Emergency Airworthiness Directive for Embraer Jets Overview of the Situation The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) have jointly issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) affecting a series of Embraer business jets. The directive was triggered after safety concerns were identified regarding a critical flight control component, prompting immediate regulatory action...Read More
Airbus Just Built The Largest Cargo Door In Aviation History For Its New A350F By Abid Habib European manufacturer Airbus has announced that it has successfully completed the manufacturing and assembly of the main deck cargo door, which will be the largest in the industry. Designed to be featured in the manufacturer’s upcoming freighter variant of the Airbus A350, the completion of...Read More
NASA’s X-59 Prepares for Second Flight By Nicolas Cholula NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft is preparing for its second flight, a step that will set the pace for more flight testing in 2026. Over the coming months, NASA will take the quiet supersonic jet faster and higher, while validating safety and performance, a process known as envelope expansion. NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less will...Read More
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