2025’s Best Aviation April Fools: From the Return of the Concorde to the Uniting of Airbus & Boeing

April 1st brought another wave of cleverly crafted aviation April fools. This year, the fun included a surprising return of the Concorde on flight trackers, Emirates launching a parcel delivery service with A380s, Airbus supposedly reviving the A380 for low-cost carriers, European airports swapping water salutes for confetti cannons, and our own exclusive joke about Boeing and Airbus teaming up to create the A797MAX, featuring none other than Tom Cruise as the project’s lead engineer. The creativity didn’t disappoint, and the reactions online made it all even better. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

The Return of the Concorde

It was a thrilling surprise when Flightradar24 showcased the iconic Concorde apparently soaring through the skies once more. The legendary supersonic jet, retired since 2003, had previously serviced Mach 2 transatlantic routes exclusively enjoyed by affluent and famous passengers. Yesterday morning’s false sightings displayed flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The prank was meticulously executed by Flightradar24, incorporating realistic details such as accurate aircraft registrations, altitude, and speed metrics, ultimately confirming the spectacle as an elaborate aviation April Fools’ hoax.

Emirates Ventures into Parcel Delivery

Meanwhile, Emirates joined the aviation April fools with its own humorous announcement via X (formerly Twitter). The Dubai-based airline humorously claimed it would venture into parcel delivery, introducing a VIP service—Very Important Parcels. This novel service would supposedly compete directly with courier giants like DHL, providing door-to-door deliveries with Emirates’ hallmark passenger care. Despite the humorous scenario of landing an Airbus A380 on suburban streets being impractical, the joke entertained followers who briefly imagined parcel deliveries through the lenses of luxury airline service.

Airbus & Boeing to Unite for the “A797MAX”

Adding to the long aviation April fools list, we humorously announced the unprecedented collaboration between aviation giants Boeing and Airbus on the futuristic A797MAX. The aircraft was described as a medium-haul twinjet with a rare 4-4 configuration and to be powered by a new high-bypass twin-engine platform jointly developed by Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace.

Adding a humorous twist, we quoted that the project chief engineer is Tom Cruise, who playfully declared during a joint press conference in Toulouse, “The A797MAX is more than a jet – it’s a vision of what commercial aviation should be: smart, efficient, comfortable, and sustainable. We’ve taken the strongest attributes of both companies and fused them into one aircraft.”

Watching people debate the specs or genuinely believe Tom Cruise was leading the project added a whole new level of fun to the prank.

Airbus Relaunches A380 for Budget Airlines

Another notable April Fools’ story originated from Simple Flying, which creatively announced Airbus’s supposed relaunch of the A380, this time modified specifically for low-cost carriers. This announcement was particularly striking given the A380’s traditional association with luxury, full-service airlines. Simple Flying humorously suggested that budget airlines like Ryanair could leverage the A380’s massive capacity to efficiently handle popular short-haul routes, such as between London Stansted Airport (STN) and Dublin Airport (DUB).

European Airports Switch to Confetti Salutes

Lastly, AeroTime humorously reported that European airports had switched from traditional water cannon salutes to confetti cannons, allegedly due to environmental regulations. Their playful hoax also mentioned alternative celebratory options such as brass bands and actors dressed in animal costumes, but noted that confetti cannons won 60% of votes among airport stakeholders.

• Featured image by Eduard Marmet

Youssef Yahya

Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’

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