Divers

🚨 Aena fumigated and disinfected T4 at Barajas Airport due to lice and bedbug infestation; however, the ASAE union warns that the issue won't be resolved until the approximately 500 homeless living there are removed. The presence of individuals with scabies and inadequate hygiene at makeshift camps has also been reported to the Community of Madrid. The situation is unprecedented and affects the image of Aena, Madrid, and Spain.

📍 Global Airlines' only A380 recently visited Barcelona from Beja, southern Portugal, and continued to Berlin before its inaugural commercial flight to the US. The aircraft, operated by HiFly, flew to London and returned to Beja without passengers. James Asquith, the owner, defends the legitimacy of Global against fraud accusations. In May, the airline will fly paid flights from Edinburgh and Manchester to New York and back, which is unusual for new market entries. The fate of the other three aircraft remains unknown.

💨 In Petra, south Jordan, a storm on Sunday led to heavy floods, transforming the historical site into a raging stream. The deluge forced the evacuation of about 1,800 tourists and led to the immediate suspension of visits. Subsequently, two Belgian tourists died in the affected Shobak area, with their bodies found after an intense search operation. Authorities had been warned of potential storms, but the speed and intensity of the flash flood were unexpected.

🚨 Aena has not addressed the issue of homeless individuals at Barajas' T4 terminal, where they are now staying on the first floor as directed by staff to avoid the more trafficked upper level. ASAE has denounced the terminal as a gathering point for drug addicts, with Iberia's staff complaining about fights, assaults, thefts, and the situation being labeled "unsustainable". Union demands for eviction of the homeless have been ongoing for months.

🚀 Numerous airlines, including Lufthansa, Air Europa, Wizz Air, and Air India, canceled flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on a Sunday after a Houthi missile from Yemen exploded close to the Israeli capital, narrowly missing the airport runway and facilities. An Air India plane diverted to Abu Dhabi, with no plans to fly the route for at least that week. Major European airlines, from Austrian to Ita, suspended flights to Israel due to security concerns. The Ben Gurion Airport was closed for approximately one hour but later reopened, with Israeli airlines maintaining operations.

✈ Due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, European airlines including Lufthansa, Swiss, Ita, Lot, and British Airways have altered their routes to avoid Pakistani airspace, adding up to an hour to flights. The conflict has specifically impacted flights to Bangkok, Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. KLM has not changed its routes but is monitoring the situation closely. Previously, Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo had to take detours of up to four hours to bypass Pakistan.

🔍 Hoteles.com conducted a study with over 400 hotel partners worldwide, uncovering the most unusual items left behind in hotel rooms, which range from Birkin bags to lizards. The report also details extraordinary room service requests, highlighting the bizarre and extravagant aspects of hotel stays.

🛫 British Airways suspends its daily flights to Kuwait after 60 years of operation. Thirteen other airlines have already left the small emirate, despite growth in the Gulf region. Market reasons cited for the departure by Lufthansa and KLM in September 2024. Kuwait's airport suffered a passenger drop of 1%, while neighboring Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai airports saw an increase of 25%, 17%, and 8% respectively. Factors include high aviation fuel prices, poor airport services, and higher profitability and demand in nearby airports (excluding Iran).

🚀 On March 21, 2025, an Easyjet Airbus A320 executed a dramatic "go around" at Madeira airport. Pilots maneuvered the aircraft, which was captured by spotter Pedro Medeiros, veering right at a mere few meters from the ground and ascending again at a 65-degree angle to the runway.

💸 A Vueling Airbus A320 declared an emergency shortly after taking off from Barcelona-El Prat due to a technical issue with its landing gear. The crew requested to return to the airport, performed checks and fuel dumping. After a direct approach with priority to runway 06L, the aircraft landed without incident but temporarily blocked the runway, necessitating increased separation between incoming flights. The incident was reported by air traffic controllers on their X account.