Hawaiian Airlines drops Auckland but adds Boise, Idaho, and Spokane

Alaska Airlines, Inc., which includes Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, has announced expanded seasonal service, including new nonstop flights between Honolulu (HNL/PHNL) and Boise (BOI/KBOI) and Spokane (GEG/KGEG), as well as increased service between Honolulu and Las Vegas (LAS/KLAS). As part of these seasonal network adjustments, designed to align capacity with evolving travel demand, Hawaiian will not resume its three-times-weekly seasonal Honolulu-Auckland service.

Flights between Honolulu and Boise will operate daily between 17th of December and the 21st of March 2027, while flights between Honolulu and Spokane will run weekly, on Saturdays, from the 19th of December to the 17th of April 2027.

Beginning in mid-December, Alaska Airlines will be the only carrier to connect Honolulu with Boise and Spokane, expanding access between Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West — regions with strong and growing demand for Island travel.

Hawaiian Airlines will also increase seasonal capacity on existing routes, including the addition of three weekly flights between Honolulu and Las Vegas during peak holiday and spring break periods.

Hawaiian Airlines’ seasonal, three-times- weekly, Honolulu–Auckland service, which has operated during the winter since the pandemic, will not resume in November due to challenges of high fuel costs, soft demand recovery in international Pacific markets, unfavorable exchange rates and evolving global travel trends.

Andrew Stanbury, Regional Managing Director, South Pacific Alaska Airlines, Inc. said in a statement
"New Zealand is deeply important to us as part of our Pacific island ‘ohana. However, we must carefully allocate our limited capacity to markets where demand is strongest, and these changes ensure we are well-positioned for the future – delivering the exceptional travel experience Hawaiian Airlines is known for, while adapting to conditions across our combined network."

Latest details for the Virgin Australia Doha service

Virgin Australia last week announced service changes to Qatar during Northern winter 2026/27 season, as the carrier launches its daily Sydney - Doha flight.

Planned changes include the following,

Brisbane - Doha eff 08DEC26 

Service resumption, 3 weekly 777-300ER

VA015 BNE 15.10 - 22.50 DOH 77W 357
VA016 DOH 0150 - 22.55 BNE 77W 246

Perth - Doha eff 09DEC26 

Service resumption, 4 weekly 777-300ER

VA021 PER 16.35 - 22.55 DOH 77W x357
VA022 DOH 19.55 - 12.00 +1PER 77W x246

Sydney -Doha eff 07DEC26 

Increase from 1 to 2 daily, 777-300ER

VA001 SYD 15.50 - 22.40 DOH 77W D

VA002 DOH 08.45 - 06.50 +1SYD 77W D

 
VA003 SYD 21.10 - 04.00 +1DOH 77W D
VA004 DOH 20.15 - 18.20 +1SYD 77W D

Virgin Australia continues to offer 1 daily Melbourne - Doha flight with 777- 300ER. 

VA007 MEL 16.10 - 23.15 77W D

VA008 DOH 01.35 - 22.05 77W D

All flights are operated by Qatar Airways 777-300ER aircraft

10 Dead After Small Plane Crashes in the Bahamas:

A plane that crashed in the Bahamas on Bahamian Independence Day has left 10 people dead.

The Aircraft Investigation Authority of the Bahamas (AIAA) said in a media release that it is investigating a crash that occurred just after 1 p.m. local time on Friday the 10th of July. 

The aircraft, believed to be a Cessna 404, and belonging to Flamingo Air, was flying to San Andros Airport (SAQ/MYAN) after departing Nassau-Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS/MYNN). The aircraft reportedly “encountered difficulties and crashed into bushes prior to landing on runway 12 at San Andros Airport,” according to the media release.

Our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragic accident and we keep all those impacted in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.


Aircraft Information 

Owner/ Operator: Flamingo Air Charter

Aircraft: Cessna 402C Utiliner III

Registration: C6-FLX

Serial Number: 402C0628

Engines: 2 x Continental TSIO-520-VB

First Flew: January 1980

Age: 46

More from Brisbane Airport

Yesterday, my brother and his partner, arriving from Seoul, South Korea, asked me to pick them up from the airport. Their flight was scheduled for 8:00 am but was delayed until 9:15 am, so my daughter and I left for Brisbane Airport around 7:00 am. We went early mainly because a VietJet Airbus A330, which had arrived around 5:20 am after an eight-hour delay, was expected to depart around 7:30 am. A group of us gathered on the far side of the car park, expecting to see it take off, but then noticed on Flightradar24 that it had already departed from another runway. Saying we were shocked and frustrated would be an understatement. I did manage to capture it overflying Brisbane airport.

UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 777-224 N78001 (MSN 27577)
UA 96 ARRIVING FROM SAN FRANCISCO (SFO) 27 YEARS

BRISBANE CITY

ALLIANCE AIRLINES EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYJ (MSN 19000056)
QF1988 ARRIVING FROM NEWCASTLE (NTL) 20 YEARS
FLYING FOR QANTAS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBC (MSN 506)
QF98 ARRIVING FROM MANILA (MNL) 23 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-271NY VH-OGB (MSN 12427)
QF500 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (STD) 1 YEAR

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYU (MSN 12030)
JQ565 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 2 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YFX (MSN 41013)
VA600 ARRIVING FROM MACKAY (MKY) 9 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-324S (MSN 478)
CZ381 ARRIVING FROM GUANGZHOU (CAN) 5 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YFY (MSN 41016)
VA382 ARRIVING FROM TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 8 YEARS

VIETJET AIR AIRBUS A330-343 VN-A816 (MSN 1659)
VJ84 OFF TO HO CHI MIHN CITY (SGN) 10 YEARS

BATIK AIR BOEING 737-MAX 8 9M-LRL (MSN 43012)
OD158 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 6 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YVC (MSN 40997)
VA9949 OFF TO DARWIN (DRW) 14 YEARS
FARWELL FLIGHT - OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZP (MSN 44577)
QF613 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 11 YEARS

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A330-243 B-5952 (MSN 1547)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI (PVG) 12 YEARS

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 (MSN 1489)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 12 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-251 VH-A5C (MSN 12374)
JQ572 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 1.6 YEARS

QANTAS A321-271NY VH-OGG (MSN 12853)
QF935 OFF TO PERTH (PER) 2 MONTHS

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF LIVERY

AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST THREE

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKF (MSN 36231)
JQ66 ARRIVING FROM BANGKOK (BKK) 12 YEARS

KOREAN AIR BOEING 787-9 HL7209 (MSN 34818)
KE408 OFF TO SEOUL (ICN) 7 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4E (MSN 55312)
QF1550 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 1 YEAR

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHO (MSN 394)

SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

AERLINK FREIGHT ATR 72-212 VH-AK2 (MSN 460)

CAVOK AIR ANTONOV AN12BK (MSN 01348005)

Passenger pulled head and shoulders outside the fuselage during aircraft decompression

A Ryanair flight, flight FR1879 operated by Malta Air, was traveling from Thessaloniki (SKG/LGTS) to Memmingen (FMM/EDJA) on the 10th of July when a cabin window dislodged when the aircraft was at about 16,000 feet. Witnesses reported a loud bang and cracking noises before oxygen masks deployed and the aircraft descended rapidly. 

RYANAIR BOEING 737-8AS 9H-QEN (MSN 44827)

A 61-year-old Serbian man seated by the failed window was pulled head and shoulders outside the fuselage during decompression. His wife gripped his legs for several minutes until other passengers helped pull him back in. The man suffered friction burns, neck and shoulder injuries, and was hospitalized in stable condition; his seatbelt was credited with saving his life

Other factors that saved the passenger from being sucked out were,

• The passenger’s seatbelt kept him secured, preventing full ejection from the window
• His wife held onto his feet for several minutes until other passengers could assist.
• The aircraft was at about 16,000 feet, reducing the pressure differential compared to cruising altitude.
• Passengers nearby acted instinctively, holding him down despite the sudden decompression and panic.

Passengers said the man's wife grabbed his legs and held on tight for overt five minutes as air rushed through the opening. During that time, other passengers, including doctors who happened to be on board, moved toward the row and joined the effort to pull him back into the aircraft.

Some officials suggest debris from an uncontained engine failure struck and shattered the window, though Ryanair has not confirmed the cause. Uncontained failures occur when engine components breach their casing, a scenario regulators seek to prevent through strict design and maintenance standards.

Investigators will examine engine service history, maintenance records, and potential links to a diversion the same aircraft made the previous day

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Ryanair

Operator: Malta Air

Code: MW/MAY

Aircraft: Boeing 738-8AS

Registration: 9H-QEU

Serial Number: 36569

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B26

First Flew: 3rd March 2008
Age: 18 Years

Two aircraft collide at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport

A Saudi Arabian Airlines flight traveling from Manila-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL/RPLL) to Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED/OEJN) struck the vertical stabilizer of a parked Philippine Airlines A320-214, causing severe damage to the A320's rudder.
Saudi Arabian flight SV871 was taxiing for departure while the Philippine Airlines A320 was parked at Bay 25.

The rudder of a parked Philippine Airlines plane was hit by a Saudia plane around 11:38 pm. Initial investigation shows that the left wingtip of the Boeing 787 of Saudia, carrying 252 passengers, hit the rudder at the vertical stabilizer or tail fin of PAL’s Airbus 320, which was parked at Bay 25.

PAL’s rudder sustained extensive damage, while there was also damage on Saudia’s wingtip. PAL confirmed that one of its parked aircraft was struck by another aircraft during ground maneuvering. There were no passengers or crew on board the plane at the time of the incident.

“The aircraft has been withdrawn from service pending a technical assessment,” PAL said in a statement.

The Saudia jet, which was reportedly headed to Jeddah, had to cancel its flight. There were reportedly no passengers in the PAL jet.

In a separate statement, Saudia confirmed that one of its planes was involved in a minor ground incident at NAIA. "All passengers and crew were disembarked safely. Saudia is working closely with the relevant authorities and supporting our guests to continue their journeys," Saudia said.

The cause of the aircraft collision is still under investigation.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Saudi Arabian Airlines

Code: SV-SVA

Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

Registration: HZ-AR12

Serial Number: 40046

Engines: 2 x GEnx-1B

First Flew: 4th April 2017

Age: 9 Years

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Philippine Airlines

Code: PR/PAL

Aircraft: Airbus A320-214

Registration: RP-C8612

Serial Number: 3553

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P

First Flew: 25th June 2008

Age: 18 Years

TezJet plane loses landing gear during flight

Passengers have been left terrified after a plane lost its landing gear during its take-off run. The TezJet flight in Kyrgyzstan was travelling from Bishkek-Manas International Airport (BSZ/UCFM) to Osh Airport (OSS/UCFO) on the 7th of July when the incident happened. According to reports one of the rear landing gears collapsed during take-off and the plane tilted to one side. The pilots managed to bring the plane to a quick stop, but in the process, it tipped onto its left wing and spilled jet fuel across the runway. Fortunately, there was no fire.

In footage of the horrifying incident shared on social media, passengers can be seen evacuating via inflatable slides. The plane’s wing appears to be broken and lying on the ground, and the tail of the plane was also ripped away from the main fuselage. At the time, 181 people were on board: 152 adults, 11 teenagers, and 18 children. These figures include the two pilots and four flight attendants. 

There were no major injuries; however, some passengers reported cuts and bruises, according to the media. It has also been reported that the aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 produced in December 1999. All flights from Manas Airport were temporarily suspended and an investigation is underway into the incident, as reported by Flight Global.

“Until the necessary verification activities are completed, a decision has been made to temporarily suspend the operation of TezJet aircraft,” the state civil aviation agency said.

“This is a purely preventative measure aimed at ensuring the highest level of flight safety.”

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Tez Jet Airlines

Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-83

Registration: EX-80003

Serial number: 53487

Engines: 2 x PW JT8D-219
First flew:  01/031996
Age: 30.4 Years