US Appeals Court Denies Bid From Families of Boeing 737 Max Crash Victims to Reopen Criminal Case
A three‑judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied families of the 737 Max crash victims a request to reopen the criminal case against Boeing. The families argued the Justice Department violated the Crime Victims’ Rights Act by negotiating a deal that let Boeing avoid prosecution in exchange for a $1.1 billion settlement. The court found no legal basis to revive the charge, leaving Boeing free of criminal liability for the crashes that killed 346 people. The ruling underscores the contentious balance between corporate settlements and victims’ rights.
Russian Forces Lose An-26 Carrying Troops over Crimea
Russian Ministry of Defence reported loss of contact with an Antonov An‑26 transport aircraft over occupied Crimea on March 31, 2026. Military‑linked sources later confirmed the aircraft likely crashed while carrying roughly 30 personnel. Preliminary assessments point to technical failure...
Latin America’s Coolest Airline Wingo Connects Medellín with Montego Bay
Wingo Airlines will begin a direct Medellín‑Montego Bay service on June 23, 2026, operating three times weekly with roughly 32,000 seats per year. Introductory fares start at $159 one‑way, targeting price‑sensitive Colombian travelers. The route builds on the earlier Bogotá‑Montego...
Insitu Awarded $8.6 Million Services Contract by Canada Armed Forces to Support Long-Endurance CU-172 (Integrator) UAS Fleet
Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary, secured an $8.6 million CAD (≈$6.4 million USD) firm‑fixed‑price services contract from Canada’s Department of National Defence. The award funds program management, airworthiness support, spares, repairs and future upgrades for the Canadian Armed Forces’ CU‑172 (Integrator) long‑endurance UAV fleet. The...
Yes, NASA's Launching Artemis 2 Astronauts to the Moon on April Fools' Day. It's Not a Joke.
NASA is set to launch Artemis 2, its first crewed lunar flyby, on April 1, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B. The four‑person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Haines—will spend ten days orbiting the Moon aboard the...
Faced With Starlink Competition, Ground Segment Leaders Turn to Orchestration, Specialization
Ground‑segment providers are feeling the pressure of vertically integrated LEO megaconstellations such as Starlink and Amazon Leo, which manufacture their own user terminals and drive prices to rock‑bottom levels. Executives from Ovzon, SpaceBridge and Comtech warned that the traditional consumer‑grade GEO...
Air Force Awards BlackSky $99M to Large Aperture Optical Payload for Space-Based Imaging
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory awarded BlackSky Technology a $99 million contract to develop a low‑cost, large‑aperture optical payload for space‑based imaging and space‑domain awareness. An initial $2.1 million FY‑2026 R&D obligation will jump‑start design work, with the SBIR Phase III award...
AirKamuy
AirKamuy, a Tokyo‑based startup founded in August 2022, designs and manufactures fixed‑wing VTOL aircraft and unmanned solutions. The company handles design and assembly in‑house, aiming to become the world’s leading fixed‑wing VTOL manufacturer. Its leadership combines telecom infrastructure, finance, and...
SCDA Taps Barrett As Assistant Director Of Airports
The Sacramento County Department of Airports (SCDA) appointed Harry Barrett, Jr. as assistant director of airports, effective May 26. Barrett brings a diverse background that includes executive leadership at Palm Springs International Airport, municipal management at Renton, and safety roles at...
News Outlets Share Coverage Plans for Historic Artemis II Launch
NASA is set to launch Artemis II on April 1, 2024, sending a four‑person crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, astronaut Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—on a ten‑day lunar orbit test flight. The mission will ride the Space Launch System (SLS) and...
Top Space Lawmaker on Moon Base, Artemis Plans
Rep. Mike Haridopolos, chair of the House space subcommittee, voiced strong congressional backing for NASA’s expanded lunar agenda, which includes a permanent Moon base, monthly uncrewed landings beginning in 2027, and a crewed return in 2028. He highlighted Artemis II’s upcoming...
Southwest 2.0: The Radical Reinvention of America’s Favorite Cult Airline
Southwest Airlines has abandoned its hallmark open‑seat, no‑fee model, rolling out assigned seating, baggage fees, and third‑party distribution. The shift was driven by activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which forced leadership changes and a new board. Within two years, the...
Picture of the Day: March 31, 2026
On March 31, 2026, AVweb featured a photograph taken at Burlington International Airport (KBTV) showing a Cessna Skyhawk idling behind a formation of Vermont Air National Guard F‑16 Falcons. The image captures the juxtaposition of light general‑aviation traffic with high‑performance...
Pentagon Considers Anti-Drone Lasers in Washington
The Pentagon is evaluating a high‑energy counter‑drone laser system for deployment at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., where senior defense and state officials reside. Recent low‑altitude drone sightings near the post and the proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport...
Steady Travel Demand Lifts PAL Profit to $160M in 2025
Philippine Airlines reported a 6.1% rise in net income to $160.4 million for 2025, driven by steady travel demand and higher ancillary revenues. Total revenue grew 3% to $3.22 billion, with passenger operations contributing $2.73 billion as the carrier carried 16.3 million passengers, up...
Watch Live: Artemis II Launch
Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon in over five decades, is slated for launch on 1 April 2026 at 18:24 local time. The European Service Module (ESM) will deploy solar arrays eight minutes after liftoff, provide power and propulsion, and...
Canada Awards $1bn CC-330 Husky Support Contracts for RCAF Fleet
The Canadian government has awarded three contracts worth roughly C$1.5 bn (about $1 bn USD) to sustain the Royal Canadian Air Force’s nine CC‑330 Husky aircraft. L3Harris MAS will handle a C$1.1 bn (≈$800 m USD) 10‑year maintenance and materiel support program, while Airbus...
Northrop Grumman Tests Lumberjack Strike Drone
Northrop Grumman showcased its Lumberjack Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system at the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division’s Operation Lethal Eagle exercise. The drone executed fully autonomous missions through the Army’s Maven Smart System, launched the six‑pound Hatchet precision‑strike munition, and then transitioned to...
Artemis 2 Countdown Continues – No Issues
NASA’s Artemis II mission is on track for a 6:24 p.m. EDT launch on April 1, 2026, with the countdown now entering the L‑15H30M window. All non‑essential personnel have cleared Launch Complex 39B and critical pre‑launch activities such as nitrogen inerting and ground launch...
NORAD Chief: F-35 “Not Needed” For North American Defense — Canada’s Fighter Jet Review Just Got Tougher?
U.S. Air Force General Gregory Guillot told the Senate that fifth‑generation fighters like the F‑35 are not required for North American air defence, arguing that their stealth and sensor‑fusion are better suited to overseas missions. The comment arrives as Canada...
U.S. Army Evaluates Low-Cost Hornet Kamikaze Drone in Germany
The U.S. Army conducted its first evaluation of the Hornet DE‑2, a low‑cost, AI‑enabled one‑way attack drone, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany. The loitering munition can travel roughly eight miles and is designed to operate in contested electronic‑warfare...
NASA Advances X-59 Testing After Resolving Cockpit Alert Issue
NASA’s X‑59 low‑boom supersonic demonstrator experienced a false‑positive cockpit warning on March 20, forcing the aircraft to return to Edwards AFB after just nine minutes of a planned hour‑long flight. Engineers identified the warning as a sensor glitch and cleared the...
EASA: Narrow Mideast Corridors Increase Operational Risk
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warns that conflict‑related airspace restrictions across the Middle East are compressing Europe‑Asia flight corridors, forcing traffic into a limited number of routes. The agency advises operators to avoid the airspace of nine countries,...
SHD Composites: Slovenian Defence Cluster and Make UK Defence 3 Membership
SHD, a Cambium subsidiary, announced formal membership in the Slovenian Defence Cluster and an upgrade to Level 3 membership within Make UK Defence. The moves expand its collaborative footprint across Central Europe and the United Kingdom, reinforcing its role in supplying dual‑use...
What's the Best Cabin Layout for Aircraft Evacuation?
The FAA mandates that all passengers evacuate an aircraft within 90 seconds, but a new AIP Advances study shows this target is unrealistic for modern cabins, especially with growing numbers of elderly travelers. Researchers built a full‑scale Airbus A320 model...
Virgin Atlantic Pulls Riyadh Route Less Than a Year After Launch
Virgin Atlantic announced it will discontinue its London Heathrow–Riyadh service less than a year after the route launched, citing regional instability, low demand, and high operating costs. The airline reported unusually low Upper Class point redemptions, signaling weak commercial performance....
Italy Turns Away Middle East-Bound US Military Aircraft From Sicily Stopover
Italy refused a U.S. military aircraft request to land at Sicily’s Sigonella base while en route to the Middle East. The request arrived after the jets had already taken off, leaving no time for parliamentary approval required for non‑routine flights....
US Air Force Is Eyeing Cost-Effective Automated Counter-Drone Solutions
The U.S. Air Force has issued a Request for Information seeking automated, expeditionary counter‑drone solutions that can be rapidly deployed to protect airbases and forward operating sites. The AFRL‑led RFI, due 7 April, targets integrated systems capable of 24/7 point‑defense against...
Duagon Computing Hardware Set for Deployment to the International Space Station
On March 31, 2026 duagon announced its high‑availability Conduction Cooled Assembly will launch to the International Space Station in April, integrating into the Columbus module. Developed with Space Applications Services, the system uses CompactPCI Serial modular cards—including a G028 CPU,...
NOAA Introduces Updated Icing and Turbulence Forecast
NOAA has placed its new Domestic Aviation Forecast System (DAFS) into operational use, delivering hourly icing and turbulence forecasts on a high‑resolution 3‑kilometer grid. The system leverages the HRRR model and incorporates three‑dimensional radar data every 15 minutes, replacing older...
SPARC AI Appoints On-Ground Referral Agent in Ukraine to Accelerate Defense Engagement
SPARC AI Inc. appointed an on‑ground referral agent in Ukraine to speed the deployment of its Overwatch platform, which provides AI‑driven navigation and targeting in GPS‑denied environments. The agent’s established relationships with active defense personnel give the company direct access...
GomSpace Secures 8.8 MSEK Authorization to Proceed From Unseenlabs for Next Constellation Tranche
GomSpace received an Authorization to Proceed from French RF‑maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs, valued at €815,000 (about $890,000) or 8.8 MSEK (≈ $828,000). The ATP lets GomSpace start buying long‑lead components for Unseenlabs’ next microsatellite batch, keeping the 2026‑27 launch cadence on...
Space Start-Ups Gain Siemens Nous
Siemens has joined the European Space Agency’s EPIC programme, offering its Xcelerator software suite and digital‑twin capabilities to start‑ups nurtured by ESA Business Incubation Centres. The partnership gives fledgling space firms access to virtual design, simulation and engineering tools that...
World Briefs | Italy Refuses US Aircraft Use of Base on Sicily
Italy denied US military aircraft permission to land at Sicily’s Sigonella base, underscoring a diplomatic rift. India’s diesel exports to Southeast Asia jumped to a seven‑year high, shipping roughly 1 million tonnes—about half to Singapore and 90% by Reliance Industries. The...
Oops! NASA Once Lost a $125 Million Spacecraft Because Engineers Forgot to Convert to Metric
The Mars Climate Orbiter, a $125 million NASA mission launched in 1998, was lost in September 1999 when it descended far too low over Mars. The failure was traced to a simple unit‑conversion mistake: Lockheed Martin’s navigation software used Imperial units instead of...
AtkinsRéalis to Support Manchester Airports Group Investment Programme
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has engaged AtkinsRéalis under an eight‑year Capital Investment Consultancy Services framework to deliver consultancy, design and programme management across its airport portfolio, including Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted. The firm will provide cost, health‑and‑safety, operational...
Pushing the A350F to the Limits: Aircraft Ground Testing Gets Underway
Airbus has begun extensive ground‑testing of the A350 freighter (A350F), a purpose‑built cargo variant that required roughly 40% new or modified test procedures. The program features co‑design between final‑assembly‑line engineers and chief designers, enabling automated wiring self‑tests that check over...
Japan Deploys New Longer-Range Missiles, Formally Designates ‘Type 25’ Systems
Japan’s ground Self‑Defense Force deployed two longer‑range missile systems on March 31, formally naming them Type 25 Surface‑to‑Ship Guided Missile (25SSM) and Type 25 Hyper‑Velocity Gliding Projectile (25HGP). The 25SSM extends the legacy Type 12’s reach to about 1,000 km, enabling strikes against naval and...
Scottish Rocket Firm Skyrora Shortlisted for British Business Awards
Edinburgh‑based Skyrora has been shortlisted for Technology Company of the Year at the British Business Awards, a competition run with The Times and The Sunday Times. The shortlist places the rocket firm alongside energy leader Octopus Energy and fintech outfits...
CRP USA to Exhibit at RAPID + TCT 2026 with Windform SLS Solutions for Aerospace and Defense
CRP USA will exhibit its Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) solutions using Windform high‑performance composite materials at RAPID + TCT 2026 in Boston from April 14‑16. The showcase, located in Booth 2443‑3 within the America Makes Pavilion, targets aerospace, defense, and...
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Up To 16 Hours: British Airways' 10 Longest Nonstop Flights From London [2026]
British Airways operates the world’s fifth‑largest long‑haul network, with 95 daily long‑haul departures from London as of 2026, up from 91 a year earlier. The airline’s ten longest nonstop routes from London range from a 16‑hour flight to Sydney down...
ASCEND 2026 Assembles Space Industry’s Most Influential Voices in Washington, D.C.
AIAA’s ASCEND 2026 will convene May 19‑21 at the Washington Hilton, drawing roughly 2,000 space professionals to the nation’s capital. The three‑day event features more than 200 speakers from NASA, the FAA, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, academia and government, highlighting...
2026 AIAA Von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics on Learning and Controlling Autonomous Space Systems to Be Presented by Maruthi Akella...
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected UT Austin professor Maruthi Akella to deliver the 2026 von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics. His talk, “Opinion Dynamics, Learning, Trust, and Control of Autonomous Space Systems,” will be held on May 20 during...
2026 AIAA David W. Thompson Lecture in Space Commerce Presented by Blue Origin’s Tory Bruno During ASCEND 2026
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has awarded the 2026 David W. Thompson Lectureship in Space Commerce to Tory Bruno, former ULA CEO and now President of Blue Origin’s Blue National Security unit. Bruno will present his talk, “Transforming ULA: Shaping...
Delta In-Flight Connectivity Takes Off with Amazon Leo
Delta Air Lines has partnered with Amazon to equip its fleet with high‑speed, low‑latency internet via Amazon Leo, the company’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite service. The rollout will begin in 2028 with an initial installation on 500 aircraft, expanding Delta’s existing AWS‑based...
Q&A With Lunar Base Manager Carlos Garcia-Galan
NASA has appointed Carlos Garcia‑Galan as the program executive overseeing its accelerated plan to build a lunar surface base. He outlined a shift in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program toward tighter NASA‑commercial collaboration and a two‑phase Lunar Terrain...
Star Alliance Welcomes ITA Airways as Lufthansa Group — But Eurowings Is Not
ITA Airways officially joined Star Alliance on April 1, becoming the network’s 26th member and linking its Rome and Milan hubs to more than 1,150 destinations in 190 countries. The airline adds over 350 daily flights and serves roughly 16 million...
PR-DC Introduces the First Military-Certified Multicopter Capable of Launching Three Aircraft Rockets
PR‑DC unveiled the IKA‑ROCKET, the world’s first military‑certified multicopter capable of launching three aircraft rockets. The system, built on the IKA‑20‑M hexacopter, passed internal tests that proved it can fire rockets from all three launch positions while hovering and during...
Google Signs Long-Term Deal with Amex GBT, Shell SAF Platform
Google has renewed its long‑term agreement with American Express Global Business Travel and Shell Aviation to source sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) data through the Avelia registry. The partnership, first launched in 2022, uses a book‑and‑claim model that lets business travelers...
Air Cargo Demand up 11.2% in February 2026, IATA Reports
The International Air Transport Association reported that global air‑cargo demand in February 2026 jumped 11.2% year‑on‑year, with international demand up 11.6%. Available cargo capacity rose 8.5% (9.8% for international routes), trailing the demand surge. Africa led regional growth with a...