Overcrowded Islands, Cancelled Flights And Abandoned Airports In This Week's Beyond Cars Roundup

Thousands of cruise ship passengers turned the charming Greek island of Santorini into standing-room-only hell Wednesday, proving once again it really is the worst way to travel. - Erin Marquis Read More

When they’re up and running, airports are hubs of life and activity, with excited travelers heading out on holiday, reluctant businessman flying for work and all walks of life passing through. When they shut up shop, however, they become eerie ghost towns offering a glimpse into a forgotten history, and that’s exactly what a group of urban explorers found when they went inside an international airport that’s been abandoned for more than 20 years. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Modern passenger planes are pretty impressive machines. They carry hundreds of people for thousands of miles, pack in luxury trimmings like showers and can even hit supersonic speeds in the right conditions. They’re also built to withstand some pretty serious weather, which means that their wings bend way further than you might expect. - Owen Bellwood Read More

Another Southwest flight flew dangerously close to the ocean this month and now the Federal Aviation Administration wants to know what the heck is going on at the airline. - Lawrence Hodge Read More

Tesla CEO and online shitposter Elon Musk is reigniting the idea of fighting Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. While he was leaving the U.S. Capitol after attending Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress (which I will not comment on for fear of getting yelled at), a reporter asked him about his on-again-off-again fight plans with fellow billionaire Zuc. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More

A large whale smashed a fishing boat Tuesday morning just off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, sending two people into the drink. It is just the latest volley in the war between marine mammals and human boats. - Erin Marquis Read More

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is no stranger to making bold promises with little follow through, but maybe this time will be different. He just posted on his social media site X that Tesla will have humanoid robots in “low production” for the automaker’s internal use sometime next year. Then, they’ll “hopefully” be rolled out to other companies in 2026. Sure, buddy. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More

Nuclear-powered spacecraft could be the apex vehicle of this century’s space race. Concepts and designs for reactor-equipped rockets have been around for over 50 years but have never left the experimental stage. Despite ambitions to boldly go where no one has gone before, America’s latest push to get nuclear propulsion is to get the upper hand on the country’s new adversary in orbit, the People’s Republic of China. - Ryan Erik King Read More

Southwest Airlines is about to start assigning seats on flights and sell some with extra legroom. The changes are being made in an effort to appeal to more passengers who skip it for other airlines like Delta, United and American. Additionally, the plan will serve as a way to fend off an activist investor who is pushing for an overhaul of the airline’s leadership and operating strategy. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More

Delta Air Lines is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection on the heels of it canceling hundreds of flights for a fifth straight day after a software update bug from CrowdStrike crashed Microsoft systems around the globe. - Andy Kalmowitz Read More