By Garth Calitz 30 June 2026 marks 58 years since one of the most ambitious aircraft ever built first took to the skies. On 30 June 1968, the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy made its maiden flight from Lockheed's production facility in Marietta, Georgia, introducing a military transport aircraft unlike anything the world had seen before. At the controls was Lockheed chief engineering test pilot Leo Sullivan, who guided the massive prototype through a successful 84-minute first flight. F

Airlink has added another eye-catching aircraft to its growing fleet of special liveries, unveiling a vibrant green Embraer E190 that celebrates the airline's Skybucks customer loyalty programme while highlighting its role as the Official Domestic Airline for the upcoming Rugby's Greatest Rivalry 2026 tournament. The newly painted aircraft, registered ZS-YAE, entered commercial service on 30 June, making its debut on a flight from Polokwane to Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo Intern

South Africa's international aviation sector is set to receive another welcome boost as Lufthansa expands its Cape Town operations with an additional weekly nonstop service from Frankfurt, giving the airline a daily presence on one of the country's most important long-haul routes during the 2026/27 Northern Hemisphere winter season. Beginning at the end of October 2026, the German flag carrier will introduce a new Monday flight between Frankfurt and Cape Town, complementing i

The United States Air Force has reached an important milestone in the operational introduction of its next-generation combat rescue helicopter with the deployment of the HH-60W Jolly Green II to East Africa. The aircraft arrived at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti on 10 June as part of the deployment of the 56th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERQS), marking the first operational overseas deployment of the unit since transitioning from the legacy HH-60G Pave Hawk. The deployment est

Puma Energy has bolstered its status as a top aviation fuel supplier in Africa by winning a substantial new contract, enhancing the company's influence in one of the world's rapidly expanding aviation markets. Through a competitive multi-airline jet fuel tender with the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Puma Energy gained an advantage over competitors TotalEnergies and Vivo. Puma will provide the majority of the fuel volumes for key airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and

By Garth Calitz A reported mid-air collision between a JetBlue Airbus A321 and an unidentified drone during approach to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport has once again drawn attention to the growing challenge that unmanned aircraft systems pose to commercial aviation. The incident occurred on 29 June when JetBlue Flight 948, operating from Harry Reid International Airport to JFK, reported what the flight crew believed was a collision with a drone while descend

South African regional carrier CemAir has strengthened its international reach through a new unilateral interline agreement with Spanish airline Air Europa, providing travellers with easier access between Southern Africa, Europe and the Americas. The agreement, which came into effect on 23 June 2026, enables passengers travelling on Air Europa to seamlessly connect to CemAir's domestic and regional network in South Africa via a single itinerary. The arrangement also includes

Africa's largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has taken delivery of the first of two new De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft from De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, marking a further investment in regional and domestic connectivity across Ethiopia. The first aircraft was delivered in Addis Ababa on 22 June and will be used to strengthen air services to remote communities while supporting a range of specialised aviation missions. A second aircraft is expe

By Garth Calitz For as long as pilots and aviation enthusiasts have been gathering around coffee pots at airfields, there have been a few certainties. Someone will insist that taildraggers are superior, that Steel aircraft are better than tupperware and someone else will proudly assert that blended-wing aircraft are the future. The first argument has been raging since the invention of the nosewheel. The second has been going on since composite materials took to the air in the

South African aviation services company National Airways Corporation (NAC) has acquired a stake in SkyConnect Leasing, marking a significant expansion of its international helicopter leasing interests. The investment was confirmed by NAC CEO JP Fourie during an interview at the company's headquarters at Lanseria International Airport. According to NAC, SkyConnect Leasing is an Irish-registered helicopter leasing firm operating from Prague, Czechia, and is deploying a fleet of

The United States has officially introduced a new presidential aircraft to serve as Air Force One, with President Donald Trump unveiling the modified Boeing 747 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on 19 June 2026. The aircraft, formerly operated by the government of Qatar, has undergone extensive modifications to meet U.S. presidential transport requirements and will serve as an interim solution until the long-delayed Boeing VC-25B aircraft enters service, currently expected in

For decades, the light helicopter sector has changed relatively little compared with other areas of aviation. While advances in avionics, materials, and manufacturing have transformed commercial airliners and automobiles, many light helicopters still trace their origins to designs developed several decades ago. UK-based Hill Helicopters believes there is an opportunity to modernise this segment of the market through a combination of new technology, in-house manufacturing, and

Airbus Helicopters is advancing development of the Tiger Mk III, a major mid-life upgrade programme designed to ensure the Tiger attack helicopter remains capable of meeting the demands of future high-intensity combat operations. Developed through cooperation between France and Spain, the programme combines new avionics, sensors, communications systems and weapon capabilities with the proven performance of the existing Tiger platform. Launched in 2022 under the auspices of th

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has introduced a new low-cost counter-drone capability for its Typhoon fighter aircraft, providing an affordable and effective option for engaging unmanned aerial threats during ongoing operations in the Middle East. The capability centres on the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), a laser-guided rocket system that converts standard unguided rockets into precision-guided munitions. Originally developed to provide a cost-effective strike op

At the 2026 ILA Berlin Air Show, Boeing announced the expansion of its German industry team supporting the MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft programme. The move strengthens Boeing’s efforts to tailor the Australian-developed autonomous aircraft to the requirements of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). Joining the programme are German defence and technology companies Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz, which will work alongside strategic partner Rheinmetall. Rheinmet

Dassault Aviation has reached a major milestone in the development of its new flagship business jet, the Falcon 10X, with the successful completion of the aircraft’s maiden flight. The achievement marks the beginning of an extensive flight-test campaign as the manufacturer moves closer to certification and entry into service. The first Falcon 10X departed Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in southwestern France at 11:10 local time on 19 June, with test pilot Sébastien Dupont de Dinec

By Garth Calitz The Vietnam War remains one of the most studied air campaigns in military history. Fought between 1955 and 1975, the conflict saw the first large-scale use of helicopters in combat, intense jet-versus-jet dogfights, strategic bombing campaigns and the emergence of sophisticated air defence systems. More aircraft types were employed in Vietnam than in any conflict since the Second World War. From supersonic fighters and heavy bombers to rugged propeller-driven

Airbus Helicopters has unveiled the U145, an autonomous, uncrewed version of its widely used H145 twin-engine helicopter, marking a significant step forward in the evolution of rotary-wing aviation. Introduced at the ILA Berlin Air Show, the U145 combines the proven performance and payload capacity of the H145 with advanced autonomous flight technologies. Airbus plans to conduct the aircraft's maiden flight, initially with a safety pilot on board, before the end of 2026, with

As airlines around the world face mounting pressure to reduce carbon emissions, South Africa is preparing to enter the rapidly emerging sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market with what could become one of the world's first commercial-scale electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) production facilities. Energy company Phelan Green has announced that its clean fuels subsidiary, Phelan eFuels, will use Honeywell's Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Unicracking technology at its planned eSAF f

Gulfstream Aerospace has reached two notable milestones for its flagship Gulfstream G700 business jet, completing its 100th customer delivery and recording its 100th city-pair speed record. The latest speed record was achieved on a flight from Savannah, Georgia, to San Jose, California, completed in 4 hours and 36 minutes at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.91. The aircraft then continued from San Jose to Teterboro, New Jersey, covering the route in 4 hours and 14 minutes, a

Bell Textron has reached a major development milestone in its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, successfully completing the assembly of the first two wing structures for the MV-75 Cheyenne. The achievement marks a significant step toward flight testing and eventual production of the U.S. Army’s next-generation tiltrotor aircraft. The newly completed wings will be integrated into the first two MV-75 test aircraft, advancing assembly activities as Bell moves c

Aviation startup JetZero has officially broken ground on its new aircraft manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, marking a major milestone for both the company and the U.S. aerospace industry. The project represents one of the most significant aerospace investments in recent American history. JetZero plans to invest approximately $4.7 billion in the development of an expansive manufacturing complex near Piedmont Triad International Ai

The race to unlock practical electric aviation reached another notable milestone on June 5 when Florida-based nonprofit Helios Horizon announced what it describes as the first piloted electric aircraft flight powered by solid-state batteries. At Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (KZPH), northeast of Tampa, Helios Horizon founder and chief test pilot Miguel Iturmendi conducted a series of test flights in a modified Pipistrel Taurus motor glider equipped with a newly developed soli

The dream of a new generation of hybrid-electric regional airliners has suffered a significant setback following the bankruptcy of Dutch aviation start-up Maeve Aerospace. The company, which had spent the past five years developing a low-emissions regional aircraft known as the Maeve Jet, officially ceased operations after failing to secure the funding required to continue development. A Dutch court declared Maeve Aerospace and its parent company, Green Transition Alliance, b