This is a list of aviation-related events in 1988.
Events
January During the first week of January, the Iraqi Air Force hits a Greek-owned commercial cargo ship with an Exocet missile in the Persian Gulf.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , pp. 352n. During early January, Iran experiments with the use of AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles in antishipping strikes in the Persian Gulf. The Mavericks warhead proves too small to inflict significant damage on merchant ships.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 363. January 1 – The United States Government begins to track the on-time-arrival and baggage-handling performance of United States airlines.Associated Press, "Carriers Do Better On Arrival Time, Liggage," The Washington Post, August 10, 2012, p. A9. January 15 – Since January 1, Iraq has conducted five airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and one against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out two air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping, but none against urban and economic targets in Iraq.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 365. January 19 – Mid Pacific Air ceases all passenger service to Hawaii. It will cease all cargo service to Hawaii a month later. January 26 – The French Ministry of Defense approves full-scale development of the Dassault Rafale. January 27 – An Iraqi Air Force Mirage F-1 flies an attack profile against the United States Navy dock landing ship in the Persian Gulf, apparently not realizing the identity of its target. Another United States Navy ship establishes radio contact with the Mirage pilot and warns him off before he can fire at Portland. January 30 – A Boeing 747 sets a new around-the-world record of 36 hours 54 minutes. January 31 – Since January 16, Iraq has conducted 11 airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and Iran has carried out two. Neither country has attacked urban and economic targets on the others territory.
February In retaliation for a bomb attack on a bank in South-West Africa, South African Air Force Mirage aircraft attack the headquarters of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO).Brogan, Patrick, The Fighting Never Stopped: A Comprehensive Guide to Global Conflict Since 1945, New York: Vintage Books, 1990, , p. 67. During the month, the United States Navy withdraws the last of the eight RH-53D Sea Stallion minesweeping helicopters it had deployed to the Persian Gulf in August 1987 to assist in the clearing of Iraqi and Iranian naval mines.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran–Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 340. In mid-February, an Iraqi Air Force Tupolev Tu-16 (NATO reporting name "Badger") bomber fires Silkworm missiles which come within eight nautical miles (15 km) of a convoy escorted by United States Navy ships. February 7 – The Iraqi Air Force strikes Irans Kharg Island for the first time since November 4, 1987. February 9 – The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force makes rare use of its F-14 Tomcats in an air-to-air combat role, ambushing two Iraqi Air Force Mirage F-1s as they turn north to attack Farsi Island. Using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, they shoot down at least one of the Mirages. Iran has lost most of its air power during the course of the Iran–Iraq War, but appears to have about seven to nine F-14s, 20 F-4 Phantom IIs, and 20 F-5 Freedom Fighters that still are operational. February 13 – The United States Navy guided-missile destroyer comes within seconds of firing at an Iraqi Air Force Mirage F-1 flyng an attack profile before the Iraqi pilot turns away without firing. February 15 – Since February 1, Iraq has conducted four airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and 27 against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out three air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping but none against urban or economic targets in Iraq. February 18 – The airline Binter Canarias, a subsidiary of Iberia, is founded. It will begin flight operations in March 1989. February 26 – After Iraqi troops are driven out of the area, Iraqi aircraft drop mustard gas on the town of Halabja in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iran responds by firing hydrogen cyanide gas into the area using artillery. The two poison gas attacks combined kill 5,000 people.Cordesman and Wagner, p. 517. February 27 – The Iraqi Air Force carries out a major raid against the Rey oil refinery in Tehran, badly damaging it and forcing Iran to resume rationing of petroleum products. February 29 – Since February 16, Iraq has conducted 13 airstrikes against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out five against urban or economic targets in Iraq. Neither side has launched air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping during the period.
March Spanair commences operations. March 6 – Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces aboard small boats and an oil platform fire on American military helicopters performing routine reconnaissance patrols over the Persian Gulf. It is the first combat to take place in the Persian Gulf since February 12, ending one of the longest lulls in fighting in the Persian Gulf since Western forces intervened there in 1987.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 368. March 8 The Iraqi Air Force hits an Iranian ship for the first time since February 9, beginning a series of regular Iraqi attacks against shipping in the Persian Gulf. Iraq claims it has hit 23 ships in the Persian Gulf since January 1, but shipping companies confirm only nine ships damaged. During a domestic flight in the Soviet Union from Kurgan to Leningrad, the Ovechkin family hijacks Aeroflot Flight 3739, a Tupolev Tu-154B (NATO reporting name "Careless") airliner, and demand that the crew fly to London so that they can escape from the Soviet Union. The crew persuades the hijackers that they must first land in Finland to refuel, but instead lands at the Soviet military airbase at Veshchevo, where a Soviet interior ministry incident response team storms the aircraft. Four hostages are killed and five hijackers commit suicide; ten surviving hijackers are arrested. March 15 – As both Iran and Iraq escalate their air campaigns against one another, Iraq has conducted five airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and 114 against urban and economic targets in Iran since March 1, while Iran has carried out 42 air attacks against urban or economic targets in Iraq, but none against shipping. March 17 – Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727-21, crashes near Cúcuta, Colombia, killing all 143 people on board. March 19 – The Iraqi Air Force conducts a major raid against Irans Kharg Island, setting two tankers ablaze and killing 46 crewmen. March 31 – Since March 16, Iraq has conducted 14 airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and 94 against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out 15 air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping and 129 against urban or economic targets in Iraq. During a major Iraqi ground offensive in northern Iran, the Iraqi Air Force flies an average of 224 sorties per day, losing an average of three aircraft per day. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force probably loses a few of its small remaining force of operational F-5 Freedom Fighters.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 371.
April The Mexican government-owned airline Aeroméxico is declared bankrupt and grounded. After privatization, it will resume operations in October with a new corporate identity but still marketed as Aeroméxico. April 7 – The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force stages a raid against Baghdad, inflicting little damage and apparently losing one aircraft.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 372. April 8 – Pacific Southwest Airlines shuts down operations and is integrated to US Air. April 15 – Since April 1, Iraq has conducted two airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and 38 against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out one air attack against Persian Gulf shipping and 85 against urban or economic targets in Iraq. April 17 – Iraq launches a major ground offensive to retake al-Faw from Iran, claiming that its fixed-wing aircraft and attack helicopters have flown 318 combat sorties during the day.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 374. April 18 The United States Navy conducts Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian forces and facilities in the Persian Gulf. A-6E Intruders from the aircraft carrier sink a speedboat, assist surface ships in sinking the frigate Sahand, and cripple the frigate Sabalan. Two Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force F-4 Phantom II fighters approach the guided-missile cruiser , which damages one of them with a surface-to-air missile. Al-Faw falls to Iraqi forces, and Iran makes an unfounded claim that American attack helicopters have supported the Iraqi offensive.Cordesman, Anthony H., and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War, Volume II: The Iran-Iraq War, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1990, , p. 375. April 23 – Kanellos Kanellopoulos recreates the mythical flight of Daedalus by flying a pedal-powered aircraft, the MIT Daedalus, from Crete to Santorini, covering the in 3 hours 54 minutes. April 28 – Aloha Airlines Flight 243 suffers an explosive decompression in flight over the Hawaiian Islands, with the roof blowing off the Boeing 737-200 from the cockpit to just in front of the wings. All 90 passengers and four of the five crew survive; one flight attendant is swept out of the plane and falls to her death. April 30 – Since April 16, Iraq has conducted two airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and seven against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out five air attacks against Persian Gulf shipping and 58 against urban or economic targets in Iraq.
May May 6 – Widerøe Flight 710, a de Havilland Canada Dash 7, descends too quickly on approach in heavy fog to Brønnøysund Airport in Brønnøy Municipality, Norway, and crashes into the mountain Torghatten, killing all 36 people on board. It remains the deadliest accident involving a Dash 7. May 8 – The world's smallest airplane, the Starr Bumble Bee II, makes its first flight and sets a world record (for the smallest piloted plane. The plane is piloted by its builder, Robert H. Starr (age 64). It crashes the same day due to engine failure, seriously injuring Starr. May 10 – Airbus A300s are delivered to American Airlines and enter service with the airline. May 14; An Iraqi airforce jet fires missiles at an oil tanker, the Jahre Viking ( at the time the biggest tanker in the world ). The ship is on fire and sinks, but it is refloated repaired and used for some more years. May 15 – Since May 1, Iraq has conducted 12 airstrikes against shipping in the Persian Gulf and two against urban and economic targets in Iran, while Iran has carried out no airstrikes. May 23 – Shamu One, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 painted like and named after a SeaWorld killer whale, begins flying for the airline. May 24 – British Airways takes over British Caledonian.