<p>We look at the Air India Boeing 787 crash and the friction between investigators, Boom Supersonic’s plan for stationary power generation, Spirit Airlines’ new labor agreements, the canceled TSA labor contract, DHS purchase of Boeing 737s, ethics and the FAA Administrator, the V-22 Osprey accident rate, A-10 retirement postponement, return of PanAm, and fumes in the cabin.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Aviation News</strong></h2> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/11/28/air-india-boeing-787-crash-probe-leads-to-tussle-between-investigators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Air India Boeing 787 Crash Probe Leads to Tussle Between Investigators</strong></a></h3> <p>India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and U.S. agencies, such as the NTSB and FAA, investigating the <a href="https://www.airindia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Air India</a> crash have clashed over where and how to read out the flight recorders, access to evidence, and the overall pace and transparency of the investigation. U.S. officials reportedly feared a lack of openness, while Indian officials pushed back strongly against what they saw as outside interference and challenges to their competence.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.airindia.com/" target="_blank" rel=" noreferrer noopener"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="500" height="254" src="https://www.airplanegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Boeing-787-8-Dreamliner-3_500.jpg" alt="Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in flight." class="wp-image-11067" srcset="http://www.airplanegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Boeing-787-8-Dreamliner-3_500.jpg 500w, http://www.airplanegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Boeing-787-8-Dreamliner-3_500-300x152.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Boeing 787, courtesy Air India.</figcaption></figure> </div> <p>Preliminary technical findings point toward the 787’s fuel control switches being moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” starving both engines of fuel shortly after takeoff. Some U.S. sources suspect deliberate pilot action, while Indian authorities have downplayed pilot culpability in public.</p> <p>Source article in the <em>Wall Street Journal: </em><a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/air-india-investigation-conflict-crash-36aed1ee?st=Ge3heQ&amp;reflink=article_copyURL_share" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Officials Clash in Investigation of Deadly Air India Crash</a></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/air-india-admits-compliance-culture-needs-overhaul-after-flying-airbus-without-2025-12-10/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Air India Admits Compliance Culture Needs Overhaul After Flying Airbus Without Permit, Document Shows</strong></a></h3> <p>An Air India investigation found that one of its Airbus planes conducted eight commercial flights without an airworthiness permit.&nbsp; &#8220;Systemic failures&#8221; were cited, and the airline admitted it needed to make compliance improvements.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emerging-technologies/boom-supersonic-secures-breakthrough-ai-engine-deal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Boom Supersonic Secures Breakthrough AI Engine Deal</strong></a></h3> <p><a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boom Supersonic</a> is developing the Symphony propulsion system to power its Overture supersonic airliner. At the same time, AI data centers require enormous compute power, and they need energy to do that. Boom says that it will develop the land-based Superpower 42-megawatt natural gas turbine, based on the Symphony engine. If successful, the Superpower would generate a revenue stream and provide operating data. Crusoe Energy has 29 Superpower units on order, with delivery expected in 2027.</p> <p>Major aero‑derivative OEMs offering ground power generation​ include: General Electric, Siemens Energy, Mitsubishi Power, Rolls‑Royce, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.</p> <p>AvWeek reports that Boom has closed a $300 million funding round, which the company says, together with the AI gas turbine deal, will be sufficient to complete development of the Symphony and initial Overture aircraft.</p> <p>Video: <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/krweC0gvbhM?si=5F4EO-yBlbsjE196" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Introducing Superpower: The Supersonic Tech Powering AI Data Centers</a></strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/krweC0gvbhM?si=5F4EO-yBlbsjE196 </div> </figure> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/jetblue-airbus-a320-avoids-near-miss-us-military-tanker" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>JetBlue A320 narrowly avoids mid-air collision with USAF tanker over Caribbean</strong></a></h3> <p>On December 12, 2025, a JetBlue Airways A320-232 (Flight B61112) left Curaçao bound for JFK airport. Shortly after takeoff, the plane narrowly avoided a collision with a US Air Force refueling tanker.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/spirit-airlines-reaches-another-milestone-130000167.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Spirit Airlines Reaches Another Milestone in its Restructuring as Pilots and Flight Attendants Ratify Agreements</strong></a></h3> <p>Spirit Airlines announced the ratification of labor agreements with pilots (represented by the <a href="https://www.alpa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Air Line Pilots Association</a>) and flight attendants (represented by the <a href="https://www.afacwa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Association of Flight Attendants-CWA</a>). The two agreements are subject to court approval.</p> <p>82% of the pilots voted in favor of the contract, which allows temporary reductions in pay rates and retirement contributions effective January 1, 2026. Pay rates are restored through guaranteed increases on August 1, 2028, and January 1, 2029. Company-funded retirement contributions will be fully restored by July 1, 2029. See ALPA Press Release: <a href="https://www.alpa.org/Press-Room/2025/12/Spirit-Airlines-Pilots-Ratify-Restructuring-Agreement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spirit Airlines Pilots Ratify Restructuring Agreement</a>.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-invalidates-union-contract-covering-47000-tsa-officers-2025-12-12/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>US invalidates union contract covering 47,000 TSA officers, AFGE vows to challenge</strong></a></h3> <p>The <a href="https://www.afge.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Federation of Government Employees</a> represents airport screening officers and plans to file a lawsuit after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated the collective bargaining agreement. DHS plans to implement a new labor framework on January 11, 2026, when the collection of union dues from TSA officers&#8217; paychecks will cease. TSA said the new labor framework &#8220;will return the agency back into a security-focused framework that prioritizes workforce readiness, resource allocation and mission focus with an effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars.&#8221;</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/us-signs-boeing-trump-deportation-deal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>US signs nearly $140m deal to purchase six Boeing 737s for use in deportations</strong></a></h3> <p>The Department of Homeland Security signed a contract with Arlington, Virginia-based <a href="https://www.daedalus-aviation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daedalus Aviation Corporation</a> to purchase six Boeing 737 planes for deportation operations.&nbsp; DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said: “This new initiative will save $279m in taxpayer dollars by allowing ICE to operate more effectively, including by using more efficient flight patterns.”</p> <p>Daedalus Aviation Corporation focuses on turnkey flight operations and specialized charter services for government and high‑stakes commercial clients. They emphasize contingency, evacuation, and other critical missions.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://apnews.com/article/faa-administrator-bedford-ethics-republic-airways-stock-5b3185d367f3766fd1be75b3e8762a58" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Senator says FAA administrator failed to sell multimillion-dollar airline stake as promised</strong></a></h3> <p>Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) says FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford promised to sell his multimillion-dollar stake in Republic Airways under his ethics agreement, but he has failed to do so. Bedford agreed to sell all his shares within 90 days of his confirmation, but 150 days have now passed.</p> <p>In a letter to Bedford, Sen. Cantwell writes, “It appears you continue to retain significant equity in this conflicting asset months past the deadline set to fully divest from Republic, which constitutes a clear violation of your ethics agreement. This is unacceptable and demands a full accounting.”</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://news.usni.org/2025/12/12/new-v-22-mishap-reviews-find-material-issues-with-osprey-poor-communication-between-services" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>New V-22 Mishap Reviews Find Material Issues with Osprey, Poor Communication Between Services</strong></a></h3> <p>Two new reports point to faulty parts, poorly understood maintenance procedures, and a lack of communication across the services. The result was a lack of safety and reliability across the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. One report was from the Naval Air Systems Command, and the other was from the <a href="https://news.usni.org/2025/12/12/navy-and-gao-reports-v-22-osprey-program" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Government Accountability Office</a>. Both had been in the works for two years. Twenty people were killed in V-22 Osprey accidents from 2022 to 2024.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://avbrief.com/congress-postpones-a-10-retirement/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Congress Postpones A-10 Retirement</strong></a></h3> <p>The A-10 Thunderbolt II (the Warthog) close support aircraft has been on the verge of retirement for years. The National Defense Appropriations Act (NDAA) directs the Air Force to keep at least 103 A-10 aircraft in its inventory until a phaseout in 2029. The NDAA limits retirement plans for other aircraft: KC-10 tankers, the F-15E Strike Eagle, and the E-3 Sentry surveillance plane. Delays in supplying replacements are cited as the reason.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.airdatanews.com/pan-am-plans-airbus-a320neo-operations-miami/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Pan Am plans future Airbus A320neo operations as part of Miami launch</strong></a></h3> <p>The “new <a href="https://www.panam.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pan Am</a>” is a startup effort to revive the Pan American World Airways brand as a U.S. Part 121 scheduled airline. Pan American Global Holdings acquired the rights to the Pan Am brand in 2023. Pan Am intends to deploy Airbus A320neo aircraft as part of its future operations in Miami.</p> <p>There are few details about the executive team, but Ed Wegel is described as a Pan Am co-founder. He is also the founder of <a href="https://avi8air-capital.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AVi8 Air Capital</a>, a niche aviation-focused investment and advisory firm with headquarters in the Miami, Florida area. The company is active in the relaunch of Pan Am, and this year (2025), they completed a comprehensive Pan Am business plan.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/law-professor-sues-boeing-over-toxic-fume-exposure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Boeing Sued By Law Professor After Allegedly Inhaling Toxic Fumes On Cross-Country Flight</strong></a></h3> <p>A law professor who flew on a Boeing 737 aircraft operated by Delta Air Lines last year is suing Boeing, alleging that he suffered serious health issues after being exposed to toxic fumes in the cabin.&nbsp;</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mentioned</strong></h2> <p><a href="https://travelupdate.com/best-airports-for-avgeeks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The 10 Best Airports for AvGeeks: Rare Aircraft, Unique Routes, and Niche Airlines</a></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Hosts this Episode</strong></h2> <p>Max Flight, Rob Mark, and our Main(e) Man Micah, with Erin Applebaum.</p>