1988 in aviation

Partial list of events that marked aviation in 1988:

(See also List of years in aviation)

• January
• February
• March
• April
  • 29, London: British Airways introduces the Airbus A320 jet into their system, on a flight from London to Geneve.
• May
  • 23, Houston: The Shamu One, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 painted like and named after a Sea World whale, begins flying for the airline.
• June
  • 26, France: An Air France Airbus A320, on a demonstration flight, crashes and kills four people, including the pilot and co-pilot.
• July
  • 3, Persian Gulf: The USS Vincennes allegedly mistakes an Iran Air Airbus A300 airliner (flight 655) for a hostile military plane, shooting it down and killing all 290 people on board.
• August
  • 28, Germany: Tragedy at air show cost the lives of 33 persons.
• September
• October
• November
  • 10, Sonora desert: The USAF's secret, almost invisible airplane is recognized by the military body, and named the Stealth plane.
• December
  • 21, Lockerbie in Scotland: Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 flying from London to New York, and carrying many passengers back home for Christmas, explodes in mid-air, killing 258 persons. Libyan terrorists are blamed for the tragedy.