Awful: The Aviation Herald Founder Forced To Sell Home After Slovakian Airline Lawsuit

Key Points:

• The Aviation Herald, a respected aviation incident reporting site founded by Simon Hradecky, was sued by Slovakian airline Go2Sky over a 2025 report initially describing a flight diversion as caused by an engine issue, later corrected to a stab trim problem.
• Go2Sky filed a defamation lawsuit demanding €15,000 in damages and a preliminary injunction to stop further reporting of the alleged engine problem, also controversially requesting removal of accurate coverage from a 2016 incident.
• Despite the airline's acknowledgment during court proceedings that no damage was suffered and confirming the stab trim issue, the lawsuit proceeded, ultimately resulting in a settlement requiring The Aviation Herald to publish a correction notice and pay a financial penalty.
• The legal battle imposed significant personal and financial hardship on Hradecky, forcing him to sell his apartment of 41 years and move into his office to cover legal costs not insured.
• The case highlights challenges faced by independent journalism in aviation safety reporting and raises concerns over attempts by airlines to suppress accurate historical incident information, potentially causing a Streisand effect.