By Garth Calitz Photos by Esias Riekert, Trevor Cohen and Rayno Snyman For two days, AFB Waterkloof once again became the centre of the South African aviation universe as Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026 opened its gates to the public for the biennial airshow. After three days focused on the defence industry, aerospace technology, business and government delegations, Saturday and Sunday belonged to the enthusiasts. While the aircraft and military hardware were undoubt

By Garth Calitz South African Airways has been handed another uncomfortable reminder that decisions made years ago have a rather irritating habit of coming back to collect the bill. The Special Tribunal has declared unlawful SAA’s decision to extend an approximately R85 million dry-lease agreement with local aviation company Flyfofa Airways, ordering that any profit or unjustified enrichment arising from the arrangement be recovered, together with interest. The case is partic

By Garth Calitz South African aviation professionals and passengers have become accustomed to the occasional air traffic control system issue, technical glitch or infrastructure-related operational surprise; there is something strangely reassuring about discovering that it is not only happening here. The UK's aviation system has just provided its own reminder that even countries with considerably deeper pockets, sophisticated infrastructure and an air traffic management syste

By Garth Calitz There are many ways to ground an airline. Discover that its aircraft are unsafe, run out of money, loses the necessary certificates, closes the airport or, if you happen to be Trump, threatens virtually everyone who supplies the airline with the things it needs to keep flying. The United States has chosen the latter. From 23 September 2026, Washington is threatening to effectively isolate Iranian airlines from much of the international aviation system by targe

Dassault Aviation has taken another step towards integrating artificial intelligence into the fighter cockpit, flight-testing two sovereign AI algorithms aboard a Rafale as France develops increasingly capable combat systems designed to support, rather than replace, the human operator. Dassault Aviation has flight-tested two new artificial intelligence algorithms aboard a Rafale fighter, marking a significant step in the French manufacturer's programme to introduce sovereign

By Garth Calitz Textron Aviation has marked the rollout of the 500th Cessna Citation Latitude, just over a decade after the midsize business jet entered service. The milestone was celebrated by production employees at Textron Aviation’s Wichita facility, highlighting the aircraft’s sustained position within the company’s business jet portfolio. The Citation Latitude entered service in August 2015 and quickly became one of Textron Aviation’s best-selling business jets. The air

South Africa’s aerospace industry has taken another step towards expanding its local design and certification capability with the unveiling of Peregrine Aerospace, a new partnership between Henley Air, Jonker Sailplanes and On Track Technologies. The initiative was announced at the Aerospace Industry Support Initiative (AISI) 20-Year Commemoration at Waterkloof Air Force Base, bringing together Henley Air’s rotorcraft operations and maintenance expertise, Jonker Sailplanes’ a

By Garth Calitz Despite the presence of cutting-edge technology at AAD 2026, including autonomous aircraft, advanced unmanned systems, and next-generation weapons and sensors, one of the exhibition's oldest attractions, the Mini War, still captivates the audience. The battlefield demonstration once again will bring together ground troops, armour, artillery and aviation assets in a fast-moving display designed to demonstrate how the South African National Defence Force can com

By Garth Calitz Airbus Helicopters and Denel Aerospace have used AAD 2026 to formalise a partnership aimed at strengthening South Africa’s ability to support and sustain the South African Air Force’s helicopter fleet. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at AAD 2026, establishing a long-term framework for industrial cooperation that could see greater maintenance, engineering and technical capability anchored in South Africa. At its core, the agreement

Paramount has unveiled its new V-Raven reusable vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft at AAD 2026, presenting a system designed to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), with a development pathway towards light attack. Previously known as the N-Raven, the programme has evolved significantly. Paramount has moved away from the original catapult-launched concept to a returnable VTOL aircraft family that can operate from dispersed