary flights is invaluable for preventing accidents.
YSSYguy/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

To further increase proactive and predictive capabilities, anyone who operates within the aviation system can submit anonymous and nonpunitive safety reports. Without guarantees of anonymity, people might hesitate to report issues, and the aviation industry would miss crucial safety-related information.

All of this data is stored, aggregated and analyzed by safety scientists, who look at the overall system and try to find accident precursors before they lead to accidents. The risk of dying as a passenger onboard a U.S. airline is now less than 1 in 98 million. You are more likely to die on your drive to the airport than in an aircraft accident. Now, more than 100 years since the advent of powered flight, the aviation industry – after learning hard lessons – has become extremely safe.

A model for AI

AI is rapidly permeating many facets of life, from self-driving cars to criminal justice actions and hiring and loan decisions. The technology is far from foolproof, however, and errors attributable to AI have had life-altering – and in some cases even life-and-death – consequences.

Nearly all AI companies are trying to implement some safety measures. But they appear to be making these efforts individually, just like the early players in the aviation field did. And these efforts are largely reactive, waiting for AI to make a mistake and then acting.

What if there was a group like the Commercial Aviation Safety Team where all AI companies, regulators, academia and other interested parties convened to start the proactive and predictive processes of ensuring AI doesn’t lead to calamities?

From a reporting perspective, imagine if every AI interface had a report button that a user could click to not only report potentially hallucinated and unsafe results to each company, but also report the same to an AI organization modeled on the Commercial Aviation Safety Team. In addition, data generated by AI systems, much like we see in aviation, could also be collected, aggregated and analyzed for safety threats.

Although this approach may not be the ultimate solution to preventing harm from AI, if Big Tech adopts lessons learned from other high-consequence industries like aviation, it just might learn to regulate, control and, yes, make AI safer for all to use.

James Higgins, Professor of Aviation, University of North Dakota

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James Higgins, University of North Dakota, The Conversation

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October 27, 2025
Alaska Airlines Says An Information Technology Outage Is Grounding Its Flights – KXL

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Alaska Airlines planes are shown parked at gates with Mount Rainier in the background at sunrise, March 1, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

SEATTLE (AP) — An information technology outage has prompted Alaska Airlines to ground its planes, the airline said Thursday.

The company said in a post on the social platform X that it imposed a “temporary ground stop.” It recommended that passengers check their flight status before heading to the airport.

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the post said.

The airline didn’t immediately respond to an email requesting more information.

The grounding was affecting Alaska Air and Horizon Air flights.

Hawaiian Airlines, which was bought by Alaska Air Group last year, said its flights are operating as scheduled.

In July, Alaska grounded all of its flights for about three hours after the failure of a critical piece of hardware at a data center.

There has been a history of computer problems disrupting flights in the industry, though most of the time the disruptions are only temporary.

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Jordan Vawter

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October 23, 2025
Six major US travel rules that have changed in 2025, explained

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From policy reversals to fee introductions and digital transformations at borders, 2025 has seen significant changes in travel rules that affect millions of passengers globally. Here, experts unpack some of the biggest updates so far this year.

Travel Rules Changes for 2025:

No Mandatory Cash Compensation for Delays

A key proposal that would have required airlines to provide mandatory cash compensation to passengers for controllable delays was scrapped in September.

“I think one of the biggest changes was in September, the Trump administration dropped a Biden-era plan that would have required airlines to provide cash compensation for significant flight delays,” travel expert Bobby Laurie, a former flight attendant and in-flight policy and procedure analyst, told Newsweek. “As a result, there is no federal rule mandating that airlines pay passengers for delays caused by issues within the carrier’s control.”

According to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the Department of Transportation (DOT) previously issued an “Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that examined requiring U.S. and foreign air carriers to adopt and adhere to customer service plans identifying essential services,” such as meals, rebooking, hotel stays, transportation to or from the hotel, timely customer service, as well as “compensation which airlines would be required to provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences” when a flight cancellation or delay was “due to circumstances within the airline’s control.”

However, the office noted that “consistent with Department and administration priorities, the Department plans to withdraw the ANPRM.”

Each airline sets its own compensation policies. According to the website of the DOT, which was last updated on September 11, “If an airline has made a commitment to provide a particular service or compensation, then the Department can hold the airline accountable.”

The DOT guidance advises that “controllable delays” include those due to maintenance, crew issues, fueling, or baggage loading. Passengers are advised to check with their carrier during delays, as amenities such as meals or hotel stays vary by airline.

American Airlines Removes Bag Sizers at Boarding Gates

Another notable change came from American Airlines, which removed its gate-area bag sizers in October, a decision made to streamline boarding processes. According to an internal memo reported by the aviation website View From the Wing, gate agents are now instructed to “use their judgement” and “err on the side of the customer” when determining if a bag needs to be checked.

While the move doesn’t change actual baggage size limits, it alters enforcement. “The bag sizer isn’t a ‘rule change’ per se,” Laurie told Newsweek. “The bag sizes are still in force, but the agents can now eyeball it and also take the passengers’ word for it.”

Southwest Airlines Ends ‘Bags Fly Free’ Policy

Perhaps one of the most dramatic shifts in airline policy this year came from Southwest Airlines. Known for its “Bags Fly Free” mantra, the airline eliminated free checked bags for most travelers on flights booked from May 28 onward.

“One of the biggest shakeups in the travel industry this year comes from Southwest Airlines,” Sarah Silbert from Points Path, a flight search browser extension tool, told Newsweek. “The airline ended that longstanding perk…and has now joined the ranks of other major U.S. airlines by introducing hefty checked bag fees.”

Sarah Pardi, a travel expert at the global insurance firm Insurte, told Newsweek: “Checking a bag can be expensive, so it was definitely a selling point for customers looking for a great deal.”

Travelers with a Southwest credit card or A-List status can still check one bag for free.

Spirit Airlines Offers Two Free Checked Bags—to Some

While other carriers tighten baggage perks, Spirit Airlines has taken a different approach. As of 2025, the ultra-low-cost carrier now allows co-branded credit card holders to check two bags for free—provided the booking is made directly through the airline.

Pardi said: “The Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard, which is co-branded with Bank of America, will allow Spirit Airlines travelers a two-bag allowance each when tickets are booked directly through Spirit with the credit card.”

Southwest To Introduce Assigned Seating

While not yet active, another big shift is on the horizon for Southwest Airlines. As of January 27, 2026, the airline will transition from its open seating model to an assigned seating system.

“One of the more quirky experiences when flying Southwest is that seats are not assigned,” Pardi told Newsweek. “Starting January 27 of 2026, this is changing…fare choices will include Standard, Preferred, and Extra Legroom.”

Southwest’s website confirms the change, promising “seat options that allow you to choose the experience you prefer,” and highlighting upgrades as part of its broader rebrand, including new cabin designs and loyalty perks.

Digital Entry Replaces Passport Stamps

A major change across the pond will affect American travelers looking to collect passport stamps while trekking around Europe. As of October 12, the European Union began rolling out its Entry/Exit System (EES), phasing out physical passport stamps in favor of biometric data collection at border checkpoints.

“The new Entry/Exit System (EES) started to be operational on 12 October 2025,” according to the European Commission’s official travel website. The system captures fingerprints and facial images, and will be gradually deployed across the Schengen Area, with full implementation expected by April 10, 2026.

Do you have a travel-related story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

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October 19, 2025
ICE agent who took upskirt photos of flight attendant says it wasn’t a crime because he was sneaky

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Billy Olvera just wanted more cookies—or so he told an American Airlines flight attendant. Meanwhile, he used the ruse to take photos and videos of the attendant’s butt, legs, and feet.

A police examination of his phone uncovered 23 photos and 20 videos of the flight attendant, who goes by A.G. in court documents.

Olvera’s “clandestine video voyeurism,” as his lawyer would later describe it, took place while Olvera was on duty, working as a deportation officer transporting a detainee on a flight.

“This case boils down to an armed, on-duty law enforcement officer who was actively transporting a detainee on a commercial flight using his cell phone to film underneath a flight attendant’s skirt and take other compromising pictures of that flight attendant without her awareness or consent,” as U.S. attorney Markenzy Lapointe summarized the case before it went to trial.

Olvera was convicted in federal court of interference with flight crew members and attendants. He appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, arguing that he should be acquitted because he was sneaky about his attempts to photograph A.G. and didn’t intend to interfere.

The 11th Circuit has now rejected this argument and affirmed Olvera’s conviction.

The case stems from a Dallas to Miami flight in November 2023. Olvera was on the flight with another ICE officer, transporting a detainee.

According to A.G., “Olvera positioned himself with his shoulder and leg in the aisle area, which caused A.G. to have to brush up against him when she passed through the aisle, but she thought that he positioned himself this way because he was tall and needed more room,” the appeals court explained. “A.G. also noticed Olvera’ looking over his shoulder’ a few times toward the galley area, but she thought that he was just trying to ensure that he was out of the way because the flight attendants were frequently going up and down the aisles.”

When A.G. started going around with the beverage cart, Olvera asked her if he could have some cookies. They weren’t on that cart, so she pledged that she would return with some cookies later. But back in the galley, she noticed something odd: Olvera’s phone was sitting on his aisle-side thigh with the camera facing up.

When he called her back over to ask about the cookies again, he was talking so softly that A.G. had to lean in, semi-squatting, in order to hear him, she said. At this point, his phone was out in the aisle “with the camera facing up, very close to [her],” about “an inch and a half away from [her] knees,” almost as if he was “trying to get underneath [her] dress,” she testified at trial. She looked up at him and he then “took his phone and slid it up against his thigh and up to his chest,” hiding the screen from her view. This caused “bells and whistles” to go off in her head, she said. She realized that maybe Olvera had been “trying to record underneath [her] dress” all along.

A.G. told another flight attendant, “L.A.,” about her suspicions and they decided to test the theory. As A.G. walked down the aisle, L.A. secretly observed and recorded what happened from back in the galley. Sure enough, Olvera slid his phone underneath his tray table and used it to take pictures and videos of A.G.

A.G. told the trial court that she felt “violated” and “extremely enraged.” She was used to unruly passengers—but not ones who were armed, she said.

As Olvera later waited for the detainee he was escorting to use the bathroom, he “stared” at A.G. and told her that he preferred the heels she had been wearing to the flat shoes she was wearing now, she testified.

But unbeknownst to Olvera, A.G. and L.A. had told the rest of the crew and the captain about Olvera’s photography habit, and they had arranged for law enforcement to be waiting when the plane landed.

A police examination of Olvera’s phone revealed 43 pictures and videos of A.G. Many were “images of A.G.’s backside while she was walking, sitting, and performing her cart services (angled many times in a way that suggested Olvera was trying to view up her skirt),” the 11th Circuit explained in its opinion.

Olvera was later charged with violating the federal law against “interference with flight crew members and attendants.” It bans “assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft” in a way that “interferes with the performance of the duties of the member or attendant or lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties, or attempts or conspires to do such an act.”

At trial, prosecutors told the jury that a guilty finding did not require the government to prove that Olvera intended to intimidate A.G. or that he intended to interfere with her duties, merely that this had been a consequence of his knowing action.

He was convicted.

In a motion for a judgment of acquittal, Olvera’s lawyer argued that he couldn’t have broken the law because he wasn’t aware A.G. was intimidated. After all, Olvera had “acted surreptitiously so as not to get caught” and “for all [Olvera] knew, he had gotten away with his clandestine video voyeurism. It was not until the Defendant disembarked the plane and was apprehended by law enforcement that Defendant realized he had been caught and the gig was up.”

After the district court denied his acquittal motion, Olvera appealed to the 11th Circuit.

In an October 7 decision, three appeals court judges affirmed Olvera’s conviction. “Contrary to Olvera’s argument, the government was not required to prove that he was subjectively aware that he was intimidating A.G.,” they wrote. All that is required “is that the defendant knowingly engaged in certain speech or conduct that intimidated a flight attendant in a manner that interfered with the performance of the attendant’s duties,” and there was “more than sufficient evidence” to suggest that Olvera did just this.

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Elizabeth Nolan Brown

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October 16, 2025
After a Long Nosedive, Boeing Ascends Into Clearer Skies

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Ever since a side panel on one of its 737 Max passenger jets blew out at nearly 15,000 feet in January 2024, news from aviation giant Boeing has been almost unrelentingly awful. At times it was so dire the very future of U.S. industry’s former crown jewel looked doubtful, amid revelations about its flippant attitude toward production safety, and customer threats to turn to European rival Airbus for new airframes Boeing struggled to deliver.

But now, 21 months after that Alaska Airlines incident terrified the 171 passengers aboard — and goaded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) into ordering Boeing to entirely revamp its flawed assembly and safety inspection system — the company finally appears to be ascending back toward business success through an overhaul of its once famed culture of safety first. For starters, just this week Boeing announced it delivered 55 planes to customer airlines in September — the highest number for the month since 2018. That wasn’t all.

The company also said it’s looking to increase output of its best-selling 737 Max to 42 aircraft per month, up from the 38 monthly rate allowed under the production cap the FAA imposed after the Alaska Airlines incident. That’s part of Boeing’s wider return to manufacturing form, which it confirmed today with the additional news it delivered a total of 440 commercial planes to customers during the first nine months of 2025. It also inked gross orders for 96 planes in September, bringing its running total for 2025 to 870 craft.

That’s the result of an ongoing Boeing workplace revolution of culture, employee attitudes, and manufacturing procedures. That required the company to revamp its assembly and safety inspection processes, and also forced executives to regain the trust of floor workers. Many of those employees were subjected to scorn, retaliation, and even dismissal for alerting superiors to production flaws they’d seen in planes, or reporting dangerously shoddy assembly practices.

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That continuing reform effort is feeding the new, virtuous cycle of business activity Boeing reported this week. It’s also generating cash the company badly needs after losing nearly $12 billion since 2024 — and a whopping $36 billion since 2019. It also appears to have halted the succession of what appeared to be near-death developments following the 2024 Alaska Airlines side panel blowout.

A critical moment in the turnaround drive came in August 2024, when the Boeing board tapped aviation industry veteran Kelly Ortberg to take controls of the nosediving company. In doing so, Ortberg focused on restoring the manufacturing giant’s former culture of industrial and safety excellence that had been lost in recent decades.

That occurred as C-suite executives prioritized profitability and shareholder dividends over other considerations — including spending the time and money to fix aircraft flaws employees had reported. It also involved selling off suppliers of essential aircraft components that had long been integrated into Boeing’s manufacturing and assembly operation.

The new signs that Ortberg’s internal reform campaign is bearing fruit comes at a critical time for the wider airline industry, too. Many carriers complain of having to pare back or delay expansion plans because of a shortage of new planes.

Indeed, about the only good news Boeing had received since the 737 Max side panel blowout was Airbus’s inability to fully capitalize on the turbulence rocking its American competitor. Enduring post-pandemic disruptions in the European consortium’s supply chain limited its production capabilities, even as Boeing’s own output was reduced by the FAA cap.

But despite the continued improvements, Boeing still has a way to go before returning to top form.

Its 440 plane deliveries so far this year are still lower than the 568 aircraft it handed off to customers during the same period in 2018 — when the company’s real problems began. That year the crash of one of its 737 Max planes killed 189 people aboard, and sparked investigations that revealed the manufacturer’s shocking disregard for reported safety lapses.

Then, in 2019, a second 737 Max operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed, resulting in 157 deaths. Additional fallout and damning revelations that arose after that accident continued battering Boeing’s reputation for safety, and fueled increasingly miserable financial results. With the 2024 Alaska Airlines incident looking like it could become the coup de grâce, the company’s board replaced the management veteran it appointed in 2020 with the trained engineer and aviation sector executive Ortberg.

The turnaround at Boeing since Ortberg’s arrival has been dramatic. But the key to keeping that progress going will be convincing the FAA that the company’s internal safety revamp has advanced enough to increase the 737 Max production cap to 42 jets per month. During comments made at a Morgan Stanley investor conference last month, Ortberg seemed confident getting the regulator’s approval was within reach soon.

“I think we’re pretty aligned,” Ortberg said, according to CNBC. “We’ve got to get this final metric stabilized … (and we’re) planning to be producing at 42 a month by the end of the year.”

Awaiting that, Boeing got still more good news this week — this time from Europe.

In another step forward in the company’s reform drive, European Union regulators approved the company’s planned $4.7 billion reacquisition of fuselage manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems, which was previously an integrated part of Boeing’s business and manufacturing structure.

But the unit was sold off in 2005 under the drive by executives at that time to generate cash and reduce costs by outsourcing production. They then applied relentless pressure on those newly independent suppliers to speed output and reduce prices eating into Boeing’s bottom line.

Ortberg clearly viewed that decision as a bad move in both industrial and strategic terms. As a result, even as it struggles to return to profitability, Boeing is now corralling considerable finances to reintegrate Spirit AeroSystems — and promising doing so will both streamline production and improve quality control.

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Bruce Crumley

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October 15, 2025
Ground stop issued at Atlanta airport following fire incident, FAA confirms

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A ground stop was issued Friday afternoon at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in connection to a fire, the FAA confirmed.

Delta Airlines passenger aircraft are seen from the air at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

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The airport is one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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October 10, 2025
The Shutdown Is Pushing Air Safety Workers to the Limit

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“We will never compromise on safety. When staffing constraints arise, the FAA will slow down air traffic at impacted airports to ensure operations remain safe,” FAA spokesperson Hannah Walden tells WIRED, adding that Transportation secretary Sean Duffy “said that air traffic controllers who report to work will be paid. Regarding reductions in force (RIFs), DOT has been clear for months: safety critical positions—including air traffic controllers—have and will continue to be exempt from any RIFs.”

In a written statement, a spokesperson for the TSA said of employees working without pay: “It’s unfortunate they have been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”

On Thursday, Duffy suggested on Fox Business News that controllers and other workers who don’t come to work during the shutdown would be fired. “If we have a continual small subset of controllers that don’t show up to work, and they’re the problem children … if we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go,” said Duffy.

One air traffic controller described this week’s working conditions as “pretty much the same” but with “an undercurrent of fear that the dipshits in charge will use this as an excuse to decertify our union and take away all bargaining rights.”

Air traffic workers know that accusations of coordinated activity and sick-outs, or informal labor actions that could violate long-standing bargaining agreements with the government, are especially perilous right now, as federal officials threaten the status of public sector unions. The Trump administration suddenly ended TSA workers’ collective bargaining agreement in March, before a court preliminarily halted the move in June. Workers worry that taking an absence, even when it’s needed, could have long-term consequences for their union—and therefore, their working conditions.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. But a pop-up on the public union’s website notes that it “does not endorse, support, or condone any federal employees participating in or endorsing a coordinated activity that negatively affects the capacity” of the National Airspace System.

Jones, the TSA agent and union leader, says his group won’t organize sick-outs. But employees may have to call out if the lack of pay means “they don’t have the means to commute into work,” he says.

“We are sick and tired of being political pawns for Washington,” adds Jones.

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Aarian Marshall

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October 10, 2025