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Grounded by the Storm: How Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms Disrupted Saudi Aviation

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  In early January 2025, Saudi Arabia experienced a series of intense weather events that significantly disrupted aviation operations across the country. Cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, Taif, Asir, Al Baha, and Jizan were hit with heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds, causing delays and operational challenges at several major airports. At King Abdul-Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, departing flights were delayed by an average of 45 minutes, while Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport saw shorter average delays of around five minutes (Gulf News, 2025). The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) issued red alerts warning of hazardous weather conditions including reduced visibility, turbulent winds, and the risk of flash flooding (National Center for Meteorology [NCM], 2025). These disruptions offered a real-world example of how weather and aviation intersect and why understanding that relationship is crucial for safety and efficiency in flight operations. I chose ...
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Confronting the Threat of Cyberattacks in Aviation

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       One of the most concerning emerging threats in the aviation industry today is the risk of cyberattacks targeting critical aviation systems, including air traffic control, airline databases, and onboard aircraft systems. As aviation increasingly relies on interconnected digital networks and automated technologies, vulnerabilities in cybersecurity can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to disrupt operations, steal data, or compromise safety. The TSA addresses this threat through its layered security approach, which includes measures such as background checks on IT personnel, continuous monitoring of network systems, and collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to detect and respond to cyber threats. These layers work together to create redundancies that make successful attacks more difficult (TSA, 2023). While current mitigation strategies like penetration testing and cybersecurity aud...
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  When most people think of aviation, they picture soaring above the clouds, cutting travel time in half, and connecting the world. But there is a growing question beneath all the innovation and speed: Are airlines truly flying toward a greener future—or just pretending to? Today’s blog dives into a recent current event that brings this ethical dilemma into sharp focus. Before diving into the details, let us take a moment to define ethics. According to Merriam-Webster , ethics is "the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation." In simpler terms? It is about doing the right thing—even when no one is watching. In the aviation industry, this moral compass is not optional, it is essential. The lives of passengers, the integrity of global operations, and even the future of our planet depend on it. The Event: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Big Promises, Small Progress A recent Reuters investigation uncovered some troubling truths about t...
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