Today's Aerospace Pulse
Icelandair to retire B757‑200 fleet by late 2026
Icelandair announced it will retire its Boeing 757‑200 aircraft in late 2026 as part of fleet modernization. In the same coverage cluster, Flexjet’s Irish subsidiary received regulatory approval to operate in the United States.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Eaton merges mobility business with Dana in $10B deal
UK Joins NATO Ballistic Missile Defence Effort
The United Kingdom has joined six NATO allies in a new High Visibility Project aimed at bolstering ballistic missile defence. Announced on 12 February 2026, the initiative will develop and field sensors, interceptors and tactical control systems to plug gaps in NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence framework. The effort runs alongside parallel NATO projects on drone‑based strike capabilities and air‑worthiness resilience, expanding cooperation to 17 nations including Sweden’s recent entry into an air‑launched munitions programme.
Embention Named in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Spain for Sustained Growth
Embention, a developer of UAV autopilots and high‑reliability avionics, has been named to Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Spain, recognizing four years of strong revenue growth. The accolade underscores the company’s certified avionics for UAVs and eVTOL platforms, built to DO‑160,...
What Are The Best Seats In Each Class Of Delta Air Lines' Boeing 757s?
Delta Air Lines operates the largest U.S. fleet of Boeing 757s—about 110 aircraft—as of late 2025, but the airline has deliberately avoided a single cabin layout. This results in noticeable differences in seat comfort across the 757‑200 and the more uniform 757‑300,...
Artemis Spacesuits Technical Overview
NASA’s Artemis program has introduced the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), a next‑generation lunar spacesuit designed for the harsh South Pole environment. The suit adopts a commercial xEVAS procurement model, giving private partner Axiom Space ownership and the ability to...
Houston, We Have a Hub: Why Singapore’s New Space Agency Is a Game-Changer for the Global Space Economy
The episode breaks down Singapore’s launch of its National Space Agency (NSAS) announced at the Space Summit 2026, highlighting the nation’s strategic shift from a regional tech hub to a pivotal player in the global space economy. It explains how...
Southwest Airlines Staying “Optimistic” For Boeing 737 MAX 7 Debut In Early 2027
Southwest Airlines remains optimistic that Boeing will deliver the 737 MAX 7 in early 2027 after a series of delays spanning seven years. The carrier, which holds 90% of the MAX 7 order book and 269 firm orders, has accelerated MAX 8 deliveries to...
US Air Force Proves AI Wingmen Can Fly Across Rival Platforms
The U.S. Air Force has taken ownership of the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A‑GRA) and applied it to multiple aircraft, proving AI wingmen can operate on rival platforms such as the YFQ‑42 and YFQ‑44. By decoupling software from any single...
Governor Kelly Announces $3M to Develop Unmanned Aerial Systems Technology for Agricultural Research
Governor Laura Kelly announced a $3 million state grant to Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems for developing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial systems aimed at Kansas agriculture. The funding, approved during the 2025 legislative session, builds on the state’s...
GE Aerospace Invests $300M to Boost Singapore Repair Hub
bbaviation7 had an exclusive interview with Iain Rodger, Managing Director of GE Aerospace Component Repair Singapore, where he shares how the Singapore site supports GE Aerospace’s global MRO network and the engine components repaired here. We also talk about GE Aerospace’s...
Before Rafale: The French Fighter Jet That India Wanted – But It Never Took Off. A Look at Dassault Mirage...
Dassault Aviation’s Mirage‑4000 was a twin‑engine, heavyweight fighter prototype that never entered production, largely because the French government declined to fund it and required carrier capability. The aircraft showcased advanced technologies—composite structures, high thrust‑to‑weight ratio, and Mach 2 performance—that later informed...
AI-Powered Geospatial Platform Rivals Google Earth, Palantir
Between Gemini 3.1 and Claude 4.6 it's honestly wild what you can build. This feels like Google Earth and Palantir had a baby. Made this with all the geospatial bells and whistles -- real time plane & satellite tracking, real traffic...
Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal Completes Without Major Issues
NASA has reached the end of today's Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal with no major issues reported. https://t.co/CwpiNIEJYz https://t.co/rPZmmaWMuf
Inside Finland’s Rapid Rise as a Space Powerhouse
Finland has transformed from a modest satellite launcher into a competitive space hub within a decade, leveraging its engineering heritage and strategic government backing. The nation boosted its ESA contribution by 59%, reaching €233 million for 2025, while Finnish firms ICEYE,...
PIT First Airport to Be Awarded Universal Design Certificate From IDEA Center
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) became the first airport globally to receive Universal Design Certification from the University at Buffalo’s IDEA Center. The award recognizes PIT’s superior performance in wayfinding, lighting, mobility access, and sensory inclusion, and highlights its newly reimagined...
Navy Pursues New AWACS‑Killer Anti‑Radiation Missile
Hunt For Anti-Radiation Missile That Can Down Enemy Radar Planes Kicked-Off By Navy The 'AWACS killer' Advanced Emission Suppression Missile will also be able to strike air defenses on land and sea. https://t.co/BNrywXdNe7
USSF Wants to Get Battle Management Tools From Lab to Operations Faster
The U.S. Space Force is restructuring its advanced battle‑management pipeline by moving the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications, and Processing (SDA TAP) Lab under the Kronos command‑and‑control system. Over the next 18 months, the program aims to transition more lab‑derived tools...
Istanbul Leads, Regions Rise: Turkish Airports Build a Platform for Long-Term Rowth
Turkey’s aviation sector posted one of Europe’s strongest growth stories in 2025, driven by a surge in passenger demand and a resilient operational model. Istanbul Airport solidified its rank among Europe’s top hubs, handling record traffic while introducing triple independent...
NASA Releases Starliner Investigation Results: Type A Mishap
NASA released the investigation of the Starliner Crew Flight Test, labeling it a Type A mishap. The probe identified five service‑module thruster failures caused by oxidizer‑vapor‑induced two‑phase flow and Teflon poppet extrusion, and widespread helium‑manifold leaks due to seal material incompatibility...
Singapore Airshow: Part Two – Embraer and ATR Target Asia Pacific Growth Opportunities
At the Singapore Airshow, Embraer and ATR highlighted the Asia‑Pacific region as the next growth frontier for regional aircraft. While turboprops already hold a solid share, regional jets remain under‑represented, with narrow‑ and wide‑bodies making up more than 90% of...
Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal On Track, Launch Window Opening Soon
Artemis II WDR still proceeding well. Closeout crew has left the pad. Just over one hour to opening of simulated launch window. https://t.co/Yi2WnQb4m5
China Lays Out Its Plan To Develop A Space-Based Data Centre
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) unveiled a five‑year roadmap that includes building a space‑based data centre, alongside asteroid mining, debris monitoring and tourism initiatives. The orbital data centre would rely on solar power to deliver computing, storage and...
Hill Air Force Base Bids Farewell to A-10 Depot Mission as Final Warthog Departs
The U.S. Air Force held a "Hawg Out" ceremony at Hill Air Force Base as the last A-10 Thunderbolt II completed depot-level maintenance at Ogden Air Logistics Complex and prepared to depart by the end of February. The event marks...
Pratt & Whitney Shows F-47-Like Fighter in Latest XA103 Adaptive Engine Video
Pratt & Whitney released a new video showcasing its XA103 adaptive engine alongside a speculative F‑47‑style fighter design. The rendering features a twin‑engine, tailless aircraft with canards, differing from official Air Force images and likely serving as a concept illustration....
IFC Market Yet to Reach 50% Connected Figure, Valour Finds
Valour Consultancy’s latest IFEC Market Tracker shows fewer than 12,000 commercial aircraft—under half the global fleet—are equipped with in‑flight connectivity. SpaceX leads with contracts for more than 5,000 aircraft, while Chinese carriers dominate the list of airlines with the most...
Engineers Must Read Starliner Anomaly Report Summary
If you’re an engineer you need to at least read the executive summary of the Starliner Anomaly Investigation Report
Northrop, Brazil’s Embraer Partner on KC-390 to Pitch US, Others
Northrop Grumman and Brazil’s Embraer have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly market the KC‑390 Millennium with an autonomous boom refueling system for the U.S. Air Force and allied forces. Northrop will study integrating a retrofittable boom and other...
The Space Data Layer – Building an Interoperable Internet in Space
The satellite sector is shifting from launch‑centric hardware to data‑centric services, introducing a "space data layer" that fuses edge computing, AI, and optical links in orbit. This layer aims to turn raw sensor streams into sub‑second, actionable insights, effectively extending...
Hypersonic Hustle & Orbital Muscle.
The episode highlights three major developments in the defense and commercial space sector: Stratolaunch securing a $90.8 million Department of War contract for the MACH‑TB 2.0 air‑launched test vehicle program, Agile Space Industries closing a $17 million Series A round to expand its small‑sat...
Geopolitical Analysis: China Challenges SpaceX Dominance with Massive LEO Governance Strategy
China has submitted ITU filings for roughly 203,000 low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, marking a strategic shift from technical catch‑up to regulatory flooding. By exploiting Equivalent Power Flux Density limits, Beijing aims to reserve large portions of the interference budget, forcing rivals such...
MDA Space Launches New Subsidiary for Defense Contracting, 49North
MDA Space announced the launch of 49North, a new subsidiary dedicated to defense services such as C4ISR integration, radar, autonomous systems, and secure mission software. Joe Armstrong, a former CAE vice‑president, was named the first president. The unit builds on...
AAA Reports Record U.S. Air Travel in 2025, But Slowing Growth
U.S. airports saw a record 906 million passengers in 2025, but year‑over‑year growth fell below 1 percent, a sharp deceleration from the 5.3 percent rise in 2024. The slowdown reflects lingering economic uncertainty that delayed leisure bookings in the first half...
Tracking the Epidemic – Satellites Watch over the Spread of the Texas Screwworm Outbreak
In early 2026 Texas declared a disaster as the New World screwworm, eradicated in the U.S. since 1966, moved within striking distance of the border, threatening up to $1.8 billion in cattle losses. To counter the risk, satellite‑enabled livestock tags from...
US Must Test Agile Combat Employment Against Iranian Threat
If this goes down with Iran, the USAF should put its Agile Combat Employment (ACE) playbook to the test. Having billions and billions in hard to replace fighter aircraft packed on ramps at a couple bases is not a recipe...
KC‑390 Boom Variant Offers Agile Air Force Tanker
Based on the news today of Northrop Grumman and Embraer teaming up for next generation tanker capabilities, this is a must read from four years ago: KC-390 With A Boom Could Be The Agile Tanker The Air Force Needs https://t.co/lrJn7Owfc3
PSA, Flight Attendants Reach Tentative Labor Agreement
PSA Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants‑CWA have reached a tentative three‑year labor agreement that delivers an immediate 10 % wage increase, retroactive pay and a boarding‑pay premium that can add up to 16 % to earnings. Over the contract term,...
NASA Chooses Transparency Over Sweeping Starliner Issues
The easy thing to do—the expected thing, really—would have been for NASA to sweep this report under the rug, declare Starliner-CFT a great learning experience, and say everything is going well. NASA did not do the easy thing. https://t.co/yNN1rRnLYi
Noisy Neighborhoods More Annoyed by Air Taxi Noise
"Initial results reveal that residents living in noisy areas reported being more bothered by the air taxi sounds than those in quieter areas." #avgeek
NASA Releases Report on Starliner Crewed Flight Test Investigation
NASA released the final investigation report on Boeing's CST‑100 Starliner crewed flight test, declaring the mission a Type A mishap. The test, launched on June 5 2024, was extended to 93 days after propulsion anomalies and ultimately returned without the crew, who later flew...
UK Blocks US Access to Bases, Hampering Iran Bombing Campaign
U.K. Denying U.S. Use Of Key Bases Would Impact Bombers’ Role In Iran Air Campaign The U.K. is reportedly preventing the U.S. from using Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford to attack Iran. https://t.co/YUPo74NyHL
Artemis II Teams Stay Below Hydrogen Leak Safety Limit
This is encouraging: "Teams reached this step without exceeding the ground safety limit of the hydrogen leak concentration, as was observed during the first Artemis II wet dress rehearsal."
SpaceX and Blue Origin Abruptly Shift Priorities Amid US Golden Dome Push
SpaceX and Blue Origin have abruptly redirected their long‑term goals from Mars and sub‑orbital tourism to lunar development. SpaceX announced it will swap its planned Martian city for a moon settlement, while Blue Origin paused New Shepard flights to concentrate...
NASA Admits Starliner Missteps, Reclassifies Mishap, Vows Leadership Overhaul
News conf upshot: NASA acknowledges poor decision making thruout Starliner prog and esp while crew was on orbit. Now correctly classified as Type A mishap. NASA still committed to Starliner, but will be leadership and other changes at NASA. Rpt...
Starliner Crew Flight Test Findings Detailed in 312‑page Report
Here's the full, 312-page report of findings from the Program Investigation Team regarding the Starliner crew flight test. https://t.co/rd3RyEQ4YZ
SpaceX and Blue Origin Abruptly Shift Priorities Amid US Golden Dome Push
SpaceX and Blue Origin have abruptly shifted focus from Mars and sub‑orbital tourism to lunar development, aligning with the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile‑shield program. SpaceX announced plans for a moon city and is eyeing a potential $2 billion contract to launch...
NASA Demands Root‑Cause Fix Before Starliner Returns
Some incredible transparency from @NASAAdmin @rookisaacman regarding the Starliner crew fiasco. It will not fly again until the ROOT CAUSE is addressed, not just bandaided. I don’t see how this is can be worth it to Boeing anymore TBH. They...
Navy F-16Cs Set for Aggressor Paint Schemes
I would expect the Navy F-16Cs will finally be getting aggressor paint jobs now that they go through a tailored depot program. I have a feeling we will be impressed.
BAE Systems Signs Framework Deal for Logistics Drone Expansion
BAE Systems FalconWorks and SURVICE Engineering have signed a framework agreement to co‑develop uncrewed air system technologies, extending the partnership that began with the T‑150 logistics drone (fielded as the TRV‑150). The deal broadens collaboration into small and tactical UAS...
ADS‑B: Essential Real‑Time Safety Standard for All Aircraft
ADS-B is a critical aviation safety technology, which allows aircraft to broadcast their location and trajectory in realtime and see other aircraft in realtime on a map. This is essential safety technology, table stakes for all aircraft.
SLS Core Stage Fully Fueled, Leak‑Free Progress
The SLS Core Stage is 100% full with liquid hydrogen, reaching that step without the leaks experienced in the first Wet Dress Rehearsal. Core stage LOX also full. Upper stage in progress. https://t.co/l57ViNyv7v https://t.co/osaGFUDs2r
January U.S. Travel Agency Air Ticket Sales Top $10 Billion
U.S. travel‑agency air ticket sales reached over $10 billion in January 2026, a first since ARC began tracking. The figure represents a 7 % year‑over‑year increase and a 39 % month‑over‑month surge. Passenger trips rose to 28.2 million, with domestic travel up 4 % and...