2024 in aviation explained

This article is a list of significant events that occur in aviation in 2024.

Events

January

2 January
  • A runway collision at Haneda Airport in Tokyo occurred when Japan Airlines Flight 516, operated by an Airbus A350-900 arriving from Sapporo, collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and both aircraft caught on fire. This resulted in the complete destruction of both aircraft. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members of the Airbus were evacuated. There were six occupants on board the Coast Guard aircraft, a De Havilland Canada Dash 8; the captain escaped with serious injuries whilst the remaining five crew members were killed. The Coast Guard aircraft was scheduled to provide relief to Niigata in response to the previous day's Noto Peninsula earthquake.[1] [2]
    4 January
  • A Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking crashed off the coast of Bequia in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[3] Actor Christian Oliver and his two daughters were killed in the accident along with the pilot.[4] [5]
    5 January
  • Shortly after departing Portland International Airport in Oregon, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operating as Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 suffered an explosive decompression when a plug covering an unused exit door blew out. The aircraft made a safe return to Portland with all 177 occupants alive.[6] The FAA subsequently ordered all 737 MAX 9 planes fitted with door plugs to be grounded for inspection.[7] It was subsequently reported that Alaska Airlines and United Airlines both discovered faults on other 737s.[8]
    16 January
  • The United States Department of Justice blocked the proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines by JetBlue, citing that it would create a lack of competition in low-cost carriers. The stock price of Spirit Airlines dropped by 47% after the decision was made.[9]
    18 January
  • At the WINGS India 2024 event in Hyderabad, Akasa Air placed an order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, including both the MAX 10 and MAX 200 variants.[10]
    20 January
  • A Dassault Falcon 10 carrying six people crashed in the Kuf Ab District of Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province, killing two of its occupants.[11]
    23 January
  • A BAe Jetstream 32 operating as Northwestern Air Flight 738 crashed shortly after takeoff from Fort Smith Airport, Northwest Territories, Canada, when at 500 m (1,600 ft), killing six out of the seven on board.[12]
    24 January
  • A Russian Ilyushin Il-76M transport aircraft, reportedly carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war along with three other passengers and six crew from Chkalovsky air base near Moscow to Belgorod, crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia.[13]

    February

    6 February
  • A Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter piloted by former Chilean president Sebastián Piñera lost control and crashed into Lake Ranco in Chile. Piñera was killed and the other three people on board survived.[14] [15]
    9 February
  • A Bombardier Challenger 600 operated as Hop-A-Jet Flight 823 crashed into a vehicle on Interstate 75 in Collier County, Florida while attempting to make an emergency landing. Two of the five on board were killed in the crash.[16]
    10 February
  • A chartered Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed in a desert near the California-Nevada border after a fire on board. Two pilots and four passengers were on board and none survived the crash.[17] [18] [19]
    18 February
  • Air Serbia Flight 324, an Embraer 195 operated by Marathon Airlines, struck landing lights on takeoff at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The aircraft flew for another hour and made an emergency landing at the same airport with a gaping hole in the fuselage. All 111 occupants were reported safe.[20] [21]
    20–25 February
  • The Singapore Airshow was held.[22] Highlights included orders for Airbus from Vietjet (20 A330neos) and Starlux Airlines (three A330neos and five A350Fs), Boeing from Thai Airways (45 787-9s) and Royal Brunei Airlines (four 787-9s), and Comac from Tibet Airlines (40 C919s and 10 ARJ21s).[23]
    21 February
  • The TAI TF Kaan, a fifth-gen stealth fighter being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries, performed its maiden flight.[24]
    26 February
  • Canadian Budget airline Lynx Air ceased operations due to financial issues.[25] [26]

    March

    5 March
  • A Dash 8-300 operating as Safarilink Aviation Flight 53 from Wilson Airport, Nairobi to Diani near Mombasa was involved in a mid-air collision with a Cessna 172 operated by a local flying school. The Dash returned to Wilson and landed safely with no injuries among the 39 passengers and five crew. The Cessna crashed in Nairobi National Park killing the two occupants.[27]
    8 March
  • David E. Harris, the first African American pilot who flew for a major airline, died at the age of 89.[28] [29]
    10 March
  • A Boeing 787-9 operating as LATAM Airlines Flight 800 suffers an in-flight upset, injuring 50 of the 272 occupants on board the aircraft. The plane made an emergency landing at Auckland Airport.[30] [31]
    12 March
  • A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft crashed near Belgorod after suffering an engine fire. All 15 on board were killed.[32] [33]
    22 March
  • The Boom XB-1, a prototype/technology demonstrator supersonic aircraft developed by Boom Supersonic, conducted its first flight from Mojave Air and Space Port. The flight reached a maximum altitude of and a top speed of during its 12-minute flight.[34] The company aims to use the XB-1 to develop its Overture supersonic airliner, of which the XB-1 is a roughly 1/3rd scale model.[35]
    31 March
  • A Boeing 727-200 operated by Safe Air on a scheduled flight from Juba International Airport to Malakal Airport, South Sudan, undershot the runway after experiencing technical issues. The aircraft collided into a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 belonging to African Express Airways that had crashed around two months earlier at the same airport. All seven occupants survived, with only one person injured.[36]

    April

    4 April
  • US company Skydweller Aero completes the world's first unmanned flight of a large solar-powered aircraft.[37]
    13 April
  • Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait and Israel all closed their airspace in response to the 2024 Iranian strikes in Israel.[38] [39]
    17 April
  • The FAA implemented a ground stop for Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Horizon Air (meaning planes were not permitted to take off) after a notification by the airline. Alaska airlines made the request after an issue surfaced during a routine system upgrade essential for ensuring aircraft weight and balance, although the exact nature of the issue has not been disclosed. The airline stated it had acted "out of an abundance of caution".[40]
    18 April
  • Kenya's highest ranking military officer, General Francis Ogolla, and nine other members of the Kenya Defence Forces were killed in the crash of a UH-1 Huey in western Kenya.[41] [42]
    23 April
  • Two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters collided over Lumut, Perak in Malaysia during a formation flight as part of a rehearsal for the upcoming Navy day parade. All 10 people on board the Leonardo AW139 and Eurocopter Fennec were killed.[43] [44]
    25 April
  • Southwest Airlines and American Airlines reported large first-quarter economic losses, with Southwest losing US$231 million and American expecting to lay off over 2,000 employees during the remainder of the year. In addition, Southwest is to stop flying to Cozumel, Syracuse and Bellingham airports. These declines have limited the airlines' abilities to order more aircraft in the near future, with Southwest cancelling some of its Boeing 737 orders for the year.[45]
    30 April
  • Australian low-cost airline Bonza which launched operations in January 2023, enters voluntary administration with all services suspended.[46]

    May

    3 May
  • Dick Rutan dies at the age of 85 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He was the pilot of the first non-stop round-the-world flight on board the Voyager aircraft in 1986. He was the older brother of Burt Rutan.[47]
    17 May
  • Bette Nash, the world's longest-serving flight attendant, dies at the age of 88, after working for Eastern Air Lines and then American Airlines for a total of 67 years.[48]
    19 May
  • A Bell 212 helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati, and the Supreme Leader's representative in East Azerbaijan Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, crashed near the Iranian city of Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan. There were no survivors.[49]
    21 May
  • A Boeing 777-300ER operating as Singapore Airlines Flight 321 flying from London to Singapore, encountered severe turbulence killing 1 passenger and injuring 104. The plane made an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand.[50] [51]
    27 May
  • Following the closure of Porto Alegre Airport on 3 May for an undetermined time, due to flooding in the Rio Grande do Sul region, Brazilian airlines announce that limited services will be operated from Canoas Air Force Base. A nearby shopping centre will host check-in and other terminal facilities.[52] [53] A number of aircraft were also damaged.[54]

    June

    7 June
  • A Beechcraft T-34 aircraft piloted by former NASA astronaut and United States Air Force pilot, Bill Anders, author of the iconic Earthrise photograph, crashed near the US-Canada border. Anders did not survive the crash.[55]
    10 June
  • A Malawi Air Force Dornier 228 carrying Vice-President of Malawi Saulos Chilima, former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi, and seven other occupants crashed in Chikangawa Forest Reserve in Mzimba District, killing all nine occupants on board.[56] [57]
    26 June
  • Lufthansa City Airlines begins operations as a subsidiary of Lufthansa Group.[58]
    30 June
  • Boeing announces the acquisition of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion, with Airbus set to acquire the Spirit programmes producing major components for Airbus aircraft.[59] [60]

    July

    12 July
  • A Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR on a ferry flight from Lukhovitsy to Moscow, operating as Gazpromavia Flight 9608, crashed whilst attempting an emergency landing. All three occupants on board were killed.[61] [62]
    18 July
  • Saudia signs a binding sales agreement with Lilium GmbH to purchase 50 electric Lilium Jets, with the option to purchase 50 more.[63]
    19 July
  • During the CrowdStrike incident, 5,078 air flights around the world, amounting to 4.6% of those scheduled that day, were cancelled.[64]
    22–26 July
  • The Farnborough International Airshow is held.[65]
    22–28 July
  • The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is held at Wittman Regional Airport, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States.[66]
    24 July
  • A Bombardier CRJ200ER operated by Saurya Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, Nepal, on a test flight to Pokhara. The pilot was the sole survivor of the crash, which killed 18 people.[67]
    26 July
  • A Pilatus PC-12 crashed north of Gillette, Wyoming, causing a wildfire that was put out shortly after by firefighters, and killing all seven onboard. Of the six passengers and one crew, three members of the American gospel group The Nelons, including vocalist Kelly Nelon Clark, died in the crash.[68]
    30 July
  • Rex Airlines, Australia's third largest airline, ceases all domestic Boeing 737 jet services and goes into administration.[69]

    August

    9 August
  • An ATR 72-500 operating as Voepass Linhas Aéreas Flight 2283 from Cascavel to São Paulo, crashed in a residential area near Vinhedo, São Paulo killing all 58 passengers and 4 crew members on board.[70]

    November

    13–15 November
  • The Bahrain International Airshow is scheduled to be held.[71]

    Deadliest crash

    The deadliest crash so far in 2024 is the crash of a Russian Ilyushin Il-76M on 24 January, with 74 people reportedly on board.[72]

    The deadliest crash of a commercial airliner flight occurred when an ATR 72 operating as Voepass Linhas Aéreas Flight 2283 crashed during approach to São Paulo on 9 August, killing all 62 passengers and crew on board.[73]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Five dead on coastguard plane after collision with jet on Haneda Airport runway . BBC News . 6 January 2024 . en-gb . 2 January 2024 . 2 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240102153131/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-67862184 . live .
    2. Web site: Ng . Kelly . Fraser . Simon . Japan Airlines: Hundreds survive after plane bursts into flames on Tokyo runway . BBC News . 6 January 2024 . 2 January 2024 . 3 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240103132149/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-67862011 . live .
    3. News: 4 January 2023 . Four die in plane crash off Bequia . 5 January 2023 . Loop News.
    4. News: Airplane crash Bequia: 'Speed Racer' actor, 2 daughters killed in plane crash in Caribbean . 24 January 2024 . ABC 7 Chicago . ABC.
    5. Web site: Breen . Kerry . 2024-01-05 . Actor Christian Oliver and 2 young daughters killed in Caribbean plane crash . 2024-02-29 . CBS News.
    6. News: Gates . Dominic . Dominic Gates . 5 January 2024 . Alaska Airlines grounds MAX 9s after door plug blows out on Portland flight . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240107200534/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/180-on-alaska-airlines-flight-safe-and-scared-in-portland-after-window-blows/ . 7 January 2024 . 6 January 2024 . The Seattle Times.
    7. News: Wright . George . FAA grounds 171 Boeing planes after mid-air blowout on Alaska Airlines jet . 8 January 2024 . BBC News . BBC . 2024-01-08.
    8. News: Rushe . Dominic . Airlines United and Alaska find loose bolts on Boeing 737 Max 9 planes . The Guardian . 9 January 2024.
    9. News: Raymond . Nate . Shepardson . David . Singh . Rajesh Kumar . US judge blocks JetBlue from acquiring Spirit Airlines . 18 January 2024 . Reuters . 16 January 2024.
    10. Web site: Shah . Aditi . Sadam . Rishika . India's Akasa Air says 'confident' about Boeing, orders 150 MAX jets . Reuters.
    11. Web site: 2024-01-23 . Four survivors of Russian plane crash in Afghanistan in 'good health' . 2024-01-25 . www.ariananews.af . en-US.
    12. Web site: 2024-01-24 . BAe Jetstream 32 crash claims lives in Canada's Northwest . 2024-01-25 . en-US.
    13. News: 24 January 2024 . Russian jet crashes carrying Ukrainian PoWs - Moscow . 24 January 2024 . BBC News.
    14. News: Sebastián Piñera: Chile ex-president drowns after his helicopter crashes in lake . BBC News . 6 February 2024.
    15. News: Accident Robinson R44 Raven II CC-PHP . aviation-safety.net.
    16. Web site: 2 dead after small plane crashes into car, creating fiery explosion on Florida highway . 2024-02-10 . USA TODAY . en-US.
    17. News: Sheets . Connor . 2024-02-10 . Six killed in helicopter crash in San Bernardino County near Nevada border . 2024-02-29 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
    18. News: Sharp . Julie . Edwards . Mika . 2024-02-13 . Coroner identifies 6 people killed in helicopter crash near California-Nevada border - CBS Los Angeles . 2024-02-29 . CBS News . en-US.
    19. News: Helicopter with six people on board crashes in California's Mojave desert . 2024-02-29 . The Guardian.
    20. Web site: Air Serbia Embraer E195 Plane Overshoots Runway During Takeoff From Belgrade . 2024-03-12 . aeroxplorer.com . en.
    21. Web site: 2024-02-20 . A passenger jet smashed into runway lights as it took off, flew for 60 minutes, then landed with a gaping hole in its fuselage . 2024-03-12 . Yahoo News . en-CA.
    22. News: 29 December 2023 . Singapore Airshow to be open to public again; tickets on sale from Jan 2 . The Straits Times . 1 January 2024 . 1 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240101024400/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/singapore-airshow-to-be-open-to-public-again-tickets-go-on-sale-from-jan-2 . live .
    23. News: Highlights from Singapore Airshow 2023: COMAC makes its mark . 24 February 2024.
    24. News: Malyasov . Dylan . Turkish stealth fighter prototype made its first flight . 21 February 2024 . 21 February 2024 . Defence Blog.
    25. Web site: Lynx Air files for creditor protection, final flight scheduled for Feb. 26. Hunt. Stephen. CTV News. February 22, 2024. February 22, 2024.
    26. Web site: Dupis . Lily . Lynx Air to cease operations Monday, obtains creditor protection . CBC News.
    27. News: Varley . Len . Safarilink Dash-8 in Mid-Air Collision With Light Aircraft . AviationSource News . 5 March 2024.
    28. Web site: Blair . Elizabeth . The first Black pilot of a commercial airline has died at 89 . NPR . March 13, 2024 . March 14, 2024.
    29. News: Taylor . De'Anthony . David E. Harris, first Black commercial pilot for major US airline, dies at 89 . March 10, 2024 . NBC New York . March 9, 2024.
    30. Web site: 50 people injured, 13 sent to hospital after 'technical event' on LATAM Airlines flight . 2024-03-12 . USA TODAY . en-US.
    31. News: Timsit . Annabelle . Masih . Niha . Bellware . Kim . 2024-03-11 . 50 people injured after plane's 'nosedive' on flight to New Zealand . 2024-03-12 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
    32. Web site: 2024-03-12 . Russian military transport plane 'crashes on take off' with 15 people aboard . 2024-03-13 . The Independent.
    33. Web site: Brennan . David . 2024-03-12 . Video shows Russian Il-76 plane catching fire moments before crash . 2024-03-13 . Newsweek.
    34. Web site: Boom Announces Successful Flight of XB-1 Demonstrator Aircraft . Boom Supersonic . Boom Technology . 22 March 2024 . 22 March 2024.
    35. Web site: Stevens . Tim . Boom's first test flight could signal the return of supersonic air travel . The Verge . 22 March 2024 . 22 March 2024.
    36. Web site: Hradecky . Simon . 2024-04-01 . 2024-03-31 . Accident: Safe B722 at Malakal on Mar 31st 2024, landed short of runway and collided with MD-82 . 2024-04-02 . The Aviation Herald.
    37. News: Molyneaux . Ian . World's first unmanned large solar aircraft takes flight . Aerotime . 5 April 2024.
    38. Web site: Lebanon Closes Its Airspace to All Aircraft . 13 April 2024 . MTV Lebanon . en . 13 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240413231559/https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/local/1438394/lebanon-closes-its-airspace-to-all-aircraft . live .
    39. Web site: Israel reports minor damage to military base after 'limited number' of Iran missiles fall on its territory – live. The Guardian . 13 April 2024 . 13 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240413212525/https://amp.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/apr/13/iran-launches-drone-attack-against-israel . live .
    40. News: Tran . Emily (AI) . FAA Grounds Alaska Airlines Flights Nationwide Amid System Upgrade Issue . 22 April 2024 . Hoodline . . 19 April 2024.
    41. Web site: Accident Bell UH-1 Huey . 2024-04-18 . aviation-safety.net.
    42. News: Gen Francis Ogolla: Kenya helicopter crash kills country's military chief . 18 April 2024.
    43. News: Ng . Kelly . Ten dead as navy helicopters collide mid-air in Malaysia . 23 April 2024 . BBC . 23 April 2024.
    44. News: Ten crew killed after two Malaysian Navy helicopters collide in midair . 23 April 2024 . Al Jazeera . 23 April 2024.
    45. Web site: 2024-04-25 . Southwest Cuts Routes and Reduces Hiring Amid Boeing Delays and Q1 Losses . 2024-04-25 . Business Times . en.
    46. News: Visontay . Elias . Transport . Elias Visontay . reporter . urban affairs . 2024-04-30 . Grounded: Bonza poised to join long list of failed Australian airlines . 2024-05-05 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
    47. News: Perry . Nick . Associated Press . 2024-05-05 . Dick Rutan, Vietnam War pilot and record-breaking aviator, dies at 85 . 2024-05-07 . Air Force Times . en.
    48. News: Sarnoff . Leah . Sweeney . Sam . 25 May 2024 . Bette Nash, world's longest-serving flight attendant, dies at 88 . 2024-05-26 . ABC News . en . 26 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240526033557/https://abcnews.go.com/US/bette-nash-worlds-longest-serving-flight-attendant-dies/story?id=110561946 . live .
    49. Web site: Helicopter Carrying Iran's President Has Crashed, State Media Reports . 19 May 2024 . Fassihi . Farnaz . . 19 May 2024.
    50. Web site: Severe turbulence on Singapore Airlines flight 321 from London kills two, injures others, airline says . Tucker. Reals. 21 May 2024. CBS News.
    51. Web site: Singapore Airlines apologises for deadly 'traumatic' flight . Tan . Yvette . 23 May 2024 . BBC.
    52. News: Brazilian airlines announce services to Air Force Base in Porto Alegre . MercoPress . en.
    53. News: Viapiana . Tabata . What to know about airport closures after flooding in southern Brazil . Brazil Reports . 29 May 2024 . en.
    54. Web site: Stunning aerial photos show devastating scale of flooding in Brazil . Reuters . 24 May 2024.
    55. News: Bill Anders: Nasa 'Earthrise' astronaut dies at 90 in plane crash . www.bbc.com . 7 June 2024.
    56. Web site: Saulos Chilima: Malawi VP's plane found with no survivors, president says . 2024-06-11 . BBC . en-GB.
    57. Web site: 12 June 2024 . Malawi announces state funeral and 21 days of mourning for vice president killed in a plane crash . 19 June 2024 . Africanews . en.
    58. News: Lufthansa City Airlines starts flight operations with A320neo on June 26 . 26 June 2024 . . 24 June 2024.
    59. News: Boeing announces purchase of Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion in stock . The Seattle Times . 30 June 2024.
    60. News: Kaminski-Morrow . David . Boeing and Airbus agree to split up Spirit AeroSystems' operations . Flight Global . 1 July 2024 .
    61. News: Russian passenger jet crashes flying empty near Moscow, killing its crew of 3 . 12 July 2024 . . 12 July 2024 . English.
    62. News: Three dead as passenger plane crashes outside Moscow during test flight . 12 July 2024 . . 12 July 2024.
    63. Web site: July 18, 2024 . Saudia firms order for up to 100 Lilium Jets . July 28, 2024 . Flight Global . en.
    64. News: Global IT outage: More than 5,000 flights cancelled; how security 'arms race' led to crash | as it happened . Sky News.
    65. Web site: FIA 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240107102106/https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/fia-2024/ . 7 January 2024 . 7 January 2024.
    66. Web site: EAA AirVenture Tickets July 22–28, 2024 . 2024-06-26 . www.eaa.org . en.
    67. News: Pilot only survivor of Nepal plane crash . www.bbc.com . 24 July 2024.
    68. Web site: July 26, 2024 . Three members of Gospel Music Hall of Fame quartet The Nelons among 7 killed in Wyoming plane crash . July 27, 2024 . . en.
    69. Web site: July 30, 2024 . Australia's third largest airline enters administration . July 30, 2024 . . en.
    70. Web site: Hradecky . Simon . Crash: Voepass AT72 at Sao Paulo on Aug 9th 2024, spun out of control and lost height . . 9 August 2024.
    71. News: 17 October 2023 . Bahrain International Airshow unveils new look for the future of aerospace . Aviation24 . 1 January 2024 . 1 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240101105854/https://www.aviation24.be/air-shows/bahrain-international-airshow/bahrain-international-airshow-unveils-new-look-for-the-future-of-aerospace/ . live .
    72. Web site: 2024-01-24 . Russian plane crash: Ministry says 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on plane that crashed . 2024-03-23 . BBC News . en-gb.
    73. Web site: Kaminski-Morrow . David . 9 August 2024 . Voepass ATR 72 crashes near Sao Paulo . 2024-08-09 . Flight Global . en.

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