After 34 years of ultra-low-cost flights, Spirit Airlines ceased operations in May 2026. Learn about the airline's sudden closure, what caused its financial collapse, and what it means for budget travelers and the aviation industry.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how airplane black boxes work and why they matter with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
Fact-checked with the latest public crash, incident, and audit data: Etihad leads the current global rankings, while Alaska Airlines is the highest-ranked U.S. full-service carrier and Southwest leads U.S. low-cost airlines.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what happens during an aircraft safety investigation with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to a brief history of commercial aviation with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how pilots train for emergency situations with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to understanding turbulence: what every passenger should know with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the evolution of airplane safety features over the decades with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to famous aviation accidents that changed flying forever with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how air traffic control keeps the skies safe with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what causes most airplane accidents? a data-driven look with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the role of weather in aviation incidents with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how airlines maintain their fleets to prevent accidents with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to surviving a plane crash: what the data actually shows with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the science behind airplane wing design with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how the faa regulates airline safety with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the most common myths about flying debunked with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what happens when an engine fails mid-flight with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how cabin crew are trained for emergencies with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the history of the boeing 737: from classic to max with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to understanding ntsb investigations and reports with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how gps and modern navigation changed aviation with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the future of aviation: electric and hydrogen planes with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what passengers should actually do in an emergency with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how de-icing keeps planes safe in winter with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the psychology of fear of flying and how to overcome it with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how airplane seats are designed for safety with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the deadliest aviation disasters in history with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how drones are changing the aviation landscape with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what pilots see: a day in the life of a commercial pilot with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how aviation fuel works and why it matters with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the impact of 9/11 on aviation security with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how airports are designed for safety with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the rise of low-cost airlines and their safety records with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how bird strikes affect aircraft and what we do about them with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to understanding pressurization: why cabins need it with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the history of in-flight safety demonstrations with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how radar technology revolutionized air travel with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the economics of aviation safety investments with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how composite materials are making planes safer with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what happens during a go-around and why it's safe with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the story of the concorde: speed, elegance, and tragedy with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how airlines handle medical emergencies at 35,000 feet with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the role of artificial intelligence in modern aviation with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to understanding wake turbulence and airport spacing with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how volcanic ash threatens aviation with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the evolution of cockpit technology with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to why airplane windows are round with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to how the aviation industry is tackling climate change with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to the fascinating world of aviation archaeology with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
A practical, reader-friendly guide to what makes an airport runway safe for landing with real-world context, safety insights, and useful takeaways for everyday flyers.
One anxious traveler turned to airline crash data to calm her nerves—and accidentally became an aviation safety expert. Her story might change how you think about flying.
She showed up to trivia night knowing nothing about aviation. Three weeks later—after diving into airline incident history—she was her team's secret weapon.