North America – Page 5
-
NewsSpirit seeks lease rejections on additional 11 ‘cash drain’ A320-family jets
Spirit Airlines is shedding more metal with a plan to reject leases on an additional 11 Airbus A320-family jets.
-
NewsElectra launches defence unit targeting military applications for EL9 ‘ultra-short’ concept
US aircraft developer Electra has established a dedicated defence business unit to pursue military applications for its EL9 ultra-short take-off and landing concept, appointing former Boeing executive Donn Yates as general manager.
-
NewsUS Army launches aerial reconnaissance training with Edge Autonomy VXE30 Stalker
US Army soldiers will begin operating Edge Autonomy’s VXE30 Stalker this month as the service fields the vertical take-off uncrewed system in support of aerial reconnaissance instruction courses.
-
NewsBrazilian air force picks Ace Aeronautics to expand and modernise UH-60L Black Hawk fleet
The Brazilian air force is to significantly expand its inventory of Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk utility helicopters, via a late-November deal signed with US company Ace Aeronautics.
-
NewsCanadian investigators cannot find cause of PT6 failure that prompted PC-12 ice landing
Canadian accident investigators cannot determine why a Pilatus PC-12’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B turboprop suffered catastrophic blade separation during flight, forcing pilots to execute an emergency landing on sea ice near Rankin Inlet.
-
NewsJetBlue’s year-end outlook dims slightly on hurricane, shutdown and Airbus A320 disruptions
JetBlue Airways has modestly reduced expectations for its year-end operational performance in response to a trio of disruptions – Hurricane Melissa, the US federal government shutdown and the global grounding of Airbus A320-family jets.
-
NewsBoeing CFO makes clear new aircraft development is ‘a ways out’
Boeing’s chief financial officer has firmly dismissed suggestions the manufacturer is close to launching development of a new commercial aircraft, stating that neither the company, technology nor market conditions are ready for such a programme.
-
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.
-
NewsUS airlines scramble to update jets as FAA prepares A320-family software order
The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to mirror EASA’s emergency airworthiness directive requiring Airbus A320-family aircraft receive software updates before further flight, following a solar radiation interference incident that affected a JetBlue flight in October.
-
NewsCorrosion on MD-87 and BAe 146 firefighters traced to incompatible retardants
US investigators have determined that insufficient testing of a new retardant resulted in significant corrosion damage to two aerial firefighting aircraft owing to chemical incompatibility with the retardant already in use.
-
NewsUS Air Force inks $2.4bn contract with Boeing for KC-46A Lot 12
Boeing has secured a $2.4 billion US Air Force contract for 15 KC-46A Pegasus aerial refuellers under production Lot 12, with deliveries expected to be complete by mid-2029.
-
NewsRepublic Airways and Mesa Air Group combine into second-largest US regional airline
Regional airline operators Republic Airways and Mesa Air Group completed a business combination on 25 November that creates the second-largest feeder airline in the USA.
-
NewsDARPA launches X-plane competition for new uncrewed cargo drone
The Pentagon’s technology incubator has launched a competition seeking novel designs for uncrewed cargo aircraft capable of carrying payloads more than four times their own weight, with applications spanning military logistics to civil package delivery.
-
In depthGeneral Atomics, Saab cite ‘tremendous customer interest’ in MQ-9B AEW development
Prospective customers will be in attendance when General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Saab fly an MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft configured for airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) duties next year, with service entry being offered before the end of this decade.
-
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.
-
NewsAir Canada to transfer 737 Max 8s to Rouge subsidiary
Air Canada plans to transfer all of its Boeing 737 Max 8 jets to leisure-focused subsidiary Air Canada Rouge, while Rouge-operated Airbus A320s and A321s will receive cabin upgrades and transition to Air Canada’s main fleet.
-
NewsJoby sues Archer over alleged trade secrets theft
Joby Aviation has filed a lawsuit against rival air taxi developer Archer Aviation, alleging theft of trade secrets by a former employee who subsequently undermined a real estate partnership involving landing sites.
-
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’.
-
NewsBoeing secures $271m order for MH-47G special operations Chinooks
Boeing’s vertical lift division has secured an $271 million contract from the US Special Operations Command for MH-47G special operations rotorcraft, likely covering around 18 aircraft based on previous pricing.
-
NewsUPS inquiry yet to explain MD-11F’s failure to climb after shedding engine
US investigators have yet to determine why a UPS Boeing MD-11F failed to climb away from Louisville after shedding an engine on take-off. Preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board confirm the left-hand GE Aerospace CF6-80 engine and pod broke away on rotation, being flung backwards over the wing ...