EL AL Announces Nonstop Buenos Aires Service to Return to South America
EL AL announced the launch of a nonstop service between Tel Aviv (TLV) and Buenos Aires (EZE), marking the carrier’s return to South America after more than a decade. The airline will operate two weekly Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights, offering Economy, Premium Economy and Business cabins, with a flight time of roughly 16.5 hours outbound and 15.5 hours inbound. Ticket sales open in May, and the inaugural flights are slated for November. A codeshare with Aerolíneas Argentinas will extend connectivity across the continent.
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Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [Apr 19, ’26 Business Report]
The Defense & Aerospace Report podcast highlighted a volatile week in global markets as Iran’s abrupt closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent oil prices soaring, while earlier promises to reopen had briefly eased energy costs. The episode also examined...
AST Spacemobile BB7 Is Not Recoverable Per ASTS
AST SpaceMobile’s eighth satellite, BlueBird 7, was injected into a lower‑than‑planned orbit during the New Glenn 3 launch, leaving it below the perigee needed for recovery. The onboard ion propulsion can deliver only about 51 m/s of delta‑v, far short of the ~88 m/s required...
Nippon Express, Nikon Renew SAF Air Cargo Agreement
Nippon Express and Nikon have renewed their sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreement for air cargo, extending the partnership from May through December 2025. The deal leverages Nippon Express’s NX‑GREEN SAF Program to generate CO₂ reduction certificates for Nikon’s shipments, directly...
EXCLUSIVE: Documents Reveal US Contractor’s Modifications of Spy Plane Just Before Flights Over Gaza
Federal Aviation Administration documents obtained by Zeteo show that the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force relied on US‑made, heavily modified Hawker Beechcraft Super King Air 350ER aircraft supplied by defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation for near‑daily surveillance flights over Gaza...
Edelweiss Air to Cut Denver and Seattle Routes as Fuel Costs Rise
Edelweiss Air, the leisure‑focused long‑haul arm of the Lufthansa Group, announced it will drop its Zurich‑Denver and Zurich‑Seattle services for the upcoming summer season. The airline cited soaring jet‑fuel prices and weaker‑than‑expected passenger demand as the primary drivers. The cuts...
The Air Bridge Sustaining US Operations in the Middle East
An open‑source map called Operation EPIC FURY, compiled by DefenceGeek using Flightradar24 and ADS‑B Exchange data, visualises U.S. Air Force C‑17 and C‑5 heavy‑airlift routes linking North America, Europe and the CENTCOM theatre. The graphic identifies three primary corridors: a...
UK and US Deepen Military Space Cooperation
On 16 April, senior leaders from the Royal Air Force and U.S. Space Force signed a Statement of Intent in Colorado Springs, reaffirming a deeper military partnership in space. Air Chief Marshal Harvey Smyth and General Chance Saltzman highlighted coordinated action...
British Air Power Deploys to Black Sea Region
The Royal Air Force has dispatched a detachment of Typhoon fighter jets, crews and support staff to Romania under Operation Biloxi. The force will join NATO air‑policing missions over the Black Sea, a region where tensions have risen sharply. Strategic airlift...
Babcock Secures Extension for RAF Flying Training
Babcock has secured a four‑year extension to its Light Aircraft Flying Task (LAFT) contract, continuing its role in providing military flying training for the Royal Air Force. The agreement covers University Air Squadron flights, air‑experience sorties for RAF Air Cadets,...
Frontier Airlines No Longer Has to Pay $162,000 Fine Over Chronically Delayed Flights… Here’s Why
Frontier Airlines will not pay the second $162,000 installment of a $650,000 fine after the Department of Transportation credited the amount for recent pro‑consumer investments. The airline was originally fined for operating three chronically delayed flights under a rarely enforced...
Is Ukraine Winning the Drone Race?
Ukraine has reclaimed the lead in battlefield drone warfare, outmatching Russian systems with quieter, round‑the‑clock UAVs. Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov warned President Putin that this technological edge creates a critical situation for Moscow’s forces. In response, Russia published the...
Pontifications: Don’t Give Spirit a Bailout
The author argues that if the federal government considers a bailout for Spirit Airlines, fairness demands that every U.S. carrier be eligible for the same aid. He links the bailout debate to the Trump administration’s costly foreign‑policy actions, noting that...
Apple and Amazon Partner on Satellite Deal
Amazon announced it will acquire Globalstar, bolstering its Leo low‑Earth‑orbit satellite initiative. The deal also formalizes a partnership with Apple, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch models to tap Globalstar’s existing and planned LEO constellations for connectivity. Apple will continue to...
CENTCOM Releases Images of Apaches Over Strait of Hormuz as Iran Reimposes Restrictions
U.S. Central Command released photos of AH‑64 Apache gunships patrolling the Strait of Hormuz as Iran reinstated tight shipping restrictions following President Donald Trump’s reaffirmation of a U.S. blockade. Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats fired on an Indian‑flagged tanker, though the...
Value Airlines to Travel to Washington - Will It Be Another Band-Aid, Bailout, or A Real Fix?
Value‑airline groups including Allegiant, Frontier, Avelo, Sun Country and Spirit are heading to Washington to press the Biden administration for relief, arguing that the pandemic‑era aid skewed toward legacy carriers and that the broken air‑traffic‑management (ATM) system hampers competition. The...
American Airlines Launched A New System To Keep Flights Staffed — Angry Senior Pilots Could Overthrow Their Union
American Airlines rolled out the Aggressive Pick Up (APU) scheduling app on April 8, allowing any available pilot to claim flights that open within four hours of departure, bypassing traditional seniority rules. The change gives junior pilots access to higher‑paying trips...
Antitrust Authority Approves Creation of Rheinmetall-OHB Satellite Joint Venture
Germany’s Federal Cartel Office has approved a joint venture between Rheinmetall Digital and satellite maker OHB, clearing the path for the new subsidiary to bid on a German armed forces satellite communications contract. The venture is part of a broader...
Untitled
Rumors are circulating that American Airlines' CEO discussed a potential merger with United Airlines during a conversation with former President Donald Trump. If realized, the combined carrier would generate roughly $112 billion in annual revenue, creating the largest U.S. airline by...
Embraer Honours Top-Performing Suppliers at 2026 Conference
Embraer honored its best‑performing suppliers across ten categories at the 2026 Embraer Suppliers Conference, held under the theme “Moving Forward as One.” The awards recognize partners that helped drive operational efficiency and strong results during 2025, a year of robust...
Market Court Rules That It Is Not Unlawful For Finnair To Require Compensation Claims Filed Within Two Months
Finnair’s practice of rejecting EC 261 compensation claims filed after two months was upheld by Finland’s Market Court, which ruled the airline’s policy lawful because Finnish legislation does not prescribe a filing deadline. The Consumer Ombudsman had sought a €300,000 fine...
How the UK Builds Defence Advantage Through Scale-Up
The UK defence sector is shifting from traditional, long‑cycle acquisition toward a collaborative model that pairs large primes with fast‑growing technology scale‑ups. Leonardo UK exemplifies this approach by identifying high‑potential UK tech firms, integrating their AI, autonomy and digital solutions...
I Visited Drone Factories in Ukraine
During a recent visit to Kyiv, the author observed Ukrainian drone factories where designs evolve in days, with engineers and soldiers collaborating on the floor. Rapid prototyping, 3D‑printing and continuous software updates allow cheap UAVs to be built, tested, lost...
Better Adversaries, Better Training: VFC-13 “Fighting Saints” Ex-USAF F-16C Fighting Falcons
The U.S. Navy’s VFC-13 "Fighting Saints" has transitioned to a fleet of ex‑Arizona Air National Guard F‑16C Block 32 and F‑16D Block 25 aircraft, replacing its legacy F/A‑18 Hornets. The squadron received 20 single‑seat Block 32s and six two‑seat Block 25s, each upgraded with...
Diamonds Are an MRO’s Best Friend
Massachusetts‑based DUST Identity has unveiled a new platform that embeds its Diamond Unclonable Security Tag (DUST) technology into Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) workflows. The solution uses microscopic diamond particles to create tamper‑evident, cryptographically secure identifiers for aircraft components, enabling...
UPDATE: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Double Qpoints April 16 – June 16, 2026 (Book April 16 – 22)
Qatar Airways launched a double Qpoints promotion for Privilege Club members flying business or first class between April 16 and June 16, 2026, provided the booking is made from April 16‑22. The offer is available to Silver, Gold, Platinum members...
Vertical Aerospace’s Piloted Transition Flight Is a Technical and Business Milestone
Vertical Aerospace announced that its VX4 eVTOL prototype completed a one‑way hover‑to‑wing transition on April 2, 2026, followed by a full hover‑to‑wing‑to‑hover flight on April 14. The delays were caused by weather and a rigorous data‑driven testing approach. The milestone validates the...
Thanks, But No Thanks: American Airlines Rejects United Merger Rumors
American Airlines issued a firm statement rejecting any merger talks with United Airlines, saying it has no interest in a deal that would harm competition and consumers. The carrier cited antitrust principles and the current administration’s policy as reasons to...
American Airlines Denies United Merger Talks — But Leaves Room For Other Deals
American Airlines publicly denied any merger discussions with United Airlines, emphasizing antitrust risks and alignment with the Trump administration’s competition stance. The carrier’s statement highlighted that a United combination would harm consumers and conflict with the administration’s philosophy. While rejecting...
Spirit Airlines Seeks U.S. Government Aid as Oil Spike Threatens Turnaround
Spirit Airlines has asked the Trump administration for hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funding to offset soaring fuel costs and avoid possible liquidation. Executives from several low‑cost carriers are slated to meet Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy next week...
JetBlue Launched New Barcelona Flights From Boston This Week
JetBlue launched its first nonstop Boston‑Barcelona service on a daily basis, operating seasonally through October 25. The airline markets economy seats at $349 one‑way and Mint business class at $1,799, using an Airbus A321 configured with 16 Mint and 143...
When Do Aircraft Actually Get Built — and Delivered?
AirInsight’s latest data shows Boeing conducts first‑flight tests seven days a week, logging nearly 1,000 weekend flights, while Airbus restricts first flights to weekdays with only 50 Sundays recorded. When it comes to delivering aircraft, both manufacturers converge on business‑day...
FAA Quietly Developing AI-Enabled Predictive Air Traffic Management System
The Federal Aviation Administration is quietly building an AI‑driven tool called Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART) to predict and resolve air‑traffic bottlenecks before flights depart. Administrator Bryan Bedford is championing the effort, with Palantir, Thales and Airspace Intelligence...
Experts Needed To Confirm/Affirm NASA Goddard Expertise
The National Academies have launched a congressionally mandated study to evaluate the technical and scientific capabilities at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The effort will assemble a committee of roughly ten volunteer experts to assess advanced technologies, testing, systems development,...
Air Canada Yanks All New York JFK Flights This Summer
Air Canada announced it will suspend all flights to and from New York JFK from June 2 to October 23, 2026, ending its modest schedule of one daily Montreal‑YUL and three daily Toronto‑YYZ services. The airline cited persistent congestion, limited...
Boeing Hiring Surge Signals Real Recovery
Boeing has announced a noticeable hiring surge, marking its first sizable workforce expansion in over a year and signaling a tangible turn in its post‑crisis recovery. After a prolonged period of negative sentiment tied to production setbacks and supply‑chain disruptions,...
Skunk Works Is Looking for a U-2 Pilot
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division posted a full‑time U‑2 test‑pilot role in Palmdale, offering a salary between $156,400 and $311,650 depending on location. The position focuses on engineering flight tests, production‑acceptance flights, and demonstration missions, requiring recent U‑2S qualification, a...
The Ford Is Getting Tired
The USS Gerald R. Ford has completed a 296‑day deployment, the longest carrier mission since the Vietnam era, crossing the Atlantic three times and taking part in NATO’s Neptune Strike exercises. The carrier, a $12.8 billion, nuclear‑propelled platform, also provided cover for a head‑of‑state capture...
Why Greenland Is the Linchpin of the Golden Dome
The United States is positioning Greenland as the linchpin of its new "Golden Dome" missile‑defense architecture, seeking either acquisition or a deepened protector role. By basing interceptors at the Pituffik Space Base, the U.S. could engage ICBMs in their mid‑course...
CSIS Report | How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Drone Ecosystem for AI-Driven Autonomy
The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report detailing how Russia is constructing a sovereign drone ecosystem that embeds artificial intelligence into unmanned systems. By aligning presidential‑level policy, a civilian innovation network, and battlefield feedback, Moscow accelerates the...
Thai Airways Announces Widespread Route Cuts Due To Fuel Shortage, Starting In May
Thai Airways announced sweeping frequency reductions across its network beginning May 1, 2026, citing soaring jet‑fuel prices and supply constraints. Domestic services will see modest cuts, while Asian routes—especially to North Asia—face steep reductions, with Seoul’s flights dropping to one...
World's First Six-Gen Bomber Completes Aerial Refueling Test Flight
Northrop Grumman announced that its B-21 Raider, the world’s first sixth-generation bomber, successfully completed an aerial refueling test with a KC-135 Stratotanker. The flight marks a key milestone in the program’s advanced flight-test phase, demonstrating the aircraft’s global-range capability and...
F-16 Rapid Integration with FAMM-L, Family of Affordable Mass Munitions – Lugged Weapon
In March 2026 the USAF successfully integrated the Family of Affordable Mass Munitions – Lugged (FAMM‑L) onto an F‑16 at Eglin Air Force Base, completing fit checks, loading validation and live release. The rapid test series was led by the...
Lighting the Fuse: China Abets Iran’s Missile and Space Launch Capabilities
China has deepened its military cooperation with Iran, supplying dual‑use components, solid‑rocket motor precursors and advanced missile systems. Under the 2021 Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, Chinese firms exported over 3,000 metric tons of ammonium perchlorate and related chemicals to the IRGC...
Bjorn’s Corner: Blended Wing Body Airliners. Part 6
The article examines propulsion options for the Z4 blended‑wing‑body (BWB) airliner concept. It notes that the Z4 requires roughly 86 klbf of thrust, while currently available high‑specific‑thrust engines such as the Pearl 10X and GE Passport only provide a combined 76 klbf. The...
Cheap Interceptor Drones Proven In Ukraine Protected U.S. Troops Against Iranian Shaheds
The U.S. Army has deployed Merops interceptor drones, originally proven in Ukraine, to protect troops from Iranian Shahed‑136 attack drones. Each Merops unit costs roughly $15,000, far less than the $30,000‑$50,000 price tag of the Shaheds they engage. Streamlined acquisition...
Atos Drives DestinE Ecosystem Growth with ESA-Led Service Deployment and Call
Atos announced that the European Space Agency has tasked it with launching an Open Competition to expand the DestinE ecosystem, a European Union‑co‑funded digital twin of Earth. Twelve innovative service providers were selected to deliver advanced applications, ranging from hyper‑local...
Integrating Counter-Drone Systems Into the National Airspace
On April 10 the Department of War and the FAA signed a landmark agreement permitting the use of high‑energy laser counter‑drone systems along the U.S. southern border. A formal Safety Risk Assessment concluded the technology can operate without increasing risk...
No FAA Decision by May 1 on Extending 777F Classic Production
Boeing’s request for a Federal Aviation Administration exemption to keep building the 777F Classic freighter past Dec. 31, 2027 will not be decided by the May 1 deadline it sought. The airline wants to produce 35 more 777Fs powered by legacy GE90 engines...
The First Woman And First Person Of Color Just Went To The Moon
NASA’s Artemis program successfully landed the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, marking a historic milestone for human spaceflight. The achievement came after the Trump administration removed the “first woman and first person of color”...