Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems have been awarded the next phases of the US Army’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System or FTUAS program.  With Option 2 of the program now complete, the two companies will now move forward with Options 3 and 4.   After Option 1, which culminated in a Preliminary Design Review that assessed the weapon system designs presented by all manufacturers, Option 2 involved rigorous assessments, including system performance, cost efficiency, scheduling, program risk, and key imperatives from the US Army. Option 3 will focus on flight demonstratio ..read more

Emirates has conducted a special flight experience for 30 UAE families with neurodivergent children.  The flight, which took place on April 24, 2024, was to help the children practice and alleviate anxieties before traveling and to raise awareness of autism. The airline hosted Her Excellency Hessa BuHumaid, Director General of the Community Development Authority of Dubai, as well as 30 neurodiverse children aged between 8 and 12 years old – from Dubai Autism Centre, Safe Centre for Autism, Rashid Centre for People of Determination and the New England Centre Children Clinic – to attend the ..read more

Airbus has reaffirmed its goals for 2024, regardless of first-quarter results that fell below expectations. “We delivered first quarter 2024 results against the backdrop of an operating environment that shows no sign of improvement,” commented Guillaume Faury, Airbus’ Chief Executive Officer. “Geopolitical and supply chain tensions continue.” Despite these challenges, Airbus has decided to increase the monthly production rate of the A350 to 12 aircraft by 2028, responding to the dynamics of the wide-body segment. For the three-month period ending in March 2024, the group’s revenue rose by 9% y ..read more

An American man is facing up to 12 years in prison in Turks and Caicos after customs officials at Providenciales International Airport (PLS) found ammunition in his luggage. Ryan Tyler Watson (40), of Oklahoma, flew to the British Overseas Territory with his wife on April 7, 2024, celebrating his birthday. Airport officials found the ammunition in Watson’s carry-on luggage, contained inside a ziplock bag. Watson claimed that he was not aware of having brought ammunition with him from a previous hunting trip and that it was entirely accidental.  Although this appears to have been an honest ..read more

Delta Air Lines and American Express have announced the return of a limited edition credit card design containing 33% metal taken from two B747 aircraft.  The airline said that the metal credit cards, which were first launched two years ago, were brought back due to an ‘overwhelming’ response from existing credit card holders and members. The limited-edition cards, which are available until June 5, 2024, are made from two Delta Boeing 747 aircraft that were retired after more than 27 years of service. The cards feature each plane’s history, including their first and last flights, tail num ..read more

The Croatian Air Force has achieved a significant milestone by receiving the first batch of six Rafale fighter jets from the French Air and Space Force.   The jets successfully landed at the 91 operational base near Zagreb. A ceremony was held to celebrate the occasion, which was attended by high-ranking officials from Croatia, including President Zoran Milanović, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić.  Pilots from Croatia and trained in France were responsible for overseeing the operation. The Rafale aircraft were ferried from Dassault Aviation site ..read more

Lufthansa presented its new Allegris cabin to the media at an event held at Munich airport (MUC) on April 25, 2024.  The German airline had unveiled its new premium cabin product publicly in February 2023, but this was the first time that Lufthansa showcased it after installing it on one of its aircraft.  The aircraft in question in question was an Airbus A350-900 registration D-AIXT, which had been delivered to Lufthansa just a few days prior on April 13, 2024.  During the event, Lufthansa’s CEO, Jens Ritter, announced that the new Allegris class would be first available on A3 ..read more

Brussels Airlines has unveiled a new Tomorrowland-inspired livery adorned across an Airbus A320neo that arrived fresh from the planemaker’s Toulouse facility in December 2024.   The Airbus A320neo, registered OO-SBB, was revealed to an audience of media representatives, guests, and employees at an event inside a Brussels Airlines hangar.   The aircraft features ‘Amare’, the newest ‘Belgian Icons’, and was inspired by the longer standing partnership Brussels Airlines shares with the iconic music festival, Tomorrowland.   According to Brussels Airlines, Amare is a ..read more

London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) has posted its busiest start to the year on record with 18.5 million passengers traveling through the aviation hub between January and March 2024.   According to Heathrow Airport, the positive performance, during what is traditionally a quieter period of the year, was in part driven by growth on key business routes like Delhi and Mumbai and strong North American traffic.  The airport also witnessed a surge in demand for services to East Asia with a 40% increase in numbers compared with the first quarter in 2023.    Heathrow also said that ..read more

Airbus Helicopters has completed the successful first flight of its Racer demonstrator aircraft.   Developed as part of the European Research Clean Sky 2 project, the Racer took to the skies in Marignane, southern France, completing a 30-minute flight that showcased its overall performance.  This maiden flight kicks off a two-year flight test campaign to progressively expand the aircraft’s flight envelope and demonstrate its high-speed capabilities.   “This first flight is a proud moment for Airbus Helicopters and for our 40 partners in 13 countries,” said Bruno Even ..read more