COMAC crosses global milestone By Swati. K China’s homegrown narrowbody has crossed its first international border, but matching Boeing and Airbus will depend as much on maintenance, certification and supply chains as aircraft production. When Air China Flight CA723 landed in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 12 after departing Beijing aboard a COMAC C919, the two-hour journey became one of the...Read More

Heart Aerospace cleared for X1 flight tests FAA issues experimental airworthiness certificate for hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator By Jonathan. S Heart Aerospace has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAC-EC) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), clearing the company to begin flight testing of its X1 demonstrator aircraft. The approval marks a significant milestone in the development...Read More

FAA Certifies Boeing 737-7, Clearing Smallest MAX Variant for Delivery By Helwing Villamizar The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the Boeing 737-7, clearing the smallest member of the 737 MAX family to move toward customer deliveries after a flight-test and analysis program that began in 2018. The regulator granted Boeing an amended type certificate for the 737-7 design, Boeing...Read More

Air India B787 GEnx-1B In Flight Shut Down After Maintenance Error 5 Years Earlier On 4 August 2023 Air India Boeing 787-8 VT-ANW suffered un-commanded In Flight Shut Down (IFSD) of its No 1 GE GEnx-1B engine 9 minutes after take off, forcing a return to Mumbai Airport. The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published their safety investigation report in May 2025.  This was the source of the illustrations below. Note:...Read More

FAA Issues Radio Altimeter Upgrade Mandate By Sean Broderick The FAA’s radio altimeter (RA) upgrade mandate sets Dec. 30, 2030, as the deadline for commercial aircraft and will give other affected operations, including Part 135, until Oct. 31, 2034. The final rule, made public July 24, follows the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) July 22 adoption of a new round of wireless spectrum auction....Read More

Hydraulic, Electrical, or Pneumatic: Which System Rules the Skies? By Josh Eyre For decades, commercial aircraft relied on a clear division. Pneumatic systems used hot bleed air from the engines for cabin pressurization, air conditioning, and anti-icing. Hydraulic systems provided the force needed to move large flight controls, while electrical systems powered avionics, lighting, and other onboard equipment. Each operated...Read More

FAA orders seat inspections on 737 MAX aircraft By Swati. K The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring inspections of passenger seat installations on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft after identifying the possibility that some seat assemblies may have been incorrectly installed during production. While the issue may appear minor compared to...Read More

NTSB confirms plug was Rob Holland’s undoing Modification ordered removed from similar aircraft The final NTSB report on the April 24, 2025, landing accident that killed legendary aerobatic competitor and performer Rob Holland draws the same conclusion that was evident in the early stages of the investigation: A loose fitting, part of a custom modification, jammed the elevator in the...Read More

Avolon to acquire 11 Airbus A321neos originally ordered by Frontier Airlines By Ricardo Meier Deal covers aircraft scheduled for delivery between late 2026 and mid-2027 Aircraft lessor Avolon has agreed to acquire 11 Airbus A321neo aircraft originally ordered by Frontier Airlines , with deliveries scheduled between November 2026 and June 2027. The agreement was approved by the board of Avolon’s...Read More

U.S. Air Force weighs a pilotless successor to the C-5 and C-17 By Colton Jones The U.S. Air Force is asking aircraft makers a question that would have sounded like science fiction a decade ago: could the giant cargo plane meant to replace its aging fleet eventually fly itself. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Mobility Aircraft Directorate published...Read More