‍DALLAS — 2024 marked a pivotal year in commercial aviation, framed and bookended by major incidents that contributed to its deadliest period since 2018. 

However, Boeing's ongoing quality control issues dominated headlines, leading to increased FAA oversight, production slowdowns, and management changes. The manufacturer's struggles rippled across the industry, affecting airline fleet plans and delivery schedules globally.

Meanwhile, major industry shifts included airline strategic airline partnerships and alliance shuffles, with several carriers launching long-haul routes despite high fuel costs while rising operational costs forced the suspension of several historic routes.

These developments occurred against a backdrop of record post-pandemic passenger demand that foreshadowed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) prediction that the global airline industry is set to achieve a significant milestone in 2025. 

Total revenues are projected to exceed US$1 trillion for the first time, a 4.4% increase from 2024, demonstrating the industry’s recovery and growth despite persistent challenges, and passenger numbers are expected to reach 5.2 billion, surpassing the five billion milestone for the first time, a 6.7% increase from 2024.

We’ll chronologically recap the top stories of 2024, so sit back and read the most discussed headlines the Airways news desk brought you in the last 12 months.

Japan Airlines 516 Crash: What We Know So Far

On January 2, 2024, a Japan Airlines (JL) A350-900 burst into flames after colliding with a Coast Guard DHC-8 while landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND). The accident occurred around 5:47 p.m. local time (07:47 a.m. UTC).

During the landing on Runway 34R, the Airbus A350-900 collided with a smaller Coast Guard plane, causing a fire on the runway. Once the time of the accident was verified, Flightradar24.com data showed that the JL A350 involved in the accident was JA13XJ, operating as flight JL516 from New Chitose Airport (CTS) in Hokkaido to HND.

Fortunately, all 12 crew members and 367 passengers on board the A350 could escape without any life-threatening injuries.

According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the Coast Guard airplane involved in the ground collision was on a mission to deliver supplies to a base in Niigata Prefecture following Monday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck central Japan.

According to Tokyo Police officials, only the pilot escaped the Coast Guard airplane after the collision. The plane was carrying six people.

A week later, the Japanese government implemented new airport safety measures. One key amendment relates to how orders are communicated and sent out from the control tower. Before the collision, ATC used the term "number one" to convey the departure order for planes on standby.

After receiving reports that the air traffic controllers were unaware of the Coast Guard aircraft entering the runway without permission, the MLIT installed a new air traffic controller post on January 6.

This new post would ensure continuous aircraft monitoring at the airport and immediately notify colleagues if a plane that has not received clearance is detected on the runway. The government planned to introduce this role at other major airports with radar capabilities, such as Narita International Airport (NRT) and Kansai International Airport (KIX).

NTSB Update: All 12 Door Plug Stops Failed, Leading to Blowout

The year’s second aircraft incident occurred on January 5, 2024, when an Alaska Airlines (AS) Boeing 737-9 reg. N704AL landed at Portland International Airport (PDX) shortly after take-off due to the sudden loss of a deactivated emergency exit door.

During the flight, the door and a large inner wall panel detached, causing a sudden decompression that led to an emergency landing. In video footage captured during the incident, the emergency exit and wall panel could be seen torn off, and oxygen masks deployed. 

Flight AS1282 was in the air for about 20 minutes and reached a maximum altitude of 16,300 feet. It was en route from Portland to Ontario, California, and carried 171 passengers and six crew members. There were no casualties.

Structures group engineer Klint Crookshanks took center stage on January 9 to explain how the door plug is retained in the opening of the fuselage. The door plug is attached to 12 stop pads on the door frame interface with 12 stop pins on the door plug to prevent it from blowing out of the fuselage.

The structure group's exam showed that the door did translate upward, meaning all the stop pads became disengaged, fracturing the fittings and allowing the plug to blow out of the fuselage.

The NTSB investigator said they did not know if there was evidence that the four bolts were present or if they came out during the violent decompression event. However, it was revealed that the four bolts on the sides of the door plug that prevent it from moving upward were missing. 

Furthermore, the investigators believed the four bolts were removed during assembly at Boeing's Renton factory and not reinstalled. This would be confirmed later on.

On January 24, 2024, Seattle Times aerospace reporter Dominic Gates reported that a Boeing whistleblower said mechanics on the company's Renton final assembly line removed the fuselage panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines (AS) Boeing 737-9 for repair and then reinstalled it improperly.

The blowout incident led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigating whether Boeing ensured the part was made according to design standards. This increased quality inspections of Boeing 737 MAX jets and led to an agreement between Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems to improve production and quality standards.

Lufthansa's Four New Routes, Delta Suspends Los Angeles-London

The first week of March, Frankfurt-based carrier Lufthansa (LH) announced the introduction of flights to four new European destinations from Munich (MUC) and Frankfurt (FRA).

The airline announced in a press release that it would commence scheduled flights on several new routes ahead of the peak summer season. This would mark a year of new routes and others suspended or cancelled.

Lufthansa launched flights to Trondheim (TRD) in Norway next month. The airline operates scheduled flights between MUC and TRD. This is the first time LH has flown to TRD, Norway’s third-largest city.

The German flag carrier also scheduled summer flights to Oulu (OUL) in Finland, offering two weekly flights from Munich to OUL. Oulu is northern Finland's largest and most prominent city in the European Union. LH operated flights to OUL through the winter. The route has proven to be popular for the airline.

In addition, LH introduced flights to Nantes (NTE) in France. LH now flies between MUC and NTE three times a week. This city is situated at the Loire estuary and has a rich history. It is also an ideal starting point for the Bretagne and the Atlantic coast. This new route supplements LH’s flights to NTE from FRA.

That same week, on March 7, Delta Air Lines (DL) announced it would discontinue its route between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

After May 6, passengers seeking to travel on the Atlanta-based airline between LAX and LHR could only book a connecting flight through one of the airline's other hubs, including Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), Seattle (SEA), Salt Lake City (SLC), or New York (JFK). 

Before its suspension, the DL route was operated daily by an Airbus A330-900, with DL186 departing from Los Angeles to London at 8:00 PM PST and arriving at 2:50 p.m. (+1 day) GMT and DL187 departing from London to Los Angeles at 4:50 PM GMT and arriving at 8:30 p.m. PST. 

Meanwhile, DL’s A330-900 aircraft was reassigned to its hub at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (ATL), initiating an extra flight on the ATL-LHR route. During 2023, the airline exclusively operated the Boeing 767-400ER on this route, offering four daily flights.

Among many, but those were the most read route launch and suspension announcements of the year for our readers.

SAS to Switch to Skyteam After Air France-KLM Takeover

Moving on to airline alliances, in March of 2024, Air France-KLM (AF-KL) was pushing through negotiations to take a majority stake in Scandinavian airline SAS (SK). What are the ramifications?

First, SK would become a full-fledged part of the AF-KLM group if the deal goes through. While we knew of the investment in October 2023, we did not have much to go on in Q423. However, according to One Mile at a Time's Ben Schlappig, SK was scheduled to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by the end of the Q224, estimated around June.

In October 2023, AF-KL announced it was acquiring SK with a consortium of investment companies Castlelake and Lind and the Danish state. Initially, AF-KL will get 19.9 percent of the shares, but this stake may be increased later. "In-depth" negotiations are underway to increase the stake.

In addition, AF-KLM CEO Ben Smith has indicated that SK may switch from airline alliance Star Alliance to SkyTeam, which includes AF-KL and partners, founder Delta Air Lines (DL), and Virgin Atlantic (VS), in the second quarter of this year.

Air France-KLM and SK's networks were also becoming increasingly aligned, such as the announcement that SK would fly between Copenhagen and DL's hub in Atlanta starting next summer. In time, SK will also become part of the transatlantic joint venture with the Americans.

Air France-KLM does not expect any significant problems with the competition authorities. However, slots must be surrendered at Schiphol Airport (AMS)to get approval since SK and KL are quite dominant between Scandinavia and Amsterdam.

For the month SK is set to exit its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the Scandinavian carrier had more than 20,000 scheduled flights, according to Cirium Diio data. This equaled over 3 million monthly seats, or almost 2.5 billion ASMs—a nice addition for AF-KL and SkyTeam.

SAS officially joined the SkyTeam alliance on September 1, 2024, following Air France-KLM's acquisition of a 19.9% stake in the airline.

Argentina to Hand Over Grounded Venezuelan Boeing 747 to US

Between February and April, geopolitical drama gripped South American aviation when an Argentine court approved the transfer of a grounded Venezuelan Boeing 747-300M cargo plane to US authorities.

Emtrasur is a subsidiary of the Venezuelan state-owned Conviasa (V0), the country’s flag carrier. The new startup company was established in November 2020 to plan, manage, and control air cargo and mail operations domestically and internationally.

The Emtrasur Jumbo (YV3531, MSN 23413, LN 632) has been grounded in Argentina since June 2022. It landed in Argentina after attempting to enter Uruguay while carrying a shipment of auto parts from Mexico. 

Uruguayan authorities impeded the aircraft from entering the country’s airspace after receiving alerts from "foreign agencies. " They forced it to return to Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), where it was detained. They cited the “excessive” number of crew members on board, including Iranian nationals.

The plane's 19-member crew, consisting of Venezuelans and Iranians, was initially detained but later released. The U.S. suspected one of the Iranians on board of having links to the Al Quds Force, a group classified as a terrorist organization.

Furthermore, the U.S. claimed that selling the plane from Iran's Mahan Air (W5) to Emtrasur violated its sanctions against both countries. Venezuela and Iran have protested the U.S. attempts to seize the aircraft and sought support from Argentina. However, on Wednesday, Judge Federico Villena ordered the plane to surrender to the United States, a decision Venezuela criticized as theft.

Venezuela would ultimately ban aircraft originating from or bound for Argentina in response to the seizure of an Emtrasur cargo Boeing 747. The country's foreign minister, Yván Gil, stated that the country's airspace would remain closed to Argentinian aircraft until Venezuela was compensated for the "theft" of the Venezuelan Jumbo freighter seized in Buenos Aires in 2022 and delivered to the US.

The Venezuelan airspace closure to Argentinian aircraft is still in place. Both countries are signatories to the 1947 Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention. This treaty obliges member states to ensure freedom of the skies and grant overflight rights, especially for non-scheduled services.

Air India Announces A350 Service to New York, Newark

In August, Air India (AI) made the headlines when it unveiled plans to deploy its new A350-900 aircraft on routes from Delhi to New York (JFK) and Newark (EWR), marking a significant upgrade to its U.S. services. 

The A350 began operating daily flights between Delhi and New York on November 1, 2024, followed by five weekly flights between Delhi and Newark starting January 2, 2025.

This deployment introduces the carrier's Premium Economy class on these transatlantic routes. The A350 will feature 24 Premium Economy seats in a 2-4-2 configuration, offering extra legroom and enhanced amenities. The aircraft will also boast 28 private Business class suites with full-flat beds and 264 Economy seats.

Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, emphasized that this move significantly improved the airline's U.S. operations and demonstrated their commitment to enhancing customer experience.

Check out AI's new A350 in photos as the airline set its eyes on its renaissance with a new strategy and identity, modern aircraft and new cabins, and an innovative web strategy.

8/03/1994: First Jordanian Jet Enters Israeli Airspace

Our most-read history article in 2024 also took place in the month of August 30 years ago. In 1994, King Hussein flew his royal aircraft across Israeli airspace, marking the first time a Jordanian airplane had ever flown over Israeli airspace.

Amid a Middle East peace process of that year, King Hussein of Jordan flew his royal aircraft across Israeli airspace. The flight opened the door for a free flow of general aviation traffic between Israel and Jordan.

The king flew over Israel for roughly 25 minutes while being escorted by two Israeli jet fighters. During that time, he had a five-minute radio conversation about peace with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

King Hussein circled Jerusalem from a height of 1,000 feet in his Lockheed L-1011 Tristar while traveling from London to Amman. No flights to/from Amman operated by Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) had landed in Israel but were allowed to fly over it.

The flight occurred on a day when relations between Israel and Jordan were rapidly changing. To establish a passage close to their southern Red Sea resorts, teams from both nations started hacking down the border fence.

No aircraft, military or civilian, had been permitted to take off from one of these nations and land in the other since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Overflights over Israel had been permitted from time to time. 

The flight was one of those rare occasions when, as Barry Schiff, an American pilot and author of more than 1,800 articles published in 111 aviation magazines, says about a later flight (Operation Peace Flight) between the neighboring countries, "Although politics can transcend geography, the love of flight can transcend both."

Geopolitical Turmoil Affects Middle East Aviation

The popularity of the previous history post coincided with global airlines canceling services to Israel in 2024 due to fears of instability following Israel’s killing of political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran (THR) just hours after an Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut (BEY), killing a senior Hezbollah leader. 

Airlines were concerned about the possibility of retaliation. Thus, several carriers decided to err on the side of caution and canceled scheduled services in Israel. Lufthansa (LH) and Fly Dubai (FZ) announced the suspension of their services to Israel on Thursday, 1 August. 

These cancelations follow flight suspensions announced by United Airlines (UA), DL, and British Airways (BA) on July 31. AI, the only foreign carrier flying between Israel and East Asia at the time, also canceled its flights. UA said its route between Newark Airport (EWR) and Tel Aviv (TLV) would remain suspended until further notice. 

This was not the first time several airlines stopped flying to Israel. In 2023, most carriers, except Israel’s airlines, suspended flights to the country owing to safety risks when operating scheduled flights to the region.

Due to the August cancellations, many Israelis were stranded abroad and had to search for a way to return home. Israeli carriers have agreed to add flights from Athens (ATH) so that Israelis wishing to return to Israel can fly home from Greece. 

Israel National News reported that low-cost carriers (LCC) Wizz Air (W6) and Ryanair (FR) were still operating flights to Israel as scheduled, but the airlines are monitoring the situation carefully.

Amidst escalating regional tensions, Air France (AF) announced that it and its operator Transavia (HV) were prolonging its flight restrictions between Paris and Beirut until at least August 6.

As of January 1, 2025, numerous airlines have suspended or extended their flight cancellations to Israel due to ongoing regional tensions. Here's an overview of the current situation:

Major U.S. Airlines

• American Airlines: Flights suspended until September 2025
• Delta Air Lines: Flights canceled until the end of March 2025
• United Airlines: Flights suspended until further notice

European Airlines

• British Airways: Flights suspended until after April 2025
• Lufthansa Group (including Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Lufthansa, Eurowings): Flights suspended until February 20252
• Air France: Flights suspended until January 9, 2025
• Ryanair: Flights canceled for the remainder of 2024
• EasyJet: Flights canceled until at least March 29, 2025

Other International Airlines

• Air Canada: Flights suspended until further notice
• Cathay Pacific: Flights postponed until May 27, 2025
• Emirates: Flights suspended indefinitely
• Korean Air: Flights suspended indefinitely

Some airlines have resumed or announced plans to resume flights to Israel:

• El Al: Currently the only airline providing direct flights from the US to Israel
• Azerbaijan Airlines: Has resumed flights
• Ethiopian Airlines: Operating flights to Israel
• Wizz Air: Announced partial resumption of flights starting December 20, 2024

Regarding this topic, Airways took a closer look at EL AL Israeli Airlines' aircraft anti-missile system, an article that ranked on our most-read list of the year.

Boeing CEO Issues Ultimatum for IAM Union Members

We now descend into the third quarter of 2024 and inside the second largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. In a pivotal moment for Boeing, CEO Kelly Ortberg stepped into the negotiations with the IAM Machinists Union and issued a stern ultimatum.

In September, Boeing's West Coast factory workers were set to strike after an overwhelming 96% vote in favor of halting production. The vote involves about 30,000 workers in the Seattle and Portland areas who produce Boeing's 737 MAX jets.

The last week of September, IAM union leaders refused to hold a vote on Boeing's "Best and Final Offer" (BAFO) to meet the manufacturer's deadline, citing logistical reasons for being unable to arrange a vote by the end of the week. Ortberg was having none of it.

The ultimatum went as follows: Suppose union members reject the company’s current contract offer in an upcoming vote. In that case, future offers may be less favorable, potentially impacting the company's commitment to future projects and employee financial benefits. 

According to Jon Holden, president of the Machinists union District 731, Boeing’s position was clear: “The next offer will be regressive,” signaling possible cuts in wage increases, healthcare benefits, or local production plans.

Boeing’s latest offer included a 38% wage increase over four years, with an additional 3% raise on top of prior proposals. “These are life-changing wages,” Holden noted, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of these increases. 

According to The Seattle Times, the union's bargaining committee had advised members to accept the offer, marking it as a hard-won victory and urging an end to the 54-day strike, which has halted production of Boeing's bestselling jets at its Renton and Everett plants.

Depriving Boeing of much-needed cash from new plane deliveries, the strike has resulted in substantial direct financial losses for the American manufacturer:

• The estimated strike cost reached US$1.4 billion through September 27, 2024, about two weeks into the strike.
• Of this total, nearly US$1.1 billion was borne by Boeing shareholders.
• The direct cost to Boeing employees was estimated at around $207 million.
• By mid-October, the direct financial impact of the first month of the strike had reached US$5 billion, with US$3.26 billion of that affecting Boeing directly.

Boeing's financial results reflect the severe impact of the strike:

• The company reported a third-quarter loss of more than US$6 billion.
• This represents the second-worst quarter in the manufacturer's history.
• Boeing burned nearly US$2 billion in cash during the quarter.

In the first week of November, Boeing machinists finally agreed to accept the company’s terms, ending a seven-week strike that significantly impacted the company’s operations and finances. 

As per an IAM Union District 751 tweet, "Workers CAN return to work as early as first shift on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, for those members who want to return as quickly as possible. You MUST return to work by the beginning of your shift on Tuesday, November 12, 2024."

While this resolution is a positive step forward, the American aerospace manufacturer still faces several challenges that will take years to overcome.

Azerbaijan Airlines E190 Crashes In Kazakhstan

It seemed that commercial flight would end the year uneventful, but on December 25, news broke of an Azerbaijan Airlines (J2) Embraer E190 crash near Atkau, Western Kazakhstan.

The flight, J2-8243, was on course from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya in southern Russia. Reports suggest up to 67 passengers were aboard the flight, split between 62 passengers and five crew members.

A day later, Senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed media reports suggesting a Russian missile system caused the J2 Embraer E190 to crash near Aktau on Wednesday morning, December 25.

The confirmation came a day after Azerbaijani media reported that shrapnel from a Russian Pantsir missile system attack had damaged the J2 E190 as it approached Grozny. However, no official report has confirmed the attack that the Azerbaijani officials claim was the cause of the J2 crash on Christmas Day.

Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday, December 27, that, according to preliminary data, the cause of the plane crash was "external physical and technical impact." Meanwhile, Rosaviatsia reported that the J2 E190 failed to land in Grozny as planned due to the "Carpet" regime introduced due to terrorist attacks in Ukraine.

Investigations are still ongoing after an official apology from the Kremlin without acknowledging responsibility. 

However, another major accident would happen before the year’s end.

Jeju Air Boeing 737 Fatal Crash-Landing in South Korea

The final major story of the year is one to lament. A Jeju Air (7C) Boeing 737-800 aircraft veered off the runway and crashed at Muan International Airport (MXW) in South Korea on December 28.

Of the 181 on board, only the two flight attendants at the rear of the aircraft survived. The failed crash-landing of Flight 2216 has quickly become a puzzling accident, further complicated by South Korea’s political disarray.

The accident, one of the deadliest aviation disasters in South Korean history, occurred around 9:03 a.m. (7 p.m. EST) after a failed crash-landing as the plane returned from Bangkok, Thailand, carrying 175 passengers and six flight attendants. MXW, located in southern South Korea, became the site of an extensive rescue operation following the crash.

After more details of the crash came to light, aviation commentators and professional investigators alike have been puzzled by the events that led to this disaster. The main question is why the landing gear and flaps were not extended.

Available data suggests that the pilots did not radio air traffic control about this problem. This raises the question of whether the landing gear and flaps were either overlooked on the pre-landing checklist or malfunctioning.

Furthermore, is the birdstrike somehow linked to the landing gear not being extended, whether it be through mechanical failure or human error?

Aircraft are, after all, designed to withstand heavy birdstrikes across the fuselage and in the engines. Furthermore, aircraft are designed to survive belly landings. If MWX was not equipped to handle emergencies of this nature, then why not divert to any number of nearby airports with longer runways?

On December 30, the government of South Korea announced nationwide inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft after the fatal Flight 7C2216 crash at MWX.

Furthermore, the acting President of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, has mandated an immediate safety review of the nation’s entire airline operational framework to prevent future aircraft incidents.

These were the most-read commercial aviation stories of 2024. We hope 2025 is a year that has zero fatal incidents and more exciting developments regarding airlines' global reach as the industry moves the world 365 day forward toward a safer future for air travel.

We thank you, our readers, for your loyal support and wish you Happy New Year and clears skies in 2025. As always, stay tuned to Airways for the latest developments in commercial flight.

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