Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Know What's Happening in Aerospace
China tests 7.5‑tonne hydrogen‑turboprop cargo plane
China’s Aero Engine Corporation flew a 7.5‑tonne unmanned cargo aircraft powered by a 1‑megawatt hydrogen turboprop for 16 minutes, covering 36 km at 220 km/h and 300 m altitude. The test demonstrates the engine’s reliability and the country’s claim of a fully domestic hydrogen‑engine supply chain.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued new guidance requiring airlines and price‑comparison websites to display the carbon emissions of each flight sold to British consumers, using standard units such as kg CO₂e per passenger. The rule takes effect by April 2027, after which the CAA will monitor compliance and may move to a mandatory regime if uptake is insufficient. Airlines warn that updating booking systems will be costly and that last‑minute aircraft changes could render displayed figures inaccurate. Nonetheless, the guidance aims to give travelers clearer environmental information when choosing flights.
Singapore’s Air Force is expanding its unmanned fleet by operationalising Israeli‑made Orbiter 4 and Hermes 900 UAVs, while introducing new doctrines to counter low‑cost drone swarms. A dedicated DROID unit and UAS Warfare and Tactics Centre will experiment with micro‑drones and integrate...
DARPA has launched the Lift Challenge, a competition that aims to develop vertical‑lift drones capable of carrying at least four times their own weight. The contest offers up to $6.5 million in prize money, with a live flight test scheduled for...
Eurofighter and NATO’s NETMA have signed a contract to revive the Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) for the Typhoon, restarting development, testing and certification after its 2015 flight‑test campaign. The kit reshapes airflow with new strakes, leading‑edge extensions and larger flaperons,...
AirAsia is rumored to be negotiating a sizable order of 100 Airbus A220 jets with an additional 50 options ahead of the Singapore Airshow, but the carrier has not confirmed any commitment. The airline’s constrained cash position and focus on...
The Exploration Company announced the completion of a controlled splashdown test campaign for a 1:4‑scale mockup of its Nyx reusable capsule. Conducted at the National Research Council’s Institute of Marine Engineering in Rome, the program executed 20 drops between 13...
ST Engineering showcased its first loitering munition, the EagleStrike, at the Singapore Airshow 2026, announcing readiness for production in early 2027 after reaching Technology Readiness Level 7. The weapon can loiter for 30 minutes, travel up to 67 mph, and strike...
The U.S. Air Force held a virtual industry day on Jan. 29, 2026 to launch a sweeping overhaul of its requirements and acquisition process, as mandated by the Secretary of War’s reform memo. About 350 defense‑industry leaders, ranging from large contractors to...
On January 1 2026 Russia enacted a tax incentive that lets companies deduct two rubles from income tax for every ruble spent on domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles. The measure is designed to accelerate the home‑grown drone sector that has become central...
Swedish aerospace firm Saab unveiled a proposal to establish a Gripen fighter‑jet production line in Canada that would not only supply the Royal Canadian Air Force but also serve export customers. The plan, presented at the Singapore Airshow, envisions an...
The 2026 outlook surveys airliner projects that break away from traditional gas‑turbine tube‑and‑wing designs, emphasizing lower emissions and potential cost reductions. The analysis narrows to programs closest to certification, filtering out the dozens of concepts still in early stages. Despite...
Raytheon, a division of RTX, announced it will accelerate production of key missile systems after President Trump threatened to cut its contracts. The company signed five Pentagon agreements that could boost annual deliveries up to four times current rates, covering...
Rolls‑Royce unveiled the Trent 1000 XE, the new production‑standard engine for all future Boeing 787 deliveries. The XE incorporates a Durability Enhancement package that boosts time‑on‑wing and cuts emissions compared with the Trent 1000 TEN. The launch follows a slowdown in 787 engine orders and...
NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby in over five decades, is slated for a March 2026 launch from Kennedy Space Center. The 322‑foot Space Launch System and Orion capsule arrived at the pad in mid‑January, and the launch date...
Lufthansa Group announced a fleet‑wide shift to SpaceX Starlink, planning rollout from late 2026 to 2029, while retaining its existing inflight connectivity (IFC) systems—Viasat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) on narrow‑bodies and Panasonic’s multi‑orbit solution on some A330s—until Starlink is fully...
Indonesia has officially dropped its plan to buy 24 Boeing F‑15EX fighters, ending a stalled procurement that began with an MOU in 2023. Instead, the country signed a Letter of Intent with Leonardo for the M‑346F Block 20, a light‑fighter/advanced trainer...
Panasonic Avionics announced an MOU with Shanghai Spacesail Technologies to integrate Spacesail’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation into its in‑flight connectivity (IFEC) network, enhancing global broadband coverage for airlines. The partnership aims to deliver higher speeds, lower latency, and...
At the Singapore Airshow 2026, CAE announced that its joint venture with Embraer, Embraer‑CAE Training Services (ECTS), will receive its first full‑flight simulator (FFS) dedicated to training pilots for Eve Air Mobility’s eVTOL aircraft. The CAE 3000 series simulator features...
The Singapore Air Show closed with only a single airline order, underscoring a tentative market mood. Pratt & Whitney reported a modest pickup in engine interest, while Vietjet remains cautious until the new geared‑turbo‑fan (GTF) engines prove reliable. Meanwhile, China...
Isar Aerospace announced a purpose‑built acceptance test facility at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center, boosting its capacity to test over 30 Aquila engines per month and conduct full stage acceptance tests. The expansion comes as the company readies the second flight...
Tigerair Taiwan announced a direct order for four Airbus A321neo jets at the Singapore Airshow, marking Airbus' first order on the event’s second day. The new aircraft will increase seat capacity to 232 per plane, complementing the carrier’s existing fleet...
A U.S. appeals court has vacated the Biden administration’s “junk‑fee” rule that would have required airlines to display all ancillary charges up front. The judges determined the DOT relied on a study that was not released during the public comment...
India's Ministry of Defence has shortlisted three private aerospace giants—Tata Advanced Systems, Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Forge—to lead the development of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), the country's first indigenous fifth‑generation stealth fighter. For the first time, state‑run Hindustan Aeronautics...
United Airlines executed a four‑and‑a‑half‑hour, full‑system shutdown on Wednesday to advance one of the largest technology upgrades in its history. The outage disabled flight booking, check‑in, MileagePlus accounts and even the customer‑service line, forcing flight retimes and cancellations. The carrier...
The episode examines Vueling’s decision to stop offering Avios points to most passengers, outlining the new tiered earn rates that only reward higher spenders. It argues that the move is unlikely to generate extra revenue but can save costs by...
During the Singapore Airshow 2026, Thales announced new MoUs with Singapore's Economic Development Board to expand its AI, cloud, edge computing, and data engineering capabilities, positioning Singapore as one of three global R&D centres for its FlytEDGE inflight entertainment platform....
Cathay Pacific’s new Aria business‑class suite on its Boeing 777‑300 now features a sliding door, joining a growing fleet of premium cabins that prioritize enclosure. The author, on a two‑hour Bangkok‑Hong Kong flight, praised the suite’s spacious layout, high‑quality food and...
Air Cambodia announced its largest single‑aisle purchase, ordering up to 20 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets at the Singapore Airshow. The deal includes a firm order for 10 aircraft with options for another 10, aiming to expand the carrier’s network across North...
On February 3 2026 a U.S. F‑35C launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed‑139 drone that was aggressively approaching the carrier in the Arabian Sea, roughly 500 miles off Iran’s coast. The intercept came after de‑escalatory measures failed to divert the...
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector, Paul Asmus, has sued United Airlines, alleging the carrier imposed a lifetime travel ban and filed a civil complaint after he reported safety concerns on a 2022 flight. United allegedly demanded over $3,000 in restitution,...
The French space agency CNES announced a fresh call for launch operators to occupy the vacancy left by MaiaSpace at its new multi‑user ELM (Ensemble de Lancement Multilanceurs) facility in French Guiana. The site, built on the former Diamant launch...
Southwest Airlines has eliminated its free checked‑bag allowance and introduced assigned seating, concentrating carry‑on luggage in the front rows. Passengers in rows two through five find the overhead bins already full, while a locked crew‑only bin above rows two and...
A Cirrus SR20 light aircraft that departed Birmingham crashed near Littleborough, close to Rochdale, around 11 am. The aircraft’s ballistic recovery system (CAPS) deployed but became snagged on power lines. Police have recovered the bodies of both occupants, confirming two men...
Boeing’s early‑2026 delivery pipeline is accelerating, delivering a surge in cash flow as customers accept aircraft and make final payments. Airbus, meanwhile, is reloading its order book after a strong showing at the Singapore Air Show, where new commitments were...
A Brussels Enterprise Court ordered Ryanair to halt "pressure selling" tactics on its website, including scarcity alerts, fake discounts, bundled pricing, and hidden baggage fees. The airline has three months to comply or face daily fines of €5,000, up to...
The Singapore Air Show on Feb. 3, 2026 delivered a surprisingly thin order book. Boeing and ATR were the only manufacturers to announce new commercial contracts, while Embraer reiterated a previously announced C‑390 tanker‑transport deal. The limited activity highlights a cautious market...
Lockheed Martin completed the first flight demonstration of its Sniper Networked Targeting Pod, showing real‑time targeting data exchange between two F‑16 fighters and a ground station. The pod transforms the legacy AN/AAQ‑33 Sniper ATP into a networked node using MANET...
The European Union’s Clean Aviation programme has launched its fourth call for proposals, offering up to €329.5 million in public funding, which together with private investment could reach €824 million. The programme concentrates on ultra‑efficient short‑to‑medium range (SMR) aircraft, allocating €130 million to...
The USS John F. Kennedy, the second Ford‑class carrier, began its first sea trials in February 2026. Repeated delays caused by elevator, electromagnetic catapult, and arresting‑gear problems pushed delivery from an original 2022 target to mid‑2026 and raised the contract...
Airbus marketed the A321neo family, especially the LR and XLR variants, as ultra‑efficient narrow‑body jets that could deliver wide‑body seat counts with lower operating costs. The design’s space‑saving tricks—most notably the Space Flex lavatory layout—reduced cabin width to add six...
Swiss startup H55, a Solar Impulse spinoff, announced it has successfully completed a full certification test sequence for its high‑energy propulsion batteries, with the tests witnessed and approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The milestone proves the...
Flight attendants in the U.S. are increasingly forced to live in so‑called “crash pads,” low‑cost shared apartments that resemble dormitories or prisons. The practice stems from low entry‑level pay that makes hotel stays unaffordable, combined with airline bases located in...
The U.S. Department of State has cleared more than $15 billion in arms sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Israel’s package, valued at roughly $6.7 billion, includes 30 Apache helicopters and 3,250 light tactical vehicles. Saudi Arabia’s deal, about $9 billion, features 730...
Emirates is reportedly preparing to restart its Dubai‑Tel Aviv service after a two‑year hiatus triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack. Before the suspension the carrier operated three daily flights, a schedule it had expanded only months earlier due to strong...
Freelance journalist Brian Coleman is attending the 2026 Singapore Airshow using loyalty points to cover the event at no out‑of‑pocket cost. He leveraged Chase Ultimate Rewards and IHG points to secure a United Premium Plus seat and a Holiday Inn...
On 19 February 2025 a Falcon 9 booster fragment re‑entered uncontrolled and landed on Polish soil, prompting a police seizure and a prosecutor’s decision to drop criminal charges. The European Space Agency has now issued a €200‑500 k tender to independently reconstruct the breakup,...
The International Air Transport Association’s Net Zero by 2050 pledge, announced in 2021, is now widely regarded as unattainable, prompting many airlines to scale back or abandon the targets. Sustainable Aviation Fuel remains the most viable near‑term option, yet its...
The episode explores why commercial aviation enjoys an exceptional safety record by examining three economic lenses: market mechanisms that eliminate "lemons" through rigorous aircraft record‑keeping, incentive structures that turn safety into an anti‑Prisoner’s Dilemma where cooperation yields higher profits for...
A United Airlines Boeing 737‑700 experienced a cabin pressurization failure seconds after takeoff on Jan. 30, causing severe head and ear pain for passengers. The aircraft climbed to about 8,700 feet before pilots descended to 6,600 feet and diverted to Houston for an...
British Airways has scrapped its plan to introduce a masculine‑style neck tie for female cabin crew after a swift staff revolt. The airline replaced the controversial frilly scarf designed by Ozwald Boateng with a Hermès‑origin twilly, but initially limited its...
