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NewsHawker 900XP spun and crashed during stall test after ice contaminated wings
US investigators believe the pilots of a Hawker 900XP were insufficiently prepared for a post-maintenance stall test, during which the aircraft encountered icing and entered a fatal spin.
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NewsNumber of stored jets with Pratt geared turbofans climbed after mid-year
Number of grounded jets rises nearly 90 aircraft between mid-year and end-October, with storage rates holding steady at one-third of total GTF-powered fleet as manufacturer works to expand maintenance capacity and introduce durability upgrades
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NewsRussia begins flight testing ‘Product 177’ engine upgrade for Su-57
Subsidiaries of Russian state-owned manufacturer Rostec have begun flight testing a new turbofan for the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter, which the conglomerate describes as a fifth-generation engine with increased thrust and improved fuel efficiency.
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NewsEve Air Mobility completes first hover flight of electric air taxi prototype
Eve Air Mobility has completed the first hover flight of its all-electric air taxi engineering prototype at Embraer’s Gaviao Peixoto test facility in Brazil.
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NewsVertical shines light on streamlined Valo design but glamorous launch belies continued funding need
If you could see past the dry ice and lasers the Valo, the aircraft Vertical Aerospace intends to bring to market, was surprisingly beautiful. The rough edges – metaphorical and literal – of the VX4 prototype have been sanded off, leaving an elegant aircraft. However, not everyone is impressed with the new design.
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NewsUS government admits fault in deadly mid-air collision between airliner and army helicopter
The US government has formally admitted liability for the January 2025 collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines CRJ700 near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport that killed 67 people, citing multiple failures by military and civilian authorities.
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In depthMaterial failure involved in more than half of serious Osprey safety incidents since 2021
A multi-year review conducted the US military’s airworthiness authority for the V-22 tiltrotor found that out of 12 Class A mishaps in recent years, seven featured material failure as a causal or contributing factor.
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In depthT-38C phase out begins as USAF flight school receives first T-7A trainer
The US Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command has received its first Boeing T-7A Red Hawk trainer jet, marking a significant milestone in the service’s efforts to modernise pilot training and replace its ageing fleet of Northrop T-38C Talon aircraft.
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NewsEvio reveals hybrid-electric regional aircraft for 2030s service entry
Montreal-based Evio has emerged with plans for a 50-100 seat hybrid-electric aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprops and electric motors, targeting first flight in 2029, with Boeing backing.
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NewsUS lawmakers approve 84% funding cut to US Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter
Lawmakers in Washington are supporting a Trump Administration plan to provide only minimal funding to the US Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter programme, instead favouring the US Air Force’s F-47.
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NewsPratt & Whitney Canada working to certificate PT9A-11 turboprop and PW220A turboshaft engines
Pratt & Whitney Canada has refiled regulatory exemption requests with the FAA for its new PT9A-11 turboprop and PW220A turboshaft engines, describing both powerplants as more efficient successors to existing product lines.
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NewsCongress moves to protect E-7A Wedgetail programme from cancellation
Lawmakers in the US Congress are taking legislative action to prevent the Trump Administration from cancelling the US Air Force’s Boeing E-7A Wedgetail acquisition programme, overriding opposition from the White House, which favours space-based alternatives.
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NewsBoeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat destroys drone in air-to-air weapons test
Australia’s Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat has successfully destroyed a drone target using an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile during testing at Woomera range, as the nation commits A$1.4 billion to develop the collaborative combat aircraft into an operational military asset.
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NewsChinese J-15s target Japanese F-15Js with radar lock near Okinawa
Japan has formally protested after Chinese shipborne fighters locked their radars onto Japanese F-15J aircraft during carrier operations near Okinawa, marking an escalation in regional tensions.
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NewsSpirit to cut fleet in half under bankruptcy reorganisation plan
Spirit Airlines has committed to retaining up to 28 A320neos and A321neos, along with up to 78 older A320-family jets, upon emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
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In depthFAA ‘public charter’ regulatory crackdown stalls under Trump administration
US public charter carriers including JSX and SkyWest Charter appear temporarily safe from proposed FAA regulatory changes that threatened their business models, as the FAA reviews the initiative.
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AnalysisHow the Ukraine war has (and has not) changed the helicopter’s role in combat
Significant Russian helicopter losses in the early months of the Russia-Ukraine war have led many to proclaim the end of rotary-wing aviation in combat, but a former US Army general and Bell executive argues it was just bad tactics and poor planning.
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NewsNASA reveals details of X-59’s first flight, describes programme as ‘validation’
NASA has disclosed further details of its X-59 Quesst supersonic demonstrator’s maiden flight on 28 October, marking the first major piloted X-plane the agency has built and flown in over two decades.
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NewsAir Arabia A320 descended to just 41ft above sea after take-off from Catania
Italian investigators have disclosed that an Airbus A320 descended to just 41ft above the sea after take-off from Catania in September, as the captain made nose-down pitch inputs during the initial climb. The crew of the Air Arabia Maroc aircraft – which departed from runway 08, towards the sea, on ...
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NewsAir taxi ‘certification tourism’ draws industry criticism
Plans by some air taxi developers to launch operations in the Middle East before achieving US and European certifications has drawn criticism from industry executives, with Vertical Aerospace’s chair warning against ‘certification tourism’.