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ANALYSIS: Boeing and Airbus up the ante in China

Apart from the centre, Boeing will also broaden collaboration with supplier and potential rival AVIC and launch an initiative to develop biofuel from Chinese agricultural waste. All three initiatives were announced as part of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit on 23 September to Boeing&rsquo...

Silk Way West becomes member of IATA

Azerbaijan carrier Silk Way West Airlines has been made a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The carrier was presented with the certificate of membership at the 6th Caspian Air Cargo Summit in Baku, which took place from 5-7 October. This certificate was gi...


Air France to Cut Some Jobs in 2016, Rest of Plan Negotiable: CEO

Air France will cut less than a third of the 2,900 job cuts it proposed in a 2016/2017 plan that triggered clashes with some staff, the chief executive of parent company Air France-KLM said on Sunday. The job cuts in 2016 would be voluntary and heavier job losses in 2017 could be avoided if talks with unions led to an agreement on alternative savings measures by the beginning of next year, Alex...

Embraer Projects a Market Demand for over 1,500 New Jets of 70 to 130 Seats for Europe and the CIS

Embraer released yesterday, at the European Regions Airlines Association (ERA) Annual General Assembly, held in Berlin, Germany, its Market Outlook for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Company forecasts that these markets will demand 1,540 new aircraft deliveries in the 70 to 130-seat jet segment (valued at some US$72 billion at list prices) over the next 20 y...

ATR Passenger-Cargo "Combi" Model Receives EASA Certification

The turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR has obtained European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for its passenger-cargo "combi" version of the ATR 72-600. The new cabin configuration of the aircraft allows combining increased cargo volume for over 19 m3 in volume and nearly 3,000 kg in weight with up to 44 passenger seats section. By replacing the forward seven rows by a c...

Qantas cabin crew models sure to turn heads

Over the years, Barbie and Ken have worked as teachers, lifeguards and even a pilot. And now, based on the latest pop-up display in the Qantas Club at Sydney Airport, the pair can add cabin crew uniform model to an already lengthy CV. To help celebrate the airline’s 95th anniversary Qantas has put 44 Ken and Barbie dolls on display at its Sydney Qantas Club wearing the various cabin crew...

Australian Women Pilots’ Association to honour founder Nancy-Bird Walton

The NSW branch of the Australian Women’s Pilots’ Association (AWPA) is celebrating the career of Nancy-Bird Walton on what would have been the pioneer aviatrix’ 100th birthday. The dinner is being held at Dolton House in Sydney on Friday October 16, a hundred years to the day from Walton’s birth in 1915. Walton, who was the youngest Australian women to gain a pilot&rs...

Air France Hires French PM's Aide as HR Head in Turbulent Times

Air France said on Wednesday that French Prime Minister Manuel Valls' industrial relations adviser was taking over as head of human resources at the airline as conflict over planned cost and job cuts rages between management and pilots. Current HR head Xavier Broseta, who had his shirt ripped off as angry employees hounded him out of a meeting about job losses last week, will take up a...

Russian Officials Banned from Flying with Foreign Airlines on Business Trips

Russian officials and State Duma deputies can no longer fly with international airlines on business trips, under an amendment to a presidential decree published Wednesday. From now on, official trips can only use Russian carriers or the airlines of other members of the Eurasian Economic Union, which comprises Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. Officials can only dodge the patr...

Airbus completes painting of Singapore Airlines’ first A350 XWB

The first A350-900 for Singapore Airlines has been revealed in the airline’s livery following completion of painting in Toulouse. The aircraft is now set to move to the next stages of production, including the installation of engines and cabin furnishing, before starting ground and flight tests. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery to Singapore Airlines in the first quarter of 2016. Sin...

Viability of Aviation Biofuels Remains Distant, Say Experts

Biofuels for aviation continue to face multiple challenges, the most daunting of which centers on ways to make production economical, according to a recent report jointly released by the French Académie des Technologies and Académie de l'Air et de l'Espace. The experts admit the environmental benefit, although proven in principle, is difficult to quantify. They consider hydro...

UAE carriers will continue to fly over Iranian airspace

The UAE’s two leading airlines have decided not to follow Cathay Pacific’s lead and will continue to fly over Iranian airspace, despite concerns over Russian air strikes on Syrian targets. Russia has been firing long-range missiles at Syrian targets from warships in the Caspian Sea. The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a warning that the missiles “crossed airspace in Ira...

Bombardier: CSeries Certification Program on Track

Bombardier has announced in a mailed statement today that the CSeries program stills on track to certify its CSeries CS100 airliner by the end of the year, The manufacturer is committed to the program despite the budget overrun and delays and the lack of firm orders in over a year. “It’s a thrill to announce that we’re in the final stage of certification. Following a comp...

Rolls-Royce congratulates Airbus and Singapore Airlines on new Ultra-Long Range A350-900

Rolls-Royce has welcomed Singapore Airlines’ decision to order Airbus’ newly-launched Ultra-Long Range version of the A350-900. The airline has amended its existing order for 63 A350-900s to include seven A350-900ULRs with capability for flights of up to 19 hours. Singapore Airlines has also ordered an additional four A350-900s, taking its firm order total for the A30 XWB&nb...

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Top of the week

HondaJet Echelon advances to next phase with successful wing assembly

Honda Aircraft Company announced the completion of the first wing structure for the HondaJet Echelon test aircraft, marking a pivotal advancement in the program and moving the new light‑jet platform i...

Electra and The Atlas Group formalize airframe agreement for EL9 ultra‑short

Electra and The Atlas Group today announced a landmark airframe agreement for the EL9 Ultra‑Short aircraft, uniting Electra’s next‑generation design with Atlas’s established aerospace manu...

Airbus is expanding its delivery capacity for the A320 family in Toulouse with a new integrated center

Airbus has officially unveiled a new delivery center at its Jean‑Luc Lagardère site, northwest of Toulouse, marking a significant milestone in the industrial ramp‑up of the A320 Family. Purpose...

Qantas unveils Adelaide Product Innovation Centre, accelerating growth, employment and skills pathways

Qantas has inaugurated its new Product Innovation Centre in Adelaide, with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas joining Qantas Group Chief Technology, AI and Transformation Officer Rachel Yangoy...

Ten years of Riga Aviation Forum — insights from Zigmars Vestfals on growth, milestones and the road ahead

As the 10th edition of the Riga Aviation Forum was getting ready to open, 50SkyShades — a long‑standing Media Partner of the event — took the opportunity to sit down with Zigmars Vestfals,...

Boeing, American Airlines complete first 737 MAX landing gear exchange

Boeing and American Airlines announced the successful completion of the first landing gear exchange for a 737 MAX, marking a key milestone as the company extends its longstanding Landing Gear Exchange...

Drukair, Royal Bhutan Airlines selects CFM LEAP-1A engines to power 5 Airbus A320neo family aircraft

Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines, the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, has announced its decision to equip five Airbus A320neo‑family aircraft with CFM International LEAP‑1A engine...

Samson Sky secures $80 million to launch switchblade flying car production

Samson Sky, developer of the Switchblade Flying Car, announced it has secured an $80 million investment from Dubai‑based Matin Group. According to Sam Bousfield, CEO, Founder...

Global Jet Capital releases its annual 2026 Business Jet Forecast

Global Jet Capital has released its sixth annual Business Jet Market Forecast, outlining a confident outlook for the sector. The updated analysis anticipates steady expansion over the next five years,...

Uzbekistan Airways signs long-term support agreement

Uzbekistan Airways and Lufthansa Technik have renewed their cooperation with a long‑term agreement extending comprehensive component support for the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A3...

Gol connects Europe to El Calafate and Ushuaia through its network in Brazil

Gol Airlines continues to expand its South American reach, leveraging its Brazilian network to open new travel possibilities. European passengers can now access southern Argentina through São P...

flydubai Launches dedicated freighter operations to accelerate regional trade growth

flydubai unveiled the launch of its dedicated freighter operations, a dynamic expansion that advances the airline’s diversification strategy and further elevates Dubai’s standing as a glob...

ExecuJet MRO Services to showcase MRO capabilities at AAD 2026

ExecuJet MRO Services South Africa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, will be exhibiting at the Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) Expo 2026 at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria (1...

TAROM took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX

Boeing, TAROM and CDB Aviation have celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 737‑8, marking the arrival of Romania’s first Boeing 737 MAX and a key milestone in the national carrier&...

KVE celebrates 30 years of innovation and accelerates its growth within the Daher Group

KVE by Daher is marking its 30th anniversary with the inauguration of a significant expansion of its production facility in The Hague — a development that signals the start of a new acceleration...

TARMAC Aerosave and AerFin deepen their partnership, processing over ten new‑generation aircraft for dismantling and recycling this year

TARMAC Aerosave, Europe’s leading specialist in aircraft storage, maintenance, dismantling and recycling, has announced an expanded collaboration with AerFin, the global aviation asset‑managemen...

Air Charter Expo achieves third consecutive year of record‑breaking attendance

Global trade body The Air Charter Association (The ACA) celebrated another record‑setting edition of Air Charter Expo (ACE’26) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, delivered in partnership with Busines...

F1 Spanish Grand Prix Week | EHang showcases EH216-S and a 3,000-drone light show at the FIA Sustainable Innovation Series

EHang announced its extensive involvement in the FIA Sustainable Innovation Series held in Madrid during the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix week. Organized by the Fédération Internationale...

Is Australia’s regional turboprop fleet aging well? Why OEM support matters more than build year

Regional turboprop fleets show stark disparities in age, reliability, and economic viability. Many aircraft are approaching end‑of‑life, while others are increasingly difficult to operate as spare‑par...

BGS begins fueling cooperation with Airest at Kaunas and Riga airports

Baltic Ground Services (BGS), a global provider of ground handling and aircraft fueling services, has initiated cooperation with Airest, taking over into‑plane fueling operations at Kaunas (KUN) and R...

Vista House makes exclusive Asia debut amid Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix excitement

Vista is set to debut its signature hospitality concept, Vista House, in Singapore, elevating one of Asia’s most anticipated sporting weekends with a refined, members‑only experience. Conceived...

FlyBy Aviation Academy opens new pilot course (batch 26500) with 44 cadets from 14 nationalities

FlyBy Aviation Academy, one of the largest and most international EASA-approved pilot training organisations in Europe, is pleased to announce the start of a new pilot training course — internal...

Qantas charters NFL teams to Melbourne ahead of historic first game

The Los Angeles Rams have touched down in Melbourne on a Qantas charter flight ahead of Friday's NFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the first regular season game the league has played in Au...

AIRCAIRO places order for 15 Airbus A320neo aircraft

AIRCAIRO, Egypt’s National growing Air-carrier, has signed a firm order for 15 Airbus A320neo aircraft at the El Alamein International Airshow 2026. The agreement marks an important mi...

Daher Aircraft is ranked No. 1 in Pro Pilot magazine’s Product Support Survey for the sixth consecutive year

Daher Aircraft has reaffirmed its leadership in turboprop aviation, securing the No. 1 position for the sixth consecutive year in Professional Pilot magazine’s Product Support Survey. In the 202...