Cleared To Approach: The Aviation Blog

  Putin Alaska Visit: As Putin visited Alaska for negotiations about the war in Ukraine, we got to see some pretty cool aviation moments. In an unprecedented move, Putin's IL96 aircraft was escorted by US fighters, most likely F35s as it departed Russia. This is the first documented instance of an official Russian aircraft receiving such an escort in US airspace, making it a historic aviation moment. Italian F35s Intercept Russian Aircraft: On August 13, two Italian Air Force F35A fighters were scrambled as a part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission to intercept Russian Su-24 and Su-27 aircraft. These aircraft were operating near NATO airspace without transponders or flight plans. This was the first ever F35 interception operated by Italy for NATO, highlighting their preparedness. Indigo Tail-Strike: An Indigo Aircraft VT-NCJ suffered a tail strike while operating Indigo Flight 6E1060 from Bangkok (BKK / VTBS).  The tail strike occurred while it was executing a go-around ami...

  Air India Express Flight Suffers Bird Strike at Pune Airport: Air India Express Flight IX1098 was taking off at Pune Airport (PNQ / VAPO) on a scheduled flight to Bhubaneswar (BBI / VEBS) when it suffered a bird strike during takeoff. One engine was damaged, and all 140 passengers were evacuated safely. It occurred during takeoff and the engine in question caught fire. This was before V1 (point of no return), so the pilot could abandon takeoff and halt the plane in time. Pune Airport has a history of bird strikes, and the numbers keep increasing. Just last month, a DEL-PNQ flight faced a similar accident. Cathay Pacific Massive Delay: Cathay Pacific Flight CX883 bound from Las Vegas (LAX / KLAX) to Hong Kong (HKG / VHHH) encountered massive delays. The 13-hour flight turned into 28 on August 4. Due to a storm, the 777 diverted to Taiwan (TPE / RCTP). Instead of disembarking, the passengers were made to sit on the flight. On August 5th, the aircraft took off and made it to Hong Ko...

  Passenger Sues Delta over Crash: A Delta Airlines Flight Attendant who was a passenger on Endeavor (a Delta Subsidiary) Air Flight 4819 has sued the company. She was deadheading to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ / CYYZ) when the flight crash landed- skidding and coming to a halt upside down on February 17, 2025. All 80 passengers survived and 18 of them were transferred to local hospitals. Vassena Miles (the passenger in question) claims that she has sustained major injuries due to Delta's negligence, stating that they appointed inexperienced pilots. F-35 Crash: A US navy F-35 fighter crashed in California near the Naval Air Station Lemoore. Its pilot ejected and made it to the ground safely. Several F35s have had accidents and crashed recently and each costs approximately 85,000,000 USD exclusive of maintenance and fuel costs. Emirates' New Daily Service: Emirates has introduced a new daily service to Hangzhou, China. Its inaugural flight, EK130 landed at Hangzho...

  The Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737-Max are the future of narrowbody aviation; perfect for short-to-medium hall routes, these two aircraft dominate the skies as the backbone of most modern airlines' fleets (exceptions like emirates apart). Advantages of Such Aircraft: Highly reliable and fuel efficient. Optimised for high-frequency routes. Perfect for short-to-medium hall routes. Now can be used for some transatlantic long-haul routes with LR versions ( See this post ) Short turnaround time Lower maintenance costs Overview: B737 Max & A320neo: The A320 neo and the 737 Max were both designed to replace their older, less efficient counterparts. A320neo: Introduced in 2016 as an upgrade to the A320ceo, offering multiple engine options and better fuel savings. B737 Max: Deliveries began in 2017, evolved from the original 737 series with upgraded engines and avionics. Seating Capacity: A320 neo: In a typical, two-class configuration, it can hold 150-180 passengers. In a high-density...

  Emirates Resumes Flights to Damascus, Syria: After the anarchy in Syria, Emirates has restarted a regular flight to the country's capital, Damascus. Flight EK193 arrived at 2:30 PM, on the 18th of July in the City of Jasmine and was greeted with a water salute. X59 Taxi Tests: The NASA and Lockheed Martin X59 quiet supersonic research aircraft has officially begun taxi tests. The experimental jet should be capable of flying the JFK-LHR route within 3 hours.

  AI171 Preliminary Report: The preliminary report of Air India flight 171 has been released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) The report suggests that fuel was cutoff mid-air, just post takeoff. When the captain asked the FO why he cutoff, the FO denied cutting-off fuel supply. Through a new angle we also see the RAT deployed immediately after takeoff. Note that this is the preliminary report, and the cause of crash will be confirmed afterwards. Bergamo Airport Tragedy: A man at Bergamo airport in Milan was sucked into a running engine of an A319. He was killed, halting operations of the airport. He was not affiliated to the airport or any airline. Sydney Airport Incident: An engine of a Qantas A380 collided with an aerobridge yesterday. The engine has sustained damage, and the incident is being investigated.  Malaysian Helicopter Crash: A Malaysian Eurocopter crashed into water on the 10th of July during a police exercise. The helicopter crashed near a Mal...