Aviation News

Spirit Airlines has partnered with Illinois-based Lewis University to launch a pilot pathway program at the university’s College of Aviation, Science and Technology. Another addition to the airline’s Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, the agreement allows students pursuing an aviation technology degree to apply for the program once they complete their sophomore year and receive […]

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Joby Aviation has received a $55 million extension on its contract with the U.S. Air Force. The extension is the company’s third, bringing the overall contract value to a maximum of $131 million. The recent agreement also includes provisions for the delivery and operation of up to […]

Bell officially introduced its 407M special mission aircraft at the 2023 Army Aviation Association of America Mission Solutions Summit. A variant of the Bell 407 civil utility helicopter, the 407M is designed for military operations such as light attack, special operations, anti-piracy and armed reconnaissance. Bell noted that it is also planning to offer special […]

Boeing is planning to expand its ecoDemonstrator flight test program for 2023 using a company-owned 777-200ER and adding “Explorer” aircraft. This year, the 777 ecoDemonstrator will be used to assess 19 technologies focused on sustainability and safety including sustainable wall panels in the cargo hold, a fiber optic fuel quantity sensor and an electronic flight […]

The FAA has formed a blue chip panel of aviation industry experts to recommend safety enhancements industry-wide. The members of the new FAA National Airspace System Safety Review Team include: former NASA Administrator and astronaut Charles Bolden Jr.; former Air Line Pilots Association, International President Captain Tim Canoll; former National Air Traffic Controllers Association Executive […]

A private moon landing attempt ended with the likely destruction of the lander. Japanese firm ispace said it lost contact with the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander when it apparently ran out of propellant needed to slow the vehicle. “It apparently went into a freefall towards the surface as it was running out of fuel to […]

The FAA has grounded SpaceX’s Starship program while it investigates last week’s explosive test launch of the full system. This time, however, the agency appears to be at least as interested in the scorched mess left behind by the booster as it is the explosion that was triggered a few minutes later when the second […]

Textron Aviation announced on Tuesday that it has delivered its 400th Cessna Citation CJ4 series business jet. The aircraft, a Citation CJ4 Gen2, went to Easton, Pennsylvania-based Koch Holdings. The Citation CJ4 received its FAA type certification in 2010 and the Gen2 version was introduced in 2021. “This milestone delivery for the Cessna Citation CJ4 […]

Menominee, Michigan-based Enstrom Helicopter recently announced the Zambian Air Force (ZAF) has signed a contract for two Enstrom 480B helicopters, which will be among the first new-build 480Bs to cross the factory finish line since Enstrom’s new ownership. Terms of the sale, administered by the country’s Ministry of Defense, include training for pilots and support […]

The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) opened the doors today (April 24) for its 66th annual International Convention & Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. Participants include more than 1,400 avionics manufacturers, repair stations, maintenance organizations and “other general aviation professionals,” according to AEA, which says the four-day event is “the largest gathering of avionics manufacturers, distributors […]