1 January — Kolavia Flight 348, operated by Tupolev Tu-154B-2 RA-85588 of Kogalymavia catches fire while taxying for take-off at Surgut International Airport, Russia, killing three people, and injuring 43. The aircraft is destroyed by the fire.

5 January — An attempt is made to hijack Turkish Airlines Flight 1754 from Gardermoen Airport, Oslo to Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul. The hijacker was overpowered by other passengers on the flight and was arrested when the aircraft landed.[1] The flight was being operated by Boeing 737-800 TC-JGZ.

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.

24 January — Ethiad Airways Flight 19, operated by Airbus A340-600 A6-EHH was escorted into Stanstead Airport, 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.

10 February — Plane crash in Cork, Ireland kills six. 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.

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.

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.

11 March — Following an earthquake and tsunami, Sendai Airport is engulfed by a surge wave and put out of action. Flights are suspended from a number of airports in Japan, including Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, Tokyo. In Hawaii, Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului and Lihue airports were all temporarily closed.

1 April — Southwest Airlines flight diverts due to 'rapid decompression in the cabin.' Southwest Airlines Flight 812 operated by Boeing 737-3HR N632SW of suffered a structural failure of the fuselage in flight. A 6 feet (1.8 m) long hole opened up leading to explosive decompression and the deployment of oxygen masks. A successful emergency descent and landing at Yuma International Airport was made. Southwest grounded all 80 of their 737-300s for inspection following the incident.

12 April — Air France Airbus A380 F-HPJD was involved in a ground collision with Comair Bombardier CRJ-700 N641CA AT John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, spinning the latter through 90°. The Airbus sustained slight damage, whilst the CRJ-700 was substantially damaged.

21 April — Sukhoi Superjet 100, the first airliner developed from start to finish in post-Soviet Russia, makes its first commercial passenger flight on the Armavia route from Yerevan to Moscow.

June — RusAir Flight 243 Registered RA-65691, a Tupolev Tu-134A-3, suffered a CFIT while on final approach to Petrozavodsk Airport from Domodedovo International Airport. The aircraft landed short on runway due to poor visibility and weather in vicinity, killing 47 passengers and crew members and leaving 5 injured survivors. The aircraft is written off.

22 July — The Space Shuttle Atlantis returns to Earth, ending the Space Shuttle program.

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 held as an independent armed service until 1968.

26 September — Boeing delivers its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to a customer, All Nippon Airways, at Paine Field in Washington.

27-28 September All Nippon Airways flies the first delivery flight of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, from Paine Field, Washington, to Tokyo International Airport.

11 January — Chengdu J-20 in China.

20 March — Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in Everett, Washington.