Here we are at the end of another year and I don’t know about everyone else, but for me this one went by quickly! I moved to a new airline, bought a house, visited a few new countries (my Been app is sitting at a solid 35%), had a bunch of articles published, worked on developing some training courses, lost one of my cats, and just landed from my final flight of 2025 (it was a nice smooth landing thankfully!) to find myself thinking “where did it all go?”

That’s my 2025, but what about the aviation industry?

Major Events

For me, 2025 was really marked by some major tragedies – the crash of Air India Flight 171 in June, and UPS Flight 2976 in November. Air India Flight 171 felt particularly hard, not just because it is the aircraft type I operate and it took a mere second for the situation to turn to one that tragically killed hundreds, but because of the way many in the industry turned to speculation before any information was known.

The UPS crash was equally shocking and a reminder to all pilots of how quickly and critically situations can change. There were a number of other accidents and serious incidents from the collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 with the US Army helicopter in January, to the Air ACT cargo accident in Hong Kong in October which the industry will need to learn from, but now, at the end of the year, just a thought to all those involved or impacted by these tragedies.

Ceased Operations

2025 also saw a high number of airlines ceasing operation – 29 in total. Many were smaller operators, but this in no way makes it easier for those impacted. For me, seeing Eastern Airways close their doors was particularly sad as this is one more UK based airline to fail, and another loss for the smaller airports around the country.

Achievements

2025 was also a year of achievements though. Boom’s XB-1 demonstrator hit Mach 1.1 in January marking the next stage in their project to develop a new supersonic commercial jet. NASA’s X-59 also flew for the first time in October.

The FAA started their review of the current ban on civil aircraft exceeding Mach 1 over U.S. land with an executive order redefining noise based certification standards following NASA and Boom’s developments in producing quieter “boomless” thumps (I know, they should probably change their name to ‘Thump’).

Airbus’ A321XLR, certified in 2024, had its ‘full’ rollout in 2025 with Iberia, American Airlines, Qantas and Aer Lingus all bringing it into operation. This is a ‘game changing’ aircraft because it has that narrowbody efficiency, but also the ability to achieve what were historically widebody ranges.

Meanwhile, in the UK (sorry, it’s where I’m from so I have a biased interest) reviews and approvals for airport expansions finally went ahead. They are still considering a new runway for Heathrow, while EGKK/Gatwick had their runway expansion approved. Luton, Stansted, Bournemouth and Bristol are all rolling out projects for expansion and improvements too.

The industry itself hit epic highs, with global airlines revenues surpassing $1 trillion for the first time. I know, a crazy number. There was also a large drop in air traffic management delays.

A month by month summary

The accident in January at KDCA has led to proposed changes in the ADS-B Out requirements in the USA, which should be implemented by 2031, providing a higher level of situational awareness for flight crew, and an additional level of safety for operations in congested airspaces where military traffic also flies. Good news implemented from a tragic event.

Another accident occurred in January, involving Air Busan Flight 391– an A321 which caught on fire during taxi out at RKPK/Gimhae international in South Korea. The fire started in an overhead compartment in the rear of the cabin and was suspected to have been caused by a lithium battery powered device. The fire spread quickly and while everyone was evacuated, led to nearly half the fuselage burning. Multiple airlines have since banned the use of portable battery packs onboard, and have requirements for them to always be within easy reach of passengers.

February also saw an accident which made the headlines when a CRJ900 operated by Endeavour experienced a hard landing which collapsed the landing gear and led to the aircraft overturning on the runway at CYYZ/Toronto. The preliminary report showed a rapid descent triggering a ‘sink rate’ warning just prior to touchdown. It has led to a focus on pilot training standards, particularly for lower experienced pilots entering airlines in the USA.

In March, a fire in an electrical substation led to the 16 hour closure of EGLL/Heathrow airport causing major disruption in the UK, and globally. A review of the back up systems at the airport (and hopefully others which archaic infrastructure) will hopefully lead to more resilience in the future.

March also saw a major earthquake damage two of Myanmar’s three international airports. VYMD/Mandalay and VYNT/Naypyidaw. VYNT’s air traffic tower collapsed in the 7.7 earthquake killing staff, and the communications and radar systems and one runway were heavily damaged, temporarily closing the airport.

If you fly over the North Atlantic, then you might have seen some big changes there – the Blue Spruce Routes were, well, despruced in March and the updated NAT DOC 007 brought in a lot more guidance on space weather and GNSS interference, as well as changes to loss of comms (system) procedures.

April saw more disruptions when a power outage hit the Iberian Peninsula, affecting Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Barcelona and Madrid airports. There was a 15 gigawatt drop in electrical power in less than 5 seconds, which is equivalent to 60% of the daily demand overall. The positives which did come out of it was that many of the airports had efficient and effective response plans, and backup power sources (something for Heathrow to learn from).

May saw the tragic loss of a cargo Boeing 737 and its crew, operated by IBM Airline, when it was destroyed at Nyala Airport. The continued Sudanese civil war has led to a recommended ‘No Fly Zone’ at all levels across Sudanese airspace due to the risk of military activities and the use of MANPADs, AAA and SAM systems. Across the African continent, both Sudan and Libya are NFZs, while there are warnings in place for Ethiopia, Mali and Somalia and cautions for several other airspaces.

Boeing received its biggest ever wide-body order in May, when Qatar signed an order for some 150 787s and 30 777Xs, and a further 50 options. Good news for the region which is expanding rapidly, with new airline Riyadh starting operations (limited ops in October), and big orders in place for other major players including Emirates and Etihad.

June saw the EU ban all Surinamese and Tanzanian airlines due to low standards. The commission monitors the aviation authorities to ensure they meet required safety, compliance, and oversight standards for airlines in their jurisdiction. Both Surinam and Tanzania have shortcomings in operational and regulatory areas. However, the EU and the UK also both lifted a four/five year ban on Pakistan’s PIA in 2025, with flights resuming initially to Paris on January 10th.

June saw a major escalation in the Iran conflict. This is a long term conflict which involves much of the Middle Eastern region including neighbouring countries. Iran’s airspace is a major thoroughfare from the Middle East and Asia into Europe. The region also sees significant GPS interference as a result of the conflict. The escalation in June was a result of US missile strikes in Iran, and their subsequent retaliation and it led to the temporary closure of Qatari and UAE airspace.

In better news, the newly expanded BGGH/Nuuk airport in Greenland opened in June, offering a longer runway and a nice option for aircraft in need of somewhere to divert while crossing the NAT (as well as increased tourism to Greenland!)

In July, two new airports opened in China (and one in September – ZSRJ/Ganzhou). Dual civil/military airport ZSLI/Lishui and ZWLK/Balikun (Barkol) Dahe airport which serves the Xinjiang autonomous region of Northwestern China with its single 3000m 13/31 runway. Currently it is only domestic operators heading in there, but it marks another big step in China’s continued aviation industry expansion which is the fastest growing passenger market in the old and set to become the largest market for aviation services by 2043.

Airbus’s Global Market Forecast suggests China will have some 11,160 aircraft in service by 2043, with huge growth in the maintenance services area and a demand for an additional 478,000 skilled workers (pilots, cabin crew, technicians etc).

August saw the release of EASA’s Annual Safety Review. Key stats for commercial aviation showed a decrease in fatal accidents (for 2024) but an increase in non-fatal ones. Powerplant failure and other malfunctions were the highest contributor, as well as airprox and midair collisions, windshear and thunderstorm related occurrences and undershoot/overshoot related events. Runway incursions have become a primary focus area across the industry.

September saw rising tensions between the USA and Venezuela. The FAA issued a security NOTAM cautioning civil operations due to increased GNSS interference and military traffic and operations in the SVZM/Maiquetia FIR. The conflict potentially impacts the TTZP/Piarco, TJZS/San Juan, TNCF/Curacao and SKED/Bogata FIRs as well. EASA has not issued a CZIB, but several European states have advisories and NOTAMs in place warning of potential risk from military activity, anti-aircraft weaponry and lack of coordination between parties.

Singapore became the first country to officially declare in-flight turbulence as a major threat – treating it as a ‘state-level operational safety risk’. Singapore airlines Flight 321 experienced severe turbulence while routing over the Myanmar region. 144 crew and passengers were injured, with one fatality, and the flight diverted to Thailand.

CAT has increased significantly with routes like the NAT HLA seeing on average a 55% increase in severity and duration of CAT. IATA ‘s Turbulence Aware platform captured 51.8million turbulence reports through 2024 – these are measured by aircraft equipped with a system which detects EDR (eddy dissipation rates), and then these are shared via the platform for operators to utilise.

If you want a copy of my helpful guide to turbulence, you can download it here.

September also marked the closure of VDPP/Phnom Penh International airport as it was replaced by VDTI/Techo. VDTI boasts a 4000m runway 05/23 and can support some 13 million passengers (phase 1) increasing to 30 million later, as well as being able to accommodate the A380 and Boeing 747-8. VDPP is now being used for military and domestic operations.

Back to EGLL/Heathrow in September when a cyberattack caused delays there, as well as EBBR/Brussels and EDDB/Berlin Brandenburg airports. Ransomware compromised Collins Aerospace’s MUSE system which handles airline check-in and boarding systems. Cyber attacks are one of the fastest growing and most concerning threats to aviation because of their ability to disrupt vital services.

Another big threat to safety comes from drones. Three large drones resulted in a 4 hour shutdown at EKCH/Copenhagen airport and a brief closure of ENGM/Oslo and its airspace as well. Further sightings were seen in the following days, particularly around military airports. Denmark has since imposed a nationwide ‘no drone zone’. Multiple sightings and disruption was seen across many European airports (and worldwide) throughout the year and this is a growing concern for aviation.

Typhoon Ragusa led to the suspension of all flights at VHHH/Hong Kong airport – the longest suspension ever. The typhoon also impacted the Philippines, Taiwan, Macau, south China and Vietnam. It was the second most intense tropical cyclone of 2025, behind Hurricane Melissa, and the only super typhoon for the season. At its peak intensity, the central pressure dropped to 905hPa and winds reached 110kts. Weather remains the most disruptive factor for aviation.

October (finally) and India opened their new international airport – VANM/Navi Mumbai. It has a single 3700m runway 08/26 and supports some of the domestic operators, reducing congestion at neighbouring VABB/Mumbai international.

That NASA supersonic flight we mentioned took to the air in October. It is expected to cruise at Mach 1.42 and around 55,000 ft. The ‘thump’ we mentioned should be around 75dB (that’s the perceived sound that will be heard). This is ‘moderately’ loud – comparable to a vacuum cleaner or a car door closing apparently. Concorde’s “perceived” boom was in the 105-110dB range which is firecracker or nearby thunder level.

In November, Airbus saw 6000 of their A320 family aircraft impacted (that’s about half the global fleet) by corrupted data in one of the flight computer systems. The ELAC system is a core part of the fly-by-wire architecture controlling the elevator and ailerons. Airbus issued a precautionary fleet action requiring software updates on the aircraft to fix potential corruption caused by solar radiation from solar flares. It came after a JetBlue A320 experienced a sudden, un-commanded loss of altitude leading to an investigation.

2025 actually saw a peak in space weather, with a G5 level geomagnetic storm hitting us in November. This ‘cannibal storm’ (one that feeds of other geomagnetic storms) was rated ‘extreme’ on the NOAA scale and led to some great Aurora sightings, but also some less great GPS and HF disruptions. In total, 6 X-class flares (CMEs) headed our way, with 2025 marking the ‘peak’ in Solar Cycle 25 (an 11 year solar activity cycle).

The ICAO EUR/NAT office, along with multiple industry groups, MET offices, ANSPs and authorities ran the inaugural NAT Space Weather Contingency Exercise in December, testing their contingencies and responses to a major radiation event taking out HF, GNSS, ADS-B and C, CPDLC and SATVOICE systems (so all the useful ones we use in the NAT).

IndiGo airlines hit the news when they experienced the largest disruption in their history following the implementation of new FTLs for flight crew. IndiGo is a fast expanding airline (and one with really good female pilot stats!). It is raising questions again about FTLs across the entire industry and whether enough attention is being paid to fatigue risks for flight crew.

My little summary

These are just some of the major events which dominated aviation news through 2025. Sadly, most of what is reported tends to be the more negative side of things. While it is on all of us to learn as much as we can from these events, I hope no-one forgets just how amazing our industry is. It is filled with opportunity, innovation and excitement. We get to connect people and places, it is at the forefront of so much new technology and provides so many jobs to folk worldwide.

For me, I think it’s so important to know what’s happening throughout the industry, particularly in terms of the challenges facing it. But I also think it’s as (if not more) important to focus on ourselves individually – on what we can do to help create positive events and most of all, to be proud of the individual achievements we’ve each had.

My best moment of 2025 – honestly, being back home in the UAE with my husband and my cats and working for an airline where I finally feel supported and have some amazing opportunities ahead of me.

Here’s to an exceptional 2026 both for the industry, but most importantly for each individual person working within it because it is us that makes it so great!