50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United Kingdom aviation news

Joby and Virgin Atlantic finalize deal to bring electric air taxi service to the UK

Joby Aviation and Virgin Atlantic signed a definitive agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow, formalizing the partnership the companies first announced in 2025 to bring Joby's air taxi service to the UK. The agreement converts the partnership announced back in 2025 into a binding, multi-year commercial framework, establishing Virgin Atlantic as Joby's exclusive a...

Loganair adds BETA Technologies ALIA CTOL aircraft to its fleet following successful demonstrations

Farnborough International Airshow was the place for an announcement by Loganair and BETA Technologies: the signing of a term sheet under which Loganair will purchase five all-electric ALIA conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) (CX300) aircraft, with options for five more. UK, and Scotland in particular, is a natural first market for commercial electric flight. Across the country, islan...

UK National Police Air Service orders two additional Airbus H135s

UK National Police Air Service (NPAS) has placed an order for an additional two H135 helicopters, bringing the total fleet renewal programme to nine H135s. The firm order, which follows the arrival of the first two fleet renewal aircraft at Airbus Helicopters in the UK in April for extensive policing customisation, comes under the original 2025 Framework Contract signed with the BlueLight Com...

Vertical Aerospace to fly first eVTOL public demonstration flights at Farnborough International Airshow

Vertical Aerospace plans to conduct the first public eVTOL demonstration flights to take place at the Farnborough International Airshow, marking another significant milestone as the company advances towards certification and commercial service. The demonstrations come at an important point in Vertical's evolution. Over the past year, the company has launched its commercial aircraft,...

Edinburgh Airport partners with Airportr to bring baggage-as-a-service to one of UK's fastest-growing travel hubs

Airportr partnered with Edinburgh Airport and easyJet to bring the Airportr service to passengers departing from one of the UK's busiest and fastest-growing airports. Available in time for the busy summer holidays, Airportr's door-to-flight service gives easyJet customers travelling from Edinburgh the option to check in their luggage from home, skip bag drop on departure and, whe...

Radia returns to Farnborough with expanded team, global industrial ecosystem, and continued momentum behind WindRunner

Radia will return to the Farnborough International Airshow with significant momentum across the WindRunner program, showcasing major progress since the company last attended the event in 2024.  Over the past two years, Radia has continued to mature the WindRunner program, making significant progress across engineering, industrial development, strategic partnerships, and engagement with g...

above cleared for take-off

Following approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, above™ is ready to start commercial operations, bringing a fresh approach to private aviation. Operating from its base at Birmingham Airport's XLR Executive Jet Centre, above launches with 25 published fixed-price, city pair destinations across the UK and Europe, alongside flexible on-demand private charter services...

Solutions for the aviation of tomorrow: Liebherr at Farnborough Airshow 2026

Efforts to increase fuel efficient aircraft operation and an increasing demand for digital solutions are two main drivers for the aviation industry’s – a substantial transformation process that will affect the entire value chain for the benefit of the development of next-generation aircraft with advanced aerodynamic designs and innovative propulsion systems. Through its investments int...

Do228 NXT Demonstrator makes international trade fair debut at Farnborough International Airshow 2026

General Atomics AeroTec Systems will showcase the brand-new Do228 NXT Demonstrator aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow (July 20–24, 2026) in Great Britain, marking the aircraft's first presentation on the international stage. This appearance follows the aircraft's official Roll-Out and highly successful public debut at ILA Berlin in June 2026. Farnborough Internation...

P2012 Traveller enters into service on Stornoway - Benbecula PSO

Tecnam and Airtask Group successfuly introduced Tecnam P2012 Traveller (registration G-CMCY) onto the Stornoway to Benbecula Public Service Obligation route. Leased to Airtask Group, the aircraft officially entered active service in April 2026, marking a new era of reliability and enhanced passenger experience for the Scottish communities relying on this vital link. Transitioning regiona...

How landing pad design could reduce noise for futuristic vertical air taxis

Perforated landing pads could significantly reduce the noise of delivery drones and electric aircraft during take-off and landing, new research by the University of Bristol has found. As electric air taxis move from the realm of science fiction to reality, the study, published in Applied Acoustics this week, could influence the design of landing pads to help these futuristic vertica...

3 decades of evolution in private jet catering - interview with Daniel Robinson from Niche & Bespoke & Deluxe Catering

Even today, quite a few people still have preconceived notions about the business aviation industry. The same is true when it comes to in-flight catering for private flights. Personally, I prefer to talk to the service providers, ask lots of questions, and get a very clear picture of the subject. I had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Robinson from Niche & Bespoke & Deluxe Caterin...