By Garth Calitz Airbus has officially put its newest freighter into the air, with the first A350F completing its maiden flight from Toulouse on 29 September 2026. It is a significant moment not only for Airbus but for the entire heavy air-cargo market, where Boeing has enjoyed something approaching squatter’s rights for decades. The 747 Freighter became an icon, the 777F has been enormously successful, and Airbus has never really managed to loosen Boeing’s grip on the upper e

By Garth Calitz Nothing sticks — not controversy, not court cases, not government investigations. Apparently, not even R85 million. There are companies that occasionally have a bad experience with a government tender. There are companies that have an unfortunate contract dispute. There are companies that discover, usually to their considerable annoyance, that regulators actually read the paperwork. And then there is Flyfofa. We have all heard some details about the many isola

There is a slightly strange thing happening in South African aviation. The country's major airports are now handling almost as many passengers as they did before COVID-19 brought the aviation industry to its knees, yet there are fewer aircraft movements taking place. In other words, the passengers have largely come back, but quite a few of the aeroplanes haven't. According to Airports Company South Africa's latest figures for the financial year ending 31 March 2026, passenger

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 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

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 AAD 2026 has put the Centurion Aerospace Village (CAV) firmly back in the spotlight and potentially provided the catalyst for turning a long-standing industrial concept into a significant aerospace and defence manufacturing cluster. CAV is now seeking a strategic partner to accelerate the expansion of the development, located alongside Waterkloof Air Force Base in Centurion. The timing could hardly be more appropriate. Across the AAD exhibition, South African

By Garth Calitz The 13th Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) Exhibition and Air Show is officially underway at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria. The speeches have been made, the formalities have been handled and the obligatory handshakes have been exchanged. Now it’s time for the action. While the trade exhibition and conference get down to business, the skies over Waterkloof will also get busy, with airshow validation flights continuing throughout the trade days as parti

By Garth Calitz After years of talking about building a twin, Sling Aircraft is finally turning the dream into aluminium — with the prototype now taking shape in Cape Town and a maiden flight planned for June 2027. South Africa's Sling Aircraft is taking a major step beyond its successful single-engine aircraft with the development of an entirely new twin-engine Sling, a project that the company says has been made possible by a fundamental shift in the regulatory environment.

By Garth Calitz Africa’s aviation industry is entering a period of unprecedented fleet growth, with airlines expected to more than double the number of aircraft operating across the continent over the next two decades. But behind the headline numbers and multi-billion-dollar aircraft orders lies a less glamorous, and potentially more important, question: Where will all those aircraft be maintained? The issue is already becoming visible in South Africa, where regional carrier