
Japan Airlines Boeing 737 drops 26,000 feet, passengers write farewell notes
An Associated Press report stated that around 6:53 pm local time, the aircraft encountered a mid-air mechanical issue that triggered a rapid descent from approximately 36,000 feet to just under 10,500 feet in under 10 minutes.The report also stated that a pressurisation system alert was activated during the descent, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency and divert the flight to Kansai International Airport in Osaka.advertisementAs cabin pressure dropped, oxygen masks were released. Footage from the flight shows visibly shaken passengers wearing oxygen masks as a flight attendant delivers instructions.Despite the panic, the aircraft landed safely in Osaka at 8:50 PM local time. No injuries were reported.The incident adds to growing concerns over Boeing aircraft. Last month, a devastating crash involving a Boeing plane on the Ahmedabad-London route killed 275 people. Since then, multiple near-misses, most involving Boeing planes, have further intensified scrutiny of the manufacturer's safety record.- Ends
IN THIS STORY#Japan

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
IndiGo's London leap: Airline to begin daily Heathrow flights from October 26 with leased Dreamliners; targets 40% overseas capacity by FY30
Marking its 19th anniversary with a sharp global pivot, IndiGo on Saturday announced it will launch daily non-stop flights to London Heathrow from October 26, 2025, using leased Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, as part of a larger international expansion plan. This milestone comes as India's largest airline by market share prepares to induct five more Dreamliners this financial year, strengthening its long-haul play and bolstering connectivity to key global hubs. The London route will mark a major step in IndiGo's wide-body operations as it seeks to scale up its international presence, according to an ET report. 'As we celebrate IndiGo's 19th anniversary, we are immensely proud of the journey we have had so far and equally excited about the way ahead,' said Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo. 'The love and support of millions of our customers, coupled with the shared passion and drive of more than 66,000 IndiGo employees, has fueled our flight towards new heights and across new frontiers,' he added. 'Today, we are delighted to announce our next strides in international markets, especially our daily, direct flights to London Heathrow. Looking ahead, we are hopeful to continue winning hearts and accolades in India as well as globally, as we expand our operations across the globe, one airport at a time,' Elbers said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 25 Best Cities for Living Undo The airline will also expand its business-class offering — IndiGoStretch — to more routes. Beginning August 9, it will operate two-class A321s on the Singapore–Delhi and Singapore–Mumbai sectors, before expanding the service to Delhi–Dubai from August 30 and Mumbai–Dubai from September 3. The carrier, recently crowned the 'Best Airline in India and South Asia' and the 'Cleanest Airline in India and South Asia' by Skytrax, is now betting big on premium travel and long-haul connectivity. Its wide-body fleet strategy got a further boost after it converted purchase rights for 30 Airbus A350s into firm orders, bringing the total A350 order book to 60. Beyond London, IndiGo is preparing for launches to Copenhagen, Athens, and Siem Reap, and four destinations in Central Asia by FY26. The airline has also expanded its codeshare partnerships — most recently with Jetstar, unlocking access to 14 destinations in Australia and New Zealand. Tie-ups with KLM and Japan Airlines have also deepened, while a memorandum of understanding with Delta, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic aims to enhance connectivity between India, Europe, and North America. IndiGo now operates a fleet of over 430 aircraft and connects 90+ domestic and 40 international destinations. The average age of its fleet is 4.9 years — recognised by ch-aviation as the world's youngest aircraft fleet (100+ aircraft category) — and it continues to top on-time performance rankings, according to DGCA data. In the domestic segment, it has added Adampur (Punjab) and Hindon (Uttar Pradesh) to its network, and will operate 18 daily flights from Navi Mumbai airport once operations begin. It has also signed an MoU with Bangalore International Airport Ltd to build MRO infrastructure in Bengaluru. The airline aims to increase its international capacity share from 28% to 40% by FY30. Deliveries of long-range A321 XLRs are expected this fiscal, followed by A350-900s in 2027. 'We will continue to add more destinations internationally, especially with XLRs coming in along with our newly leased wide body aircraft for long haul operations,' Elbers said in IndiGo's FY25 annual report. 'From 28 per cent current international capacity share, we are aiming for 40 per cent by FY 2030.' Despite external headwinds such as aircraft groundings and oil price volatility, IndiGo said it remains 'optimistic', citing mitigation strategies that include fleet diversification, operating leases, and OEM agreements. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025


NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
India Emerges As World's 5th Biggest Aviation Market: Report
New Delhi: India emerged as the world's fifth biggest aviation market, handling 241 million passengers, while Mumbai-Delhi was one of the busiest airport pairs in 2024, according to data released by global airlines' grouping IATA. The International Airport Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 350 airlines, on Monday released the latest edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) for 2024. India saw 211 million air passengers last year, a growth of 11.1 per cent compared to 2023, ahead of Japan, which handled 205 million passengers with an annual rise of 18.6 per cent. "The US remains the world's biggest aviation market with 876 million passengers in 2024 on the strength of its domestic market, growing 5.2 per cent year-on-year. "China was the second-biggest passenger market, with 741 million passengers, a growth of 18.7 per cent compared to 2023," it said in a release. While India stood at the 5th place, the UK at the 3rd spot (261 million passengers) and Spain at the 4th position (241 million). The figures include all international and domestic passengers departing or arriving in each country. Among the top 10 airport pairs, Mumbai-Delhi was the 7th busiest, carrying 5.9 million passengers in 2024. "Asia Pacific dominated the ranking for the world's busiest airport pairs, with Jeju-Seoul (CJU-GMP) the most popular route globally, with 13.2 million passengers flying between the two airports in 2024. "In the top 10, only one airport pair -- Jeddah-Riyadh (JED-RUH) -- was not in the Asia Pacific region," IATA said. As per the grouping, international premium class travel -- business and first class -- grew 11.8 per cent, outpacing growth in global economy travel of 11.5 per cent. In 2024, the total number of international premium class travellers was 116.9 million or 6 per cent of the total international passengers. "Leading the regions in terms of percentage growth was Asia Pacific with a year-on-year growth of 22.8 per cent, with 21 million premium passengers -- although it was outpaced in growth by economy class passenger numbers, up 28.6 per cent to 500.8 million. "Growth in premium travel exceeded economy class travel in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America. Europe remained the largest market for international premium travel, with 39.3 million premium passengers, while premium travellers as a percentage of all travellers were highest in the Middle East at 14.7 per cent," IATA said. Last year, narrow-body planes of Boeing and Airbus were among the most used ones. Boeing's B737 alone flew 10 million flights with 2.4 trillion Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) in 2024. "This was followed by the Airbus A320 with 7.9 million flights and 1.7 trillion ASKs and the Airbus A321 with 3.4 million flights and 1.1 trillion ASKs," it said. ASK is an indicator of capacity.


The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
India emerges as world's 5th biggest aviation market; Mumbai-Delhi among busiest airport pairs in 2024: IATA
India emerged as the world's fifth biggest aviation market, handling 241 million passengers, while Mumbai-Delhi was one of the busiest airport pairs in 2024, according to data released by global airlines' grouping IATA. The International Airport Transport Association (IATA), which represents around 350 airlines, on Monday released the latest edition of the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) for 2024. India saw 211 million air passengers last year, a growth of 11.1% compared to 2023, ahead of Japan, which handled 205 million passengers with an annual rise of 18.6%. "The U.S. remains the world's biggest aviation market with 876 million passengers in 2024 on the strength of its domestic market, growing 5.2% year-on-year. "China was the second-biggest passenger market, with 741 million passengers, a growth of 18.7% compared to 2023," it said in a release. While India stood at the 5th place, the U.K. at the 3rd spot (261 million passengers) and Spain at the 4th position (241 million). The figures include all international and domestic passengers departing or arriving in each country. Among the top 10 airport pairs, Mumbai-Delhi was the 7th busiest, carrying 5.9 million passengers in 2024. "Asia Pacific dominated the ranking for the world's busiest airport pairs, with Jeju-Seoul (CJU-GMP) the most popular route globally, with 13.2 million passengers flying between the two airports in 2024. "In the top 10, only one airport pair — Jeddah-Riyadh (JED-RUH) — was not in the Asia Pacific region," IATA said. As per the grouping, international premium class travel — business and first class — grew 11.8%, outpacing growth in global economy travel of 11.5%. In 2024, the total number of international premium class travellers was 116.9 million or 6% of the total international passengers. "Leading the regions in terms of percentage growth was Asia Pacific with a year-on-year growth of 22.8%, with 21 million premium passengers — although it was outpaced in growth by economy class passenger numbers, up 28.6% to 500.8 million. "Growth in premium travel exceeded economy class travel in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America. Europe remained the largest market for international premium travel, with 39.3 million premium passengers, while premium travellers as a percentage of all travellers were highest in the Middle East at 14.7%," IATA said. Last year, narrow-body planes of Boeing and Airbus were among the most used ones. Boeing's B737 alone flew 10 million flights with 2.4 trillion Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) in 2024. "This was followed by the Airbus A320 with 7.9 million flights and 1.7 trillion ASKs and the Airbus A321 with 3.4 million flights and 1.1 trillion ASKs," it said. ASK is an indicator of capacity.