Flight Safety Information - October 29, 2025 No. 216 In This Issue : Boeing 777-3FGER - Bird Strike (Algeria) : Airbus A320-214 - Bird Strike (India) : United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency U-Turn After Passenger's Laptop Falls Into Cargo Hold : African airlines hit by more EU bans in ongoing safety oversight battle : JetBlue Could Get Another Chance To Acquire Spirit Airlines : Pan Am Could Fly Again : Quiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California in unofficial first test flight : Calendar of Event Boeing 777-3FGER - Bird Strike (Algeria) Date: Saturday 25 October 2025 Time: 10:30 UTC Type: Boeing 777-3FGER Owner/operator: Saudi Arabian Airlines Registration: HZ-AK31 MSN: 61595/1414 Year of manufacture: 2016 Engine model: General Electric GE90-115B Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Algiers-Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG/DAAG) - Algeria Phase: Approach Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Algiers-Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG/DAAG) Destination airport: Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED/OEJN) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Saudia flight SV340, a Boeing 777-3FGER, struck a flock of birds, immediately after takeoff from Algiers-Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG). The flight continued to the destination Jeddah (JED). The nose cone was damaged. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/554052 Airbus A320-214 - Bird Strike (India) Date: Friday 24 October 2025 Time: 13:09 UTC Type: Airbus A320-214 Owner/operator: Air India Registration: VT-EDD MSN: 4212 Year of manufacture: 2010 Engine model: CFMI CFM56-5B4/P Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Nagpur-Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport (NAG/VANP) - India Phase: Initial climb Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Nagpur-Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport (NAG/VANP) Destination airport: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Air India flight AI466, an Airbus A320-214, suffered a bird strike immediately after takeoff from Nagpur Airport (NAG). The flight returned and landed safely back at NAG, about 21 minutes after takeoff. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/554157 United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency U-Turn After Passenger's Laptop Falls Into Cargo Hold United Airlines Flight 126 from Washington Dulles to Rome made an unprecedented mid-flight U-turn on October 15, 2025, after a passenger's active laptop somehow dropped through the aircraft cabin into the cargo hold, creating a potentially dangerous lithium battery hazard that pilots deemed too risky for a transatlantic journey. Unusual Incident Forces Precautionary Return The Boeing 767-400ER, carrying passengers on the eight-hour journey to Rome's Fiumicino Airport, had been airborne for less than an hour when the crew contacted air traffic control approximately 100 miles southeast of Boston to report the unusual emergency. "A passenger on the airplane had a laptop that they dropped somewhere, and it's now missing somewhere inside the airplane, and we need to recover it before we can go across the pond," the pilot told Boston Center controllers, according to audio recordings posted by aviation monitoring service "You Can See ATC." The laptop had fallen down a sidewall and into the cargo pit area, where it was completely inaccessible to crew members and outside the aircraft's fire suppression system coverage. Lithium Battery Safety Drives Decision The crew's decision to return was driven by serious safety concerns about the laptop's lithium-ion battery, which was still active when it disappeared into the cargo hold. Flight crew told controllers the device was "not even near the suppression system we have for fires down there," making the situation particularly hazardous. "This is just out of abundance of caution and just precautionary, you know, due to the lithium battery in the cargo area," the pilot explained to air traffic control, emphasizing that while no emergency was declared, safety protocols required immediate action. The aircraft landed safely back at Dulles around 12:35 AM local time, allowing ground crews to locate and retrieve the laptop before the flight departed again for Rome later that night, arriving approximately five hours behind schedule. Growing Lithium Battery Concerns The incident highlights the aviation industry's ongoing battle with lithium battery hazards. According to Federal Aviation Administration data, there have been 620 verified incidents involving lithium batteries in the United States between March 2006 and April 2025, with the number trending upward annually since 2014. Of those incidents, at least 465 occurred in passenger cabins and 129 in cargo holds, with battery packs, e-cigarettes, and cellular phones representing the most common sources of problems. In 2025 alone, there have been 22 verified incidents through May, with new FAA data showing lithium battery incidents now occur on an average of two flights each week. Why Lithium Batteries Pose Aviation Risks Lithium-ion batteries can enter "thermal runaway," a dangerous chain reaction that produces extreme heat and fires that are difficult to extinguish. In a pressurized aircraft environment, such fires represent serious emergencies, particularly in cargo holds where detection and suppression capabilities may be limited. "These batteries can overheat and go into thermal runaway, a chain reaction that can lead to extreme heat and fire that is difficult to extinguish," explains aviation safety documentation. The concern is especially acute when batteries are in inaccessible areas without proper fire suppression coverage. Industry Safety Protocols Airlines have established clear protocols for lithium battery incidents. When devices fall into inaccessible areas, particularly those without fire suppression systems, safety regulations typically require immediate action to locate and retrieve the equipment. Air traffic controllers noted they had "never heard anything like that before," highlighting how unusual it was for a passenger device to actually fall into the cargo hold rather than simply becoming wedged in seats. Recent Battery-Related Aviation Incidents This incident follows several recent lithium battery emergencies in aviation. Earlier this year, a Lufthansa flight made an emergency stop in Boston due to a tablet threatening to burst into flames in the cabin. Just this month, an Air China passenger's battery spontaneously caught fire in an overhead bin. Southwest Airlines recently became the first U.S. carrier to require that portable chargers being used during flight remain in plain sight, allowing crew members to spot overheating batteries immediately. Passenger Responsibilities Aviation experts emphasize that passengers can prevent such incidents by properly securing electronic devices and immediately alerting crew if devices fall into inaccessible areas. Attempting to retrieve devices wedged in seats can cause damage leading to thermal runaway. Flight attendants receive specialized training to safely retrieve fallen devices, and passengers are instructed never to attempt recovery themselves, particularly if devices become stuck between or under seats. Setting Safety Precedent The United incident establishes an important precedent for how airlines handle lithium battery risks in inaccessible aircraft areas. The crew's decision to return rather than continue an eight-hour transatlantic flight demonstrates the industry's commitment to proactive safety measures. As personal electronic devices become increasingly ubiquitous in air travel, incidents like Flight 126 serve as crucial reminders of both the hidden dangers of lithium battery technology and the aviation industry's sophisticated safety protocols designed to protect passengers and crew. The successful recovery of the laptop and safe completion of the journey to Rome validates the effectiveness of current safety procedures while highlighting the ongoing challenges posed by the proliferation of battery-powered devices in modern air travel. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/united-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-123020865.html African airlines hit by more EU bans in ongoing safety oversight battle Several African airlines have been added to the European Union’s air safety blacklist, deepening a long-running dispute over aviation oversight and regulatory standards. The European Union has expanded its Air Safety List, banning numerous African airlines from operating in European airspace. A total of 169 airlines are banned from EU skies, including 142 certified in countries with deficient safety oversight The EU attributed the bans to insufficient regulatory supervision, safety management, and adherence to international standards The economic impact on affected countries includes restricted market access, increased insurance and leasing costs The European Union has delivered a fresh blow to African aviation by expanding its Air Safety List, commonly known as the EU flight blacklist, removing dozens of carriers from the right to operate in European airspace. The 2025 EU Air Safety List (ASL), which aims to protect passengers traveling to, from, or within Europe, has again spotlighted critical regulatory weaknesses in several African states. As of June 2024, the EU Air Safety List included 128 blacklisted airlines. This figure later increased to about 131 banned operators across several countries by December 2024. In the updated list published in June 2025, a total of 169 airlines are now prohibited from EU skies. This includes 142 airlines certified in 17 countries due to inadequate safety oversight by their national aviation regulators. A significant portion of those states are African, including Angola (with the exception of two carriers), Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Liberia, Libya, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Tanzania. The EU's latest assessment cited severe concerns around regulatory supervision, safety management, and adherence to international operating standards For some, like Liberia and Sierra Leone, every active airline in the country is barred from European skies. The blacklist also includes airlines with individually identified safety deficiencies outside the group bans. These include carriers from Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Iran and Iraq that are barred from EU skies due to critical safety concerns. Additionally, two airlines are not fully banned but face strict operational restrictions, meaning they can only enter EU airspace with specific aircraft types. These are Iran Air from Iran and Air Koryo from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The oversight gap that keeps African airlines grounded While many African airlines have made strides in fleet renewal and operational performance, the EU’s enforcement places responsibility squarely on national aviation authorities, not just the carriers themselves. The European Commission’s latest technical assessment cited severe concerns around regulatory supervision, safety management, and adherence to international operating standards. Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas reaffirmed this stance in a statement: “Passenger safety remains our top priority. Following a detailed technical assessment, the European Commission has added all air carriers certified in Suriname and Tanzania to the EU Air Safety List due to serious deficiencies in national aviation oversight.” “We urge both countries to address these issues promptly. The Commission stands ready to support their efforts toward full compliance with international safety standards.” The economic implications for Africa are significant. EU bans restrict access to global markets, elevate insurance and leasing costs, and hinder airline partnerships with established global players. For tourism-reliant economies, the blacklist weakens connectivity and deters growth. Yet aviation experts note a path to redemption. Nations that improve oversight, adopt global best practices and undergo repeated audits have successfully been removed from the blacklist in the past. That experience offers a roadmap, but also a warning: reforms demand time, financing and political will. Africa’s rapidly growing air travel market cannot thrive without safer skies. Strengthening aviation regulation and compliance is no longer optional. It is an urgent prerequisite for recognition and trust in global aviation. https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/african-airlines-hit-by-more-eu-bans-in-ongoing-safety-oversight-battle/kt1c95c JetBlue Could Get Another Chance To Acquire Spirit Airlines Bankruptcy is a funny thing; it can actually resurrect previously failed business plans, and that's exactly what might happen with Spirit Airlines second Chapter 11 in a year. Last year, the federal government clonked a merger between Spirit and JetBlue that would have rescued the canary-colored no-frills carrier. But that option is now reportedly back on the table. A merger or sale of Spirit's assets has widely been discussed as potentially the best outcome for the airline.... The carrier has struggled to grow revenues faster than costs since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a trail of red ink in its wake.... Spirit has made several failed attempts since 2022 to merge with Frontier and JetBlue. We've already discussed the challenges to Spirit's oft-maligned but innovative approach to flying passengers around at dirt-cheap prices. We've also pointed out that Spirit's competition has not hesitated to troll the low-cost airline after it entered a second restructuring. And now we probably should not be surprised that previous suitors have re-entered the conversation. Consolidation is the name of the game If a slimmed-down Spirit can exit bankruptcy via a merger, then the no-frills airline model has a chance to preserve itself against the major carriers' attempts to absorb low-cost innovations while yoking them to more upscale offerings. As it stands, Spirit's second run through Chapter 11 is going to yield an airline that is a shadow of what it once was. JetBlue's glory days are also a fading memory. Frontier's business models parallels Spirit's, so any combination of the three would at least create a budget-friendly carrier that could preserve robust competition on the U.S. market. Ironically, the proposed JetBlue-Spirit merger was killed by Washington because the government argued that the tie-up would limit options for consumers. What they missed was the degree to which the no-frills concept has lost its mojo. What the feds really needed to do was allow two important disruptors to save themselves and enable ongoing competition to thrive. There's a good reason that United Airlines, following Spirit's second bankruptcy declaration, immediately went after the latter's customers. Is no-frills dead? Spirit's financial struggles can be traced to the no-frills model running out of gas. Flying people around for the absolute minimum investment possible had its day, but fliers now seem to want more. The major carriers now offer very cheap fares, but simultaneously provide plenty of chances to upgrade, and travelers appear to have moved past the era when they would accept uncomfortable conditions to spend very few dollars to get from point A to point B. Consolidation among the low-cost carriers would allow budget-conscious fliers to retain some power to shape how the big airlines run their operations. For the likes of Spirit, JetBlue, and Frontier, battling it out with each other is now pointless. That's why there have been merger discussions between both Spirit and JetBlue and Spirit and Frontier: the execs who run these companies know that the battle for passengers has moved elsewhere. The market has changed, and although Spirit was instrumental in changing it, low-cost airlines need to adapt to a new reality https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/jetblue-could-another-chance-acquire-172500935.html Pan Am Could Fly Again A fallen legend of the golden age of air travel, Pan Am may soon take to the skies again thanks to the brand's current owners, who have begun the certification process with the FAA. The original company shut down in 1991, after deregulation in the industry and changing economics brought the airline low. The famous blue meatball logo did fly again in the following decades under a succession of new companies, but each attempt eventually failed. The current owner, appropriately called Pan Am Global Holdings, believes it can break the curse and return the white and blue livery to glory. As Aviation Week lays out in its report, the plan is to set up headquarters in Miami if it can get certification. Notably, the intention is to fly planes from Airbus, not Boeing, the American manufacturer long associated with the Pan American World Airways brand (though it did fly both). Pan Am flew the very first Boeing 707 in 1958, introducing America to the Jet Age; it later was a major early client of the 747 jumbo jet. If the company comes back flying only European planes, that would be a symbolic blow to the still-recovering Boeing. Pan Am-branded everything Vintage photo of the interior of a Pan Am Boeing 377 Vintage photo of the interior of a Pan Am Boeing 377 - Fpg/Getty Images The new company appears to be serious, because 2025 has seen the most activity from that brand in a long time. This summer, it chartered some commemorative flights retracing some of Pan Am's most famous trips, using a Boeing 757 in Pan Am livery. Then, just this month, a flurry of announcements fell out of the sky: Holland America will start sailing Pan Am-branded cruise lines, Pan Am-branded hotels will bring a "retro, mid-century design" to Los Angeles and Europe, and SafariScapes will run a Pan Am-branded safari through Africa using a private jet. Not enough brand integration for you? Don't worry, there's more. Timex has a series of Pan Am watches now (none of which have unfortunate names, luckily). According to the main Pan Am site, lounges and shops are coming soon, too. Clearly, there's a big effort here to leverage nostalgia into lots of other products. But at the end of the day, Pan Am should be an airline that flies passengers to places. That is the goal here, and it would be nice to see an old piece of Americana refurbished and restored. Still, the real question is whether the new airline will have the same level of style and luxury the old carrier had. First-rate food on a plane? Plush seats? An actually nice interior? Take me back, please. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pan-am-could-fly-again-160500526.html Quiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California in unofficial first test flight PALMDALE, California (Reuters) -NASA's X-59 supersonic-but-quiet jet airplane soared over the Southern California desert on Tuesday in the first test flight of an experimental aircraft designed to break the sound barrier without all the noise. The sleek aircraft, measuring just under 100 feet (30 meters) from nose to tail, took off about an hour after sunrise from a runway at Plant 42 of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, about 60 miles (100 km) north of Los Angeles. After a steep climb over sod fields just east of the runway, the plane was seen banking to the north on a trajectory toward Edwards Air Force Base, about a dozen miles away, where it was expected to land. It was accompanied by a NASA chase plane. The single-engine X-59 appeared to fly at subsonic speeds, as was expected for its initial test flight. A crowd of about 200 aerospace workers and their families watched the takeoff from a safe distance parked along a nearby highway. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson, Candis Roussel, told Reuters in a brief email statement that the "X-59 successfully completed its first flight this morning" and hailed it as a "significant aviation milestone." She said the company would provide details later. The X-59, a one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft, is built to reach a cruising speed of 925 mph (1,490 kph), or Mach 1.4, at an altitude of 55,000 feet (16,764 meters), more than twice as high and roughly 60% faster than typical airliners fly. The plane's unique shape is designed to greatly reduce the explosive-like sonic boom normally produced when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, lowering the volume to a muffled "sonic thump" no louder than slamming a car door. Perfection of such low-decibel flight technology could make supersonic aircraft more conducive to commercial aviation service, especially over populated areas. The supersonic Concorde aircraft began scheduled transatlantic flights with British Airways and Air France in 1976. But the plane was retired in 2003 due to high operating costs, limited seating and sluggish passenger numbers following a fatal crash in July 2000 and the September 11 attacks in 2001. In press materials posted online last month, NASA said the X-59's first flight would be a “lower-altitude loop at about 240 mph (386 kph) to check system integration, kicking off a phase of flight testing focused on verifying the aircraft’s airworthiness and safety.” During subsequent test flights, the X-59 will travel higher and faster, eventually exceeding the speed of sound - approximately 761 mph (1,225 kph) at sea level. The California Manufacturers & Technology Association earlier this month named the X-59 as 2025's "Coolest Thing Made in California" in its annual statewide technology contest. Quiet supersonic X-59 jet soars over California in unofficial first test flight PALMDALE, California (Reuters) -NASA's X-59 supersonic-but-quiet jet airplane soared over the Southern California desert on Tuesday in the first test flight of an experimental aircraft designed to break the sound barrier without all the noise. The sleek aircraft, measuring just under 100 feet (30 meters) from nose to tail, took off about an hour after sunrise from a runway at Plant 42 of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, about 60 miles (100 km) north of Los Angeles. After a steep climb over sod fields just east of the runway, the plane was seen banking to the north on a trajectory toward Edwards Air Force Base, about a dozen miles away, where it was expected to land. It was accompanied by a NASA chase plane. The single-engine X-59 appeared to fly at subsonic speeds, as was expected for its initial test flight. A crowd of about 200 aerospace workers and their families watched the takeoff from a safe distance parked along a nearby highway. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson, Candis Roussel, told Reuters in a brief email statement that the "X-59 successfully completed its first flight this morning" and hailed it as a "significant aviation milestone." She said the company would provide details later. The X-59, a one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft, is built to reach a cruising speed of 925 mph (1,490 kph), or Mach 1.4, at an altitude of 55,000 feet (16,764 meters), more than twice as high and roughly 60% faster than typical airliners fly. The plane's unique shape is designed to greatly reduce the explosive-like sonic boom normally produced when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, lowering the volume to a muffled "sonic thump" no louder than slamming a car door. Perfection of such low-decibel flight technology could make supersonic aircraft more conducive to commercial aviation service, especially over populated areas. The supersonic Concorde aircraft began scheduled transatlantic flights with British Airways and Air France in 1976. But the plane was retired in 2003 due to high operating costs, limited seating and sluggish passenger numbers following a fatal crash in July 2000 and the September 11 attacks in 2001. In press materials posted online last month, NASA said the X-59's first flight would be a “lower-altitude loop at about 240 mph (386 kph) to check system integration, kicking off a phase of flight testing focused on verifying the aircraft’s airworthiness and safety.” During subsequent test flights, the X-59 will travel higher and faster, eventually exceeding the speed of sound - approximately 761 mph (1,225 kph) at sea level. The California Manufacturers & Technology Association earlier this month named the X-59 as 2025's "Coolest Thing Made in California" in its annual statewide technology contest. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/science/articles/quiet-supersonic-x-59-jet-201518303.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 78TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT (IASS) - Lisbon, November 4–6 . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada . 2026 ACSF Safety Symposium; April 7-9, 2026; ERAU Daytona Beach, FL . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . BASS 2026 - 71st Business Aviation Safety Summit - May 5-6, 2026 | Provo, Utah . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis