FAA Advises Boeing 757 Freighter Operators to Evaluate Cargo Doors By Caleb Revill The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advising operators of Boeing 757-200 freighter planes to be aware of an “airworthiness concern” regarding the main deck cargo door opening while in flight. The bulletin, issued Friday, stated that this concern is not an unsafe condition that...Read More

British Airways To Acquire Boeing Gatwick MRO Hangar By James Pozzi British Airways is set to grow its domestic maintenance presence by acquiring Boeing’s MRO operation at London Gatwick Airport. The UK flag carrier announced the acquisition Feb. 17, subject to conditions, and says it will establish a new wholly owned subsidiary called British Airways Engineering Gatwick. The business will join...Read More

ATR Presses On With Maintenance Interval Extensions By Thierry Dubois After the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 XT engine resulted in a major extension of maintenance intervals in 2022, ATR has received approval for a comparable improvement on the nose landing gear, and engineers are working on alleviating the servicing needs of more subsystems. The effort aims to address pain...Read More

AA Mandates Rudder Replacements For Thousands Of Piper Aircraft The FAA issued an airworthiness directive for rudder replacements for thousands of Piper aircraft on Feb. 13. By Amelia Walsh The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a final airworthiness directive (AD) requiring the replacement of rudders on specific Piper series aircraft. The AD, effective March 20, 2025, addresses safety concerns stemming from...Read More

Vertical Aerospace and its VX4 eVTOL makes you believe the future is possible By Ian Molyneaux After a few past wobbles, Vertical Aerospace has the feel of a company that is entering a new era of real significance backed up by an experienced, international team with a binding belief in its future success. In just the past few weeks, the...Read More

Nuuva V300 takes off with successful first flight Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. company, has announced the successful first hover flight of the Nuuva V300, a long-range, large-capacity hybrid-electric VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) unmanned aircraft. This milestone marks an advancement in the development of advanced, sustainable and versatile unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The Nuuva V300 is designed to carry a 600-pound...Read More

FAA Calls For Boeing 787 Seat-Track Inspections After Manufacturing Fault Found By Rytis Beresnevicius The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) addressing a potentially unsafe condition of the Boeing 787 seats. Quality escapement On January 17, the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Boeing 787-8 , 787-9, and 787-10, saying that following multiple supplier notices...Read More

ePlane company gets DGCA acceptance for type certification By Vaitheeswaran B The electric aircraft developed by startup ePlane Company has received acceptance for type certification from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This is the first Indian private company to get accepted under the new rules for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft issued last September. The DGCA issued...Read More

COMAC to Significantly Increase Production of C919 in 2025 By Jennifer Pierce China’s state-owned aircraft manufacturer, COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China), is set to significantly increase the production of its C919 single-aisle passenger jet. Shen Bo, COMAC’s Deputy General Manager, announced during the annual “Two Sessions” plenary parliamentary meeting in Shanghai on January 17, 2025, that the company plans...Read More

Air India to Establish New Maintenance Training Institute in Bengaluru By Len Varley India’s flag carrier Air India is moving forward with plans to establish a new Basic Maintenance Training Organization (BMTO) in Bengaluru. India’s flag carrier Air India is moving forward with plans to establish a new Basic Maintenance Training Organization (BMTO) in Bengaluru. The new training institute will...Read More