Here are some of the stories that shaped commercial aviation in 2024.
By Andrew Chen
This year was a dynamic and tumultuous one for the global aviation industry. As air travel continued to creep toward – or in some cases exceeded – pre-pandemic levels, the industry was faced with new challenges.
A string of accidents and incidents sparked concerns about the safety of air travel. Labor unrest shut down production lines at one of the world’s largest manufacturers. One of the world’s oldest airlines ceased operations.
But there is also much to be optimistic about. A new long-haul narrowbody jet – the Airbus A321XLR – entered service. The United States saw its busiest ever travel day. Airlines continue to make exciting changes and additions to their route networks.
As we close out another exciting year in aviation and look toward the future, it is once again time to look back at some highlights from the year’s headlines.
January
All on A350 Survive Accident in Tokyo
Less than 48 hours into the new year, a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 caught fire after colliding with a Japanese Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8. All 379 people on board the A350 survived, but five crew members on board the Coast Guard aircraft tragically died.
Explosive Decompression Reported on Alaska 737 MAX
A door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out mid-flight, leading to an explosive decompression. The incident resulted in a grounding of the aircraft type, legal action by passengers, an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, and $160 million in compensation paid by Boeing to Alaska Airlines.
Air France Adds New Phoenix Route
Air France became the third European to serve Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with a new route from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The new route became the carrier’s 17th U.S. destination.
JAL Retires Last 777-200ER
As one of the early adopters of Boeing’s 777, JAL used the Boeing 777-200ER for both short and long-haul operations. AirlineGeeks was on hand to witness and document the airline’s retirement of the type.
Avelo Launches First International Service
Avelo officially launched its first international service. Departing from Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport, the new venture, undertaken in partnership with Apple Vacations, offered scheduled public charter flights and vacation packages to three popular destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico.
February
American Adds Its Longest Nonstop Route, New Destinations
American announced multiple warm weather routes for the 2024-2025 winter season, including the airline’s longest nonstop flight. This new announcement came days after the carrier publicized its intentions to offer nonstop flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport in the coming months.
Canadian ULCC Lynx Air To Cease Operations on Feb. 26
2024 was a harsh year for Canadian ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs). Lynx Air ceased operations in February, while Canada Jetlines did the same later in the year in August.
Southwest Halts 2024 Pilot Hiring Plans
After seeing massive pilot hiring figures in 2022 and 2023, pilot hiring began to slow down in the United States this year. AirlineGeeks published a white paper examining the phenomenon.
Delta Pilot Charters Entire A330 for Retirement Send-Off
A Delta Air Lines captain took his retirement flight to a whole new level by chartering and flying an entire Airbus A330-900neo for a day-long trip to Hawaii. AirlineGeeks had an exclusive opportunity to speak with Captain Rosenkraz, during which he stated, “I would do it again a hundred times.”
March
JetBlue, Spirit Call Off $3.8 Billion Merger
JetBlue and Spirit terminated their $3.8 billion merger agreement. JetBlue had planned to purchase Spirit until the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued to block the merger; a federal judge agreed with the DOJ in January and blocked the deal on antitrust grounds.
Photos: Ex-Alaska A321neos Find New Life in American Fleet
After Alaska Airlines retired its last Airbus aircraft in September of 2023, American announced its plan to acquire the 10 A321neos from the Seattle-based airline. AirlineGeeks got a look at some of these airframes at Roswell Air Center in March.
Boeing’s Top Brass Ousted in Management Shake-Up
Amid the fallout from January’s door plug blowout, multiple Boeing leaders learned in March that they were out of a job, including CEO Dave Calhoun and Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal.
New Pacific Airlines Halts Scheduled Service
The airline ended scheduled service on its single route between Ontario and Nashville. Other routes such as Ontario to Las Vegas were suspended earlier in the year. The airline had also proposed service to two Essential Air Service (EAS) communities in the Midwest.
April
Breeze Reports First Profitable Month, Cites Strong Demand and Network Growth
Breeze Airways, the self-styled “Nice Low-Cost Carrier” (NLCC), announced a major milestone in April: its first operating profit. The airline attributed its success to high demand for its “premium leisure” offerings and a maturing network in key markets.
Condor Takes Delivery of First A320neo
German leisure carrier Condor took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo aircraft, marking another step in the airline’s fleet modernization program. Meanwhile, the airline has also finalized the retirement plans for its Boeing 757 fleet.
Air China and China Southern Place 200 COMAC C919 Orders
On April 7, 2024, Air China announced that it was pursuing an order of 100 COMAC C919s with the Chinese manufacturer. Two days later China Southern Airlines revealed that it was placing another 100 C919 orders with COMAC.
Inside Look: United Debuts America’s First Airline-Owned Early Baggage System
AirlineGeeks took a look behind the scenes at United Airlines’ new Early Baggage System at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The new facility is designed to improve baggage delivery reliability and has a processing capacity of 80,000 bags per day.
May
Emirates Employees to Receive Bonus of Five Months Salary
Emirates gave its employees a bonus worth 20 weeks of pay after record-setting profits. During the same week, Singapore Airlines also announced that it will reward eligible staff with a bonus equivalent to nearly eight months of salary, following the airline’s record-breaking profits for the fiscal year 2024.
United Gets FAA Green Light to Again Certify Aircraft, Add New Route
The Chicago-based carrier was cleared to ramp up the certification of aircraft and add new routes after a nearly two-month-long FAA-mandated pause due to safety concerns. All of this followed a string of headline-making incidents involving United aircraft.
U.S.-Nigeria Air Transport Agreement Signed After 24-Year Wait
The long-awaited U.S.-Nigeria Air Transport Agreement finally came into force on May 13, 2024, marking a milestone in the bilateral relationship between the two nations. The agreement includes provisions for unrestricted capacity and frequency of services, open route rights, a liberal charter regime, and open code-sharing opportunities.
China’s COMAC Begins Developing New Widebody Aircraft
Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC has begun work on a new widebody airliner dubbed the C939. Initial reports indicated that COMAC has already developed design concepts for the jet, but it will still be years before an actual prototype is built.
June
JetBlue Awarded First-Ever Essential Air Service Contract
After months of consideration, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) selected JetBlue as the next Essential Air Service (EAS) carrier in the community of Presque Isle, Maine. JetBlue began service in September, and AirlineGeeks was on hand to experience the first flights.
Cathay Pacific Returns Last COVID-Grounded Aircraft to Service
Cathay Pacific announced the return of its final aircraft that had been parked overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Airbus A330-300 had been in storage for nearly four years.
An Inside Look at UPS’ Louisville Hub
Nestled in Louisville, Ky. lies UPS Worldport, the global air hub for UPS Airlines. This massive facility, clocking in at 5.2 million square feet, is a central sorting location for millions of packages each day. AirlineGeeks received a behind-the-scenes look at the facility.
Air Asia Introduces First Africa Route
In June, it was revealed that Air Asia was planning to make a foray into Africa with a route between Malaysia and the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
Lufthansa Introduces Environmental Sustainability Surcharge
In response to rising operational costs and environmental regulatory requirements, Lufthansa announced that it will begin introducing an environmental cost surcharge. This summer, the surcharge will be levied for tickets with departures on and after January 1, 2025.
CRJ-200s Reappeared on Some Delta Routes
Delta had retired the widely hated 50-seat CRJ-200 from its network in December of 2023. For six months the airline didn’t operate a single CRJ-200 under its banner. Then in late June 2024, a couple of eagle-eyed planespotters noticed a single CRJ-200 with the Delta Connection livery buzzing in and out of the airline’s Detroit hub to Essential Air Service (EAS) airports in northern Michigan.
July
Thousands of Flights Cancelled Amid Global IT Outage
On July 19, 2024, airlines around the world experienced major IT issues, leading to widespread flight disruptions including thousands of flight cancellations. The problems stemmed from a software update issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that caused computers running Microsoft Windows to crash.
SkyWest Begins Delta Connection CRJ-550 Operations
SkyWest began CRJ-550 operations under the Delta Connection brand in July. The aircraft – which feature a less dense seating configuration compared to standard CRJ-700s – now serve routes previously operated by the CRJ-200.
Southwest Adds Assigned Seating, Redeye Flights Amid Revenue Woes
Southwest announced a major shakeup in its product offerings amid a drop in profits. The Dallas-based carrier revealed plans to change its seating model, revamp its boarding process, and add overnight redeye flights.
La Compagnie Marks 10 Years of Operations
Roughly 10 years ago, an interesting airline popped into existence and many were unsure about its business practices. A decade later, the all-business-class airline La Compagnie celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Pueblo Receives Six EAS Proposals
The Essential Air Service (EAS) program got more interesting in 2024 with the introduction of new airlines trying to snap up these EAS contracts like Breeze and JetBlue. In line with this trend, Pueblo Memorial Airport received a record number of EAS proposals.
August
IAG Withdraws from Air Europa Purchase
International Airlines Group (IAG) withdrew from an agreement to purchase the remaining 80% share of Spanish carrier Air Europa, with Chief Executive Luis Gallego stating, “It doesn’t make sense for our shareholders and that’s the reason we are abandoning the operation.”
United to Phase Out Inflight Print Magazine
United’s 32-year-old inflight magazine, Hemispheres, is set to suffer the same fate as print publications at both Delta and American, which were phased out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FAA Allocates $291 Million in Sustainability Grants
The FAA announced award selections on August 16, 2024, allocating $291 million of the Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) discretionary grant program allotment across 36 projects. FAST invests in accelerating the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and developing low-emission aviation technologies.
Alaska-Hawaiian Deal Moves Forward Without DOJ Intervention
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines formally got the green light to merge this year. The purchase, which was finalized in September, has already led to changes in the airlines’ networks.
Kenya Airways Posts First Profit in Over a Decade
Kenya Airways announced its financial results for the first half of the year, revealing a profit after tax for the first time since 2013. During the financial year ending June 30, 2024, Kenya Airways carried 2.54 million passengers, representing a 10% increase compared to the previous year.
September
SAS Joins SkyTeam Alliance
Five months after the initial announcement, the carrier completed the deal to join the SkyTeam alliance in what CEO Anko Van der Werff called “a new era for SAS.” The move came after Air France-KLM, a key player in SkyTeam, acquired a 19.9% stake in the company following financial troubles.
Allegiant Takes Delivery of First Boeing 737 MAX
After numerous delivery delays, Allegiant Air took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX on September 9, 2024. The new jet was the airline’s first Boeing aircraft since it pivoted to an all-Airbus fleet in 2018. Allegiant’s 737 MAX subsequently entered revenue service the following month.
Boeing Machinists Reject New Contract, Go on Strike
More than 30,000 aerospace workers at Boeing walked off the job on September 13, 2024 after a large majority of them rejected a tentative contract. The job action had wide-ranging consequences: a hiring freeze followed by layoffs and furloughs, delivery delays, and production line stoppages. The strike ended 53 days later after the machinists union voted yes to a new contract.
ITA Airways Revives Alitalia Brand
ITA Airways announced the reappearance of the old Alitalia brand, a symbol that used to have value in the early days of the jet era and during the first years of air transportation for the masses.
October
United Makes Sweeping Network Expansion
United revealed that it was adding several unique international routes in Summer 2025. These included Tokyo Narita–Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Washington Dulles–Dakar in Senegal, and Newark–Nuuk in Greenland.
Southwest Retires Last Legacy ‘Canyon Blue’ 737
The last aircraft to wear Southwest’s legacy “Canyon Blue” livery – registered as N786SW – was retired during the second week of October, marking the paint scheme’s demise. The Canyon Blue colors were unveiled in 2001.
Another Airline Set to Retire Airbus A318
First debuted in 2002, the A318 is the smallest A320-series variant and, before the A220’s introduction, was the smallest Airbus aircraft. Over the years, the so-called ‘baby bus’ has become increasingly rare. Romania’s TAROM retired its single remaining A318 in October.
Czech Airlines Ceases Operations After 101 Years
European carrier Czech Airlines (CSA) officially ended operations on Saturday. The carrier, which inaugurated service in 1923 and joined the SkyTeam alliance in 2001, was absorbed by Smartwings.
First A321XLR Delivered to Iberia
The first Airbus A321XLR was delivered to Iberia on October 30, 2024. After over a year of delays, the long-range narrowbody jet entered service in November.
November
Boeing 767 to Rejoin Air Canada’s Passenger Fleet
The Boeing 767-300ER will rejoin Air Canada’s passenger fleet after being retired during the COVID-19 pandemic. During an investor presentation, the airline revealed that it is planning on bringing back two airframes in 2025.
Spirit Files for Bankruptcy Protection
Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after years of quarterly losses and mounting debt. In a letter to customers, the carrier said it plans to continue operating normally. “The most important thing to know is that you can continue to book and fly now and in the future,” it said.
Emirates Receives First New Aircraft Type Since 2008
Emirates announced a new milestone on Monday with the delivery of its first Airbus A350 aircraft. This delivery was the first of 65 A350 aircraft slated to join Emirates over the next several years and represents the first new aircraft type to enter the airline’s fleet since 2008.
DHL 737 Crashes Near Lithuania Airport
One crew member died and three others were hospitalized after a DHL 737-400 freighter crashed on approach to the Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania. The cargo flight was operated by Madrid-based carrier Swiftair on behalf of DHL. It had taken off from Leipzig, Germany, and was scheduled to land in Vilnius.
Reagan National Completes $110 Million Runway Overhaul
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport completed its roughly $110 million runway rehabilitation project in November, concluding 19 months of overnight work to resurface asphalt and base materials along the airport’s primary runways.
December
U.S. Airlines Report Strong Performance During Busiest-Ever Travel Day
Sunday, December 1, 2024 saw over 3.08 million passengers navigate bustling U.S. airports and TSA checkpoints in a record-breaking day for airline traffic, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Icelandair Takes Delivery of First-Ever Airbus
Icelandair received its first Airbus A321LR aircraft as part of the airline’s fleet modernization plans. The long-time Boeing operator has four leased A321LRs on order along with 13 longer-range A321XLRs. AirlineGeeks was on board the carrier’s inaugural Airbus flight.
Embraer E175 Flights Begin in Aspen
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport started receiving regularly scheduled Embraer E175 service. For several years, the single-runway Colorado airport has been confined to CRJ-700 commercial aircraft due to space constraints.
Korean Air Completes Merger With Asiana Airlines
After four years of proposing the acquisition, American authorities gave a green light to the merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. This decision cleared the way for the deal.
Five New Routes Awarded at Reagan National
The Department of Transportation issued its final order regarding nonperimeter flights from Washington Reagan National Airport on Tuesday. As part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the airport received five more round-trip slot pairs extending beyond its 1,250-mile perimeter rule. In October, the agency tentatively awarded the slot pairs to American, Alaska, Delta, United, and Southwest, allowing 14 days for other carriers to file objections.
Embraer E190 Crashes in Kazakhstan
The year ended in a pair of tragedies, the first being the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 that killed at least 38 of the 67 people on board. Unnamed sources with knowledge of the preliminary investigation for the crash told Reuters that Russian air defenses shot down the plane. The airline has since suspended service to several Russian cities.
737 Veers Off Runway, Catches Fire in South Korea
A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 veered off a runway and burst into flames near Muan, South Korea, on the morning of December 29, 2024. Only two out of the 181 people on board survived the crash, which followed an attempted belly landing.
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