
Gilat Satellite Networks announced $39 million in orders for its Sidewinder electronically steered antenna (ESA) in‑flight connectivity terminals from a leading satellite operator, with deliveries slated over the next 12 months. The orders cover both line‑fit and retrofit installations, underscoring airlines' shift toward ESA solutions for high‑quality broadband. Sidewinder’s compact, multi‑orbit design promises consistent connectivity across LEO, MEO and GEO constellations. The deal reinforces Gilat’s leadership in the expanding in‑flight connectivity market.
The article argues that the United States must seize early leadership in space mining to secure economic, energy and geopolitical advantages as extraction technologies become viable. It highlights the trillion‑dollar profit potential of asteroid resources and the strategic value of...
The Sustainable Spectrum Policy dossier has been refreshed for 2026, adding a new research note on space sustainability. It highlights the ESA Zero Debris Charter’s net‑zero target for 2030, the APRSAF “Nagoya Vision” on responsible space use, and IADC’s global...

Global defence spending reached $2.63 trillion in 2025, a 2.5% year‑on‑year increase driven by heightened great‑power rivalry. The United States shifted its strategy toward homeland defence and burden‑sharing, proposing a multi‑layered “Golden Dome” missile shield while scaling back direct aid to...

Telespazio Ibérica has secured a €20 million contract to build an Earth‑observation satellite constellation for the Canary Islands. While the original plan called for eight low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, the award covers three operational spacecraft and a technology demonstrator, each 20‑30 kg. The demonstrator...

A European consortium has 3D‑printed a 150 mm spacecraft‑grade pipe in 316L stainless steel that embeds a 60 W resistive heater, internal wiring, a D‑sub connector, and an aerosol‑jet‑printed temperature sensor. The design‑for‑additive‑manufacturing approach eliminates separate Kapton heaters and fragile leads, aiming...

Sierra Nevada Corporation and Northrop Grumman have completed the first flight of a B‑2A Spirit equipped with the Adaptable Communications Suite (ACS) 4.0. The upgrade embeds a secure, open‑mission computing environment that plugs the bomber into the Combined Joint All‑Domain Command...

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Boeing's appeal, allowing the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association lawsuit to continue in Texas appellate courts. The case alleges Boeing interfered with the union’s business and fraudulently induced pilots to operate the 737 MAX, seeking...
United Airlines has deployed an algorithmic system to identify flight attendants it deems to be abusing sick‑leave, flagging crew who fail to trade assigned trips or who call in sick after denied time‑off requests. The technology cross‑references scheduling disputes and...

A consortium led by 4colors Research, together with Airbus, DNV, NQCC and ORCA Computing, has received an NQCC SparQ grant to develop a hybrid classical‑quantum solution for aircraft cargo loading. The project, titled “Quantum‑Accelerated Mixed‑Integer Optimisation for Aircraft Loading,” will...
During the initial climb of a Batik Air Boeing 737‑800, economy seats in an exit row tipped backward, flattening into the row behind and blocking the aisle near the emergency exit. The crew re‑seated passengers and the aircraft underwent an...

Aveva announced it has completed its first major purchase of sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFcs) five years ahead of its World Economic Forum First Movers Coalition commitment. The certificates were bought from British Airways, which sources the fuel from renewable...

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) is in advanced talks to acquire Macquarie AirFinance, a joint venture owned 50% by Macquarie Group and 25% each by PGGM Infrastructure Fund and Australian Retirement Trust. The transaction would expand DAE's owned, managed and committed...
British Airways unintentionally published the seat map for its re‑configured A380 fleet, exposing a new layout that trims capacity to 421 seats, a 10% reduction. The redesign introduces 12 First Class suites, 84 World Traveller Plus seats, 215 World Traveller...
Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced that the international passenger service charge will rise from THB 730 to THB 1,120 per departing passenger, effective June 20, 2026. The domestic charge remains at THB 130. AOT projects the hike will generate roughly...

During Operation Desert Storm, F‑14 Tomcats struggled to engage Iraqi aircraft because older A/B models lacked modern IFF and relied heavily on AWACS. Frustrated pilots turned to ground‑attack missions, and one VF‑14 crew abandoned an EA‑6B Prowler escort to strafe...

RAVE Aerospace, newly rebranded after its acquisition by Kingswood Capital Management, announced it will cease internal development of proprietary inflight connectivity (IFC) antenna technology. The company will continue supporting its existing Ka2517 (ThinKom) line‑fit terminals on Airbus and Boeing aircraft...

Boom Aviation’s 88‑passenger Overture supersonic transport, ten years after its 2014 launch, has demonstrated a prototype but still lacks a certified engine partner. The company has secured more than $600 million in funding and conditional orders from major airlines, yet major...

The European Space Agency has awarded two contracts to study lunar habitat concepts that could protect robotic equipment and later support short‑duration human missions. Copenhagen‑based SAGA Space Architects, together with The Exploration Company and Space Applications Services, will lead the...

AMD unveiled the VEK385 evaluation kit built around the Versal AI Edge Gen 2 XC2VE3858 SoC FPGA. The board combines eight Cortex‑A78AE cores, ten Cortex‑R52 cores, a Mali‑G78AE GPU, 144 AI Engine‑ML v2 tiles delivering up to 184 INT8 TOPS, and 20 GB...
The Defense & Aerospace Report podcast highlighted a Supreme Court ruling that struck down several of former President Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Analysts discussed the fate of roughly $200 billion in tariff revenue and the...
Milan Malpensa Airport will close runway 35L/17R from March 16 to May 9, 2026 for full repaving, taxiway refurbishment, and LED lighting upgrades. During this period MXP will operate on a single runway, sharply reducing its handling capacity. The airport has arranged...
NASA had slated a no‑earlier‑than‑March 6 launch for Artemis II, but an unexpected interruption in helium flow through the Space Launch System’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage forced the agency to consider rolling the rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly...
Frontier Airlines is cutting nine of its ten routes that serve New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, leaving only a daily flight to Atlanta. The eliminated city pairs include Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Juan and Tampa, with cancellations...

Evolito Limited has been chosen to create an electric wheel‑taxi system under the UK‑backed Project SONATA, partnering with Airbus, ATI, Innovate UK and several research institutions. The company will supply a low‑speed, high‑torque axial‑flux motor delivering roughly 350 kW and 56 Nm/kg, designed to...

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer and Adani Defence & Aerospace have signed an enhanced MoU to set up a final assembly line for the E175 regional jet in India. The venture aims to tap an estimated demand for 500 aircraft in...
![[COPY] The Airline Data Project](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EbGB!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fadf49adc-855d-48a5-a2c3-d954f8c43585_1280x1280.png)
The episode delves into the Airline Data Project, an expansion of MIT's original dataset, now covering U.S. airline operations from 2017 onward. It explains how the project aggregates flight schedules, performance metrics, and financial data to enable rigorous research and...
A U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General report criticizes the FAA for using virtual inspections to oversee United Airlines’ maintenance during a 2024 safety probe. The audit found the FAA’s Certificate Management Office was severely understaffed, with 33% of positions...

Sunrise Dominicana, a Dominican carrier certified in 2025, has filed a request with the U.S. Department of Transportation for a five‑year exemption to operate scheduled and charter flights between the Dominican Republic and the United States. The airline plans to...

Airbus recorded a $500 million impairment on its A220 program as the aircraft’s production ramp slowed and order growth lagged expectations. The write‑down reflects weaker cash‑flow projections and higher unit costs, casting doubt on the A220’s earnings contribution. CEO Guillaume Faury remains...
On 7 December 2023 a Beech 35‑C33 Debonair crashed in Tennessee, killing the private pilot known as “TNflygirl” and her father. The pilot, a YouTube creator documenting her flight‑training journey, had 390 total flight hours—about 200 in the Debonair—but had not demonstrated...

Japan’s Kobe Airport has launched a new international terminal, shifting from a domestic‑only facility to a regional gateway linking the Kansai area with major Asian cities such as Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei. The terminal incorporates SITA’s Flex Essentials platform, common‑use...

On February 19, 2026 the U.S. Air Force deployed two F‑35As, two F‑16Cs, an E‑3 AWACS and tanker support to intercept a Russian formation of two Tu‑95MS bombers, two Su‑35S fighters and a Beriev A‑50 AEW aircraft transiting the Alaskan...

United Airlines and American Airlines have each pledged $100 million to recapitalize Brazil’s Azul as it emerges from Chapter 11, while existing creditors will contribute an additional $100 million. United’s cash will flow through a public equity offering and American will use warrant...

Avalanche Technology unveiled its VNX+ storage module, combining Space Grade MRAM with Lattice’s CertusPro‑NX FPGA to deliver true radiation immunity without sacrificing density, speed, or endurance. The solution is engineered for military and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) applications and satisfies...

NAVAIR has issued a Sources Sought notice for an Advanced Emission Suppression Missile (AESM) that would exceed the range of the current AGM‑88G and add the ability to engage both air‑to‑air and air‑to‑ground targets. The missile must integrate with the...

The British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team showcased AI‑enabled reconnaissance‑strike capabilities during a visit by Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker. The demonstration linked new hardware, software and procedures to accelerate target acquisition and air‑delivered...

A Navy A‑4 Skyhawk maintenance test pilot climbed above 40,000 feet to verify the aircraft’s pressure‑breathing cabin system. During the test the pressurization failed, causing a sudden influx of pure liquid oxygen, cockpit flooding and even a watch explosion. The pilot...

The U.S. Navy has declared initial operational capability for the GBU‑53/B Small Diameter Bomb II on its F/A‑18E/F Super Hornet, completing a transition that began with limited use in 2025. The StormBreaker’s tri‑mode seeker—infrared, millimeter‑wave radar and semi‑active laser—enables all‑weather,...

The Leeham study tracks a seven‑year development cycle for a new 200‑seat airliner, mapping each certification milestone from concept to entry‑into‑service. Modern tools such as 3D CAD, PLM and Digital Twin have trimmed design and documentation effort, but the overall...

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...

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....

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,...

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported that its 2025 year‑end data showed a robust rebound in the business jet segment, with 300 deliveries in the fourth quarter—up 37 aircraft from the same period in 2024. Higher billings were driven...

Air France‑KLM posted a €1.754 billion FY25 net profit, with Air France delivering a 6.7% operating margin while KLM lagged at 3.2%. The Back on Track cost‑reduction program saved €450 million, yet KLM’s expenses rose faster than revenues, pressured by higher Schiphol...

The FAA and EASA have issued initial qualification certificates for the Boeing 777‑9 flight simulator, a joint effort by Boeing and CAE. The simulator, housed at Boeing's Gatwick training campus, will now be used by regulators to validate training courseware before...

American Airlines and United Airlines have pledged a $200 million cash infusion to Azul as the Brazilian carrier seeks to exit Chapter 11. Instead of fueling growth, Azul is slashing capacity by roughly 35 percent to shore up its balance sheet. Meanwhile, LATAM...

Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a Vietnam‑based carrier owned by Sun Group, announced an order for up to 40 Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners, the largest widebody purchase in the country’s history. The aircraft will form the core of the airline’s long‑range fleet, linking...

American Airlines announced it will power its expanding Airbus A321neo fleet with CFM International’s LEAP‑1A engines, extending a partnership that began two years ago. The deal includes long‑term maintenance and support services for the engines throughout their service life. By...
Delta Air Lines Flight 2557 from Houston to Atlanta reported a passenger attempting to breach the cockpit shortly after take‑off, prompting the captain to alert air‑traffic control. The Boeing 717 returned to Houston, where the individual was restrained and handed over...