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World aviation news

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Gogo and Insitu collaborate on Group 3 UAS connectivity

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 demonstrates revolutionary airport operations with Ultra-Short Takeoff aircraft using helicopter-style procedures

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 compact landing areas using helicopter-style instrument procedures, enabling safe, affordable, and reli...

Haffner Energy brings the cost of renewable diesel and SAF closer to that of fossil fuels with SB-HEFA

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...

Riga Airport initiates the next stage of RIX Airport City development

Riga Airport is taking the next step in the development of RIX Airport City by launching, on 22 September, the qualification stage of an international competitive dialogue to select a development partner for a new hotel and office complex on the Airport’s territory. Envisioned as a cornerst...

TARMAC Aerosave receives Indian DGCA approval covering the full Airbus A320 family and all engine types

TARMAC Aerosave, Europe’s leading provider of aircraft storage, maintenance and recycling services, announced today at MRO Asia-Pacific 2026 that it has received approval (IND.FAMO.0000000129) from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The certification covers the entire...

Air France earns global recognition with World’s Best First Class Award from Skytrax

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...

Airbus Corporate Jets survey points to a new wave of demand for large business aircraft in Asia

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...

Star Alliance Paris CDG Lounge remains the World's Best Airline Alliance Lounge

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 serv...

Japan Airlines strengthens E-Jet operations with renewed Embraer Pool Program agreement

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...

Airbus Corporate Jets survey points to a new wave of demand for large business aircraft in Asia

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-performing segment. Among financiers and brokers surveyed across Asia, 85% believe purchases of large bus...

KlasJet receives key FAA approval to launch ACMI and charter services in the US market

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 and ACMI operations in the United States in accordance with its approved OpSpecs and DOT authorizatio...

ExecuJet MRO Services Australasia successfully completes 20-Year heavy maintenance inspection on Indonesian Legacy 600

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...

Flexjet receives first-ever Embraer Praetor 600E as fleet launch customer

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...

HondaJet Echelon advances to next phase with successful wing assembly

Honda Aircraft Company announced the completion of the first wing structure for the HondaJet Echelon test aircraft, marking a pivotal advancement in the program and moving the new light‑jet platform into the mainline final‑assembly phase. The HondaJet Echelon introduces a larger cabin and increased...

Global Jet Capital releases its annual 2026 Business Jet Forecast

Global Jet Capital has released its sixth annual Business Jet Market Forecast, outlining a confident outlook for the sector. The updated analysis anticipates steady expansion over the next five years, driven by robust order backlogs, resilient macroeconomic conditions, and sustained global wealth cr...

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...

10th Riga Aviation Forum to bring together Baltic and European aviation industry leaders

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 2026: Europe’s leading aviation decision makers to convene in Riga

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 now open for EUROPEAN ROTORS 2026, to be held in Lyon, France

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...

Cutting-edge aviation technology to be featured at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026

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, NATA and Embry-Riddle launch Inaugural AI Symposium for Business Aviation to guide industry transformation

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...

Star Alliance Paris CDG Lounge remains the World's Best Airline Alliance Lounge

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...

BGS begins fueling cooperation with Airest at Kaunas and Riga airports

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 signs four-year Lufthansa Group ground handling contract at Gothenburg-Landvetter airport

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...

America's newest capital gateway unveiled: more than $20 billion transformation at Washington Dulles International Airport

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...

Singapore selects Thales for next-generation AI-powered air traffic management system serving one of Asia’s busiest airspaces

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 - traffic as of June 30, 2026

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’s Series B fuels the next phase of its hybrid‑electric aircraft development

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...

Kaszek makes first aviation AI investment, backing TravelX's trillion-dollar dynamic inventory vision

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 submits a binding offer for an up to 49.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal

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 secures $31M financing from volofin to expand fleet and asset management operations

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 delivers an ATR 72-600 to Chingis Airlines Unity, Mongolia

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...

Investing in aviation consulting services

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...

flydubai expands pilot training capacity through partnerships with Egnatia Aviation and Skyborne

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...

Strategic partnership boosts India’s pilot training with ALSIM’s AL250

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 signs long-term support agreement

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 and AerFin deepen their partnership, processing over ten new‑generation aircraft for dismantling and recycling this year

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 opens new pilot course (batch 26500) with 44 cadets from 14 nationalities

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 extend A380 base maintenance services

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...

Electra demonstrates revolutionary airport operations with Ultra-Short Takeoff aircraft using helicopter-style procedures

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 compact landing areas using helicopter-style instrument procedures, enabling safe, affordable, and reli...

Haffner Energy brings the cost of renewable diesel and SAF closer to that of fossil fuels with SB-HEFA

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 chain, and leveraging feedstocks costing less than one-fifth of conventional oils, SB-HEFA is expected...

RECARO Aircraft Seating marks SAS’ 80th anniversary with exclusive RECARO Gaming NXT chairs

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...

Korean Air places landmark order for 103 Boeing aircraft

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...

Airbus is expanding its delivery capacity for the A320 family in Toulouse with a new integrated center

Airbus has officially unveiled a new delivery center at its Jean‑Luc Lagardère site, northwest of Toulouse, marking a significant milestone in the industrial ramp‑up of the A320 Family. Purpose‑built to reinforce production acceleration, the facility centralizes key end‑of‑line operations&mda...

Electra and The Atlas Group formalize airframe agreement for EL9 ultra‑short

Electra and The Atlas Group today announced a landmark airframe agreement for the EL9 Ultra‑Short aircraft, uniting Electra’s next‑generation design with Atlas’s established aerospace manufacturing capabilities as the program progresses through flight testing, certification, and preparat...

Japan Airlines strengthens E-Jet operations with renewed Embraer Pool Program agreement

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 a broad range of repairable components for the airline's E-Jet fleet, helping to maintain high l...

easyJet switches to reusable crew meal trays throughout its UK and EU network

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 its Marrakech (RAK) base, the trays—used by crew for all in‑flight meals—are now being d...

Embraer adds BermudAir as its second E‑Freighter operator

Embraer and Regional One announced that BermudAir has become the world’s second operator of the Embraer E‑Freighter, marking the aircraft’s debut in the Americas with the airline’s lease of one E190F from Regional One. The milestone builds on Regional One’s commitme...

AURA AERO takes X‑Volt back to the skies, advancing hybrid‑electric innovation for ERA’s development

Just two months after acquiring VoltAero’s assets, AURA AERO has returned the Cassio S hybrid‑electric demonstrator to the skies at Rochefort Airport—now flying under its new name, X‑VOLT. As one of the earliest hybrid‑electric demonstrators to accumulate substantial real‑world flight ho...

Neste and United Airlines expand their sustainable aviation fuel supply agreements across the U.S. and the Netherlands

Neste and United Airlines have extended their agreement for the supply of sustainable aviation fuel, blended with conventional jet fuel, for flights departing from Chicago O’Hare International Airport in the U.S. and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands. The renewed agreement strength...

Qantas unveils Adelaide Product Innovation Centre, accelerating growth, employment and skills pathways

Qantas has inaugurated its new Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide, with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas joining Qantas Group Chief Technology, AI and Transformation Officer Rachel Yangoyan to mark the occasion. Located in the heart of the Adelaide CBD, the purpose‑built technology and...

116th anniversary of Oleg Antonov birthday

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...

A world first - H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco flies electric

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....

EY announced Glenn Gonzales and Vishal Hiremath of Jet It as an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021

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...

Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company President & CEO, will receive the 2021 AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award

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...

Meet new Head of Flight Physics for Vertical Aerospace

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...

Jason Huang Joins ICON Aircraft as President

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...