A visual journey through some of the biggest airline stories from the past 12 months

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker (left) attends Oneworld’s 20th anniversary press conference in early February, weeks after he again threatened to quit the grouping

Source: FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Air France-KLM chief executive Ben Smith (right) and KLM chief executive Pieter Elbers at a full-year results announcement the day after the group’s board had approved the extension of the former’s contract amid speculation over his future

Source: Michel Euler/AP/REX/Shutterstock

A remembrance ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur in early March to mark the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370

Source: FAZRY ISMAIL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Boeing 737 Max jets belonging to Southwest Airlines sit idle on 13 March as the grounding of the type spreads across the world

Source: Matt York/AP/REX/Shutterstock

The chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines Tewolde Gebremariam speaks in March, days after one of the carrier’s Boeing 737 Max jets had crashed, prompting the global grounding of the type

Source: Mulugeta Ayene/AP/Shutterstock

ANA took delivery of its first Airbus A380 on 20 March, weeks after the airframer had announced that it would be ceasing production of the superjumbo in 2021. The Japanese carrier’s three examples of the type carry a ‘honu’ sea turtle livery

Source: GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Icelandic budget carrier Wow Air ceased operations and cancelled all flights on 28 March, hours after suspending services while it attempted a last-ditch financial rescue

Source: Airbus

Turkish Airlines began operations from the new Istanbul airport in early April

Source: ERDEM SAHIN/EPE-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Virgin Atlantic announced in April that its longstanding “Flying Lady” motif will not feature on its incoming Airbus A350-1000s, the UK carrier instead adopting a range of ”Flying Icons” that reflect a focus on diversity and inclusion

Source: Heathrow Airport

Avianca Brasil ceased operations in May after filing for bankruptcy protection at the end of 2018

Source: Rafael Luiz Canossa/Creative Commons

Indigo Partners was one of the first to order the Airbus A321XLR when the variant was announced at the Paris air show, with a deal for 50. Indigo Partners carriers Frontier Airlines, JetSmart and Wizz Air are set to operate the narrowbody

Source: Airbus

At the IATA AGM in early June. Fadimatou Noutchemo Simo (left), Founder and President of the Young African Aviation Professional Association (YAAPA), picks up the High Flyer Award during the association’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Awards

Source: IATA

US president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping meet at the G20 summit in Osaka in June. Escalating trade tensions between the two countries contributed to a tough year for air cargo demand

Source: Susan Walsh/AP/Shutterstock

Jet Airways staff protest in early May after the Indian carrier ceased flight operations in mid-April

Source: DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

IAG chief Willie Walsh springs the biggest surprise of Paris air show with a letter of intent for 200 737 Max jets

Source: BillyPix

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker (left) signs a deal for five Boeing 777 freighters at the White House in early July, as president Donald Trump looks on

Source: The White House

During its 100th anniversary celebrations in early July, KLM launched a campaign video and website under the banner “Fly Responsibly”, in which it encourages travellers and the aviation industry to minimise the impact they have on the environment

Source: KLM

Cathay Pacific chief executive Rupert Hogg (left) resigned in mid-August amid mainland pressure over staff involvement in pro-democracy protests. Chief customer and commercial officer Paul Loo (right) also stepped down. Chairman John Slosar (centre) announced his retirement in mid-October

Source: JEROME FAVRE/EPE-EFE/Shutterstock

Boeing 737 Max aircraft parked at Boeing Field in Seattle in July as the global grounding continued

Source: Gary He/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

In a year that saw the airline industry come under increased scrutiny regarding its impact on the environment, an Extinction Rebellion protestor holds a placard at Munich International airport in late July

Source: Sachelle Babbar/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock

Speaking in July, the then-chief executive of Norwegian, Bjorn Kjos (left), announces he is stepping down from the role with immediate effect

Source: TROND REIDAR TEIGEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Nearly all British Airways flights were cancelled on 9-10 September amid strike action by pilots. Further action was later postponed

Source: WILL OLIVER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian signs a deal in late September that saw the US major invest $1.9 billion in LATAM Airlines Group, representing a 20% stake in the Chile-based airline

Source: Delta Air Lines

China’s president Xi Jinping opened Beijing Daxing International airport in late September

Source: POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and crew members disembark in Sydney in mid-November following a direct, 19-and-a-half hour flight from London as part of the carrier’s Project Sunrise programme

Source: PETER RAE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

In late October, SpiceJet managing director Ajay Singh (left) and Sheikh Khalid bin Saud Al Qasimi mark the Indian carrier’s plans to build its first international hub in the UAE at Ras al Khaimah airport

Source: Jon Gambrell/AP/Shutterstock

European giant IAG announced in early November that it intended to purchase Globalia-owned Spanish carrier Air Europa

Source: Lliteres/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

UK package holiday specialist Thomas Cook collapsed in late September, prompting a huge repatriation effort for its customers

Source: Peter MacDiarmid/Shutterstock

Striking South African Airways workers protest at an entrance to Cape Town International airport in mid-November as the crisis-hit carrier continued to seek a resolution to years of financial woes

Source: Themba Hadebe/AP/Shutterstock

Indonesia’s minister for state-owned enterprises Erick Thohir ordered the dismissal of Garuda Indonesia's chief executive Ari Askhara in early December over an alleged attempt to smuggle a motorcycle into the country via the November delivery of the carrier’s first Airbus A330-900

Source: Achmad Ibrahim/AP/Shutterstock

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