
Singapore Changi wins Skytrax best airport award
The latest rankings put Tokyo’s Haneda in third, South Korea’s Incheon International Airport in fourth and Paris Charles de Gaulle in fifth.

US MQ-9 Reaper drone collides with Russian fighter
US Air Force General James B Hecker revealed that before the incident, the Su-27 dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in what he branded a “reckless” manoeuvre.

Google Wing drones to pick up packages without human help
The business said the change, along with other improvements to its charging processes, could allow its drones to shift to delivering millions of parcels a year.

New photos show B-21 Raider up close for first time
Unveiled in December last year, the Northrop Grumman-built aircraft is the ‘sequel’ to the UFO-like B-2 Spirit and is designed to silently strike deep behind enemy lines with its 9,500 km range and advanced stealth capabilities.

Lockheed Martin rolls out tech update for F-35
Improvements are rolling out for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program as the global prime launches its Technology Refresh 3 upgrade.

Market strong almost 50 years on for F-16 Fighting Falcon
Orders for new Block 70/72 variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon continue to roll in for Lockheed Martin as the aircraft rapidly approaches almost half a century since its first flight on 20 January 1974.

Companies put pen to paper for German F-35 assembly line
Joint Strike Fighter centre fuselages could soon be constructed on an integrated assembly line in Germany, according to a new letter of intent between Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Rheinmetall AG.

Dislodged fuel filter blamed for Virgin Orbit failure
The business confirmed the findings in a recent release, noting that a “comprehensive” examination indicated that a filter dislodged from its correct position during the launch phase.

Caught red-handed: Russia using Iranian attack drones in Ukraine
There is now official confirmation of Russian forces using Iranian-built explosive unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine, according to a US Defense Intelligence Agency document released this week.

Dutch F-35s intercept Russian aircraft formation near Poland
The Dutch F-35s were scrambled by a quick reaction alert after the then-unknown formation approached Polish NATO area of responsibility from Kaliningrad.

US Air Force fires off Minuteman III ballistic missile in routine testing
The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and its test re-entry vehicle were launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and travelled around 6,700 kilometres.

Last 747 rolls off production line as an era comes to an end
The final Boeing 747 rolled off the production line on 6 December, bookmarking 54 years of production for the iconic aircraft. The aircraft was the 1,574th 747 to be built by Boeing and was produced at the Boeing Paine Field facility in Everett, Washington. Bringing the story of the 747 full circle, the facility in

NetJets orders ultra-long-range private jets from Bombardier
NetJets plans to expand its private jet operations with an order of Bombardier’s Global 8000 ultra-long-range private jets. Bombardier will provide NetJets with an expanded fleet of 24 Global 8000 aircraft. NetJets currently operates around 850 private jets, making it one of the largest private jet providers in the world. Its current fleet includes 32

B-21 Raider finally unveiled to the world in California
The dramatic ceremony at Palmdale, California, which you can watch here, represented the first time the “sixth-generation” aircraft had been seen outside artists’ impressions and the first unveiling of a new US bomber in more than 30 years.

Thompson Aero Seating to construct crash test facility in Ireland
Thompson Aero Seating, a UK-based supplier of business and first-class seating has announced a plan to invest $8.9 million to develop a new seat crash test facility. The Dynamic Test Facility (DTF) which will serve as an aircraft test simulator at the Thompson brownfield site in Banbridge, County Down is currently in the construction phase.

Russia denies guilty verdict in MH17 case
Russia has refused to acknowledge the guilty verdict handed down in a Dutch court to three defendants found guilty of shooting down flight MH17. The Dutch government summoned Russia’s ambassador after the Russian foreign ministry rejected the guilty verdict and claimed the life sentences were “scandalous.” Russia has refused to extradite the convicted men, claiming

New 3D luggage scanners to be rolled out in UK airports
UK airports will begin installing more advanced security scanners by 2024 which may eliminate the need for limits on liquids. Major UK airports will install more advanced CT security scanners progressively, with the new screening equipment currently being tested at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The Department of Transport told the UK’s major airports that the

Airline regulators pushing for single-pilot flights
Airline regulators are pushing for changes to the rules regarding the number of pilots required to be in the cockpit during flight. Regulators are seeking changes that will allow flights with one pilot in the cockpit of passenger jets instead of the usual two. Over 40 countries including Germany, the UK and New Zealand have

Rolls-Royce tests aircraft engine that runs on hydrogen fuel
Rolls-Royce has achieved an aviation milestone in a bid to decarbonise air travel with a successful ground test of an aircraft engine that runs on hydrogen. A joint project with airline easyJet, which is providing financial support, the test took place at a British military facility in Wiltshire. Rolls-Royce said that the successful test was

Small plane crashes into powerline tower in Maryland, US
Two people were seriously injured after their small plane crashed into a transmission tower linking powerlines on Sunday night in Maryland. The passengers were trapped in the plane for multiple hours almost 30m above the ground as emergency services worked carefully to free them. The pilot, Patrick Merkle, 65 and passenger Jan Williams, 66, were

GOL’s new livery promotes Brazil’s FIFA World Cup team
The aircraft was revealed at Belo Horizonte International Airport on Wednesday and brings the number of planes bedecked with the team’s colours to three. GOL is the official carrier of Brazil’s Football Confederation after inheriting the honour from predecessors Varig and LATAM.

Identities of those killed in Dallas airshow collision released
The identities of the six victims killed in the mid-air crash at the Dallas air show last weekend have been released by the Commemorative Air Force non-profit organisation. They have been identified as Terry Barker, Leonard Root, Craig Hutain, Kevin Michels, Curtis Rowe and Dan Ragan. Between them, the men had over 10 decades of

British Airways to trial biometric boarding
The biometric technology will remove the need for passengers to show their passports in order to travel internationally.

Man who inspired ‘The Terminal’ dies at Paris airport
Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian exile, has called Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport home for the past 18 years after falling into legal limbo in 1988.

British Airways relax strict dress code
All employees in uniform will be allowed to wear mascara, false eyelashes and earrings regardless of their gender identity as of Monday.

Repairing the Antonov An-225 will cost $500 million
The manufacturer of the world’s largest aircraft has revealed that it would cost an estimated €500 million to rebuild the Antonov An-225. The plane was destroyed in the early stages of the Ukraine conflict by Russian forces at Hostomel Airport.

Singapore Airlines restarts codeshare agreement
Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines have been partners since 2011, but COVID-19 forced the partnership to go on pause.

IATA survey shows passengers are open to biometrics
Each year the IATA conducts a survey of around 10,000 people to learn about their experiences while travelling. This year, 10,206 respondents from over 200 countries completed the survey. Out of this sample, 80 per cent of passengers rated their experience as ‘very satisfied’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’.

Ryanair to invest $200 million in fuel efficiency improvements
The entire retrofitting program will cost approximately $200 million and will be completed throughout the coming European winter. According to the airline, adding the split-scimitar additions to the wings of the aircraft will reduce fuel consumption by 1.5 per cent.

Hydrogen-electric aircraft come to Scotland
Hydrogen-electric aircraft developer ZeroAvia has partnered with AGS Airports to bring zero-emissions flights to Scotland. An agreement has been announced between AGS Airports and ZeroAvia, which have agreed to work together to develop hydrogen fuel infrastructure for delivering zero-emission flights from Aberdeen and Glasgow airports. The pair will also work on the regulatory framework requirements

Polish Airlines requests classification as “crime victims” in Boeing criminal case
LOT Polish Airlines has requested US District Judge Reed O’Connor declare them as “crime victims” in the Boeing 737 MAX criminal case. The Boeing 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in for 20 months starting in March 2019 following two fatal accidents involving the aircraft in Ethiopia and Indonesia. LOT Polish Airlines has argued that this

Virgin Atlantic launches route between Tampa and London
The first official flight was flown on Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A330-900neo, named “Billie Holiday”, an aircraft that has been dubbed one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft flying today.

Emirates starts multi-billion-dollar retrofit project
The retrofit program is expected to take up to two years and will involve work on 120 aircraft.

SAUDIA signs MoU with Lilium to receive 100 eVTOLs
SAUDIA and Lilium announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the delivery of the eVTOLs which will make them the first airline in the Middle East and North Africa region to receive the jets.

Former US Marine Corps pilot arrested in Australia over China links
Australian police have arrested a former US Marine Corps pilot and flight instructor at the request of US authorities for his work in China. Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, was arrested on 21 October in Orange, NSW, Australia and appeared in court on the same day, according to court records, his lawyer, and two police sources.

Headcam footage reveals Russian pilot ejecting from shot down jet
Credit: Fighterbomber (YouTube) In what is the first video of its kind, headcam footage of a Russian pilot ejecting from his fighter jet before it crashes and explodes nearby has gone viral online. Flying what has been identified as a Russian Su-25 Frogfoot, the pilot appears to pitch up aggressively before ejecting and watching his

Archer Aviation plans to launch flying taxis in 2025
California-based eVTOL manufacter Archer Aviation has predicted that it will produce approximately 250 battery-electric air taxis in 2025 with production ramping up in following years. “In our first year, we will build 250 aircraft, our second year will build 500 aircraft, our third year will build 650 aircraft, and then we scale it up to

Ex-air force pilots may have trained Chinese military
The Times of London on Tuesday reported that former RAF personnel were being paid over US$300,000, a year to help China “develop its tactics and technological expertise”.

Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II achieves IOC
The US Air Force (USAF) has confirmed Sikorsky’s HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter has achieved initial operational capability (IOC).

Singapore’s Changi Airport reopens Terminal 2
Singapore Changi Airport has opened the southern wing of its newly upgraded Terminal 2 (T2) after more than two years of closure. It marks the first time that the airport has operated with all terminals running in over two years. The first flight to depart from the terminal was Singapore Airlines flight SQ104 en route

Manslaughter trial into Air France crash in 2009 begins
The accident saw the A330, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, fall 11,500 metres at night, during which the stall warning sounded 75 times.

Royal Navy demonstrates jet pack boarding technology
A training demonstration was carried out by former Royal Marine Reservists from the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

UK should choose trains over planes to cut emissions, says report
A report conducted by thinktank Intergenerational Foundation (IF) has found that domestic aviation is responsible for 2.7 megatonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019. That is the equivalent of 1.7 million petrol cars.

Cathay Pacific agrees to SAF deal with Aemetis
Cathay Pacific’s head of marketing and sales, Paul Johannes, explained that the decision to commit to the use of SAF reflects the company’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

Eurowings Germany pilot strikes cause hundreds of cancellations
On October 6th, pilots employed by the Lufthansa subsidiary, Eurowings Germany, went on a 24-hour strike causing hundreds of flight cancellations. Over 300 flights had to be cancelled, affecting more than 30,000 passengers.

Virgin Atlantic discontinues London Heathrow-Hong Kong route
Due to the closure of Russian airspace, Virgin Atlantic will no longer be continuing flights between London Heathrow (LHR) to Hong Kong (HGK). The route was suspended in December 2021 with plans to be resumed in March 2023. Virgin Atlantic said that “after almost 30 years of proudly serving this Asian hub city” that it

American Airlines engineers have voted to strike at Heathrow Airport
American Airlines proposed a three-year pay cut to its maintenance technicians, crew chiefs, and engineers at Heathrow Airport earlier this week. As a direct result, 98% of the engineers voted to reject the proposal and to instead take strike action. The proposal saw salaries reduced by 5.3% for technicians or 3.8% for crew chiefs in

Croatia Airlines orders six Airbus A220s as part of fleet renewal
Croatia Airlines is set to order six brand-new Airbus A220 aircraft as part of a move to replace the entirety of its fleet by 2026. The choice to order A220s comes after a year spent deliberating between several aircraft including the Airbus A220, Embraer E2, and the Boeing 737 MAX. Croatia Airlines’ fleet currently consists

Stowaway in Rotterdam caused two flights to make unscheduled landings
Rotterdam airport faced a security breach on October 3rd after a passenger managed to board a flight without a valid boarding pass, causing unscheduled landings for two Transavia flights. The passenger in question pressed the emergency button while at the security check, bringing everything to a standstill and creating confusion for enough time to slip

Collision reported at Heathrow Airport
The two aircraft owned by Icelandair (Boeing 757) and Korean Air (Boeing 777) collided on the tarmac at Heathrow airport at about 8 pm on Wednesday, 28 September.