50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

Aviation essential

Essential and most important aviation news

Latest essential aviation news

BAA Training presents a dual profession programme

BAA Training, one of the largest aviation training centres in Northern Europe, launches a new training programme in cooperation with Atlantica, a private university with solid reputation in the educational industry in Portugal. The joint programme offers students an opportunity to obtain a Bachelor&...

MEBAA Show Morocco set to bring industry to Marrakech

The business aviation industry in Morocco is looking forward to a boost from the MEBAA Show Morocco when it opens next week at the Marrakech Menara Airport on the 12 September. Many of the industry’s key players will be in attendance, a testament to the reputation and potential of the market i...


Airbus, UNESCO and GEDC select projects for Diversity Award final

Rewarding initiatives that bring more diversity to engineering Airbus, the worldwide leader in aeronautics, space and related services and the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), the leading global organisation for engineering education, have announced the three finalist projects for the 2017 GEDC Airbus Diversity Award. For five years, the award has celebrated successful projects...

First A330 MRTT Phénix for France makes maiden flight

 Airbus Defence and Space has today successfully completed the maiden flight of the first A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport for France. The aircraft, which will be known in French service as Phénix, is the first of nine ordered by the French Defence Procurement Agency DGA, plus another three expected to be confirmed. It is the second new standard A330 MRTT to fly, featuring structu...

H145M completes first flight with HForce weapon system

At the end of August, the H145M performed its first flight with a complete HForce weapon system in Donauwörth. Thanks to this modular weapon system designed by Airbus, the H145M can be equipped with all kind of guided and ballistic armaments such as missiles and laser guided rockets, guns, machine guns and rockets. The qualification of HForce for use on the H145M is planned for 2018. &ldqu...

Qantas chooses Airbus to upgrade the cabins of its A380 fleet

Improving passenger comfort on Qantas’ A380 operations while maximising customer value Qantas has reached an agreement with Airbus to upgrade its 12 flagship A380 cabins to further improve passenger comfort on long-haul operations while maximising economics. In particular, the new interior takes advantage of the A380’s large floor area to most efficiently embody Qantas’ latest...

XTI Aircraft Company resumes equity crowdfunding campaign

XTI Aircraft Company (XTI) announced that after a pause during part of August it is once again accepting investments on the StartEngine equity crowdfunding site.  www.startengine.com/startup/xti "We're continuing our successful equity crowdfunding campaign," said Robert LaBelle, Chief Executive Officer of XTI, "after the US Securities and Exchange Commissi...

New agreement with United Airlines increases A350 XWB order to 45

Long-time customer grows future with Airbus, changes models  United Airlines has increased the number of A350 XWB aircraft it will bring into its fleet, updating and expanding its previously existing order for 35 A350-1000 to 45 A350-900 widebody aircraft to replace older, less efficient aircraft, supporting future growth at the airline.  The A350-900 is the cornerstone member of t...

Boeing Raises Forecast for New Airplane Demand in China

20 year outlook projects 7,200+ new airplanes, valued at $1.1 trillion 6.3 percent increase over 2016 forecast Boeing, China's leading provider of commercial airplanes, projects a demand for 7,240 new airplanes in the country over the next 20 years valued at nearly $1.1 trillion dollars. Boeing's annual China Current Market Outlook (CMO) was released today in B...

FACC signs major contract with Airbus

Contract value more than 500 mill. euros  FACC is technology partner in developing overhead stowage compartments and ceiling panels for new A320 “Airspace” cabin  Start of series production planned for late 2018 Airbus once again relies on high tech from FACC for its new “Airspace“ cabin in the A320 family: FACC AG has concluded a contract with Airbus...

United Technologies To Acquire Rockwell Collins For $30 Billion

Combination Creates Premier Aerospace Systems Supplier Combined business will be well-positioned to meet rapidly evolving global customer demands Highly complementary to existing capabilities Enhances innovative systems capabilities and integrated digital product offerings, including avionics, flight controls and data services Expected to generate cost synergies in...

Airbus Perlan Mission II Soars Into History, Sets New World Record for Glider Altitude

Engineless Perlan 2 reaches 52,172 feet, breaking record set by Perlan 1 in 2006 Airbus Perlan Mission II, the world’s first initiative to send an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, made history yesterday in the Patagonia region of Argentina by soaring to over 52,000 feet and setting a new world altitude record for gliding. “We are celebrating an amazing victory...

Rolls-Royce Sets New Aerospace Record With Ultrafan Power Gearbox

Rolls-Royce today announced that it has set a new record for the world’s most powerful aerospace gearbox, just months after testing began. Speaking at the International Society for Air Breathing Engines (ISABE) conference in Manchester, UK, Paul Stein, Chief Technology Officer at Rolls- Royce, confirmed that the Power Gearbox had successfully reached 70,000 horsepower while on test at Rolls-...

First civil customer Nolas takes delivery of an H135 with Helionix

The Norwegian air ambulance operator Norsk Luftambulanse AS (NOLAS) is the first civil customer to receive an H135 equipped with Helionix. Six additional H135s with Helionix will be delivered to NOLAS in 2017 and 2018. In December 2016, the UK MoD was the first military customer to receive the new H135 with Helionix. NOLAS won a national HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) tender in No...

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

ACL reaches 80th airport milestone with Bucharest slot coordination agreement

  Airport Coordination Limited has reached a significant global milestone with the signing of Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) as the 80th airport in its worldwide portfolio....

Otto Aerospace advances Phantom 3500 program with FAA certification basis milestone

Otto Aerospace announced a major regulatory milestone for its flagship Phantom 3500 program: closure of the G-1 Issue Paper, which establishes the aircraft's Certification Basis with the Federal A...

Electra unveils turbo-electric aircraft concept for next-generation airliner as part of NASA AACES 2050 program

Electra unveiled new conceptual aircraft design for next-generation airliners developed as part of NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability 2050 program. The...

Jetfly is redefining business aviation with its Shared Ownership Program

For over 25 years, Jetfly has stood out in Europe as a pioneer of a distinctive shared ownership model in business aviation. Designed to offer the flexibility of private aviation without the constrain...

The countdown begins: tickets now live for Air Charter Expo – ACE’26

The Air Charter Association is announcing tickets for Air Charter Expo – ACE’26 are now officially on sale. Taking place on Tuesday 8 September 2026, ACE is a partnership between The ACA,...

Airbus introduces uncrewed version of the H145, the U145

Airbus Helicopters will introduce an uncrewed version of its proven H145, the U145, during ILA Berlin airshow, where the company will display a full-scale mock-up of the new model. The U145 complement...

First UK-built Islander passes 75% completion at Bembridge, on schedule for delivery

Britten-Norman has confirmed that first new Islander to be produced through its fully reshored UK production line has reached 75% completion at the company’s Bembridge facility on the Isle of Wi...

Bombardier & Elie Saab collaboration introduces the Haute Couture of aviation with Global 8000 cabin design

Bombardier and ELIE SAAB unveiled a new chapter in business aviation: a bespoke cabin design for the Global 8000 aircraft that redefines the onboard experience through the lens of haute cout...

Avflight, City of Detroit celebrate new FBO facility at Detroit City Airport

Avflight, alongside Detroit City leadership, proudly celebrated the ribbon cutting of a new, state-of-the-art facility at Coleman A. Young International Airport (KDET) on Wednesday, June 3. The n...

Azorra places additional firm order for 15 Embraer E195-E2

Embraer and Azorra have signed an additional firm order for 15 E195-E2 aircraft, with purchase rights for 15 additional jets, further strengthening the long-standing partnership between the two compan...

Cirrus promotes aviation safety with new annual flight review course for pilots

Cirrusannounced its new SR Series Annual Flight Review Course, a Cirrus Approach module designed to promote continuous flight training, pilot proficiency, and safety for all pilots, inc...

Stephanie Goetz: 5 Insights on being a woman in aviation and embracing unconventional career paths

When Stephanie Goetz recently sat down on Viasat’s viral podcast Above the Noise, one thing quickly became clear: her journey into aviation was anything but conventional. In the e...

Boosting East Frisian Island connectivity - Inselflieger takes delivery of its second Tecnam P2012 STOL

FLN FRISIA-Luftverkehr GmbH Norddeich (Inselflieger) took delivery of its secondTecnam P2012 STOL aircraft. This acquisition is direct result of the outstanding operational su...

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...

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...

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&...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...