Aviation News

The FAA says it’s establishing a new “safety division” but says it has nothing to do with the Boeing 737 MAX.  The Washington Post first revealed the new department but the agency says it’s old news, part of a reorganization that began two years ago. “The FAA is constantly evolving and changing to continue addressing […]

Qantas has selected the Airbus A350-1000 for its Project Sunrise program, which aims to open regular, nonstop commercial routes from the east coast of Australia to ultra-long-haul destinations including London and New York. The airline has not yet put in an order for the aircraft, but says it is working with Airbus to prepare a […]

Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington, may have been “prioritizing production speed over quality and safety” during the time when two 737 MAX aircraft involved in fatal accidents were built at the factory, according to testimony given by former Boeing employee Edward Pierson at a U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on […]

Delta Air Lines and private aviation solutions company Wheels Up have announced their intentions to combine wholly owned Delta subsidiary Delta Private Jets—a private a charter company based at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)—with Wheels Up. Once combined, the business will continue to operate as Wheels Up with company founder Kenny Dichter remaining in […]

Southwest Airlines announced on Thursday that it has reached a compensation agreement with Boeing to cover some of the projected financial damages related to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX. Along with the rest of the MAX fleet, Southwest’s 34 MAX aircraft have been out of service since March 2019 following the fatal crashes […]

The NTSB has published the final report on Southwest Flight 1380, whose left-side CMF56 engine suffered a failure that led to one fatality in April 2018. While the NTSB has already called for action following the engine on this 737 Next Generation, its final report closes the investigation and emphasizes how it was a piece […]

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is appealing an FAA decision regarding city handling of federal grant funds at California’s Santa Monica Airport (SMO). As previously reported by AVweb, the FAA issued a determination (PDF) in November that stated that the City of Santa Monica had failed to comply with its grant obligations for reasons […]

Canadian seaplane company Harbour Air announced that its modified all-electric DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver has successfully completed its first flight. The six-passenger “ePlane,” which the company is calling the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft, took off from the Fraser River at the Harbour Air Seaplanes terminal in Richmond, British Columbia, on Tuesday morning. The aircraft […]

The NTSB says doors-off helicopter flights where passengers are secured with safety harnesses should stop. This recommendation comes after reviewing the March 2018 accident where five passengers perished in New York’s East River and includes the board urging the FAA to close a loophole that allows such flights under the guise of aerial photography. “These […]

The FAA has selected twelve organizations to advise the agency as it develops test administration requirements for an aeronautical knowledge and safety test for recreational Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS/drone) operators. Among the organizations that will be advising the FAA are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, DJI, King Schools, the Unmanned Safety Institute, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association […]