Aircraft: Airbus A321
Callsign: Skyward 451
Route: Madrid (LEMD) to Munich (EDDM)
Current state: Cruising at flight level three six zero over southern France. A passenger has collapsed with severe chest pains, and a doctor travelling on board is attending. Fuel remaining is 3.5 tonnes. You are on Marseille Control frequency.
Souls on board: 184
Your role: First Officer working the radio while the Captain coordinates with the cabin crew
When Air India announced that it would cancel 22% of its domestic flights for June and July, the coverage was full of reasons — soaring jet-fuel prices, a conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and costs the carriers simply could not absorb. In English, the words you choose to introduce a reason depend on what comes next.
Because introduces a full clause (a subject and a verb). Because of and due to introduce a noun phrase, which has no verb of its own. The meaning is the same; the grammar is not.
Continue reading Structure: ‘Due to vs because’
Air India and IndiGo, India’s two largest airlines, have announced cuts to their domestic schedules after the Iran conflict drove aviation fuel prices to record levels. Air India will cancel 22% of its planned domestic flights for June and July 2026, while IndiGo has made comparable reductions. Both airlines say affected passengers will be rebooked or given full refunds.
Continue reading Air India Cuts 22% of Flights as Fuel Costs Soar
Listen to the audio recording and complete the task below. You can play the audio as many times as you like. When you are finished, check your work against the answer key and the full transcript.
Continue reading Listening: Off-Field Landing in FranceListen to the audio recording and complete the task below. You can play the audio as many times as you like. When you are finished, check your work against the answer key and the full transcript.
Continue reading Listening: Decompression at CruiseWhen Hermeus flew its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 past the sound barrier, every report wanted to know one thing: was it faster than anything a private company had flown before? To answer questions like that in English, we reach for comparatives and superlatives.
A comparative compares two things (the Mk 2.2 will be faster than the Mk 2.1). A superlative picks out one from a whole group (hypersonic flight is the company’s most ambitious goal).
Continue reading Structure: ‘Comparatives and superlatives’