Recent Updates

The integration of drones into the National Airspace System will accelerate with a pilot program directed by the FAA, the Transportation Department announced on Wednesday. The initiative will implement a directive signed by President Donald Trump this week that aims to develop a regulatory framework to allow more complex low-altitude operations; balance local and national […]

One Aviation, the company that includes both Eclipse Aviation and Kestrel, announced layoffs late last week. The job cuts reflect the phaseout of production for the EA550 twinjet, which is being replaced by the new EA700 “Project Canada” aircraft, the company said in a statement. “As we transition through the development stages of the highly […]

After an initial Pentagon announcement on Friday that the Air Force would recall about 1,000 retired pilots, followed rapidly by a disavowal of any recalls by the Air Force over the weekend, the service now says the purpose of the amended executive order was to increase the number of pilots who may be voluntarily returned […]

The U.S. Air Force said on Sunday there are no plans to use the powers created by President Donald Trump last week to force the recall of retired pilots. “We appreciate the authorities and flexibility delegated to us,” said Ann Stefanek, chief of Air Force media operations, on Sunday. However, “The Air Force does not […]

A New Zealand general aviation manufacturer is facing heavy fines and its executives prison sentences for violating international trade sanctions against North Korea. Pacific Aerospace, which makes a STOL turboprop utility aircraft called the PAC 750, and its executive officers will be sentenced in January after pleading guilty to “indirectly” exporting aircraft parts to the […]

A reheated version of Airbus’s 25-year-old A330, the A330neo flew for the first time Thursday in the European company’s attempt to shore up its presence in the 250- to 300-seat long-range market. After some initial teething problems, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is proving a dominant force in that sector. The newish A330 boasts improved aerodynamics and […]

Invoking emergency powers, President Trump waived a law Friday that had limited the ability of the Air Force to pull pilots out of retirement. Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Gary Ross says he expects the Secretary of Defense will use the power to recall up to 1,000 retired pilots for three years each. Under normal circumstances, […]

Just months ago, government security agencies were contemplating a ban of electronic devices larger than a cellphone from airliner cabins, but this week, the FAA is calling for the opposite. In a paper filed with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the FAA said its tests show that large electronic devices such as laptops can cause […]

Virgin Galactic is about three months away from launching into space, founder Richard Branson said at a business forum in Finland recently. He added that he expects to fly into space about three months after that. The company has said it expects to start launching flights for paying tourists by the end of next year. […]

After halting a plan last week to start work on shortening the runway at Santa Monica Airport, a federal court has lifted its temporary restraining order, and the work will begin “within the next week,” according to a post on the city’s Facebook page on Tuesday. The court’s order means “the legal complaints raised lack […]