By Garth Calitz Photos by Garth Calitz and Trevor Cohen The South African Air Force (SAAF) entered a new chapter on 1 April 2026 with the appointment of Lieutenant General Carl Moatshe as its new Chief, marking a significant leadership transition for one of the country’s most strategically important military services. The change of command was formally marked during a handover parade, hosted at SAAF Mobile Deployment Wing (previously AFB Swartkops) on the last day of March.

By Rob Russell On Thursday, March 26th, the Air Mercy Service marked its 60th anniversary. A gala cocktail party was held at the organisation's hangar complex at Cape Town International Airport to commemorate the occasion. From its humble beginnings in March 1966, based at Youngsfield airfield, next to Kenilworth racecourse, the Organization evolved into an independent Trust in 1994. The AMS is a non-profit organisation with active operational bases in the Western Cape (Cape

By Garth Calitz The experimental aviation sector has been dealt a notable setback following the sudden closure of Sonex Aircraft, a long-established producer of kit-built aircraft based in Oshkosh. The company confirmed on 27 March 2026 that it had ceased operations with immediate effect, bringing an abrupt end to more than two decades of activity in the homebuilt aviation market. Company owner Mark Schaible delivered the announcement via an official statement and video messa

Airbus has moved a step closer to proving the value of its high-speed Racer demonstrator, with the aircraft continuing to expand its flight envelope during a recent series of tests aimed at assessing performance, agility and operational flexibility. The aircraft, developed under Europe’s Clean Sky 2 research programme, is intended to explore whether a new generation of compound rotorcraft can combine the versatility of a helicopter with significantly higher speed and improved

Brazil’s Gripen fighter programme reached a significant new milestone on 25 March with the official unveiling of the first Gripen E combat aircraft assembled in Brazil, a development that underlines the growing maturity of the country’s defence aerospace sector. Presented during a ceremony at Embraer’s industrial complex in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo State, the aircraft represents an important step in the long-running cooperation between Embraer, Saab and the Brazilian Air For

Joby Aviation has completed a series of piloted demonstration flights over the San Francisco Bay Area, including a route across the bay and around the Golden Gate Bridge, as the company continues its preparations for eventual commercial electric air taxi operations. The flights were intended to showcase the maturity of Joby’s aircraft and operating concept in a complex urban environment, while also drawing attention to the broader potential of electric vertical take-off and l

Mozambique is set to receive targeted technical support from Brazil as it works to strengthen its civil aviation oversight framework ahead of a key International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit scheduled for 2027. The initiative focuses on enhancing regulatory capability, operational safety systems and institutional preparedness within the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (IACM), positioning the country to improve its standing against international aviation safety

By Garth Calitz International air travellers will soon face tighter restrictions on portable power banks after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) approved new rules aimed at reducing the fire risks associated with lithium battery devices carried in aircraft cabins. Under the updated provisions, passengers will be limited to carrying no more than two power banks each and they will not be allowed to recharge those devices during a flight. The new standards cam

By Rob Russell Saturday, the 21st March, heralded the first SAAF technological show at AFB Overberg. Air shows are in rather short supply and are normally very well attended by both the flying communities and the general public. So it was with much excitement that people turned up expecting a good old traditional SAAF air show. It had a late start, in short, due to the finale, that being a 500-strong drone storm. Something not seen in this part of the world and many people ma

By Garth Calitz The South African Air Force (SAAF), once regarded as one of the most capable air arms on the African continent, now finds itself at a critical crossroads. Years of declining budgets, maintenance challenges and the steady erosion of technical skills have left the SAAF struggling to maintain even a modest level of operational readiness. Yet, despite the seriousness of its condition, the SAAF is not beyond recovery. With decisive leadership, realistic planning, a

Exercise Cold Response 26, a Norwegian-led multinational training event, has concluded following several weeks of operations across Norway, Sweden and Finland. The exercise brought together more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel from over a dozen NATO and partner nations, with a focus on improving interoperability, readiness and coordination in Arctic conditions. The training event incorporated air, land and maritime components, with air operations playing a central

In a move set to reshape regional air connectivity across Africa, CemAir and Kenya Airways have announced a new commercial partnership aimed at strengthening links between Southern and East Africa. The agreement marks another step in the growing trend of intra-African airline cooperation, as carriers look to expand reach, improve efficiency, and offer passengers more seamless travel options across the continent. The partnership, structured as an interline agreement, will enab

Brazil’s aviation authority has cleared the way for Daher Aircraft’s newest turboprop to enter one of South America’s most important private aviation markets. The Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil has officially certified the TBM 980, allowing deliveries to begin in Brazil and nearby countries. The approval marks another step in the aircraft’s global rollout, following earlier certifications in Europe and the United States. Daher introduced the TBM 980 in January at its facil

Sikorsky has completed the integration and flight testing of its MATRIX™ autonomy suite on the U.S. Army’s experimental UH-60MX Black Hawk helicopter, with the aircraft delivered to the service on 23 March 2026 at Fort Eustis, Virginia. The programme forms part of ongoing efforts by the Army to evaluate autonomy-enabled capabilities and advance the development of optionally piloted aircraft. The UH-60MX is owned and operated by the U.S. Army and will serve as a test platform

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has announced the delivery of its 200th Gulfstream G600, marking a production milestone for the large-cabin business jet. The aircraft was completed at the company’s St. Louis outfitting facility and delivered to a customer based in North America. Since entering service, the G600 fleet has accumulated more than 197,000 flight hours and recorded over 87,000 landings. These figures indicate the aircraft’s growing presence in the global business aviati

Bell Textron has completed the first AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters upgraded under the US Marine Corps’ Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects (SPINE) programme, marking an early milestone in the service’s ongoing H-1 fleet modernisation effort. The two aircraft were modified at Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Centre in Texas and have since been transferred to Naval Air Station Patuxent River for flight testing. The test campaign will be used to evaluate the

A new collaboration between Sikorsky and Robinson Helicopter Company has produced a striking development in the world of autonomous rotorcraft. The two manufacturers recently unveiled the R66 TURBINETRUCK, an unmanned cargo helicopter that pairs Robinson’s proven light turbine platform with Sikorsky’s advanced MATRIX™ autonomy system, creating a versatile aircraft designed for both commercial and military logistics missions. Revealed in Atlanta on 10 March 2026, the new aircr

By Garth Calitz As fuel prices surge across global markets, airlines have once again turned to a familiar mechanism: the fuel levy. For passengers, the reappearance of these surcharges often feels like an unwelcome addition to already expensive tickets. But are these levies genuinely necessary, or are they a convenient way for airlines to quietly boost revenue? The answer, as is often the case in aviation, lies somewhere in between. Jet fuel remains one of the most volatile a

By Garth Calitz In an era when long-distance flight still carried an air of daring uncertainty, a silver bomber named Lucky Lady II quietly redefined what was possible. In early 1949, a modified Boeing B-50 Superfortress completed the first non-stop flight around the globe, remaining airborne for just over 94 hours. At a time when even transoceanic travel remained a complex undertaking, this mission demonstrated that the physical limits of distance could be overcome through i

The upgrading of South Africa’s electricity transmission infrastructure is set to receive a significant boost following a new helicopter acquisition announced at the VAI Verticon 2026 in Atlanta. Bell Textron revealed that the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) has signed a purchase agreement for seven Bell 407GXi helicopters to support critical utility operations across the country. The new aircraft will play a key role in the inspection, maintenance and e

TAAG Angola Airlines has taken delivery of its sixth Airbus A220-300, marking another important milestone in the carrier’s ongoing fleet modernisation programme and underlining its ambition to reposition itself as a competitive force in African aviation. The arrival of the new aircraft forms part of a broader strategy aimed at improving operational efficiency, expanding regional connectivity, and enhancing the passenger experience. As TAAG continues to transition away from ol

MD Helicopters has revealed the latest evolution of its long-running light utility helicopter family with the introduction of the MD 564, a significantly upgraded variant of the iconic 500-series. The new aircraft introduces a six-bladed main rotor system, a redesigned four-bladed tail rotor and enhanced performance figures aimed squarely at demanding utility and aerial work missions. While the MD 564 represents a major step forward in capability, the aircraft is not an entir

The European air cargo market has welcomed a new entrant with the introduction of the first Embraer E190F passenger-to-freighter aircraft into commercial service. Bridges Air Cargo has officially launched operations with the type, marking a significant milestone for Embraer’s E-Freighter programme and opening a new chapter in regional express logistics across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The aircraft completed its inaugural commercial mission on 9 March 2026, departing

Airbus is accelerating its efforts to deliver a new generation of collaborative combat aircraft to the German Air Force, with two uncrewed aircraft now being prepared for flight testing in Germany. The aircraft, based on the Kratos Valkyrie platform, are currently undergoing integration with a European-developed mission system and are expected to make their first flights later in 2026. The work is taking place at Airbus’ facility in Manching, near Munich, where engineers are