airplanes

A British Airways Concorde takes off from London's Heathrow Airport in 2001.

World News

20 years ago, the supersonic passenger jet Concorde flew for the last time

6:30pm November 24, 2023

by Jack Mitchell

Concorde crossed the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound, cutting travel time in half compared to a conventional passenger plane. The groundbreaking jet made its final flight on Nov. 26, 2003.

Queue Listen Now

A photo included in the U.K.'s Air Accidents Investigations Branch special bulletin shows the location of one damaged and two missing window panes on an Airbus A321.

Crew aboard a U.S.-bound plane discovered a missing window pane at 13,000 feet

11:01am November 10, 2023

by Emily Olson

Passengers said the cabin seemed "noisier and colder than they were used to." That's when a crew member noticed a window seal flapping at the back of the aircraft.

A photo of a Guilford County Sheriff's car.

Politics & Government

Guilford commissioners approve funds for sheriff's office to purchase new plane

2:22pm November 06, 2023

by DJ Simmons

The Guilford County Sheriff's Office could soon have a new plane in the sky.

It's COVID testing time at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, South Korea. Arrivals from China must now submit to a PCR test.

Coronavirus FAQ: How do I avoid catching COVID while flying in 2023?

6:33pm January 09, 2023

by Fran Kritz

You'll see testing in some airports these days — it's just like we're going back in time! And speaking of looking back, the things that protected fliers from COVID then are still a good idea.

A mask is seen on the ground at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down the mask mandate for airports and other methods of public transportation as a new COVID variant is on the rise across parts of the

These airlines are letting passengers banned for mask violations back on planes

11:56am April 22, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

The cases will be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the company. Here's a look at where each of the major U.S. airlines stands.

An American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner approaches Miami International Airport. In a joint letter, the heads of Boeing and Airbus Americas reportedly called for postponing a planned Jan. 5 rollout of a 5G wireless network.

National

Boeing and Airbus urge a delay in 5G wireless service over safety concerns

3:45pm December 21, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The commercial jet makers have been warning that a plan to deploy new 5G wireless networks could pose a danger to vital aircraft systems.

A 3D microflier next to a pencil tip for scale.

Science

Flying Microchips The Size Of A Sand Grain Could Be Used For Population Surveillance

3:33pm September 23, 2021

by Scott Neuman

Northwestern University says these are the world's smallest human-made flying structures, and they could be used for monitoring the environment, population surveillance or disease tracking.

There's increasing emphasis on wearing masks while flying. How much protection do they offer against COVID-19?

Do Masks On Plane Flights Really Cut Your Risk Of Catching COVID-19?

9:12pm October 20, 2020

by Michaeleen Doucleff

On an eight-hour Emirates flight, with mask-wearing enforced, a whopping 27 coronavirus-positive people boarded the plane in Dubai. Guess how many passengers got infected?

Air passengers wearing practically full-body coveralls at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in India.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: I See People Wearing Disposable Coveralls On Planes. Good Idea?

6:21pm September 18, 2020

by Marc Silver

Some passengers don a disposable suit over their clothes to help shield themselves from the coronavirus. Is that helpful? What about gloves, face shields and goggles? Also: A blanket idea!

Passengers wear masks on a Myanmar National airlines flight out of Yangon. Many airlines now require passengers to don masks.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: How Risky Is It To Fly? Is There Any Way To Reduce The Risks?

3:37pm May 15, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

As places around the world begin reopening, people are thinking about flying again — and wondering if it's safe.