Aviation evolves through moments of clarity — moments when industry leaders step forward to explain not only what is happening, but why it matters. This conversation with Evgeny Shadov, VP Business Development at General Aviation Service, is one of those moments. In the dynamic environment of Riga Aviation Forum 2026, Evgeny brings a sharp, operationally grounded perspective on th...
Collins Aerospace has been selected by Royal Brunei Airlines to provide its FlightSense™ and DispatchSM services under two 12-year agreements supporting the carrier’s current and future Boeing 787 fleet. The long-term partnership is designed to enhance operational performance, increase fleet reliability and streamline maintenance planning ac...
New Caledonia's flagship carrier, Aircalin, has selected Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support its incoming fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The airline currently has two of the latest-generation long-range widebody aircraft on order, with the first scheduled for delivery...
Boeing and Malaysia Airlines have renewed their Integrated Materials Management (IMM) services agreement for five years, the companies announced at MRO Asia-Pacific in Singapore. The renewed partnership will continue to support the carrier’s maintenance activities and materials planning proces...
The Fuerza Aérea Mexicana has announced the acquisition of a second Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter, further strengthening Mexico's position as a regional leader in air mobility. This latest procurement follows the country's first Super...
Textron Aviation has reached a significant production milestone with the rollout of the 500th Cessna Citation Latitude from its Wichita, Kansas, facility. The achievement reflects the enduring popularity of the industry's best-selling midsize business jet and recognizes the employees whose craft...
Qantas has announced it will launch the first-ever non-stop commercial flights between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, marking a major milestone for its landmark Project Sunrise initiative. Tickets for the inaugural service are expected to go on sale in August 2027, ahead of the route's...
Located alongside Dassault Aviation’s flagship manufacturing facility, Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac is celebrating a decade of dedicated support to Falcon operators around the world. Since opening in 2016, the six-bay maintenance center, staffed by 70 highly skilled employees, has c...
Gogo Special Missions and Insitu have achieved a significant milestone in unmanned aviation with the successful testing and integration of a customized high-speed satellite communications solution for Group 3 UAS platforms. The partnership focused on adapting the Gogo Galileo HDX antenna f...
40 years, 40 aircraft: Piaggio Aerospace celebrates a landmark double achievement
Beyond operations: the global role of FBOs — interview with Evgeny Shadov, General Aviation Service
Qantas advances Project Sunrise with landmark non-stop Australia-New York service
Ten years of growth, expertise and excellence at Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac
Electra demonstrates revolutionary airport operations with Ultra-Short Takeoff aircraft using helicopter-style procedures
Airbus Corporate Jets survey points to a new wave of demand for large business aircraft in Asia
Flexjet receives first-ever Embraer Praetor 600E as fleet launch customer
AURA AERO takes X‑Volt back to the skies, advancing hybrid‑electric innovation for ERA’s development
Korean Air places landmark order for 103 Boeing aircraft
Airbus is expanding its delivery capacity for the A320 family in Toulouse with a new integrated center
HondaJet Echelon advances to next phase with successful wing assembly
Ten years of Riga Aviation Forum — insights from Zigmars Vestfals on growth, milestones and the road ahead
As the 10th edition of the Riga Aviation Forum was getting ready to open, 50SkyShades — a long‑standing Media Partner of the event — took the opportunity to sit down with Zigmars Vestfals, CEO of the Latvian Aviation Association, just hours before the official kick‑off. Marking a decade of strategic dialogue and industry collaboration, Zigmars Vestfals reflects on how the Forum bega...
The leading aviation industry conference in the Baltic region, the Riga Aviation Forum, will bring together top-level aviation leaders, policymakers, experts, and business executives from the Baltics, the Nordics, and across Europe on 10 September 2026 at Hanzas Perons in Riga. Participants will discuss the future of aviation and related industries, and their role in driving regiona...
Riga Aviation Forum (RAF), the largest Baltics’ flagship high‑level aviation business conference, will take place on 10 September 2026 in Riga, Latvia as a gathering point for Europe’s aviation leaders, policymakers, industry innovators, and academic experts. Since its establishment...
Registration has opened for EUROPEAN ROTORS 2026, which takes place 30 Nov. – 3 Dec. at EUREXPO Lyon in Lyon, France. As Europe’s leading event for the vertical aviation industry, EUROPEAN ROTORS 2026 will bring together operators, manufacturers, regulators, suppliers, training orga...
The future of aviation technology will be highlighted on July 21 as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh continues its annual tradition of featuring the latest innovations as part of displays on Boeing Plaza and demonstrations during the Tuesday air show. The 73rd annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in c...
Tuvoli, building the backbone of private aviation, today announced the launch of the first annual AI Symposium for Business Aviation (AISBA), co-founded with the National Air Transportation Association and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s O’Maley College of Business. AISB...
The Fuerza Aérea Mexicana has announced the acquisition of a second Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifter, further strengthening Mexico's position as a regional leader in air mobility. This latest procurement follows the country's first Super Hercules acquisition, announced in January 2026, which marked Mexico as the first nation in Latin Am...
Gogo Special Missions and Insitu have achieved a significant milestone in unmanned aviation with the successful testing and integration of a customized high-speed satellite communications solution for Group 3 UAS platforms. The partnership focused on adapting the Gogo Galileo HDX antenna for seamless installation on Insitu's Integrator UAS, delivering enhanced connectivity capab...
Electra announced the successful completion of first-of-its-kind flight operations from a heliport located on the commercial airport ramp at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. The demonstration highlighted the unique capabilities of Electra's fixed-wing Ultra Short aircraft to operate from com...
Haffner Energy is redefining the economics of renewable fuels with the launch of SB-HEFA (Solid Biomass to HEFA), an innovative technology that converts solid biomass directly into liquid feedstock through its proprietary thermolysis process. Eliminating the syngas step, shortening the production ch...
RECARO Aircraft Seating is celebrating the 80th anniversary of Scandinavian Airlines with a unique collection of 80 customized RECARO Gaming Nxt chairs created exclusively for the carrier. Representing one year of SAS history, each limited-edition chair pays tribute to the airline’s eight...
Boeing and Korean Air announced that the carrier has finalized a purchase agreement for 103 aircraft spanning Boeing’s widebody and single‑aisle families. The deal includes 20 777‑9, 25 787‑10, 50 737‑10, and eight 777‑8 Freighters, completing the airline’s procurement commitment ma...
Textron Aviation has reached a significant production milestone with the rollout of the 500th Cessna Citation Latitude from its Wichita, Kansas, facility. The achievement reflects the enduring popularity of the industry's best-selling midsize business jet and recognizes the employees whose craftsmanship and dedication continue to drive the program's success around the globe. Combi...
Located alongside Dassault Aviation’s flagship manufacturing facility, Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac is celebrating a decade of dedicated support to Falcon operators around the world. Since opening in 2016, the six-bay maintenance center, staffed by 70 highly skilled employees, has completed more than 600 maintenance projects, including 66 major C-check inspections on Falcon 7X and...
Confidence in Asia's business aviation market is on the rise, according to new research commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ). Industry experts expect demand for business aircraft to grow steadily throughout the remainder of the decade, with large-cabin jets emerging as the strongest-perfo...
KlasJet has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining Part 129 Operations Specifications (OpSpecs) approval from the FAA, paving the way for the company's expansion into the U.S. market. As part of Avia Solutions Group, the world's largest ACMI provider, KlasJet can now conduct charter a...
ExecuJet MRO Services Australia successfully completed a major 20-year scheduled airframe inspection on an Indonesian-registered Embraer Legacy 600 at its Sydney facility, further demonstrating the company’s capability to deliver complex heavy maintenance services for operators across the...
Embraer delivered the first Praetor 600E to Flexjet, marking the operator as the launch fleet customer for Embraer’s latest-generation super-midsize business jet. The inaugural aircraft joins Flexjet’s fleet equipped with Embraer’s exclusive Smart Window™, featuring a 42-inch...
flydubai has strengthened its pilot development strategy through new partnerships with Egnatia Aviation and Skyborne Airline Academy, aimed at expanding the airline's training capacity and supporting its Ab Initio Pilot Training Programme. The training providers will oversee flight instruction for the programme's initial intake of cadets, preparing graduates to earn an MPL and seamlessly j...
ALSIM has announced that MH Cockpit, based in India, has acquired an AL250 simulator—marking a significant step in MH Cockpit’s expansion plans and reinforcing its ambition to build a robust aviation education and training ecosystem both within India and internationally. The AL250 simulator supports core early‑stage pilot training—including PPL, CPL, Instrument, and Multi‑En...
Uzbekistan Airways and Lufthansa Technik have renewed their cooperation with a long‑term agreement extending comprehensive component support for the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320ceo/neo fleets through 2035. The contract reinforces a partnership that has already delivered more...
TARMAC Aerosave, Europe’s leading specialist in aircraft storage, maintenance, dismantling and recycling, has announced an expanded collaboration with AerFin, the global aviation asset‑management provider. In the coming months, the partners will process more than ten aircraft as part of advanc...
FlyBy Aviation Academy, one of the largest and most international EASA-approved pilot training organisations in Europe, is pleased to announce the start of a new pilot training course — internally designated Batch 26500 — welcoming 44 new cadets from 14 different nationalities. To accomm...
Lufthansa Technik and Emirates have reinforced their long‑standing strategic partnership with the renewal of a multi‑year agreement covering base maintenance services for Emirates’ Airbus A380 fleet. Under the extended contract, Lufthansa Technik Philippines, the company’s dedicated wide...
New Caledonia's flagship carrier, Aircalin, has selected Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support its incoming fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The airline currently has two of the latest-generation long-range widebody aircraft on order, with the first scheduled for delivery at the end of 2026. The agreement was signed at MRO Asia in Singapore by Eric Bouche...
Boeing and Malaysia Airlines have renewed their Integrated Materials Management (IMM) services agreement for five years, the companies announced at MRO Asia-Pacific in Singapore. The renewed partnership will continue to support the carrier’s maintenance activities and materials planning processes. Through the agreement, Boeing manages selected parts and materials required for daily operation...
Qantas has announced it will launch the first-ever non-stop commercial flights between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, marking a major milestone for its landmark Project Sunrise initiative. Tickets for the inaugural service are expected to go on sale in August 2027, ahead of the route's...
Air France was among the leading winners at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, held in London on September 18, 2026, earning multiple distinctions that highlight the excellence of its products and customer experience. Most notably, the airline’s La Première suite, introduced in 2025, was...
Embraer and Japan Airlines have strengthened their long-standing collaboration through a new multi-year agreement under Embraer’s Pool Program, ensuring continued maintenance, repair, and spare-parts support for JAL’s fleet of 32 E170 and E190 aircraft. The renewed agreement covers...
easyJet has introduced reusable crew meal trays, developed in partnership with Ecoffee Cup, across its UK and European fleet—cutting onboard waste and strengthening the airline’s wider sustainability programme. After successful adoption within easyJet’s Swiss operation and at...
The Star Alliance Lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has been named the World’s Best Airline Alliance Lounge at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards, securing the prestigious title for a third consecutive year. Further highlighting the alliance’s leadership in premium ground services, the Star Alliance Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport earned second place, giving Star...
Baltic Ground Services (BGS), a global provider of ground handling and aircraft fueling services, has initiated cooperation with Airest, taking over into‑plane fueling operations at Kaunas (KUN) and Riga (RIX) airports. The services are performed by BGS in Kaunas and by Gulfstream Oil (GSO), part of the BGS Group, in Riga. The agreement opens a new chapter in the relationship between BGS and Aires...
Aviator Airport Alliance signed a four-year contract with Lufthansa Group to provide full ground handling services at Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport (GOT). The agreement covers five of the group’s carriers – Lufthansa Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Air...
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, United Airlines and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a landmark transformation for Washington Dulles International Airport with a capital investment program of more than $20 billion. The project will transform the airport over the next d...
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has awarded Thales a landmark contract to develop a new NexGen Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) and air traffic control radars, marking a major step towards a more efficient, safer and more sustainable aviation ecosystem. The NexGen ATMS will replace the...
VINCI Airports’ passenger traffic remained stable in the 1st half of the year, despite geopolitical disruptions that affected certain airports in the 2nd quarter. While the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Japan weighed on a few airports, others (notably in Portugal,...
Ampaire has closed a $19 million Series B round led by DiamondStream Partners, bringing its total funding to $68 million. This includes roughly $25 million in non‑dilutive grants and contracts that have supported the development and real‑world demonstration of its hybrid‑electric technologies and aircraft programs. Kevin Noertker, co-founder and CEO of Ampaire, commented: “This finan...
TravelX announced that Kaszek, Latin America's leading venture capital firm, made a substantial investment in its platform, bringing the company's total funding to $45 million. The investment marks Kaszek's first foray into the aviation technology space, reflecting its conviction that artificial intelligence is creating an entirely new category of revenue management solutions, one...
Air France-KLM today has submitted a binding offer to Parpública for the acquisition of a 44.9% to 49.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal, marking a decisive step in the airline’s privatization process. This offer takes the form of a comprehensive strategic p...
GetJet has secured $31 million in external financing from London-based volofin Capital Management Ltd. The capital injection accelerates the GetJet Group Growth Strategy 2026, focused on fleet expansion and the scaling of aviation asset management capabilities. The funding facilitates the acqui...
ACIA Aero Leasing announced the delivery of an ATR 72-600 passenger aircraft on lease to Chingis Airlines Unity in Mongolia. Chingis Airlines Unity are owned by the NOMIN Group, one of Mongolia’s largest and most diversified private companies. Founded in 1992 the NOMIN Group has grown into a m...
Every industry faces disruption. In aviation, volatility is constant—shifting demand patterns, rising operational costs, evolving passenger expectations, and intensifying competition. The differentiator is not whether challenges exist, but how effectively they are converted into strategic adva...
February 7, 2022 was the 116th anniversary of birthday of Oleg Antonov, a great aircraft designer, talented scientist, founder of ANTONOV COMPANY. His life was devoted to aviation. He designed 22 types of airplanes and 52 types of gliders, including the legendary AN-2, AN-22 and AN-124, made a great contribution into development of dozens of other aircraft, founded original desi...
On Tuesday 14 September 2021, H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco became the first Head of State to fly in an electric plane when he joined eco-explorer and pilot, Raphaël Domjan, for a flight out of Nice-Côte d’Azur airport onboard a Pipistrel Velis. The Monegasque monarch enjoyed a 30-minute CO2 emission and noise free flight over the Principality. On Tuesday 14 September 2021, H.S....
Ernst & Young LLP that Glenn Gonzales and Vishal Hiremath, co-founders of Jet It and JetClub were named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Southeast Award winners. The Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program is one of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders...
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced that Michimasa Fujino, lead HondaJet designer and President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, will receive the 2021 Reed Aeronautics Award "for the invention of advanced aerodynamic and structural techniques.&quo...
Vertical Aerospace announces the appointment of Richard Alexander, formerly Chief Flight Dynamics Integrator on the Mitsubishi M100 Regional Jet and Head of Flight Sciences at Bombardier Aerospace, as Head of Flight Physics to help Vertical move towards their vision of electric fight for everyo...
ICON Aircraft, maker of the revolutionary ICON A5 Light Sport Aircraft, has named Jason Huang as President. In that role, Huang will oversee all business functions, with a particular focus on maintaining manufacturing excellence, product development and innovation, and providing an ownership experie...
