Recent Updates

Airbus delivered the 1,000th aircraft in its A320neo family of passenger jets on Thursday. The neo—standing for “new engine option”—line includes the A319neo, A320neo and A321neo. Number 1000, an A321neo, went to India-based airline IndiGo, Airbus’ biggest customer for the A320neo family with orders for 430 aircraft. The aircraft was assembled at Airbus’ factory in […]

Boeing and Porsche announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday launching a partnership to “explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into airspace.” According to Boeing, the companies plan to create a team to study areas of urban air mobility including market analysis and use cases […]

Embraer announced that it has successfully completed the first test of an autonomous aircraft in Brazil. As shown in the video below, the taxi test, which was overseen by a pilot in the cockpit, took the aircraft “along a previously established path without human interference.” According to Embraer, an integrated artificial intelligence system capable of […]

Aerial application solutions company UAVOS announced that it has converted a Robinson R22-UV helicopter for use as an unmanned agricultural drone. In addition to the modifications necessary for remote operation, the R22-UV “agro-drone” has been equipped with a 100-liter (26-gallon) tank and spray system for liquid chemical delivery. According to the company, the aircraft has […]

Kitty Hawk’s latest entry into the incipient urban mobility market is missing something important and it might be its biggest selling point. The new Heaviside (named for Oliver Heaviside, a controversial early 20th century physicist and electrical engineer) is virtually silent in flight with a noise level of about 38 decibels at 1,500 feet. Helicopters […]

United Airlines announced the launch of a new pilot recruitment program on Thursday. Called Aviate, the program offers “structured career pathways” for pilots and promises “the fastest path within the industry to a major airline” with a regional partner minimum requirement of 24 months and 2,000 hours. According to United, Aviate is open to “pilots […]

The closing date for a joint venture that would see Boeing take an 80 percent ownership stake in Embraer’s commercial aircraft and services operations has been pushed to 2020 after the European Commission indicated that it would be opening a Phase II assessment of the deal. Announced in July 2018, the transaction was initially expected […]

The first two Tecnam P2012 Travellers were delivered to launch customer Cape Air in Hyannis, Massachusetts, this week after a 4,000-NM ferry flight from the Tecnam’s headquarters in Capua, Italy. The four-person ferry crew was led by Tecnam Chief Operations Officer Giovanni Pascale, whose family founded the company. The aircraft are the first of an […]

Airbus and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation designed to “bring together their respective experiences and know-how” on developing the next generation of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platforms and associated regulatory framework. According to Airbus, the agreement includes cooperation in areas such as high-speed flight, certification of new […]

Continental Aerospace Technologies President and CEO Rhett Ross announced his retirement on Tuesday. During his twelve years as CEO, Ross is credited with leading the company in “five successful acquisitions to add technology and additional product lines valued in excess of $40 million.” In addition, he recently oversaw the construction of Continental’s new $75 million […]