The year 2025 saw the Malaysian fighter jet crash, the search for MH370 began and restrictions on the use of power banks were introduced by several airlines around the world. Here are the 10 Most Interesting Aerospace News of 2025.
1. Search for MH370 Resumes on December 30
The enigma of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, is still unsolved. What caused the Boeing 777-200ER with 227 passengers and 12 crew to disappear is a matter of debate, with theories suggesting it was intentional and some believing it was due to supernatural forces. After more than 11 years since the plane went missing, the search will resume on December 30.
The Ocean Infinity company will conduct a 55-day search in stages in the Southern Indian Ocean area which is believed to be the plane's final location before it crashed. The search was conducted based on a service agreement between the Malaysian Government and Ocean Infinity signed on March 25. It was done to provide closure and justice to the families of the victims.
Ocean Infinity has been involved in two previous searches but failed to find the plane. This contract was signed for 18 months with a search area of 15,000 square kilometers. They will only receive a payment of $70 million (~RM 289 million) if they manage to find the plane wreckage
2. Malaysia Aims to Have Southeast Asia's First Rocket Launch Site by 2029
The Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) has now shared that Malaysia will be the first country in Southeast Asia to have its own rocket launch site. This is expected to exist as early as 2029, which is in line with the Space Policy 2030.
Currently, the proposal involves three locations in Pahang, Sarawak and Sabah. The final location has not yet been determined. The feasibility study report has been completed, and is currently in the evaluation process. If there are any external companies who want to collaborate, they will need to do so with local companies and obtain approval from the state government.
The rocket launch site in Malaysia is expected to provide a number of advantages such as Malaysia's location on the equator which allows rocket launches to save more fuel costs because it is more efficient compared to other locations in the world. This move is also expected to provide healthy development in the aerospace and engineering arena in Malaysia.
3. Airbus A320 Overtakes Boeing 737 as the Most Produced Passenger Aircraft
Goodbye Boeing 737, hello Airbus A320 as it overtook the 737 as the most produced commercial passenger aircraft last October. According to data published by Cirium, a total of 12,268 Airbus A320 aircraft have been produced since 1988 compared to 12,262 Boeing 737s since 1968.
Despite being launched earlier, the Airbus A320 managed to overtake the Boeing 737 due to various issues faced by Boeing. Among them are the incidents involving the 737 MAX series which crashed due to the aircraft's control system and then the Alaska Air emergency door being torn off last year. Boeing's safety record began to be questioned, causing airlines to choose the A320.
In Malaysia, the Boeing 737 is synonymous with Malaysia Airlines, while the Airbus A320 is synonymous with Air Asia.
4. Astronauts Stranded on the ISS for 278 Days Return to Earth Safely
Two NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita William, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June last year, returned to Earth safely in March. This ended a grueling 278-day mission that was not planned due to issues with the Starliner spacecraft they were on. Wilmore and William returned to Earth with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov in the Crew Dragon capsule, which landed in Florida waters.
According to the original plan, the two astronauts were supposed to spend only eight days on the ISS, with the Starliner capsule scheduled to return on June 14 last year. The leaks detected and also the software issues caused NASA not to dare to take risks. Starliner returned to Earth on September 8 without any issues, but the two crew members were stranded for more than 9 months waiting for NASA to send a new crew using the Crew Dragon spacecraft made by SpaceX.
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is one of the other vehicles used by NASA to send crew to the International Space Station (ISS) after the Space Shuttle stopped operating almost a decade ago. In addition to Starliner, the United States also uses the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to carry astronauts and supplies to the ISS.
5. Boom XB-1 Is the First Supersonic Aircraft to Fly Without a Sonic Boom
At the end of January, the Boom Supersonic XB-1 became the first privately built aircraft to reach supersonic speeds. It reached 1,360 km/h in the Mojave Desert, USA, and it will be the basis for the Boom Overture passenger aircraft that will operate by 2029. Now Boom has confirmed that the XB-1 is also the first aircraft to break the speed of sound without producing an audible sonic boom.
When flying at supersonic speeds at an altitude of 30,000 feet (9144 m), the sonic boom produced is reflected all the way up and will not be heard by people on the ground. The sonic boom is the reason why Concorde is banned from flying in populated areas. It not only startles residents but also causes windows to shatter as it explodes like a bomb.
Without the sonic boom, the XB-1 and Overture can operate in more airspace safely. Concorde failed to replace commercial jets because it was prevented from flying over the United States and also Malaysian airspace while operating with Singapore Airlines more than 40 years ago.
6. Data Center Wants to Be Built in Space
Data centers require large holding spaces, excessive energy resources and high amounts of water. In Johor, the construction of data centers that require high amounts of water is no longer approved for this reason. The solution to this issue according to several major world companies is to build data centers in space.
Google announced Project Suncatcher, NVIDIA with Starcloud and China with Star Compute. Data centers in space do not require active cooling systems because of the high temperatures of space. The power source is using unlimited solar power. Google also predicts that Suncatcher can be built by the mid-2030s when the cost of launching a satellite into orbit drops to as low as $200/kg.
In the excitement of building data centers in space, many seem to have forgotten the increasingly serious issue of space debris. In addition to adding objects that can pose a danger to the space station, the construction of these data centers will also block the view of astronomers on Earth.
7. Drones Used to Deliver Medicines During Hajj Season
During this year's Hajj season, Saudi Arabia has used a drone system to deliver medicine and medical supplies to treatment centers when needed. The use of drones shortens the time to deliver medicine from 1 hour to just 6 minutes, allowing treatment to be provided to those in need much faster.
More than 2,000 types of medicine and medical equipment can be delivered using a network of 136 locations. The drones will then deliver the cargo carried to six main medical centers located in Mina, Muzdalifah and Mount Arafat. The location was chosen because it will be the focus of 1.25 million Hajj pilgrims who will begin from June 4 to June 9. The drone system is operated by NUPCO, a medical equipment supplier in Saudi Arabia.
8. World's Longest Non-Stop Flight From Buenos Aires to Shanghai Operated
China Eastern Airlines launched a flight from Buenos Aires to Shanghai, which is the world's longest non-stop intercontinental flight. The first flight, MU745, was carried out on December 4 from Shanghai with the plane landing in Buenos Aires on December 5.
The 19,680 km journey includes a distance of 9,346 km between Shanghai to Auckland which takes 10 hours 53 minutes and 10,334 km from Auckland to Buenos Aires which takes 11 hours 22 minutes. In total, the flight takes 25.5 hours including the stop in Auckland. The flight is categorized as a “direct flight” because the aircraft is not changed and still uses the same route code.
This southern route connecting China and Argentina saves the flight time of the northern route which takes 29 hours. The record for the longest non-stop flight is still held by Singapore Airlines, which is the Singapore to New York route which takes 19 hours. For those who want to see the level of endurance, two flights a week will be offered by China Eastern Airlines on this route.
The plane has to stop in New Zealand because the Boeing 777-300ER used does not have enough range to fly non-stop. The fuel needs to be replenished and the crew needs to receive sufficient rest and ETOPS. In an emergency, ETOPS stipulates that the plane must have an alternative landing field.
9. RMAF F/A-18 Hornet Fighter Plane Crashes in Kuantan
A Boeing F/A-18D fighter plane belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force crashed at Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport, Kuantan last August. A video that went viral on social media showed an explosion in the engine compartment as the plane was taking off. It flew for several seconds with the crew ejecting from the plane before it crashed.
The pilot and weapons systems officer were reported to be safe and were being treated at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital. No fatalities or other injuries were reported as the plane crashed within the airport area and not in a nearby public housing area. After an investigation, the RMAF said the cause of the accident was a Pucung Serandau or Marsh Crane that entered the plane's left engine.
This is the first time that a RMAF F/A-18D aircraft has crashed since it began operating in 1997. Yesterday's incident means that Malaysia now only has 6 F/A-18Ds, 18 Sukhoi Su-33MKMs and 12 BAE-200s still in operation. The Ministry of Defence is still in the process of purchasing 32 F/A 18 C/D aircraft from the Royal Kuwaiti Army to meet the country's defence needs.
10. New Instructions on the Use of Power Banks in Aircraft Introduced
Finally, 2025 will see major changes made by airlines regarding the use of power banks in aircraft. Emirates, Singapore Airlines, AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and Virgin Australia have banned the use of power banks to charge devices or charge power banks using in-cabin power sources. Malaysia Airlines has simply ordered that power banks must be removed from bags and cannot be stored in the overhead luggage compartment.
The measures were taken after a fire involving a lithium-ion battery on board Air Busan Flight 391 in South Korea in January that destroyed the Airbus A321. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it is suspected that a power bank or vape in the overhead compartment caught fire. In South Korea, the measures taken by Emirates have been in place since February.
