Jet2 passengers forced to look on in horror as flight leaves without them

More than three dozen Jet2 passengers saw their holidays thrown into disarray when their Alicante-bound flight departed from Manchester Airport without them on Monday morning.

Despite having their passports checked and boarding passes scanned, the passengers were left stranded in a terminal stairwell ahead of the 7am departure. The group waited for more than 40 minutes with no announcements or assistance, unaware that their aircraft had already taken off.

Travellers had expected airport staff to unlock the door at the bottom of the stairs or provide a bus to transport them to the plane. Instead, they were left in limbo as frustration mounted and no information was provided.

An airport employee eventually approached the group to ask why they were waiting in the stairwell, only to inform them that their flight had already departed.

Passengers were later told the incident was caused by an “error in stairwell directions given by cabin crew,” with Jet2 staff describing the situation as unprecedented.

One affected passenger told the media that he and his son had arrived at the gate with plenty of time to spare before confusion followed the initial boarding announcement.

“There were some stairs, and everyone just followed each other,” he said. “There were a lot of us.”

All affected passengers were issued £10 vouchers by the airline while they await rebooking on a later flight. 

Jet2 has confirmed that an urgent investigation into the incident is now underway and is trying to work out how an aircraft could leave with passengers' luggage on board but no passengers on board.

India’s biggest airline slapped with a record £2 million fine

India’s aviation regulator has slapped a record $2.45 million (£1.8m) fine on IndiGo, issued stern warnings to senior executives, and ordered the removal of the airline’s head of operations control.

This move comes after the airline faced massive flight cancellations last month. In the first weeks of December, the country’s biggest carrier cut about 4,500 flights, stranding three hundred thousand passengers across the nation. The chaos also highlighted worries about the lack of competition in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.

IndiGo has admitted that poor pilot roster planning was the main reason for the disruption. A later investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found several operational shortcomings at the airline, especially after stricter pilot rest and duty rules were introduced last year, according to the regulator.

IndiGo INGL.NS, which holds 65 per cent of India's domestic market, failed to properly identify planning gaps or maintain adequate operational buffers, the DGCA said, adding that the airline had an "overriding focus" on maximising the use of crew, aircraft, and network resources.

The DGCA stated that IndiGo’s approach undermined roster integrity and negatively affected operational resilience.

According to a government source, the fine was the largest ever imposed by the authority, though it represented only 0.31% of IndiGo’s annual profit for the 2024/25 fiscal year. 

In a statement, IndiGo said its board and management are committed to fully acknowledging the orders and will take appropriate actions thoughtfully and in due time.

Brisbane Airport breaks three records

Brisbane Airport has wrapped up its centenary with even more reason to celebrate after recording its busiest year ever.

The airport broke three records in 2025, with previous marks for busiest month, busiest day and busiest year all shattered as almost 25 million passengers travelled through the international and domestic terminals.

December set a new record for the busiest month with more than 2.3 million passengers going through the airport, while the 20th of December was the busiest day ever for the international terminal with 26,111 passengers arriving or departing, smashing a record which had stood since before the coronavirus pandemic.

Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said it had been a stellar year with brighter signs ahead as a host of new air routes come online in the coming months

"We didn't just break the daily record in the international terminal which has stood since 2020, we smashed it," he said.
"That kind of jump in passenger numbers shows the momentum building at Brisbane Airport and mirrors the momentum building right across Southeast Queensland as the clock counts down to 2032.

"This year will see even more transformation at the international terminal, with passport control relocating to the same level as check-in."

ATR42 crashes in Indonesia

An ATR42 traveling from Yogyakarta-Adisutjipto Airport (JOG/WAHH) to Makassar-Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (UPG/WAAA) has crashed in Indonesia killing all 11 people on board.

Information about the passengers, including gender and crew details, has not yet been shared with the media.

The aircraft was flying low over the ocean before losing contact, and debris has since been found on a mountainous region on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.

According to the transportation minister, at 11:23 local time, the Makassar Area Terminal Service Center (MATSC) air traffic control cleared the aircraft for an approach to Runway 21 at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar. During the approach, ATC noticed the aircraft was off the correct path and instructed the crew to adjust their position. Several more course changes were issued before contact was lost after the final instruction. AirNav Indonesia’s MATSC Branch reported the last known position was about 21 km northeast of Runway 21.

Turboprop manufacturer ATR says it is prepared to support an investigation into the accident involving an ATR 42-500.

Aircraft Information:

Owner/operator: Indonesia Air. (Maritime and Fisheries Surveillance)

Aircraft: ATR 42/72 

Registration: PK-THT
Serial Number: 611
Engines: 2 x PWC PW127E
First Flew: 10/10/2000
Age: 25.3 years
Test registration F-WWLR


We’re keeping the families and friends in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Sydney Airport in chaos as staff shortage grounds dozens of flights

Dozens of flights had to cancelled at one of Australia’s busiest airports on Thursday after severe staff shortages and safety fears.

Dozens of domestic flights at Sydney Airport have been cancelled, while several others have been hit with up to a two hour  delay after a critical staff shortage.

At least 25 flights scheduled from 6.30am to 9.40pm have been cancelled, according to FlightRadar

All the major airlines have made cancellations due to the fallout from staff shortages.

Qantas has confirmed at least thirty cancellations in total.

Virgin Australia has said eight flights have been cancelled at this stage.

Jetstar had a total of six cancellations but is experiencing delays of at least one and a half hours across the network.

The airlines had informed customers of the delays via SMS.

Airservices Australia has said that an unforeseen shortage in air traffic controllers has meant that aircraft have been staggered to ensure safety.

“Airservices has briefed airlines on the need for air traffic controllers to implement spacing intervals for aircraft arriving and departing Sydney today to safely manage operations while a number of our local staff are on short-notice sick and carers leave,” an Airservices Australia spokesperson said.

“We will keep delays to a minimum and apologise for any impact to our customers and the travelling public.”

World's safest airline rankings for 2026

Airline Ratings has revealed its Top 25 Safest Full-Service and Low-Cost Airlines for 2026, highlighting excellence in turbulence prevention, crew expertise, and overall safety.

AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only airline safety and product rating website, has announced its Top 25 Safest Full-Service and Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2026 from the 320 airlines it monitors.

In compiling the list, CEO Sharon Petersen stressed that it is important for the travelling public to understand just how narrow the margins are between the world’s safest airlines, and that small numerical differences should not be interpreted as gaps in safety. She explained:

“What stands out this year is how little separates the leaders. Less than four points covered positions one through 14, and at the very top the margins were even tighter, with just 1.3 points separating positions one through six in the full service category. We may be reaching a point where traditional rankings risk being misleading, and where grouping airlines into performance tiers provides a more accurate reflection of reality. All airlines in the Top 25 are world leaders in aviation safety, and claims that one is significantly safer or less safe than another are both sensationalist and false.”

Explaining the methodology behind the rankings, she said:

“Much of our criteria remains consistent year on year and considers incident rates adjusted for the total number of flights, fleet age, serious incidents, pilot training and international safety audits. One change for this year is that we are placing a greater emphasis on turbulence prevention, as it remains the leading cause of in-flight injuries. To support this, we consider an airline’s participation in the IATA Turbulence Aware1 programme or equivalent, as well as the Airline Ratings onboard safety audit. Transparency from airlines is also critical to this process.

The Top 25 Full-Service Airlines for 2026

1. Etihad
2. Cathay Pacific
3. Qantas
4. Qatar
5. Emirates
6. Air New Zealand
7. Singapore Airlines
8. EVA Air
9. Virgin Australia
10. Korean Air
11. STARLUX
12. Turkish Airlines
13. Virgin Atlantic
14. ANA
15. Alaska Airlines
16. TAP Air Portugal
17. SAS
18. British Airways
19. Vietnam Airlines
20. Iberia
21. Lufthansa
22. Air Canada
23. Delta
24. American Airlines
25. Fiji Airways

On changes to the World’s Safest Full-Service Airlines list for 2026, Petersen said:

“This is the first year a Gulf carrier has taken the number one spot. Etihad achieved this through a combination of factors: a young fleet, advancements in cockpit safety, particularly around turbulence, a crash-free history, and the lowest incident rate per flight of any airline on the list. The airline also participated in our independent onboard safety audit and demonstrated excellent adherence to turbulence management in the cabin.

“Other notable inclusions are STARLUX and Fiji Airways, both making their list debut. While we generally would not include a relatively young airline such as STARLUX, their approach to safety and transparency is exceptional, and the fact other leading airlines talk about them really says it all. Another change that will be welcomed by our readers is the reinstatement of Singapore Airlines, which was excluded in 2025 following a serious turbulence related incident. After visiting their safety and training centre and holding extensive discussions with their operations team, we are pleased to have them back on the list.” 

The top 25 safest low-cost airlines for 2026

1. HK Express
2. Jetstar Airways
3. Scoot
4. Fly Dubai
5. EasyJet Group
6. Southwest
7. airBaltic
8. VietJet Air
9. Wizz Air Group
10. AirAsia Group
11. TUI UK
12. Vueling
13. Norwegian
14. JetBlue
15. FlyNAS
16. Cebu Pacific
17. Jet2
18. Ryanair Ireland and UK
19. Spring Airlines China
20. Transavia Group
21. Eurowings Group
22. Volaris
23. WestJet Group
24. GOL
25. SKY Airline Chile

In ranking the world’s safest low-cost airlines* Petersen said:

“Notable changes this year include the inclusion of Spring Airlines China, the first Chinese airline to appear on any of our rankings, and airBaltic, which has made a significant jump into the top 10. HK Express claimed the top accolade for a second time, driven by a modern fleet, exceptionally low incident rate, and an almost flawless onboard safety audit. Given Hong Kong’s stringent incident reporting requirements, this low incident rate and absence of serious incidents genuinely reflects a highly disciplined and well-run operation.”

Cathay Pacific's 80 Year special livery calls into Brisbane

After spending five hours at the airport on Wednesday morning to see my family off on their holiday, I found out that night that the much-anticipated Cathay Pacific in its retro livery would be arriving in Brisbane the next day. So yesterday, I made the 40-minute drive back to the airport to catch a glimpse of this magnificent aircraft. 

A few highlights from the day apart from the Cathay Pacific, was the Fiji Airways A330, that's normally a 737 Max 8 and the Philippines Airbus A330, its usually an Airbus A321.

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPJ (MSN 712)
QF61 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 20 YEARS

AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 787-9 N852ML (MSN 66021)
AA8 OFF TO DALLAS (DFW) 2 MONTHS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 100 VH-FGB (MSN 11446)
VA604 ARRIVING FROM MACKAY (MKY) 32 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737 MAX 8 VH-8IE (MSN 66644)
VA175 OFF TO NADI (NAN) 1 YEAR

FIJI AIRWAYS AIRBUS A330-243 DQ-FJT (MSN 1394)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 12 YEARS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-QQR (MSN 11564)
QQ2835 ARRIVING FROM MORANBAH (MOV) 30 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-X3N (5813)
JQ812 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 12 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4D (MSN 55298)
QF1261 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 1 YEAR

AIR NEW ZEALAND BOEING 777-319 ZK-OKS (MSN 44547)
NZ145 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL) 11 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-32EW (MSN 625)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 2 YEARS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS A350-941 B-LRJ (MSN 061)
CX153 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 9 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKD (MSN 36229)
JQ9 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 12 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHI (MSN 322)
SQ255 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

QANTASLINK DASH 8 400 VH-LQQ (MSN 4461)
QLK546D OFF TO BARCALDINE (BCI) 11 YEARS

CHINA AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 B-18905 (MSN 073)
CI53 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI (TPE) 9 YEARS

ALLIANCE AIRLINES FOKKER 70 VH-NUU (MSN 11532)
VA1239 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 30 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

AERLINK ATR72-500 VH-FVY (MSN 840)
AL415 ARRIVING FROM MORANBAH (MOV) 17 YEARS

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-324W (MSN 470)
MU716 OFF TO SHANGHAI (PVG) 4 YEARS

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FRSR (MSN 37178)
AC36 OFF TO VANCOUVER (YVR) 8 YEARS

RAAF DASSAULT FALCON 7X A56-003 (MSN 286)

UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 777-224 N76021 (MSN 39776)
UA97 OFF TO SAN FRANCISCO (SFO) 15 YEARS

AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 787-9 N837AN (MSN 40658)
AA43 OFF TO LOS ANGELES (LAX) 7 YEARS

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-343 RP-C8780 (MSN 1456)
PR222 OFF TO MANILA (MNL) 12 YEARS

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EOG (MSN 172)

QATAR BOEING 777-3DZ A7-BEI (MSN 60335)

TEXEL AIR BOEING 737-86N ZK-TXF (MSN 36804)

US Airways Flight 1549 - Miricle on the Hudson

US Airways Flight 1549 was a regular scheduled US Airways flight from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA/KLGA) to Charlotte (CLT/KCLT) and Seattle (SEA/KSEA), in the United States. 

On the 15th of January 2009, the Airbus A320, with call sign 'Cactus 1549', performing the flight struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from LaGuardia, losing all engine power. Given their position in relation to the available airports and their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles decided to glide the plane to ditching in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan. 

The flight was cleared for takeoff to the northeast from LaGuardia's Runway 4 at 3:24 pm local time.

With Skiles in control, the crew made its first report after becoming airborne at 3:25 as being at 700 feet (210 m) and climbing.

At 3:27 during climb out, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese at an altitude of 2,818 feet (859 m) about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-northwest of LaGuardia. The pilots' view was filled with the large birds; passengers and crew heard very loud bangs and saw flames from the engines, followed by silence and an odor of fuel.

At 3:27 Sullenberger radioed a 'MAYDAY' call to New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) "... this is Cactus fifteen thirty-nine hit birds. We've lost thrust on both engines; we're turning back towards LaGuardia."

Sullenberger asked controllers for landing options in Teterboro Airport. Permission was given for Teterboro's Runway 1. Sullenberger initially responded "Yes", but then: "We can't do it ... We're going in the Hudson". The aircraft passed less than 900 feet (270 m) above the George Washington Bridge. Sullenberger commanded over the cabin address system to "brace for impact" and the flight attendants relayed the command to passengers. Meanwhile, air traffic controllers asked the Coast Guard to caution vessels in the Hudson and ask them to prepare to assist with rescue. About ninety seconds later, at 3:31 pm, the plane made an unpowered ditching into the middle of the North River section of the Hudson tidal estuary.

All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats, with only a few serious injuries.

The media quickly dubbed this water landing of a powerless jetliner with no deaths "the Miracle on the Hudson" and a National Transportation Safety Board official described it as "the most successful ditching in aviation history".

The pilots and flight attendants were awarded the Master's Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in recognition of their "heroic and unique aviation achievement."

Aircraft Information:
Airline: US Airways
Code: US/AWE
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Registration: N106US
Serial Number: 1044
Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P
First Flew: 15/06/1999.

Plane spotting at Brisbane Airport

This morning started early for my family and me, as my wife and daughter were heading to Singapore for the week and to attend a K POP concert. After they went through to the customs area, I headed over to the aircraft viewing spot in Brisbane (known as the turning circle) to take photos and watch them depart. 

BRISBANE CITY

AVIATION AUSTRALIA FOKKER F28 FELLOWSHIP VH-XNG (MSN 11038)

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EOF (MSN 171)

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FRSA (MSN 37175)
AC35 ARRIVING FROM VANCOUVER (YVR) 9 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VQG (MSN 2787)

DELTA AIRBUS A350-941 N571DZ (MSN 064)
DL93 ARRIVING FROM LOS ANGELES (LAX) 9 YEARS

ALLIANCE EMBRAER E190AR VH-A2U (MSN 19000219)
QQ712 OFF TO MOUNT ISA (ISA) 17 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-231 VH-VWN (MSN 7438)
JQ563 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 9 YEARS

LIFE FLIGHT LEONARDO AW139 VH-XIH (MSN 41403)

ALLIANCE FOKKER 100 VH-UQN (MSN 11361)
VA1232 ARRIVING FROM ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 34 YEARS
FLYING FRO VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YFX (MSN 41013)
VA917 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 8 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VYB (MSN 33763)
QF513 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 21 YEARS

LINK FIRCHILD METRO 23 VH-VET (MSN DC-839B) 33 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NNE (MSN 8799)
NZ272 OFF TO WELLINGTON (WLG) 6 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZJ (MSN 39365)
QF824 OFF TO DARWIN (DRW) 12 YEARS
SPLIT SCIMITAR JUST FITTED

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-32CZ (MSN 561)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI (PVG) 3 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 787-9 VH-ZNL (MSN 66076)
QF119 OFF TO AUCKLAND (AKL) 5 YEARS

QANTASLINK EMBREAER E190AR VH-UYU (MSN 19000126)
QF1882 OFF TO CAIRNS (GLT) 19 YEARS

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZLF (MSN 340B-374)
ZL7518 OFF TO ROMA (RMA) 30 YEARS

LIFE FLIGHT CHALLENGER 604 VH-OFB (MSN 5534)

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTE (MSN 1243)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 14 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHK (MSN 369)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR BEECH KING AIR 340 VH-FDR (MSN FM-98) 

NAURU AIRLINES BOEING 737-36N VH-PNI (MSN 28555)

SOLOMON AIRLINES AIRBUS A320-232 H4-SIB (MSN 2445)
IE701 OFF TO HONIARA (HIR) 20 YEARS

AIR NIUGINI BOEING 767-341 P2-PXV (MSN 30341)
PX3 ARRIVING FROM PORT MORESBY (POM) 26 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBV (MSN 1365)
QF61 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 13 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYP (MSN 11771) 1 YEAR

FIJI AIRWAYS BOEING 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAH (MSN 64311)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 5 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VFY (MSN 6362)
JQ812 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 11 YEARS
FLYING WITH PRIDE LIVERY

AMERICAN BOEING 787-9 N850AN (MSN 66019)
AA8 OFF TO DALLAS (DFW) 3 MONTHS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKL (MSN 36238)
JQ66 ARRIVING FROM BANGKOK (BKK) 10 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-32EW (MSN 625)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 2 YEARS

NATIONAL JET EXPRESS DASH 8 400 VH-8QB (MSN 4323) 16 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBB (MSN 522)
QF51 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 23 YEARS