It’s not surprising to hear that Boeing and Airbus are rulers of the sky, between them raking in 45.2% of all UK revenue for airline manufacturers. It’s hard to envision a time when these two giants weren’t the biggest players in this game, but we’re starting to see a new world of aviation with the … Continue reading “The Challengers to the Boeing/Airbus Duopoly”

Heathrow’s long discussed and debated third runway now has the green light – with £2.9 billion set aside to compensate and relocate residents affected by the expansion. The world’s busiest two runway airport finally gets a much needed upgrade: but who wins and loses when that third runway is built? Heathrow Runs at 99% Capacity … Continue reading “What a Third Runway at Heathrow Really Means”

Does UK aviation face dark clouds after Brexit? It seems a lot of the questions about what happens next are still up in the air. With only months to go until the UK’s 46 year-long membership of the European Union comes to an end, will they be answered in time? Bordering on Friction The free … Continue reading “Aviation after Brexit”

Humankind is perhaps the loneliest species of all – we’re the only ones with deeply formed language, culture and appreciation of the sciences. We’ve never met another species like us – one with flying machines, cities and society. It’s no surprise that people get excited about UFOs and the prospect of aliens – and UFOlogy, … Continue reading “Tracking UFOs Through History”

It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book – fly over the north pole to cut flight times down to size, save fuel and reduce costs. Transpolar flights have been in operation since the 1950s but the benefits of flying commercial jets over the pole were outweighed by the risks; until only recently. Barriers … Continue reading “Transpolar Flights: New Routes, Old Tricks”

Big planes are out of fashion: efficient planes are all the rage. Should we lament the loss of the biggest commercial planes in the sky, or welcome the winds of change? The Last US Operated 747 Flight They called the Boeing 747 the Queen of the Skies. It is truly a beautiful machine – imposing … Continue reading “Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 – is the Age of Giants Over?”

On the 25th of March 2018, the long-range capabilities of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner were put to practical use. Qantas flight QF9 completed the first non-stop passenger flight from Perth to London – in just over 17 hours. The six month old 787-9 was received at London Heathrow with fanfare and celebrations, welcoming in the first … Continue reading “World’s First Non-Stop Flight from Perth to London”

Extreme aircraft are fascinating feats of engineering. They flirt with the limits of what humans can achieve, pushing the envelope further every time. Breaking records isn’t just about being the biggest or fastest – there are extremes at each end of the scale, and some of the tiniest, cheapest and slowest planes are also some … Continue reading “7 Extreme Planes: the Biggest, Smallest, Fastest and Slowest”

The future’s coming around fast. Just a decade ago, there was no iPad, no 4G network, no voice assistants – not even Plane Finder (we first released our flight tracking app in 2009). Today, we’re in the midst of an all-electric, self-driving car revolution, while automation, AI and the Internet of Things is making work … Continue reading “What Will Replace Air Travel?”