50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

Aviation essential

Essential and most important aviation news

Latest essential aviation news

Bombardier’s Newest Challenger Jet Models Surpass Significant Delivery Milestones

Challenger 350 aircraft surpass 200 deliveries, as the Challenger 650 business jet marks 50th delivery Category-defining Challenger 300 series aircraft now count more than 650 deliveries overall, making it the most delivered aircraft of last decade;&...

Airbus Helicopters completes AS565 MBe Panther deliveries to Mexican Navy

The Mexican Navy has received its final two AS565 MBe Panther helicopters during a delivery ceremony at Airbus Helicopters in Marignane. With their order for ten units in 2014, the Mexican Navy became the launch customer of this new version. The first four helicopters were delivered in 2016 and the...


Boeing KC-46A Tanker for U.S. Air Force Completes First Flight

The first Boeing KC-46A tanker that will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force next year successfully completed its first flight and airborne tests today, taking off from Paine Field at 10:32 a.m. PST and landing approximately three-and-one-half hours later. “Today’s flight is another milestone for the Air Force/Boeing team and helps move us closer to delivering operational aircra...

First AL42 Level 5 simulator sale in China and a new partnership begins with AXAVIATION

Alsim is very pleased to announce the sale of its first AL42 FNPT II in China to AXAviation, located at Wuhu Aviation Industrial Park, Anhui Province. This AL42 VI simulates the Diamond DA42 -VI with the Austro engine and a GFC 700 digital autopilot and will be level 5 certified. The two companies also signed a partnership together to distribute Alsim AL42 flight simulat...

First A330-300P2F enters service with DHL

Express operations benefit from new-generation efficient mid-sized freighter DHL Express has become the first operator to take delivery of the A330-300 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) converted aircraft from Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), the joint venture between ST Aerospace and Airbus. This delivery, which took place at EFW’s freighter conversion facilities in Dresden, follows the successful c...

Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services selected for new Airbus nacelle programme

Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services announced today that it has been selected by Airbus as a supplier on a new engine nacelle programme for the Pratt & Whitney powered A320neo family of aircraft. Bombardier’s Northern Ireland operations (Short Brothers plc) has been chosen to develop and manufacture a new thrust reverser to enable Airbus to offer a new, innovative nacel...

airBaltic Flies to 5 Football Destinations in Russia

The Latvian airline airBaltic is going to serve five destinations in Russia next summer, offering travellers from across Europe, Scandinavia and the Middle East convenient connections via Riga to the majority of football cities in Russia. Wolfgang Reuss, SVP of Network Management of airBaltic: “Offering flights to the biggest European cities and most notable Russian destinations, Riga ser...

Fleet serving Australia New Zealand South Pacific to nearly double by 2036

Trips per capita leading the world, tourism and consumer spending powering growth The passenger aircraft fleet above 100 seats serving Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region is set to increase by more than 600 aircraft, almost doubling in the next 20 years from a fleet of some 750 to over 1,350 aircraft by 2036, according to Airbus’ latest market forecast. Some 360 of this...

Airbus Helicopters celebrates 10-year presence in Albacete

Albacete to produce rear fuselages for the entire range of Airbus helicopters  Airbus Helicopters celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Albacete factory, underlining the essential role that the Spanish plant will play as part of the company’s new industrial strategy. The same day, a ceremony was presided in Albacete by the Spanish Minister of Defense, Maria Dolores de Cospedal, who...

China Airlines takes delivery of A350 XWB powered with biofuel mix

Taiwanese carrier joins sustainable fuel initiative for Airbus delivery flights China Airlines of Taiwan has become the second airline to join a programme to use a blend of traditional and sustainable biofuels to power aircraft for delivery flights from Airbus. The aircraft involved is the tenth A350-900 for China Airlines, which left the manufacturer’s delivery centre in Toulouse today f...

Three years and 150 deliveries for the H145

Airbus Helicopters recently celebrated the 150th delivery of the H145, the newest member of the BK117/EC145 family. In October 2017, Helicopter Travel Munich (HTM) received the 150th H145 helicopter from Airbus, to be used for offshore hoist operations and the transfer of service personnel working in the wind turbine industry. The H145 (formerly EC145 T2) is a member of the EC145 and BK117 f...

Weighing Up The Costs of Private Jet Travel

For the majority of people, the thought of flying on a private jet is probably something of an improbable dream. When many think of a private jet, they may picture celebrities, footballers and wealthy CEOs, so are often surprised to find out that flying via private jet can be more affordable than they first thought. Generally speaking, flying on a private jet will of course cost more than booki...

New A330-800 starts final assembly

Development of latest member of A330neo Family progressing well Final assembly of the newest member of the A330neo Family, the A330-800, has started and is on track for the first flight planned in mid-2018. The A330-800 complements the A330-900, the largest member of the A330neo Family. With its 242-tonne Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) as base variant, the A330-800 can operate routes of up t...

Pratt & Whitney Canada to Power New Twin-Engine Large-Utility Aircraft from Textron Aviation

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has been selected by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, to power a new clean-sheet, twin-engine turboprop aircraft to serve the utility segment. The Cessna SkyCourier aircraft will be powered by the 1,100 shp PT6A-65SC engine enhanced with a fully connected FAST™ data system. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX)....

Upcoming events

LABACE 2026

04/08/2026 - 06/08/2026
Brazil, SANTANA

The Air Charter Expo – ACE’26

08/09/2026
United Kingdom, London

Top of the week

U.S. FAA certifies new Boeing 737-7 airplane

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has granted Boeing an amended type certificate for the new 737-7 airplane, clearing it for commercial service. The smallest...

Archer’s Midnight completes city-to-city flights in California ahead of White House’s eIPP

Archer Aviation completed a piloted roundtrip journey with its all-electric Midnight aircraft on July 30th, departing from Salinas Municipal Airport and landing at Monterey Regional Airport...

Honda Aircraft Company celebrates type validation of HondaJet Elite II in Brazil at LABACE 2026

Honda Aircraft Company announced first delivery of HondaJet Elite II in Brazil, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued commitment to general aviation in South America. The de...

Eve Air Mobility achieves first transition flight milestone, advancing eVTOL program toward wing-borne flight

Eve Air Mobility completed its first partial transition flight, marking an important milestone in the development and testing of the company' eVTOL aircraft. The flight involved the acti...

Bombardier to showcase its exquisite Challenger 3500 at LABACE 2026 as part of extensive multi-city Latin American tour

Bombardier Challenger 3500 will be on display at LABACE 2026 at Campo de Marte Airport in São Paulo, revealing its impressive design and performance attributes for clients in region.&...

Chapman Freeborn launches in-house ICS2 declaration service

Chapman Freeborn launched an in-house Import Control System 2 (ICS2) declaration service for companies moving cargo into or through Europe.Developed by Chapman Freeborn’s specialist team in Germ...

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 airli...

Introducing latest-generation TBM to a major business aviation market - Daher Aircraft delivers the first TBM 980 in Brazil

The first TBM 980 for a Brazilian customer delivered by Daher Aircraft, marking the introduction of this newest fast and efficient turboprop-powered airplane in a market where the TBM family continues...

Somon Air receives its first Boeing 737 MAX jet

 Boeing and Somon Air announced the delivery of the airline's first 737 MAX, as the Tajik national carrier continues to modernize its fleet and grow its network. The 737-8 is the first o...

Flying more sustainably with “shark skin”: Lufthansa Group tests next-generation AeroSHARK

An Airbus A319 of Lufthansa City Airlines is the world’s first test aircraft for a new generation of fuel-efficient AeroSHARK technology. Lufthansa Technik will test approximately 70 transp...

Liebherr-Aerospace Technology (Shanghai) celebrates groundbreaking

The groundbreaking event of Liebherr-Aerospace Technology (Shanghai) is a milestone that marks a significant step for Liebherr – one of the world's top three landing gear suppliers with deca...

flydubai to host UAE National Careers Open Day, showcasing aviation career opportunities for Emirati talent

flydubai will host its UAE National Careers Open Day on 16 August at the flydubai Campus, inviting UAE nationals to explore rewarding careers with one of the region’s fastest-growing airlines an...

Riyadh Air launches Kuala Lumpur service, establishing its first gateway into Southeast Asia

Riyadh Air celebrated the launch of its inaugural service between Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur, establishing its first gateway into Southeast Asia. The inaugural event was celebrated in both cities, kickin...

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...

Air India, SkyDrive and Suzuki sign MoU for feasibility study of medical air logistics in India

Air India, SkyDrive and Suzuki Motor Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a joint feasibility study on the use of eVTOL aircraft for medical air logistics in India. In...

Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen3 achieves first flight, advancing next-generation light jet toward certification

Textron Aviation achieved a key milestone as the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen3 prototype aircraft completed its first flight, advancing the next-generation light jet toward certification. With th...

Airbus delivers first NH90 designed for special operations to France

Airbus Helicopters officially delivered the first NH90 Standard 2 to the French Armament General Directorate. This new variant of the NH90 TTH was designed specifically for special operations. Fr...

The Arriel 2K, the engine powering the Leonardo AW09 helicopter, has received its EASA certification

The Arriel 2K engine that powers Leonardo’s AW09 helicopter, has received its type certificate from EASA. This marks an important milestone towards the entry into service of the AW09, Leonardo&r...

Gulfstream reclaims city pair speed record Los Angeles to Farnborough

Gulfstream G700 set a new Los Angeles to Farnborough, England, city pair speed record, completing the 4,740-nautical-mile/8,778-kilometer journey in 8 hours and 27 minutes from takeoff to touchdown. T...

Daher Aircraft delivers the 400th Kodiak, underscoring this airplane family's expanding global reach and mission versatility

Daher Aircraft has delivered the 400th Kodiak, marking a significant achievement for the multi-role airplane family as its customer base continues to expand across government, commercial, business and...

Diamond Aircraft celebrates customer deliveries and training partnerships at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026

Diamond Aircraft concluded a successful week at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, where it showcased a comprehensive flight-training and private aviation lineup comprising the DA62, DA50 RG, DA42-VI, DA40...

ATP Flight School accelerates airline career pilot program timelines by 25%

ATP Flight School has reduced the published timeline of its Airline Career Pilot Program by 25% after significantly reducing delays between training completion and FAA practical tests. Students starti...

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim secures San Marino CAR-145 approval

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim has received its standalone CAR-145 maintenance approval from the San Marino Civil Aviation Authority. The approval allows DCAF to deliver both Line and Base maintenance service...

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 towar...

VIC Properties & Vertical Aerospace explore electric air mobility as Pinheirinho Estate looks beyond traditional transportation infrastructure

VIC Properties and Vertical Aerospace signed a MoU to explore the future introduction of electric air mobility services in Portugal, with an initial focus on Pinheirinho, the 400-hectar...