plane

China has attacked a German plane with a laser weapon

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The Red Sea is has become In one of the more volatile foci of the current geopolitical map, marked by constant attacks From the hutis to commercial ships in retaliation for the war in Gaza, the growing militarization of strategic routes and a complex SInterests between powers such as Iran, the United States, China and the European Union. And in the midst of this scenario more and more tense, maritime security missions can face challenges that go beyond conventional attacks. The last one has been as unclassifiable as extremely dangerous. Laser climbing. On July 2, 2025, a German surveillance plane was attacked with a laser For a frigate from the Navy of the Popular Army of Liberation (Plan) while participating in a routine mission off the Coast of Yemen. The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air 350 operated by civil contractors from Yibuti and with German military personnel on board, he was fulfilling support functions within the ASPIDES OPERATION of the European Union, destined to Protect navigation In the Red Sea in front of Hutis attacks. According to them German authoritiesthe Chinese ship had already been previously sighted In the area, but this time he launched the beam without prior notice, forcing the mission to abort and return based. The Berlin government has responded firmlyconvening the Chinese ambassador to express their protest and qualifying the act of “totally unacceptable” to endanger the staff and hinder international operations. Repeated pattern The incident It is not an isolated fact. Since 2018, the Chinese Navy has been accused in several occasions to use laser weapons against military aircraft from the United States, Australia and the Philippines in different scenarios Strategic, from Yibuti to the South China Sea. In all cases, light beams, although without immediate destructive impact, were used with intentions of harassment, disorientation or intimidation, and some caused mild eye damage and disruption of optical sensors. The situation evokes especially A 2018 case In which two American pilots suffered injuries for a Chinese military laser while operating from the base in Yibuti, the same area from which the German plane attacked took off. The code for unexpected meetings in the sea (Cues), signed by China, Explicitly prohibits These practices for their risk of physical damage and military escalation, but its breach has become an unofficial tactics of the plan in scenarios where geopolitical friction is high. Laser boom and naval proliferation. The use of laser technology on board wars It is not exclusive From China, but its systematic and aggressive deployment is an alert signal. The proliferation of these systems, which vary from simple dazzling manuals up to Laser cannons capable of disabled sensors, drones and Antibheque missilesis part of a growing trend in contemporary marine. China has incorporated These devices to various types of vessels, including amphibious ships of type 071 classin parallel to the development of similar systems by the American Navy and other powers. What distinguishes the plan is your willingness to use them in peace time for the purpose of harassment, with tensions that touch the threshold of the conflict without formally crossing it. The possibility that these incidents are repeated or climb especially to European countries whose naval presence in distant waters has increased in response to new global threats. Geostrategy in the Red Sea. The growing Chinese influence in the Red Sea adds a disturbing nuance to the incident. Since 2008, the plan maintains a continuous naval presence in The Gulf of Adénbacked by your Permanent base in Yibuti. Recently, Beijing has reached An understanding With the hutis to guarantee the safe step of Chinese commercial ships through the Red Sea, while other international actors face systematic attacks. This ambiguous position allows China to present as a stability guarantor in the region, while hindering with unstalled hostility Maritime security missions led by the West, such as ASPIDES OPERATION. The incident with the German plane can be read, in that sense, as a form of indirect pressure to discourage the European military presence in waters now considered vital for Beijing’s strategic interests. Silent expansion. Beyond the Red Sea, the European fear of Chinese expansion is not limited to the naval field. Continent authorities have expressed their growing concern for Beijing’s influence on critical infrastructure, transport routes and geostrategic areas such as The Baltic either Arctic. In that context, the German response (formally convene the Chinese ambassador) represents a diplomatic gesture unusual For Berlin, more traditionally prone to equilibrium than to direct confrontation. However, in the face of a potential aggression against European military personnel and a repeated pattern of Chinese naval harassment, the measure acquires a symbolic value: it indicates that European patience against the erosion of fundamental international standards It has a limit. Diffuse red line. Although It has not been confirmed If the laser used in the attack was of high power or material damage has been detailed, the very involvement of a Chinese military system against a European aircraft in official mission feels a preceding worrying. As the Red Sea becomes an increasingly complex scenario (with Iran, the Hutis, the United States, Europe and now China playing parallel and contradictory roles), the use of silent weapons, Like the lasersis emerging as the perfect tool to inflict deterrence without firing a bullet. If you want also, each of these Pulses Invisible tense a little more the thread of regional stability and threatens to turn the Red Sea into a new gray area of ​​military competence. Image | Pla, China Military Online In Xataka | The “trick” of modern wars: how US ships repelled drones in the Red Sea without shooting a single shot In Xataka | China has ordered its ships to turn around in Ormuz: what reveals the silent withdrawal of its oil tankers

China has resurrected the most crazy plane of the USSR. The Ekranoplano returns to life, and the big question is why

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In 2020 he went viral A video Through a drone that was recording images of a beach in the Caspian Sea. Suddenly, the clip showed one of the greatest fantasies of Soviet aviation: An ekranoplano Varado, a unique piece of the so -called Cold War as “marine monster” that never occurred in mass due to its costs (and benefits). Five years later, a nation has resurrected the idea of ​​the great hybrid between plane and ship: China. Emerging silhouette. Yes, because for the first time, they have emerged Complete images of the new soil effect vehicle (Wig) Chinese, an aircraft capable of flying at low altitude on aquatic surfaces using the so -called “air mattress efficiency.” The device was initially identified by the naval analyst Hi Suttonand its presence in the Bahai Sea, northwest of the Yellow Sea, has not gone unnoticed. In the first photographs, part of its structure remained hidden, but the new shots have revealed Your full silhouetteconfirming its configuration as a large ekranoplane with a hidravion helmet. Amazing design. Its development, unknown so far in the Chinese aeronautical inventory, keeps a certain resemblance to The AG600the amphibious hydroavion that China develops For rescue, refueling and logistics missions in the disputed sea of ​​southern China. The appearance of this vehicle feeds the growing global trend to revitalize the soil effect platforms, technology that, as we said at the beginning, the Soviet Union He thoroughly explored during The cold war but that never became popular outside its experimental margins. Between the shadow and the radar. The operational principle of these aircraft is simple and shocking: fly to a very low height On water it allows to take advantage of a dense layer of compressed air that increases support and reduces resistance. In addition, when staying below the terrestrial radar horizon, these vehicles are more difficult to detect and track. Unlike ships, they are not vulnerable to mines or submarines, and although they are not suitable for highly answered combat areas, they could effectively operate in coastal or semi-permissive scenarios. Its possible utility, let’s put the assumption of a war between China and the United States, would be significant, especially considering that China would fight in its own geographical environment immediate. The EkranoPlano would serve as a logistics platform to bring supplies to remote coastal areas, evacuate personnel or even fulfill anti -submarine war and limited maritime control functions, thanks to its ability to quickly insert itself into remote areas and return without the need for port infrastructure. Propulsion, design and doubts. One of the great unknowns posed by this new vehicle is its propulsion system. The available images, although of low resolution, show a kind of Large rear tobares that have raised speculations about whether it is an aircraft with reaction engines, with propellers not yet installed or, even, with an unpublished hybrid-electric system. The NACELLES They present air tickets at the top that could point towards a bimotor design With turboreactor propulsionbut the presence of possible axes or pointed structures on the front suggest that it could be equipped with great thrust propellers to install. Nothing is confirmed. The current versions of this device They could be prototypes Technological demonstration, subscales aimed at informing future developments, or operational models in a stealth test phase. The possibility of using latest generation composite materials to reduce weight, improve aerodynamics and decrease radar signature reinforces the hypothesis of a modern and highly specialized design. New mobility paradigm. Plus: The profile of the new Chinese EkranoPlano shows clear similarities with The Liberty Lifterthe great American project for a Heavy load wig. Both share a conception based on high efficiency platforms to operate on vast oceanic extensions without depending on aerodromes, tracks or ports. The Chinese apparatus presents a V -tail, a typical staging fuselage of hydroAvions, stabilizing floats at the ends of the wings and in the center of the helmet, and a large side door that makes it suitable for transport personnel or materials. Its nose, stylized and aerodynamically integrated, also suggests special attention to functional design. This set of characteristics reinforces the theory that China could be developing a versatile and tactical platform to operate in Coastal environments playedespecially in the context of a sea of ​​increasingly militarized southern China. What will come. The public appearance of Now called “Monster of the Bohai Sea”, as the first naval analysts have baptized it, opens the door to intensive monitoring by experts and Western agencies. As lighter images arise and possibly videos of their first tests in the open sea, the analysis will be refined and the evaluation of its potential will pass from the speculative to the doctrinal. For now, its single existence implies that China, like other powers, is seriously investing in asymmetric capacities that Challenge the limitations traditional logistics. This EkranoPlano is not yet a strategic threat by itself, but represents a clear symbol of Beijing’s technological and military ambition: fast, stealthy mobility, close to its coasts and out of the immediate reach of conventional western detection or deterrence tools. Image | Wikimedia Commons, x In Xataka | The EkranoPlano is the gigantic Russian plane that was designed to “float” on the sea and that precisely for that reason failed In Xataka | China has converted salmon breeding into a high seas into an engineering feat. This latest generation ship shows it

Traveling by plane with a monstrous battery sounds great. Until airport safety thinks

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Travel salts and do fast checkeo: molts, clothing, pajamas, jacket in case it refreshes (which you will end up not using), loaders and loaders The Power Bank of 30,000 mAh with which you can load your mobile and that of all your friends a couple of times. You keep everything, you arrive at the airport and surprise: You can’t pass with such a large external batteryso they requisition and lose it. Indeed, in the same way that we can only carry liquid boats up to 100 milliliters In a transparent plastic bag up to a liter of capacityexternal batteries also have limits. Knowing them will help us not to take an unpleasant surprise as soon as you start the holidays Let’s talk about airplanes. IATA (International Air Transport Association) is the global commercial organization that groups the majority of the world’s airlines. It represents more than 350 airlines in 120 countries (that is, 80% of world air traffic) and among its many tasks is the promotion of safety standards. It is in the 66th edition of the IATA DANGEROUS GOODS REGULATIONS where the limits of lithium and ion-lithium batteries are collected (PDF). Image | Xataka The limits. According to the IATA, we can carry in the hand luggage, and always in the hand luggage, not in the winery, a maximum two external batteries of up to 100 Whing each. The same is secreted by EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) (PDF). IATA terminology, however, is something confusing because it considers the Power Banks as spare/loose batteries, and of those we can take up to 20. However, if they are non -spillable batteries, they must be 12V or less, 100 whi or less and the limit is two units per person. If it is a replacement battery of between 100 and 160 WH, we can take up to two that the operator approves it and if it is greater than 160 WH, we most likely cannot transport it, as the EASA exposes. So, and to go on insurance: Maximum capacity: 100 Wh Maximum units per person: two Power Banks. Image | Gomi Forgive, Wh? In the Tech world we are accustomed to talking about the ability of a battery in terms of MAH (milliamp tell us about (watts time). If the brand of our Power Bank gives us the data, better than better. If not, we can do the MAH> WH conversion with this formula: (mAh) x (v) / 1000 = Wh Power Bank usually have a 3.7 volt voltage, so in the case of an external 20,000 mAh battery we would be talking about 74 Wh. That leads us to the following conclusion: if we want to carry the Power Bank on an airplane, the maximum theoretical capacity must be, at most, 27,000 mAh, although it may be tightening the rope too much. With a battery of 20-25,000 mAh we should go more than served, so, again, to go on insurance on an plane: Maximum capacity: 20,000-25,000 mAh. Maximum units per person: two Power Banks. Image | Gomi But one thing. This is a general rule and airlines usually accept it or adapt it, but we have doubts the ideal is to speak with the operator and comment our particular case. It is also possible that There are concrete standards depending on the country or the airline. For example, Hong Kong’s laws They prohibit loading the Power Banks using the USB take of the seats or loading devices with the external battery during the flight. South Korean operators force To take the battery at all times with us (not in a backpack, not in the upper trunk, with us) and companies like China Airlines and Singapore Airlines They prohibit The use of them during the flight. China’s case is particular. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued an urgent notice whereby, as of June 28, 2025, passengers are prohibited from climbing the plane With batteries without the 3C certification (CCC). This is a mandatory security brand, similar to the European EC, which guarantees the quality and safety of Chinese products and that applies to both those imported and those manufactured in China. The thing is that, for the moment, it only applies to domestic flights. And in the trains? Nor in the Renfe conditions nor on the Adif website any mention is made to external batteries. Renfe, in fact, considers dangerous objects to firearms, white weapons, sports and sharp work instruments. Weapons could behave if we carry the relevant license or accreditations, as well as ammunition. What we cannot carry are sharp objects such as knives or stabs, paint ball guns and explosive, flammable, chemical or toxic substances. They do not specify anything about external batteries. They do not do it either Iro and Ouigowhich have similar restrictions and in no case refer to external batteries. Anyway, from Xataka we have contacted the three operators to get out of doubt and update in the case of receiving an answer. Image | Tonny Zhong

This is the plane that USA used in Iran

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He B-2 Spirit It has been used again in a conflict scenario, this time within the framework of an American operation against nuclear facilities in Iran. It does not usually transcend information about its deployment, but this mission has been publicly confirmed. What has come to light allows us to better understand how a bomber is operated that, by design, is designed not to leave their mark. The mission, baptized as Operation Midnight Hammerwas executed under direct orders of the US president. The objective: attack three Iranian nuclear infrastructure in a coordinated, fast and with the lowest possible margin. As explained General Dan Caine at a press conference, the main deployment was made up of seven B-2 bombers, which took off from the American continent and flew for more than 18 hours until reaching their goal (about 37 hours in total). Official Pentagon Diagram showing the B-2 route in the midnight hammer operation against Iran During that journey, the airplanes made multiple reposses in flight, presumably using airplanes KC-135 Stratotankerwith the support of units that coordinated the operation in several domains: terrestrial, aerial, spatial and cybernetic. The logistics complexity was such that Some bombers were diverted to the Pacific as lurein a deception effort that only knew a handful of military controls. Go out without being seen The main formation crossed the Iranian airspace in complete radio silence, escorted by fourth and fifth generation fighters They cleared the corridor at high speed. The maneuver was backed by different commands – including the US Strategic Command and the Space Command– And it was timed to the second. According to the Pentagon, no enemy shots were recorded during the approach. Once on the ground, the B-2 attacked Fordow and Natanz, two of the most sensitive enclaves of the Iranian nuclear program. Minutes before, an American submarine had launched more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles to neutralize other defenses and surface structures. Now, piloting a B-2 in a mission of this type requires more than skill. Require Aguante. They are only two crew on board, in a cabin that – although broader than that of other bombers – is not intended for comfort. They carry suits, helmets, oxygen masks and sit in ejectable seats that have been described as “Notably uncomfortable” for those who have flown in them. The rest moments are contemplated: there are times when one can pilot, and the other sleep. As explained to Newsweek Naveed Jamali, a journalist and veteran who witnessed one of the training, the pilots must complete simulations of up to 24 hours to be authorized to participate. The plane has toilet, but not with a full bathroom. Four key reasons During his visit to Whiteman Air Force Base, the same journalist interviewed one of those responsible for the unit. He asked what B-2 was unique. The answer was clear: “scope, payload, precision and stealth”That combination, he said, does not offer any other plane in the world. And it is precisely what makes it a critical tool in this type of operations. Scope, payload, precision and stealth: are the four qualities that make B-2 a practically unmatched bomber. B-2 can travel more than 9,600 kilometers without reposting. It can transport up to 20 tons of armament – conventional or nuclear – and is designed to make even the most advanced anti -aircraft systems. It has no direct rivals. And there are only 20 active units. Image of B-2 while supplying fuel in full flight It should be noted that the B-2 is also one of the most expensive to operate. Each unit exceeded the 900 million dollars in 1997 (about 1.8 billion dollars in 2025), Considering only the acquisition cost with spare parts and support. If the total expenditure of the program – development, maintenance, training and facilities – the figure was included, the figure amounted to about $ 2,130 million per aircraft in the late 1990s, According to the US government responsibility office (GAO). The origins of the project date back to late 1970s. Initially 132 units were planned. After the end of the cold war and the dissolution of the USSR, that number was cut. In 1992, President George HW Bush limited production to 20 operational units. Years later, the Clinton administration approved to convert an additional prototype – the number 21 – into fully functional aircraft. The B-2, on stage after the incident recorded in Guam in 2008 Today, however, only 20 active units remain. One was lost in an accident in 2008, shortly after taking off the Andersen base, in Guam. The incident was due to a Anomaly in pressure sensorsaccording to A report of Air Force Safety Center. It was the first accident of a B-2 and its loss was never replaced. The B-2 also has another quality that makes it unique: its ability to transport the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), one of the most powerful bombs ever built. Weigh more than 13,000 kilos and is designed to pierce the surface before detonating. Image from below the B-2: its winging design is no accident In this operation, that capacity was key. The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, confirmed that it was the First time the MOP was used In a real scenarioand that his role was essential to impact facilities deeply buried as Fordow. Although we will have to wait to know the real damage of the operation. More than 25 years have passed since its entry into service, but the B-2 is still a tool without a rival. Not only for its destructive capacity, but for what it represents: an plane that can cross half planet, dodge defenses and execute a surgical attack without a trace. Images | Northrop Grumman | Dod Rapid Response | US Ministry of Defense | US Air Force (1, 2, 3, 4) In Xataka | The key between a nuclear and latent nuclear program is the destination of the enriched uranium. And that is a problem for the US

There was a day when getting on a plane was beautiful, comfortable and aspirational. Today most already hates it

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Flying is fascinating. Or it was. Get on the plane, look for the seat and check with illusion that it has a window. A slight tingling when the route starts towards the track. The tremendous push against the seat at the time of accelerating. The incoherent feeling of ungravation when gaining height and we feel pressured against the bottom of the seat. The notice that we can take off our belt and yes, make sure that, mysteriously, we are flying. A formidable trip. I remember my first plane trip. With illusion, with nervousness. But everything changes when, due to the circumstances of life, the plane ceases to be something exceptional and becomes a more or less usual means of transport. Or when you arrive at the airport and check the huge tail with horror to pass a police control that, fortunately, It should be simplified very soon. Or when you discover that you measure more than 1.70 meters and enter the seat becomes an exercise in contortionism. Or when your look visualizes in the poster that the flight is delayed. Or when that little bridge getaway falls apart by an unforeseen cancellation. Or when you reach the destination and you have the keys and wallet at hand, but the suitcase has been lost along the way. Or when … A blow of reality. We have gone from seeing the plane as a luxury transport and associating it with an attractive and unique experience to pray because nothing happens if we have to take one. In 1951, Iberia flew for the first time to New York. On its website We can read how “a select chefs group prepared each meal, poured syrup on the cakes and prepared the trays that would then serve passengers aboard the Iberia airplanes.” There was no trace of huge queues before climbing the plane, from the distinction of passengers in four groups, “that suitcase does not enter” because it measures two and a half centimeters more than expected or charging significant amounts for choosing a seat. In the 50s in Iberia, “only the plane receives more attention than you.” They are not just sensations. It is not only a matter of sensations. Passengers begin to be really fed up with companies’s practices. In Financial Times They give as an example an American passenger who travels regularly with Southwest Airlines. In his five annual trips to the same destination he lived delays, cancellations for various reasons and even loss of the suitcase. It is not an isolated case. For the first time in more than a decade, the negative perception of flights exceeds the positive. In the United States, the fourth part of the 2022 flights were delayed or canceled and only in October the United States Department of Transportation registered 3,000 complaints of users, five times more than in 2019. Two hours. And 10,800 canceled flights. This was the result of a problem in the software of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States that forced to leave on land all the air paths of the country for a couple of hours. 120 minutes that, as proven, wreaked havoc in the country with greater air traffic of the world. It is calculated which in 2019 traveled 925,500,000 passengers. With data from 2022, the United States is the country that has the most airports in the world. Its enormous distances and the absence of any type of commitment to the train as an alternative medium has caused that last year it will be counted until 16,890 airports. The second country is Brazil, with 4,093. The most recent data in Spain are from 2013, but then added only 150 facilities of this type. A funnel. One of the problems that indicate in the Financial Times article is the lack of workers. Coronavirus pandemia had cleaned, more or lessthe sky of airplanes. The increase in remote meetings caused many companies to ensure Bloomberg That the business trips had ended. But nothing is further from reality. Withdrawal restrictions, The number of trips has firmed again. While Airbus and Boeing thousands of millions are distributed in aircraft purchases, Pilots are missing. Many. In the United States alone, 8,000 new employees are necessary. By 2032 a world scarcity is expected of up to 32,000 pilots. And not just pilots. But pilot scarcity is not the only one that is causing delays, cancellations and generalized discomfort in travelers. In our country we know that traveling on vacation is synonymous with risk. The strikes of land workers, cabin staff and pilots have become generalized in summer and Christmas. The workers of the airlines generally denounce too much work at work for a lack of employees that crawls from the toughest months of the confinements by the COVID-19. It is estimated that those days said goodbye to 191,000 workers in airports and airlines. Photo | Carlos Coronado In Xataka | We have been binding to the suitcases to identify them at the airport for years. Your employees warn that it is a bad idea In Xataka | Naples Airport has rejected a Boeing 787 with 200 passengers on board for a single reason: two meters long

The modern plane to London that crashed in India shortly after taking off

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A Boeing 787 Dreamliner From Air India that covered the route between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff this Thursday. According to Reutersin the device 242 people were traveling, and the authorities believe for the moment that more than 200 have lost their lives. Identification and rescue tasks continue on the ground, while an investigation has already been launched that could be extended for months. The accident has returned to Boeing in the focus of attentionin a context in which the company still drags the consequences of several delicate episodes, mainly Those related to your 737 Max Aircraft Family. A key model for Boeing, without mortal claims so far The 787 Dreamliner was one of Boeing’s biggest technological bets so far from the century. As the company itself saysentered service in 2011 with All Nippon Airwaysand since then it has accumulated more than 1,000 units delivered to airlines around the world. The model is present in the fleets of companies such as Qatar Airways, British Airways, Singapore Airlines or Air India, that operates about thirty units. Aviation Safety Network records indicate That until the AI171 flight accident, the Dreamline had not registered any mortal sinister in commercial operations. A trajectory that had reinforced its image as a modern, efficient and reliable aircraft For long -range routes. As Flightglobal points outbased on Cirium data, the plane involved was delivered to Air India in January 2014. Specifically, it had accumulated more than 41,000 flight hours and about 8,000 peeling and landing cycles, a figure within the usual for an apparatus of that age. The 787 marked a turning point in the way of manufacturing commercial airplanes. The American firm explains in A document about its innovation initiatives which is the first Boeing model designed from scratch with a structure mostly composed of composite materials, such as plastics reinforced with carbon fiber. This would allow you to save about 20 % of weight compared to traditional fuselages, which translates into lower fuel consumption and greater autonomy. One of the particularities of 787 Dreamline is that it can be equipped with Two types of enginesaccording to the choice of the airline: the General Electric Genx-1b or the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000. Both share several key features: high derivation ratios, lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions and advanced constructive technologies, such as the use of compound materials or 3D printed components. What is known until now of the accident Ai171 Air India flight took off from Sardar Vallebhbhai Patel International Ahmedabad at 13:39, local time, destined for London Gatwick. On board 242 people were traveling, including passengers and crew. Just a minute after takeoff, The plane signal was lost In flight tracking systems, when I had barely reached 190 meters altitude. According to the Indian Civil Aviation Authority, the plane reached an emergency call (may Day), But there was no subsequent response. The apparatus hit the residential area of ​​Meghani Nagar, in the west of the city, crashing against a building used as Residence for doctors. Images disseminated by the authorities They show the tail of the embedded plane in the structure of the property So far, the authorities have confirmed the recovery of at least 200 bodies and have transferred several injured to hospitals in the area. At first It was feared that there would be no survivorsbut later it was confirmed that at least one person had left the accident alive: a British citizen, According to disseminated information by local media like Hindustan Times Among the passengers were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian. Air India activated a Emergency Care Center and established an assistance team for families. Ahmedabad airport temporarily suspended its operations. Boeing answers while the questions grow Hours after the accident, Boeing issued an official statement in which he claimed to be in contact with Air India and have activated his technical assistance protocols. “We are in contact with Air India in relation to flight 171 and we are ready to provide support,” The company pointed out. He also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and the personnel involved in emergency tasks. As we pointed out above, the American manufacturer had not registered any mortal sinister with the 787 model in commercial operations. However, the accident occurs in a Delicated moment for Boeingwhich remains under the scrutiny of regulatory organizations and the sector itself by a series of incidents linked to other production lines, especially that of 737 Max. Between 2018 and 2019, two fatal accidents of that model (Indonesia and Ethiopia) caused the death of 346 people and forced the global immobilization of the entire Max fleet. More recently, in January 2024, A door cap (door plug) It was released in full flight in a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines, which revived the questions about manufacturing quality and internal supervision protocols of the firm. It is still too early to know what happened exactly with flight AI171. Investigations on accidents of this type require time, technical analysis and International cooperation. For now, there are no sufficient indications to attribute responsibilities either to the airline or the manufacturer. The analysis of the black boxes will be decisive to understand what happened on board in the last minutes. Until then, any conclusion would be premature. Images | Daniel Eledut | City of North Charleston | Edward Russell | H. Michael Miley (CC By-SA 2.0) | CISF Eb xataka | Otto wants to break molds with the Phantom 3500: Goodbye to the windows for passengers, hello to the immersive screens

The reclining seat is the great battle among plane passengers. A Neozylandesa airline believes to have the solution

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If you fly, it is likely that it has happened to you more than once. You are comfortably sitting in your seat, buckled belt, headphones in the ears and a good book in the hands, and suddenly (plas!) The back of the passenger in front It is about you. Your vital space is smiling. You no longer move with the same comfort. And the worst thing is that little you can do to solve it. After all, the seats are designed for that: recline. In New Zealand there is an airline that has had An idea to avoid that kind of situations. Its proposal is still limited (it applies in the premium class), but it provides at least one solution to a problem that is usually a source of infinite discussions (and even fights) on the planes. THE WAR OF THE SEATS. A year Heather Poole, a hostess of an American airline and author of A book in which he speaks of his 15 years of experience with “crazy passengers at 35,000 feet high,” he published on the CNN website An article loaded with irony about one of the big problems with which the cabin staff fought during flights: the fights triggered by the reclining seats. “In addition to the lack of Wi -Fi or a damaged entertainment system, flight assistants listen to more complaints about the reclined seats than about anything else,” Poole explains Before recounting the case of a passenger who came to threaten to punch if the traveler in front of him continued to lower his seat. “A reclining armchair can be reclined, and no one can do anything about it”, Warns the flight attendant. “If you get it or threats to hit someone you will be you who ends up expelled.” And Air New Zealand arrived. The New Zealand flag airline, Air New Zealand, has decided to take advantage of the modernization of part of its fleet to try a way to end the fights for reclining seats. The company, based in Auckland, has taken advantage of the first “reconditioning” of an aircraft 787-9 Dreamliner to replant the design of the cabins, including among other issues new seats. The aircraft includes the Business Premier, Business Premier Luxe, Premium Economy and Economy Business category. Each has its peculiarities but if we talk about the subject that worries Poole (and the rest of the world’s hostess) the interesting is the Economy Premium. In addition to adding some lateral “wings” to the seat to offer greater privacy to the passengers and expand the storage space, the New Zealand company has sought ways to ensure that if a traveler wants to bow his neck, he does not finish a few centimeters from the passenger’s chest behind him. “All seats have a fixed exterior housing, which means that their reclines does not affect the person behind,” duck. Is it the definitive solution? It is of course an interesting idea for a problem that, although it may seem anecdotal, alters the flight experience to many passengers and forces intervene often to cabin staff. The concept of reclining seat with an exterior housing that prevents the backrest from going backwards It is not new (at least in trains) and Air New Zealand limits it to its Premium Economy class. The tourist class seats of its adapted 787-9 are simpler and the company does not specify that they incorporate any novelty related to the inclination. With all the bet is interesting because the airline wants to continue modernizing its 787-9. The first of its reconditioned aircraft will be released on an Auckland-Brisbane flight on May 19, but the company is already working on a second ship in Singapore and hopes to have seven units ready for the end of the year. “The 14 Boeing 787-9 of the Air New Zealand fleet will be updated to the new cabin configuration by the end of 2026,” They clarify From the company. How serious is the problem? “The main problem is that airlines are piling too many seats in a small space. Do you remember the leg space?” Ironiza Poole. Your comment slips a key idea: optimization does not respond only to a matter of comfort, it is also (and above all) an economic issue. Airplanes have a limited capacity and conditioned by the manufacturer, but to the extent that their squares are redesigned by airlines can earn space, travelers … and money. The issue is so relevant that there are airlines that have op reduce degrees of inclination of your seats or limit Its rotation. In the sector even The idea is handled to directly install immobile seats that prevent any degree of adjustment. That without even more radical ideas, such as that of the Spanish entrepreneur Alejandro Núñez and his two height seator the places for passengers They fly standingraised by some Low Cost. Goodbye to the fights? That is the goal. And one of the advantages that a priori offer the seats of the new Air New Zealand aircraft. They are not the only ones who have sought ways to put some “peace” among the people who have to share flight hours in a limited space. There are companies that have come to design Kits that allows the front seat to be tilted and It is not so much Tiktok circulated a trick more than questionable to prevent the passenger from front to incline our lap: activate the air conditioning and guide it towards it. Images | Air New Zealand In Xataka | We have been binding to the suitcases to identify them at the airport for years. Your employees warn that it is a bad idea

This is the modern tank plane that promises to change the rules of the game in the air

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When it comes to carrying prolonged air missions, tank aircraft are essential. Thanks to them, the fighters and other aircraft can remain in the air longer and complete their objectives without interruptions. With the arrival of the first Airbus A330 MRTThe Air and Space Army It is now better prepared for this type of scenarios. The European manufacturer has delivered the first of the three units planned this Friday at its Getafe facilities (Madrid), where the conversion line is located. As we can see, it is not a plane built from scratch for this, but an aircraft that, like the remaining two still pending, was part of the commercial fleet of Iberia. A little over three years ago, the Spanish airline and Iberia and the Ministry of Defense They signed an agreement To transfer three Airbus A330 destined to be converted into cistern airplanes for the Air and Space Army. The initial calendar pointed to a delivery in 2023, but the conversion process accumulated delays and now when we began to see the results. Of transporting passengers to repost fighters The agreement with Iberia was not limited to the assignment of airplanes: it also contemplated, among other things, the formation of pilots, crews and technical personnel, in addition to continued maintenance during a given period. The instruction focused on members of wing 45, based on Torrejón, which will be the fate of this first unit and the remaining two. María Ángeles Martí, responsible for transport, mission and replacement aircraft programs of Airbus Defense and Space, defined the aircraft as “THE BEST REPEACHING APPROVAL IN THE WORLD“For her part, the Secretary of State for Defense, Amparo Valcarce, stressed that her incorporation is” a contribution to the European Pillar of Defense. “ The model received by the Air and Space Army is equipped with a flight refueling system through hose and basket. To this are added pioneer advances such as the Fly-By-Wire control for the refueling pole and a high-resolution 2D/3D digital system that significantly improves the visibility of the operators during the maneuver. According to Airbusthe A330 MRTT has been designed to carry out replenishment missions in flight of E-3, F-16, F-15, C-17, F-35A, E-7A, A-10C, F-22, P-8A, B-1B, B-2A and B-52H models through the rigid pole system; and of the F-18 models, Tornado, Rafale, M2000, F-35b, Eurofighter TyphoonAV-8B and JAS 39 through hose and basket. The fleet of air arm aircraft of the Spanish Armed Forces is currently composed of the Eurofighter Typhoon and the McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet. It is expected that in the coming years New Eurofighter is incorporatedalthough it still is not clear if it will also end up betting on the acquisition of US fighters F-35. The A330 MRTT not only stands out as a cistern plane, with a range of up to 16,000 kilometers and capacity to transport 111 tons of fuel. You can also operate as a transport plane, with space for 300 soldiers or up to 45 tons of payload, and even as a medical evacuation platform equipped with stretchers and stations of intensive cities. It should be noted that Spain is not the only nation that operates the A330 MRTT. This replenishment is present in 15 countries. It has been commissioned by Australia, France, the NATO multinational fleet (MMF), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Spain and Canada. In total, 82 units have been sold. Before their definitive conversion, the A330 in the hands of the Air and Space Army have already demonstrated their usefulness in key transport missions, since Evacuations in Niger and Sudan even maneuvers like Pacific Skies 2024. Now, those same units are in the process of transformation in Getafe to become MRTT tank aircraft. Images | Airbus | Air Force In Xataka | Boeing, in the line of fire of the tariff war: Airbus is emerging as the winner of the pulse between China and the USA

It will be the fastest civil plane in the world from the Concorde

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The private jet industry is about to break a new barrier. Bombardier finalizes the details for the entry into service of the Global 8000its most ambitious business plane to date, and one that spares in shocking figures: it will reach a maximum speed of Mach 0.94 – the highest in civil aviation from the concorde, that arrived in Mach 2.04– And it will offer an intercontinental scope of 14,800 km. We are facing a model that not only pretends to be the fastest, but also the most versatile. The Global 8000 has been designed to offer speed, autonomy and comfort in equal parts, with the ability to take off from short clues and operate in adverse weather conditions. In other words: more destinations, faster, and with less limitations. A speed monster (and ambition) During trial flights, The Global 8000 even exceeded the planned limits. Its cruise speed will be Mach 0.92, well above the standard in current civil aviation. With these figures, it exceeds direct competitors such as the Gulfstream G700 and the Cessna Citation X+both with a maximum speed of Mach 0.93. Bombardier calls it “the fastest business jet on the planet.” And it is. This translates into routes such as Singapore-Los Angeles or London-Perth without scales, something unthinkable for almost any plane that bears the name of an airline. Its Smooth flĕx wing wing is key: it is designed as “two wings in one”, capable of offering low speed and efficiency stability in high speeds. All, With Turbofán General Electric Passport engines that combine power and efficiency. The first global production is already in the final assembly phase at the Bombardier facilities in Toronto, where the company concentrates the manufacture of its most advanced models. The process advances according to the scheduled calendar for its entry into service in 2025. Who will premiere this aircraft will be Netjets, the American executive aviation company that has opted to incorporate this model into its long -range fleet. An interior at the height. Inside, the Global 8000 literally seems a luxury spacecraft. It has four independent habitable areas, seats with zero gravity position (The Nuage, patented by Bombardier) and a main suite that can include double bed and shower. All that with a pressurized cabin at 2,900 feet and an air renewal system with HEPA filters capable of eliminating up to 99.99 % of particles. What makes this plane so special is that all this can be in a design that can operate from small airports, even on wet tracks, where many other jets simply cannot land. In adverse conditions, you can use up to 2,050 airports, something that the manufacturer says it is more than its direct competence. Technology and efficiency until the last detail. In the command cabin, the pilots will find the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck, An optimized environment with Fly-By-Wire controlsgraphic flight planning and state -of -the -art connectivity. All focused on making the most fluid flight experience, both for crew and passengers. Images | Bombardier In Xataka | Faced with the fear of losing a fortune, the US denies a button off its F-35. It has something worse: the control of the “blue line”

We usually assume that the Wright brothers invented the plane in the US. In Brazil they think they have evidence otherwise

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December 17, 1903. That morning, the brothers wibur and orville wright They got something apparently unpublished until then: A flight of only 12 seconds for posterity and just over 36 meters away that changed the world of aviation forever. They had achieved the first (controlled) flight of a machine heavier than the air, and the United States and the brothers would remain forever in the annals of the story. However, in Brazil they don’t have it so clear. A centenary rivalry. While in most of the planet there is consensus and the invention of the plane is attributed to the Wright brothers, in Brazil the conviction is kept alive that That was not like that. In fact, many think it was Alberto Santos Dumont who made the first flight considered real in 1906. The Brazilian narrative maintains that, unlike the Wright, Santos Dumont managed to take off its aircraft 14-BIS Autonomously and without mechanical assistance, raising before judges and journalists in Paris, without the need for catapults or favorable winds, which would make it, according to its defenders, the true “father of aviation.” To get an idea, he told the weekend The Washington Post That this version He has shown so deeply In the Brazilian culture, to the point that the image of Santos Dumont has figured in tickets, one of the main airports of Rio de Janeiro bears his name and his figure starred in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games. Lula and the tests. Not just that. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has also put his grain of sand and has revived the debate During his current mandate, taking advantage of every occasion to discredit the US version and claim Santos Dumont as a pioneer. Lula accuses the United States of having imposed his story thanks to his Powerful film industry And he considers that denying Brazilian merit is a grievance to history and national self -esteem. For the politician and so many other defenders, the difference is very clear: The Wright Flyer In 1903 He needed catapultsconstant wind and auxiliary structures, while the 14-bis of Santos Dumont took off on its own, without any external device, flying 220 meters in front of the look of the public and the international press. Dumont’s 14bis The technical debate and science. And what do experts say? It is the big question, obvious. Historians and experts in aviation outside Brazil, Like Peter JakabEmeritus curator of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, they consider irrefutable that the Wright managed to fly before Santos Dumont. Under this premise, they argue that The use of non -disabling catapults The achievement, remembering that even today combat airplanes take off by catapults from aircraft carriers without its flight capacity. In addition, they emphasize that in 1905 The Flyer III of the Wright already made sustained flights up to 40 minutes and 38 km of travel, demonstrating a much more developed capacity than that of 14-bis. On the other sidewalk, for many Brazilians the crucial detail is not the duration, but The shape of takeoff: Without external aids and before witnesses. National background and mythology. In the end, the dispute has transcended the purely technical and has become a National Identity Question both in Brazil and the United States. For Brazilians, Santos Dumont represents not only a technological deed but A symbol of ingenuity and homeland pride. Its legacy goes beyond aviation: it is remembered for its simplicity, its contribution to the development of airships and its rejection of the military use of airplanes, cause that deeply affected it until its tragic end. In Brazil, in fact, its figure is more revered as A cultural hero that as a purely historical character, while in the United States it could be said that the history of the Wright brothers part of the founding story of the modern technological era. The dilemma: truth vs identity. One thing does seem clear: historical records tend to favor the Wright, although that has not prevented the debate from persists as a symbolic struggle between two nations with quite different visions about the history of aviation. In Petrópolis, saints city of Santos Dumont, its legacy is still alive, and its nephew-bisnieto, Alberto Dodsworth Wanderley, recognized in the post that the dispute has become more A matter of faith than verifiable facts. Polarization is such that, for each side, there are enough emotional and technical arguments to hold your position. If you want also, it is an obvious example (Another one) How nationalism can mold the interpretation of history. Image | John T. Daniels, Jules Beau In Xataka | In the 1960s the planes were going so fast that someone promised trips to the moon. And people bought them In Xataka | A piece of Wright Flyer I will fly on Mars, the NASA placed part of the world’s first plane in its naivety helicopter

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