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Airlines Are Grounding Boeing 737 Max 8 Planes Out of Caution (and Fear)

Two recent deadly plane crashes have prompted many countries to direct airlines to ground these planes out of concern that the crashes may be the result of a failure of the model.

Kelley Czajka

Viewfinder: Locals Examine Debris From the Ethiopian Airlines Plane Crash

Two local boys examine a pile of twisted metal gathered by workers during the continuing recovery efforts at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 11th, 2019, in Bishoftu, Ethiopia.

Pacific Standard Staff

Viewfinder: A Joint NATO Military Exercise in Norway

A picture taken from a United States Marines C-130 transport aircraft shows the area near Brekstad, Norway, during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Trident Juncture 2018 exercise on October 31st, 2018.

Pacific Standard Staff

Economics

Airport to Nowhere: Spain’s Costly No-Fly Zone

While having some of the wobbliest finances in Europe, here’s how a Spanish county built an airport nobody—except one lucky politician—wanted.

Marc Herman

Economics

Will Nigeria’s ‘Airport City’ Dreams Take Flight?

Developers and politicians hope a new airport-cum-city near the African nation’s capital will bring some stability — and respect — to the troubled region.

David Francis

Economics

Prop Planes: The Future of Eco-Friendly Aviation?

Propellers’ role in flight date back to the dawn of engine-driven aviation. But the next generation of propeller-driven aircraft engines will put their rotors back in the spotlight.

Bruce Dorminey

Environment

Could Tidal Flow Fix Your Airport?

While common sense says more water by an airport means more waterfowl for planes to hit, wetland conservationists point out that not all birds contest the skyways.

Matt Kettmann

Economics

Solar-Powered Plane Helps Renewables Take Flight

Bertrand Piccard has unveiled the Solar Impulse, the precursor to a craft expected to both make a sun-powered circumnavigation and solar energy cool.

Michael Todd

Environment

Soaring With the Sun

Although solar energy is often seen as a technology tied either to spacecraft or terra firma, a new generation of engineers and adventurers is crafting solar-powered aircraft.

John Perlin