Focus on Maintenance: Reaching the finish line By John Carinha The flurry is almost over. The “full gas” days of fall and winter are done, and the operational season is upon us. For many of those tasked with maintaining utility aircraft, the marathon is almost over. For us, we’ve just come off multiple airframe rewire projects, plenty of avionics and radio upgrades, and a bit of everything else in between. Many of our clients operate fleets with multiple aircraft types. Their own staff are often...Read More

Hermeus Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 receives FAA experimental airworthiness certificate for supersonic flight testing By Jamie Whitney The current Mk 2 phase of the program focuses on achieving and expanding supersonic performance. Key Highlights Hermeus’ Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 received FAA certification, allowing for expanded flight testing at Spaceport America. The aircraft is part of a rapid development program, building and testing...Read More

Joby Flies First Electric Air Taxi Meeting FAA Design Criteria By Jack Daleo Company until now had conducted testing using developmental and preproduction prototype aircraft. California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Joby Aviation is advancing from testing with developmental models to aircraft that meet FAA design criteria—a critical step as it aims to get agency test...Read More

Flight safety statistics: understanding 2025 aviation accidents and safety trends With air traffic reaching an estimated 35.2 million flights in 2025, flying still remains the safest form of travel. However, evolving threats require unwavering continuous industry-wide vigilance. Explore the latest data and the collaborative actions driving a proactive safety culture across our industry. When asking how many aviation accidents per...Read More

Rolls-Royce completes key B-52J engine altitude testing By Craig Langford Rolls-Royce has completed altitude and operability testing of its F130  engine as part of the programme to re-engine the U.S. Air Force’s B-52J Stratofortress bomber fleet, the company announced. The tests were carried out at the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tennessee, where Rolls-Royce engineers worked alongside Air Force...Read More

Leonardo reveals tiltrotor ambition with new design concept By Oliver Johnson Leonardo Helicopters has revealed a new tiltrotor design concept that represents what it believes could be the future of the technology’s evolution. Building on the company’s tiltrotor expertise developed through the creation of its AW609 — which will become the first civil tiltrotor when certified — and in the...Read More

Regulators Order Boeing 757 Winglet Checks By Sam Broderick Operators of Boeing 757s with a certain type of Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) winglets are inspecting the assemblies for cracks following reports of five aircraft with issues and quick action by the supplier and regulators to develop an inspection plan. The FAA issued an immediately effective airworthiness directive (AD) on Feb. 26, giving operators five...Read More

FAA issues 737 Max airworthiness directive after cabin overheating incidents By Stephen Pope The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new airworthiness directive (AD), after electrical faults found on Boeing 737 Max jets reportedly caused air-conditioning malfunctions that drove cabin and flight deck temperatures to unsafe levels. The FAA directive covers Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8-200 models, according to a Federal Register posting, after the agency...Read More

AutoFlight debut ‘world’s first’ 10-passenger eVTOL By Elsie Clark Chinese developers AutoFlight have debuted Matrix, what they claim is the world’s first 10-passenger eVTOL. Weighing five tons, the air taxi took to the skies for the first time in a public demonstration on 5 February. AutoFlight say the design even includes washbasins and lavatories in the cabin. Most eVTOLs in...Read More

HAECO completes Trent XWB engine build activities ahead of Lunar New Year travel surge HAECO, a global leader in aircraft engineering and maintenance solutions, has successfully completed a series of Trent XWB engine build activities in Beijing for a major Chinese operator, in anticipation of increased travel demand leading up to the Lunar New Year festivities. As a member of...Read More