Aviation Daily Digest — May 23, 2026

# Aviation Daily Digest — May 23, 2026

Your daily 60-second briefing for pilots, drone operators and aviation pros — auto-aggregated from the industry's top sources.

Top stories

• 6 Commercial Aircraft That Made Headlines For All The Wrong Reasons — Simple Flying. A few aircraft that ran into trouble at some point.
• Why Southwest Airlines' New Assigned Seating System Created Problems It Didn't Anticipate — Simple Flying. The airline recently changed its long-standing boarding process.
• What Pilots Actually Do During A 14-Hour Flight When The Autopilot Is Handling Everything — Simple Flying. Modern airliners are incredibly automated, but pilots remain fully responsible for every decision during a flight. What do they actually do?
• F-18 Fighter Jets Destroyed After Colliding Mid-Air Cost Nearly $70 Million Each, Navy Says — Simple Flying. The $130 million loss of two EA-18G Growler aircraft in a mid-air collision highlights the financial and operational risks of military air shows.
• Why Southwest Airlines Is Moving Away From Point-To-Point Flying — Simple Flying. With this change to 'high-density stations,' Dallas-based Southwest Airlines will aim to offer more flights to more destinations.
• Falcon Field Landing Fees Draw FAA Complaint, Federal Lawsuit — AVweb. Flight schools are asking the FAA and a federal court to halt Mesa’s landing fee program.
• Here's Why The Boeing 777X May Be Too Big For This European Airline — Simple Flying. Boeing's new flagship is set to enter service very soon, with Scandinavian Airlines taking a serious interest in the type. Is this the wrong move?
• 5 Airlines With The World's Most Superior Premium Economy Seats For Transatlantic Flights — Simple Flying. Often, a good premium economy experience boils down to more about the service and catering than the seat itself.
• A Flight Tracker For AvGeeks: Live Alerts, Military Aircraft, NOTAMs & More — Simple Flying. Get ready for Simple Flying's latest feature!
• Up To 70 Daily Flights: American Airlines Puts Pressure On Delta With 4 New European Routes — Simple Flying. The airline is heating up its transatlantic competition with its legacy rival.

Pilot community highlights

_The community is quiet today._

What pilots are talking about (X / Twitter)

_No fresh aviation Twitter activity captured._

Jobs of the day

_No new postings today — see all open roles on our jobs board._

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