Jon Hemmerdinger
Jonathan Hemmerdinger is Americas managing editor for FlightGlobal, covering all aspects of aviation, with a particular focus on the companies that make commercial aircraft and their suppliers. He formerly covered business for Maine’s largest newspaper. Before that, he worked at Independence Air
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NewsJoby to deliver first air taxi to USAF on 25 September
California air taxi developer Joby Aviation is set to deliver on 25 September an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to the US Air Force, which plans to evaluate the type’s suitability for military missions.
NewsAir Canada orders 18 787-10s and cancels deal for two 777Fs
Air Canada has ordered another 18 Boeing 787s and taken options to purchase a further 12 of the widebody jets as part of broader plan to renew its fleet.
NewsDelta and investment partners secure majority ownership of Wheels Up
Charter aircraft provider Wheels Up has closed a deal under which it has secured $450 million in fresh financing from investment partners including Delta Air Lines.
NewsFAA exempts Max 7 from lightning rules but requires updates by 2027
The FAA on 19 September approved an exemption relating to lightning and radiation rules, allowing Boeing to proceed with the Max 7’s certification without first addressing non-compliance of the type’s “stall management yaw damper” (SMYD) system.
NewsJoby reveals plan to open air taxi manufacturing site in Dayton, Ohio
US air taxi developer Joby Aviation has chosen a site in Dayton, Ohio as the place where it hopes eventually to manufacture an electric aircraft that remains in development and still must achieve certification.
NewsAirbus ‘will be ready’ to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 goal: CEO
Airbus executives are increasingly optimistic the company can bring a hydrogen-powered aircraft to market in the mid-2030s and plan within several years to settle on the best propulsion architecture for such an aircraft.
NewsEngine issues and delivery delays could drive up prices and slow carbon-neutral progress: Lufthansa CEO
Trouble with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofans and broader aerospace industry supply chain problems might drive up fares and will delay at least some carriers’ carbon-reduction plans.
NewsLufthansa leans on A380s to maintain expansion and could keep superjumbos flying into 2030s
Lufthansa expects to continue operating its recommissioned Airbus A380s through the late 2020s or early 2030s due to factors including delayed deliveries of new Boeing 777-9s.
News‘Infuriating’: Hawaiian’s CEO blasts Pratt’s PW1100G response as airlines plan to ground more jets
Hawaiian Airlines’ chief executive has taken issue with how RTX and subsidiary Pratt & Whitney (P&W) apparently plan to handle its massive recall of PW1100G geared turbofans (GTFs), which power Hawaiian’s Airbus A321neos.
NewsP&W geared turbofan issue will ground hundreds of A320neos through 2026
Airlines will need to remove hundreds of Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engines from the wings of Airbus A320neo-family jets by the end of 2024 to inspect for defective high-pressure turbine and compressor discs.
NewsDesign and inspection problems preceded 2021 PW4000 failure as nine more cracked blades found: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has blamed the 2021 uncontained failure of Pratt & Whitey PW4077 turbofan on engine design and testing failures and on inadequate fan blade inspections.
NewsSpirit AeroSystems CEO flags ‘pressures’ affecting composite manufacturing
Spirit AeroSystems’ composite-manufacturing programmes continue to weigh on the company amid escalating costs, slow production rates and a longer-than-anticipated composite-material “learning curve”.
NewsFAA approves Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines for G700 and G800 business jets
Gulfstream says the Federal Aviation Administration has certificated the Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 turbofans which power its G700 and G800 large-cabin business jets.
NewsBoeing must inspect thousands of holes on some 165 stored 737 Max
Roughly 165 of the 737 Max 8s in Boeing’s inventory of undelivered aircraft will require detailed inspections and rework to address a recently revealed issue with the jets’ aft-pressure bulkhead.
NewsBiden nominates airline and air-taxi executive Whitaker as FAA administrator
President Joe Biden intends to nominate Michael Whitaker, who currently works at an air taxi developer but has decades of airline experience, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.
NewsGulfstream bumps G700’s advertised range up to 7,750nm
Business jet maker Gulfstream has bumped up the advertised maximum speed and range of its in-development large-cabin G700, a move coming as the company works to obtain certification for the delayed programme.
NewsBoeing closes 13-strong 737 Max order from Aviation Capital
Aviation Capital Group has ordered 13 more Boeing 737 Max in a deal that brings the aircraft lessor’s total outstanding 737 orders for 47.
NewsMore GE90 turbofans subject to ‘iron-inclusion’ defect
A new Federal Aviation Administration proposed rule reveals that more GE Aerospace turbofans may include compressor components made from contaminated material.
NewsBombardier reveals cockpit updates for in-service Global business jets
Bombardier has rolled out an avionics update programme for in-service Global-series large-cabin business jets that includes equipping the jets with a “combined vision system”.
NewsFAA orders 777 inspections to address ‘urgent’ risk involving fire prevention
An “urgent unsafe condition” has led the Federal Aviation Administration to order airlines to ensure their Boeing 777s have correctly installed “cap seals” – components used to prevent fuel-tank fires.