The European manufacturer is weighing an expansion of its flagship wide-body programme as airlines seek more long-haul aircraft. The challenge is turning strong demand into deliverable airliners. Airbus is preparing to make an earlier-than-expected decision on increasing production capacity for its A350 wide-body aircraft, as demand for long-haul jets puts pressure on the manufacturer's existing industrial capabilities. Speaking on 14 October, Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO L

South America’s first military SkyCourier delivery gives Paraguay a useful new transport capability. No afterburners, no supersonic flypasts, just the rather important business of getting people and supplies where they need to go. While defence procurement announcements are often accompanied by impressive photographs of fighter aircraft, elaborate mission statements and enough talk of strategic superiority to make a small country feel invincible, Paraguay has opted for someth

By Garth Calitz Photos by Trevor Cohen, Guy Martin and Garth Calitz There are airshows, there are fly-ins, and then there are days when aviation becomes something considerably more important than aircraft flying overhead. Saturday, 3 October 2026, at Wonderboom National Airport was firmly in the third category. The Elders’ Flight 2026 was an opportunity to give senior citizens a taste of flight, but that description rather undersells what happened. For more than 500 elderly S

By Garth Calitz EASA suspends all Elixir operations following fatal Rochefort crash as investigators search for answers Elixir Aircraft, one of Europe's newer general aviation manufacturers, has been dealt a devastating blow following the death of two of its production test pilots in a crash in France on 1 October. The accident, involving an Elixir aircraft during a test flight near Rochefort-Saint-Agnant Airport in western France, has prompted an immediate grounding of the e

The Boeing 777-9 has returned to the aviation headlines for all the wrong reasons, with the aircraft's final certification campaign facing another potential delay as Boeing and GE Aerospace offer different explanations for what is holding up the start of the crucial ETOPS testing programme. Boeing says the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet authorised the start of the ETOPS flight-test campaign, with the process linked to additional work on the GE9X engine and, speci

By Garth Calitz Aviation has produced plenty of aircraft that found themselves doing jobs they were never originally designed for. Agricultural aircraft became fire bombers, military transports became firefighting tankers and even airliners have occasionally found themselves converted into rather enormous flying buckets. Now, Game Aerospace is trying something different: build an aircraft specifically for fighting fires from the drawing board. The company's GB2 Stormbird comp

By Garth Calitz Swedish company unveils 36-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft as JSX commits to up to 100 aircraft. The regional airliner may be about to get an electrical makeover. Swedish aerospace company Heart Aerospace has unveiled its new ES-36, a 36-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft that represents a substantial redesign of the company's earlier ES-30 concept. At the same time, US regional carrier JSX has signed a deposit-backed agreement for 50 aircraft, with

South Korea has taken a major step into the increasingly crowded world of indigenous fighter-aircraft development, with the Republic of Korea Air Force formally receiving its first production KF-21 Boramae on 22 September. The aircraft, serial 26-001, was accepted from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) at its Sacheon facility before being flown to Yecheon Air Base, marking the beginning of a new chapter for a programme that has taken more than a decade to reach this point. The

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 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