2015 Event Delta Airlines states it will no longer transport wildlife trophies after the recent killing of a lion, Cecil, by an American who was reportedly unaware that the hunt was illegal; Delta formerly shipped such trophies if they were obtained legally 2015 Event Airplane debris is found off the coast of France's Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean; officials believe the debris is from a Boeing 777 and may be part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared over a year ago without a trace 2015 Event A report is released on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 today, one year after the incident, revealing that the flight's locator beacon battery had expired a year before the flight, but nothing unusual was otherwise detected 2015 Event Despite finding no wreckage to date, Malaysian officials announce that the March 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is being ruled an accident; the ruling lets families of the missing passengers seek compensation for the tragedy 2014 Event Investigators will conduct a deep-sea sonar scan in the Indian Ocean for the remains of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370; satellite communication attempts have provided clues to the plane's likely trajectory before it disappeared eight months ago 2014 Event Dutch and Australian police are headed to eastern Ukraine in the continuing search for bodies and evidence in the missile strike of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17; separatists have been accused of tampering with evidence and hindering investigations 2014 Event The U.S. states that evidence suggests a Russian-made missile was fired at Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17; the missile strike killed all 298 people aboard 2014 Event Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 is hit by a missile while flying over eastern Ukraine, the location of heavy fighting by pro-Russian separatists; the origin of the missile is not yet known; all 298 people aboard the plane were killed in the attack 2014 Event China releases satellite images of debris possibly linked to the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines flight on March 8th 2013 Event AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, merges with US Airways Group; American Airlines Group is formed and the public company begins trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol AAL 2013 Event The LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 that went off the radar Friday is discovered in Namibia's Bwabwata National Park; all 33 passengers died in the crash 2013 Event An antitrust lawsuit brought on by the U.S. Department of Justice and six states is filed to block the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways 2013 Event Bankrupt carrier, American Airlines and U.S. Airways merge, forming the world's largest air carrier, to trade under the name, American Airlines 2012 Event Australia's Qantas airlines announces its plan to cut 500 jobs 2012 Event American Airlines' parent company announces it will cut 13,000 jobs or 15% of its workforce 2011 Event Australia's Qantas airlines and its unions are ordered to settle their industrial dispute within 21 days 2011 Event A lockout causes the Australia's Qantas airlines to ground its entire fleet while it handles the ongoing industrial dispute 2011 Event A Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 plane crashed and split in to at the Chaddi Jagan International Airport; no one was injured 2011 Event U.S. airlines continue increasing fares as a result of the high cost of jet fuel 2010 Event Three Airbus A380 planes are grounded by Singapore Airlines in order to replace their Rolls Royce engines 2010 Event Qantas, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Air France and seven other carriers were fined millions of euros for fixing the price of air cargo between 1999 and 2006 2010 Event The world's biggest airline is created when United Airlines shareholders approve a deal to merge with Continental Airlines 2009 Event Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashes near Qazvin, Iran, all 168 on board are killed 2008 Event Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines merge 2006 Event United Airlines emerges from bankruptcy 2004 Event Flash Airlines flight 604 crashes near Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, killing 148 2002 Event China Airlines flight 611 crashes near Taiwan, killing 225, crash probably due to structural failure 2002 Event China Northern Airlines flight 6163 crashes in the ocean near Dalian, China after a fire is reported onboard, killing 112 2001 Event American Airlines flight 587 crashes in Belle Harbor, New York, killing 265, vertical stabilizer failure 2000 Event Alaska Airlines flight 261 crashes off coast of southern California, killing 88, crash caused by a bad stabilizer 1994 Event Bomb explosion in Alas Airlines at Colon, Panama, 21 killed 1993 Event Indian Airlines B737 crashes art Aurangabad, 61 die 1992 Event Braniff Airlines goes out of business 1992 Event American Airlines reduce its 1st-class fares 20%-50% 1991 Event Boeing 747-200F of China Airlines crash into mountain at Taipei 1991 Event L'Express Airlines Beechcraft C-99 crashes in Alabama, killing 13 1991 Event Southeast Airlines Embracer 120 crashes in Georgia, killing 23 1991 Event 25 die as United Airlines Boeing 737 crashes in Colorado Springs 1991 Event United Airlines crashes near Colorado Springs, kills 25 1991 Event Eastern Airlines shuts down operation 1990 Event Bankruptcy court forces Frank Lorenzo to give up Eastern Airlines 1989 Event American Airlines purchases Eastern Airline's Latin American route 1989 Event Pilots Union give up sympathy strike against Eastern Airlines 1989 Event Eastern Airlines pilots and flight attendants end their strike, but most are not rehired 1989 Event Scandinavian Airlines System bans smoking on many flights 1989 Event Eastern Airlines submits a reorganization plan to creditors 1989 Event United Airlines DC-10 crashes at Sioux City Iowa, kills 112 1989 Event Eastern Airlines graduates it 1st class of non-union pilots 1989 Event Peter Ueberroth deal to purchase Eastern Airlines falls through 1989 Event Eastern Airlines files for bankruptcy 1989 Event Eastern Airlines machinists strike 1989 Event Machinists strike Eastern Airlines; pilots honor picket lines 1989 Event 2 French TV newsmen arrested for trying to plant fake bombs on 3 airlines at JFK airport in security test 1988 Event Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 roof tears off in flight; kills stewardess 1988 Event United Airlines Boeing 747SP, circles world in 36h54m15s 1987 Event 28 of 82 aboard Continental Airlines DC-9, die in crash at Denver 1987 Event Northwest Airlines 255 plane crashes in Detroit, 156 die (1 lives) 1986 Event 167 die when Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashes 1986 Event Texas Air buys Eastern Airlines for $676 million 1982 Event 50 die in Spantax Airlines DC-10 on takeoff from Malaga, Spain 1982 Event Braniff Airlines files for bankruptcy 1979 Event American Airlines DC-10 crashes on takeoff from Chicago, kills 275 1979 Event American Airlines DC-10 crashes in Chicago killing 275 1978 Event Colombian Avianca Airlines Boeing 747 crashes in Madrid killing 183 1978 Event 183 die as Icelandic Airlines DC-8 crashes in Colombo, Sri Lanka 1978 Event 3 PFLP members kill a cop near El Al airlines in Orly Airport, Paris 1973 Event Delta Airlines DC-9 crashes in fog at Logan Airport, Boston, killing all but one of 89 aboard. Lone survivor dies 6 months later 1972 Event United Airlines crashes at Chicago's Midway Airport killing 45 1972 Event U.S. airlines begin mandatory inspection of passengers and baggage 1972 Event Iberian Airlines crashes into 800' peak on island of Ibiza, 104 die 1971 Event Peruvian Airlines Electra crashes at headwaters of Amazon, killing all except Juliane Margaret Koepcke found 10 days later 1970 Event Peruvian Airlines jet carrying 45 U.S. exchange students explodes 1970 Event American Airlines' 1st flight of a Boeing 747 1964 Event ALM (Antillian Airlines) begins operation 1962 Event Caribbean Air Transport Me NV (CLTM Airlines) forms 1962 Event American Airlines 707 plunges nose 1st into Jamaica Bay New York killing 95 1959 Event American Airlines Electra crashes in New York's East River, killing 65 1958 Birthday John Paul Morse, Marshall, Michigan, PGA golfer, 1995 United Airlines 1953 Event American Airlines begins 1st regular coml NY-LA air service 1953 Event Eastern Airlines enters jet age, uses Electra prop-jet 1949 Event Cargo airlines 1st licensed by U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board 1935 Event Eastern Airlines hires Eddie Rickenbacker as General Manager 1930 Event Eastern Airlines begins passenger service 1928 Event Pitcairn Airlines (later Eastern) begins service 1928 Event Maddus Airlines starts 1st regular passenger flights between San Francisco and LA 1927 Event Pan American Airlines incorporates 1923 Event Soviet Aeroflot airlines forms 1922 Birthday Freddie Laker, CEO, Laker airlines 1920 Event 1st flight by Dutch airlines KLM (Koninklijke-Luchtvaart-Maatschappij) 1919 Event KLM, Netherlands Airlines, established (oldest existing airline)
