United Airlines signed during the third quarter “definitive agreements” with unnamed aircraft lessors to lease 40 Airbus A321neo jets, with deliveries expected in 2026 and 2027. As of 30 September, United entered ”into leases with rental obligations of approximately $4b for several mainline aircraft, regional aircraft under [capacity purchase agreements], airport facilities and office space, none of which had commenced as of such date”, the carrier said in a 16 October filing with the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). “These leases will commence between 2024 and 2027, with lease terms of up to 12 years,” it adds. United’s decision to lease additional Airbus narrowbodies comes amid significant delivery delays by both Airbus and Boeing, with the latter manufacturer suffering from a weeks-long machinists’ strike that has ceased 737, 767 and 777 production. And roughly one third of the global A321neo fleet has been grounded by Pratt & Whitney’s recall of hundreds of geared-turbofan engines, which require lengthy inspections and repairs of potential manufacturing defects. Altogether, the issues are severely restricting the availability of narrowbody aircraft for airlines worldwide. <br/>
star
Turbulence on a recent Air Canada flight was so rough it caused food and drinks to spill all over the airplane cabin aisle and splatter onto ceiling. Flight AC19 departed from Vancouver on Friday and was on its way to Singapore when the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner suddenly hit "major bumps" and "everything went flying (including a few people!)," according to a Reddit post on the r/aircanada subreddit by user HefetzHashud, who said they were a passenger onboard. The user did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. An Air Canada spokesperson confirmed the flight encountered "some turbulence" about three hours into the 16-hour-long journey. In the comments, the Reddit user said the turbulence lasted for around four to seven minutes and it was "one huge drop in altitude that sent everything flying." The user also commented that passengers helped the flight attendants clean up afterwards and those with wet seats were given tablecloths.<br/>
Royal Air Force fighters were scrambled to intercept a civilian airliner that had reported a bomb on board. The Air India jet was circling over Norfolk before the Typhoon interceptors met it. An RAF spokesman said the alert ended without incident and the Boeing 777-300 "was released to continue to its original destination". An Air India spokesperson confirmed it had reported a "bomb threat" but the "aircraft landed safely at Heathrow Airport and all passengers and crew have disembarked". Audio of the passenger jet's crew alerting air traffic control to the potential threat was recorded by a Dutch plane spotter. In it, the captain can be heard telling ground controllers: "We have a suspected bomb on board, requesting priority landing." It continued: "We have a bomb threat. Air India 129 is requesting descent." The aircraft enthusiast, who would only be identified by his X user name, @EHEH_spotter, confirmed to the BBC that he had made the recording using a scanner. A loud sonic boom was reported across Norfolk as the fighter jets raced to intercept the airliner. BBC Radio Norfolk listeners reported hearing a loud bang at approximately 12:40 BST. According to Flightradar24, the Air India jet was over the North Sea when it changed course and circled over Norfolk and parts of Suffolk several times. By the time it was met by the RAF Typhoons, it was just off the Essex coast before continuing to its destination. An Air India spokesperson said: "Air India flight AI129, from Mumbai to London, received a bomb threat on social media today. The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow Airport and all passengers and crew have disembarked. "Our top priority is the safety and security of our passengers and crew, and we thank local authorities for their support and assistance extended to the passengers during this unexpected disruption."<br/>
Police in India's financial capital Mumbai have arrested a minor for allegedly posting online bomb threats to three flights earlier this week, India's aviation minister said. Indian airlines have this month received a spate of threats to domestic and international flights on their social media, all of which have been false alarms. "Strongly condemn the recent bomb threats to Indian air carriers. We are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that every necessary measure is taken against such actions," Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the country's civil aviation minister, said in a post on X on Wednesday. He said the person arrested was a minor, meaning below the age of 18, and did not name him. Local media have reported that bomb threats were made from an account on X and alleged two IndiGo flights - one to Muscat and another to Jeddah, and an Air India one to New York had armed militants with explosives. At least eight flights of leading carrier IndiGo were subject to threats. Three Spicejet ones, two Vistara and four Air India ones also received similar messages online this week, according to Reuters calculations.<br/>
Star Alliance member All Nippon Airways (ANA) returned to Perth this week with its service to Tokyo Narita, two weeks earlier than planned due to high demand. ANA will operate the Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Perth (PER) service three times a week with a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring business class, premium economy and economy class service. From Narita, the flights depart every Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 1120, arriving in Perth at 2030. The return flights leave Perth at 2155, arriving back in Tokyo at 0830 the following morning. Currently, this is a seasonal route scheduled to operate from 14 October to 27 March, 2025. ANA operates year-round flights between Tokyo and Sydney.<br/>