50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

Aviation essential

Essential and most important aviation news

Latest essential aviation news

Mitsubishi to review MRJ test and delivery schedule

Mitsubishi Aircraft is reviewing the development schedule for the MRJ regional jet, following the commencement of flight-testing. The airframer says the “entire schedule” from testing to initial delivery is being examined, in co-operation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Mits...

Production of first Japan-built F-35A commences

Mitsubishi Heavy Industry has started work on the first Lockheed Martin F-35A to be assembled in Japan. The work took place at a Mitsubishi factory in Nagoya, and saw the mating of the aircraft’s wings, fuselage, and tail, says Lockheed in a statement. The aircraft is designated AX-5, an...


GE Capital Aviation Services and Virgin America Sign Lease Agreement for 10 Airbus A321neo Aircraft

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of GE, today announced it signed an agreement with Virgin America, Inc., to lease 10 new Airbus A321neo aircraft powered by CFM’s LEAP-1A engines to expand the carrier’s fleet. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in Q1 2017 and the remainder will deliver in 2017 and 2018. All 10 air...

Air NZ boosts North American network with start on new Houston service

Air New Zealand has opened a fifth gateway in North America with the start of flights to Houston, Texas. The airline’s inaugural service to the heart of Texas, flight NZ28, departed Auckland at 1830 local time on Tuesday and landed just over 12 and a half hours later at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport a little after 1230 the same day. The Boeing 777-200ER, ZK-...

Fraport-Copelouzos Consortium signs contracts for managing 14 Greek Airports

Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide and its Greek partner Copelouzos Group signed contracts with the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund for the 40-year concessions to operate, manage, develop and maintain 14 regional airports in Greece. The transaction closing is expected during the autumn of 2016, at which time full payment of the €1.234 billion upfront concession f...

Year in Review: 25 most memorable moments of 2015

The year saw airline disasters caused by human frailty and terrorism but also celebrated some milestone industry moments, with Airbus and Boeing initiating unprecedented production rate rises, China and Japan stepping onto the world stage and Lockheed Martin and Dassault breakingfighter barriers. Technology shone, too, with solar- and electric-power records falling in dramatic fashion and ast...

Boeing, China Postal Airlines Announce Purchase of 10 Next-Generation 737 Boeing Converted Freighters

Boeing today announced an agreement with China Postal Airlines for 10 Next-Generation 737 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCFs), pending a program launch. Through its converted freighter programs, Boeing extends the valuable service life of a passenger airplane by modifying it to function as a freighter. "This is a historic order both for China Postal and Boeing," said&n...

Boeing still backing stalled CHAMP and UAV projects

Despite all the hype surrounding the high-power microwave energy weapon known as CHAMP, interest in the computer-frying device assembled and tested by Boeing Phantom Works and the US Air Force Research Laboratory appears stalled. “There was a lot of activity when we did the demonstration a couple of years ago, and with the budget constraint on the department, they’ve been unable to...

ANALYSIS: Why there was more to the HS Trident than just a lot of noise

The introduction of ICAO Annex 16 Chapter 2 noise legislation on 1 January 1986 forced operators of older first- and second-generation jets to hush kit their fleets. For British Airways, this was not a viable option for its fleet of Hawker Siddeley HS 121 Tridents – not that it needed an excuse to phase out these fuel-thirsty geriatric jets. The Trident’s engine configuration &...

Wanfeng Aviation takes delivery of China's first Phenom 100

Embraer has delivered the first Phenom 100 to China, following the handover of an entry-level jet on 14 December, to Wanfeng Aviation. The six-seat Phenom 100E – the latest iteration of the ten-year-old twinjet – will be used by the Zhejiang-based company as corporate transport for its parent Wanfeng Auto Holding and for charter services in the country. “It’s a great...

Gulfstream delivers G650ER to Qatar Airways

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. formally delivered a Gulfstream G650ER to Qatar Airways in a ceremony at Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah. The delivery is the first of up to 30 Gulfstream aircraft Qatar Airways has agreed to purchase. The sale, a combination of firm orders and options, includes the flagship G650ER as well as the G500 and G600, Gulfstream’s new clean-sheet, wide-cabi...

John Ratzenberger to Host Elite Aviation Products' Second Annual Aerospace & Defense Symposium

Elite Aviation Products, an advanced design, engineering, and manufacturing company within the aerospace industry, will host their second annual Aerospace & Defense Symposium at the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana, California. The event will include a wide variety of guests from original equipment manufacturers, financial institutions, industry leaders, media and elected officials.  ...

UAE to Miami business class with British Airways – review

With no Middle East airlines flying direct to Miami, British Airways has stepped in with a new route from the UAE to the Florida city via London Heathrow. Travelling with a Club World business class ticket on the leg from London to Miami, the relaxation began in BA’s Heathrow lounge with a complimentary massage followed by a light snack – a classic British breakfast sandwich. On...

Air NZ installs “world first” self-service bag drop at Auckland International

Air New Zealand will allow international passengers travelling from Auckland the option of checking in their own bag in what the airline describes as a world first. The self-service bag drop kiosks read biometric data stored on passports using technology similar to the SmartGate passport control gates, with a camera to verify the passenger’s identity. Once the passenger&rsq...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...