Aaron Karp

Rockville, Washington, D.C.

Writer and Editor at Freelance

Contributing Editor at Aviation Week

Aviation Journalist: Airlines, air cargo, airports, air taxis, commercial drones, FAA, helicopters, tech. Contributing Ed, Aviation Week Network; Senior Ed, ATW

Articles

Biometrics Trial At Charlotte Airport Cuts Processing Time By 50%

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) said a new facial recognition program being trialed at the airport by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cut processing time for returning U.S. citizens nearly in half. In early February, CBP rolled out “Enhanced Primary Processing” (EPP) at CLT, introducing biometrics to the entry process for U.S. citizens.
ATL Still World’s Busiest Airport, Shanghai Pudong Jumps Into Top 10

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) remained the busiest passenger airport in the world in 2024, maintaining a wide lead over No. 2 Dubai International Airport (DXB), even as the Delta Air Lines hub is still handling fewer passengers than before the pandemic. According to Airports Council International World (ACI), ATL processed 108.1 million passengers in 2024, up 3.3% year-over-year, but still down 2.2% from 2019.
Dominican Republic’s Arajet Lands In Miami With First U.S. Flight

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

Dominican Republic carrier Arajet operated its first flight to the U.S. on April 11, kicking off service between Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) in Santo Domingo and Miami International Airport (MIA). Arajet, founded in 2022, aims to turn SDQ into a “new hub of the Americas” enabling one-stop connections between North and South America, similar to the model Panama’s Copa Airlines has deployed in Panama City.
Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C April 14, 2025)

1 week ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements. Iberia launched flights between Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), resuming a route it operated during the 2024 northern hemisphere summer season. The service will be flown with an Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The MAD-IAD route will be operated 6X-weekly from April to August, up from 4X-weekly flights on last year’s summer schedule.
Baltimore-Washington International Taps FAA Airports Official As CEO

2 weeks ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

Former FAA Associate Administrator of Airports Shannetta Griffin has been appointed the new head of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). Griffin will hold the title of executive director and CEO of the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA), which runs BWI. She takes over immediately.
No DJI Ban Yet, But US Customs Already Stopping Some Drones at Border

2 weeks ago | commercialuavnews.com | Aaron Karp

While the US government has not yet succeeded in banning Chinese company Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) from selling drones in the US, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is stopping a certain number of DJI UAVs at the border. There are not good numbers on how many DJI drones are being held up temporarily by CBP or not allowed to enter at all, but DJI and US commercial drone operators are highlighting the issue.
Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C April 7, 2025)

2 weeks ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

The latest airline route news, featuring network changes, schedule alterations, codeshares and interline agreements. Delta Air Lines will open winter seasonal flights between Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) and Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The route will be operated 1X-weekly from Dec. 20 to mid-April 2026. Delta flew the DTW-Grand Cayman route before the pandemic.
Daily Memo: Southwest Turns Another Page As It Ditches Fuel Hedging

2 weeks ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

Fuel hedging became widespread among airlines around the world by the early 2000s, with U.S. carriers aggressively deploying the strategy. It is essentially an insurance against large spikes in the price of jet fuel—typically one of the highest day-to-day costs for an airline. No airline practiced...
Avelo Airlines To Serve Chicago O’Hare Airport, Drops Midway

2 weeks ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

U.S. carrier Avelo Airlines will begin serving Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in May, a switch from previous service to Chicago Midway Airport (MDW). Avelo has flown summer seasonal flights between Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), its largest U.S. East Coast base, and MDW for the last three years. But when the route resumes on May 15, the carrier will operate a Boeing 737NG between HVN and ORD, which the airline has not served before. The HVN-ORD route will be operated 2X-weekly.
United Airlines Grows Asia Network With Fifth-Freedom Flights From Hong Kong

3 weeks ago | aviationweek.com | Aaron Karp

United Airlines continues to expand its Asia-Pacific presence, unveiling two new fifth-freedom routes from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and the first nonstop service between the U.S. and Adelaide, Australia. From Oct. 26, United will commence fifth-freedom flights from HKG to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN).