Dynamic airline ticket pricing, Blackhawk helicopter altitude instrumentation, a U.S. Government equity position in Spirit Airlines, the NTSB preliminary report on the fatal LGA accident, capacity cuts at airports, AI-enabled ATC, the Digital Tower Technology Coalition, and SpaceX Starlink in-motion aviation plans.
Aviation News
JetBlue sued over claims it uses customers’ personal data to set ticket prices
Airline executives have told Congress that personal data is not used to dynamically set ticket prices. However, a complaint has been filed in federal court alleging that JetBlue uses “trackers” and shares data with third parties to dynamically set prices. This stems from an exchange on X where a passenger complained about a ticket price increase and JetBlue responded by saying the passenger should try “clearing your cache and cookies or booking with an incognito window.” JetBlue later stated that the response was incorrect and added that “fares can change at any moment as seats are purchased or as inventory is adjusted based on demand”.
Army aviation chief: D.C. crash ‘wasn’t about’ outdated Black Hawk cockpit
At a media briefing on Bell’s MV-75 tiltrotor, The Air Current asked the commanding general of Army Aviation, Maj. Gen. Clair Gill, whether last year’s fatal midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet changed the Army’s thinking about fielding the Black Hawk’s partial replacement. Gill answered, “No, it’s completely unrelated.” The MV-75 will have “a more advanced cockpit, but the D.C. crash really wasn’t about whether or not it was an advanced cockpit or not.” This implied that faulty altimeters and outdated avionics in the accident helicopter did not substantially contribute to the crash.
The NTSB found that altitude exceedances on the Washington, D.C., helicopter routes were likely exacerbated by inaccurate altimeters on older UH-60L “Lima” Black Hawks, including the one involved in the crash.
Possible Spirit rescue fuels new fears about government involvement in business
The Federal government is considering an equity deal to keep Spirit Airlines afloat. Under the proposal, the airline would receive $500 million, providing additional liquidity as Spirit works to emerge from bankruptcy. The U.S. government could own up to 90% of the airline, according to sources.
Reportedly, the government would charge Spirit a reasonable interest rate and move to the top of the debtor list. CBS News says, “The loan would be protected by Spirit assets that would exceed the government’s costs, and would provide taxpayers with a warrant — the right to own 90% of the company after it emerges from bankruptcy.” Also, “The Pentagon would use Spirit’s excess capacity for transporting troops, military cargo, or other missions. The airline would then likely be sold to another carrier.”
See:
- Spirit Airlines nears deal with Trump administration for $500 million rescue package
- White House mulls using Defense Production Act in Spirit Airlines takeover
- Ted Cruz pours cold water on Trump administration plan to bail out Spirit Airlines: TERRIBLE idea’
NTSB Report LGA Air Canada Incident [PDF]
On March 22, 2026, Jazz Aviation LP flight 646 (operating as Air Canada flight 8646), a CRJ-900, was substantially damaged after it collided with Rescue 35 (R35), an Oshkosh Striker 1500 aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, while landing on runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport. The captain and first officer were fatally injured.
Of the 2 flight attendants, 72 passengers, and 2 crew of the ARFF vehicle, 39 were transported to local hospitals with 6 serious injuries reported. The airplane was a Part 129 scheduled flight from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Montreal, Quebec, to LGA.
A review of the ASDE-X system data by the FAA determined that the system did not generate an aural or visual alert on the ASDE-X displays in the LGA ATC tower to warn controllers of the potential runway conflict.
FAA orders Chicago O’Hare International Airport to cut over 300 planned flights daily between May and October
The FAA is ordering flight reductions at Chicago O’Hare International Airport over the summer travel season. 3,080 daily flights were scheduled for peak summer days in 2026. Now O’Hare flights will be restricted to 2,708 per day from May 17 to Oct. 24. This change is motivated by capacity and operational delay concerns.
The FAA said it intends to bring in more air traffic controllers, speed up controller training, reduce delays by optimizing routes and airspace, and increase communication between the agency, the airport, and airlines during high-risk periods.
FAA quietly developing AI enabled air traffic management system
The Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART) is an artificial intelligence-powered software tool designed for air traffic management. People familiar with the project say it could fundamentally change how the U.S. airspace system operates.
Palantir, Thales, and Airspace Intelligence (ASI) are competing on the initiative. Operational start could be as early as later this year. The system could enable the FAA to plan for bottlenecks and anticipate schedule conflicts before an aircraft even leaves the ground. This contrasts with today’s human-centric, reactive ATC structure.
Digital Tower Technology Coalition Pushing Remote ATC
The Digital Tower Technology Coalition “is an alliance of stakeholders advocating for the FAA’s implementation of the digital tower program, as outlined in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. By leveraging U.S. airports, regional partners, air traffic controllers, original equipment manufacturers, and federal partners, our coalition seeks to ensure an efficient and transparent process while strengthening U.S. global competitiveness in cutting-edge aviation technology.”
See the Press Release: Introducing the Digital Tower Technology Coalition, Representing Bold Commitment to Innovation in Effort to Modernize U.S. Aviation [PDF]
SpaceX Cuts Starlink Aviation Prices – New GA Plans Start at $200/Month
When SpaceX imposed a 100 mph speed cap on all non-aviation plans, general aviation pilots were forced to switch to more expensive aviation-specific tiers. That generated an outcry from the flying community, including a petition with over 9,500 signatures. GA pilots had been using Starlink Roam for $50 per month with a 100GB data cap. Now SpaceX has made some changes to its in-motion aviation plans.
Aviation 300MPH is renamed General Aviation Local 50GB, the price is lowered to $200 per month (from $250), and the monthly data limit is increased to 50GB (from 20GB). Additional data can be purchased in 50GB blocks for $25 (from $10 per GB).
The Aviation 450 MPH plan is now General Aviation Global 50GB, which is still $1,000 per month, but the monthly data cap has been increased to 50GB (from 20GB). Additional data can be purchased in 50GB blocks for $100 (from $50 per GB).
Mentioned
Swiss cheesemakers allowed to artificially make holes in Emmental cheese
Hosts this Episode
Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, and Rob Mark.
hello max and frinds
Let’s talk about weight and balance in commercial aviation…
In the airline world, there are basically two ways to do weight and balance:
* The old-school manual load sheet
* And the modern computerized system
Now, almost everything today is done by computer—but here’s the catch: the people doing this job, the weight and balance controllers, still have to know how to do it manually. And honestly? The manual method is pretty complicated.
Every aircraft type has its own dedicated software, tailored exactly to that airplane. And if you’re working at a handling company that serves multiple airlines, you might be dealing with dozens of different systems—sometimes even different versions for the same aircraft model, depending on the airline.
So yes… you really have to know your stuff.
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When does this process actually start?
Usually about a day before the flight.
You take the planned aircraft type and start by calculating fuel—assuming the airplane will depart at maximum takeoff weight. That includes all required reserves: legal reserves, company reserves, everything.
The fuel calculation is based on forecast conditions:
* Temperature
* Pressure
* Winds along the route
* And even runway length for takeoff
At the end of that calculation, you get what we call available payload—basically, how much weight you can still sell.
And that’s where it gets interesting.
Because now there’s a commercial decision:
Do you carry more passengers… or more cargo?
That depends on things like seat configuration, booking forecasts, and revenue considerations.
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Now, about passengers…
Airlines don’t weigh every passenger individually. Instead, they use standard weights.
Each airline has very detailed tables—different averages for:
* Men
* Women
* Children
* Sometimes even infants
These numbers vary depending on:
* Type of flight (charter vs. scheduled)
* Season
* And other operational factors
And airlines are actually required to update these numbers periodically—typically every few years—based on statistical sampling.
In Israel, for example, different airlines may use slightly different averages—sometimes a difference of 2–3 kilograms for the same category—because their passenger profiles are different.
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So why do things sometimes go wrong at the last minute?
Why do you occasionally hear about passengers being offloaded?
There are a few reasons.
First—aircraft change.
Even within the same model, different configurations can mean different weight limits.
Second—and this is the big one—weather.
If conditions change—stronger headwinds, route closures, unavailable alternates—you may suddenly need more fuel.
And since total weight is limited, more fuel means less payload.
It’s a zero-sum game.
There’s also a rarer case: runway limitations.
If, for example, part of a runway becomes unusable and reduces the available takeoff distance, the aircraft may need to depart at a lower weight.
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And here’s a nice little detail to watch for next time you fly…
The load sheet is the last document the captain signs before the doors close.
If you look carefully, right before departure, a ground crew member will come up to the cockpit and hand over a document.
That’s the final load sheet—with all last-minute changes included.
One copy stays with the captain.
The other stays on the ground.
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And in the newest aircraft?
Some airplanes can actually weigh themselves.
There are sensors in the landing gear that measure the aircraft’s weight.
But even then—the captain still has to cross-check that number against the calculated weight.
Because at the end of the day, passenger and carry-on weights are still based on averages… not exact numbers.
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Bottom line?
Weight and balance isn’t just a calculation.
It’s a mix of physics, regulations, weather, and economics.
And it all comes together… just seconds before the doors close.
Fascinating information. Thanks, Eyal!