Aviation News

Air France announced on Wednesday that it is retiring its Airbus A380 fleet due to the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on anticipated activity levels at the airline. The company operates nine A380s, five of which are owned by Air France or on finance lease and four of which are on operating lease. Prior […]

Texas Aircraft Manufacturing has introduced a new financing program for its Colt-S and Colt-SL S-LSA aircraft. Fly-Away Financing is the result of a partnership between Texas Aircraft and Hondo, Texas-based Community National Bank. According to the company, prospective aircraft buyers can now access an online form to calculate their down payment, loan terms and total […]

Tablets–iPad or Android–are must-have equipment for all but a very few owners and pilots, even those of us flying ancient rag wings. There are myriad choices in apps and nearly as much variety in the hardware you need to run these indispensable utilities. For an AVweb and Aviation Consumer report, we’re seeking user comments and […]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Tuesday that the Jan. 29, 2019, crash of a Bell 407 air ambulance helicopter in Zaleski, Ohio, was caused by the operator’s “inadequate management of safety.” The helicopter, which was only certified to operate in visual flight conditions, collided with trees in a heavily wooded area after […]

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the AOPA Air Safety Institute are offering two guides designed to assist pilots and operators return safely to flying after shutdowns due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For operators such as flight schools, flying clubs and FBOs, the organization’s COVID-19 Flight Operations Guide (PDF) covers developing criteria […]

Boeing has announced a new initiative aimed at developing solutions to help minimize air travel health risks during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Confident Travel Initiative team will also focus on raising awareness of existing health safeguards. According to Boeing, work on the initiative will be conducted in partnership with airlines, global regulators, industry stakeholders, […]

The Piper M600/SLS became the first aircraft equipped with Garmin’s Autoland system to receive FAA type certification on Monday. In the event of an emergency, Autoland is designed to “control and land the aircraft without human intervention,” taking into account factors such as aircraft performance, terrain, obstacles and weather. In addition, the system, which is […]

The FAA is investigating after drone video of a close encounter with the Blue Angels appeared online earlier this week. In one shot, the six F/A-18s appear to pass within a few hundred feet of the drone as they performed an America Strong formation flight over Detroit on May 12. The video appears to be […]

American Airlines is using regional jets owned by its subsidiary Envoy Air to fill in for bigger, thirstier aircraft on many domestic routes. The 58 ERJ-145s and 70 E175s normally feed hubs under the American Eagle brand but the main line has pressed them into service to save money in providing the basic service mandated […]

Textron flew its new Cessna SkyCourier utility twin turboprop for the first time on Sunday and all went well according to the pilots. The high-wing hauler took off from Beech Field Airport with senior test pilot Corey Eckhart and chief test pilot Aaron Tobias up front and flew for two hours and 15 minutes. “We […]