This is a list of

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

-related events from 1988:

Events

January

* Sometime during the first week of January, the

Iraqi Air Force The Iraqi Air Force (IQAF or IrAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية العراقية, Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah}) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It is responsible for the defense of Iraqi airspace as well ...

hits a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

-owned commercial

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

with an

Exocet The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...

missile.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, ''The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War'', Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , pp. 352''n''. * During early January,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

experiments with the use of

AGM-65 Maverick The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, ...

air-to-surface missile An air-to-surface missile (ASM) or air-to-ground missile (AGM) is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft at targets on land or sea. There are also unpowered guided glide bombs not considered missiles. The two most common prop ...

s in antishipping strikes in the Persian Gulf. The Mavericks warhead proves too small to inflict significant damage on

merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...

s.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, ''The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War'', Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 363. * January 1 – The

United States Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

begins to track the on-time-arrival and baggage-handling performance of United States airlines. * January 15 – Since January 1, Iraq has conducted five airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and one against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out two air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping, but none against urban and economic targets in Iraq.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, ''The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War'', Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 365. * January 19 –

Mid Pacific Air Mid Pacific Air was a low-cost regional airline which began operations with passenger services in Hawaii. Founded in 1981, initial routes connected the islands of Kauai, O'ahu, Maui and Hawaii (the Big Island). Its primary competitors were e ...

ceases all passenger service to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. It will cease all cargo service to Hawaii a month later. * January 26 – The French

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

approves full-scale development of the

Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide ran ...

. * January 27 – An Iraqi Air Force Mirage F-1 flies an attack profile against the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

dock landing ship A dock landing ship (also called landing ship, dock or LSD) is an amphibious warfare ship with a well dock to transport and launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Some ships with well decks, such as the Soviet Ivan Rogov class, also hav ...

in the Persian Gulf, apparently not realizing the identity of its target. Another United States Navy ship establishes radio contact with the Mirage pilot and warns him off before he can fire at ''Portland''. * January 30 – A

Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...

sets a new around-the-world record of 36 hours 54 minutes. * January 31 – Since January 16, Iraq has conducted 11 airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and Iran has carried out two. Neither country has attacked urban and economic targets on the others territory.

February

* In retaliation for a bomb attack on a bank in

South-West Africa South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

aircraft attack the headquarters of the

South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...

. * During the month, the

withdraws the last of the eight

RH-53D Sea Stallion The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It was originally developed in response to a request from the United States N ...

minesweeping Minesweeping is the practice of the removal of explosive naval mines, usually by a specially designed ship called a minesweeper using various measures to either capture or detonate the mines, but sometimes also with an aircraft made for that ...

helicopters it had deployed to the

in August 1987 to assist in the clearing of Iraqi and Iranian

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...

s.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, ''The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran–Iraq War'', Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 340. * In mid-February, an

Tupolev Tu-16 The Tupolev Tu-16 ( NATO reporting name: Badger) is a twin-engined jet strategic heavy bomber used by the Soviet Union. It has been flown for almost 70 years, and the Chinese license-built Xian H-6 remains in service with the People's Liberatio ...

(

NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform manne ...

"Badger") bomber fires

Silkworm The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...

missiles which come within eight

nautical mile A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...

s (15 km) of a

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

escorted by United States Navy ships. * February 7 – The Iraqi Air Force strikes

Kharg Island Kharg or Khark Island ( fa, جزیره خارک) is a continental island in the Persian Gulf belonging to Iran. The island is located off the coast of Iran and northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Its total area is . Administered by the adjacent ...

for the first time since November 4, 1987. * February 9 – The

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

makes rare use of its

F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic aircraft, supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experi ...

s in an

air-to-air combat Air combat manoeuvring (also known as ACM or dogfighting) is the tactical art of moving, turning and/or situating one's fighter aircraft in order to attain a position from which an attack can be made on another aircraft. Air combat manoeuvres ...

role, ambushing two Iraqi Air Force Mirage F-1s as they turn north to attack

Farsi Island Farsi Island ( fa, جزیره فارسی, translit=jazīreye fârsī) is a tiny, barren Iranian island ( Bushehr province) in the Persian Gulf. There is an IRGC Navy base on this island. The island has an area of about and is restricted from the ...

. Using

AIM-9 Sidewinder The AIM-9 Sidewinder (where "AIM" stands for "Air Intercept Missile") is a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964. Since then the Sidewinder has prov ...

air-to-air missile The newest and the oldest member of Rafael's Python family of AAM for comparisons, Python-5 (displayed lower-front) and Shafrir-1 (upper-back) An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying a ...

s, they shoot down at least one of the Mirages. Iran has lost most of its air power during the course of the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...

, but appears to have about seven to nine F-14s, 20

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...

s, and 20

F-5 Freedom Fighter The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and the ...

s that still are operational. * February 13 – The United States Navy

guided-missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers who have a prim ...

comes within seconds of firing at an Iraqi Air Force Mirage F-1 flyng an attack profile before the Iraqi pilot turns away without firing. * February 15 – Since February 1, Iraq has conducted four airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and 27 against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out three air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping but none against urban or economic targets in Iraq. * February 18 – The airline

Binter Canarias Binter Canarias S.A. is the flag carrier of the Spanish autonomous community of the Canary Islands, based on the grounds of Gran Canaria Airport in Telde, Gran Canaria and Tenerife North Airport, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain. It is a ...

, a subsidiary of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

, is founded. It will begin flight operations in March 1989. * February 26 – After Iraqi troops are driven out of the area, Iraqi aircraft drop

mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard is a chemical compound belonging to a family of cytotoxic and blister agents known as mustard agents. The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect: the substance, when dispersed, is often not actually a gas, b ...

on the town of

Halabja Halabja ( ku, هەڵەبجە, Helebce, ) is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the capital of Halabja Governorate, located about northeast of Baghdad and from the Iranian border. The city lies at the base of what is often referred to ...

Iraqi Kurdistan Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan ( ku, باشووری کوردستان, Başûrê Kurdistanê) refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of "Kurdistan" in Western Asia, which also incl ...

. Iran responds by firing

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

gas into the area using

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

. The two

poison gas Many gases have toxic properties, which are often assessed using the LC50 (median lethal dose) measure. In the United States, many of these gases have been assigned an NFPA 704 health rating of 4 (may be fatal) or 3 (may cause serious or perman ...

attacks combined kill 5,000 people. * February 27 – The Iraqi Air Force carries out a major raid against the Rey

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

, badly damaging it and forcing Iran to resume rationing of

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

products. * February 29 – Since February 16, Iraq has conducted 13 airstrikes against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out five against urban or economic targets in Iraq. Neither side has launched air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping during the period.

March

Spanair Spanair S.A. was a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. Until 2009, it was a subsidiary of the SAS Group; the same parent company in control of Scandinavian Airlines and held ...

commences operations. * March 6 – Iranian

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...

forces aboard small boats and an

oil platform An oil platform (or oil rig, offshore platform, oil production platform, and similar terms) is a large structure with facilities to extract and process petroleum and natural gas that lie in rock formations beneath the seabed. Many oil platfor ...

fire on American military helicopters performing routine reconnaissance patrols over the

. It is the first combat to take place in the Persian Gulf since February 12, ending one of the longest lulls in fighting in the Persian Gulf since

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

forces intervened there in 1987.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, ''The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War'', Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 368. * March 8 ** The

hits an Iranian ship for the first time since February 9, beginning a series of regular Iraqi attacks against shipping in the Persian Gulf.

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

claims it has hit 23 ships in the Persian Gulf since January 1, but shipping companies confirm only nine ships damaged. ** During a domestic flight in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

from

Kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus constructed over a grave, often characterized by containing a single human body along with grave vessels, weapons and horses. Originally in use on the Pontic–Caspian steppe, kurgans spread into much of Central Asi ...

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, the Ovechkin family hijacks Aeroflot Flight 3739, a

Tupolev Tu-154B The Tupolev Tu-154 (russian: Tyполев Ту-154; NATO reporting name: "Careless") is a three-engined, medium-range, narrow-body airliner designed in the mid-1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. A workhorse of Soviet and (subsequently) Russ ...

(

"Careless") airliner, and demand that the crew fly to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

so that they can escape from the Soviet Union. The crew persuades the hijackers that they must first land in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

to refuel, but instead lands at the Soviet military airbase at Veshchevo, where a Soviet

interior ministry An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

incident response team An incident response team (IRT) or emergency response team (ERT) is a group of people who prepare for and respond to an emergency, such as a natural disaster or an interruption of business operations. Incident response teams are common in public s ...

storms the aircraft. Four hostages are killed and five hijackers commit suicide; ten surviving hijackers are arrested. * March 15 – As both

and

escalate their air campaigns against one another, Iraq has conducted five airstrikes against shipping in the

and 114 against urban and economic targets in Iran since March 1, while Iran has carried out 42 air attacks against urban or economic targets in Iraq, but none against shipping. * March 17 –

Avianca Flight 410 Avianca Flight 410 was a flight that crashed at 13:17 on March 17, 1988, near Cúcuta, Colombia, which occurred shortly after takeoff when it flew into a mountain. All 143 people on board were killed. It was the deadliest aviation accident to oc ...

, a

Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...

-21, crashes near

Cúcuta Cúcuta (), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, at the foot of the Eastern ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, killing all 143 people on board. * March 19 – The Iraqi Air Force conducts a major raid against Irans

, setting two

tankers Tanker may refer to: Transportation * Tanker, a tank crewman (US) * Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids ** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk ** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tank ...

ablaze and killing 46 crewmen. * March 31 – Since March 16, Iraq has conducted 14 airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and 94 against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out 15 air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping and 129 against urban or economic targets in Iraq. * During a major Iraqi ground offensive in northern Iran, the Iraqi Air Force flies an average of 224 sorties per day, losing an average of three aircraft per day. The

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

probably loses a few of its small remaining force of operational

April

* The

Mexican government The Federal government of Mexico (alternately known as the Government of the Republic or ' or ') is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by its constitution to share sovereignty over the republi ...

-owned airline

Aeroméxico Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; stylized as AM), is the flag carrier airline of Mexico, based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico; North, South and Central Ameri ...

is declared bankrupt and grounded. After privatization, it will resume operations in

October October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôct ...

with a new corporate identity but still marketed as Aeroméxico. * April 7 – The

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

stages a raid against

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

, inflicting little damage and apparently losing one aircraft. * April 8 –

Pacific Southwest Airlines Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) was a regional U.S. airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1998. It was the first large discount airline in the United States. PSA called itself "The World's Friendliest Airl ...

shuts down operations and is integrated to

US Air US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon b ...

. * April 15 – Since April 1,

has conducted two airstrikes against shipping in the

and 38 against urban and economic targets in

, while Iran has carried out one air attack against Persian Gulf shipping and 85 against urban or economic targets in Iraq. * April 17 – Iraq launches a major ground offensive to retake

al-Faw Al-Fāw ( ar, ٱلْفَاو; sometimes transliterated as ''Fao'') is a port town on Al-Faw Peninsula in Iraq near the Shatt al-Arab and the Persian Gulf. The Al Faw Peninsula is part of the Basra Governorate. History The town lies at the s ...

from

, claiming that its fixed-wing aircraft and

attack helicopter An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they ...

s have flown 318 combat sorties during the day. * April 18 ** The United States Navy conducts

Operation Praying Mantis Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988, by the United States Armed Forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian naval mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and the subsequent damage t ...

against

ian forces and facilities in the Persian Gulf. A-6E Intruders from the aircraft carrier sink a speedboat, assist surface ships in sinking the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

''Sahand'', and cripple the frigate ''Sabalan''. Two

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

fighters approach the

guided-missile cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

, which damages one of them with a

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

. **

Al-Faw Al-Fāw ( ar, ٱلْفَاو; sometimes transliterated as ''Fao'') is a port town on Al-Faw Peninsula in Iraq near the Shatt al-Arab and the Persian Gulf. The Al Faw Peninsula is part of the Basra Governorate. History The town lies at the s ...

falls to Iraqi forces, and Iran makes an unfounded claim that American attack helicopters have supported the Iraqi offensive. * April 23 –

Kanellos Kanellopoulos Kanellos Kanellopoulos (born 25 April 1957) is a Greek former cyclist. He competed in the individual road race event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He was also the pilot and human engine for the 1988 MIT Daedalus project, completing the 72.4&nbs ...

recreates the mythical flight of

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, an ...

by flying a pedal-powered aircraft, the

MIT Daedalus The MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department's Daedalus was a human-powered aircraftJohn McIntyreMan's Greatest Flight, ''AeroModeller'', August 1988 (in files of Royal Aeronautical Society Human Powered Aircraft Group) (accessed Nov. 13 2012) ...

, from

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...

, covering the in 3 hours 54 minutes. * April 28 –

Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 (IATA: AQ243, ICAO: AAH243) was a scheduled Aloha Airlines flight between Hilo and Honolulu in Hawaii. On April 28, 1988, a Boeing 737-297 serving the flight suffered extensive damage after an explosive decompression ...

suffers an explosive decompression in flight over the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

, with the roof blowing off the

Boeing 737-200 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton Factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the Boeing 707, 7 ...

from the cockpit to just in front of the wings. All 90 passengers and four of the five crew survive; one flight attendant is swept out of the plane and falls to her death. * April 30 – Since April 16, Iraq has conducted two airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and seven against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out five air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping and 58 against urban or economic targets in Iraq.

May

* May 6 –

Widerøe Flight 710 Widerøe Flight 710, commonly known as the Torghatten Accident ( no, Torghatten-ulykken), was a controlled flight into terrain into the mountain of Torghatten in Brønnøy, Norway. The Widerøe-operated de Havilland Canada Dash 7 crashed on 6 M ...

, a

de Havilland Canada Dash 7 The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL, short take-off and landing (STOL) performance. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent comp ...

, descends too quickly on approach in heavy fog to

Brønnøysund Airport Brønnøysund Airport ( no, Brønnøysund lufthavn; ) is a regional airport located at the town of Brønnøysund, in the municipality of Brønnøy, Nordland county, Norway. The airport is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor and serves t ...

Brønnøy Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative centre and commercial centre of the municipality is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Ot ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, and crashes into the mountain

Torghatten Torghatten is a granite dome on the island of Torget, Nordland, Torget in Brønnøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is known for its characteristic hole, or natural tunnel, through its center. It is possible to walk up to the tunnel ...

, killing all 36 people on board. It remains the deadliest accident involving a Dash 7. * May 8 – The world's smallest airplane, the Starr Bumble Bee II, makes its first flight, piloted by its builder, Robert H. Starr. It crashes the same day due to engine failure, seriously injuring Starr. * May 10 – Airbus A300s are delivered to American Airlines and enter service with the airline. * May 15 – Since May 1,

has conducted 12 airstrikes against shipping in the

and two against urban and economic targets in

, while Iran has carried out no airstrikes. * May 23 – ''Shamu One'', a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737, Boeing 737-300 painted like and named after a SeaWorld killer whale, begins flying for the airline. * May 24 – British Airways takes over British Caledonian. * May 24 – Descending to land at Moisant Field in New Orleans, Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana, TACA Flight 110, a Boeing 737 Classic, Boeing 737-3T0, encounters heavy rain, hail, and turbulence which cause both of its engines to lose power. The pilots make a deadstick landing on a wide grass levee at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations Michoud Assembly Facility in the Michoud, Louisiana, Michoud area of eastern New Orleans. There are no fatalities, and only seven of the 45 people on board suffer injuries, all minor. * May 25 – The

strikes the power station at Neka, Iran.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, ''The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War'', Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 388. * May 29 – Saudi Arabian investor and businessman Salem bin Laden, a half-brother and cousin of future al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, dies when the Spirit ultralight aircraft he is piloting near San Antonio, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, strikes overhead power lines and falls 115 feet (35 meters) to the ground. * May 30 – The first aircraft carrier to be built in Spain, Spanish aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias, ''Principe de Asturias'', is Ship commissioning, commissioned into the Spanish Navy. *May 31 – Since May 16, Iraq has conducted two airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and two against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out five air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping, but none against urban or economic targets in Iraq.

June

* June 6 – Ascending from Plano, Texas, Plano, Texas, Sweden, Swedish aviator Per Lindstrand sets a new world altitude record for hot-air balloons, reaching 19,811 meters (64,997 feet). The record will stand until 2005 in aviation#November, 26 November 2005. * June 8 – Operating in the

, the

guided-missile frigate orders an airliner operating as British Airways Flight 147 to turn away or risk being fired upon, the airliner comes into a near-miss situation with another airliner, prompting the Dubai air traffic control center to lodge a formal protest. * June 15 – Since June 1,

has conducted three airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf, but nine against urban and economic targets in

, while Iran has carried out no air attacks. * June 18 – Iraqi and Mujahideen-e-Khalq grounds forces launch an offensive to take Mehran, Ilam, Mehran,

, supported by 580 sorties by

jets and Iraqi

s. * June 23 – The

launches its heaviest attack against urban and economic targets in Iran in two months, setting six crude oil production units in Ahwaz, two oil pumping stations in Bibi Hakemeh, and two oil installations at Kaj Saran ablaze. * June 25 – Iraqi ground forces launch a major ground offensive against Iranian forces around Majnoon and behind the Majnoon Islands. Iraqi Air Force jets and Iraqi attack helicopters apparently fly over 40 sorties in support of the offensive. The

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

commits 35 aircraft to countering the Iraqi offensive and suffers heavy losses. * June 26 – The first crash of an Airbus A320 occurs when Air France Flight 296, an Airbus A320-111 carrying 130 passengers and a crew of six, makes a low-altitude, low-speed flyby with landing gear down as part of an air show at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport in France, strikes trees beyond the runway, and crashes. Three passengers die and 50 people on board are injured. * June 30 – The Iraqi Air Force strikes an Iranian natural gas facility and an Iranian offshore oil platform. Since June 16, Iraq has conducted 13 airstrikes against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out one against urban and economic targets in Iraq. Neither country had launched air raids against shipping in the Persian Gulf.

July

* July 1 – The Government of Australia creates the Civil Aviation Authority (Australia), Civil Aviation Authority to control aviation safety regulation and provide air traffic control services in Australia. * July 3 – After an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy speedboat fires on her Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System, LAMPS Mark III helicopter while it observes the activities of Iranian gunboats and speedboats in the

, the

engages the Iranian craft with gunfire. Shortly thereafter, ''Vincennes'' shoots down Iran Air Flight 655, an Airbus A300, Airbus A300B2-203 airliner flying from Bandar Abbas International Airport in Bandar Abbas,

, to Dubai International Airport in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, killing all 290 people on board. The

maintains that the cruisers crew believed the airliner was a threatening

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

Grumman F-14 Tomcat, F-14 Tomcat and blames the airliners crew for failing to monitor warning frequencies and Iranian air traffic control for routing the aircraft at too low an altitude over a known area of hostilities; the Government of Iran argues that the ships crew knew that the aircraft was an airliner and shot it down deliberately and unlawfully. * July 8–13 – Eleven-year-old Chris Marshall (aviator), Chris Marshall flies a Mooney M20 from San Diego, California, in the United States to Paris, France. * July 12 – Two United States Army helicopters exchange fire with two Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf east of

, forcing the Iranian vessels to break off their attack on the Tanker (ship), tanker ''Universal Monarch''. * July 13 – A British International Helicopters Sikorsky S-61, Sikorsky S-61N helicopter 1988 British International Helicopters Sikorsky S-61N crash, ditches in the North Sea northeast of Sumburgh Airport, Shetland, Scotland, without injury to any of the 21 people on board. * July 14 – Sichuan Airlines begins flight operations. Its first route is between Chengdu and Wanzhou, China. * July 15 – Since July 1,

has conducted five airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and three against urban and economic targets in Iran, while

has carried out five air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping, but none against urban or economic targets in Iraq. * July 25 – The Portuguese regional airline Portugália is established. It will begin flight operations in 1990 in aviation#July, July 1990. * July 31 – Since July 16, Iraq has conducted four airstrikes against urban and economic targets in Iran, but Iran has carried out no air attacks against urban or economic targets in Iraq. Neither country has launched air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping during the period.

August

* August 17 – During its initial climb after takeoff from Bahawalpur Airport in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, a Pakistan Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Lockheed C-130B Hercules carrying President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq crashes 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) north of the airport, killing all 30 people on board. In addition to Zia, the dead include the chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General officer, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman, Brigadier Siddique Salik, United States Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel, and the head of the United States military aid mission to Pakistan, General Herbert M. Wassom. * August 20 ** Since August 1, Iraq has conducted five airstrikes against urban and economic targets in Iran, but has not attacked

shipping, while Iran has carried out one air attack against Persian Gulf shipping but has not launched air attacks against urban or economic targets in Iraq. ** A ceasefire officially brings the seven-year-eleven-month-long

to an end, although Iran and Iraq had formally announced an end to all fighting on August 8. * August 28 – The Ramstein airshow disaster takes place during a performance by the Italian Air Force ''Frecce Tricolori'' aerobatic demonstration team at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany when three Aermacchi MB-339 PAN aircraft collide, killing all three pilots and 67 spectators on the ground and injuring 346 people. It is the worst air show accident in history. * August 31 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1141, a

, crashes on takeoff from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Euless, Texas, killing 14 and injuring 76 of the 108 people on board.

September

* September 7 – Trans World Airlines stockholders approve majority owner Carl Icahn's proposal to take the company private. The transaction earns $610.3 million for the stockholders – of which $469 million goes to Icahn – and adds $539.7 million to the airline's debt. * September 10 –

Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force , patron = , motto = , "Skyhigh is my place" , colours = Ultramarine blue , colours_label = , march = , mascot ...

aircraft bomb the

i nuclear reactor at Tuwaitha. * September 15 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 604, a Boeing 737, Boeing 737-260, strikes a flock of speckled pigeons during takeoff from Bahir Dar Airport at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Both of its engines ingest birds and lose thrust as the aircraft returns to the airport, and the plane catches fire during a belly landing. Thirty-five of the 104 people on board die. * September 30 – American race car driver Al Holbert is fatally injured when the Piper Aerostar, Piper PA-60-601P Aerostar he is piloting crashes near Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, just after takeoff because its clamshell door is not closed.planecrashinfo.com Famous People Who Died in Aviation Accidents: 1980s
/ref>

October

* October 1 – The privately owned airline Aerovias de Mexico SA de CV begins flight operations, using the remaining assets of its predecessor, the

-owned

, which had ceased operations in 1988 in aviation#April, April due to bankruptcy. The new airline also operates as Aeroméxico. * October 5 – Donald Trump makes arrangements to purchase the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle. The deal will be completed in 1989 in aviation#June, June 1989. * October 12 – A Bar Harbor Airlines ATR 42 loses the required separation between it and Air Force One while both are descending to land at Newark International Airport. The minimum distance between the two aircraft was 500 feet (152 meters) vertically and 1.58 miles (2.54 kilometers) horizontally. * October 19 – Indian Airlines Flight 113, a Boeing 737, Boeing 737-2A8, strikes trees and a high-tension pylon while on approach in fog to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, and crashes, killing 130 of the 135 people on board and leaving all five survivors injured.

November

* November 2 – LOT Flight 703, an Antonov An-24, Antonov An-24W, crash-lands at Białobrzegi, Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Białobrzegi, Poland, when its engines shut down due to atmospheric icing while the aircraft is on approach to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport. One person is killed in the crash, but the other 28 people on board evacuate quickly, escaping before the plane bursts into flame; among the survivors is Polish radio presenter Tomasz Beksiński. As a result of the crash, LOT Polish Airlines replaces all of its An-24s with ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft. * November 10 – The United States Air Force publicly unveils the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Stealth aircraft, stealth fighter. It had been operational secretly since 1983. * November 18 – Malév Hungarian Airlines begins phasing out its Soviet Union, Soviet-era planes with the introduction of its first

-designed aircraft, a Boeing 737-200. It is the first airline in a Communism, Communist Eastern European country to acquire a Western-built aircraft.

December

* Flying Tiger Line is sold to Federal Express. It will complete its merger with Federal Express in 1989 in aviation#August, August 1989. * December 8 – A United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II on a low-level flying exercise crashes into the upper floor of an apartment complex in a residential area of Remscheid, West Germany, killing the pilot and five people on the ground and injuring 50 others. * December 16 – A Learjet 24, Learjet 24B flying from Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, to Addison, Texas, Addison, Texas, overshoots its destination. After air traffic controllers fail to contact its two-person crew – one of them National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut candidate Susan Reynolds – a United States Air Force T-38 Talon intercepts it and finds it flying with frost apparently inside its cockpit windows, but also cannot communicate with its crew. The Learjet flies into Mexico and 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash#Crash, crashes near Cuatro Ciénegas in Coahuila, Mexico, after it runs out of fuel, killing both crew members. * December 21 – Pan Am Flight 103, Pan American World Airways Flight 103, a

flying from London to New York City, and carrying many American passengers home for Christmas, explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 on board and eleven on the ground. English rock musician Paul Jeffreys and his new wife, flying to their honeymoon, are among the dead. Libyan terrorists are blamed for the tragedy. * December 31 – In a pilot error incident at Odessa Airport, an Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134A (

"Crusty") achieves the highest landing speed for an aircraft, at .

First flights

February

* February 11 – Cirrus VK-30Taylor 1988 p. [49]. * February 19 – Boeing 737-400 * February 22 – IRGC Fajr

March

* March 18 – Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-13 Arcus

April

* April 16 – McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk * April 21 – Boeing 747-400 * April 29 – Grob G 116

May

* May 8 – Starr Bumble Bee II

June

* June 14 – Schweizer 330 ''N330TT'' * June 28 – Sukhoi Su-35, Sukhoi Su-27M (

"Flanker-E")

July

* July 12 – Scaled Composites Triumph, Scaled Composites/Beechcraft Model 143 Triumph ''N143SC'',Lambert 1990, p. 496. also first flight of the Williams International Williams FJ44, FJ44 turbofan engine. * July 14 – Socata TBM, Socata TBM700 ''F-WTBM''Lambert 1990, p. 145.

August

* August 15 – PZL Bielsko SZD-55, SZD-55 sailplane.Lambert 1990, p. 646. * August 25 – FFV Aerotech BA-14 Starling.Lambert 1990, p. 218. * August 28 – Hoffmann H-40 ''D-EIOF''.Lambert 1990, p. 102.

September

* September 28 – Ilyushin Il-96

October

* October 15 – MBB Bo 108 ''D-HBOX''.Lambert 1990, p. 98. * October 27 – ATR 72 ''F-WWEY''.Lambert 1990, p. 122.

December

* December 9 – JAS 39 Gripen.Lambert 1990, p. 221. * December 12 – CMC Leopard ''G-BKRL''.Lambert 1990, p. 313. * December 21 – Antonov An-225 Mriya * December 28 – Let L-610 ''OK-130''.Lambert 1990, p. 52.

Entered service

April * April 29 – Airbus A320 with British Airways May * May 9 – British Aerospace ATP with British Midland International, British Midland"Airscene: Aircraft and Industry: United Kingdom". ''Air International'', Vol. 35, No. 1, July 1988. p. 5. .

References

* Lambert, John. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1990–91''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1990. . * John W. R. Taylor, Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988–89''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1988. . {{Aviation timelines navbox 1988 in aviation, Aviation by year