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Qantas advances Project Sunrise with landmark non-stop Australia-New York service

Qantas has announced it will launch the first-ever non-stop commercial flights between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, marking a major milestone for its landmark Project Sunrise initiative. Tickets for the inaugural service are expected to go on sale in August 2027, ahead of the route's...

Ten years of growth, expertise and excellence at Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac

Located alongside Dassault Aviation’s flagship manufacturing facility, Dassault Falcon Service Mérignac is celebrating a decade of dedicated support to Falcon operators around the world. Since opening in 2016, the six-bay maintenance center, staffed by 70 highly skilled employees, has c...


Electra demonstrates revolutionary airport operations with Ultra-Short Takeoff aircraft using helicopter-style procedures

Electra announced the successful completion of first-of-its-kind flight operations from a heliport located on the commercial airport ramp at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. The demonstration highlighted the unique capabilities of Electra's fixed-wing Ultra Short aircraft to operate from compact landing areas using helicopter-style instrument procedures, enabling safe, affordable, and reli...

Airbus Corporate Jets survey points to a new wave of demand for large business aircraft in Asia

Confidence in Asia's business aviation market is on the rise, according to new research commissioned by Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ). Industry experts expect demand for business aircraft to grow steadily throughout the remainder of the decade, with large-cabin jets emerging as the strongest-performing segment. Among financiers and brokers surveyed across Asia, 85% believe purchases of large bus...

Flexjet receives first-ever Embraer Praetor 600E as fleet launch customer

Embraer delivered the first Praetor 600E to Flexjet, marking the operator as the launch fleet customer for Embraer’s latest-generation super-midsize business jet. The inaugural aircraft joins Flexjet’s fleet equipped with Embraer’s exclusive Smart Window™, featuring a 42-inch 4K OLED display that supports video conferencing, high-definition content streaming, and real-time...

AURA AERO takes X‑Volt back to the skies, advancing hybrid‑electric innovation for ERA’s development

Just two months after acquiring VoltAero’s assets, AURA AERO has returned the Cassio S hybrid‑electric demonstrator to the skies at Rochefort Airport—now flying under its new name, X‑VOLT. As one of the earliest hybrid‑electric demonstrators to accumulate substantial real‑world flight hours, X‑VOLT now represents a key technological asset for AURA AERO. Its flight data, patented sy...

Korean Air places landmark order for 103 Boeing aircraft

Boeing and Korean Air announced that the carrier has finalized a purchase agreement for 103 aircraft spanning Boeing’s widebody and single‑aisle families. The deal includes 20 777‑9, 25 787‑10, 50 737‑10, and eight 777‑8 Freighters, completing the airline’s procurement commitment made in August 2025. This landmark order stands as a concrete result of recent bilateral trade ne...

Airbus is expanding its delivery capacity for the A320 family in Toulouse with a new integrated center

Airbus has officially unveiled a new delivery center at its Jean‑Luc Lagardère site, northwest of Toulouse, marking a significant milestone in the industrial ramp‑up of the A320 Family. Purpose‑built to reinforce production acceleration, the facility centralizes key end‑of‑line operations—including production activities, technical completion, and customer handover—within a singl...

HondaJet Echelon advances to next phase with successful wing assembly

Honda Aircraft Company announced the completion of the first wing structure for the HondaJet Echelon test aircraft, marking a pivotal advancement in the program and moving the new light‑jet platform into the mainline final‑assembly phase. The HondaJet Echelon introduces a larger cabin and increased passenger capacity compared to the HA‑420, and is engineered to become the world’s first singl...

Ten years of Riga Aviation Forum — insights from Zigmars Vestfals on growth, milestones and the road ahead

As the 10th edition of the Riga Aviation Forum was getting ready to open, 50SkyShades — a long‑standing Media Partner of the event — took the opportunity to sit down with Zigmars Vestfals, CEO of the Latvian Aviation Association, just hours before the official kick‑off. Marking a decade of strategic dialogue and industry collaboration, Zigmars Vestfals reflects on how the Forum bega...

Global Jet Capital releases its annual 2026 Business Jet Forecast

Global Jet Capital has released its sixth annual Business Jet Market Forecast, outlining a confident outlook for the sector. The updated analysis anticipates steady expansion over the next five years, driven by robust order backlogs, resilient macroeconomic conditions, and sustained global wealth creation. The forecast extends through 2030, offering detailed projections across both new aircraft de...

Air Charter Expo achieves third consecutive year of record‑breaking attendance

Global trade body The Air Charter Association (The ACA) celebrated another record‑setting edition of Air Charter Expo (ACE’26) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, delivered in partnership with Business Air News and London Biggin Hill Airport. ACE has firmly established itself as the premier one‑day event in the air charter industry calendar, and this year’s edition once again surpassed...

FLY91 places historic order for 40 ATR 72-600 aircraft

FLY91 and ATR have unveiled a landmark agreement for the purchase of 40 ATR 72‑600 aircraft, valued at approximately $1 billion—the largest firm ATR order in nearly ten years and the biggest ever placed by a regional airline. Deliveries will run from 2027 through 2032. This milestone lifts ATR’s 2026 order intake to 54 aircraft, already exceeding the company’s total net orders fo...

Embraer celebrates the delivery of the 2,000th E-Jet, a milestone that places the program among world’s Top 3

Embraer celebrated the delivery of its 2,000th E-Jet, a landmark achievement that underscores the enduring success of one of the world’s three largest commercial jet families. The milestone aircraft, an E195-E2, was delivered to Azul Linhas Aéreas, Brazil’s largest airline by number of destinations served. Since entering service in 2004, the E-Jets family has transform...

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Top of the week

Qantas Group strengthens regional network with strategic turboprop fleet investment

  Qantas has announced a major investment in its De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop fleet, reinforcing its long-term commitment to maintaining reliable air links across regional Australia. As part...

Daher highlights growing role of Kodiak and TBM Aircraft in wildfire response operations

From the forests of Canada and the Pacific Northwest to the fire-prone landscapes of Florida, Daher Aircraft’s Kodiak and TBM platforms are playing an increasingly critical role in wildfire resp...

Embraer appoints FL Technics as authorized E-Jet service center in Lithuania

Embraer has appointed FL Technics as an Embraer Authorized Service Center (EASC) for its commercial aircraft fleet in Lithuania. The designation covers the E170 and E190 aircraft, further strengt...

Jet Excellence upgrades Citation X fleet with Gogo Galileo HDX connectivity

Jet Excellence, a leading U.S. charter operator, will retrofit its entire fleet of Cessna Citation X aircraft with the advanced Gogo Galileo HDX connectivity solution. To support the fleet-w...

Archer and ITA Airways drive forward vision for sustainable air taxi travel in Italy

Archer Aviation Inc. and ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier and a member of the Lufthansa Group, have entered into a strategic partnership to advance the deployment of an all-e...

Embraer and Austrian Airlines strengthen E-Jets fleet support with new component pool agreement

Embraer and Austrian Airlines have signed a Component Pool Program agreement to support the carrier’s fleet of 13 E195 aircraft. Under the agreement, Austrian Airlines will gain access to Embrae...

Boston MedFlight expands critical care air transport fleet with order for three Airbus H145 helicopters

Boston MedFlight, the internationally recognized nonprofit provider of critical care transport services, has signed an agreement with Airbus Helicopters for three new H145 helicopt...

Airbus and Air France-KLM finalize joint venture for A350 component support

Airbus has launched Alpha Component Solutions, a 50:50 joint venture with Air France dedicated to delivering comprehensive A350 component support services. Jointly operated by Airbus and Air Fran...

Western Aircraft marks dual Pilatus milestones with 300th PC-12 delivery and 30 years of authorized sales & service excellence

Western Aircraft, an Authorized Pilatus Center and Greenwich AeroGroup company, is celebrating a trio of significant achievements in 2026 that underscore its enduring partnership with Pilatus. The mil...

ALSIM and ADMAL Flying Academy reinforce pilot training excellence in Malaysia with AL250 simulator

ALSIM is supporting the advancement of pilot training in Malaysia through ADMAL Flying Academy’s acquisition of an AL250 simulator. The addition of the device will enhance the academy’s Co...

FL Technics Indonesia secures EASA approval for Bali hangar, expanding European fleet maintenance capabilities

FL Technics Indonesia has successfully obtained EASA Part-145 certification for its Bali maintenance facility, authorising the company to perform maintenance on aircraft registered within the European...

The best (and cheapest) ways to buy Avios points

What’s the point of buying Avios? You might think that Avios points are the frequent flyer currency of British Airways, and you’re not wrong. The airline launched the currency back in t...

HALO-Flight expands Texas Air Med fleet with additional Bell 407GXi helicopter order

HALO-Flight is set to further expand its South Texas air medical capabilities following the order of an additional Bell 407GXi announced by Bell Textron at AMTC 2026. The new aircraft will bring the o...

Etihad’s iconic A380 touches down in Thailand for the first time

Etihad Airways has marked a significant milestone with the arrival of its iconic Airbus A380 in Thailand for the first time. The airline’s flagship aircraft touched down in Bangkok this morning,...

TransMedics equips nationwide organ transport fleet with Gogo Galileo HDX

Gogo announced that TransMedics, a global leader in organ transplantation technology, services, and logistics, has selected Gogo Galileo to provide inflight connectivity across its...

SITA reinforces its airline operations leadership with strategic Flightscape acquisition

The acquisition marks an important step in SITA’s evolution from a provider of aviation connectivity solutions to a driver of smarter operational decision-making. By combining Flightscape’...

Affinity Aviation Group secures strategic UK partnership with AeronautX as growth accelerates

Affinity Aviation Group (AAG), a leading provider of business aircraft sales, acquisitions and charter solutions, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Austria’s AeronautX, reinforcing...

Oriens Aviation appoints Narine Melkumjan as Tecnam Sales Manager for the Netherlands

Oriens Aviation has appointed Narine Melkumjan as Sales Manager for the Netherlands, strengthening its presence in the Dutch market following its designation as Tecnam’s exclusive dealer in the...

IADA Market Report reveals rising dealer confidence as preowned aircraft demand remains strong

Confidence among the world’s leading accredited aircraft dealers strengthened in the third quarter of 2026, reflecting continued momentum in the preowned business aviation market. According to t...

Embraer reports record US$35.7 billion backlog in Q3 2026, marking a new all-time high

Embraer reported a record backlog of US$35.7 billion in the third quarter of 2026, surpassing its previous all-time high by 3% quarter-over-quarter and increasing 14% compared with the...

Electra demonstrates runway-free operations with ultra-short takeoff and landing at Manhattan Heliport

Electra has successfully completed the takeoff and landing of its hybrid-electric Ultra Short aircraft at Downtown Skyport in Lower Manhattan, in what is believed to be the first time a fixed-wing air...

Emirates to introduce latest-generation A350 on Mauritius route from 1 November

Emirates will introduce its latest-generation Airbus A350 on the Dubai-Mauritius route from 1 November 2026, replacing the Boeing 777 currently operating the carrier’s daily EK709/710 service.&n...

PAL-V and Nobleo partner to industrialise FlyDrive production facility and scale manufacturing readiness

PAL-V has appointed Nobleo Manufacturing as its strategic industrialisation partner for the world’s first FlyDrive production facility. Following the achievement of both automotive and aviation...

Cirrus breaks ground on new engine run-up facility

Cirrus Aircraft has broken ground on a new 15,000-square-foot Engine Run-Up Center that will centralize engine testing, fuel calibration and certification activities for the SR Series, Vision Jet and...

MTU Maintenance secures GE90 engine MRO contract with Garuda Indonesia

MTU Maintenance and Garuda Indonesia have entered into a three-year agreement for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the airline’s GE90-115B engines, which power its fleet of eight Boeing 7...