This past year (2022) has been full of aviation ups and downs exciting moments as well as history in the making. I take a look at some key events of the past year.
January:
On the 31 of January Boeing officially launched the 777–8 more commonly referred to as the 777X freighter. It has an estimated 118-ton payload with a 4400 nautical mile range. According to Boeing, It is the largest twin-engine cargo jet and it is used to rival the Boeing 747–400 and the A350 freighter. Qatar Airways has ordered 34 of the type with the option for 16 more. It is rumoured the order is worth over $20 billion with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.
February:
Aviation in the month of February mostly centred around Ukraine and Russia as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the 24th of February, Russia invaded Ukraine and this resulted in the closure of Ukrainian air space. On the 25th the EU issued sanctions against Russia, including a ban on the sale of aircraft and spare parts. Lessors were required to terminate leases on aircraft placed with Russian Airlines. On the 27th, EU states as well as the UK and Canada closed their airspace to Russian aircraft. Russia issued a similar ban in response. This forced many airlines to reroute flights to Asia. The Antonov An-225 Mriya - the world's largest cargo plane is destroyed by fire and bombing. Ukraine has plans to rebuild the aircraft.
March:
A lot of aviation news in March was a result of the war in Ukraine. On the 2nd of March, both Airbus and Boeing suspended maintenance support for Russian Aircraft. On the 8th, Russian state carrier Aeroflot suspends its remaining international services except to Minsk, Belarus. This is due to airspace closures and the risk of lessors repossessing their aircraft. On the 9th, Finnair adopts a North Pole routing for flights to Asia in order to avoid Russian airspace. It is the first time a polar routing has been used in 30 years.
April:
On 7th April, a DHL Aero Expresso, flight 7216, operated by a 757 - 200 freighter, crash landed after a Runway excursion at
Juan Santamaria International Airport. This caused the aircraft to break into two. The crew members were able to escape with minor injuries. On 13th April, the newly relaunched British Regional flag carrier FlyBe made its first flight from Birmingham to Belfast. It marks a key event in the life of this relaunched carrier.
May:
On 2nd May, Qantas placed an order for 12 A350-1000 aircraft for its project sunrise flights starting in 2025. Project Sunrise aims to connect London with Sydney and Melbourne in Australia non-stop.
June:
On 15th June the A321XLR took its maiden flight and entry into service is expected in 2024.
July:
On 28th July JetBlue announced its planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion.
August:
On 16th August, American Airlines officially ordered 20 Boom Overture Supersonic airliners. This opens a new door for the possibility of a supersonic future.
September:
On 8th September, Airbus revoked all of Qatar Airways' remaining A350 orders. This is just another step in its ongoing saga with Qatar. On 13th September, HM Queen Elizabeth II's last flight from Edinburgh to RAF Northolt became the most-ever tracked flight on FlightRadar24. On 27th, Virgin Atlantic announced it would join the Sky Team Alliance in 2023. This will bring competition to British Flag Carrier British Airways which is a One World Member.
October:
On 27th October a Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft crashed on Mount Etna, Sicily during extinguishing operations. Two pilots died as a result.
November:
November had two notable collisions. On 12th November, two WWII aircraft collided midair at an airshow in Dallas. The two aircraft involved were a B-17 and a Bell P-63. A few days later on 18th November, a Latam A320NEO collided with a firetruck that had entered the runway. All 102 passengers and 6 crew escaped but two firefighters were killed and one injured.
December:
On 2nd December, the USAF publically unveiled its next-generation bomber, the B-21 Raider. It was unveiled in California by Northrop Grumman and the Air Force.
Overall, 2022 has been an exciting year in aviation. This is not a complete list of all aviation-related events in 2022 but highlights some key events from each month. I hope you enjoy it. If you want to hear more about a specific topic leave a comment below or contact me at: geekofairlines@gmail.com.
I wish you all the best for 2023.
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