Alerts Sign-up
Policy News
Air Canada narrowly averted a pilots' strike on Saturday. The airline and the Air Line Pilots Association announced a tentative deal for wage increases of about 42% over four years, preventing the issuance of a strike notice on Sunday.
Swedish startup Heart Aerospace has unveiled the full-scale demonstrator of its future 30-seat hybrid electric airliner. The prototype of the ES-30, which resembles a cross between a De Havilland Dash-7 and an ATR 52, features a glider-like 100-foot wingspan and four wing-mounted electric motors.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating a runway incursion at Nashville International Airport that occurred on Thursday. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crew rejected its takeoff at approximately 130 knots when a Southwest 737-700 crossed the far end of the runway it was using. Both aircraft had been cleared by controllers, and the Alaska crew decided to apply the brakes, flattening at least two main gear tires. The proximity of the two aircraft remains unclear.
Technology entrepreneur and space/aviation enthusiast Jared Isaacman launched Tuesday, September 10, on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission. Powered by a Falcon 9 rocket, Polaris Dawn is the first of three privately funded flights. Isaacman is joined by fellow crew members Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a close friend and retired USAF pilot, along with SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
Battery thermal-runaway incidents on aircraft reached a five-year high in 2023, with e-cigarettes leading the causes, according to a report by the nonprofit UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE). The findings were reported by the Tobacco Reporter.
On Thursday, Gulfstream Aerospace announced the first sale of its new Gulfstream G400 to German-based DC Aviation for charter operations.
Southwest Airlines pilots will be required to complete additional training following a series of safety incidents that triggered a review by U.S. regulators.
Euronews reported this week it has received a leaked document showing Hungary is proposing delaying taxes on airline and maritime fuel until mid-century. Currently, diesel, gasoline, and electricity used for rail and road vehicles are “heavily taxed,” according to Euronews. However, airlines and marine vessels, from fishing boats to cruise ships, pay no fuel taxes. The policy is seen as a means of stimulating air travel, but environmentalists find the measure counter to Europe’s commitment to green energy.
The overall shortage of U.S. Air Force pilots could mean that recent T-38 pilot-training graduates may find themselves assigned to non-combat roles, such as instructor pilots or flying transports and air-to-air refuelers. Graduates of T-38 training usually go on to fighters or bombers, but the acute shortage means there aren’t enough pilots available for other duty tracks.
As winter approaches, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued Safety Alert SA-097, reminding pilots about the dangers of flying in icing conditions—specifically the adverse effects of airframe and propeller icing on aircraft performance.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is drawing criticism from both industry stakeholders and members of Congress regarding its handling of commercial space launch licensing.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released its Second Quarter Shipping and Billing Report today, revealing year-over-year increases in the piston, business jet, and piston helicopter segments. The report also noted an increase in the overall value of shipments compared to the same period last year.
Starbucks is creating waves by allocating $250,000 per year for its new CEO Brian Niccol to commute from his home in Newport Beach, California, to company headquarters in Seattle using company aircraft. According to the company’s “offer letter” to the former Chipotle top executive, quoted in an article in Nation’s Restaurant News and publicly submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, “You agree to commute from your residence to the company headquarters (and engage in other business travel) as is required to perform your duties and responsibilities.” The letter...
The Coast Guard has approved crewed testing of the wing-in-ground-effect Regent Viceroy seaglider, and the company is anticipating a speedy trip to certification. Although the Viceroy is technically planned to fly, albeit at less than 30 feet above sea level, it is considered a boat and therefore under the Coast Guard's jurisdiction rather than the FAA's. The FAA does have input, however. Regent says the 12-passenger full-sized electrically powered version of the vehicle will be skipping over the wavetops off Rhode Island shortly and flying by 2025.
Four people, including a 15-year-old student pilot, were killed in the crash of a Piper Arrow 180 at Basin Harbor Airport, a grass strip in Ferrisburg, Vermont, on Sunday. The aircraft crashed in a wooded area shortly after takeoff just after noon. The victims were identified as student Delilah Van Ness, her mother Susan Van Ness, her high school flight instructor Paul Pelletier, and passenger Frank Rodriguez. They were found dead at the scene about 12 hours after the crash.
Air Canada will commence winding down operations on Sunday in anticipation of a strike by its 5,400 pilots set for September 18. The airline stated that the "orderly shutdown" aims to repatriate aircraft from international destinations and prepare the system for an organized restoration of service. The company has cautioned that it may take up to ten days to return to normal operations even if the strike is brief.
California-based Airhart Aeronautics is developing a semi-autonomous flight system for light aircraft, which its founder claims will significantly enhance flight safety. According to Autoweek, Nikita Ermoshkin, a former SpaceX engineer, aims to introduce a modified Sling TSi equipped with electronics designed to maintain the airplane within the flight envelope. The pilot will operate an "airspeed controller" and joystick, while the fly-by-wire system, tentatively named Airhart Assist, ensures stability.
Every year since 2001, I have always taken note of the weather on September 11. It was on that morning back then, as I walked to my car before the early morning drive to work in northern New Jersey, I remember how the day dawned. The sky was sparklingly clear–deep blue and not a cloud to be seen. But as a pilot, I also noted that the wind was virtually dead calm–a very unusual combination, at least here in the Northeast. I clearly remember thinking, “What a beautiful, smooth day to fly!”
This morning, two Delta Air Lines aircraft collided on the taxiway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. No injuries were reported in the incident, which involved a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Endeavor (Delta Connection) and an Airbus A350.
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule experienced a sixth thruster issue and a temporary guidance system malfunction during its return from the International Space Station (ISS) to the New Mexico Desert on Saturday. The capsule is scheduled for launch next August, with uncertainties remaining about whether it will be crewed.