Air cargo connectivity between China and Africa has received another boost with the restart of Astral Aviation's dedicated freighter service linking Haikou, China, with Johannesburg, South Africa. The renewed operation, launched in partnership with Fly Noor Aviation Services, is expected to strengthen one of the world's fastest-growing trade corridors while supporting the continued expansion of e-commerce and high-value freight between the two regions. The agreement was forma

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

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

Textron Aviation has completed a major expansion of its flight test facilities at its East Wichita Campus, a move aimed at supporting growing global demand for the versatile Cessna SkyCourier and advancing development programmes across its turboprop aircraft portfolio. The expansion adds 57,000 square feet to the existing flight test hangar complex, including six new hangar bays on the northern side of the facility. The additional capacity will primarily support flight test o

Airbus has revealed new details about one of the most ambitious engineering features of its upcoming A350F freighter programme, the largest main deck cargo door ever fitted to a commercial aircraft. Designed to improve freight handling efficiency while supporting the aviation industry’s shift toward lower emissions, the innovative cargo door represents a major leap forward in widebody freighter design. At the heart of the A350F programme is a clear objective: create a next-ge

The Royal Air Force has demonstrated its growing Arctic operational capability after an RAF Boeing C-17A Globemaster III successfully landed at Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited settlement on Earth. Situated approximately 1,100 miles inside the Arctic Circle at 82.5 degrees north, the remote outpost plays a vital role in NATO’s northern security network and climate research activities. The mission formed part of Exercise Polar Puma un

By Rob Russell What do you say? Comparing a large animal with a “mystical bird-like character” doesn't quite make sense! But these two nicknames are given to two very different, but actually very similar, transport aircraft. The moose is the nickname for the Boeing C-17 Globemaster, which continues a very successful line of large military transport. It can trace its success back to WW2, with the C-47 and C-54, followed by the legendary, still-produced C-130 Hercules, then t

By Garth Calitz Sixteen years after opening its doors ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, King Shaka International Airport remains one of ACSA’s most debated infrastructure projects. To some critics, it was an expensive “white elephant” built for a once-off global event, which has been pretty much derelict since. To others, it has become a vital economic gateway for Durban and the broader KwaZulu-Natal province. The reality today sits somewhere between those two extremes. When

The Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement has awarded a contract to Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer for the acquisition of up to 20 C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft, marking a significant step in the United Arab Emirates’ ongoing efforts to modernise and expand its strategic and tactical airlift capabilities. The agreement comprises 10 firm orders, alongside options for a further 10 aircraft, providing flexibility for future fleet growth as operational r

Embraer has concluded a major international demonstration campaign for its KC-390 Millennium, with the aircraft visiting 11 countries, flying more than 47,000 nautical miles, and completing 54 flights over more than 70 days. The tour ended after the aircraft’s participation at FIDAE, one of Latin America’s leading aerospace exhibitions, before returning to Embraer’s defence headquarters in Gavião Peixoto. According to the manufacturer, the campaign achieved full mission compl