50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

Aviation essential

Essential and most important aviation news

Latest essential aviation news

BOC Aviation orders 30 more A320s

BOC Aviation has announced an additional order for 18 A320neo and 12 A320ceo family aircraft. The lessor says in a statement that the order was placed in late December 2015, and will help it to fulfil customer demand. “This order underscores our continued confidence in the reliability an...

Dassault Falcon Sales, Deliveries Drop in 2015

Dassault Falcon sales declined by 72 percent last year compared with 2014, according to preliminary numbers released today by the French aircraft manufacturer. In 2015, Dassault reported 45 gross Falcon sales, but a NetJets cancellation of 20 Falcon 2000s brought the net tally to just 25 aircra...


JetPack Aviation And Airwolf 3D Team Up To 3D Print JetPacks

Airwolf 3D and JetPack Aviation have joined forces to create a number 3D-printed JetPack components. According to JetPack Aviation, a JetPack should be able to handle vertical take-off and landing, but it should also be lightweight and compact. The JetPack that the team has created is small enough to fit into the trunk of a car and can carry the pilot thousands of feet into the air. In fact,...

Air France pays tribute to its last Boeing 747 with its customers

Air France salutes with emotion the departure of its Boeing 747 from its long-haul fleet, after more than forty years of idyllic travel by Jumbo Jet. On this occasion, the Company is inviting its customers to share in several different celebrations. Special open days at the Air and Space Museum at Le Bourget Air France and the Air and Space Museum at Le Bourget are organizing special visits...

Air transport safety reached new peak in 2015: Ascend

Air transport operations resulted in a global fatal accident rate of just one in 5 million flights last year, the lowest figure on record. Statistics compiled by Flightglobal’s Ascend consultancy arm reveal that the fatal accident rate halved, compared with the previous year, despite the loss of two Airbus jets apparently to deliberate acts. The data in its annual Airline Safety &...

Airbus Helicopters delivers four more H135s to Polish EMS operator

Polish emergency medical services (EMS) operator Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR) has taken delivery of four additional Airbus Helicopters H135 light twins, taking its fleet of the type to 27 units. The latest examples are all powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206BB engines and delivery to Warsaw-headquartered LPR took place following an acceptance procedure at the manufacturer's Do...

10 Luxury Planes to Watch Out for in 2016

Within the realm of luxury planes, there are two distinct camps. These include the private planes or jets of the mega-wealthy and commercial planes that are outfitted with some of the most spectacularly luxurious cabins imaginable; also for the wealthy. The choice to own a private aircraft or to fly in complete comfort as a first class passenger depends on personal budget and preferences. Because...

Boeing wins $855 million contract for T-38C logistics support

Boeing Co has been awarded a contract worth $855 million to provide "avionics component integration and contractor logistics support" for T-38C aircraft, the Pentagon said on Monday. The work is expected to be completed by January 2026, the Department of Defense said in its daily digest of major contract awards. It said two offers had been received but did not identify the compan...

Second H160 helicopter to fly shortly

Airbus Helicopters intends to perform a maiden sortie of the second flight-test prototype of its H160 medium twin-engined rotorcraft in the coming days, having missed a self-imposed end-2015 deadline for the milestone. The manufacturer says the minor slippage in the schedule was to ensure the helicopter can move straight into the certification test programme as soon as it has completed its init...

Boeing Enters 2016 On Heels of Late Order Surge

As 2015 came to a close and Boeing shut its factory doors for a traditional 10 days’ respite, the year’s jetliner sales tally fell decidedly in favor of archrival Airbus, as the European manufacturer claimed sales of 1,007 airplanes for the year. But Boeing continued to push skyward, registering orders for another 166 airplanes in late December and raising its 2015 total to 843. Take i...

Lufthansa hires more than 4,000 new employees

2,800 flight attendants wanted at various locations. • Eurowings and Austrian Airlines are hiring 240 pilots. • More jobs for ground staff and trainees with airlines and Lufthansa Group service companies. The Lufthansa Group is hiring more than 4,000 new employees in 2016, giving the organization a top position amongst the leading German companies. “We are proud that yet again t...

Ceramic 3D printing breakthrough has aviation implications

In a development that could have significant benefits for aviation, a US laboratory is now printing high-temperature, high-strength 3D ceramic parts. Californian company HRL Laboratories utilises a resin that is 3D printed in the size and shape required, and then fired in order to convert it into a ceramic that can withstand temperatures up to 1700 degrees Celsius while retaining crucial stre...

Boeing to shower shareholders with cash

US aerospace giant Boeing has announced a $14 billion share buyback and 20 percent increase in its regular quarterly dividend starting 2016 to $1.09 per share. Boeing said the new buyback plan will replace the $12 billion plan that was previously in place of which $5.25 billion remained. "Once again, we are demonstrating our commitment to a balanced cash deployment strategy that fuels i...

Airbus beats own target to deliver record jetliners last year

Airbus Group SE managed to beat a company target for deliveries last year by churning out almost twice the average monthly number in December, people familiar with the achievement said. The European plane maker reached a total of about 635 and handed over 79 units in the last month of the year alone, said the people. Airbus shipped 629 planes in 2014. Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath decli...

Upcoming events

ILA Berlin 2026

10/06/2026 - 14/06/2026
Germany, Berlin

Farnborough International Airshow 2026

20/07/2026 - 24/07/2026
United Kingdom, Farnborough

Top of the week

Jetex and iGA Istanbul Airport unveil the World's largest Vip terminal

Jetex and iGA Istanbul Airport have inaugurated the Jetex iGA Terminal. The strategic investment elevates Istanbul's position in the international aviation ecosystem and reinforces Türkiye...

AIR selects Dynon Avionics as exclusive avionics provider across smart aircraft portfolio

AIR announced a strategic partnership with Dynon Avionics as its exclusive avionics provider across its aircraft portfolio. The portfolio includes the AIR ONE personal eVTOL and the company&...

AERO 2027 builds on the success of this year’s edition

AERO 2027, taking place from April 14-17, 2027, will feature a further developed concept designed to build on the great success of this year’s event. In 2026, 860 exhibitors from 50 countries to...

dnata wins multi-year Silk Way Group cargo handling contract in Singapore

dnata has secured a new multi-year contract with Silk Way Group to provide cargo and freighter handling services at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), further strengthening a longstanding global par...

VINCI Airports celebrates the completion of the extension and renovation of Kansai International Airport, as well as the 10th anniversary of the concession

Kansai International airport (KIX) reaches new milestone in its development with the inauguration of the completed international trade zone. This completion marks the conclusion of the extensive renov...

ExecuJet MRO Services Australasia expands Falcon 7X heavy maintenance capability in Sydney

ExecuJet MRO Services Australasia is expanding its Falcon maintenance capability in Sydney, with new investments in specialist tooling, training and technical resources to support upcoming Falcon 7X h...

Global Jet Capital launches Q1 2026 market briefing

While the geopolitical situation contributed to economic uncertainty in Q1, market fundamentals remained healthy. The quarter showed strong demand for business aviation, reflected in increasing aircra...

BGS expands fueling partnership with Freebird Airlines ahead of summer 2026 season

Baltic Ground Services, an international provider of ground handling and aircraft fueling services, has expanded its cooperation with Turkish leisure carrier Freebird Airlines across several airports...

Daher Aircraft showcases its “go anywhere” Kodiak 900 along with the TBM 960 at France Air Expo

The European tour of Daher Aircraft’s “go-anywhere” Kodiak 900 multi-role airplane continues this week at the France Air Expo 2026 event in Lyon, France, where it will join a fast, e...

Cathay Pacific announces plans to launch direct flights to Almaty

Affirming Cathay’ ongoing commitment to growing Hong Kong’s connectivity with Belt and Road countries, Cathay Pacific is pleased to announce plans to launch direct flights to Almaty,...

Cirrus launches “Let’s Go Fly!” immersive Apple Vision Pro flight experience

Cirrus launched Let’s Go Fly!, a first-of-its-kind app created for Apple Vision Pro that delivers an immersive introduction to Personal Aviation—the freedom, convenience and acce...

Gogo secures $7.5 million NOAA contract, providing mission-critical communications services for ‘hurricane hunter’ aircraft

SD Government, a Gogo company serving the military and government markets, announced today that it has secured a multi-year framework contract from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National...

Bell announced order of first Bell 407GXi in India with TransBharat Aviation

Bell Textron announced the order of the first Bell 407GXi helicopter in India to TransBharat Aviation Private Limited, one of India’s most established non-scheduled rotary-wing operators. F...

Climate-friendly aviation: greater ambition pays off

Which strategy leads to cost-effective, climate-friendly aviation in 2070? Four scenarios from the Bauhaus Luftfahrt think tank illustrate the impacts of different transformation paths. Key points: In...

VIP Completions-YODEZEEN Gulfstream G550 wins prestigious design award

VIP Completions together with partner YODEZEEN announced that their Gulfstream G550 refurbishment project won the ‘Aviation Interior Design/VIP Completion’ title at the International...

Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Singapore: Starting in October, Lufthansa will begin flying to new destinations with Allegris

Lufthansa is focusing more than ever on premium service: Following the introduction of the new in-flight service on all long-haul flights in early May, the number of destinations where passengers can...

Airshare to equip fleet of Embraer Phenom 300s with Gogo Galileo connectivity

U.S.-based aircraft management, fractional ownership, jet cards, and charter services operator Airshare is equipping its fleet of Embraer Phenom 300s with the Gogo Galileo HDX system. The up...

Jetfly highlights the versatility of Pilatus PC-12 in European business aviation sector

For more than twenty-five years, Jetfly has been developing its Shared Ownership Program, focusing in particular on the Pilatus PC-12, a turboprop aircraft renowned for its versatility, reliability, a...

Air passenger rights reform: as European negotiations nearing conclusion, up to 60% of travelers could lose their right to compensation

Air passenger rights in Europe are at a critical crossroads. On June 2, the European Union’s Conciliation Committee will meet for a final round of negotiations on the revision of the European re...

Bombardier Defense to provide three Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft for maritime surveillance in Australia

Bombardier Defense will provide three Global 6500 aircraft to fly maritime surveillance missions for the Australian Border Force. Metrea - the originator and leading provider...

Texas Department of Public Safety accepts delivery of Bell 407GXi

Bell Textron delivered new Texas Department of Public Safety’s  Bell 407GXi. This delivery comes on the heels of an announcement made during Verticon earlier this year h...

Deutsche Aircraft future-oriented European multi-role aviation portfolio at ILA Berlin 2026

Deutsche Aircraft is preparing its most comprehensive showcase to date, highlighting the evolution of its future ready, multi role aviation portfolio designed for governmental and mission critica...

Liebherr and Loong Air sign service agreement for heat transfer equipment

Liebherr-Aerospace and Loong Air launched a long-term collaboration, with Liebherr-Aerospace providing major repair and re-coring services for the heat transfer equipment on Loong Air’s A320ceo/...

World's longest-range aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000ULR takes to the skies

The A350-1000ULR (MSN 707), the first of 12 aircraft ordered by Qantas has completed its first flight in Toulouse, France. The aircraft, fitted with special flight test instrumentation, flew for three...