The FAA is writing mandates, but federal coordination systems can’t keep up By Laura Crabtree Laura Crabtree is CEO and co-founder of Epsilon3. She previously served as a lead operations engineer at SpaceX. On January 29, 2025, PSA Airlines Flight 5342 descended toward Ronald Reagan National Airport with no warning of the Army Black Hawk closing on its path. The CRJ-700 jet had ADS-B...Read More

ED-300A | Guidance on conducting an AFHA and PASA for a VTOL using a generic example ED-300A supersedes ED-300 ‘Guidance on Conducting an Aircraft Functional Hazard Assessment and Preliminary Aircraft Safety Assessment for a VTOL Using a Generic Example’ issued in October 2022. A VTOL example is needed to show how aircraft-level Failure Conditions and their associated requirements can be...Read More

Putting the pieces together: modular engineer licensing A new approach to gaining engineering qualifications aims to boost supply in this important trade. By Robert Wilson Trent Baker didn’t set out to be a pioneer in Australian aviation but that’s what he has become. As the first licensed aircraft maintenance engineer (LAME) to obtain his licence through self-study in a modular...Read More

New Thrust Flight Survey Finds 78% of U.S. Adults Would Be Uncomfortable Flying With an Airline Short on Maintenance Workers Data suggests maintenance staffing is becoming a key factor in how travelers judge airline safety and reliability A new Thrust Flight survey finds the aircraft mechanic shortage could become a bigger trust issue for airlines as travelers connect maintenance staffing more directly...Read More

Airworthiness cybersecurity guidance for RPAS now published The AC provides guidance on how RPAS designers and manufacturers can manage cyber threats. It also helps RPAS operators understand cybersecurity risks that could affect aviation safety. It focuses on: safety-critical aircraft subsystems ground systems command and control (C2) links supporting infrastructure. The AC includes security concepts, threat categorisation and a practical risk...Read More

ICCAIA Annual Report 2025 *Airworthiness committee report on page 13 The ICCAIA Annual Report 2025 is now available. The report outlines updates from all ICCAIA committees and advisory group and provides a summary of key work and activities undertaken throughout the year. Read the report: 2025 Annual ReportRead More

EASA ASC 2025 sees complacency as a safety threat, seeks rule simplification The biggest risk to aviation safety in Europe is complacency, arising as a consequence of the industry’s strong safety performance in the region in recent years, speakers at this year’s European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s Annual Safety Conference asserted. Meanwhile in an ever more complex operating landscape, existing...Read More

How Boeing Is Tackling Its Quality Control Issues By Louis Hardiman Almost two years ago, Boeing’s 737 MAX program was almost struck with another disaster when an Alaska Airlines flight had to divert after a sudden blowout of an emergency exit door plug. Since then, Boeing has announced a “war on defects”, greatly improving its quality control regime to ensure that faulty Boeing 737 MAX...Read More

Solar radiation and aircraft electronics: is this a big issue? By David Learmount Much of the world’s fleet of about 11,000 Airbus A320 series aircraft – the most popular airliner in the world according to sales – are affected by a current emergency airworthiness directive from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration requiring that...Read More

Sustainability in Aircraft MRO: Building a Greener Future With the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector’s critical importance growing every day due to fleet expansion and modernization—especially with the 2050 goal of achieving net-zero emissions—sustainability has become a mission statement. MRO operators are setting up their sustainable future, and many have been quick to adopt methods that reduce their environmental...Read More