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This is a list of aviation-related events from 2014. The deadliest crash of this year was
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Cont ...
which crashed on 17 July 2014 killing all 298 people on board.


Events


January

;1 January * To express his patriotic support for the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
s claim to the
Diaoyu Islands The are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They are located northeast of Taiwan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are known in main ...
– also claimed by
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
as the
Senkaku Islands The are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They are located northeast of Taiwan, east of China, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are known in main ...
– Chinese balloonist Xu Shuaijun attempts to fly his
hot-air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
from
Fujian Province Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
, China, to the islands. After nearly 7½ hours in the air, he encounters severe air
turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to a laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between ...
, his balloon malfunctions, and he is forced down in the
East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
14 miles (22 kilometers) from the islands. A
Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard of Japan. The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Th ...
ship picks him up unharmed and transfers him to a Chinese patrol ship. *
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
aircraft conduct a cross-border strike into
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
, bombing barren hills in the Jroud Arsal area which Syrian refugees and rebels use to move between the two countries. The raid kills or injures 10 Syrians. ;2 January * A helicopter from the Chinese
icebreaking An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...
research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...
''Xuě Lóng'' rescues 52 passengers aboard the Russian
research ship A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...
MV ''Akademik Shokalskiy'' – trapped by thick sea ice off
Cape De la Motte Cape De la Motte is a prominent cape in George V Land in Antarctica separating Watt Bay and Buchanan Bay. Just to the south, the continental ice surface rises at Mount Hunt. The cape was charted by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–14 ...
,
George V Land George V Land is a segment of Antarctica part of the land claimed as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, inland from the George V Coast. As with other segments of Antarctica, it is defined by two lines of longitude, 142°02' E and 153°4 ...
,
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, since 24 December 2013 – and carries them 12 at a time to the
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n icebreaker ''Aurora Australis''. ''Akademik Shokalskiy''s 22 crew members remain behind to await a chance to free their ship. A previous attempt by ''Xuě Lóng'' to rescue ''Akademik Shokalskiy''s passengers on 28 December 2013 had failed. ;6 January * A
Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the project was annou ...
with 494 people on board makes an
emergency landing An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...
in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
,
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
, due to cabin
depressurization Uncontrolled decompression is an unplanned drop in the pressure of a sealed system, such as an aircraft cabin or hyperbaric chamber, and typically results from human reliability, human error, fatigue (material), material fatigue, engineering failur ...
while en route from
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 ...
to
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. There are no injuries, but
oxygen mask An oxygen mask provides a method to transfer breathing oxygen gas from a storage tank to the lungs. Oxygen masks may cover only the nose and mouth (oral nasal mask) or the entire face (full-face mask). They may be made of plastic, silicone, or r ...
s deploy. ;7 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 ...
strikes a rebel operations center on the outskirts of
Ramadi Ramadi ( ar, ٱلرَّمَادِي ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate whi ...
,
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 ...
. According to Iraqi officials, the strike kills 25
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
militants. * A
Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems ...
helicopter from the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
s
48th Fighter Wing The 48th Fighter Wing (48 FW) is part of the United States Air Force's Third Air Force, assigned to Headquarters Air Command Europe and United States Air Forces in Europe ( USAFE). It is based at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 48 FW is the only F ...
crashes at a nature reserve in
Cley next the Sea Cley next the Sea (, , is a village and civil parish on the River Glaven in England, English county of Norfolk, England, Norfolk, north-west of Holt, Norfolk, Holt and east of Blakeney, Norfolk, Blakeney. The main A149 road, A149 coast road ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, killing all four people on board. ;8 January * The
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n
Federal Air Transport Agency The Federal Air Transport Agency (russian: Федеральное агентство воздушного транспорта - ''Federalnoye agentstvo vozdushnogo transporta'', ''FAVT''), also known as Rosaviatsiya (russian: Росавиац ...
bans liquids in
hand luggage The term hand luggage or cabin baggage (normally called carry-on in North America) refers to the type of luggage that passengers are allowed to carry along in the passenger compartment of a vehicle instead of a separate cargo compartment. Passen ...
in the countrys airports until 1 April 2014, requiring them to be placed in checked
baggage Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip ...
instead. ;9 January *
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
n aircraft strike
Garbahaareey }, Maay: ''Garbiharey'', ) is the capital of Gedo, an administrative region in southern Somalia. It is the third largest and most populous city in Gedo region after Bardera and Luuq. History During the Middle Ages, Garbahare and its surrounding ...
,
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, killing 30 al-Shabaab members. ;10 January * In
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Halim Perdanakusuma Airport Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Halim Perdanakusuma) is an international airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. The airport is located in East Jakarta and the airfield is conjoined with the Halim Perdanakus ...
resumes service of scheduled flights after a hiatus of almost 29 years to relieve overcrowding at the city's main airport,
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Soekarno–Hatta International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Soekarno–Hatta) , abbreviated SHIA or Soetta, formerly legally called Jakarta Cengkareng Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Jakarta Cengkareng) (hence the IATA designator "CGK" ...
. It is the first time since the opening of Soekarno–Hatta International in March 1985 that Halim Perdanakusuma Airport has handled anything other than
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
and military flights and
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
. * After detaching in flight from its carrier aircraft,
White Knight Two The Scaled Composites Model 348 White Knight Two (WK2) is a quadjet cargo aircraft that is used to lift the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft to release altitude. It was developed by Scaled Composites from 2007 to 2010 as the first stage of Tier 1b, a tw ...
,
Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and his British Virgin Group retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The company i ...
s
SpaceShipTwo The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic. SpaceShipTwo is car ...
successfully completes its third test flight, reaching an altitude of 71,000 feet (21,641 meters) and a top speed of Mach 1.4 over the
Mojave Air and Space Port The Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field is in Mojave, California, United States, at an elevation of . It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a sp ...
in
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. It is the highest altitude SpaceshipTwo has reached thus far. ;12 January * Thinking that they are landing at
Branson Airport Branson Airport is a public use airport located eight nautical miles (15 km) south-southeast of the central business district of Branson, a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. Branson Airport, LLC is a private company operating ...
in
Branson Branson may refer to: Places ;Canada * Branson, Toronto ;United States * Branson, Missouri, a popular tourist destination in the Ozark Mountains * Branson, Colorado * Branson City, California * The Branson School, in Ross, California * Warrenpoi ...
,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, the pilots of
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...
Flight 4103, a
Boeing 737-700 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
with 129 people on board, mistakenly land at M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport eight miles (13 km) to the northwest. Although the runway is some 3,400 feet (1,036 meters) shorter and not intended for large commercial aircraft, the pilots are able to stop the plane without damage and with no injuries to passengers or crew, missing tumbling down a steep embankment at the end of the runway by only about 300 feet (91 meters). The 737 takes off safely the following day. ;19 January * An
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
aircraft fires a missile at Ahmad Saad as he rides his motorcycle in the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
in
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
s first targeted killing attempt there since April 2013. Israel claims that Saad is a
Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist par ...
operative who specializes in the launching of rockets and was responsible for five rockets launched from the Gaza Strip at
Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with ...
, Israel, on 16 January. The Israeli missile strike injures Saad and a 12-year-old boy. ;20 January *
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
i aircraft begin strikes against targets in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
. The strikes continue into 21 January, reportedly killing 40 suspected
Pakistani Taliban The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bor ...
militants. * A Romanian Superior School of Aviation Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander registered ''YR-BNP'' and carrying an organ-harvesting medical team, crashes in bad weather in the
Apuseni Mountains The Apuseni Mountains ( ro, Munții Apuseni, hu, Erdélyi-középhegység) is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians, also called ''Occidentali'' in Romanian. Their name translates from Rom ...
in
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
during a domestic flight from
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
to
Oradea Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...
, killing two of the seven people on board.Gabriel Oprea
Aviation accident from 20.01.2014
/ref> ;22 January * An Israeli Air Force aircraft fires a missile into
Beit Hanoun Beit Hanoun or Beit Hanun ( ar, بيت حانون) is a city on the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-2006. It is administered by the Governance ...
in the northeastern Gaza Strip, killing
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين, translit=al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Taḥrīr Filasṭīn, PFLP) is a secular Palestinian Marxist–Leninist and revolutionary soci ...
member Ahmed Zaanin and his cousin,
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist par ...
member Mohammed Zaanin. ;23 January * Five men finally are
indicted An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concept often use that of an ...
for the
robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
on 11 December 1978 of the
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...
cargo handling area at
John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Ne ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. ;25 January *
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s shoot down an
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian military
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
in the northern
Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
with a shoulder-launched
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 ...
, killing all five of its crew members. The
Ansar Bait al-Maqdis Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (ABM; ar, أَنْصَارُ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِس, Anṣār Bayt al-Maqdis, lit=Supporters of the Holy House), or Ansar Al-Quds (), was a jihadist, extremist militant group based in Egypt. Ansar Bait al-Maqdis ...
group claims responsibility. ;26 January * An American
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
conducts a missile strike against a car in the village of Hawai in the
Lower Shabelle Lower Shabelle ( so, Shabeellaha Hoose, Maay: ''Shibelithy Hoosy'', ar, شبيلي السفلى, it, Basso Scebeli) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Geography Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, ...
region of
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, killing al-Shabaab commander Sahal Iskudhuq. ;30–31 January (overnight) * Egyptian
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
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 fire dozens of missiles at houses, shops, vehicles, and other targets in Sheikh Zuweyid in Egypts Sinai Peninsula, reportedly killing 13 suspected members of the Islamic militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.


February

* A few days after the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
begin using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to film their
spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
activities in Viera,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, for use on the
scoreboard A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used ...
at
Nationals Park Nationals Park is a baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimen ...
in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, during the regular
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
season, the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
orders them to stop. The FAA determines that the flights violate its ban on the use of UAVs for commercial purposes. ;1 February *
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
n military helicopters drop "barrel bombs" – barrels packed with explosives, fuel, and debris capable of leveling residential buildings – on rebel-held areas in and around
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, killing 13 people in the
Al-Bab District al-Bab District ( ar, منطقة الباب, manṭiqat al-Bāb) is a district of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria. The administrative centre is the city of al-Bab. The district was split in 2009, when three southern subdistricts were se ...
and at least 10 more elsewhere in the Aleppo area. ;4 February * Syrian aircraft drop barrel bombs on five Aleppo neighborhoods, killing at least five people. ;5 February *
Merpati Nusantara Airlines PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines, operating as Merpati Nusantara Airlines, was an airline in Indonesia based in Central Jakarta, Jakarta. It operated scheduled domestic services to more than 25 destinations in Indonesia, as well as scheduled intern ...
ceases flight operations due to financial problems. * More than 700 people have died in Aleppo since 22 January, the vast majority of them civilians killed in barrel-bomb attacks by Syrian aircraft. One estimate places the death toll at 1,242. ;7 February * A man attempts to hijack a
Pegasus Airlines Pegasus Airlines ( tr, Pegasus Hava Taşımacılığı A.Ş.) (), sometimes stylized as Flypgs, is a Turkish low-cost carrier headquartered in the Kurtköy area of Pendik, Istanbul with bases at several Turkish airports. History On 1 Dece ...
flight from
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, saying he has a bomb on board and demanding to be flown to
Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, the host city of the
2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
, which had begun the previous day. The pilots turn off the in-flight monitors and land at
Sabiha Gökçen Airport Sabiha is an Arabic word () meaning "Morning" and a female given name. In Urdu it (خوبصورت، گوری چٹی) refers to beautiful, and blonde hair. People with the name include: People Given name *Sabiha Sultan (1894–1971), Ottoman princes ...
in
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, fooling the man into thinking he was landing in Sochi. The plane, a
Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
, is escorted to Istanbul by two
Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known t ...
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
fighters. The man, apparently severely intoxicated, is detained by police and taken to the Istanbul Security Headquarters. ;11 February * Myanma Airways (the future
Myanmar National Airlines Myanmar National Airlines ( my, မြန်မာအမျိုးသားလေကြောင်း ), formerly Union of Burma Airways, Burma Airways, and Myanma Airways, is a state-owned airline and the flag carrier of Myanmar, based in ...
) signs the largest single aircraft order in the history of
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
(known until 1989 as Burma). The $960 million order with
GECAS GECAS (GE Capital Aviation Services) was an Irish–American commercial aviation financing and leasing company. AerCap acquired the company from GE Capital on November 1, 2021. GECAS was the largest commercial airline leasing/financing company in ...
for six
Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
and four
Boeing 737 MAX The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG ...
airliners is the largest sale to Myanmar (or Burma) by a U.S. company in decades. * An
Algerian Air Force The Algerian Air Force (AAF) ( ar, القُوَّاتُ الجَوِّيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, links=, lit=, translit=al-Quwwāt al-Ǧawwiyyah al-Ǧazāʾiriyyah, french: Forces aériennes algériennes, links=, lit=, translit ...
Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
transport aircraft Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes: * Airliners, aircraft, usually large and most often operated by airlines, intended for carrying multiple passengers or cargo in commercial service * Cargo aircraft or freighters, fix ...
carrying Algerian military personnel and their families crashes in bad weather into Djebel Fertas mountain near
Aïn Kercha Aïn Kercha is a town and commune in Oum El Bouaghi Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , ...
,
Oum El Bouaghi Province Oum El Bouaghi or Oum el-Bouaghi ( ar, ولاية أم البواقي) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria in the Aures region. The capital is Oum el-Bouaghi, which was named Can Robert (during French occupation), Sidi R'Ghis a few years late ...
,
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
, killing 77 of the 78 people on board. ;16 February * Nepal Airlines Flight 183, a
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...
, crashes into a hill at Dhikura,
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
, during a domestic flight to Jumla from
Pokhara Airport Pokhara Airport is a domestic airport serving Pokhara in Nepal. Following a new agreement on air travel between India and Nepal, Pokhara Airport will be replaced by Nepal's third international airport, Pokhara International Airport in 2023 ...
, killing all 18 people on board. ;17 February * Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn, the co-pilot of
Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines (commonly referred to as Ethiopian; am, የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ, translit=Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā āyer menged), formerly ''Ethiopian Air Lines'' (EAL), is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and is wholly owned by t ...
Flight 702 – a Boeing 767-3BGER with 202 people on board bound from
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
,
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
– locks the cockpit door while the pilot is out of the cockpit to use the toilet and flies the plane to
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, where he uses a rope to climb from the cockpit window to the runway. He surrenders to authorities and requests asylum. * The
748 Air Services Seven Four Eight Air Services, also known doing business as 748 Air Services is a charter airline operating in the passenger and cargo business. Its head office is in Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. History The airline was established in 1995 ...
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed and initially produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro. It was the last aircraft to be developed by Avro prior to its absorption by Hawker Siddeley. ...
''5Y-HAJ'', chartered by the
International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The IOM was ...
on a humanitarian aid cargo flight in
South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...
from
Juba International Airport Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a population ...
in
Juba Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a populatio ...
to
Bentiu Bentiu, also spelled Bantiu, is a city in South Sudan and capital of the state of Unity State. Location Bentiu is located in Rubkona County, Unity State, in northern South Sudan, near the international border with the Republic of the Sudan. It li ...
, touches down too fast at
Bentiu Airport Bentiu Airport is an airport in South Sudan. It is located just north of Rubkona, a town that sits across the Bahr el Ghazal River from Bentiu. Via El Salaam Bridge, the airport is by road from Bentiu. Location Bentiu Airport is located in ''Ru ...
, veers off the runway, and crashes. The aircraft runs across a ditch and strikes two parked vehicles, breaks up, and catches fire, killing one of the four people on board. It is the first civil aviation accident in South Sudan since the country became independent from
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
in 2011. ;19–20 February (overnight) *
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
i jet
fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...
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 strike
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
hideouts in six locations in the Mir Ali area of
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and in Nullah and Yousaf Talab in the
Bara Tehsil Bara Tehsil ( ur, ) is a subdivision located in Khyber District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Geography Adjacent administrative units *Nazyan District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan (north) *Landi Kotal Tehsil (north) *Jamrud Tehsil (nor ...
of the
Khyber Agency Khyber District ( ps, خېبر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas; with the merger of FATA with Khyber Pak ...
. Estimates of the number of militants killed in the strikes range from 15 to at least 35. ;23 February * Pakistani airstrikes kill at least 38 Islamic militants and destroy six of their hideouts in the
Tirah Valley The Tirah also spelled Terah ( ps, تیراہ) also called the Tirah Valley (), is a mountainous tract located in the Khyber district, lying between the Khyber Pass and the Khanki Valley in Pakistan. Society Lying close to the Pak-Afghan borde ...
in Pakistans Khyber Agency. ;24 February *
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
aircraft conduct two strikes in
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
in the eastern
Bekaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...
along the Israeli border near the Lebanese villages of Janta and Yahfoufa, targeting what a
human-rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hum ...
activist group describes as a
Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
"rocket launcher." ;25 February * Pakistani aircraft carry out early morning airstrikes in
South Waziristan South Waziristan District ( ps, سويلي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) was a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before splitting in to Lower South Waziristan District and Upper South Waziristan District and t ...
and in the Shawal valley and Dattakhel areas of North Waziristan, Pakistan, reportedly killing at least 30 people which Pakistani security officials describe as
terrorists Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
. ;26 February * A
Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also license-built in a number of Latin American countries. Tar ...
crashes in
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 ...
, killing three of the six people aboard. ;27 February * Pakistan conducts its first airstrike against targets in the settled area of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
as
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 strike Islamic militants in
Kulachi Tehsil Kulachi Tehsil is a tehsil located in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.Dera Ismail Khan District Dera Ismail Khan District ( ps, ډېره اسماعیل خان ولسوالي, bal, ڈیرہ عِسمائیل خان, ur, , skr, ; often abbreviated as D.I. Khan) is a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in P ...
, killing three suspected militants. * After three months of civil unrest in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
result in the ouster of Ukrainian
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...
, Russia places fighter aircraft along the border with Ukraine, and Russian fighters begin flying continual patrols along the border. ;28 February * Unidentified armed men wearing unmarked Russian-style military uniforms take control of
Simferopol International Airport Simferopol International Airport ( uk, Міжнародний аеропорт "Сімферополь", ''Mizhnarodnyy aeroport "Simferopol’"''; russian: link=, Международный аэропорт "Симферополь", ''Mezhdunar ...
and
Belbek Airport A military airfield in Belbek, a village near Sevastopol, Crimea, was also used for civil aviation, named Sevastopol International Airport Belbek, uk, Міжнародний аеропорт Севастополь "Бельбек", russian: Аэ ...
, both on the
Crimean Peninsula Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a po ...
in Ukraine. * Approximately 10 Russian
Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comm ...
(
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 ...
"Candid")
military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military aircraft, military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to ma ...
fly about 2,000 Russian troops through Ukrainian airspace without Ukrainian government permission, disembarking them at a military base at Gvardiysky, Ukraine. * Ukraine reports that eleven Russian military helicopters have flown over the Crimean Peninsula without Ukrainian government permission. * At nightfall, Ukraines national airline,
Ukraine International Airlines Ukraine International Airlines PJSC, often shortened to UIA ( uk, Авіакомпанія Міжнародні Авіалінії України, Aviakompaniya Mizhnarodni Avialiniyi Ukrayiny, ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of ...
, is denied access to airports on the Crimean Peninsula, and the airspace over the peninsula is declared closed.


March

;5 March * The
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
announces that it will increase joint training by
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
and
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
aircraft with the
Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...
to demonstrate the commitment of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(NATO) to the defense of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
during the Crimean crisis in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. ;6 March * A NATO aircraft mistakenly strikes an
Afghan National Army Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia * Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity **Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
outpost in
Logar Province Logar (Pashto/Dari: ; meaning Greater Mountain ( لوې غر)) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan located in the eastern section of the country. It is divided into 7 districts and contains hundreds of villages. Puli Alam is the capital of ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, killing five and wounding seven Afghan soldiers. * More than 40 women, members of the
Code Pink Code Pink: Women for Peace (often stylized as CODEPINK) is a left-wing internationally active non-governmental organization that describes itself as a "grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations, ...
antiwar activist group, stage a sit-in at
Cairo International Airport Cairo International Airport (; ''Maṭār El Qāhira El Dawly'') is the principal international airport of Cairo and the largest and busiest airport in Egypt. It serves as the primary hub for Egyptair and Nile Air as well as several other ...
in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, to protest their detention there. They had been detained since arriving there on 4 March, preventing them from traveling to the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
. The detainees include
Medea Benjamin Medea Benjamin (born Susan Benjamin; September 10, 1952) is an American political activist who was the co-founder of Code Pink with Jodie Evans and others.
,
Mairead Maguire Mairead MaguireFairmichael, p. 28: "Mairead Corrigan, now Mairead Maguire, married her former brother-in-law, Jackie Maguire, and they have two children of their own as well as three by Jackie's previous marriage to Ann Maguire." (born 27 Januar ...
, and
Ann Wright Mary Ann Wright (born 1947) is a retired United States Army colonel and retired U.S. State Department official, known for her outspoken opposition to the Iraq War. She received the State Department Award for Heroism in 1997, after helping to eva ...
. * At the request of
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
,
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
, and
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, the U.S. Air Force transfers six
F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
fighters and a
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpor ...
tanker aircraft This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight. Refueling methods ;Looped hose: The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both aircr ...
from
RAF Lakenheath Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, north-east of Mildenhall and west of Thetford. The base also sits close to Brandon. Despite being an RAF stati ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, to
Šiauliai International Airport Šiauliai International Airport (also known as Zokniai Airport, lt, Zoknių oro uostas) is located southeast of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. It covers an area of . History The airport was one of the largest military airport ...
in
Šiauliai Šiauliai (; bat-smg, Šiaulē; german: Schaulen, ) is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 107,086. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Names Šiauliai is referred to by various names in different l ...
, Lithuania – reinforcing four U.S. Air Force F-15s already based there for a routine NATO deployment – as a show of NATOs commitment to the defense of the three countries during the Crimean crisis. * An
administrative law Administrative law is the division of law that governs the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of Forms of government, government. Administrative law concerns executive branch rule making (executive branch rules are gener ...
judge in the United States overturns a fine the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) imposed on the operator of a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), finding that the FAA has no legal authority over small, unmanned aircraft. The FAA appeals the decision. ;7 March * Russian troops ram a truck through the gate of a
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
base outside
Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
, Ukraine, seize part of the base, and threaten to shoot the bases Ukrainian personnel if they do not surrender the rest of the base. The Russians withdraw after the Ukrainians refuse to surrender. ;8 March *
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
– the Boeing 777-2H6ER ''9M-MRO'' – vanishes over the
Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...
while it is flying from
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, to
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, at an altitude of 35,000 feet (10,668 meters) with 239 people on board. An investigation concludes that the airliner turns off course after ground stations lose radio contact with it and flies to the southern
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
, where it presumably crashes, although an extensive search yields no trace of it. ;10 March * NATO officials announce that NATO aircraft will fly reconnaissance missions over Poland and
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
that will peer into Russia. NATO apparently intends the announcement of the otherwise routine flights to signal to Russia that NATO is monitoring Russian actions closely during the Crimean crisis. ;11 March * An Israeli military
Skylark ''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
suffers a technical malfunction and crashes in the southern
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
.
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
members claim to have captured it and handed it over to security forces. * An Israeli airstrike against the southern Gaza Strip kills three members of the
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist par ...
. The Israeli military says that the strike was in response to mortar attacks from the area against Israeli territory. ;12 March * As the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine fires 60 rockets into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, Israel retaliates with 29 airstrikes, but neither side suffers casualties. ;13 March * Israel conducts airstrikes against a
Popular Resistance Committees The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) ( ar, لجان المقاومة الشعبية, ''Lijān al-Muqāwama al-Shaʿbiyya'') is a coalition of a number of armed Palestinian groups opposed to what they regard as the conciliatory approach of t ...
camp in the southern Gaza Strip and three other sites north of it after the group launches eight rockets against Israeli territory during the day. * An
AgustaWestland AW139 The AgustaWestland AW139 is a medium-lift twin-engined helicopter developed and produced by the Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, later wholly owned by Leonardo S.p.A. It is marketed at several different roles, including V ...
helicopter operated by Haughey Air crashes in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
shortly after take-off from Gillingham,
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
, for a flight to
Rostrevor Rostrevor () is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the foot of Slieve Martin on the coast of Carlingford Lough, near Warrenpoint. The Kilbroney River flows through the village and Rostrevor Forest is nearby. ...
,
County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
, killing all four people aboard, including
Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond Edward Enda Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, OBE, FRCVS, (5 January 1944 – 13 March 2014) was an Irish-British entrepreneur and politician. With an estimated personal wealth of €780 million (£650 million/USD$1,078 million), he was the second-ric ...
. ;15 March * After 60 Russian troops and three Russian
armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
s seize a
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
pumping station Pumping stations, also called pumphouses in situations such as well drilling, drilled wells and drinking water, are facilities containing pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are used for a variety of infrastru ...
on
Arabat Spit The Arabat Spit ( uk, Арабатська коса; russian: Арабатская коса) or Arabat Arrow is a barrier spit that separates the large, shallow and very salty Syvash lagoons from the Sea of Azov. The spit runs between the Hen ...
in Ukraines
Kherson Oblast Kherson Oblast ( uk, Херсо́нська о́бласть, translit=Khersónsʹka óblastʹ, ), also known as Khersonshchyna ( uk, Херсо́нщина, ), is an oblast (province) in southern Ukraine, currently claimed and partly occupied ...
in the first Russian military action of the Crimean crisis against Ukrainian territory outside the Crimea, Ukrainian aircraft scramble in response and Ukrainian paratroopers take up positions to contain the Russians. Two hours after the initial Russian incursion, Russian helicopters land 60 more Russian troops at
Strilkove Strilkove ( ua, Стрілкове; russian: Стрелковое; crh, Çoqraq) is a Ukrainian village in Henichesk raion of Kherson oblast. It belongs to Henichesk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. In 2001 its population was 1,37 ...
; they seize the village to reinforce the Russian position at the pumping station. ;18 March * A Eurocopter AS350 B2 helicopter operated by Helicopters, Inc., under lease to
KOMO-TV KOMO-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Seattle, Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue-licensed Univision a ...
crashes into the street below immediately after takeoff from its rooftop
helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard s ...
in downtown
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, exploding and setting three cars on fire. Both men in the helicopter die, and a man in one of the cars suffers life-threatening burns. *
Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and ...
suspends flights to
Caracas Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
,
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, claiming that it can no longer guarantee safe operations there in the face of civil unrest in Venezuela. ;19 March * In retaliation for the explosion of a bomb that Israel claims the
Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...
planted or assisted
Hizbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
in planting that wounded four Israeli soldiers the previous day,
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
planes strike three Syrian Army targets – a military headquarters, a training facility, and an
artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...
– near
Quneitra , ''Qunayṭrawi'' or ''Qunayṭirawi'' , population_density_metro_sq_mi = , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = , population_bla ...
in the
Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...
, killing one Syrian soldier and wounding seven. ;22 March * Russian ground forces storm and capture the
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
base at
Belbek Airport A military airfield in Belbek, a village near Sevastopol, Crimea, was also used for civil aviation, named Sevastopol International Airport Belbek, uk, Міжнародний аеропорт Севастополь "Бельбек", russian: Аэ ...
and the
Ukrainian Navy The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...
air base at
Novofedorivka Novofedorivka ( uk, Новофедорівка) or Novofyodorovka (russian: Новофёдоровка; crh, Novofödorovka) is an urban-type settlement. It is located about south of the regional centre of Saky, and about north of Sevastopol ...
. Their capture makes Russian control of the Crimean Peninsula virtually complete. ;23 March * A
Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known t ...
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
shoots down a
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
jet fighter that
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
claims violated its airspace. The Syrian pilot ejects safely, and his plane crashes inside
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
near the town of Keseb. ;24 March * An
Airbus A330-300 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed and produced by Airbus. Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner in the mid-1970s. Then the company began development on the A330 twinjet in parallel with the A34 ...
flying as
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB; ms, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad), formerly known as Malaysian Airline System (MAS; ), and branded as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier airline of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. (The ...
Flight 066 from
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, to
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, makes an emergency landing in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, due to the failure of its main power generator. An
auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft and naval ships as well as some large land vehicles. Aircraft APUs generally produce 115&n ...
is deployed and 271 passengers are put on flights with other carriers. ;27 March *
World Airways World Airways, Inc. was a United States airline headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia in Greater Atlanta. The company operated mostly non-scheduled services but did fly scheduled passenger services as well, notably with McDonnell Douglas DC ...
ceases operations after 66 years of service. ;28 March * As two
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
transport aircraft Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes: * Airliners, aircraft, usually large and most often operated by airlines, intended for carrying multiple passengers or cargo in commercial service * Cargo aircraft or freighters, fix ...
simulate a
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
drop during a training flight, the following aircraft, a C-130J-30 Super Hercules, encounters the wake turbulence of the lead aircraft at an altitude of 300 feet (91 meters), stalls, and crashes 72 miles ( km) from
Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
in
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, killing all five people on board. * Venezuelan Airlines Association President Humberto Figueroa announces that
President of Venezuela The president of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de Venezuela), officially known as the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is the head of state and head of government in Ven ...
Nicolas Maduro Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
has authorized the release of dollars
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
owes to 24 airlines, whose earnings in Venezuela have been trapped there, denominated in
Venezuelan bolívar The bolívar is the official currency of Venezuela. Named after the hero of Latin American independence Simón Bolívar, it was introduced following the monetary reform in 1879, before which the venezolano was circulating. Due to its decade- ...
s that are losing value quickly due to inflation and frequent currency devaluations, by Venezuelan currency exchange laws. ;30 March *
TAM Airlines TAM may refer to: Biology * Thioacetamide, an organosulfur compound * Tumor-associated macrophage, a class of immune cells * Transparent Anatomical Manikin, an educational model Technology * Tanque Argentino Mediano, the main battle tank of Arge ...
and
US Airways 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 History of aviation in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called ...
leave the
Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's largest global airline alliance. Founded on 14 May 1997, its CEO is Jeffrey Goh and its headquarters is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. , Star Alliance is the largest of the three global alliances by passenger ...
airline alliance An airline alliance is an aviation industry arrangement between two or more airlines agreeing to cooperate on a substantial level. Alliances may provide marketing branding to facilitate travelers making inter-airline codeshare connections within c ...
. ;31 March * TAM Airlines and US Airways join the
Oneworld Oneworld (stylised as oneworld; Computer reservations system, CRS: *O) is an airline alliance founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance for the world's frequent international traveller ...
airline alliance.


April

; 1 April * A 28-year-old Kosovar man being
deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
from
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
aboard a
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...
airliner bound from
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
to
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
becomes unruly and threatens the crew with a
razor blade A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors. While the razor has been in existence since before t ...
after takeoff, slightly injuring one
flight attendant A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are prima ...
. The plane returns to Munich, where the other 76 passengers disembark and police negotiate with the man, arresting him without further incident. ;3 April * Tragedy strikes as 222 people attempt to set a
skydiving Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes. For ...
record over Eloy,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, for formation jumping when one of them, 46-year-old German skydiver Diana Paris, falls to her death after her parachute malfunctions. ;7 April * The U.S.
National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
(NTSB) sends a letter to the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) recommending that the FAA establish licensing requirements and safety standards for commercial
balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...
tour operators and make them subject to FAA safety inspections, regulating them in a manner similar to the way it regulates commercial airplane and helicopter tour operators. The NTSB writes, "The potential for a high number of fatalities in a single air tour balloon accident is of particular concern if air tour balloon operators continue to conduct operations under less stringent regulations and oversight." The FAA will reject the recommendation in November 2015. ;13 April * A 14-year-old
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
girl identified as "Sarah" tweets to
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
pretending to be a member of
Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and claiming that she plans to "do something really big" on 1 June 2014. Within six minutes, the airline responds, saying that it has forwarded her IP address to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
. On 14 April,
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
police arrest her; they release her on 15 April. The incident sparks a debate on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
between those criticizing the girl for the prank and those criticizing authorities for reacting harshly to pranks and prompts at least a dozen other teenagers to tweet prank terrorist threats to American Airlines and
Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...
. * A man acting strangely aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, to
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
– at one point emerging from a
lavatory Lavatory, Lav, or Lavvy may refer to: *Toilet, the plumbing fixture *Toilet (room), containing a toilet *Public toilet *Aircraft lavatory, the public toilet on an aircraft *Latrine, a rudimentary toilet *A lavatorium, the washing facility in a mon ...
soaking wet – attempts to open the aircrafts door while in flight, seeking to jump out. Passengers and air marshals subdue him, and the plane makes an emergency landing in
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
,
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, where the man is taken into custody. ;14 April *
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
confirms that it has purchased Titan Aerospace, a manufacturer of
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s (UAVs). Google plans to use Titan Aerospace to develop UAVs capable of bringing
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
connectivity to remote parts of the world. The UAVs are to supplement Googles
Project Loon Loon LLC was an Alphabet Inc. subsidiary working on providing Internet access to rural and remote areas. The company used high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere at an altitude of to to create an aerial wireless network with up to 1 Mbit/s ...
, which employs huge
helium balloon A gas balloon is a balloon that rises and floats in the air because it is filled with a gas lighter than air (such as helium or hydrogen). When not in flight, it is tethered to prevent it from flying away and is sealed at the bottom to prevent t ...
s for the same purpose. Titan Aerospace can produce UAVs which can remain airborne for up to five years without refueling or landing. ;15 April * Heavy gunfire erupts when a Ukrainian jet attempts to land at
Kramatorsk Kramatorsk ( uk, Краматорськ, translit=Kramatorsk ) is a city and the administrative centre of Kramatorsk Raion in the northern portion of Donetsk Oblast, in eastern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, Kramatorsk was a City of regional significa ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, at an airfield under blockade by pro-Russian forces. Ukrainian troops arrive by helicopter and repeatedly open fire on pro-Russian protesters to keep them away from the airfields perimeter fence. ;16 April * In the Syrian Civil War,
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
jets bomb opposition-held areas in the Old City of
Homs Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
,
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. *
Royal Jordanian Air Force The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. History Early days Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
warplanes destroy several ground vehicles, possibly belonging to Syrian rebel forces, trying to cross the border from Syria into
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. ;19 April * A missile strike by an American
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
against a ground vehicle at Al Bayda',
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
, kills at least nine suspected members of
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
in the vehicle and three civilians in a passing car. * A Mexican Hawker 700A crashes into a building on final approach to
Plan de Guadalupe International Airport Plan de Guadalupe International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Plan de Guadalupe, ), also known as Saltillo Airport, is an airport located at Ramos Arizpe in the state of Coahuila in Mexico. It serves the metropolitan area of Saltillo–R ...
at
Ramos Arizpe Ramos Arizpe () is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. Ramos Arizpe is located 11 km from the state capital of Saltillo. It is part of the Saltillo metropolitan area. The city ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, killing all eight people on board, including Mexican newscaster Antonio Davila. ;20 April * An airstrike in the Mahfad Mountains in Yemen against suspected al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula training facilities kills several suspected members of the group. * A small plane crashes at the
Jämijärvi Jämijärvi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Satakunta region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The mu ...
airfield in Finland, killing eight parachutists on board. Three people survive after parachuting from the aircraft. * At
San Jose International Airport Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport , commonly known simply as San Jose International Airport, is a city-owned public airport in San Jose, California, United States. It is named after San Jose native Norman Mineta, former United Sta ...
, a 16-year-old boy stows away in the wheel well of a
Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...
operating as
Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines ( haw, Hui Mokulele o Hawaiʻi ) is the largest operator of commercial flights to and from the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is the tenth-largest commercial airline in the United States, and is based at Honolulu, Hawaii. The airl ...
Flight 45 from San Jose,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, to
Kahului Kahului () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It hosts the county's main airport (Kahului Airport), deep-draft harbor, light industrial areas, and commercial shopping centers. The population was 26,337 ...
,
Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
,
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 ...
. Although the wheel well is unpressurized and the aircraft reaches an altitude of 38,000 feet (11,583 meters), the boy survives low
atmospheric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
s and subfreezing temperatures and emerges unharmed at
Kahului Airport Kahului Airport is the main airport of Maui in the State of Hawaii, United States, located east of Kahului. It has offered full airport operations since 1952. Most flights into Kahului Airport originate from Daniel K. Inouye International Ai ...
after about 5½ hours in the air. ;21 April * A
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB; ms, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad), formerly known as Malaysian Airline System (MAS; ), and branded as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier airline of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. (The ...
Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
operating as Flight 192 from
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, to
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, experiences a right-hand landing gear malfunction upon takeoff and makes a successful emergency landing. * Yemeni forces supported by American unmanned aerial vehicles continue attacks against a major al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula training camp in Yemen. The
Government of Yemen The Politics of Yemen are in an uncertain state due to the Houthi takeover in Yemen. An armed group known as the Houthi movement, Houthis or Ansar Allah seized control of the Northern Yemeni government and announced it would dissolve House of Rep ...
claims that 55 of the terrorist groups members have been killed in the two days of attacks. ;23 April * A
Russian Federation Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...
Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...
(
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 ...
"Flanker") intercepts a
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent aircraft conducting a surveillance flight in international
airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as aerospace, which is the ...
over the
Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...
, crossing the nose of the RC-135U within 100 feet (30 meters). A
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
official calls it a "reckless intercept." ;24 April *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
aircraft attack two
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
hideouts in the
Tirah Valley The Tirah also spelled Terah ( ps, تیراہ) also called the Tirah Valley (), is a mountainous tract located in the Khyber district, lying between the Khyber Pass and the Khanki Valley in Pakistan. Society Lying close to the Pak-Afghan borde ...
in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
s
Khyber Agency Khyber District ( ps, خېبر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas; with the merger of FATA with Khyber Pak ...
, killing 37 suspected militants and wounding 18. *
Petro Poroshenko Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko ( uk, Петро́ Олексі́йович Пороше́нко, ; born 26 September 1965) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko ser ...
, the leading candidate for the
presidency of Ukraine A presidency is an Administration (government), administration or the Executive (government), executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of President (government title), president of a state or nat ...
, claims that three Russian helicopters have violated Ukrainian
airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as aerospace, which is the ...
and that the
Government of Ukraine The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...
is investigating the incident. * Russia begins military drills along its border with Ukraine, and
Sergey Shoygu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...
, Russias
Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
, announces that the drills will include aerial exercises. ;25 April * Pro-Russia separatists destroy a Ukrainian government helicopter at a restricted airfield near
Kramatorsk Kramatorsk ( uk, Краматорськ, translit=Kramatorsk ) is a city and the administrative centre of Kramatorsk Raion in the northern portion of Donetsk Oblast, in eastern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, Kramatorsk was a City of regional significa ...
, Ukraine, using a
rocket-propelled grenade A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are a ...
. * Late in the day, the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
announces that Russian aircraft have violated Ukrainian airspace several times over the previous 24 hours, apparently to test the capabilities of the Ukrainian
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
system. ;26 April * A British helicopter crashes in
Kandahar Province Kandahār ( ps, ; Kandahār, prs, ; ''Qandahār'') is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, killing five
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(NATO) soldiers on board. It is the greatest loss of life among NATO personnel in Afghanistan in a single incident since six American military personnel died in a helicopter crash on 17 December 2013. *
Prime Minister of Ukraine The prime minister of Ukraine ( uk, Прем'єр-міністр України, ) is the head of government of Ukraine. The prime minister presides over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of th ...
Arseniy Yatsenyuk Arseniy Petrovych Yatsenyuk ( uk, Арсеній Петрович Яценюк ; born 22 May 1974) is a Ukrainian politician, economist and lawyer who served as Prime Minister of Ukraine twice – from 27 February 2014 to 27 November 2014 and fr ...
tells reporters that Russian military aircraft violated Ukrainian airspace seven times overnight on 25–26 April in an attempt "to provoke Ukraine to start a war." ;29 April *
Tunisian Air Force The Tunisian Air Force ( ar, جيش الطيران, french: Armée de l'Air) is one of the branches of the Tunisian Armed Forces. History The Tunisian Air Force was established in 1959, three years after Tunisia regained its independence from ...
jets and military helicopters support
Tunisian Army The Tunisian Land Army ( ar, جيش البر التونسي, Jaîsh el-Barr et'Tunsi, french: Armée de terre tunisienne) is the ground component of the Tunisian Armed Forces . The Land Forces Command is located in Bizerte. The TAF itself was cr ...
troops and
marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
as they begin an operation to destroy an Islamic militant stronghold in
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
s Chaambi Mountains harboring members of
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...
and
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي, Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to ...
. * The
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member ...
announces in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
that it will send a fact-finding mission to Syria to investigate allegations that
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
aircraft had dropped
chlorine gas Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is ...
on Syrian civilians in at least two villages in northern Syria in recent weeks. * The
International Air Transport Association The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
(IATA) announces that
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
has done little to pay its
dollar Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
debt to 24 airlines despite its pledge to do so on
28 March Events Pre-1600 *AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate. * 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Didius ...
. The IATA reports that the equivalent of $3,900,000,000 owed to the airlines is trapped in Venezuela by Venezuelan currency exchange laws, and that at least 11 airlines have cut service, sales, or routes to Venezuela over the previous year because of their inability to repatriate earnings. Some airlines have cut capacity to Venezuela by as much as 78 percent. ;30 April *
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(NATO) jets support Afghan security forces in an attack on the
Haqqani Network The Haqqani network is an Afghan Islamist group, built around the family of the same name, that has used asymmetric warfare in Afghanistan to fight against Soviet forces in the 1980s, and US-led NATO forces and the Islamic Republic of Afghanis ...
in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
near the border with
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. The attack kills 60 Islamic militants. * Syrian Air Force jets hit the Ain Jalout elementary school in the rebel-held eastern part of
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, Syria, with at least six bombs as teachers and students are setting up an exhibit of childrens drawings of the Syrian Civil War, killing 20 people, 17 of them children. * A failure of the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) computer system at a
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
facility at
Palmdale Regional Airport : ''See: United States Air Force Plant 42 for the United States Government use of the facility'' Palmdale Regional Airport is an airport in Palmdale, California, United States. The city of Palmdale took over the airport at the end of 2013, manag ...
in
Palmdale Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On Aug ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, grounds flights at airports in the
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California, area for over an hour. At
Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
over 200 flights are delayed and 23 cancelled, and departures from
Bob Hope Airport Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. e ...
in
Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...
are delayed for 90 minutes. Planes also are grounded at
John Wayne Airport John Wayne Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport that serves Orange County, California, and the Greater Los Angeles area. The airport is located in an unincorporated area of Orange County, and it is owned and operated by the cou ...
in Santa Ana, California, and
McCarran International Airport Harry Reid International Airport is an international airport in Paradise, Nevada, and is the main government airport for public use in the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada, about south of Downtown Las Vegas. ...
in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. Dozens of inbound flights are diverted to other airports, and flights to the Los Angeles area are held on the ground throughout the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
until the problem is corrected. Twenty-seven flights to Los Angeles International are canceled, 212 are delayed, and 27 are diverted to other airports, including 15 that land at
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a civil–military public airport east of downtown Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is Arizona's largest and busiest airport, and among the largest commercial airports in th ...
in
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, and five that land at
Salt Lake City International Airport Salt Lake City International Airport is a civil-military airport located about west of Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. The airport is the closest commercial airport for more than 2.5 million people and is within a 30-minu ...
in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. The flight disruptions affect tens of thousands of passengers.


May

* The
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
deploys one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to
Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
to fly reconnaissance missions to assist in the search for schoolgirls missing in
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
as a result of
Boko Haram Boko Haram, officially known as ''Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād'' ( ar, جماعة أهل السنة للدعوة والجهاد, lit=Group of the People of Sunnah for Dawah and Jihad), is an Islamic terrorist organization ...
's kidnapping of schoolgirls in Chibok. The UAV will operate for several months before being withdrawn. ;1 May * A Syrian government helicopter drops three barrel bombs on a marketplace in the rebel-held Hillok district of
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, killing at least 33 people. One report places the death toll at 44. *
SriLankan Airlines SriLankan Airlines (formerly known as Air Lanka) is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is currently the largest airline in Sri Lanka by number of aircraft and destinations and was launched i ...
joins the
Oneworld Oneworld (stylised as oneworld; Computer reservations system, CRS: *O) is an airline alliance founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance for the world's frequent international traveller ...
airline alliance An airline alliance is an aviation industry arrangement between two or more airlines agreeing to cooperate on a substantial level. Alliances may provide marketing branding to facilitate travelers making inter-airline codeshare connections within c ...
. It becomes the first airline from the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
to join any airline alliance. ;2 May * Pro-Russian separatists shoot down two Ukrainian military
Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been ...
(
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 ...
"Hind") helicopters, one reportedly 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 ...
, as Ukrainian troops attack separatists in
Sloviansk Sloviansk ( uk, Слов'янськ, Sloviansk ; russian: Славянск, Slavyansk or ; prior to 1784 – Tor) is a city in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region of Ukraine, the administrative center of the Slovyansk urban commun ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. Two crewmen aboard the helicopters die and the separatists capture and hospitalize the pilot of one of the downed helicopters. A Ukrainian
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia. In addition t ...
(NATO reporting name "Hip") helicopter reportedly carrying
medic A medic is a person involved in medicine such as a medical doctor, medical student, paramedic or an emergency medical responder. Among physicians in the UK, the term "medic" indicates someone who has followed a "medical" career path in postgradu ...
s is damaged during the fighting, with one person on board wounded. ;3–4 May (overnight) * Airstrikes and Yemeni military ground operations combine to kill 37 suspected
al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
members in Meyfaa,
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
.al-Haj, Ahmed, "Military: 43 militants killed in Yemen campaign," Associated Press, 4 May 2014 2:38 PM EDT.
/ref> ;4 May * Airstrikes support Yemeni military ground operations against an al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula stronghold in the Naqba Hills in
Shabwah Governorate Shabwah ( ar, شَبْوَة, Šabwa) is a governorate (province) of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq. During the Yemeni Civil War in 2015, the province became a battleground. The battle, known as the Shabwah Campaign, ended on August 15, 2015, af ...
in southern Yemen. Six suspected
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s and four Yemeni soldiers are killed. ;5 May * Heavy
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
fire from pro-Russian separatists shoots down a Ukrainian military Mil Mi-24 (NATO reporting name "Hind") helicopter near Sloviansk, Ukraine. The helicopter crashes in a river, and Ukrainian security personnel rescue its crew. ;12 May *
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 ...
officials announce that American aircraft are flying surveillance missions over
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
to assist the Nigerian government in its search for victims of the
Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 mostly Christianity, Christian female students aged from 16 to 18 were kidnapped by the Islamic terrorism, Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School at the town of Chi ...
in April by
Boko Haram Boko Haram, officially known as ''Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād'' ( ar, جماعة أهل السنة للدعوة والجهاد, lit=Group of the People of Sunnah for Dawah and Jihad), is an Islamic terrorist organization ...
. ;13 May *In Yemen, a
Yemeni Air Force The Yemeni Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية اليمنية, al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya) is the air operations branch of the Yemeni Armed Forces. Numbers of aircraft can not be confirmed but serviceability of these aircraft is low. ...
jet attacks three trucks carrying explosives from the Shabwa Governorate to the
Marib Governorate Marib ( ar, مَأْرِب, Maʾrib) is a governorate of Yemen. It is located 173 kilometers to the northeast of Yemen's capital, Sana'a. The population of Marib Governorate comprises 1.2% of the country's total population. The city of Marib is t ...
as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula forces retreat in the face of a
Yemeni government The Cabinet of Yemen refers to the governing body of the internationally recognized Yemen government led by the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi who replaced former President of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi on 7 ...
offensive. All three truck drivers die, as do five other people believed to be
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s. *Smoke from an overheated
lavatory Lavatory, Lav, or Lavvy may refer to: *Toilet, the plumbing fixture *Toilet (room), containing a toilet *Public toilet *Aircraft lavatory, the public toilet on an aircraft *Latrine, a rudimentary toilet *A lavatorium, the washing facility in a mon ...
exhaust fan forces
air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
lers to evacuate the control room of the
Terminal Radar Approach Control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...
(TRACON) facility in Elgin,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, disrupting air traffic into and out of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, Illinois. Before they return three hours later, more than 600 flights at
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
and 75 flights at
Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...
are cancelled, and although a back-up facility in
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
, Illinois, takes over the control of inbound aircraft, some inbound flights headed for the two airports are diverted elsewhere. ;15 May *A
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
touches down one mile (1.6 km) from
Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the greater Miami metropolitan area with over 1,000 daily flights to 167 domestic and international destinations, including most co ...
in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, and another funnel cloud is spotted nearby 20 minutes later, prompting the cancellation of at least four flights and delays for dozens of others. ;17 May *At the end of a flight from
Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...
,
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, the
Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force The Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force (LPLAAF) is the air force of Laos. History The present-day LPLAAF is descended from the Aviation Laotienne, which was established by the French and later became the Royal Lao Air Force. Pathet Lao gue ...
Antonov An-74TK-300 (
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 ...
"Coaler") ''RDPL-34020'' crashes in a wooded area between 1,500 and 2,000 meters (4,900 and 6,600 feet) short of the runway while on final approach to
Xieng Khouang Airport Xieng Khouang Airport is an airport in Phonsavan, Laos . Its name is derived from the Xiangkhoang Plateau, which gives name to the Xiangkhouang Province on which it is located. It is the main access gateway for tourists visiting the nearby Plain ...
in
Phonsavan Phonsavan ( Lao: ໂພນສະຫວັນ), population 37,507, is the capital of Xiangkhouang Province. Phonsavan was built in the late-1970s and replaced the old Xiangkhouang (today: Muang Khoune) which was destroyed during the Second Indoc ...
, Laos. Between 14 and 20 people reportedly are aboard and only three survive. Among the dead are
Douangchay Phichit Lieutenant general Douangchay Phichit (; 5 April 1944 – 17 May 2014) was a Laos, Laotian politician from Attapeu and a Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, Politburo member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (from the 7th Con ...
, the Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, and his wife, as well as
Thongbanh Sengaphone Thongbanh Sengaphone (; 2 May 1953 – 17 May 2014) was a Laotian politician and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). He served as Minister of Public Security and held seats in the LPRP's Central Committee (appointed at the 7th ...
, the Laotian Minister of Public Security;
Cheuang Sombounkhanh Cheuang Sombounkhanh (; born 5 March 1955 – died 17 May 2014) was a Laotian politician. He was the governor of Bank of the Lao P.D.R. from 1997 to 1999. From 2010 until his death, he had worked as a Minister to the Office of the Prime Ministe ...
of the Secretariat of the
Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party The Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the highest decision-making organ in Laos when the National Congress is not in session. History The Central Committee was established at the 1st National Congress in 1955. At ...
and chairman of the
Propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
Training Committee;
Pany Yathotou Pany Yathotou ( lo, ປານີ ຢາທໍ່ຕູ້; born Xiangkhouang Province, 18 February 1951) is a Laotian politician and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. She was the chairwoman and governor of the Bank of the Lao P.D. ...
, a member of the Laotian
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
and its
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
from 2010 to 2014; and
Soukanh Mahalath Soukanh Mahalath (; 7 June 1954 – 17 May 2014) was a Laotian politician and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Mahalath was the Mayor of Vientiane, the country's capital city, until his death in May 2014. He had previously held the ...
, the governor of Vientiane Province. It is the second-deadliest aviation accident in Laotian history, exceeded only by the crash of
Lao Airlines Flight 301 Lao Airlines Flight 301 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Vientiane to Pakse, Laos. On 16 October 2013, the ATR 72-600 aircraft operating the flight crashed into the Mekong River near Pakse, killing all 49 people on board. The accide ...
in October 2013. ;21 May *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
jets and Pakistani military helicopters attack Islamic militant hideouts, killing 60 Islamic militants. Most of the strikes take place around Mir Ali in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
, Pakistan. ;24 May * During a joint maritime exercise involving the armed forces of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, Chinese
People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
fighter aircraft scramble to intercept Japanese military planes operating within China's expanded air defense identification zone over the
East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
, which Japan does not recognize. The following day, the
Japanese government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, c ...
accuses the Chinese aircraft of having come dangerously close to Japanese aircraft, claiming that Chinese
Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...
(
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 ...
"Flanker") fighters came within 50 meters (164 feet) of a Japanese Lockheed OP-3C Orion surveillance plane near the disputed Senkaku (or Diaoyu) Islands and within 30 meters (98 feet) of a Japanese NAMC YS-11EB
electronic intelligence Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...
aircraft. China responds that Japans violation of a Chinese "no-fly" order for foreign military aircraft in Chinas air defense identification zone during the Japanese-Russian exercise justifies the actions of the Chinese aircraft. ;26 May * After two days of fighting, Ukrainian troops supported by
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG" (russian: Российская самолётостроительная корпорация „МиГ“, Rossiyskaya samolyotostroitel'naya korporatsiya "MiG"), commonly known as Mikoyan and MiG, was a Russi ...
fighters and
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia. In addition t ...
(NATO reporting name "Hip") and
Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been ...
(NATO reporting name "Hind") military helicopters retake Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport in
Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine, from pro-Russian separatists. *
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
reaches deals with six airlines –
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 ...
,
Aruba Airlines Aruba Airlines (legally ''Arubaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'') is the flag carrier and the sole airline of Aruba. The airline, founded in 2006, providing scheduled and charter air transport for passengers to 13 destinations. Aruba Airlines' ...
,
Avianca Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A.'', "Airways of the American Continent") is a Colombian airline. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered under ...
,
Insel Air Insel Air (formally ''Insel Air International B.V.'') was a Dutch Caribbean carrier that served as the national airline of Curaçao. It was headquartered in Maduro Plaza, Willemstad. Insel Air last served five destinations throughout the Caribbe ...
, TACA, and
TAME Tame may refer to: *Taming, the act of training wild animals *River Tame, Greater Manchester *River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley *Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality * "Tame" (song), a song by the Pixies from their 1989 alb ...
– to pay
dollar Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, U ...
debt held up by Venezuelan currency controls and prevent them from ending service to Venezuela. ;28 May * The search for
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
, which disappeared on
8 March Events Pre-1600 *1010 – Ferdowsi completes his epic poem ''Shahnameh''. * 1126 – Following the death of his mother, queen Urraca of León, Alfonso VII is proclaimed king of León. *1262 – Battle of Hausbergen between bourg ...
, is suspended, having found no trace of the aircraft. It will not resume until October, after an extensive underwater mapping effort in the next planned search area is completed. ;29 May * Russian separatists shoot down a Ukrainian Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name "Hip") military transport helicopter near Sloviansk, Ukraine, with a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile, killing between 12 and 14 of the Ukrainian military personnel aboard, including
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Serhiy Kulchitskiy, who was in charge of combat training for the
National Guard of Ukraine The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU; uk, Націона́льна гва́рдія Украї́ни, Natsionalna hvardiia Ukrainy, , ) is the Ukrainian national gendarmerie and Internal Troops, internal military force. It is part of the Minist ...
. Ukrainian Air Force jets join Ukrainian
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 ...
in a counterattack, bombing the forest from which the missile was launched. ;31 May * 19-year-old pilot Matt Guthmiller departs
Gillespie Field Gillespie Field is a county-owned public towered airport northeast of downtown San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States. History : ''Section reference dates.'' In 1942 the United States Marine Corps chose a site wi ...
in
El Cajon, California El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...
in an attempt to become the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the globe, solo. * A private
Gulfstream IV The Gulfstream IV (or G-IV or GIV) and derivatives are a family of twinjet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. They were designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United States, ...
business jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pub ...
catches fire while taking off from
Hanscom Field Laurence G. Hanscom Field , commonly known as Hanscom Field, is a public use airport operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, located outside Boston in Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. Hanscom is mainly a general aviation airport, ...
in
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
, and crashes, killing all seven people on board.
Lewis Katz Lewis Katz (January 11, 1942May 31, 2014) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and newspaper publisher, who was a co-owner of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. Early life Katz was born to a Jewish familyThe Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'', the ''
Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. The ''Dail ...
'', and
Philly.com ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
, is among the dead.


June

;1 June * A
Libyan Air Force The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
jet bombs positions held by
Ansar al-Sharia Ansar al-Sharia or Ansar al-Shariah is a name used by a collection of radical or militant Islamist groups or militias, in at least eight countries. While they share names and ideology, they lack a unified command structure. *Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) ...
in
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. In a separate raid, Libyan aircraft strike a palace in the western section of Benghazi reportedly held by
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s, apparently in support of renegade General Khalifa Hifter. ;2 June * The
Solar Impulse 2 Solar Impulse is a Swiss long-range experimental aircraft, experimental solar-powered aircraft project, and also the name of the project's two operational aircraft. The privately financed project is led by Swiss engineer and businessman André ...
solar-powered aircraft makes its maiden flight over
Payerne Payerne (; frp, Payèrna) is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It was the seat of the district of Payerne, and is now part of the district of Broye-Vully. The German name ''Peterlingen'' for the town is out of use. History The earl ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. In a 2-hour 17-minute flight, pilot Markus Scherdel climbs to an altitude of 1,800 meters (5,905 feet) and tests the aircraft in a series of maneuvers, beginning a test-flight program that will last for several months. Plans call for Solar Impulse 2 to become the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the earth in 2015. *
Libyan Army The Libyan Army ( ar, الجيش الليبي) is the brand for a number of separate military forces in Libya, which are under the command of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). Since December 2015 the groups of t ...
helicopters strike Islamic militant targets in eastern Benghazi, Libya. ;6 June * Pro-Russian separatists shoot down a Ukrainian
Antonov An-30 The Antonov An-30 (NATO reporting name: Clank), is a development of the An-24 designed for aerial cartography. Development The first aerial survey version of the Antonov An-24 was designed by the Beriev OKB and designated An-24FK. The FK stoo ...
(
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 ...
"Clank") military reconnaissance plane near
Slovyansk Sloviansk ( uk, Слов'янськ, Sloviansk ; russian: Славянск, Slavyansk or ; prior to 1784 – Tor) is a city in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region of Ukraine, the administrative center of the Slovyansk urban commun ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, killing five crew members. ;8 June * The first
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
-approved commercial
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
(UAV) flight over land in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
takes place, as an AeroVironment
Puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
UAV makes a flight at
Prudhoe Bay Prudhoe Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people, up from just five residents in the 2000 census; however, at any give ...
,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, to survey pipelines, roads, and equipment for BP. ;8–9 June (overnight) * Ten members of the
Pakistani Taliban The Pakistani Taliban (), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Urdu/ ps, , lit=Student Movement of Pakistan, TTP), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani bor ...
attack Attack may refer to: Warfare and combat * Offensive (military) * Charge (warfare) * Attack (fencing) * Strike (attack) * Attack (computing) * Attack aircraft Books and publishing * ''The Attack'' (novel), a book * '' Attack No. 1'', comic an ...
Jinnah International Airport Jinnah International Airport ( ur, جناح بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) , formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi Civil Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017 ...
in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, killing 26 people.
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
commandos respond, killing seven of the attackers. The three other attackers commit suicide. ;9 June * As a team of American and Afghan troops patrolling
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
's
Arghandab District Arghandab (Pashto/ fa, ارغنداب) is a district in the central part of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It borders Panjwai and Khakrez districts to the west, Shah Wali Kot District to the north and east and Kandahar District to the east an ...
attempt to board a helicopter, they come under attack by Islamic militants. A
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
B-1B Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...
bomber conducts an airstrike against the attackers but mistakenly hits the American-Afghan team, killing five American troops. *
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
forces capture
Mosul International Airport Mosul International Airport is an airport located at Mosul, capital of Nineveh Governorate, Iraq. It became a civil airport in 1990 with the rebuild of the runway (from asphalt to concrete) and construction of a new terminal. After undergoing maj ...
during their successful battle to take
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
,
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 ...
, from
Iraqi government The federal government of Iraq is defined under the current Constitution, approved in 2005, as an Islamic, democratic, federal parliamentary republic. The federal government is composed of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as wel ...
forces. * A violent storm with wind gusts of up to 150 km/hr (93 mph) strikes Düsseldorf Airport in Düsseldorf,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, forcing the airport to close for an hour. Ten departing flights are cancelled and ten arriving flights are diverted to other airports. ;10 June * Pakistan announces that it has resumed air attacks s against Islamic militants and that airstrikes in the
Tirah Valley The Tirah also spelled Terah ( ps, تیراہ) also called the Tirah Valley (), is a mountainous tract located in the Khyber district, lying between the Khyber Pass and the Khanki Valley in Pakistan. Society Lying close to the Pak-Afghan borde ...
have killed 25 militants. * According to Pakistani officials, "three or four" Islamic militants attack a Karachi Airport Security Force base at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, shutting down the airport for the second time in two days. Security forces repel them. * The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announces publicly that it had approved the first commercial UAV flight over land in the United States and that the flight had taken place on 8 June. ;11 June * Missiles fired by an American unmanned aerial vehicle strike a house and a nearby ground vehicle in the Darga Mandi area of
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
, Pakistan, killing six suspected Islamic militants. It is the first American drone strike in Pakistan in six months. * After Palestinian people, Palestinian militants fire a rocket into southern
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
from the northern
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
, an
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
aircraft strikes a target in the northern Gaza Strip, killing one person and wounding three others. ;12 June * The low-cost
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n-
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n airline AirAsia India begins flight operations, offering service between
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
and Goa with Airbus A320-200 aircraft and making the Malaysian airline AirAsia the first foreign airline to operate a subsidiary in India. * Eight missiles fired by American unmanned aerial vehicles strike a compound in Dande Darpa Khel near Miramshah, North Waziristan, Pakistan, killing between four and ten members of the
Haqqani Network The Haqqani network is an Afghan Islamist group, built around the family of the same name, that has used asymmetric warfare in Afghanistan to fight against Soviet forces in the 1980s, and US-led NATO forces and the Islamic Republic of Afghanis ...
and wounding four others. ;13 June * American physician Richard Rockefeller is killed when the Piper PA-46, Piper PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian he is piloting strikes a tree while taking off in dense fog and heavy rain from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, White Plains,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, and crashes in Harrison, New York, Harrison, a mile (1.6 km) from the airport. ;14 June * A missile strike by an American unmanned aerial vehicle against a ground vehicle in
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
s
Shabwah Governorate Shabwah ( ar, شَبْوَة, Šabwa) is a governorate (province) of Yemen. Its main town is Ataq. During the Yemeni Civil War in 2015, the province became a battleground. The battle, known as the Shabwah Campaign, ended on August 15, 2015, af ...
kills five
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
members, including the commander known as Musaad al Habashi. * Pro-Russian separatists open fire with antiaircraft weapons and heavy
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s and Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 shoot-down, shoot down a Ukrainian
Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comm ...
(NATO reporting name "Candid")
military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military aircraft, military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to ma ...
carrying 40 Ukrainian paratroopers and a crew of nine as it lands at Luhansk International Airport in Luhansk,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. All 49 people on board die. ;15 June *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
jets strike six Islamic militant hideouts in North Waziristan, Pakistan, killing 140 militants, including Abu Abdul Rehman al-Maani, who is believed to have helped orchestrate 8 June attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan. ;16 June * Pakistan Air Force jets continue strikes against Islamic militant hideouts in North Waziristan, killing 27. * Syrian military helicopters drop barrel bombs on the rebel-held Sukkari neighborhood in southern
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
,
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, reportedly killing between 27 and 30 people. ;17 June * Thai AirAsia X, Thailand's first long-haul, Low-cost carrier, low-cost airline, begins flight operations, offering service between Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport and Incheon International Airport in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. ;18 June * The Government of Iraq announces that it has requested that the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
conduct airstrikes against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) forces which have taken control of much of the northern half of
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 ...
. ;20 June * The U.S. National Park Service directs park managers at all 401 List of national parks of the United States, national parks and National Monument (United States), national monuments in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to ban all flights by remotely controlled airplanes and helicopters. The ban does not apply to
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s park managers use for scientific research and search-and-rescue purposes or to some formally approved flights by hobbyists. ;21 June * Syrian aircraft conduct six strikes against al-Muhasan, Syria, which Islamic State of Iraq and Syria forces had seized the previous day. The airstrikes reportedly kill 13 ISIS members and three civilians. ;22 June * Amid mounting public opposition to its plan to fly illegal immigrants from south Texas to San Diego, California, San Diego and El Centro, California, El Centro,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, to relieve pressure on its facilities in Texas, the United States Border Patrol cancels the plan. The plan had called for one flight each every three days to San Diego and El Centro beginning on 23 June, with each aircraft carrying 140 illegal immigrants. ;23 June *
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
aircraft strike nine military targets inside Syria in retaliation for a cross-border attack killed an Israeli teenager the previous day. Syria claims that the strikes have killed four people and wounded nine. *
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
n aircraft strike Anole, Somalia, Anole and Kuday in Lower Juba,
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, killing 80 al-Shabaab members. Thirty die in Anole and 50 in Kuday. * During an exercise in which two Eurofighter Typhoons operated by the German Air Forces Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31, ''Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader'' 31 "Oswald Boelcke, Boelcke" practice intercepting a civilian airliner that is out of radio contact simulated by a Learjet 35A aircraft registration, registered as ''D-CGFI'', one of the Typhoons 2014 Olsberg mid-air collision, collides in mid-air with the Learjet. The severely damaged Typhoon returns to base, but the Learjet – operated by the :de:GFD Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung, GFD Gesellschaft Fur Flugzieldarstellung, a subsidiary company of Airbus Defence and Space – crashes near houses in Olsberg, Germany, Olsberg,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, killing its crew of two. It is 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision, the first mid-air collision in German airspace for 12 years. ;24 June * A MANPADS, shoulder-fired
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 ...
fired by pro-Russian separatists from the village of Bylbasovka, just outside Slovyansk, Ukraine, shoots down a Ukrainian
Mil Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia. In addition t ...
(
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 ...
"Hip") helicopter, killing all nine people aboard the helicopter. The incident threatens to cause a ceasefire between the two sides to break down. ;27 June * An Israeli airstrike destroys a vehicle in the Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, killing
Popular Resistance Committees The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) ( ar, لجان المقاومة الشعبية, ''Lijān al-Muqāwama al-Shaʿbiyya'') is a coalition of a number of armed Palestinian groups opposed to what they regard as the conciliatory approach of t ...
members Osama Hassumi and Mohammad Fatzih. * In a tandem
skydiving Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes. For ...
jump from an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) over Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Lanaudière, Quebec, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Québec, Canada, Armand Gendreau becomes the oldest person ever to skydive. He makes the jump at the age of 101 years three days. His record will stand until 2017 in aviation#May, 15 May 2017. ;28 June * Israeli Air Force aircraft strike nine targets – a weapons-manufacturing site and rocket launchers belonging to
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
and the
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist par ...
– in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rocket attacks against Israeli from the Gaza Strip. The strikes reportedly kill one
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
. * The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducts the first test of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), a space vehicle designed to create atmospheric Drag (physics), drag in order to decelerate during entry through a planet's atmosphere. Launched from the United States Navys Pacific Missile Range facility in Kauai,
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 ...
, the LDSD is lifted to an altitude of 120,000 feet (36,576 meters) by a
balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...
, then uses a rocket motor to ascend to 180,000 feet (54,865 meters) before parachuting into the Pacific Ocean, where it and its flight recorder are recovered the same day. ;29 June * During the morning, Israeli Air Force aircraft strike 12 targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rockets launched into Israel over the weekend. In the evening, Israeli Air Force aircraft strike Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip to halt preparations for another rocket attack. ;30 June * The
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
reports that two weeks of Pakistan Air Force strikes against Islamic militants in northwestern Pakistan have killed 359 militants.


July

;1 July * The second incarnation of AirAsia Japan is founded, with plans to begin flight operations in 2015 in aviation#June, June 2015. *
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
aircraft strike 34
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
and
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine ( ar, حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, ''Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn''), known in the West simply as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Islamist par ...
structures in the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
in retaliation for rockets fired into Israel on 30 June. ;2 July * The Skyward International Aviation Fokker 50 cargo aircraft ''5Y-CET'' Skyward International Aviation Fokker 50, crashes on takeoff from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
. The plane comes down in a residential area in Utawala, Embakasi, two kilometers (1.25 miles) from the end of the runway, killing all four people on board. * Anti-aircraft fire from Russian separatists strikes a
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
Sukhoi Su-24 (
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 ...
"Fencer") attack aircraft over
Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. The aircraft returns to base. ;3 July *
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s fire two rockets into the military section of Kabul International Airport in Kabul,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. One of them sets fire to the helicopter of President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai as its sits on the tarmac, destroying it. * The Israel Defense Forces announces that Israeli Air Force aircraft conducted 16 strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on 2 and 3 July. * The
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
grounds its entire fleet of 97 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the eighth time pending engine inspections in the wake of a 23 June engine fire in a
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
F-35A Lightning II as it prepared for take off at Eglin Air Force Base,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. * Nineteen cars of a 90-car train bound from Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, to
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
state derail near Rivulet, Montana, Rivulet, Montana, 18 miles (30 km) west of Superior, Montana, Superior, Montana. Seven of the derailed cars are carrying cargo to Boeing factories in Renton, Washington, Renton, Washington, including six new Boeing 737 fuselages and large assemblies for new Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft. All six 737 fuselages fall off the cars, and three of them slide down an embankment into the Clark Ford River. The fuselages are expected to be recovered and scrapped. The accident raises questions as to whether Boeing will be able to meet its delivery deadlines for some of its customers. ;4 July * In an attempt to rescue four American hostages – James Foley (journalist), James Foley, Peter Kassig, Kayla Mueller, and Steven Sotloff – held in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
by the
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of the United States Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment supported by a variety of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters insert over 100 special operations personnel to raid an Islamic State prison facility. Under fire from Islamic State forces, the raiders find that the hostages have been moved elsewhere and quickly withdraw, suffering one casualty when a U.S. service member is slightly injured when Islamic State gunfire strikes a helicopter. By February 2015, the Islamic State will have murdered all four of the hostages. ;5 July * A Piper Navajo plane crashes shortly after takeoff from Rudniki Airport in Poland, killing 11 parachute jumpers and the pilot. One person survives. * Irans IRNA state news organization reports that an Iranian pilot has been killed in
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 ...
and says that he died defending Islamic holy places in Samarra, but provides no details as to the date or circumstances of his death. Irans semi-official Fars News Agency publishes photographs of what it reports to be his funeral. It is Irans first public acknowledgement that its armed forces are involved in combat in Iraq. ;6 July * Unidentified aircraft conduct at least three strikes against
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
, Iraq, which is under the control of Islamic State forces. The
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and the Government of Iraq both deny involvement, and Iran is suspected of having carried out the raids. ;6–7 July (overnight) * Israeli Air Force aircraft strike 14 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip including concealed rocket launchers, killing nine people. ;7 July * A Vietnamese People's Air Force Mil Mi-171 (
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 ...
"Hip") helicopter with 21 troops and crew members on board for parachute training crashes in Vietnams Thạch Thất District on the outskirts of Hanoi due to a technical malfunction, killing 19 of those aboard and leaving the two survivors severely injured. The incident prompts Vietnam to ground its entire Mi-171 fleet. ;7–8 July (overnight) * The Israeli Defense Force launches Operation Protective Edge with a goal of ending Hamas rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Air Force strike 47 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight belonging to Hamas and other militant organizations, including underground rocket launching sites, command and control centers, the homes of Hamas members, and other "infrastructure." ;8 July * The Israeli Air Force strikes over 150 targets in the Gaza Strip, killing 24 Palestinian people, Palestinians and wounding 152. Hamas operative Mohammed Shabaan is among the dead, killed when at least two missiles strike his car in Gaza City. * The U.S. National Park Service unveils a plaque designating as a national monument the crash site of two airliners that 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision, collided in midair in 1956 and crashed into the Grand Canyon, killing all 128 on board the two planes. ;9 July * Israeli manned aircraft and
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s have struck 60 houses in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge on 7 July in an attempt to destroy Hamas weapons and facilities hidden among the civilian population. Since the operation began, Israeli strikes have killed 41 people and injured at least 300 people severely enough for them to require hospitalization. ;10 July * Two missiles fired by an American unmanned aerial vehicle strike a car near Doga Mada Khel in the Datta Khel district of
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, killing at six Islamic militants. ;11 July * Air India joins the
Star Alliance Star Alliance is the world's largest global airline alliance. Founded on 14 May 1997, its CEO is Jeffrey Goh and its headquarters is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. , Star Alliance is the largest of the three global alliances by passenger ...
. * Flying a Pilatus PC-12, Pilatus PC-12 NG, Amelia Rose Earhart and her co-pilot Shane Jordan complete a 17-stop, 24,300-nautical-mile (27,964-mile; 45,004-km) circumnavigation of the earth, landing at Oakland, California, Oakland,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
– from which they had begun the journey on 26 June – spending 108 hours in the air. Earhart makes the flight to recreate and complete the final flight of her namesake Amelia Earhart, who had disappeared in 1937 in aviation, 1937 while attempting a similar circumnavigation. Thirty-one years old, she becomes the second-youngest woman after Richarda Morrow-Tait to pilot a plane around the world. ;12 July * In the single deadliest airstrike of Operation Protective Edge thus far, missiles fired by Israeli Air Force aircraft strike the house where Gaza police chief Tayseer al-Batsh is praying, critically wounding him and killing 18 members of his extended family. ;13 July * The Gazan Health Ministry reports that 169 residents of the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli strikes thus far in Operation Protective Edge. Hamas rocket fire has seriously injured several Israelis, but no Israelis have died in the rocket attacks. * Rival militias battle for control of Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. At least six people die and 25 are wounded in the fighting. Libyan civil aviation authorities announce that the airport will be closed for three days because of security concerns. ;14 July * Nineteen-year-old Matt Guthmiller lands at
Gillespie Field Gillespie Field is a county-owned public towered airport northeast of downtown San Diego, in El Cajon, San Diego County, California, United States. History : ''Section reference dates.'' In 1942 the United States Marine Corps chose a site wi ...
in El Cajon, California, El Cajon,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, becoming the youngest person ever to complete a solo flight around the world. He had left El Cajon on 31 May and flown more than in a Beechcraft Bonanza, Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, stopping first at his home town of Aberdeen, South Dakota, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and then making stops in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
;
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
; Athens, Greece;
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
; Abu Dhabi;
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
; the Philippines;
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
; American Samoa; and
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 ...
. The final leg of his trip is a 16-hour flight across the eastern Pacific Ocean from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, to El Cajon. * The Israel Defense Forces shoot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Ashdod, Israel. It appears to be Hamass first use of a UAV against Israel from the Gaza Strip. * A Ukrainian Antonov An-26 (
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 ...
"Curl")
military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military aircraft, military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to ma ...
is shot down by a missile while flying at an altitude of 6,500 meters (21,235 feet) over Luhansk,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. Its eight crew members parachute to safety, although four of them are captured by pro-Russian separatists. The separatists claim to have shot the plane down, but Ukrainian defense officials say that the MANPADS, shoulder-fired
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 ...
s available to the separatists lack the capability to hit a plane flying at such a high altitude and accuse
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
of shooting down the plane, either with a Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name "SA-22 Greyhound") surface-to-air missile launched from Russian territory or with an air-to-air missile fired from Russian
airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as aerospace, which is the ...
by a Russian fighter based at Millerovo, Millerovsky District, Rostov Oblast, Millerovo, Russia. ;15 July * Israel halts airstrikes against the Gaza Strip while the Government of Israel and Hamas consider an
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian ceasefire proposal. Israeli strikes resume after six hours when Hamas rejects the proposal. The Palestinian death toll rises to at least 204, and the first Israeli is killed by a Hamas rocket. * Unidentified aircraft strike an apartment complex in Snizhne, Ukraine, with several missiles, destroying it and a nearby house and killing 11 people. Ukraine denies that the
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
conducted the strike, and one Ukrainian military analyst blames it on the
Russian Federation Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...
. * The
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
cancels the international debut of the F-35 Lightning II fighter at the Farnborough Air Show, planned for later in the week by an F-35B, because of the grounding of the F-35 fleet earlier in the month. ;16 July * A
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
strike against a house in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
as a ground vehicle passes by kills 15 to 20 people. Another Pakistan Air Force strike against Islamic militants attempting to flee North Waziristan kills 35 people. * Israeli aircraft hit the headquarters of the Gazan Interior Ministry and begin airstrikes against the homes of top Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip. One strike targeting what Israel describes as a Hamas operative accidentally kills four Palestinian children playing on a beach. By the evening, the Palestinian death toll due to Israeli strikes reaches 222, with another 1,600 injure * Pro-Russian separatists shoot down a Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 (NATO reporting name "Frogfoot") ground-attack aircraft near Amvrosiivka, Ukraine. ;17 July * Four Afghan insurgents stage a predawn attack on Kabul International Airport in Kabul,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. All incoming flights are diverted elsewhere as security forces fight the insurgents and eventually surround them in an unfinished building close to the airport and kill them. * During a flight from Amsterdam, the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, to
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, with 283 passengers and a crew of 15 aboard, a Boeing 777-200ER operating as
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian forces on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Cont ...
(codeshare agreement, codeshared as KLM Flight 4103), is shot down by an unidentified
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 ...
and crashes near Hrabove, Donetsk Oblast, Hrabove in Donetsk Oblast,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, killing all on board. The Government of Ukraine, Ukrainian government claims that either Russia or Russian separatists in Ukraine shot down the airliner while it cruised at an altitude of 33,000 feet (10,059 meters) using the Buk missile system (NATO reporting name "Gadfly;" United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense designation "SA-11"). The
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
later confirms that the missile was launched from the separatist-controlled portion of Ukraine. With 298 people killed, it is the deadliest
Malaysia Airlines Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB; ms, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad), formerly known as Malaysian Airline System (MAS; ), and branded as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier airline of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. (The ...
incident to date, surpassing
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
, a Boeing 777-200ER which disappeared with 239 people aboard on #March, 8 March 2014. * The Israeli Air Force strikes the opening inside Israel of a tunnel used by Hamas members to infiltrate from the Gaza Strip, claiming to have killed one Hamas member. After a subsequent five-hour truce, an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip begins, supported by Israeli airstrikes. ;18 July * A Pakistan Air Force raid in North Waziristan bombs houses, reportedly killing 17 civilians. ;19 July * An American unmanned aerial vehicle strike in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, Pakistan, kills two commanders from the Punjabi Taliban and six other Islamic militants. ;20 July * Pakistani defense officials report that Pakistan Air Force strikes during the day have killed 28 Islamic militants in the Shawal valley in North Waziristan. ;21 July * Forty-seven people have been killed in a week of fighting between rival militias for control of Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya. An Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330 has been destroyed during the fighting. ;21–22 July (overnight) * Israeli aircraft strike more than 70 targets in the Gaza Strip, including a sports complex, the former home of the late leader of Hamass military wing, and five mosques, setting off huge explosions in Gaza City during the predawn hours of 22 July. ;22 July * After a Hamas rocket fired from the Gaza Strip strikes a house near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
bans flights to Tel Aviv by U.S. airlines. Some major European airlines also suspend service to Tel Aviv. * airBaltic becomes the world's first airline to accept bitcoin as payment for online bookings. ;23 July * Seventeen-year-old Pakistani-American pilot Haris Suleman and his father, Babar Suleman, die when their Hawker Beechcraft Bonanza crashes into the Pacific Ocean soon after takeoff from Pago Pago International Airport in Pago Pago, American Samoa, for a flight 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 ...
via Kiribati, after which they had planned to stop in
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
before returning to their home in Indiana. It was the final leg of their attempt to fly around the world – a 26,500-mile (42,673-km) journey with 25 stops in 15 countries – to raise money for a charity that builds schools for needy children in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Departing Indiana on 19 June, the pair had hoped to break the world record for the youngest pilot-in-command in history to circumnavigate the earth in a single-engine plane in 30 days. * Pro-Russian separatists shoot down two Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 (NATO reporting name "Frogfoot") ground-attack aircraft flying at 17,000 feet (5,182 meters) over Savur-Mohyla in eastern Ukraine. * TransAsia Airways Flight 222, an ATR 72-500 with 58 people on board, crashes near the village of Xixi in the township of Husi, Penghu, Husi during a go-around after an unsuccessful landing attempt at Magong Airport on Taiwans Penghu Island at the end of a flight from Kaohsiung International Airport, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The crash occurs in strong winds and heavy rain related to the passage of Typhoon Matmo (2014), Typhoon Matmo near Penghu earlier in the day. Forty-eight of those aboard die, and all ten survivors are injured. * The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ends a two-day ban on flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, by U.S. airlines. ;24 July * Air Algérie Flight 5017, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 with 110 passengers and a crew of six aboard, disappears from radar over northern Mali 50 minutes into its flight from Ouagadougou Airport, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers,
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
, and crashes, killing everyone on board. A French General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-9 Reaper
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
discovers the aircrafts wreckage. * The first two of 72 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, F-35 Lighting II fighters ordered for the Royal Australian Air Force roll off the Lockheed Martin production line at Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas. The
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
and Lockheed Martin consider the completion of aircraft for a foreign order to be a major milestone for the F-35 program. ;25 July * The
Royal Jordanian Air Force The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. History Early days Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
shoots down what it describes as an "aerial target" – claimed by eyewitnesses to be an unmanned aerial vehicle – over
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
s Mafraq Governorate near the border with Syria. * Ukrainian Defense and Security Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko claims that in the past two days alone Ukraine had shot down three
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n unmanned aerial vehicles flying over Ukraine, including one that was reconnoitering a Ukrainian military base at Amvrosiivka which had been under attack by rockets. ;26 July * American military surveillance aircraft, an airborne response force equipped with MV-22 Ospreys, and
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
s cover an overland evacuation of United States Embassy personnel from Tripoli, Libya, to
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
. ;27 July * Thirty-eight people die during fighting between rival militias over control of Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya. * The body of a boy who stowed away in the wheel well of a U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft is discovered after the plane arrives at Ramstein Air Force Base in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
after a routine mission in Africa involving stops in Senegal, Mali,
Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
, and Tunisia and at Naval Air Station Sigonella,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The stowaway – who probably climbed aboard in Mali and died due to the extreme conditions during high-altitude flight – represents a significant security breach for U.S. military aircraft. ;29 July * Chinese authorities announce that capacity at airports serving Shanghai will be cut by 75 percent for several days. The announcement caps two weeks of major, unexplained flight delays at airports in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
and Shanghai, with travelers stranded in airport terminals for days on end, infuriating some frustrated passengers to the point of violence. ;30 July * About 200 South Korean activists and North Korean defectors launch 50 unmanned helium Balloon campaigns in Korea, balloons into North Korea from Paju,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. The balloons carry hundreds of pounds of snacks, including 10,000 Choco pies, a popular snack cake North Korea banned in May 2013. The activists and defectors, who often send messages into North Korea by balloon, vow to send additional Choco pies on future balloon flights. * After a drunk woman aboard Thomson Airways Flight 297 from Enfidha,
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
, to Edinburgh, Scotland, engages in a vulgarity-filled tirade, slaps a young girl, throws food and her prosthetic leg at the cabin crew, and demands cigarettes and a
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
, the airliners Pilot in command, captain diverts to Gatwick Airport in West Sussex,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, where the woman is arrested.


August

;2 August * A day of fighting between rival militias over control of Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, kills 22 people. * The airline Emirates (airline), Emirates suspends service to Conakry, Guinea, because of a major Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa. Emirates flights which formerly stopped at Conakry on their way to Dakar, Senegal, will fly directly to Dakar instead during the suspension. Emirates becomes the first airline to suspend service because of the outbreak. * The Phoenix Air Gulfstream III air ambulance jet ''N173PA'' carries the first Ebola patient ever to be evacuated to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, carrying humanitarian aid worker Dr. Kent Bradley, an employee of Samaritan's Purse, from Liberia via Lajes Air Base, Azores, and Bangor, Maine, Bangor, Maine, to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, Marietta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The flight also marks the first time that an aircraft equipped with a biological containment system – the Aeromedical Biological Containment System (ABCS) – carries a patient. Only two jets exist with a capability to transport an Ebola patient and both are Phoenix Air Gulfstream IIIs equipped with the ABCS. ;3 August * An
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i airstrike against three Palestinian people, Palestinian militants as they ride a motorcycle past the entrance of a United Nations shelter in Rafah in the southern
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
kills them as well as seven bystanders. ;4 August * Sven Hagemeier of
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
spends his 26th birthday flying on commercial airliners from Auckland, New Zealand, to Brisbane,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and then on to Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu,
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 ...
. Although he only spends 13 hours 10 minutes in the air, the 20-hour time zone change along the way stretches the day out to a length of 46 hours, allowing him to set the record – recognized by Guinness World Records in 2015 – for the longest birthday in history. He passes the previous record of 35 hours 25 minutes set by a
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
i woman in 1998 in aviation#June, June 1998. ;5 August * A three-day truce goes into effect between
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
and Israel in the Gaza Strip, bringing a halt to Israeli airstrikes. Israel has struck 4,800 targets in the Gaza Strip, many of them by air, since 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, the conflict began on 8 July. * British Airways announces that it is suspending service to Liberia and Sierra Leone through 31 August because of the major Ebola outbreak in those countries. ;6 August * An American
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
fires two missiles at a compound in Datta Khel in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, killing five
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s. * The
Iraqi government The federal government of Iraq is defined under the current Constitution, approved in 2005, as an Islamic, democratic, federal parliamentary republic. The federal government is composed of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as wel ...
conducts two airdrops of supplies to thousands of starving Iraqis, mostly of the Kurds, Kurdish Yazidi minority, who are surrounded on Mount Sanjir in northwestern Iraq by
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
forces demanding that they convert to Sunni Islam or face Capital punishment, execution. For several days, Iraqi government aircraft have been providing air cover for Kurdish ''pesh merga'' security forces. * Iraqi Army aircraft strike a jail in Islamic State-held
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
. Iraqi officials claim the strike kills 60 Islamic State members and sets 300 of their prisoners at the jail free. ;7 August * President of the United States, President Barack Obama announces that he has authorized the United States Armed Forces to take lethal action against Islamic State forces in Iraq if they threaten the United States Embassy in Baghdad, the United States consulate in Irbil, or the Mosul Dam, or if Iraqi government and Kurdish ''pesh merga'' forces are unable to lift the Islamic States siege of Yazidi refugees on Mount Sanjir. * Three U.S. Air Force
military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military aircraft, military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to ma ...
– a C-17 Globemaster III and two
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
– escorted by two United States Navy Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, F/A-18 Super Hornets drop 72 bundles of supplies to Yazidi refugees on Mount Sanjir. * Niger gives the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
permission to open a military unmanned aerial vehicle base at Agadez, Niger. ;8 August * Two U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets from the aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf conduct the first U.S. airstrikes in Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S. ground forces from combat there in December 2011, attacking an Islamic State
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 ...
position in Makhmur, Iraq, Makhmour with 500-pound (227-kg) laser-guided bombs. Later in the day, a U.S. MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle armed with AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles attacks an Islamic State mortar position, and strikes it again after Islamic State personnel return to the site, and four U.S. aircraft make a nearby attack on a seven-ground-vehicle convoy and another mortar position with laser-guided bombs. * For a second consecutive day, U.S. military aircraft airdrop supplies to Yazidi refugees on Mount Sanjir. * After a three-day truce ends, Hamas resumes rocket attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israel responds with airstrikes that kill at least five people. ;9 August * American military jets and unmanned aerial vehicles conduct four airstrikes against Islamic State forces around Mount Sanjir in northern Iraq, destroying several
armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
s and armed trucks. U.S. military aircraft make a third airdrop of supplies to Yazidi Kurds surrounded on Mount Sanjir by Islamic State forces. * A missile strike by an American unmanned aerial vehicle kills three members of
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
in
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
s Ma'rib Governorate. * Israeli airstrikes hit approximately 50 targets in the Gaza Strip, killing five people. One strikes kills two Palestinian militants as they ride a motorcycle through a refugee camp, and another hits a mosque, killing three people including senior Hamas official Moaaz Zaid. ;10 August * Sepahan Airlines Flight 5915, a HESA IrAn-140, crashes just after takeoff from Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, Iran, killing 39 of the 48 people on board. * Four strikes by American military jets and unmanned aerial vehicles against Islamic State forces near Irbil,
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 ...
, destroy three armed vehicles and a mortar position. ;11 August * A Syrian government helicopter attacks the rebel-held Bab Nayrab district of
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
with barrel bombs, flattening buildings and killing at least 10 people. * Ivory Coast becomes the first country to ban all passenger flights from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, fearing that airline passengers from those countries will spread the major Ebola outbreak into Ivory Coast, and
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
suspends flights by Gambia Bird, Gambia Bird Airlines until it takes steps to contain the spread of the disease. * In accordance with a police request, the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
imposes a no-fly zone covering a 3.4-mile (5.5-km) radius around Ferguson, Missouri, Ferguson,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, because of ongoing 2014 Ferguson unrest, racial unrest there, extending to an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters). By the morning of 12 August, the altitude limit will be reduced to 3,000 feet (914 meters) to avoid interference with traffic at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport.By Gillum, Jack, and Joan Lowy, "Ferguson no-fly zone aimed at media," Associated Press, 2 November 2014, 10:04 PM EST.
/ref> ;13 August * After a morning exchange of Hamas rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes, the latest truce between Israel and Hamas is extended in the evening for five days. Israeli forces have hit 4,860 targets in the Gaza Strip, mostly via airstrikes, since the conflict began in July.[] * A Cessna Citation 560 XLS+ operating as TAM Airlines, TAM Flight 8220 2014 Cessna Citation 560 XLS+ crash, crashes while attempting to land for the second time in bad weather at Santos Air Force Base in Santos, São Paulo, Santos, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Brazil, killing all seven people aboard, including Brazilian Socialist Party President of Brazil, presidential candidate Eduardo Campos. The plane crashes into two houses and a gymnasium in a residential area of Santos and damages several other houses, injuring at least five people on the ground. * Eight masked gunmen dressed as ground personnel rob a security van in the cargo area of Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport outside Santiago, Chile, stealing 6 billion Chilean pesos (USD, US$ 10.6 million) in cash being transported by plane to banks in northern Chile. It is the largest theft of cash in Chilean history. ;16 August * American military aircraft conduct nine airstrikes against Islamic State forces near the Mosul Dam in Iraq, destroying four
armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
s, one other armored vehicle, seven armed vehicles, and two Humvees. * Two United Kingdom, British aircraft carrying humanitarian aid for Yazidi Kurdish refugees land at Irbil, Iraq.Hadid, Diaa, and Sameer N. Yacoub, "Islamic fighters kill scores of Yazidi men in Iraq," Associated Press, 16 August 2014, 6:23 PM EDT.
/ref> ;17 August * American military aircraft conduct 14 airstrikes against Islamic State forces near the Mosul Dam in Iraq, destroying armored personnel carriers, armed vehicles, Humvees, and an Islamic State checkpoint. These strikes and the ones the day before are instrumental in routing Islamic State forces and enabling Iraqi Army and Kurdish people, Kurdish ''pesh merga'' forces to capture the dam. * Two United Kingdom, British aircraft carrying humanitarian aid for Yazidi Kurdish refugees land at Irbil, Iraq. * Syrian government aircraft conduct 84 airstrikes against rebel forces. These include 23 bombing raids against Islamic State forces in the Raqqa Governorate and 20 against Islamic State forces elsewhere in Syria. * A Northrop Grumman X-47B demonstration unmanned combat aerial vehicle both takes off from and lands aboard the United States Navy aircraft carrier with approximately 90 seconds of a manned F/A-18 Hornet fighter. It is the first time in history that an unmanned aerial vehicle and a manned aircraft have operated together from an aircraft carrier, and it simulates the operating tempo the X-47B would have to achieve if operating alongside manned aircraft in normal aircraft carrier operations. ;18 August * United States Central Command announces that American aircraft have conducted 68 strikes in northern Iraq since air operations against the Islamic State began on 8 August, and that 35 of them have taken place since 16 August in support of Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces in their successful campaign to capture the Mosul Dam. * Unidentified jet aircraft strike Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, targeting Islamist militias and killing six people. ;19 August * A Chinese
People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
Shenyang J-11 fighter intercepts a United States Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon, P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft over international waters in the South China Sea 135 nautical miles (25 km) east of Hainan Island, performing dangerous maneuvers that bring it within 20 feet (6 meters) of the P-8 and giving the P-8s crew a clear view of its armament of air-to-air missiles. Later in the week, the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
protests the incident and the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
denies any wrongdoing. * A temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel breaks down. Hamas fires rockets into Israel, and Israel responds by striking 25 targets in the Gaza Strip. In one strike, Israeli Air Force
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
s fire six missiles at the Gaza City home of Mohammed Yassin Dalu, the reported head of Hamass rocket division, in an attempt to kill Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamass Qassam Brigades, who the Israelis believe is in the home; they miss Deif, but kill his wife and infant son. Israeli airstrikes also injure 25 people during the day. ;20 August * American aircraft carry out 14 strikes against Islamic State forces near the Mosul Dam in northern Iraq, bringing the total of American airstrikes in Iraq since operations began on 8 August to 84. * Pro-Russian separatists shoot down a
Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...
Sukhoi Su-25 (
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 ...
"Frogfoot") aircraft near Luhansk,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. * The crash of a Guatemalan Air Force Bell 206 helicopter in Guatemala near the border with
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
kills
General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Rudy Ortiz, the chief of the Guatemalan joint chiefs of staff, and General Braulio Mayen, commander of the Guatemalan Armys 5th Brigade. ;21 August * Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip kill three senior Hamas commanders in Israels first deliberate targeting of senior Hamas leaders since the beginning of the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict in early July. *
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
halt most commercial flights to and from Libya, citing security concerns. ;22 August * The no-fly zone imposed around Ferguson, Missouri, on 11 August is lifted. Despite the flight ban, police helicopters have been allowed to fly through the zone. ;23 August * An Israeli airstrike strikes the Zafer Tower, a 12-story apartment tower in Gaza City, causing it to collapse completely. Elsewhere in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli airstrike against a car kills one man and injures 11 people. * Two more strikes by unidentified aircraft against Islamist targets in Tripoli, Libya, including the Ministry of the Interior building and a warehouse, kill 15 people and injure 20. ;24 August * The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps reports that it has shot down an
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i unmanned aerial vehicle on a reconnaissance mission near Irans uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. Israel does not comment on the claim. * Islamic State forces capture Al-Thawrah, Tabqa airfield in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
s Raqqa Governorate after a lengthy campaign. ;25 August * Israeli aircraft strike at least 16 targets in the Gaza Strip, including two mosques, one which Israel claims was used as a weapons storehouse and another than Israel claims was a meeting place for militants. Israeli has conducted about 5,000 airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since fighting began on 8 July. * The Government of Syria warns the United States not to conduct airstrikes against
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
forces inside
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
unilaterally, adding that such strikes would have to be coordinated with the Syrian government. *
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 ...
officials announce that the airstrikes in Tripoli, Libya, carried out by unidentified aircraft during the previous week had been secret operations by
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and the United Arab Emirates and that the United States had not been consulted about the strikes. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates deny involvement. ;26 August * A ceasefire brings the 50-day 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict to an end. Israeli forces have killed 2,104 Palestinians, the majority of them in airstrikes, in exchange for the death of 69 Israelis and one Thailand, Thai citizen in Israel. * After weeks of fierce combat with rival militias, the Islamic Fajr Libya (Dawn of Libya) coalition captures Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, and the airliners there belonging to the state-owned Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, some of which have been badly damaged or totally destroyed during the fighting. American officials soon say that 11 airliners have disappeared from the airport, and Al Jazeera reports that the stolen aircraft are in the custody of the Masked Men Brigade, which plans to use them in terrorist attacks. * The United States Government announces that it will not coordinate its operations with the Government of Syria if it decides to launch airstrikes against Islamic State forces within Syria. ;29 August * After
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
deny it access to their airspace, a Russian Tupolev Tu-154 (
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 ...
"Careless") carrying Russian
Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
Sergei Shoigu on a flight from Slovakia to
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
is forced to turn around and land at Bratislava, Slovakia. Polish authorities explain that they denied overflight rights to the aircraft after it abruptly changed its status from a civilian Aeroflot flight to a military flight without explanation. After the matter is cleared up, Poland gives the plane permission to make its flight, which it does without further incident. The Government of Russia angrily declares the Polish action a "crude violation of the norms and ethics of inter-state conduct", and Shoigu tweets that next time he will make the flight in a Tupolev Tu-160 (NATO reporting name "Blackjack") supersonic strategic bomber. ;30 August * A short series of American airstrikes accompanied by humanitarian aid drops by American, France, French, United Kingdom, British, and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n aircraft helps break a siege of Shiite Turkmen people, Turkmen by Islamic State forces in Amerli, Iraq. It is the second time that American aircraft have intervened directly in ground combat in Iraq since American airstrikes began on 8 August, and American airstrikes in Iraq since that time rise to a total of 118. * A private Cirrus SR22 on a flight from Waukesha County Airport in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Waukesha, Wisconsin, to Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, Virginia, Manassas, Virginia, with only the pilot aboard stops communicating with ground controllers and flies off course into restricted airspace near
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Two U.S. Air Force
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
fighters intercept it and find the pilot slumped over the controls and unconscious. The plane flies out over the Atlantic Ocean and crashes into the sea about 50 nautical miles southeast of Chincoteague, Virginia, Chincoteague, Virginia, when it runs out of fuel. * In Austin, Texas, Austin, Texas, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flies into Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, crammed with 93,000 fans for the season-opening American football, football game between the 2014 Texas Longhorns football team, University of Texas Longhorns and the 2014 North Texas Mean Green football team, University of North Texas Mean Green. A University of Texas at Austin student is detained and questioned after he is caught operating the UAV. ;31 August * A small unmanned aerial vehicle flies around Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, packed with 102,000 fans for a football game between the 2014 Tennessee Volunteers football team, University of Tennessee Volunteers and the 2014 Utah State Aggies football team, Utah State Aggies. The UAV is brought down by security personnel, and the Videography, videographer operating it has his press credentials revoked.


September

;1 September * American manned aircraft and
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s strike an al-Shabaab camp in
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and other munitions, flattening it, destroying a nearby ground vehicle, and killing terrorist leader Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, more widely known as Ahmed Abdi Godane. ;4 September * Helicopters belonging to a renegade General officer, general bomb
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, attacking ammunition dumps controlled by Islamist militias. ;5 September * Iranian authorities order a flydubai airliner chartered by the United States armed forces and carrying about 100 Americans on a flight from Bagram Airfield in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
to Dubai to return to Afghanistan due to confusion over the aircrafts flight plan resulting from its departure having been several hours late. When the planes crew reports that it lacks the fuel to fly back to Afghanistan, the Iranians order it to land at Bandar Abbas International Airport in Bandar Abbas, Iran. After the confusion is cleared up, the plane takes off and continues to Dubai, where it lands on 6 September. * A Syrian government helicopter drops a barrel bomb on a bus station in a rebel-held section of
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, killing at least 15 people. * A privately owned American SOCATA TB family700, Socata TBM700 ceases radio communications an hour into a flight from Greater Rochester International Airport outside Rochester, New York, Rochester,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, to Naples Municipal Airport in Naples, Florida, Naples,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, and goes well off course.
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...
fighters intercept the aircraft and see its unresponsive pilot slumped over the controls and frost on its windows. The plane passes through Cuban airspace and crashes in the Caribbean Sea off the east coast of Jamaica, killing the two people – a husband and wife – on board. Cabin depressurization incapacitating the man and woman is the suspected cause. ;6 September * Syrian government aircraft conduct eight airstrikes against Islamic State-controlled Raqqa, including a government finance building the Islamic State uses as a headquarters and a building it uses as a jail, killing at least 20 civilians and nine Islamic State members. Most of the civilians die when a missile hits the crowded Andalous bakery on a busy street. * American military aircraft strike Islamic State forces in Barwanah and other towns and villages outside Haditha,
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 ...
, who are threatening Haditha and the Haditha Dam. The strikes broaden American air operations in Iraq in 2014 to include Al-Anbar Governorate and open the way for an Iraqi ground offensive the following morning. ;7 September * American military aircraft conduct five more strikes against Islamic State forces in the vicinity of the Haditha Dam. * Syrian aircraft conduct a second day of strikes against Islamic State-held areas in Syria. The death toll from the two days of strikes reaches at least 60, with 41 killed in Raqqa and 19 killed in Deir ez-Zor Governorate. * American military aircraft carry out two strikes in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
s Kunar Province. One is a precision strike that kills an armed insurgent, while the other is in support of Afghan police and American military ground forces. The following day, Afghan officials claim that the strikes killed 14 people, many of them civilians, and injured 13. ;8 September *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
aircraft strike three Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan hideouts in Datta Khel,
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
, and Government of Pakistan, Pakistani government officials claim 35 insurgents killed in the attacks. Later in the day, Pakistani aircraft strike two more hideouts in the Shawal Valley, and Pakistani officials claim these have killed another 30 insurgents. ;14 September * American Fighter aircraft, fighter and attack aircraft strike Islamic State forces near Sinjar in northern Iraq, destroying six ground vehicles. ;15 September * The United States expands its air campaign against the Islamic State as American fighter and attack aircraft strike an Islamic State fighting position southwest of Baghdad, Iraq, that was firing on Iraqi security forces. It is the first time that the United States strikes Islamic State forces in support of a ground offensive to retake territory. The raid brings the total of American airstrikes in Iraq in 2014 to 162. * Unidentified aircraft conduct four strikes against arms depots in Gharyan, Libya, killing one person and injuring five others. * Air Frances pilots begin a strike, prompted by Air France plans to expand its low-cost Transavia brand, demanding that the airline provide the same salary and benefits that they receive to pilots employed by Transavia. Air France refuses on the grounds that such pay and benefits would be incompatible with the low-cost model intended for Transavia. The strike forces Air France to cancel nearly 60 percent of its flights. ;16 September * American aircraft strike Islamic State forces in Youssifiya, Iraq, south of Baghdad. * Syrian aircraft conduct five strikes against Islamic State forces in Raqqa, Syria. One of the planes crashes outside Raqqa, striking a home and killing at least eight people. The Islamic State claims to have shot the plane down, which would be the first instance of the Islamic State shooting down an aircraft, but some witnesses claim that no noticeable antiaircraft fire occurred before the crash. ;17 September * Pakistani airstrikes against five militant hideouts in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, kill 40 people. The raids also destroy ammunition dumps. * The world's only two airworthy Avro Lancasters – one from the Royal Air Force's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and one from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum – fly together over Derwent Reservoir (Derbyshire), Derwent Dam in Derbyshire,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, as a tribute to the RAF's No. 617 Squadron RAF, No. 617 Squadron, which practiced there before executing Operation Chastise, its famous "Dambuster" raid, in 1943. It is the first time that two Lancasters have flown over the dam in over 50 years. ;19 September * The University of Michigan cancels plans to use a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle to deliver a Football (ball), football to the field at halftime of a American football, football game between the 2014 Michigan Wolverines football team, University of Michigan Wolverines and the 2014 Utah Utes football team, University of Utah Utes on 20 September at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, after the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) threatens to sue the university for violating its prohibitions on UAV flights over and in crowded stadiums. The FAA, however, previously had approved flights over the stadium by a number of vintage manned aircraft, and leaves permission for them in place. ;23 September * In the predawn hours, the United States expands its campaign against the Islamic State by striking Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time.
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
B-1 Lancers and F-22 Raptors, United States Navy F-18 Hornets from the aircraft carrier , and American General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles join aircraft from Bahrain,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates and U.S. Navy Tomahawk (missile), Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missiles launched by the guided-missile cruiser and guided-missile destroyer in conducting strikes against 22 targets, with about 200 missiles, rockets, and bombs expended. The strikes see the first combat use of the F-22. Aircraft from Qatar play a supporting role. The United States also conducts eight strikes against Khorasan Group targets in Syria, later announcing that the group was poised to carry out a terrorist attack in the United States or Europe. American airstrikes in Syria for the day total 14.Robinson, Ian, "Airstrikes per day in Syria and Iraq" (graphic), ''The Washington Post'', 16 October 2014, Page A10. * American aircraft conduct four or five airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq, destroying eight vehicles and hitting Islamic State bases and checkpoints. * Israel shoots down a
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
Sukhoi Su-24 (
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 ...
"Fencer") with a MIM-104 Patriot, Patriot
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 ...
after it mistakenly flies over Israeli-occupied territory in the
Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...
while operating against Syrian rebels. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that Israeli has shot down a Syrian manned attack aircraft. The aircrafts two-man crew ejects safely before it crashes near
Quneitra , ''Qunayṭrawi'' or ''Qunayṭirawi'' , population_density_metro_sq_mi = , population_urban = , population_density_urban_km2 = , population_density_urban_sq_mi = , population_blank1_title = , population_bla ...
. ;24 September * Military aircraft from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates strike twelve oil refineries in Syria controlled by the Islamic State in an effort to cut revenue the Islamic State earns from oil production. Unidentified aircraft also strike Islamic State forces near Kobane, Syria. American airstrikes for the day total 13, all in Syria. ;25 September * American aircraft conduct 11 strikes against Islamic State targets, all in Iraq. * The
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
announces its approval of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by six filmmaking companies in the United States, the first exemptions of their kind from its ban on non-recreational UAV use in the country. ;26 September * Warplanes of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates strike Islamic State-controlled oil refineries and Islamic State strongholds in eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria, and unidentified aircraft conduct two strikes against Islamic State targets around Kobane, Syria. American airstrikes for the day total seven in Iraq and three in Syria. Since the American air campaign against the Islamic State began on 8 August, the United States has conducted over 200 strikes in Iraq and 43 in Syria. * The
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, Belgium, and Denmark authorize their armed forces to conduct airstrikes against the Islamic State on Iraqi territory but preclude their participation in strikes against the Islamic State on Syrian territory. * A suicidal Federal Aviation Administration contract employee sets a fire in the basement of an
air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...
center in
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, forcing a halt to all flight operations at airports in the
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, Illinois, area for five hours and the cancellation of about 1,950 flights. Commercial air traffic in the United States is disrupted for days afterward, with 770 flights cancelled on 27 September and 800 cancelled on 28 September. On 29 September 400 flights at
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
will be cancelled by noon. Full service is not expected to be restored at the damaged facility until 13 October. ;27 September * About 100 insurgents launch a determined attack against a force of 21 American and 60 Afghan special operations troops dropped into a village in the Kajaki District of
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
's Helmand Province, beginning a fierce, 48-hour battle in which coalition forces conduct 80 airstrikes against the insurgents. By the time the fighting subsides on 29 September, the airstrikes have destroyed 28 vehicles, 17 buildings, and 32 insurgent fighting positions and killed 38 insurgents, while the special operations forces have lost only one man mortally wounded. In all, 48 coalition aircraft – 28
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 and 20 fixed-wing aircraft – take part in the strikes; participating aircraft types are
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
s, AC-130 Spectres, and Boeing AH-64 Apaches, as well as MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles. * American aircraft carry out 10 strikes against Islamic State targets, three in Iraq and seven in Syria. ;28 September * Under increasing pressure from the Cabinet of France, French government and general public, Air Frances pilots end their 14-day strike, giving up on their attempt to force Air France to provide the same pay and benefits they receive to pilots of its low-cost Transavia brand and freeing the airline to expand Transavias operations. The strike has forced the cancellation of up to 60 percent of Air Frances flights, stranded passengers worldwide, and cost Air France more than 280 million euros ($355 million). Air France plans to begin a progressive return to normal service on 30 September. ;29 September * The United States reports that it has carried out eight airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and three in Iraq during the day. It also reports that it has conducted 222 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq since beginning them on 8 August and 51 against Islamic State targets in Syria since beginning them there on 23 September. The strikes have hit 10 tanks, 68 other armored vehicles, 124 other armed vehicles, 59 other ground vehicles, eight
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 ...
pieces, 66 fighting positions and posts, 22 weapons and ammunition targets, 15 troop groupings and ground units, and 12 oil refineries. Jet fighter aircraft, attack aircraft including the AC-130 Specter, B-1 Lancer, B-1B Lancer bombers, and unmanned aerial vehicles have conducted the strikes. ;30 September * The United Kingdom conducts its first airstrikes against the Islamic State, as Royal Air Force aircraft assist Kurdish people, Kurdish troops under attack by Islamic State forces in Iraq by hitting an arsenal and a ground vehicle with a
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
mounted on it. * The United States has conducted 22 airstrikes against Islamic State forces since 29 September 11 in Iraq and 11 in Syria. * The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issues a type certificate for the Airbus A350-900 airliner, certifying that the aircraft complies with safety and environmental requirements EASA establishes and enforces for the European Union. The A350-900 becomes the first Airbus passenger aircraft with a new design to be entirely certified by EASA, from the application by Airbus in 2007 until the type certification.


October

;1 October The
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
reactivates the Nineteenth Air Force. It had been inactive since 2012 in aviation#July, July 2012. ;2 October * American aircraft conduct 11 strikes against
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
targets, seven in
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 ...
and four in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
. ;3 October * American aircraft carry out nine raids against Islamic State targets, hitting three in Iraq and six in Syria. ;4 October * American aircraft strike five Islamic State targets in Iraq and seven in Syria. ;5 October * A missile strike by one or more American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) kills five suspected militants in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
s Shawal Valley region in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
. * American aircraft carry out strikes against six Islamic State targets in Iraq and three in Syria. ;6 October * The search for
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
, missing without a trace since 8 March, resumes in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
after having been suspended on 28 May. The new phase of the search, involving three ships, has the potential to last a year. * Another missile strike by American UAVs kills another five suspected militants in Pakistans Shawal Valley region. * The
Government of Ukraine The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...
announces that two unarmed UAVs have arrived in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
for use in helping international observers to monitor a ceasefire with pro-
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n separatists. *
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
requests that the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
step up its campaign of airstrikes against
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
forces in Syria in order to prevent them from taking the city of Kobane. * American aircraft strike six Islamic State targets, three in Iraq and three in Syria. ;7 October * In Pakistan, three missiles from American UAVs strike a suspected militant training camp in the Shawal Valley area of North Waziristan, killing six people and injuring nine. Later in the day, missiles from American UAVs strike a gathering of militants on a mountain in the Datta Khel region of North Waziristan, killing four people. At least 13 UAV strikes have taken place in Pakistan during 2014, all of them since a resumption of strikes on 11 June after a six-month hiatus. * The United States conducts five airstrikes against Islamic State forces threatening Kobane, Syria, bringing to ten the number of American airstrikes carried out there since the Islamic State began its offensive against the city. The strikes destroy three ground vehicles and an antiaircraft artillery piece and damage a tank, and one of them forces a convoy of reinforcements headed for Khobane to turn back. American strikes in Syria for the day total nine. * American aircraft strike four Islamic State targets in Iraq. * A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Grumman S-2 Tracker, S-2T
tanker aircraft This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight. Refueling methods ;Looped hose: The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both aircr ...
hits a canyon wall and crashes while fighting a forest fire at Yosemite National Park, killing its pilot and prompting the agency to ground its 22 surviving S-2Ts pending an investigation. ;8 October * The Government of Iraq announces that Islamic States forces have shot down an Iraqi military helicopter near Baiji, Iraq, with a shoulder-fired
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 ...
, killing both of its crew members. It is the second Iraqi helicopter Islamic State forces have shot down in a week. * American aircraft strike 14 Islamic State targets, five in Iraq and nine in Syria. * 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 ...
announces that it will begin screening passengers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone for the Ebola virus disease when they arrive at
John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Ne ...
in New York City, Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, Washington Dulles International Airport outside
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
,
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The five airports between them receive 94 percent of passengers arriving in the United States from the three countries, which are the worst hit by the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. An estimated 150 arriving passengers will be screened each day. The first screening is scheduled to begin at John F. Kennedy International Airport on 11 October. ;9 October * Coalition aircraft conduct 14 more airstrikes against Islamic State forces mounting an offensive against Kobane, Syria, widening its air campaign there and bringing to 30 the number of airstrikes it has conducted around Kobane during the week. American airstrikes against the Islamic State for the day total five, all in Syria. ;10 October * North Korea and
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
exchange gunfire across their border after South Korean activists release anti-North Korea propaganda Balloon (aircraft), balloons across the border. * American aircraft have conducted 16 airstrikes against Islamic State forces around Kobane, Syria, since 9 October. American aircraft strike nine Islamic State targets in Syria and one in Iraq during the day. * The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection clears its surviving fleet of 22 S-2T tanker aircraft to return to flying firefighting missions after an investigation finds no mechanical flaw responsible for the fatal crash of one of its S-2Ts on 7 October. ;11 October * A missile strike by an American unmanned aerial vehicle against a ground vehicle in the Shawal area of northwestern Pakistan kills two suspected militants. It is the seventh strike in a week and the sixteenth since strikes resumed on 11 June following a six-month hiatus. * United States Central Command announces that American aircraft have conducted six strikes against Islamic State forces around Kobane since 10 October. The total of American airstrikes against Islamic State targets for the day is three in Iraq and six in Syria. * John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City begins the enhanced screening of passengers arriving from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone for the Ebola virus disease, the first airport in the United States to do so in accordance with the United States Governments 8 October announcement of the enhanced screening program. ;12 October * American aircraft strike Islamic State targets near Hīt, Iraq, destroying an
armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
and another ground vehicle, but failing to prevent the fall of an Iraqi Army base in Al-Anbar Governorate early the following morning. American airstrikes against Islamic State targets during the day total five in Iraq and four in Syria. * The United States announces that
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
has given permission for American forces to strike the Islamic States from bases on Turkish territory, and that it expects to launch such strikes from the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
Incirlik Air Base. ;13 October * The Government of Turkey denies that it has given the United States permission to launch strikes from its territory against the Islamic State, insisting that the conflict first be widened to include strikes against the Government of Syria. * American aircraft strike eight Islamic State targets during the day, all in Syria. ;14 October * In response to a Kurdish people, Kurdish attack on a Turkish military barracks,
Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known t ...
aircraft strike Kurdistan Workers' Party, Kurdish Workers Party targets in
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
for the first time in nearly two years, hitting at least five targets near Dağlıca, Yüksekova, Dağlıca. The strikes complicate efforts the United States is leading to get Turkey to join the international coalition opposing the Islamic State's advance against Kurdish forces defending Kobane, Syria. * American aircraft step up the pace of air attacks against Islamic State forces around Kobane, Syria, conducting 21 strikes that appear to slow the Islamic States's advance against the city. American aircraft also conduct a single strike against Islamic State forces elsewhere in Syria and a single strike against Islamic State forces in Iraq. * An unmanned aerial vehicle carrying an Flag of Albania, Albanian flag flies over the field at Partizan Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, during a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, Euro 2016 Association football, football (soccer) match between Albania national football team, Albania and Serbia national football team, Serbia. The incident results in a brawl between fans and discontinuation of the match. ;15 October * American aircraft strike five Islamic State targets in Iraq and 18 in Syria. Thirty-nine of the 40 American strikes against Islamic State forces in Syria since 14 October have taken place around Kobane. * The Associated Press reports that Egyptian officials have confirmed that Egyptian Air Force aircraft have bombed Islamist militia positions in
Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
,
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, during the day. The Government of Egypt later denies involvement, and Benghazi residents claim that only
Libyan Air Force The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
jets flew over the city during the day. ;16 October *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
jets strike five militant hideouts in the Tirah Valley in the
Khyber Agency Khyber District ( ps, خېبر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas; with the merger of FATA with Khyber Pak ...
in northwestern
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, killing at least 21 militants. Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif visits the headquarters of the Pakistan Air Force in Islamabad, Pakistan, and praises the role of the air force in the ongoing campaign against militants in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
during a meeting with the Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan), Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt. * Enhanced screening of passengers arriving from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone for the Ebola virus disease expands to include Newark Liberty International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, O'Hare International Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in accordance with the United States Governments 8 October announcement of the enhanced screening program, ensuring that 94 percent of passengers arriving in the United States from the three West African countries will undergo the enhanced screening. ;17 October * Strikes during the day bring the total of American airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria combined to 533. General (United States), General Lloyd J. Austin III, the commander of U.S. Central Command, tells the press that the airstrikes on headquarters, communications equipment, and ground vehicles have disrupted Islamic State operations by forcing the groups forces to travel in smaller groups in civilian vehicles and interfering with its communications and planning capabilities. *
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
aircraft conduct at least five strikes against rebel-held Douma, Syria, Douma, killing at least 16 people. * An American airstrike against a
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
distribution facility in Khasham in Syrias Deir ez-Zor District kills at least eight people, reportedly to be mostly fuel tanker truck drivers. Other strikes during the day target oil wells in the district. * Helicopters participate in a search by Swedish military forces for "foreign underwater activity" in Swedens territorial waters in the Baltic Sea after the detection of a Russian language, Russian-language transmission on an emergency frequency originating from waters in the Stockholm archipelago. The search continues until 24 October, but finds no intruder. ;19 October * For the second time in less than ten days, North Korea and South Korea exchange gunfire across their border after South Korean activists launch propaganda balloons across the border. ;19–20 October (overnight) * Three
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
cargo aircraft airdrop 27 bundles of small arms, ammunition, and medical supplies to besieged forces fighting the Islamic State in Kobane, Syria.Hadid, Diaa, "IS fighters seize weapons cache meant for Kurds," Associated Press, 21 October 2014 5:04 PM EDT.
/ref> Islamic State forces seize one of them before the Kurds can take possession of it. ;20 October * French businessman Christophe de Margerie, chairman and chief executive officer of the French oil corporation Total S.A., dies when his corporate Dassault Falcon 50 jet collides on takeoff with a snow plow operated by a reportedly drunk driver and crashes in flames on the runway just before midnight at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, . The other three people on the Falcon – its crew – also die. ;21 October * American aircraft conduct four strikes around Kobane, Syria, destroying Islamic State fighting positions. * Syrian aircraft drop crude explosives-laden canisters on rebel-held positions on rebel-held Nasib, Syria, Nasib in southern Syria, killing at least eight people. ;22 October * The Government of Syria steps up its attacks against non-Islamic State rebels, conducting 210 airstrikes against rebel-held areas in
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, the eastern suburbs of Damascus, and southern Syria near the border with
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
between 20 and 22 October. During the strikes, Syrian aircraft drop over 120 barrel bombs. Near Idlib, Syrian aircraft over several days have dropped about 45 barrel bombs on rebel forces threatening two military bases, killing 55 people and wounding more than 100 others. * A new requirement goes into effect requiring all of the approximately 150 people per day arriving in the United States from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to enter the country at one of the five airports conducting enhanced screening of passengers from those countries for the Ebola virus disease. The new requirement had been announced the preceding day. Previously, six percent of passengers from the three West African countries had arrived in the United States at other airports. ;23 October * American aircraft strike Islamic State targets near Kobane, Syria, six times, bringing the number of airstrikes there over the preceding two weeks to 150. * During the 76-day period since #August, 8 August, American aircraft have conducted 632 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, dropping 1,700 munitions. ;24 October * Alan Eustace sets a new world balloon altitude record, ascending to 41,424 meters (135,906 feet) in a
helium balloon A gas balloon is a balloon that rises and floats in the air because it is filled with a gas lighter than air (such as helium or hydrogen). When not in flight, it is tethered to prevent it from flying away and is sealed at the bottom to prevent t ...
over New Mexico. He then Parachuting, parachutes from the balloon at an altitude of 135,890 feet (41,420 meters). The jump breaks the previous world record for highest parachute jump of 128,100 feet (39,045 meters) that Felix Baumgartner set on 2012 in aviation#October, 14 October 2012. During his 14-minute 19-second descent, Eustace reaches a speed of 822 miles per hour (1,324 km/hr; Mach 1.23), creating a small sonic boom heard by observers on the ground and setting an American record for speed achieved without traveling in a jet aircraft or spacecraft. His free fall of 123,414 feet (37,617 meters) before opening his
parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
at an altitude of 12,476 feet (3,803 meters) sets a new world free fall distance record. ;25 October *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
jets strike five Islamic militant hideouts in the
Khyber Agency Khyber District ( ps, خېبر ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas; with the merger of FATA with Khyber Pak ...
in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 18 militants. ;26–27 October (overnight) * In a secret 20-hour operation, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and transport helicopters fly the last United States Marines and the last British forces out of
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The operation brings to an end an almost 13-year-long United States Marine Corps deployment to Afghanistan that had begun with the onset of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present), War in Afghanistan in November 2001. British forces also had operated in Afghanistan since 2001. ;27 October * The U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
issues a public notice of an update to its longstanding prohibition against flying airplanes over open-air stadiums with a capacity of 30,000 or more, extending the prohibition to unmanned and remotely controlled aircraft. ;28 October * Seven Russian military aircraft, including MiG-31 (
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 ...
"Foxhound") fighters, make an unusual flight over the Baltic Sea, prompting interceptions by fighter aircraft from Finland, Sweden, and Denmark and by Germany, German and Portugal, Portuguese fighters based in
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. Flights in the area by MiG-31s are unusual. ;29 October * Russian military aircraft conduct three more unusual and provocative flights off the coast of Europe. Seven Russian aircraft, including MiG-31 (
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 ...
"Foxhound") fighters, again fly over the Baltic Sea, prompting interceptions by Finnish, Swedish, German, Portuguese, and Danish fighters. Four Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO reporting name "Bear") bombers and four Ilyushin Il-78 (NATO reporting name "Midas")
tanker aircraft This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight. Refueling methods ;Looped hose: The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both aircr ...
operating with their transponders turned off and without filing flight plans with civil authorities approach Norway, resulting in an interception by Royal Norwegian Air Force
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
s, after which two of the Tu-95s press on to fly down the coast of Norway, past Scotland and Ireland – prompting an interception by Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon, Typhoon fighters – and off the coast of Spain and Portugal, where Portuguese F-16s intercept them, before returning to Russia. In the third incident, two Tu-95 bombers and two
Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...
(NATO reporting name "Flanker") fighters fly over the Black Sea and are intercepted by
Turkish Air Force The Turkish Air Force ( tr, ) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Turkish Air Force can trace its origins back to June 1911 when it was founded by the Ottoman Empire, however, the air force as it is known t ...
fighters. NATO reports that flights of MiG-31s and Tu-95s off Europe are unusual and that the incidents on 28 and 29 October bring the total of interceptions of Russian aircraft by NATO fighters since 1 January 2014 to over 100, triple the rate over the same period in 2013. * A
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
n civilian Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name "Curl") cargo aircraft stops communicating with ground controllers in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
near
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 ...
, prompting Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters to intercept it and escort it to a landing at Stansted Airport. The Typhoons create sonic booms heard over Kent. ;30 October * French authorities reveal that since 9 October unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles, some large enough to carry bombs, have made illegal flights over seven French nuclear power plants. * Departing for Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport in Mena, Arkansas, Mena, Arkansas, Beechcraft Super King Air, Beechcraft King Air B200 ''N52SZ'' 2014 Wichita King Air crash, crashes into the FlightSafety International building immediately after takeoff from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, after its pilot reports the failure of its left engine. Over 100 people are in the building at the time. The pilot, who is alone in the plane, dies in the crash, which also kills three people in the building and injures five others, one of them critically. ;31 October * Steering with foot pedals, an
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n man taxis a two-seater Beechcraft light plane with its wings removed across Newman, Western Australia, Newman, Western Australia, and parks it outside a pub while he goes inside for a drink. He leaves the engine running while he is in the pub, and police cite him for endangering public safety with the planes spinning propeller. * Since 1 January,
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(NATO) forces have scrambled fighter aircraft 180 times to intercept Russian aircraft near
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
and 132 times to intercept Russian aircraft near
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. During all of 2010, NATO had scrambled aircraft only four times to intercept Russian aircraft approaching Lithuania. * With two test pilots on board and using a new fuel mix that had been tested successfully on the ground,
Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and his British Virgin Group retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The company i ...
s
SpaceShipTwo The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic. SpaceShipTwo is car ...
, the first spaceship designed for space tourism, explodes over the Mojave Desert in
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
during its fourth test flight and first powered flight since #January, 10 January. The explosion occurs shortly after SpaceShipTwo detaches from its carrier aircraft,
White Knight Two The Scaled Composites Model 348 White Knight Two (WK2) is a quadjet cargo aircraft that is used to lift the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft to release altitude. It was developed by Scaled Composites from 2007 to 2010 as the first stage of Tier 1b, a tw ...
, and ignites its rocket engine. SpaceShipTwo breaks into large pieces and 2014 Virgin Galactic crash, crashes, killing one of its pilots, whose body is found in its wreckage, and severely injuring the other, who ejects. The accident is a major blow to the fledgling space tourism industry.


November

;2 November * The Associated Press reports that a no-fly zone the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) imposed around Ferguson, Missouri, Ferguson,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, from #August, 11 to 22 August during 2014 Ferguson unrest, racial unrest there was intended to exclude press helicopters from filming events in Ferguson. Police helicopters had been routinely exempted from the restriction even though no FAA regulatory authority exists to prohibit press helicopter flights while permitting police helicopter flights. ;6 November * American manned aircraft and
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s conduct five strikes against Khorasan Group targets around Sarmada in Idlib Governorate in northwestern
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
near the border with
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, targeting a group other than the
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
for only the second time since American airstrikes in Syria began on #September, 15 September. United States Central Command announces that the strikes destroyed or severely damaged several Khorasan Group ground vehicles and buildings believed to be meeting and staging areas and training and bombmaking facilities. One strike reportedly hits a ground vehicle in which the Khorasan Groups French people, French bombmaking expert David Drugeon is traveling. Syrian rebels and activists claim that the strikes also targeted the headquarters of Ahrar al-Sham, killing two of its members, and that some of the strikes went astray, killing four children in Harem, Syria, Harem. ;7 November * American combat aircraft strike a gathering of Islamic State leaders near
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
,
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 ...
, completely destroying a convoy of 10 pickup trucks equipped with gun mounts believed to be transporting senior Islamic State commanders. ;7–8 November (overnight) * Airstrikes hit Islamic State targets in Iraqs western al Anbar Governorate, and those around Al-Qa'im (town), al-Qa'im destroy a ground vehicle and two checkpoints. ;8 November * Aircraft reportedly strike a house near al-Qa'im, Iraq, killing several top aides of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who have gathered there. The nationality of the aircraft conducting the strike is unclear. Rumors arise that Baghdadi himself has been killed or injured in either 7 November raid on Mosul or in this raid. ;8–9 November (overnight) *
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...
jets and Government of Syria, Syrian government helicopters strike Islamic State-controlled al-Bab, Syria. The ten strikes include seven involving barrel-bomb attacks by helicopters and kill at least 21 – and perhaps as many as 30 – people. The strikes also injure at least 85 – and perhaps over 100 – people. ;9 November * A private Learjet 36 executive jet strikes a Crane (machine), crane at the Grand Bahama Ship Yard while on approach to Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport, Bahamas, Freeport in the Bahamas in heavy rain. It explodes on impact, and crashes into a junk yard below, killing all nine people on board. Myles Munroe, the leader of the Bahamas Faith Ministries, is among the dead. ;10 November * The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claims that earlier in the day it conducted a successful test of a domestic copy of the American RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle, reverse-engineering it from an RQ-170 captured in 2011 in aviation#December, December 2011. ;11 November * An American unmanned aerial vehicle strike with two air-to-ground missiles against a compound and a ground vehicle in the village of Dawa Toi in the Datta Khel area of
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, kills six
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s, wounds three others, destroys the ground vehicle, and damages the compound. It is the eighteenth such American strike in Pakistan in 2014, and the eighth in Datta Khel. All of the strikes have occurred since #June, 11 June. ;12 November * In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces 2014 Armenian Mil Mi-24 shootdown, shoot down an Armenian
Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been ...
(
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 ...
"Hind")
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 ...
, killing all three of its crew members. The Government of Azerbaijan claims that the Mi-24 belonged to the Armenian armed forces and was preparing to attack Azerbaijani military forces in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
s Agdam District, while the Government of Armenia says that the helicopter belonged to the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army (NKR), and both Armenian and NKR officials claim that it was on an unarmed flight and did not enter Azerbaijans airspace. ;13 November * A United States Border Patrol program begun in 2013 in aviation#March, March 2013 using General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor remote areas along the border between the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
has conducted over 10,000 flights. The Reapers take video of an area, then return again within three days to take more video, allowing analysts to compare the two videos for signs of illegal border crossings during the intervening period. The Reaper flights have expanded to cover about 900 miles (1,450 km) of the 1,954-mile (3,147-km) border, operating mostly in Texas. About two percent of the flights have revealed evidence of likely illegal border-crossing activity. The Border Patrol plans to expand the program to the border with Canada by the end of 2015. ;14 November * An American unmanned aerial vehicle fires two air-to-ground missiles against a Khorasan Group target in Harem, Syria, killing between two and 20 people. It is the third U.S. strike against the Khorasan Group. The United States and other coalition members have conducted 20 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria since 12 November, all but three of them against Islamic State targets in and around Kobanî, Syria. ;15 November * The United States National Weather Service warns aircraft to avoid airspace near Mount Pavlof, a stratovolcano of the Aleutian Range on the Alaska Peninsula in
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, where Volcanic ash, ash from an Volcanic eruption, eruption that began on 12 November has reached an altitude of 30,000 feet (9,144 meters). The ash cloud lies along popular international air routes between Europe, North America, and Asia. ;17 November * A Royal Thai Army Bell 212 helicopter crashes in Phayao Province in northern Thailand, killing all nine people on board. Major General Songphol Thongjeen, deputy commander of the Third Area Army, is among the dead. ;18 November * Syrian military aircraft drop barrel bombs on a rebel-held neighborhood in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
s Aleppo Governorate, killing at least 14 people and injuring 20. * In the United States, the
National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
rules that the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
has the authority to apply its longstanding regulations against the "reckless or careless use" of aircraft to unmanned aircraft. ;22 November * After about 20 al-Shabaab (militant group), al-Shabaab members hijack a bus in Mandera,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
, and murder 28 of the people aboard who are non-Islam, Muslim and unable to recite an Islamic creed from memory,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
conducts airstrikes against the attackers camp in
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, killing 45 al-Shabaab personnel. * The
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a human rights activist group, reports that airstrikes by the American-led anti-Islamic State coalition in Syria have killed 785 Islamic State personnel, 72 Nusra Front personnel, and 52 civilians since beginning in late #September, 23 September. ;24 November * On the orders of the Operation Dignity coalition in
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, a
MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG" (russian: Российская самолётостроительная корпорация „МиГ“, Rossiyskaya samolyotostroitel'naya korporatsiya "MiG"), commonly known as Mikoyan and MiG, was a Russi ...
fighter aircraft bombs Mitiga International Airport, the only operational civilian airport in Libya after the destruction of Tripoli International Airport during fighting between the Operation Dignity and Libya Dawn factions during the summer of 2014. It drops two bombs, missing the runway and damaging nearby houses, killing at least two people. * United States Central Command reports that the American-led anti-Islamic State coalition has carried out 24 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria since 21 November. In Iraq, 15 strikes have taken place near
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
, Asad, Iraq, Asad, Baghdad,
Ramadi Ramadi ( ar, ٱلرَّمَادِي ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate whi ...
, Tal Afar, and Hīt, hitting Islamic State combat units, buildings, ground vehicles, and checkpoints. In Syria, nine strikes near Ain al-Arab and Raqqa have destroyed three fighting positions and struck staging areas and a headquarters building, with one of the Raqqa strikes killing at least 11 Islamic State personnel. Another strike in Raqqa has destroyed a school for the Deaf-mute, deaf and mute. ;25 November * An attack from three directions against Iraqs Mosul Dam by Islamic State forces ends when aircraft of the American-led coalition strike Islamic State convoys approaching the dam, killing 30 Islamic State personnel. Senan Meteeb, the Islamic States "emir" for its military forces in the region, is among the dead, killed in a convoy near Hīt. * Syrian Air Force strikes against Islamic State forces in Raqqa, Syria, kill at least 95 people and wound 120. Some of the wounded are critically injured and not expected to survive. * The United States and its coalition partners have conducted nearly 870 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria during the campaign against the Islamic State and other Islamic militants. The total does not include airstrikes by Syria, which is not part of the coalition. ;26 November * Inserted by helicopter into a remote region in northern
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
, United States Navy SEALs and Yemeni special forces 2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen, rescue eight hostages – six Yemenis, a Saudi Arabia, Saudi, and an
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
n – held by
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
(AQAP), but fail to find American hostage Luke Somers and four others they had hoped to rescue. AQAP had moved them to another location prior to the raid. * United States Central Command reports that American aircraft have conducted seven airstrikes in Iraq since 24 November. The strikes have included one northwest of
Ramadi Ramadi ( ar, ٱلرَّمَادِي ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate whi ...
that damaged an Islamic State checkpoint, two near
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
against a large Islamic State combat unit which destroyed Islamic State fighting position, buildings, and ground vehicles, two near Kirkuk and one near Sinjar which destroyed Islamic State ground vehicles, and one near Baiji which destroyed one Islamic State ground vehicle and damage another. * The
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) discloses that between 1 June and 19 November, pilots reported 25 mid-air near-collisions with small unmanned aerial vehicles over the United States. Previously, the FAA had reported only a single such incident, which took place on 22 March. ;29–30 November (overnight) * Aircraft of the U.S.-led coalition conduct as many as 30 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Raqqa, Syria, and the nearby Division 17 air base. ;30 November * An Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force F-4 Phantom II strikes Islamic State targets in Diyala Governorate in Iraq in support of Iraqi troops retaking the town of Sa'adiya from the Islamic State. A video shown by Al Jazeera of the F-4 making a bombing run is the first visual evidence of the involvement of Iranian aircraft engaging in combat in Iraq in the conflict against the Islamic State, although a senior Iranian official later denies Iranian involvement.


December

* Myanma Airways is renamed
Myanmar National Airlines Myanmar National Airlines ( my, မြန်မာအမျိုးသားလေကြောင်း ), formerly Union of Burma Airways, Burma Airways, and Myanma Airways, is a state-owned airline and the flag carrier of Myanmar, based in ...
. ;5 December * In what becomes known as the "nut rage incident," Korean Air vice president Heather Cho becomes angry with the flight crew of a Korean Air airliner at
John F. Kennedy International Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Ne ...
in New York City after she is served macadamia nuts in a bag instead of on a plate. She fires the chief steward and orders him removed from the plane, delaying the flight by 20 minutes while it returns to the gate so that the steward can disembark. Criticized for her actions, Cho soon resigns, and in January 2015 stands trial for the violation of aviation safety law. ;6 December * Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, V-22 Ospreys carry a team of United States Navy Navy SEALs, SEALs from the amphibious assault ship in 2014 hostage rescue operations in Yemen, an operation to rescue two hostages – American Luke Somers and South African Pierre Korkie – from an
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
compound in southern
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
. Coming under fire, the SEALs suffer no casualties but find the two hostages gravely wounded. The Ospreys evacuate both men to ''Makin Island'', but neither survives. *
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
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 and ground forces attack an
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
hideout in Shinwarsak,
South Waziristan South Waziristan District ( ps, سويلي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) was a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before splitting in to Lower South Waziristan District and Upper South Waziristan District and t ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, killing three militants, including senior
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
leader Adnan el-Shukrijumah. ;7 December *
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
aircraft bomb targets in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, including Damascus International Airport, apparently to strike weapons intended for delivery to
Hezbollah Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
in
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. It is the fourth time since early 2013 that
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i aircraft have struck targets in Syria. ;8 December * An Embraer Phenom 100 business jet on approach to a landing at Montgomery County Airpark stalls and crashes into a house in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Gaithersburg, Maryland. The crash kills all three people aboard the aircraft and a woman and her two small children in the house. ;10 December * The
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
announces that it has granted permission for four more companies to operate unmanned aerial vehicles over the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, allowing them to fly them on a limited basis for aerial surveying and inspections. It also reports that it will not meet a 30 September 2015 deadline to set the rules for commercial UAV flights over the United States, and that it is unlikely to establish them before 2017 or 2018. ;11 December * Citing an inability of
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
to ensure the safety of the Libyan commercial aviation industry, the European Union bans all seven Libyan airlines – Afriqiyah Airways, Air Libya, Buraq Air, Ghadames Air Transport, Global Aviation and Services Group, Libyan Airlines, and Petro Air – from operating in the airspace of its 28-member countries. The action brings the number of countries banned from flying over European Union countries to 21, and the number of airlines banned to 310. ;12 December *
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
forces shoot down an Iraqi Army Eurocopter EC635 with a shoulder-fired rocket launcher at Samarra,
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 ...
, killing its two-man crew. The incident, which follows the Islamic States success in shooting down two Iraqi helicopters in October, raises fresh concerns about the groups ability to attack aircraft in flight. * A computer problem at the National Air Traffic Service centre in Swanwick, Hampshire, Swanwick, Hampshire,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, causes widespread flight cancellations throughout the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, with London Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport particularly affected. The problem is corrected by the afternoon, and service generally returns to normal by 13 December, although 38 flights at London Heathrow are cancelled on the morning of 13 December. ;13 December * According to the Government of Sweden, a Russian military aircraft operating with its transponder turned off comes dangerously close to a Scandinavian Airlines passenger jet over southern Sweden. Swedish Air Force fighters intercept the Russian plane and identify it as an intelligence collection aircraft. Swedish authorities state that it is the second such incident in 2014, the first having occurred in #March, March. However, Russia later denies that its aircraft had violated any international flight safety requirements and maintains that its aircraft never came to within less than 70 km (42 miles) of the airliner, and Scandinavian Airlines also says that the Russian aircraft never posed a threat to its plane. ;17 December * Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition support a major offensive in
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 ...
by Kurdish people, Kurdish ''pesh merga'' ground forces to retake Sinjar from the Islamic State. Two airstrikes near Sinjar destroy two Islamic State ground vehicles. The coalition also conducts eight airstrikes near
Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
and two in Tal Afar. ;18 December * An American
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
conducts a strike near Nazyan District, Nazyan in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
s Nangarhar Province, killing five suspected
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s. * The commander of the task force overseeing the U.S-led air campaign in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State, United States Army Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General James Terry, informs reporters that he is unaware of any of the airstrikes during the campaign having resulted in civilian casualties. ;19 December * In the aftermath of a 16 December Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan 2014 Peshawar school attack, attack on the Army Public School Peshawar, Army Public School in Peshawar,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, that killed 145 people and injured 114, the Government of Pakistan announces that Pakistani airstrikes in Pakistans northwestern tribal areas begun on 18 December have killed 57
Islamic militant ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
s. * The pilot of an Ethiopian Air Force Mil Mi-35 (
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 ...
"Hind E")
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 ...
with two other men on board hijacks the helicopter during a training flight and forces it to fly to Eritrea, where the pilot defects.
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
s state-run media does not announce the incident until 23 December. ;20 December * Several air-to-surface missiles fired by either an American unmanned aerial vehicle or
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
jets into a compound in the Datta Khel district in
North Waziristan North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...
, Pakistan, kill at least five Islamic militants. * In response to a rocket attack against Israeli territory on 19 December, the Israeli Air Force conducts its first airstrike in the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
since #August, August, hitting what Israel calls a "
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
terror infrastructure site" in the vicinity of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. ;21 December * American military aircraft conduct four airstrikes in Iraq around Sinjar in support of Kurdish and Yazidi troops pushing into the town. ;22 December * Concerned over a recent increase in potentially dangerous flights in the United States by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) under the control of amateur hobbyists and afraid that gift-giving during the upcoming Christmas holiday on 25 December will exacerbate the problem as UAVs proliferate to a greater and greater number of unskilled and uninformed operators, the
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) launches a Christmas-themed "Know Before You Fly" campaign to encourage compliance with FAA regulations restricting amateur UAV flights, such as the prohibition of flights with five miles (8 km) of an airport or near a stadium or at altitudes above 400 feet (123 meters). * In a filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Amazon.com reveals that it is exploring the use of large airships – which it calls "airborne fulfillment centers" – to serve as flying warehouses from which
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
s will deliver packages and with pinpoint accuracy to customers in public areas and more quickly than is possible with UAVs dispatched from ground bases. The UAVs also could operate more cheaply than ground-based ones because floating or gliding toward the ground and turning their propellers on only for final navigation toward the customer would reduce fuel consumption. The filing will not become public knowledge until 2016 in aviation#December, December 2016. ;23–24 December (overnight) * The U.S.-led coalition conducts 10 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and seven against Islamic State targets in Iraq. ;24 December * A
Royal Jordanian Air Force The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; ar, سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, Silāḥ ul-Jawu al-Malakī 'al-Urdunī) is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. History Early days Jordan gained independence in 19 ...
F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
crashes during a bombing run against an Islamic State target near Raqqa, Syria, and the Islamic State takes its pilot, Lieutenant Muath al-Kasasbeh, prisoner. Al-Kasasbeh is the first known military member from the international coalition conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to be captured by the Islamic State. Within 24 hours the United Arab Emirates, fearing for the safety of its pilots, suspends its participation in the air campaign against the Islamic State, demanding that the United States armed forces improve their ability to rescue downed pilots from Islamic State territory – including a specific demand that the United States deploy MV-22 Osprey aircraft for rescue operations – before the United Arab Emirates Air Force returns to the campaign. * After a sniper in the Gaza Strip fires at an Israeli military patrol across the border in Israel, Israeli Air Force jets strike
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
military positions in the southern Gaza Strip, killing a Hamas commander and injuring several Palestinian people, Palestinians. * France's ''La Poste (France), La Poste'' mail service announces that for three months its subsidiary Express Internationale GeoPost has been conducting successful test flights at the civilian UAV testing site at Pourrières of an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to deliver packages to remote parts of the country. The UAV is designed to carry a package up to 16 inches (40.6 cm) by 12 inches (30.5 cm) by eight inches (20.3 cm) in size a distance of 12 miles (19 km), although the most ambitious flights attempted thus far have carried a 5-pound (2.25-kg) package a distance of 1,300 yards (1,189 meters). ;26 December * A
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(NATO) airstrike hits a residence in Aab Josh in the Baraki Barak District of
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
's
Logar Province Logar (Pashto/Dari: ; meaning Greater Mountain ( لوې غر)) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan located in the eastern section of the country. It is divided into 7 districts and contains hundreds of villages. Puli Alam is the capital of ...
, killing five civilians and wounding six others. * The Pakistan Armed Forces, Pakistani armed forces announce that airstrikes they conducted during the day in North Waziristan have killed 23 Islamic militants, and that two American unmanned aerial vehicle strikes in the area earlier in the day killed eight militants. ;27 December * The Islamic Republic of Iran Army announces that during a military exercise Iran has flown an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Strait of Hormuz with a 360-degree imaging capability, capable of remaining airborne for 10 hours, and designed to operate as a "mobile bomb," crashing into air, naval, and ground targets under remote control. Iranian sources refer to the UAV both as the "Yasir" and the "Raad." Western world, Western military analysts say that the Iranian UAV is a modified version of the American Boeing Insitu ScanEagle, ScanEagle UAV. ;28 December * Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501, an Airbus A320 family, Airbus A320-216 registered as ''PK-AXC'' making a flight from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, to Singapore Changi Airport in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
with 157 passengers and seven crew members on board, disappears at an altitude of 32,000 feet (9,754 meters) while traversing a storm cluster over the Java Sea between Java and Kalimantan after requesting permission to climb to 38,000 feet (11,583 meters) to avoid thick clouds.Passenger Plane Goes Missing Over Pacific
ABC News, 27 December 2014.
Combined with the loss of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination ...
in #March, March, the incident sets a record for presumed fatalities aboard missing airliners at the same time in a single year, with 401 people missing and presumed dead aboard the two flights. * The total of only 20 fatal accidents involving commercial flights carrying 14 or more passengers – including the presumed crash of Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 – thus far in 2014 are the fewest in a single year since the Aviation Safety Network began tracking such accidents in 1942 in aviation, 1942. ;29 December * A strike targeting a ground vehicle near Saakow,
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, by American unmanned aerial vehicles firing AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles kills two al-Shabaab members, including the group's chief of intelligence, Abdishakur Tahlil. ;30 December * After two days of searching, the first bodies and wreckage from Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 are discovered in the Karimata Strait. ;31 December * During 2014, U.S. and other international forces have conducted 2,363 airstrikes in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. * According to figures compiled by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism based on press reports, unmanned aerial vehicles conducted 25 attacks in Pakistan during 2014, killing up to 186 people, including two civilians. * In 2014, American Airlines Group has earned a profit of $2,900,000,000 counting special charges and $4,200,000,000 not counting special charges, both annual profit records. Its profit between 1 October and 31 December of $539,000,000 counting special charges and $1,100,000,000 not counting them – 153% higher than during the same period in 2013 – and both figures are quarterly records. * The average airline ticket in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
cost $391 in 2014, the highest average price since 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 ...
began tracking air fares in the mid-1990s. Adjusted for inflation, the air fares are at a 12-year high. * According to the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
, there were 3,894 incidents of lasers striking aircraft flying over the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
during 2014, an increase from 283 during all of 2005 in aviation, 2005.


First flights

* 18 February - Cessna Latitude - N3765L * 9 April – Bombardier Aerospace Learjet 85 - N851LJ. * 11 March – Airbus E-Fan * 2 June –
Solar Impulse 2 Solar Impulse is a Swiss long-range experimental aircraft, experimental solar-powered aircraft project, and also the name of the project's two operational aircraft. The privately financed project is led by Swiss engineer and businessman André ...
* 26 July – AHRLAC Holdings Ahrlac * 25 September – Airbus A320neo family, Airbus A320neo-F-WNEO * October – AeroMobil s.r.o. AeroMobil, AeroMobil s.r.o. AeroMobil Version 3.0 * 10 November – Bell 505 Jet Ranger X


Entered service


February

*Sukhoi Su-35 (
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 ...
"Flanker-E") with the
Russian Federation Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...
's 23rd Fighter Regiment


Retirements

*McDonnell Douglas MD-11 by KLM *Boeing 747-400 by Air New Zealand *Boeing 747SP by Iran Air *Boeing 737 Classic#737-400, Boeing 737-400 by US Airways *Boeing 747-400 by ANA *Boeing 767#767-200, Boeing 767-200 by American Airlines


References

{{Aviation timelines navbox 2014 in aviation, Aviation by year