The Fourth of July holiday is one of the busiest periods in American aviation, as families and friends take advantage of the time off to go on trips and make memories. Undoubtedly, those traveling during this period look to create positive memories, not have their travel plans blown up in their faces. Many often forget that passengers are not the only ones who suffer when disruptions hit the aviation industry. The faces that greet us upon boarding an aircraft, help us load bags in overhead bins, and those in cockpits at the controls face so much that we, as passengers, do not see.Since last Saturday, more than 50,000 flights have been interrupted in the United States, not only displacing passengers but also crews. According to United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, it all began with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to reduce the number of flights allowed in the New York Area last weekend. But those words have quickly backfired on Kirby, as it is evident that something went wrong internally at United, leading to hundreds of thousands of passengers and thousands of crew members having their lives significantly interrupted.Last year, a former flight attendant created a petition called “Pay Me For Boarding” in order to unify the voices of flight attendants nationwide in their cry for fair compensation. Throughout the week, several crew members’ stories have been shared on the Instagram page, exposing problems with airlines’ management and crew scheduling systems. Simple Flying asked to connect with those willing to share their stories; what we heard is alarming.

Northern Pacific has once again delayed its inaugural flight due to operational challenges. July 14 has been set as the new date for the launch of its operations.

Last week was a busy one for Asia-Pacific narrowbody aircraft operations. It was announced that Malaysia's SKS Airways selected 10 Embraer E195-E2s to become the first airline in Southeast Asia to fly the plane. Following this, the COMAC C919 finally entered service.As such, Embraer has been keeping a close eye on the developments in the region. Notably, the company has been gaining ground, following a series of key orders.

May 20th marks 90 years since Turkish Airlines was founded. With this anniversary soon approaching, Simple Flying spoke with the carrier’s chairman of the board and the executive committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, to find out more about how the company feels about the milestone.

It may seem highly ambitious for carriers to imagine a net zero ecosystem by 2050, but British Airways is confident in reaching this goal. Its parent company IAG was the first airline group to commit to this target. So, to learn more about this mission, Simple Flying caught up with British Airways' director of sustainability, Carrie Harris.

Earlier this month, we revealed how Emirates is sustainably adapting its widebody fleet. Still, the Dubai-based carrier is covering all angles with its environmental initiatives. With this in mind, Simple Flying spoke with Richard Jewsbury, Emirates Divisional Vice President, UK, to learn more about the carrier’s activities in this field.While plenty of work is being done to improve the efficiency of the UAE outfit's widebodies, Emirates is concentrating on additional factors amid its net zero ambitions. There are some ambitious goals for the airline, but it’s confident it can achieve its missions.

It has been over 84 years since the Boeing 307 Stratoliner first flew. The aircraft conducted its maiden flight on December 31st, 1938, and brought considerable new opportunities to the aviation industry.

Earlier this year, Pyka revealed the world's largest autonomous electric cargo aircraft. While the company is now making waves with the Pelican Cargo, plenty of hard work has gone into the program since its founding six years ago.Pyka has grown significantly since its formation in 2017. It began as a team of four, building its first prototype out of Norcia’s parents’ backyard for the Y-combinator accelerator. The firm has since grown to 47 employees with a robust aircraft manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in Oakland, California.

With recovery season underway, Cathay Pacific is looking to the future. The flag carrier of Hong Kong is keen to have the right aircraft to meet demand this decade.

Simple Flying will attend the 2023 Arab Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah between March 14th and 16th. Here, key industry stakeholders will meet to discuss the direction of air transport. Ahead of the event, we caught up with the summit’s director, Frederico Fernandes, to find out more about what to expect.