The Carrier Strike Group 25 deployment, known as Operation Highmast, began on April 22, taking HMS Prince of Wales, an F-35B-focused air wing, and an escort force to the Indo-Pacific. The deployment includes F-35B Lightning IIs operated by UK personnel, as well as Royal Navy Merlin and Wildcat helicopters. Unmanned aerial vehicles will also deploy … Read more
Etihad Airways plans to expand its flight services to Paris, France, with four additional weekly flights using the Airbus A321LR aircraft. The airline currently operates daily flights to Paris with an A380 or Boeing 787-9. The new A321LR routes will start in February 2026, adding to the airline’s growing network of destinations. Etihad has ordered … Read more
Finnair will celebrate 30 years of flying to Osaka, Japan, marking the route’s inauguration in 1995. The airline initially operated the route twice per week and now offers daily flights due to increased demand. Finnair has a strong connection between Europe and Asia via the ‘short northern route’. To commemorate the route, Finnair decorated its … Read more
Passengers on a United Airlines flight from Denver to Edmonton experienced an engine malfunction after a rabbit was ingested into the engine during takeoff. The crew successfully shut down the engine and the aircraft returned to Denver. The plane, a Boeing 737-824, was unable to dump fuel due to its narrowbody design. Despite landing overweight, … Read more
In 2023, OpenSky’s founder Shigeto Honda received Japan’s first Pilatus PC-12 NGX turboprop and PC-24 jet, realizing his vision of expanding business aviation in Japan. The collaboration between OpenSky and Pilatus aimed to offer clients access to underserved routes in Japan using efficient Pilatus aircraft. The success led to the expansion of OpenSky’s fleet with … Read more
The FAA has released SAFO 25001 to address the risks of visual approaches during flight operations, following recent incidents raising safety concerns. The alert targets air carrier operators and pilots under Part 121 and 135 operations, emphasizing effective communication with ATCs and the PIC’s authority to declare “unable” in compromising situations. Recommendations include increasing vigilance, … Read more
General Atomics has introduced a new High-Energy Laser pod for the MQ-9B aircraft, designed for Fleet Defense and Counter-UAS roles. The pod, unveiled at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2025 conference, features a 25 kW-class distributed gain laser that can scale to 300 kW, offering effective defense against drone and missile threats with high … Read more
Boeing delivered 130 commercial aircraft in Q1 of 2025, including 105 737 MAX aircraft, marking an increase from previous quarters in 2024. The company had 348 deliveries in 2024, with additional inventoried aircraft from previous years. Delays in business class seat installations impacted deliveries in 2024 and will continue to affect 2025. Despite potential challenges, … Read more
My Freighter Airlines and Aeromexico have partnered to enhance cargo access and connectivity between Mexico and Central Asia. This collaboration allows for seamless cargo transfers and air freight solutions, with My Freighter Airlines gaining access to cities in Mexico and Aeromexico gaining access to Tashkent and Central Asia via My Freighter Airlines’ trucking network. The … Read more
This episode of AvTalk discusses long endurance gas balloons, the FAA’s response to erroneous TCAS alerts near DCA, a fist fight in the DCA air traffic control tower, and Heathrow’s handling of a recent power outage. Russian investigators also release their final report on Aeroflot flight 1492, which suffered a hard landing and fire in … Read more
