1+ day, 7+ hour ago (295+ words) Approximately 6,000 Airbus aircraft will be grounded to undergo a critical software update to avoid potential data corruption that can interfere with safe operation in flight. The FAA followed immediately with a similar Emergency Airworthiness Directive directed at US operators. The action hits in the middle of the busy Thanksgiving weekend of which Sunday is typically the busiest travel day of the year. Impact on carriers has been different, depending upon the airline. Air France reported delays out of Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, but Easyjet, American and Delta, all of which operate A320 fleets, were largely unaffected. The issue was discovered during an ongoing investigation of an October 30 incident where a JetBlue aircraft enroute from Cancun, Mexico to Newark, New Jersey unexpectedly pitched downward forcing an emergency landing at Tampa International Airport. 15 passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment of…...

3+ day, 21+ hour ago (476+ words) A day after NASA announced it had slashed the number of astronaut missions involving the Boeing Starliner and reduced the scope of the spacecraft program, the Department of Defense awarded the aerospace giant two contracts valued at more than $7 billion. That included $4.69 billion for additional Apache helicopters for the United States Army and $2.47 billion for Lot 12, a contract for 15 more KC-46 Pegasus aerial refuelers for the United States Air Force. The KC-46 tankers contract, issued by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2029. Work on the aircraft will be performed in Seattle, Washington. The AH-64E Apache is the latest variant of the Boeing helicopter, which first entered service in 1984. More than 1,280 of the rotary wing aircraft are now in service, accumulating over five million flight hours, including…...

4+ day, 2+ hour ago (473+ words) I recently applied to NASA for media credentials to cover the big Artemis II launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, this coming February. It's the first mission to orbit the moon with astronauts aboard since the Apollo program in the late sixties/early seventies. While filling out the forms, I thought about when I was a kid in Laurel, Maryland, and the Estes Model Rocket Co. As a twelve-year-old, I would order miniature scale rockets from the Colorado outfit, then build and launch them under the supervision of my father. My first was something called the Wac Corporal. It was the height of the lunar race with the former Soviet Union, and space was all the rage - television series like Star Trek, Fireball XL-5 lunch pails, astronaut action figures like Major Matt Mason, etc. Was Estes still around a half-century later, I…...

4+ day, 21+ hour ago (617+ words) Even as the United States Air Force expects the T-7A Red Hawk to enter service in 2028, after the first aircraft arrives at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, the service will continue to ensure that its aging Northrop T-38 Talons will remain in operation as the primary fixed-wing aircraft for advanced jet pilot training for years to come. The Air Force announced that the first Talon arrived at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday for overhaul and repair as part of the Talon Repair, Inspection, and Maintenance program. The TRIM program is the Air Force's repair initiative charged with inspecting aging aircraft and replacing structural components as necessary. Each aircraft will receive more than 6,000 hours of maintenance before being returnee to their home units. The goal is to get an additional five to 10 years out of the aircraft until the…...

5+ day, 7+ hour ago (694+ words) Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media. Steve's newest project is the podcast "What's Ahead," where he engages the world's top newsmakers, politicians and pioneers in business and economics in honest conversations meant to challenge traditional conventions as well as featuring Steve's signature views on the intersection of society, economic and policy. Steve helped create the recently released and highly acclaimed public television documentary, In Money We Trust?, which was produced under the auspices of Maryland Public television. The film was inspired by the book he co-authored, Money: How the Destruction of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy " and What We Can Do About It. Steve's latest book is Reviving America: How Repealing Obamacare, Replacing the Tax Code and Reforming The Fed will Restore Hope and Prosperity co-authored by Elizabeth Ames (McGraw-Hill Professional). Steve writes editorials for each…...

6+ day, 9+ hour ago (206+ words) Several international airlines canceled flights into Venezuela over the weekend, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cautioned pilots flying over the country's airspace of a worsening security and increased military activity amid a U.S. military buildup over the region. At least six carriers'Spain's Iberia, Portugal's TAP Air, Colombia's Avianca, Brazil's GOL, Chile's LATAM and Caribbean Airlines'have canceled the flights into the country, the president of the Airline Association of Venezuela, Marisela de Loaiza, told several outlets. Loaiza didn't say how long these suspensions will remain in effect, but Turkish Airlines also announced it has suspended operations in Venezuela from November 24 to 28. The spate of suspensions comes a day after a FASA issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) urging pilots to "exercise caution" when operating over Venezuelan airspace at all altitudes. The notice warned that "worsening security situation and heightened military activity…...

1+ week, 1+ hour ago (261+ words) Two days ago, the Dubai Air Show concluded, underscoring the growing importance of the mid-East to both civil and military aerospace. However, Dubai, and more recently Singapore, have become central to those same groups due to the focus on the importance of their regions to passenger growth and geographic defense and security concerns. But it also transmits those signals to Boeing as well, placing the largest dollar volume order at the show for 65 Boeing 777-9s worth $38 Billion including 130 General Electric 9X engines. Although a vote of confidence in the planned aircraft, the Emirates order was also interpreted as significant pressure for Boeing to get a move on. CEO Kelly Ortberg described regulatory paperwork, required for FAA certification, as the primary challenge in the earnings charge and schedule delay. Five test aircraft are flying, and no significant technical problems have appeared to date....

1+ week, 4+ day ago (513+ words) As Archer Aviation prepares to provide air taxi service for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the electric vertical and takeoff aircraft company, landed two major deals this week in the Middle East. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia's The Helicopter Company to bring its Midnight eVTOL to the kingdom to support development of its regenerative tourism project through partner Red Sea Global, the companies announced Wednesday. Regenerative tourism refers to a practice that leaves attractions in better shape than they were when there were established, according to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Under the MOU, Archer's Midnight eVTOLs will participate in what the parties term a "sandbox environment" to conduct test under real-world conditions to test the aircraft's performance, how well it works within the operations and passenger acceptance. "Partnering with…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (1170+ words) Air travel restrictions and the government shutdown may be over, but the financial damage is still being calculated. The US Travel and Tourism Association estimates the travel economy lost $1 billion per week during the disruption. Airlines have cut hundreds of flights heading into Thanksgiving, the year's busiest travel period. For C-suite executives, the 43-day shutdown showed how quickly political dysfunction can derail million-dollar deals dependent on face-to-face meetings. Now with the rollback of Biden-era compensation policies, airlines no longer have to pay cash for wasting your time. For executives who must show up sharp and on time, hoping the system behaves isn't a smart strategy. Building your own travel infrastructure is the only way to win. Start with these four companies. The company operates in every airport worldwide through an expansive network of vendors and local relationships established over 15 years....

1+ week, 6+ day ago (502+ words) With this deal, Emirates" total Boeing orderbook stands at 315 widebody aircraft, including 270 777X jets, 10 777 freighters, and 35 787s. The agreement also includes 130 additional GE9X engines. Emirates" commitment to GE Aerospace now rises to 540 GE9X engines in total, the largest order for the engine program to date. The latest agreement allows Emirates to convert the new 777-9 orders into either the smaller 777-8 or the 777-10, a stretched variant of the 777X aimed at higher-capacity long-haul routes. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said the airline has been "keen for manufacturers to build larger capacity aircraft, which are more efficient to operate, especially with projected air traffic growth and increasing constraints at airports." He added that Emirates "fully supports Boeing"s feasibility study to develop the 777-10." For Boeing, Emirates" commitment to more of the 777X family is a meaningful sign of…...