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2011 in aviation#December

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{{Portal|Aviation}}

This is a list of aviation-related events in 2011.

Events

=January=

;1 January

;5 January

  • An attempt is made to hijack Turkish Airlines Flight 1754 from Gardermoen Airport, Oslo to Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul. The hijacker was overpowered by other passengers on the flight and was arrested when the aircraft landed.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12124802 |title=Passengers thwart Turkish jet hijack attempt |work=BBC News |access-date=6 January 2011 |date=6 January 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110106075557/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12124802| archive-date= 6 January 2011 | url-status= live}} The flight was being operated by Boeing 737-800 TC-JGZ.{{cite news|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=435c135c&opt=0 |title=Incident: THY B738 near Istanbul on Jan 5th 2011, hijack attempt averted |first=Simon |last=Hradecky |work=Aviation Herald |date=5 January 2011|access-date=6 January 2011}}

;9 January

  • Iran Air Flight 277, crashes while performing a go-around at Urmia Airport killing 77 of the 106 people aboard, and injuring 26 people. A total of 28 people survived. The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 727-286Adv.

;10 January

  • AirAsia Flight 5218, operated by Airbus A320-216 9M-AHH, sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident at Kuching Airport, Malaysia. All 123 passengers and six crew members survived. The Flight from Kuala Lumpur Subang International Airport to Kuching Airport. The flight landed on Kuching's runway 25 in heavy rain around but skidded to the right and went off the side of the runway. It came to rest in the grass with the nose gear dug in or collapsed.{{cite news|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=4360264d&opt=1|title=Accident: AirAsia A320 at Kuching on Jan 10th 2011, runway excursion on landing |first=Simon |last=Hradecky |work=Aviation Herald|date=11 January 2011|access-date=12 January 2011}}

;14 January

;20 January

;21 January

  • British Airways and Iberia merge to form International Airlines Group (IAG), the world's third-largest airline in terms of annual revenue and the second-largest airline group in Europe. However, both airlines continue to operate under their previous brands.

;24 January

  • Etihad Airways Flight 19, operated by Airbus A340-600 A6-EHH was escorted into Stansted Airport,{{cite news|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=436b22aa&opt=1|title=Incident: Etihad A346 near London on Jan 24th 2011, unruly passenger prompts fighter escort|first=Simon|last=Hradecky|work=Aviation Herald|access-date=24 January 2011}} United Kingdom by two Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby. The flight originated at Abu Dhabi International Airport and was bound for London Heathrow Airport when it was diverted due to an unruly passenger. The passenger was arrested after the aircraft had landed.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-12265647 |title=Man arrested at Stansted after aircraft incident|work=BBC News|access-date=24 January 2011|date=24 January 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110125055421/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-12265647| archive-date= 25 January 2011 | url-status= live}}

;25 January

=February=

;2 February

;9 February

  • The United States Air Force announces that the C-17 Globemaster III is its first aircraft certified to fly on biofuel. The certification clears the C-17 to fly on a volumetric blend of up to 50 percent HRJ biofuel and 50 percent JP-8 conventional jet fuel or on a blend of 25 percent HRJ, 25 percent synthetic paraffinic kerosene fuel, and 50 percent JP-8. It also announces that it plans to complete flight testing of HRJ by February 2012 and to have all U.S. Air Force aircraft certified to use biofuels by December 2012.[http://www.militaryrates.com/military-news-story?textnewsid=6970 Dowdell, Major Richelle, "Officials Certify First Aircraft for Unlimited Biofuel Usage," militaryrates.com, 10 February 2011.]

;10 February

  • Manx2 Flight 7100 from Belfast, operated by Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner EC-ITP leased from Flightline BCN of Barcelona, overturns on its third attempt to land at Cork, Ireland in fog, killing six and injuring six.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0210/cork.html|title=Belfast flight crashes at Cork Airport|publisher=RTÉ|access-date=10 February 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110210-0|title=EC-ITP Accident description|website=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=10 February 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=4379bc53&opt=1|title=Accident: Flightline SW4 at Cork on Feb 10th 2011, failed landing in low visibility|first=Simon|last=Hradecky|work=Aviation Herald|access-date=10 February 2011}}

;21 February

  • As violence in the Libyan Civil War grows, Libyan Air Force warplanes and attack helicopters launch airstrikes on protesters, reportedly targeting a funeral procession and a group of protesters trying to reach a military base.{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-libya-air-force-bombs-protesters-heading-for-army-base-1.344775|title=Report: Libya Air Force Bombs Protesters Heading for Army Base|work=Haaretz|date=21 February 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}}{{cite web|author=Ryan, Yasmine|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/02/201122116042447579.html|title=Report: Libyan Protesters Fired On|work=Al Jazeera|date=21 February 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}}
  • Two senior Libyan Air Force pilots fly their Dassault Mirage F1 fighters to Malta and request political asylum after defying orders to bomb protesters.{{cite web|author=Peregin, Christian|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110222/local/two-libyan-fighter-pilots-defect-to-malta|title=Two Libyan Fighter Pilots Defect to Malta|work=The Times of Malta|date=22 February 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}} Two civilian helicopters also land in Malta after a flight from Libya, carrying seven passengers who claim to be French oil workers.{{cite news|author1=Hooper, John |author2=Black, Ian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/21/libya-pilots-flee-to-malta|title=Libya Defectors: Pilots Told To Bomb Protesters, Flee to Malta|work=The Guardian |location=Rome|date=21 February 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}}

;22 February

  • Former Libyan Ambassador to India Ali Abd-al-Aziz al-Isawi confirms that Libyan Air Force jets have bombed civilians.{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/22/stories/2011022264831700.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225111918/http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/22/stories/2011022264831700.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 February 2011|title=3 Libyan Diplomats Resign|location=India|date=22 February 2011|work=The Hindu|access-date=10 April 2011}}

;23 February

  • Ordered to strike targets in Benghazi, Libya, during the Libyan Civil War, the crew of a Libyan Arab Republic Air Force Sukhoi Su-22 NATO reporting name "Fitter") refuses to carry out the strike and instead ejects from the aircraft, leaving it to crash near the city.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110226052310/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/23/libya.plane.crash/ "Report: Libyan aircraft crashes after troops refuse bombing orders."] CNN, 23 February 2011.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110225214139/http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE71M1RN20110223?sp=true "UPDAT 1-Libya crew abort bombing mission on Benghazi: Report."] Reuters, 23 February 2011.

;27 February

;28 February

  • Libyan rebels reportedly shoot down a Libyan Air Force warplane during the Battle of Misrata.{{cite news|author1=Siddique, Haroon |author2=Gabbatt, Adam |author3=Owenwork, Paul |date=28 February 2011|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/blog/2011/feb/28/arab-and-middle-east-protests-libya|title=Libya Uprising – Live Updates|access-date=1 April 2011}}

=March=

;1 March

  • Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith says that international intervention in the Libyan Civil War to enforce a no-fly zone is probable,{{cite news|author=Gartrell, Adam|url=http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/nofly-zone-still-an-option-on-libya-rudd-20110301-1bccl.html|title=Rudd Ramps Up Call for Libya No-Fly Zone|date=1 March 2011|access-date=28 March 2011|publisher=Australian Associated Press (via The Age)}} and British Foreign Secretary William Hague says that a no-fly zone could be imposed even without a United Nations Security Council resolution.{{cite news|work=Al Jazeera|date=1 March 2011|url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-2|title=Live Blog – Libya 2 March|access-date=28 March 2011|archive-date=8 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308201412/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-2|url-status=dead}} Libyan rebel leaders debate whether to ask for Western airstrikes,{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=2 March 2011|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/world/africa/02libya.html|title=Libyan Rebels, Invoking UN, May Ask West for Airstrikes|author1=Fahim, Kareem |author2=Kirkpatrick, David D. }} and Abdul Fatah Younis, Libya{{'}}s former minister of the interior who has defected to the rebels, says he would welcome targeted foreign airstrikes, though he offers the use of Libyan military airbases to foreign aircraft only in case of emergency.{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011228232312771972.html|work=Al Jazeera|date=1 March 2011|access-date=28 March 2011|title=Gaddafi's Friend Turns Foe}}

;2 March

  • Two Libyan Air Force jets bomb Ajdabiya in an attempt to destroy a weapons depot. Anti-aircraft artillery shoots one of them down.{{cite news|title=Battle Rages over Libyan Oil Port|work=Al Jazeera|date=3 March 2011|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/03/20113242554921501.html|access-date=28 March 2011}}{{cite news|author=Derhally, Massoud A.|work=Bloomberg L.P.|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-02/libyan-protesters-down-qaddafi-loyalists-plane-al-jazeera-says.html|title=Libyan Protesters Down Qaddafi Loyalists' Plane, Al Jazeera Says|date=2 March 2011|access-date=28 March 2011}}
  • The Libyan opposition{{'}}s interim-government council formally requests that the United Nations impose a no-fly zone over Libya and conduct precision air strikes against Libyan government forces, and the Arab League states that a no-fly zone is necessary and adds that in cooperation with the African Union, it could impose a militarily-enforced no-fly zone without the United Nation{{'}}s backing.{{cite news|date=2 March 2011|work=Reuters Africa|agency=Reuters|title=Arab League Says Could Impose Libya 'No Fly' Zone|url=https://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7212AI20110302|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305072911/http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE7212AI20110302|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 March 2011|access-date=28 March 2011}}

;4 March

  • The Libyan Air Force conducts occasional air strikes on Ajdabiya{{'}}s weapon-storage area, with no reported casualties.{{cite news|work=Al Jazeera|date=4 March 2011|url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-4|title=Live Blog – Libya 4 March|access-date=29 March 2011}}
  • Libyan opposition forces capture the Libyan airbase at Ra's Lanuf.{{cite news|author=Millership, Peter|agency=Reuters|work=RealClearWorld|date=4 March 2011|url=http://www.realclearworld.com/news/reuters/international/2011/Mar/04/libyan_rebels_take_oil_town_of_ras_lanuf__rebels.html|title=Libyan Rebels Take Oil Town of Ras Lanuf: Rebels|access-date=29 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305221151/http://www.realclearworld.com/news/reuters/international/2011/Mar/04/libyan_rebels_take_oil_town_of_ras_lanuf__rebels.html|archive-date=5 March 2011|url-status=dead}}

;5 March

  • An Antonov An-148 crashes at Garbuzovo, Alxeevsky Region, Belgorod Oblast, Russia following an in-flight break-up. All six people on board are killed.
  • Opposition forces shoot down a Libyan Air Force jet fighter over Ra's Lanuf after it attempts to bomb the town, killing its two pilots.{{cite news|author1=Michael, Maggie |author2=Schemm, Paul |agency=Associated Press|work=Forbes|date=5 March 2011|url=https://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/05/general-af-libya_8340439.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308075247/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/05/general-af-libya_8340439.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 March 2011|title=Libyan Jet Fighter Crashes in Rebel-Held East|access-date=30 March 2011}}{{cite news|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12657396|title=Libya: Gaddafi Fighter Bomber Is Shot Down in Ras Lanuf|access-date=30 March 2011|date=5 March 2011}}

;9 March

  • The Space Shuttle Discovery, first of the space shuttles to be retired, glides to a landing to end its 39th and final mission – the most by any space shuttle."By the Numbers: Space Shuttle Discovery", Aviation History, July 2011, p. 12.

;11 March

;15 March

  • A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle overshoots the runway at Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti, Djibouti, and crashes into a fence. No one is injured. Investigators blame the accident on a melted throttle part and pilot confusion and inattention, as well as the inability of any remote pilot to react to cues such as wind rush or high engine pitch that would suggest to the pilot of a manned aircraft that the aircraft was approaching the runway too steeply and at too high a speed.

File:F-22 Raptor biofuel 18 March 2011.jpg F-22 Raptor flying over Edwards Air Force Base, California, on 18 March 2011 on a fuel consisting of a 50/50 blend of JP-8 conventional jet fuel and a biofuel.]]

;17 March

  • United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 approves a no-fly zone over Libya, authorizing military intervention in the Libyan Civil War.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12781009 Mardell, Mark, "Libya: UN Backs Action Against Colonel Gaddafi," BBC News, 18 March 2011, updated 03:56 ET.][http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/03/201131720311168561.html "UN authorises no-fly zone over Libya," Al Jazeera, updated 18 March 2011, 11:56]{{Cite web |url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/17/u-n-imposes-no-fly-zone-over-libya/?hpt=T1&iref=BN1 |title="U.N. Security Council approves no-fly zone over Libya," CNN, 17 March 2011,06;39 p.m. ET. |access-date=10 March 2012 |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630074210/http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/17/u-n-imposes-no-fly-zone-over-libya/?hpt=T1 |url-status=dead }} The resolution also prohibits flights to any United Nations member country by aircraft registered in Libya, so Afriqiyah Airways and Libyan Airlines both cease all flight operations.

;18 March

  • A United States Air Force F-22 Raptor reaches Mach 1.5 during supercruise at an altitude of {{convert|40,000|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} over Edwards Air Force Base, California, using fuel made of a 50/50 blend of JP-8 conventional jet fuel and a biofuel made from Camelina sativa. The flight, which also included other maneuvers, is a major step forward toward the U.S. Air Force's goal of using alternative fuel blends derived from domestic sources to meet 50 percent of its domestic aviation fuel needs by 2016.[http://www.gizmag.com/f-22-raptor-biofuel-flight/18218/ Quick, Darren, "F-22 Raptor hits Mach 1.5 on camelina-based biofuel," gizmag.com, 23 March 2011.]

;19 March

  • Libyan rebel ground fire mistakenly shoots down a MiG-23BN (NATO reporting name "Flogger") of the rebel Free Libyan Air Force over Benghazi.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12496420|work=BBC News |title=Libyan Private and State Media Slant Protest Coverage|date=17 February 2011|access-date=28 March 2011}}[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8393237/Libya-moment-a-rebel-jet-crashed-to-earth-in-flames.html Rayment, Sean, "Libya: Moment a Rebel Jet Crashed to Earth in Flames," The Daily Telegraph, 19 March 2011.][http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/03/201131934914112208.html "Gaddafi Forces Encroaching on Benghazi," Al Jazeera, 19 March 2011.]
  • French Air Force aircraft make the first attacks of the military intervention in Libya, striking Libyan government armored vehicles south of Benghazi[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12795971 Marcus, Jonathan, "Libya: French Plane Fires on Military Vehicle," BBC News, 19 March 2011, 15:57 ET] during the Second Battle of Benghazi. United States Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers, American fighters, and Royal Air Force aircraft go into action later in the day, striking Libyan government ground forces and air defense sites.

;20 March

  • An airstrike by the international coalition against a Libyan government military ground convoy approaching Misrata destroys 14 tanks, 20 armored personnel carriers, and several trucks filled with ammunition, killing at least 14 Libyan government soldiers.{{cite web|author=Fisher, Alan|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb-X14nH9kw|title=Gaddafi Condemns Attack on His Forces|publisher=Al Jazeera|format=video (00:02:38)|date=20 March 2011|access-date=2 April 2011}}

;22 March

  • A U.S. Air Force F-15E Eagle crashes in Libya due to a mechanical failure; its two-man crew survives with minor injuries. Libyan rebel forces rescue one of them; the other is picked up by a United States Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey from the amphibious assault ship {{USS|Kearsarge|LHD-3}}, the first time an Osprey has been used to rescue a downed aviator.{{cite news|author1=Crilly, Rob |author2=Kirkup, James |author3=Winnett, Rob |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8397587/Libya-US-fighter-jet-crash-lands-in-field-near-Benghazi.html|title=Libya: US Fighter Jet Crash Lands in Field Near Benghazi|access-date=10 April 2011|date=22 March 2011|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12816226|title=Libya Crisis: US Warplane Crew Rescued after Crash|work=BBC News|date=22 March 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}}

;23 March

  • Coalition air strikes target Libyan government military forces in Misrata, at Ajdabiya's eastern gate, in eastern Tripoli, and at Tajura. They also hit Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's compound at Bab al-Aziziya.Staff (22 March 2011). [http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-23 "Libya Live Blog – 23 March] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323105338/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-23 |date=23 March 2011 }}. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 March 2011.Ward, Victoria; Spillius, Alex; Squires, Nick (23 March 2011). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8402899/Libya-Gaddafi-compound-attacked-after-air-force-destroyed.html "Libya: Gaddafi Compound Attacked After Air Force 'Destroyed']. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2011. Royal Air Force Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell states that the Libyan Air Force "no longer exists as a fighting force" and that coalition aircraft are "operating with impunity" over Libya.{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/03/201132316258646677.html|title=Libyan Air Force 'No Longer Exists'|work=Al Jazeera |date=23 March 2011|access-date=31 March 2011}}

;24 March

  • A French fighter aircraft destroys a Libyan government Soko G-2 Galeb military trainer aircraft on the ground just after it had landed at a Libyan base following a flight in which it violated the no-fly zone over Libya.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/u-s-welcomes-natos-decision-to-enforce-no-fly-zone-over-libya|publisher=Fox News|title=U.S. Welcomes NATO's Decision To Enforce No-Fly Zone Over Libya|date=24 March 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}} French aircraft also bomb the Al Jufra Air Base.{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/french-jets-destroy-libyan-aircraft-target-arms-flow/767044/|title=French Jets Destroy Libyan Aircraft, Target Arms Flow|agency=Associated Press|work=The Indian Express |location=India|date=25 March 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}}{{cite news|author1=Dagher, Sam |author2=Hodge, Nathan |author3=Solomon, Jay |author4=Fidler, Stephen |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704425804576219913829478464|work=The Wall Street Journal|title=NATO To Enforce No-Fly Zone Over Libya|date=25 March 2011|access-date=10 April 2011}}

;25 March

  • French and British jets strike Libyan government tanks and artillery in eastern Libya to help rebel forces to take Ajdabiya.{{cite news|title=Libyan Leader 'Arming Volunteers'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12864460|work=BBC News|date=25 March 2011|access-date=9 April 2011}}
  • The United Arab Emirates commits six F-16 Fighting Falcon and six Mirage fighters to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/110325/libya-gaddafi-uae-nato-airstrikes|publisher=GlobalPost|title=UAE Sends Warplanes to Libya as NATO Takes Command|date=25 March 2011|access-date=9 April 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/uae-commits-12-planes-to-libya-action/story-e6frf7jx-1226028340690|agency=Agence France-Presse|work=Herald Sun|title=UAE Commits 12 Planes to Libya Action|date=25 March 2011|access-date=9 April 2011}}

;26 March

  • Coalition aircraft attack targets on the outskirts of Misrata, Libya.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12776418|work=BBC News |title=Libya Air Raid 'Killed Civilians'|date=31 March 2011}}
  • France reports that at least five Libyan government Soko G-2 Galeb fighter planes and two Libyan government Mil Mi-24 (NATO reporting name "Hind") attack helicopters preparing to attack rebel forces in the Az Zintan and Misrata regions have been shot down in the last 24 hours.Press release (29 March 2011). [http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/actualites/libye-point-de-situation-operation-harmattan-n-8 "Libye : point de situation opération Harmattan n°8"] (in French). French Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 9 April 2011.

;28 March

  • British jets bomb ammunition bunkers in southern Libya and destroy 22 tanks, other armoured vehicles, and artillery pieces in the vicinity of Ajdabiya and Misrata.{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jsMMSvLSX9vIf0QJNWT0_EjmlhCA?docId=CNG.2bf80f7e0d48e79cc0cac11cdf4e053e.4b1|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125142305/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jsMMSvLSX9vIf0QJNWT0_EjmlhCA?docId=CNG.2bf80f7e0d48e79cc0cac11cdf4e053e.4b1|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|title=British Jets Bomb Tanks, Ammunition Bunkers in Libya|date=28 March 2011|access-date=29 March 2011}}

;28–29 March (overnight)

  • Coalition aircraft fly 115 strike sorties against targets in Libya.Staff (28 March 2011). [http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-29 "Libya Live Blog – 29 March"]. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 March 2011.

;29 March

  • A U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion fires at a Libyan Navy patrol vessel that has launched missiles at merchant ships in the port of Misrata. A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attacks two smaller Libyan vessels accompanying the patrol vessel, sinking one and forcing the other to be abandoned.{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ih00SjajZrRqzoKtRYk6WrIfBCjA?docId=4feb676e61444623b9f057ccec371a6f|title=US Aircraft Engage Libyan Coastguard Vessel|date=29 March 2011|access-date=29 March 2011}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

;30 March

  • After a sandstorm prevents strikes the previous day, coalition aircraft begin attacks against Libyan government forces around Ra's Lanuf and on the road to Uqayla.Staff (29 March 2011). [http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-30 "Libya Live Blog – 30 March"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821025747/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-30 |date=21 August 2011 }}. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 March 2011.

;31 March

  • The United States turns over command of coalition operations in Libya to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO){{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-nato-idUSTRE74J52M20110522|title=Factbox: Latest Military Activity in Libya for 22 May 2011|work=Reuters |author =Brunnstrom, David|date=22 May 2011|access-date=6 June 2011}} and greatly reduces its participation in airstrikes there.
  • Coalition aircraft strike an eastern suburb of Tripoli, Libya,Staff (30 March 2011). [http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-march-31 "Libya Live Blog – 31 March"]. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 March 2011. and attack Libyan government forces in Brega during the Third Battle of Brega.Staff (31 March 2011). [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/africa/news/article_1629847.php/Rebels-return-to-Brega-amid-reported-defections-by-special-forces "Rebels Return to Brega Amid Reported Defections by Special Forces"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129133455/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/africa/news/article_1629847.php/Rebels-return-to-Brega-amid-reported-defections-by-special-forces |date=29 January 2012 }}. Deutsche Presse-Agentur (via Monsters and Critics). Retrieved 31 March 2011.{{cite news|author=McGreal, Chris|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/31/libya-rebels-brega-assault-fails|work=The Guardian |location=UK |title=Libyan Rebels Deny Crisis After Assault on Brega Fail|date=31 March 2011|access-date=1 April 2011}}

=April=

;1 April

  • In the Libyan Civil War, a coalition airstrike attacking a Libyan government ground convoy in eastern Libya causes a truck carrying ammunition to explode, destroying two nearby houses. Seven civilians die and 25 are wounded.Staff (1 April 2011). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12931731 "Libya Air Raid 'Killed Civilians'"]. BBC News. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  • A Libyan rebel convoy near Brega fires into the air with an anti-aircraft gun, perhaps in celebration. A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft believing it was under attack by Libyan government forces then returns fire, killing at least 13 people.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12944905|work=BBC News|title=Libya: Coalition Air Strike Near Brega Kills Rebels|date=2 April 2011|access-date=9 April 2011}}
  • Southwest Airlines Flight 812, the Boeing 737-3HR N632SW with 123 people on board, suffers an in-flight structural failure which opens a six-foot (1.8-meter)-long hole in its fuselage and triggers an explosive decompression and the deployment of oxygen masks. Only two people suffer minor injuries, and the airliner makes a successful emergency descent and landing at Yuma International Airport in Yuma, Arizona. Southwest Airlines grounds all 80 of its 737-300s for inspection.{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/02/355079/southwest-grounds-80-737s-after-jet-holed-in-flight.html|title=Southwest grounds 80 737s after jet holed in flight|first=David|last=Kaminski-Morrow|work=Flight International |access-date=2 April 2011}}

;4 April

;5 April

  • Coalition airstrikes against an eight-vehicle Libyan government military convoy approaching rebel positions {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of Brega destroy two vehicles. The rest turn back.Lamloum, Imed (5 April 2011). [http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidANA20110405T112215ZFVU33/Libya%20open%20to%20reform,%20rebels%20pushed%20back "Libya Open to Reform, Rebels Pushed Back"]{{Dead link|date=September 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}. Agence France-Presse (via Zawya.com). Retrieved 9 April 2011.

;7 April

  • Unaware that Libyan rebels had taken possession of any tanks, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft mistakenly strike a Libyan rebel tank convoy near Ajdabiya, killing thirteen and wounding many,Staff (7 April 2011). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12997181 "Libyan Rebels Near Ajdabiya 'Killed in Nato Air Strike'"]. BBC News. Retrieved 9 April 2011.{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,755828,00.html|title=Neue Gaddafi-Taktik erschwert Angriffe der Nato|language=de|trans-title=Gaddafi makes new tactics of NATO attacks|work=Der Spiegel|date=4 April 2011|access-date=16 October 2011}} Other NATO airstrikes mistakenly kill two rebels and wound 10 in Brega.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8434749/Libya-Nato-airstrike-kills-rebels-in-Brega.html "Libya: Nato Airstrike 'Kills Rebels in Brega'"]. The Daily Telegraph. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.Staff (8 April 2011). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/nato-confirms-its-planes-struck-libyan-rebels/ "NATO Confirms Its Planes Struck Libyan Rebels"]. Associated Press (via Fox News). Retrieved 9 April 2011.

;10 April

  • NATO announces that its airstrikes in Libya under Operation Unified Protector have destroyed 11 Libyan government tanks near Ajdabiya and 14 near Misrata during the day.Press release (10 April 2011). [http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-EE6963E7-FF6D4E00/natolive/news_72199.htm "NATO Strikes Hit Gaddafi Forces Around Adjabiya and Misratah"]. NATO. Retrieved 12 April 2011. Libyan rebels announce that NATO airstrikes have helped them hold Ajdabiya and drive Gaddafi{{'}}s forces out during the weekend{{'}}s attack.Staff (10 April 2011). [http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-april-10 "Libya Live Blog – 10 April"]. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 April 20911.

;11 April

  • NATO announces that its Operation Unified Protector airstrikes have destroyed 49 Libyan government tanks since 9 April, including 13 on 9 April 25 on 10 April, and 11 on 11 April.Press release (11 April 2011). [http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-3FC0F50B-30D81538/natolive/news_72268.htm "NATO Strikes Further Reduce Pro-Gaddafi Forces Capacity"]. NATO. Retrieved 12 April 2011.

;12 April

  • The Air France Airbus A380 F-HPJD collides on the ground with the Comair Bombardier CRJ-700 N641CA at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, spinning the CRJ-700 through 90°. The Airbus sustains slight damage, but the CRJ-700 is substantially damaged.{{cite web|url=http://www.jacdec.de/news/news.htm |title=ACCIDENTS / INCIDENTS WORLDWIDE |publisher=JACDEC |access-date=21 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227035307/http://www.jacdec.de/news/news.htm |archive-date=27 February 2010 }}

;14 April

  • Coalition jets strike Tripoli, Libya, targeting a military base and damaging parts of a university complex. Libyan government antiaircraft artillery in central Tripoli fires at them.Staff (14 April 2011). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13089452 "Libya: Several Hurt in Nato Air Strike on Tripoli"]. BBC News. Retrieved 15 April 2011.

;21 April

;24 April

  • Libyan rebels claim that coalition airstrikes on Libyan government forces on the Al Zaitoniya–Al Soihat road near Ajdabiya hit 21 military vehicles but NATO does not confirm their claim.Staff (22 April 2011). [http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/libya-live-blog-april-23 "Libya Live Blog – 23 April"]. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 April 2011.

;25 April

  • Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi approves the use of Italian aircraft in ground-attack missions in Libya as part of NATO{{'}}s Operation Unified Protector.Staff (25 April 2011). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13188951 "Libya: Berlusconi Backs Nato Strikes by Italy Jets"]. BBC News. Retrieved 27 April 2011.

;27 April

  • NATO airstrikes mistakenly kill 11 Libyan rebels and wound two in Misrata.[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-27/world/libya.war_1_nato-airstrike-civilians-nato-plane?_s=PM:WORLD "Witness: NATO Airstrike Kills 11 Rebels in Misrata"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829162011/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-27/world/libya.war_1_nato-airstrike-civilians-nato-plane?_s=PM%3AWORLD |date=29 August 2011 }}. CNN. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.

;30 April

  • The Syrian government deploys helicopters to Daraa in response to antiregime protests there as violence increases in the Syrian Civil War.{{cite news|title=Fresh violence hits Syrian town|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/04/20114309234489989.html|access-date=14 July 2011|work=Al Jazeera|date=30 April 2011}}
  • A NATO airstrike in Tripoli kills Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Arab Gaddafi. The Libyan government claims that three of Said al-Arab Gaddafi's children also die in the attack.[http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/338B2C39-54B0-429D-BF7C-277E4820B167.html " الأخبار – عربي – مقتل نجل للقذافي بغارة للناتو"]. (in Arabic).Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 May 2011.

=May=

;1–2 May (overnight)

;2 May

  • A remotely operated vehicle finally finds the flight recorders from Air France Flight 447 on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and brings them to surface after a 23-month search for them. Flight 447 had crashed on 1 June 2009.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/malaysia-airlines-flight-recorder-beacons-send-signal-for-30-days-before-batteries-die/2014/03/11/1d1cb3d8-a8a2-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html Halsey, Ashley III, "Malaysia Airlines flight recorder beacons send signals for 30 days before batteries die," washingtonpost.com, 11 March 2014.]

;7 May

;11 May

  • Libyan rebel forces capture Misrata Airport, which also serves as a Libyan Air Force base.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13363782 "Libya Rebels 'Capture Misrata Airport'"]. BBC News. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  • Judy Wexler becomes the first woman to pilot a human-powered helicopter, remaining airborne for four seconds and achieving an altitude of a few inches in the University of Maryland{{'}}s Gamera I.[http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nrajan/PROJECTS/HUMAN%20POWERED%20HELICOPTER/hph.html University of Michigan Human-Powered Helicopter]

;13 May

  • A North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) airstrike targeting a Libyan government command and control bunker in Brega hits a building, killing 11 civilians and wounding 45.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-brega-attack-idUSTRE74C2UY20110513 "NATO Strike Kills at Least 16 in Brega: Report"]. Reuters. Retrieved 20 May 2011.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-nato-brega-idUSTRE74D07U20110514 "NATO Says Brega Strike Directed at Command Bunker"]. Reuters. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  • The first Solar Impulse aircraft, HB-SIA, the first solar-powered aircraft capable of both day and night flight thanks to its batteries charged by solar power, makes its first international flight, flying {{convert|630|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Payerne Airport outside Payerne, Switzerland, to Brussels Airport in Belgium, in 12 hours 59 minutes at an average speed of {{convert|50|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.[http://www.planet-techno-science.com/ciel-et-espace/solar-impulse-premier-vol-international-reussi-pour-lavion-solaire/ "Solar Impulse: Premier vol international réussi pour l'avion solaire," planet-techno-science.com, 14 May 2011 (French language).][http://www.fai.org/news-of-records/35101-the-fai-ratifies-solar-impulses-world-records Anonymous, "The FAI Ratifies Solar Impulse's World Records," fai.org, 22 October 2010, 00:23.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127143011/http://www.fai.org/news-of-records/35101-the-fai-ratifies-solar-impulses-world-records|date=27 January 2012}}

;17 May

  • A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle carrying a live AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missile misses the runway at Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti, Djibouti, by {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} and crashes near a residential area. Its missile does not explode, and no one is injured.

;18 May

;19–20 May (overnight)

  • NATO aircraft raid Libyan Navy bases at Tripoli, Khoms, and Sirte in the largest attack against Libyan government naval forces thus far in the Libyan Civil War. During the Khoms raids, British aircraft hit two corvettes at Khoms with laser-guided bombs and damage an inflatable-boat manufacturing facility, and NATO aircraft set a warship at Tripoli afire. NATO aircraft also hit a police academy in Tripoli{{'}}s Tajoura neighborhood.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43106115|title=NATO Bombs Gadhafi Warships|work= NBC News|date=20 May 2011|access-date=7 June 2011}}

;21 May

  • NATO conducts 147 air sorties over Libya, targeting two command-and-control facilities in and near Tripoli, an ammunition storage facility near Tripoli, a naval asset near Sirte, two air defense radars near Al Khums, and a tank and a military truck near Zintan. Since NATO took command of air strikes in Libya on 31 March 31, its aircraft have conducted 2,975 strike and 4.757 other sorties.

;23 May

  • France and the United Kingdom announce that they will begin to use attack helicopters in Libya to increase the accuracy of NATO airstrikes and allow more precise strikes against urban targets.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110523| title = France and Britain To Use Attack Helicopters in Libya |work=Reuters |author1=Irish, John |author2=Abbad, Mohammed |date=23 May 2011|access-date=15 August 2011}}

;24 May

  • NATO stages the largest air attacks against Tripoli since th beginning of the international intervention in the Libyan Civil War, with ore than 20 airstrikes hitting Tripoli near Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's compound. The Libyan government reports at least three people killed and dozens wounded.[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43140642 "US Reaches Out to Libya Rebels Amid Airstrikes"]. NBC News (24 May 2011). Retrieved 13 June 2011.

;26 May

  • The United Kingdom announces plans to send four Apache helicopters to serve in the Libyan conflict.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13585019|title=Libya: NATO Planes Target Gaddafi's Tripoli Compound|work=BBC News|date=28 May 2011|access-date=6 June 2011}}

;27 May

  • NATO aircraft conduct 151 sorties over Libya, striking a command and control facility in Tripoli, ammunition storage facilities near Sirte, Mizda, and Hun, a rocket launcher and two truck-mounted guns near Misrata, and four surface-to-air missile launchers near Zintan. NATO jets also destroy the guard towers surrounding Gaddafi's Bab al-Azizia compound in Tripoli. NATO aircraft have flown 8,585 sorties over Libya since NATO took command of the operations there on 31 March.Press release (28 May 2011). [http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_05/20110528_110528-oup-update.pdf "Operational Media Update for 27 May"] (PDF format). NATO. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  • As of 27 May, a total of twenty NATO ships were actively patrolling the Central Mediterranean.

;28 May

  • Japanese wingsuit pilot Shin Ito sets a world record for the highest speed reached in a wingsuit flight, achieving a speed of {{convert|363|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} over Yolo County, California. The jump starts from an altitude of {{convert|32,000|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-10000/fastest-speed-reached-in-a-wing-suit/ |title=Fastest speed reached in a wing suit |work= Guinness World Records|access-date=10 August 2011}}

;31 May

  • Bulgaria Air, the national airline of Bulgaria signs a lease agreement for three Embraer E-190s.{{cite web | url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/bulgaria-air-to-lease-three-e-190s-357351/ | title=Bulgaria Air to lease three E-190s }}
  • The Libyan government claims that NATO air raids have killed 718 civilians and injured more than 4,000 since the international bombing campaign to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya began.Staff (31 May 2011). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13611132 "Libya Says Nato Air Raids 'Killed 700 Civilians'"]. BBC News (31 May 2011). Retrieved 18 August 2011.

=June=

;2 June

  • NATO air attacks in Libya destroy ammunition and vehicle depots, a surface-to-air missile launcher, and a radar installation in Tripoli.{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/06/20116214531744425.html|title=Gaddafi To Send Representative to OPEC|work= Al Jazeera |date=2 June 2011|access-date=6 June 2011}}

;3 June

;4 June

  • British Army Air Corps Apache attack helicopters from HMS Ocean destroy several Libyan government targets near the Brega-Ajdabiya front line, including ammunition bunkers and radar installations. French Gazelles hit numerous targets around Brega in preparation for an expected rebel ground offensive.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/05/nato-libya-apache-gunships-success|title=NATO Strike Force in Libya Enjoys Quick Success with Apache Gunships|work=The Guardian |location=London | author =Sengupta, Kim |date=5 June 2011|access-date=6 June 2011}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110604|title=NATO Helicopters Ratchet Up Pressure on Gaddafi|work= Reuters| author =Graff, Peter|date=4 June 2011|access-date=6 June 2011}}

;5 June

  • NATO airstrikes level the offices of Libya{{'}}s state television service, Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting Corporation, and the Libyan government military intelligence offices in Tripoli.{{cite news|url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jun-6-2011-2145-0|title= Libyan Live Blog: June 6, 2011 – 21:45|work= Al Jazeera |date=6 June 2011|access-date=6 June 2011}}

;9 June

;10 June

;14 June

  • NATO aircraft strike Waddan, Libya.[https://www.reuters.com/article/ozatp-libya-idAFJOE75E02K20110615 Carey, Nick, and Youssef Boudlal, "NATO strikes Tripoli, Libyan Rebels Make Gains," Reuters, 15 June 2011, 1:14 a.m. EDT]
  • In response to Libya firing rockets into its territory, Tunisia flies a helicopter and a Tunisian Air Force F-5 Freedom Fighter along its border with Libya.

;14–15 June (overnight)

  • NATO jets resume airstrikes on Tripoli after a lull in such raids, bombarding mainly its eastern neighborhoods.

;15 June

  • A NATO commander confirms that NATO warplanes have bombed an ammunition store at Waddan, Libya.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110615|title=NATO Strikes Tripoli, Libyan Rebels Make Gains|work = Reuters|author1=Carey, Nick |author2=Boudlal, Youssef |date=14 June 2011|access-date=15 June 2011}}

;16 June

;19 June

  • A NATO airstrike accidentally hits a civilian neighborhood in Tripoli, Libya. The Libyan government claims that at least five people died in the attack.{{cite news|date=19 June 2011|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13826976|title=Nato Raid Kills Five Civilians, Libyan Officials Say|work=BBC News|access-date=18 August 2011}}{{cite news|date=19 June 2011|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43454221|title=NATO Cites Errant Missile in Libya Civilian Deaths|work=NBC News|access-date=18 August 2011|location=Tripoli}}

;20 June

;21 June

  • Libyan government antiaircraft fire shoots down an unmanned NATO MQ-8 Fire Scout helicopter drone on a reconnaissance flight near Zliten, Libya.{{cite news| title=Libya Conflict: Nato Loses Drone Helicopter|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13858200|work=BBC News|date=21 June 2011|access-date=18 August 2011}}

;29 June

  • KLM becomes the first airline in the world to provide flights using biofuel.{{cite magazine| url=https://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/07/klm-completes-first-scheduled-service-flight-using-biofuel/ | magazine=Wired | first=Jason | last=Paur | title=KLM Completes First Scheduled Service Flight Using Biofuel | date=1 July 2011}}
  • The French military confirms that it had air-dropped weapons in early June to Libyan rebels fighting in the highlands south of Tripoli, which Russia and the African Union in particular argue was in violation of the arms embargo against Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.{{cite news|date=29 June 2011|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13955751|title=Libya Conflict: France Air-Dropped Arms to Rebels|work=BBC News|access-date=17 August 2011}}

=July=

;2 July

  • NATO confirms that in recent days it has increased its airstrikes against military targets in western Libya, bombing Tripoli and Gharyan and armored vehicles in Bir al-Ghanam.{{cite news |last= Schreck|first=Adam | title = NATO Boosts Airstrikes on Military Targets in Libya |work=The Boston Globe|agency=Associated Press|location=Tripoli| date = 3 July 2011| url = https://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2011/07/03/nato_boosts_airstrikes_on_military_targets_in_libya/ | access-date =3 July 2011 }}

;5 July

;6 July

;8 July

;10 July

  • Egypt ends its unrestricted immigration policy for Libyan nationals arriving in Egypt by air.{{cite news|url=http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-jul-10-2011-1442|date=10 July 2011|access-date=25 January 2012|work=Al Jazeera|title=Sun, 10 Jul 2011, 12:42}}

;11 July

;12 July

  • An airstrip laid out along a stretch of highway near Rhebat in the Nafusa Mountains was opened by a senior NTC minister, allowing an air connection via a small private company, Air Libya, between Benghazi and the Amazigh rebels.{{cite news |date=12 July 2011 |url=http://english.libya.tv/?p=7370 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118213741/http://english.libya.tv/?p=7370 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2013 |title=NTC Minister Opens Western Nafusa Mountains Air Link |work=Libya TV |access-date=16 August 2011 }}

;13 July

;17 July

  • About 100 Syrian Air Force intelligence personnel defect to the rebel side in Abu Kamal, Syria.{{cite news|title=Syrian tanks circle town on Iraq border as soldiers defect|url=http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Video/Article.aspx?id=229753|access-date=16 August 2011|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=17 July 2011}}

;19 July

;22 July

;23 July

  • NATO aircraft strike a Libyan government military storage facility, a multiple rocket launcher, and a command-and-control node in the Brega area.{{cite news|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/rebels-repulse-attack-by-gaddafi-forces-20110725-1hvuk.html|date=25 July 2011|access-date=25 January 2012|title=Rebels Repulse Attack by Gaddafi Forces|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|agency=Agence France-Presse}}

;25 July

  • NATO aircraft strike various targets in Ziltan, Libya. The Libyan government claims that they struck a health clinic, a food-storage complex, and a military base and killed at least 11 civilians. NATO later rejects the claims, saying its planes hit a command-and-control node and a vehicle storage facility.{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/25/libya.fighting/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726171945/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/07/25/libya.fighting/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2011|date=26 July 2011|access-date=26 July 2011|author1=Watson, Ivan |author2=Karadsheh, Jomana |title=Libya's Zlitan Increasingly in Rebel, NATO Sights|work = CNN}}

;26 July

;28 July

;29 July

;30 July

=August=

;1 August

;3 August

;5 August

;9 August

;12 August

  • A NATO airstrike against Libyan government positions in Brega destroys two armored vehicles and kills six Libyan Army soldiers.{{cite news|url= https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE77C03S20110813?sp=true|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140407091550/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE77C03S20110813?sp=true|url-status= dead|archive-date= 7 April 2014|author = Georgy, Michael| work=Reuters Africa|agency = Reuters |date= 13 August 2011|access-date=20 August 2011|title=Libyan Rebels Advance on Zawiyah, Battle in Brega}}
  • The French Navy aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle returns to Toulon, France, after more than four months of continuous operations off the coast of Libya.http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18667927 . San Jose Mercury News.

;15 August

  • The first known collision of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a manned fixed-wing aircraft occurs when a United States Army RQ-7B Shadow UAV collides with a United States Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo plane at an altitude of approximately {{convert|1,300|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} as the C-130 descends toward Forward Operating Base Sharana in Afghanistan. The RQ-7B is completely destroyed, but the C-130 lands safely without injury to its crew. The only previous collision of a UAV with a manned aircraft had been between a U.S. Army RQ-11 Raven UAV and a U.S. Army MH-6 Little Bird helicopter over Baghdad, Iraq, in 2004.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/06/20/when-drones-fall-from-the-sky/ Whitlock, Craig, "When Drones Fall From the Sky," washingtonpost.com, 20 June 2014.][http://www.spacenews.com/article/army-may-cancel-two-planned-uavs-ease-congestion-over-battlefield Grant, Greg, "Army May Cancel Two Planned UAVs To Ease Congestion Over Battlefield," spacenews.com, 29 June 2004.]

;16 August

  • The Government of Canada announces that the name of the Canadian Armed Forces Air Command will revert to "Royal Canadian Air Force," the name it had held as an independent armed service until 1968.[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/conservatives-to-restore-royal-moniker-to-canadas-navy-air-force/article2130125/ Galloway, Gloria, "Conservatives to Restore 'Royal' Moniker' to Canada's Navy, Air Force," Toronto Globe and Mail, 15 August 2011.]

;17 August

;20 August

  • A Royal Air Force Red Arrows BAE Systems Hawk T.1 aerobatic team crashes during a public display at Bournemouth Air Festival, killing the pilot.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14602900|title=Red Arrows pilot dies in Bournemouth Air Festival crash|date=20 August 2011|access-date=20 August 2011|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News Online}}{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/37024/20121206-XX179_SI_Part_1-3-U.pdf |title=Narrative of Events |publisher=Military Aviation Authority |access-date=22 March 2014}}
  • As the Battle of Tripoli begins, Libyan rebels capture Tripoli International Airport{{cite news| url = https://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE77J05Q20110820| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120926174546/http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE77J05Q20110820| url-status = dead| archive-date = 26 September 2012|title = Libyan Rebels in Fight for Tripoli Airbase – Activist|work = Reuters |date = 20 August 2011 | access-date =22 August 2011}} and launch an assault on Mitiga International Airport east of Tripoli.
  • First Air Flight 6560 – a Boeing 737-210C (registration C-GNWN) with 15 people on board arriving from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada – drifts off course in poor visibility on final approach to Resolute Bay Airport at Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, and crashes into a hill a mile from the runway, killing 12 people on board and injuring all three survivors. Recovery of the survivors and investigation of the crash are aided greatly by the ongoing Canadian Armed Forces Operation Nanook 2011, which had planned to simulate an airliner disaster in the Resolute Bay area at the time of the crash, and by the prompt arrival of Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators, who are aboard an aircraft flying to Resolute Bay at the time of crash to take part in the planned simulation.

;22 August

  • An American unmanned aerial vehicle strike in Pakistan conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency kills Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and Ansar al-Sunna and former chief-of-staff to the deceased al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.[http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/07/15760065-senior-al-qaida-leader-killed-in-drone-strike-in-pakistan-jihadis-us-officials-say Windram, Robert, "Senior al-Qaida Leader Killed in Drone Strike in Pakistan, Jihadis, U.S. Officials Say," NBC News, 7 December 2012.]
  • The Government of Niger begins patrols by Niger Air Force aircraft over its border with Libya to avoid infiltration of Niger{{'}}s territory by armed groups from Libya and the crossing of the border by mercenaries from the Sahel heading to Sabha, Libya, and to end the smuggling of military forces and resources out of Libya.{{cite news| author = Felix, Bate | url=https://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5E7JL0I720110822| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927215808/http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5E7JL0I720110822| url-status=dead| archive-date=27 September 2012|title=Niger Launches Air Surveillance on Libyan Border|work= Reuters |date=22 August 2011| access-date =25 August 2011}}

;25 August

  • At Tripoli International Airport during the Battle of Tripoli, the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A300B4-620 5A-IAY and the Libyan Arab Airlines Airbus A300B4-622 5A-DLZ are burned out and destroyed during fighting between government and rebel forces, and the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 5A-ONK suffers substantial damage when an artillery shell hits its fuselage, setting it afire as well.{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110825-0 |title=5A-IAY Hull-Loss Description |website= Aviation Safety Network |access-date=27 August 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110825-1 |title=5A-DLZ Criminal Occurrence Description |website= Aviation Safety Network |access-date=27 August 2011}}http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/26/361307/pictures-two-a300s-destroyed-in-tripoli-conflict.html . flightglobal.com. Some reports mention an additional two aircraft destroyed, including an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330.Salama, Vivian (26 August 2011). [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-25/libyan-rebels-press-toward-qaddafi-s-hometown-of-sirte-as-reward-offered.html "Tripoli Airport Attacked by Qaddafi Forces"]. Bloomberg. Retrieved 2 September 2011.

=September=

;2 September

;4 September

;7 September

;14 September

  • The Libyan rebel National Transitional Council reports that it has captured the Libyan government military airbase at Brak.CNN Staff (14 September 2011) [http://www.theindychannel.com/news/29179753/detail.html "Libya Fighters Issue Deadline To Civilians In Gadhafi Stronghold".]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} CNN/TheIndyChannel.com. Retrieved 15 September 2011.

;16 September

  • Libyan rebel forces take control of the airport at Sirte.http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/gaddafi-loyalists-stall-assaults-last-bastions-4405584 {{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  • The North American P-51D Mustang The Galloping Ghost, flown by James K. "Jimmy" Leeward, crashes into box seats in front of the grandstand at the Reno Air Races at Reno Stead Airport north of Reno, Nevada. Leeward and 10 others are killed and 69 people are injured. It is the third-deadliest airshow accident in U.S. history and the deadliest aviation accident of any kind in the United States in two years.

;22 September

;26 September

;27–28 September

  • All Nippon Airways flies the first delivery flight of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, from Paine Field, Washington, to Tokyo International Airport.

;30 September

=October=

  • Libyan Airlines aircraft fly for the first time since the United Nations military intervention in the Libyan Civil War began in March, operating on the Tripoli, Libya-to-Cairo, Egypt, route.
  • Meridiana Fly acquires Air Italy.
  • Key West International Airport receives approval to provide commercial air service between Key West, Florida, and Cuba. It will take more than two years for charter airline operators to receive all the necessary permissions to make the first flight, which will take place on 30 December 2013 as the first commercial flight between Key West and Cuba in over 50 years.{{Cite web |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/first-flight-key-west-cuba-takes |title=Newman, Andy, and Christine Armario, "," Associated Press, 30 December 2013 3:42 PM EST. |access-date=1 January 2014 |archive-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702161937/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/first-flight-key-west-cuba-takes |url-status=dead }}

;10 October

  • Flying a modified Yakovlev Yak-3U powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engine, William Whiteside sets an official international speed record for piston-engined aircraft in the under{{convert|-3,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} category, reaching {{convert|655|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} over a {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=on}} course at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the United States, greatly exceeding the previous record of {{convert|491|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} set in 2002 by Jim Wright.Wilkinson, Stephan, "Yak Sets Speed Record," Aviation History, March 2012, p. 10.

;11 October

  • Tripoli International Airport in Tripoli, Libya, officially reopens. It had been closed since 19 March, when international forces began to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya imposed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.{{cite news| url=https://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/12/world/africa/libya-war/index.html | work=CNN | title=Libya's NTC fighters stage final advance in Sirte holdout - CNN.com | date=12 October 2011}}
  • In the same modified Yak-3U, William Whiteside sets an unofficial speed record for piston-engined aircraft in the under{{convert|-3,000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} category of {{convert|670|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} over the same {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=on|adj=on}} course at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

;16 October

  • Kenyan Air Force jets strike two villages in Somalia in support of a Kenyan invasion of Somalia to attack militant groups there.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/8831849/Al-Shabaab-warns-Kenya-of-reprisals-if-Somalia-deployment-continues.html Pflanz, Mike, "Al-Shabaab Warns Kenya of Reprisals if Somalia Deployment Continues," The Telegraph, 17 October 2011.]

;21 October

  • An electric-powered multicopter achieves sustained flight without ground assistance for the first time, when the battery-powered, 16-rotor e-volo VC1 helicopter achieves an altitude of {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} for 90 seconds at Karlsruhe, Germany. The VC1 reportedly can remain airborne for 20 minutes on a single charge. The flight will win e-volo the Lindbergh Prize for advances in environmentally friendly ("green") aviation.Mauro, Stephen, "e-volo Takes Lindbergh Prize," Aviation History, November 2012, p. 10.

;23 October

  • After the death of Muammar Gaddafi three days earlier, the Libyan Civil War ends.{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/10/201110235316778897.html|agency=Al Jazeera English|date=23 October 2011|access-date=23 October 2011|title=NTC declares 'Liberation of Libya'}}

;26 October

  • All Nippon Airways flies the first commercial flight of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, from Tokyo to Hong Kong.{{cite news|title=Boeing's Dreamliner completes first commercial flight|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15456914|work=BBC News|date=26 October 2011|access-date=26 October 2011}}
  • In response to an ongoing industrial dispute with three labor unions, all Qantas aircraft are grounded by Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce.Staff writers (29 October 2011) [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/qantas-strikes-to-hit-10000-passengers-today/story-e6freuy9-1226180303475 "Shock as Qantas chief Alan Joyce grounds airline's domestic and international fleet"]. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 30 October 2011

;31 October

  • The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announces the end of Operation Unified Protector, its military operations in Libya. Since taking command of the international intervention in the Libyan civil war on 31 March, its aircraft have carried out 9,600 strike sorties and destroyed more than 1,000 tanks, vehicles, and guns, as well as the Libyan air defense and command-and-control network.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/31/nato-ends-libya-rasmussen|agency=The Guardian|date=31 October 2011|title=Nato ends military operations in Libya|first=Richard|last=Norton-Taylor}}

=November=

  • U.S. Air Force inspectors ground the Air Force{{'}}s MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles based at Seychelles International Airport on Mahé in the Seychelles after discovering that the Reapers, operated by the private firm Merlin RAMCo, had not received required mechanical upgrades. The Reapers remain grounded until December.

;1 November

;2 November

  • American wingsuit flier Dean Potter makes the longest verified wingsuit BASE jump in terms of distance traveled, covering {{convert|7.5|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} in a jump from the Eiger in Switzerland. His flight involves a descent of {{convert|9,200|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} and lasts 3 minutes 20 seconds.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tonywingsuits.com/deanpotter.html |title="Dean Potter's record-breaking flight from the Eiger," tonywingsuits.com |access-date=24 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422104233/http://www.tonywingsuits.com/deanpotter.html |archive-date=22 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}

;13 November

  • The Dubai-based airline Emirates orders 50 Boeing 777 airliners worth about US$18,000,000,000 – the largest order in terms of commercial value in Boeing{{'}}s history at the time – with an option to purchase 20 more 777s for another $8,000,000,000.[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/business/emirates-airline-orders-50-boeing-777s.html Reuters, "Emirates Airline Places Big Order for Boeing Jets", newyorktimes.com, 13 November 2011]

;18 November

  • Lion Air and Boeing sign the most valuable commercial order in history at the time, a $21,700,000,000 Lion Air order for 201 Boeing 737 MAX and 29 Boeing 737-900ER airliners. At 230 aircraft, it is also the single biggest order in history at the time for airliners in terms of the number of aircraft ordered. The deal also includes options for another 150 future aircraft for Lion Air.[https://money.cnn.com/2011/11/17/news/companies/boeing_order/index.htm Burruss, Logan, "Boeing sets record with $22 billion order," money.cnn.com, 17 November 2011, 1:23 PM EST.][http://business.inquirer.net/113903/airbus-boeing-battle-shifts-to-indonesia Anonymous, "Airbus-Boeing battle shifts to Indonesia," Agence France-Presse, 24 March 2013, 12:17 PM.]

; 26 November

  • American aircraft participating in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Afghan operation against insurgents in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan mistakenly attack a Pakistani border post, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/nato-airstrike-strains-us-pakistan-relations/2011/11/27/gIQA69z32N_story_1.html Brulliard, Karin, and Joshua Partlow, "NATO Airstrike Strains U.S.-Pakistan Relations", The Washington Post, 27 November 2011.]

=December=

;1 December

  • A Central Intelligence Agency RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a reconnaissance mission malfunctions, veers out of control, and flies deep into Iran, where it runs out of fuel and crashes.[http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/12/05/9226787-drone-that-crashed-in-iran-risks-secret-us-technology?lite Miklaszewski, Jim, "Drone That Crashed in Iran Risks Secret U.S. Technology," NBCNews.com, 5 December 2011.]

;4 December

  • Iran announces its capture of the CIA UAV, claiming to have shot it down. The United States acknowledges the loss of the UAV for the first time, but denies that it was shot down.
  • The low-cost Thai airline Thai Lion Air, a subsidiary of Lion Air, makes its first flight, flying on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai route. It begins full service the following day.

;10 December

;13 December

  • The engine of an unarmed, contractor-operated U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle fails two minutes after takeoff from Seychelles International Airport on Mahé in the Seychelles. The Reaper descends too quickly while its operator attempts an emergency landing at the airport, touches down too far along the runway, bounces over a perimeter road and breakwater, and crashes and sinks in the Indian Ocean about {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} offshore.
  • Ethiopian Airlines joins the Star Alliance.

First flights

=January=

  • 11 January – Chengdu J-20 in China.{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/01/11/351702/chinas-j-20-likely-conducted-maiden-flight.html |title=China's J-20 likely conducted maiden flight |first=Greg |last=Waldon |publisher=Flight International |access-date=11 January 2011}}
  • 27 January – Sonex Aircraft Onex

=February=

=March=

=April=

  • 27 April – Boeing Phantom Ray{{cite magazine |last=Broadbent |first= Mark |title= Phantom Ray Airborne| magazine= Air International |date= June 2011 |volume=80 |issue = 6| page=19 |issn=0306-5634}}

=June=

=October=

=December=

Entered service

Deadliest crash

The deadliest crash of this year was a military accident, namely the 2011 Royal Moroccan Air Force C-130 crash, which crashed near Guelmim, Morocco on 26 July killing all 80 people on board. The deadliest commercial accident was Iran Air Flight 277, a Boeing 727 which crashed near Urmia, Iran on 9 January, killing 78 of the 105 people on board.

References

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Category:Aviation by year