• Honeywell developed two new systems designed to make takeoffs and landings safer.
• Surf-A alerts pilots about potential runway collisions.
• Smart-X lets pilots know if they are taking off or landing on a taxiway instead of a runway.

Honeywell Aerospace Technologies has developed a series of new systems that alert pilots to impending danger during takeoffs and landings. They say the technology could help make aircraft collisions and near-misses a thing of the past

I recently took a demonstration flight aboard Honeywell's Boeing 757 test plane, showcasing its new Surface Alert, or SURF-A, and existing Smart-X systems.

Both systems are built into the plane's avionics software and warn pilots directly, giving them precious extra seconds to react.

"Pilots are our last line of defense. They are the ones who can help mitigate a disaster. These are tools, a third set of eyes to help increase their situational awareness," Thea Feyereisen, a human factors expert who helps lead research and development at Honeywell Aerospace, told Business Insider in an interview.

According to a recent study by Boeing, the minutes surrounding an aircraft's takeoff and landing account for nearly two-thirds of all deadly aviation accidents, but only 6% of a flight's total time.

Here's a closer look at my test flight.

The test flight started with an early morning briefing at the Signature Aviation private jet terminal on the northern edge of Atlanta's international airport.

The Honeywell team gave us an overview of its new SURF-A tech, which is expected to receive FAA certification next year. The system warns pilots if a plane is already on or about to cross the runway they are approaching.

The flight would also demonstrate their existing Smart-X technology that lets pilots know if they are about to take off or land on a taxiway or if there won't be enough runway to land safely.

Both systems are available as software upgrades on aircraft equipped with Honeywell's popular enhanced ground proximity warning systems, or EGPWS.

After the briefing, we boarded Honeywell's Boeing 757-200 test plane.

The Honeywell jet was the fifth 757 ever to roll off Boeing's assembly line. It entered service with Eastern Airlines in 1983 and was acquired by Honeywell in 2005.

Since joining the Honeywell fleet, the jet has clocked over 4,000 flight hours on more than 1,000 test flights.

It's set up to test everything from weather radars and in-flight WiFi to sustainable aviation fuel. The jet has also been fitted with an extra engine pylon on the starboard side of its fuselage to test turbofan and turboprop engines.

After boarding, the Honeywell team gave the passengers a pre-flight safety briefing.

Unlike most Boeing 757s, the aircraft features built-in air stairs that can be deployed at airports without the capability of supporting a jetliner of its size.

Here is my seat for the demo flight.

Seat 1B is an old-school domestic first-class seat immediately in front of the bulkhead.

In front of the seat is a large LCD screen connected to four cameras in the flight deck.

The four cameras let the passengers see the cockpit displays and gave us a pilot's eye view of the flight.

Soon, we were off the ground and en route to an airport in Albany, Georgia, about 180 miles south of Atlanta.

The test flight consisted of half a dozen simulated test scenarios, with a Honeywell-owned King Air turboprop test plane serving as the offending aircraft that triggered the safety alerts.

During the short 20-minute flight south, I had the chance to stroll around the cabin.

Here's one of the plane's two Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofan engines, each producing a whopping 40,000 lbs of thrust. The 757 has a reputation among pilots for being an absolute hotrod, even when loaded with passengers and cargo.

Further back in the cabin, a group of Honeywell engineers monitored the plane's systems.

Even though this was a demo flight with media, there was still precious data that could be collected.

The first scenario involves a plane on the landing runway.

SURF-A warned the pilots repeatedly with aural and visual signals about "Traffic on Runway" when it detected the King Air sitting at the end of the runway.

The scenario simulates how the system might have provided additional reaction time in situations like the February 2023 incident, in which a FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane nearly landed on top of a Southwest Boeing 737 attempting to take off from the same runway in Austin.

The test flight also showed SURF-A alerting when a plane crosses the runway during takeoff.

This scenario is much like the incident from January 2023 when a Delta 737 had to slam on its brakes after an American Airlines jet crossed the runway from which it was trying to take off.

SURF-A is also designed to alert a landing plane if an aircraft is crossing the runway.

It could help prevent incidents like the Southwest Airlines flight that narrowly avoided colliding with a private jet crossing the runway as it descended to land at Midway Airport in Chicago in February.

Honeywell also showed off its Smart-X runway awareness and alerting system, or RAAS.

The system, already on the market, alerted pilots when they tried to take off from and land on a taxiway.

In March, a Southwest Airlines jet mistook a taxiway at Orlando International Airport for a runway and attempted to take off from it. The Boeing 737 accelerated to 70 knots before being ordered by air traffic control to stop.

Smart-X also alerts pilots when their landing approach is at too high an altitude or they've gone too far down the runway to stop safely.

After landing, the system will also call out the maximum distance the pilots have left to stop before the runway ends.

After completing the test scenarios, I had the chance to ride in the cockpit jumpseat for the short flight back.

We touched down safely back in Atlanta on Runway 28, concluding our two-hour-long test flight.

After our flight, the Boeing 757 was refueled and prepped for more demonstrations.

The aircraft spent a few days in Atlanta before returning to its base in Phoenix.

• I flew in all of Delta Air Lines' cabin categories last year, from the economy main to Delta One.
• Some upgrades had drawbacks, like Delta One's dated cabin and Premium Select's limited seat choices.
• The main cabin cabin offers me more seat options and allows me to travel more for less.

Last year, I flew with Delta Air Lines across four continents on 66 flights.

During that time, I traveled in all four of Delta's cabin categories, ranging from an economy seat on a 15-hour flight from Africa to lie-flat seats in Delta One from Europe to the US.

As a frequent traveler, I typically book with Delta to maximize reward points and maintain my Platinum Medallion loyalty status. I usually choose the most affordable fares and often put my credit-card points toward my flights.

Occasionally, I receive complimentary upgrades with my status, but I'll also splurge on a premium seat if the price is right. However, the cost of a premium seat doesn't always align with my expectations.

There are a few reasons I'd choose the affordability and practicality of economy seats over the high price tag of premium class any day.

I upgraded to Delta One on a return flight from Germany but wasn't completely sold.

Last spring, I flew to Germany to reunite with my husband after his military deployment. We splurged on an upgrade to the most premium class available for our flight home, spending an extra $699 each for Delta One.

The lie-flat seat was a luxury on our 10-hour flight, and the service was fantastic, but our plane seemed a bit outdated and worn. From the clunky entertainment system to the lack of privacy between seats, I felt our nearly-20-year-old aircraft showed its age.

We got elevated meals, amenity kits, and complimentary alcohol, but I expected more features or perks considering a Delta One upgrade often costs thousands of dollars.

Although our experience fell short of my expectations, I still think the upgrade was worth paying for to celebrate such a special occasion.

In the future, I would only justify the cost of Delta One if I knew I'd be on a newer plane with more state-of-the-art amenities. After all, some newer Delta One classes have suites with doors.

On one upgrade to Delta's Premium Select class, I got stuck in a middle seat.

When returning from Europe last winter, my husband and I upgraded to Premium Select seats for $209 each on our nine-hour flight.

Premium Select upgrades are primarily offered on long-haul flights and come with early boarding (although my status already gets me into the same boarding group that this would).

We enjoyed the added legroom and additional recline of our seats, which made them noticeably more comfortable. The upgraded dining, larger entertainment screens, and in-flight amenity kits also elevated the experience.

However, we upgraded at the last minute, so our seat options were limited. Unfortunately, I ended up sandwiched in the middle seat next to a stranger. In hindsight, I wish I'd saved the money and kept my window seat in economy.

Being crammed in a middle seat for nine hours took away from the premium experience. Next time, I'd try to upgrade earlier so I could choose a better seat.

Overall, Premium Select strikes a solid balance between affordability and comfort with its thoughtful amenities and extra space. However, it's not always available on Delta flights, and I'd likely skip it if I couldn't get a spot next to a window.

I've traveled many times in Delta's Comfort Plus — but the extra legroom isn't always worth the added cost for me.

A step above economy, Delta's Comfort Plus provides slightly more legroom and priority boarding. For domestic itineraries, this class also receives alcoholic drinks and a better selection of snacks.

With my status, I've received many complimentary upgrades to Comfort Plus.

Last fall, I flew in Comfort Plus from Seoul to Atlanta after one such free upgrade. As a tall woman, the extra legroom was an added bonus, especially on a 13-hour flight.

However, I've found you can get about the same amount of legroom in an economy exit row for a more affordable price.

I'm happy to accept a free upgrade to Comfort Plus, but I wouldn't pay extra for these seats, which I've seen cost $100 or more than economy.

And, on international routes, Comfort Plus receives many of the same in-flight amenities as the rest of the main cabin. That said, Comfort Plus does get reserved overhead bin space, which is always nice on a fully booked flight.

I prefer saving money by booking Delta's main cabin — and I've not yet had a bad experience.

Most of my Delta flights have been in economy class, including long-haul flights to Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Although some complain about economy seats, I actually prefer choosing this affordable option. For starters, Delta's main cabin offers more seat choices, which gives me flexibility.

I can almost always snag my preferred seat next to a window, where I can lean on the side of the plane to sleep during the flight.

Plus, I often monitor the seating chart before international flights, and like that I can move near an empty row or seat whenever possible.

Although some also consider basic economy to be a cabin category, its seats are still in the main cabin, you just can't choose where you sit (and there are limitations with changing and canceling your trip).

I'd rather be able to select my seat before my flight instead of saving a few bucks.

Plus, going on cheaper flights means I can take more of them.

Overall, I'd rather book a cheaper flight so I can spend money elsewhere on my trip.

A flight is just one of the many costs of a vacation. I also need to pay for accommodations, additional transportation, meals, and activities.

By booking affordable economy flights, I have more money to travel more often — and that's always my goal. Plus, I can almost always secure my beloved window seat if I book my trip far enough in advance.

However, I'm definitely still open to enjoying the occasional upgrade if the price, plane, and time feel right.

• Two United Airlines flights to Shanghai were disrupted this month after pilots forgot their passports.
• The incidents caused delays and diversions to passengers.
• Diverting flights is costly due to fuel, crew members, and compensation.

Not one but two United Airlines pilots have forgotten their passports this month, triggering diversions and lengthy delays for passengers.

Saturday's United flight 198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was diverted to San Francisco International Airport "as the pilot did not have their passport on board," an airline spokesperson told Business Insider.

"We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation."

The Boeing 787-9 was carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew.

The diversion was a hot topic in the subreddit r/unitedairlines over the weekend. Some shared the message United had sent passengers, apologizing for the disruption, and describing the situation as "an unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew."

"Once they arrive, we'll get you back on your way to Shanghai as soon as possible," the message read. "We sincerely apologize for this disruption and appreciate your patience."

Some Redditors noticed another United flight had been delayed on March 14 — also heading to Shanghai from LAX.

"Is this the same guy who forgot his passport on March 14?!" wrote a user named simplegrocery3. Commenters concluded that it was unlikely to be the same pilot.

United said in a statement that flight UA857, a Boeing 777 heading for Shanghai with 348 passengers and 16 crew, was delayed on March 14 "prior to departure due to one of the pilots not having their passport."

"A new pilot was brought in, and the flight subsequently departed for Shanghai," the spokesperson said.

Diverting a plane is costly, due to the expense of replacement crew, compensation for passengers — and possibly dumping fuel as well.

It's far from the first time that pilots have forgotten their passports. In 2019, a T'way Air flight from Vietnam to Seoul was delayed by 11 hours when the pilot lost his passport and couldn't enter the airport, The Korea Times reported.

• Any Air Force plane carrying a US president is called Air Force One.
• John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet designed specifically for a US president.
• President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019.

Since the mid-20th century, US presidents have flown on special planes designated as "Air Force One" while carrying out their official duties.

Nicknamed the "flying Oval Office," today's Air Force One is equipped with everything the president might need, including office spaces, two kitchens, sleeping quarters, and a fully functional operating room.

Here's how the design of Air Force One has changed through the years.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to travel on a jet aircraft in 1959.

Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet specifically designed for the US president. It had the tail number 26000.

The Boeing 707 included a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

Raymond Loewy designed the plane's blue-and-white exterior.

The plane's design featured an American flag on the tail and presidential seals on the nose.

After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One.

It marked the first and only time a presidential swearing-in ceremony took place on an airplane.

Johnson met with Cabinet members on the presidential aircraft in 1966 in a small seating area.

The small alcove was decorated with a globe decal on the wall and curtains lining the windows.

In 1972, Richard Nixon was the first president to use the Boeing 707 plane with tail number 27000 as Air Force One.

Nixon stood behind the plane's bar while meeting with military and civilian leaders en route to Vietnam.

When President Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned, seats in the rear cabin were upholstered with striped fabric.

Presidents would occasionally make their way back to the rear cabin to chat with reporters.

Ford's office, just off the stateroom, also featured striped furniture.

Ford is pictured with Candice Bergen, the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president.

President Jimmy Carter outfitted the press area with blue carpeting.

Carter talked to reporters on his way back from a trip to Europe in 1978.

President Ronald Reagan used 27000 as his primary presidential aircraft.

In 1983, Reagan met with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the national-security advisor designate Robert McFarlane in a meeting space that featured a magazine rack, teal chair, wood-grain table, and photos of him and the first lady, Nancy Reagan.

Reagan also hung pictures of himself in Air Force One's rear cabin.

The photos showed Reagan toasting with a champagne glass and waving while boarding Air Force One.

New blue-striped curtains matched the blue carpeting and furniture in another meeting area.

The meeting room also included a television set.

In 1990, George H. W. Bush began using new Boeing 747 planes with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 as Air Force One.

The presidential office was updated with a stately desk, gray carpeting, and leather chairs.

The staff and secretarial area was decorated with neutral whites and grays.

The staff area featured plenty of phones for official business. Air Force One is also known as the "flying Oval Office."

The new plane's annex could also be configured for medical use.

The annex is pictured in executive configuration, with seating for meetings.

The new planes featured over 4,000 square feet of space, which President Bill Clinton often used to hold meetings.

Clinton met with a delegation from North and South Dakota in 1997 to address flooding in the area.

In the guest area, Clinton's Air Force One featured tan chairs and blue carpeting.

Clinton met with members of Congress to discuss nuclear-waste management in 1999.

President George W. Bush flew 27000 one last time in August 2001 before it was retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The plane flew 444 missions and logged over 1 million miles, according to the Bush White House.

When the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001, the Secret Service kept Bush in the air aboard the new Air Force One.

Bush insisted on returning to Washington, but the Secret Service refused since they were unsure if more attacks were coming.

In a 2016 interview with Politico, Bush's assistant White House press secretary Gordon Johndroe described Air Force One that day as "the safest and most dangerous place in the world at the exact same time."

Bush conferred with his chief of staff, Andy Card, in the stateroom, designed by Nancy Reagan.

The president's suite included a small bed, light-pink couch and carpeting, and a desk with a brown leather chair.

Bush walked down a hallway arm-in-arm with Harriet Miers, the assistant to the president and staff secretary.

The hallway was lined with a beige couch with side tables and lamps on either side.

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Air Force One's conference room had been updated with a TV screen and leather chairs.

The plane has 85 phone lines as well as encryption and scrambling devices to ensure secure communication, CNBC reported.

On the other side of the conference room, a decal that read "Air Force One" was displayed on wood paneling.

Food and drinks are provided by the plane's galley kitchen.

The plane's senior staff room featured more phones, a coat closet, and leather chairs.

Obama met with his chief of staff, Jack Lew, his senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and former President Bill Clinton in the senior staff room in 2012.

The presidential office furniture was also updated, with mahogany chairs and sofas replacing the gray.

The carpeting was updated to a subtle star pattern, which also appeared in the conference room.

The plane's guest section was reserved for special visitors like members of Congress.

The chairs featured a subtle polka-dot pattern, and the tables folded down to make more space.

The rear cabin for press looked like a standard commercial airliner.

Journalists can wander the rear cabin freely, but they aren't allowed to walk forward to speak to the president — the president has to come back to them.

President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019.

As part of the Air Force's Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to update Air Force One planes, Trump proposed a red, white, and navy-blue color scheme for the new models.

The Air Force ultimately rejected Trump's proposed color scheme because it would have been more costly and caused engineering issues.

The darker paint color would have caused overheating issues and been too costly. Instead, President Joe Biden selected a baby-blue color scheme similar to the current model.

The new VC-25B Air Force One planes are expected to be ready by 2027, according to the Air Force. The project has already cost Boeing over $2 million due to various manufacturing and supply-chain issues.

In President Joe Biden's Air Force One, the conference room had the same star carpeting as the plane's presidential office.

Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway.

The placard in the conference room was updated to read "Aboard Air Force One" with an image of the iconic aircraft.

Biden took his first overseas trip as president in June 2021, visiting Europe for the G7 summit.

In his second non-consecutive term, President Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while flying above it on Air Force One.

Trump signed a proclamation establishing the name change in his Air Force One office in February.

• A Canadian airline plans to expand its fleet with a futuristic "blended-wing body" aircraft.
• The design would be a first in commercial aviation.
• The manufacturer plans to also build a 200-person airliner to challenge Boeing and Airbus.

Canadian charter airline Nolinor Aviation has agreed to buy an all-new aircraft type known as a "blended-wing body" as it expands beyond its all-Boeing fleet.

The futuristic cargo plane "Kona" is being developed by California-based startup Natlius. Its design combines the fuselage and wings into one section that the company says can reduce fuel consumption by 30%.

Smaller than some other cargo-specific planes in service today, Kona would complement Nolinor's fleet of larger Boeing 737-200 freighters when it enters service after 2028, all of which are at least 40 years old, President Marco Prud'Homme told Business Insider.

"It'll be like opening a new horizon for us, and we can fly to more places that we couldn't in the past," Prud'Homme said. "For example, the 737-200 would be too much capacity for some communities, but a weekly flight with Kona would be perfect."

He pointed to its 50% lower operating costs compared to similar plane types and its ability to reach more remote places, land on unpaved terrain, and carry more bulky cargo than competing planes.

Kona can handle rough terrain essential to rural flying

Nolinor's main business is flying for mining companies in Northern Canada, including carrying passengers and cargo to various sites. Prud'Homme said the airline flies five or six times a day up north.

There is little infrastructure in these areas, meaning most of the runways are gravel, grass, ice, or dirt. Nolinor has historically relied on its aging 737-200 aircraft to reach these places, thanks to a special kit that can be equipped on the jetliner.

Newer 737 models do not have this ability — greatly limiting Nolinor's fleet options. However, Natlius' Kona aircraft is being designed to tackle the job.

Natilus CEO Aleksey Matyushev told BI that Kona's field performance is focused on gravel, dirt, and grass, but it would likely not be ice-capable.

He added that the carbon-fiber fuselage would have a special coating to protect it from gravel or other terrain being kicked up, and the propellers would be optimally located away from much debris.

While competing propeller aircraft, like the De Havilland Canada Otter or the Pilatus PC-12, can also land on unpaved runways, Prud'Homme said Kona's engine placement was a major selling point.

"It's a very costly operation," he said. "When we saw their design has the engines mounted at the back of the aircraft, and basically the aircraft becomes the protection for the engines, we saw that this was a great potential for us."

Less cargo but more market opportunities

Kona would carry about 8,500 pounds of cargo — far less than the nearly 30,000-pound carrying capability of Nolinor's 737-200.

However, Prud'Homme said the smaller Kona's 900-nautical-mile range and nearly 1,200 cubic feet of cargo space would open new market opportunities and is overall better performing than competing options.

He explained that one of the mining missions Nolinor is eyeing would require 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of cargo, which Kona could carry and deliver within two hours.

Kona's fuel savings also mean it won't need to refuel after one leg, saving time and money. Its side-loading door could create efficiency in loading and unloading.

Prud'Homme said the aircraft would largely carry perishable goods, but it could also carry equipment and appliances.

He added that the diamond-shaped Kona could also uniquely accommodate awkward-sized items that traditional tube-and-wing planes can't.

"Sometimes the problem we have up north is that we bulk out on volume before payload because some of those items are not very heavy, but they take a lot of space," Prud'Homme said. "Kona has a lot of volume capacity, so that's interesting for us."

The competing ATR 72-600 freighter, for example, can carry more than twice the weight of Kona but has 150 fewer cubic feet of volume. The Cessna Sky Courier falls short of Kona in both metrics.

Natlius wants to eventually compete with Boeing and Airbus

Beyond Kona, Natilus is also looking to create a 200-passenger BWB airliner named Horizon to challenge Boeing and Airbus.

Matyushev previously told BI that the plane isn't expected to hit the market until the early 2030s. But it's expected to fill a perceived market gap that Natilus believes Boeing and Airbus cannot handle.

Prud'Homme said Horizon, with its 50% better fuel efficiency than traditional jetliners, could eventually replace Nolinor's 737 aircraft.

Matyushev said Natlius is in talks with various companies for both of its planned planes.

The company has already secured purchase agreements for Kona from the US cargo airline Ameriflight, a partner of FedEx, DHL, and UPS — and it expects to gain further cargo business in remote places in Alaska, Africa, and India.

"The only way to really connect these mines or remote communities is through air travel," Matyushev said. "Of course, freight is a huge part of that whole equation."

• Manufacturing engineer Douglas Dorsey started working at Boeing in 1984 and retired in 2017.
• Dorsey worked on the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner, where he said things began to unravel.
• He reflects on his time on the shop floor and how Boeing plans to repair its reputation.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Douglas Dorsey, from Washington, about his career as a manufacturing engineer at Boeing. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I started my career at Boeing in 1984, and I worked there for over 30 years.

I was a manufacturing engineer. My responsibilities included writing instructions and coming up with assembly sequences for aircraft.

During my career, I worked on several aircraft projects for Boeing, including the Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the Boeing 777, and the 787 Dreamliner. It was always interesting and challenging. I worked with dedicated employees and on cutting-edge programs.

I retired in 2017 feeling proud to have worked there. I was a "lifer" with Boeing blue blood running through my veins.

However, while working on the Boeing 787 program in the 2000s, I noticed that outsourcing manufacturing tasks to suppliers became a really big problem for Boeing. When I worked on the shop floor, I saw the negative impacts of outsourcing to suppliers, such as slower production and delivering incomplete parts.

Even after retiring, I've stayed up to date with Boeing. I've followed the news on malfunctions and strikes, but I think management is taking baby steps in the right direction.

I saw chaos unfold at Boeing due to mismanagement and outsourcing

During the good old days, I had a positive opinion of Boeing. In my first decade at the company, the chain of command was clear. You knew what your job responsibilities were and could count on your line managers. Most importantly, there was no drama with executives, and we had confidence in those in command.

But in 1997, upper management was thrown into chaos when Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas, with McDonnell Douglas executives taking top positions at Boeing. Harry Stonecipher, who was briefly Boeing's CEO, resigned in 2005 after he was found having an affair with an employee.

It was like a corporate soap opera played out in the media. As an employee, the news was distracting and felt like evidence of the level of disorder at the top of the company.

At the same time, the Boeing 787 program was underway. The 787 was launched as a complete departure from how Boeing airplanes had traditionally been constructed. To reduce the time from program launch to when the planes were in service, Boeing would have "risk-sharing partners" deliver complete aircraft sections to the final assembly site.

787 program managers and employees implicitly understood this new production method, and we cautiously believed it might work. But it began to unravel bit by bit and ended in a three-year delay.

I wondered why we were accepting substandard work on 787

I was a project manufacturing engineer for the 787, creating work instructions, and a liaison manufacturing engineer, working on the shop floor to resolve issues with existing work instructions.

At the beginning of each new airplane program, program leadership and supply chain management divided major sections of the aircraft among various subcontractors, suppliers, and risk-sharing "partners." When suppliers were late in delivering their components or delivered them incomplete, this became "traveled work," which had to be completed by Boeing employees during final assembly.

I spent much of my time on the program trying to accommodate parts that had a "non-conformance" tag on them and had to be reworked and installed into the build.

I wondered what was going on and why we were accepting substandard, incomplete work.

As an engineer, I wasn't privy to the decisions going on in the upper chambers of management, but I could see the chaos filtering down. It felt like the company wasn't listening to its mechanics about how to improve processes.

I remember group meetings where employees, including myself, questioned decisions by management and offered constructive criticism that was politely but bluntly blown off.

The 787 was sadly delayed three years.

Confusing supply chains seem to still cause problems

In 2024, there was an incident with a Boeing 737 Max plane, where a door plug blew out after take off.

Although I retired in 2017, I think this was caused by mismanagement of traveled repair work. The plug door was manufactured by Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing subsidiary that was sold off in 2005.

An investigation found that because the part 737MAX9 fuselage is shipped in whole, mechanics at Boeing rarely work on the plug doors. When the plug door frame had to be repaired and the plug door replaced, two separate groups of mechanics working on the door made mistakes.

As a result, a plug door malfunctioned, and Boeing's reputation was damaged alongside it, causing the FAA to increase its oversight of 737MAX9 planes' production processes.

It's always disappointing when the company you worked for makes major news headlines for a mistake. However, it doesn't change my general opinion of Boeing. I know there are many dedicated employees who are committed to doing their jobs properly and safely.

Boeing is taking baby steps in the right direction

I still know some Boeing employees and followed the recent strike. I think employees have gotten a good package, but they didn't get a return to the legacy defined-benefit pension plan. When I retired, I still benefited from the traditional pension plan and also had a 401(k).

Back in 2014, Boeing promised employees that they'd build the 777-9 in Washington. Part of the strike package is also building the next new plane in Washington. These promises show that Boeing management is waking up to the matter of outsourcing.

Boeing is also bringing Spirit AeroSystems, which it sold in 2005, back in-house. All the workers will be merged back under one camp.

The lines of communication between two in-house teams are often simpler and more direct than with a supplier. When I was on the 777 program in the 1990s, I would call my counterparts at the Wichita site to resolve issues and exchange information. I couldn't do this with a supplier because all communication had to be through supply chain management.

I think this shows Boeing acknowledging it went down a bad path when it sold the supplier.

I see these actions as baby steps in the right direction. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing's CEO, is trying to steer the company on a new course, but I think it's going to take a long time.

Editor's note: In response to Business a request for comment from Business Insider, a Boeing spokesperson highlighted remarks by CEO Kelly Ortberg during the company's third quarter report:

"Much has been written about how we got to where we are, but most also recognize that Boeing was once a benchmark for what good culture looks like. And I believe we can return to that legacy. I know culture change starts at the top. Our leaders, from me on down, need to be closely integrated with our business and the people who are doing the design and production of our products. We need to be on the factory floors, in the back shops, and in our engineering labs. We need to know what's going on, not only with our products but with our people."

• A flight operated by Ryanair subsidiary Lauda Air had two aborted landings after its GPS signal jammed.
• The Airbus A320 was flying to Vienna but had to be diverted to Brno in the neighboring Czech Republic.
• GPS jamming, causing navigation issues, has increased since 2022, especially in the Baltics.

A flight was diverted after aborting two attempts to land when the aircraft's GPS signal was disrupted.

The incident occurred on a flight operated by Lauda Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair, between the Latvian capital Riga and Vienna on December 30.

The plane, an Airbus A320, attempted two landings in Austria's capital city before being diverted to Brno in the Czech Republic, data from Flightradar24 shows.

Die Presse, one of Austria's largest newspapers, was the first outlet to report on the incident. It said that the captain on board the plane made an announcement to passengers about a minor technical problem when trying to land in Vienna.

When the flight successfully landed in Brno, the captain explained that the aircraft's GPS devices had become jammed.

Generally, the system reboots itself after jamming, but as the plane approached Vienna, per Die Presse, this did not happen.

Jamming is an intentional radio frequency interference with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that prevents planes from accessing satellite signals and makes the GNSS system "ineffective or degraded," the European Union Aviation Safety Agency says.

Per Die Presse, the captain said that because of poor visibility, it was safer to avoid landing in Vienna while the GPS faced interference. He said the weather was better in Brno.

A spokesperson from Ryanair told Business Insider that flight FR748 from Riga to Vienna on Monday, December 30 "diverted to Brno due to a minor tech issue with the GPS system combined with low visibility (fog) at Vienna."

"The aircraft landed normally at Brno at 22.52 local, where there was no issue with visibility, and passengers were transported by coach to Vienna. We sincerely apologise to passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of this diversion."

Since 2022, there has been a rise in planes experiencing issues with their satellite navigation systems over the Baltics. Officials have suggested that Russia may be to blame.

• A flight attendant working for Swiss Air has died after a plane's cabin filled with smoke mid-flight.
• On December 23, a flight from Bucharest to Zurich diverted due to engine issues and smoke.
• The staff member, who hasn't been named, died around a week after being taken to hospital.

A young Swiss International Air Lines flight attendant died after smoke started to fill the cabin and cockpit.

The flight — operating from Bucharest in Romania to Switzerland's Zurich on December 23 — made an emergency diversion to Graz in southern Austria after engine problems led smoke to spread through the plane, according to a press release by the airline.

The member of staff, who has not been named publicly, was airlifted to a hospital in Graz, where he was put into intensive care. He died on Monday, December 30.

"We are devastated at our dear colleague's death," Swiss CEO Jens Fehlinger said in a statement.

"We stand with one another at this truly difficult time; and we will be doing our utmost, together with the relevant authorities, to determine the causes involved," Oliver Buchhofer, the airline's chief operating officer added.

"We have many questions, and we want them answered," he added.

All 74 passengers on board the Airbus A220 were evacuated, and twelve received medical attention. All five crew members were placed under medical care.

"Our teams of experts are working hard over the festive season to evaluate all the facts and findings available, and are in close contact with the authorities," the airline said in a statement about the investigations into the incident.

The focus of the investigation is on the mechanical parts of the aircraft — like the engine — and the protective breathing equipment available to the cabin crew.

SWISS announced it was working with the relevant authorities, the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, and the aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

"The initial findings point to a technical problem in one of the engines," it said in the press release, but the cause of the smoke has not yet been conclusively determined.

A special flight from Graz to Zurich was organized on the morning of Christmas Eve to get passengers to their destination.

• Some United Airlines employees at Denver International Airport fell ill after a holiday meal.
• The Association of Flight Attendants reported there were 24 cases of food poisoning symptoms.
• United Airlines is monitoring the situation and coordinating with health authorities.

Dozens of United Airlines employees at Denver International Airport fell ill after eating a meal provided by the airline on Christmas Day.

According to a letter from the Association of Flight Attendants, representing United workers in Denver and Phoenix, a total of 492 meals were served to flight attendants. Of those, there were 24 reports of symptoms connected to food poisoning.

Denver7 spoke with one flight attendant who said he felt sick and started to experience nausea and diarrhea shortly after eating the holiday plate of food. The employee said many of his colleagues who ate the meal were also ill afterward.

He told Denver7 that United Airlines has a strict policy requiring staff to submit a doctor's note within 48 hours when they call in sick during the holiday period.

A spokesperson from United Airlines told Business Insider: "United is monitoring reports from some employees about gastrointestinal symptoms following holiday meals served to Denver employees last Wednesday, and we are in contact with health authorities. There has been no impact on our operation."

The AFA initially reported that around 200 employees had been sick after eating the meal on Christmas Day, however, it said in its later letter that the actual number of reports was substantially lower.

"We recognize that there may be some who decided to "power through" or who may have been apprehensive about calling in sick over the holiday period, or who may have been on their way home and therefore did not miss work.

The union wrote that if staff had to call in sick and believe it was because of the meal, they should email their supervisor explaining they are among those with symptoms and that any points associated with the absence should be removed.

Although the letter said "there is no way to know for sure" if these were cases of food poisoning as there are viruses circulating that produce similar symptoms, management at the airport would keep monitoring the issue.

Mick West, an expert in unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, analyzes recent "drone" sightings and breaks down what we're really seeing in these selected cases.

• An off-duty pilot stepped in to help fly a Boeing 737 after the first office was taken ill.
• The off-duty pilot was a passenger on a Westjet flight from Calgary to Vancouver.
• Pilots are trained for emergencies, and flights always have multiple pilots for safety.

An off-duty pilot stepped in and helped to fly and land a Boeing 737 when the flight's first officer was suddenly incapacitated mid-flight.

The transportation website Paddle Your Own Kanoo first reported that the incident took place on a WestJet flight from Calgary to Vancouver on the morning of December 4.

The off-duty pilot was known to the crew and could be called upon to assist in flying the Boeing 737. The pilot then sat in the cabin for the rest of the flight.

"During cruise, the first officer reported feeling ill and was unable to continue their duties. One of the passengers on board was a Westjet pilot who was able to assume the first officer's duties," a preliminary report from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board said, per the Aviation Herald.

"The incapacitated first officer sat in the cabin for the remainder of the flight. The flight crew did not declare an emergency or request a priority handling. The aircraft landed without further incident," the report added.

WestJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the incident.

If a pilot is taken ill, airlines normally declare an emergency and land the plane as soon as possible.

Retired US pilots Kent Davis and Mark Stephens previously told Business Insider that it is "not a big deal" when pilots become unwell during a flight because they are trained to handle these situations.

Stephens said there are at least two pilots on domestic flights, while international flights can have two pilots and two captains.

"Pilots know what they are doing, and they do it repeatedly," he said.

Sometimes, pilots become more seriously ill. In July, an Airbus A320 from London Luton to Lisbon, which was carrying almost 200 passengers, was met by paramedics on landing after the copilot fainted in midair.

"The captain landed the flight routinely in line with procedures and passengers disembarked normally," an airline spokesperson told BI at the time. "At no point was the safety of the flight compromised."

In October, it was reported that a Turkish Airlines captain died in midair on a flight from Seattle to Istanbul, and the plane was diverted for an emergency landing in New York.

"After the initial medical intervention on board proved ineffective, the cockpit crew, consisting of one captain and one co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing," an airline spokesperson said at the time.

One pilot named Ken Allen told BI he suffered an aneurysm while flying a small plane with a friend and one passenger. He fell unconscious, and the passenger managed to safely land the plane instead.

Stephens, one of the retired US pilots, told BI that there are procedures in place for life-threatening situations. Flight attendants are trained in CPR and have defibrillators, and many planes have a direct line to medical staff.

• Boeing has resumed the production of the 767 and 777 as it gets back online after a lengthy strike.
• Following the end of the strike, the aviation giant had already restarted 737 production.
• Boeing has had a troubled 2024 after a midair blowout in January shone a light on its quality control.

Boeing has resumed its production across its range of aircraft in the Pacific Northwest factories as it gets back online following its lengthy and costly strike.

The aviation giant, which had already resumed production of its 737 Max jets, has now restarted building the 767 and 777 models again, Stephanie Pope, Boeing's COO and the CEO and president of its commercial planes division, said in a LinkedIn post.

The news follows an announcement last week that Boeing would commit $1 billion to its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing plant in South Carolina.

"Our teammates have worked methodically to warm up our factories in the Pacific Northwest, using Boeing's Safety Management System to identify and address potential issues and ensure a safe and orderly restart," she wrote in the post.

The aircraft manufacturing giant hopes to ramp up production in what has been a difficult year. In January, an Alaska Airlines flight lost a door plug during a flight, injuring several passengers and resulting in an emergency landing.

The incident highlighted Boeing's production processes and led to questions about its quality control, which led then-CEO Dave Calhoun to resign.

Boeing was also hit with several lawsuits related to the Alaska Airlines incident, as well as facing renewed scrutiny over two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

Its problems were compounded when over 30,000 factory workers went on strike for nearly seven weeks beginning in September.

Boeing now has a backlog of around 5,400 commercial aircraft worth roughly $428 billion.

"We have taken time to ensure all manufacturing teammates are current on training and certifications, while positioning inventory at the optimal levels for smooth production," Pope said in the post.

"As we move forward, we will closely track our production health performance indicators and focus on delivering safe, high-quality airplanes on time to our customers," she added.

• Hong Kong-Taipei was the busiest international flight route in 2024, with 6.8 million seats.
• OAG's report shows Asia-Pacific dominates the busiest international routes post-pandemic.
• The busiest domestic route was between the South Korean island of Jeju and its capital, Seoul.

Hong Kong to Taipei is the world's busiest international flight route, according to a report published on Tuesday by air travel intelligence provider OAG.

The route has topped the list in 2024, with a total of 6.8 million seats — 48% higher than last year but 15% below 2019 levels, when it last appeared at the top of the list.

OAG's annual report, which examines global airline schedule data spanning from January to December 2024 and compares it to 2019 — before the COVID-19 pandemic — found that most of the busiest international routes are in the Asia-Pacific region.

The second most popular, with 5.5 million seats, was from Cairo to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The only route on the list in North America and Europe was between New York JFK and London Heathrow, which was ranked number 10 with 4 million seats, a 5% increase compared to 2019.

Here's the full top 10 list:

1. Hong Kong to Taipei: 6.78 million seats
2. Cairo to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: 5.47 million seats
3. Seoul to Tokyo: 5.41 million seats
4. Kuala Lumpur to Singapore: 5.38 million seats
5. Seoul to Osaka: 4.98 million seats
6. Dubai to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 4.31 million seats
7. Bangkok to Hong Kong: 4.20 million seats
8. Jakarta to Singapore: 4.07 million seats
9. Bangkok to Singapore: 4.03 million seats
10. New York JFK to London Heathrow: 4.01 million seats

Domestic airline routes were significantly busier than international ones.

The busiest route overall is in South Korea, a roughly 280-mile journey between the island of Jeju and Seoul's Gimpo airport. The route provided over 14 million seats in 2024, which, despite being the world's busiest, was a 19% fall compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

Per the OAG report, eight of the 10 busiest domestic flight routes were in Asia, including flights in Japan, China, India, and Vietnam.

No routes in North America or Europe were ranked in the top 10. The most popular route in North America connected Vancouver to Toronto, with 3.5 million seats.

The busiest domestic route in the United States was Atlanta-Orlando, which trailed slightly behind the Canadian route with just under 3.5 million seats in 2024.

Honolulu-Kahului ranked third in North America with 3.4 million seats. It was followed by Las Vegas-Los Angeles and a route connecting Denver to Phoenix.

In Europe, the top route was Barcelona to Palma in Spain, which had nearly 3 million seats. Half of Europe's busiest 10 routes were in Spain, OAG said.

• Mysterious drones over the US East Coast have sparked concern and skepticism among locals.
• Officials said many of the reported sightings are "actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully."
• You can use websites like FlightRadar24 and ADS-B Exchange to check some of the aircraft overhead.

Mysterious drones flying over the US East Coast have sparked concern and skepticism among locals and government representatives.

Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security told reporters over the weekend that they were still investigating the events but had no evidence the aircraft posed a threat to the public or was connected to a foreign adversary.

The uncertainty and contradictions, plus a social media rumor mill, have prompted some people to point to every moving object in the sky as a possible drone sighting.

But not everything flying overhead is an anomaly. National security officials have repeatedly stressed that many of the reported drone sightings are "actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully."

This points to commercial, military, or general aviation aircraft, and there are free, public ways to check for yourself.

Many airplanes can be spotted using FAA data

The Federal Aviation Administration handles 45,000 flights every day, with some 5,400 commercial planes flying in the sky at once during peak travel times.

Most commercial planes can be tracked via free websites like FlightAware and Flightradar24 because they use FAA data. With these tools, you can confidently say the Boeing and Airbus planes that take off from the highly congested New York City airports every day aren't more mystery drones.

For example, on the FlightAware or Flightradar24 website or app, you can search for New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport, airport code "EWR," to see all of the planes overhead.

The websites also provide data like aircraft type, location, speed, altitude, and operator.

You can also spot a commercial plane based on where it's flying, as airliners use specific flight paths when heading into and out of NYC.

A large number of them fly along the New Jersey coast, so if you see low-altitude flashing lights in the night sky heading northbound, for example, it's quite likely a passenger airplane landing.

Flight paths can differ depending on the route and winds, but flight-tracking websites can give you the best idea of what's flying overhead.

Federal regulations prevent commercial and recreational drones from operating too close to an airport or flying higher than 400 feet unless authorized.

The FAA will sometimes provide waivers, but its unlikely an aircraft operating within these parameters is a drone. In some cases, drone activity has forced a handful of airports, including an air force base, to close entirely for short periods of time.

Some hidden aircraft can be tracked via ADS-B Exchange

Using flight paths and tracking websites doesn't eliminate all of the potential aircraft that could be flying overhead — it simply identifies an aircraft as an airliner.

However, people can use a free website called ADS-B Exchange to filter for military and private aircraft that are blocked from websites that use FAA data.

These operators use specific federal programs called "LADD" and "PIA" to avoid flight tracking because they don't want their location data easily available to the public. Elon Musk and Taylor Swift are famous examples.

Still, military aircraft, including drones, can turn off their ADS-B software to maintain stealth or secrecy, meaning they can't be seen using free and public websites. Drones with sinister motives — the kinds officials have said they aren't concerned about with these sightings — assumably also would not use public transponders.

Many general aviation aircraft used for personal use — some of which are smaller, fly much slower, and could be mistaken for a drone or unidentified aircraft — are also not equipped with ADS-B and could be another unidentifiable object in the night sky.

Drones are quieter, with similar but different lighting

Nearly 800,000 commercial and recreational drones are registered with the FAA. There are a few easy ways to visually distinguish a drone from an airplane.

Most drones and airplanes both have four lights — though lighting on a drone will usually be in a square pattern, while an airplane has lights on both wings, the nose, and the tail.

Most drones will also have red or white anti-collision lights for use at night, though many will be red and green for easier operation. The wing lights on airplanes are also red and green.

Observers can use sound and movement as indicators if lighting doesn't help identify an airplane.

Drones commonly hover or whip quickly in different directions, which are not characteristics of airplanes. Drones also usually emit a buzz or hum noise from their rotors, while passenger aircraft engines have a distinctively louder sound.

Former FBI supervisory special agent Tom Adams told CNN on Friday that some of these reported drones could be people flying their own drones to hype up coverage. He added the sightings may have a simple answer.

"I can tell you from my firsthand experience conducting operations for the FBI, as well as investigations into the suspected sighting of drones at critical infrastructure, it was fairly common for planets, crewed aircraft, and even low Earth orbit satellites to be misidentified as drones at night," Adams said.