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

By Garth Calitz South Africa’s recreational aviation community once again converged on Middelburg Airfield in Mpumalanga as the Aero Club of South Africa hosted its annual Airweek gathering, normally one of the country’s largest fly-ins in the country. This year, the weather had other plans, a combination of tropical moisture and an unstable low-pressure system over the interior created ideal conditions for severe thunderstorms and iclemnet rain, and rain it did. My original

By Garth Calitz On 5 March 2026, one of aviation’s most celebrated aircraft reached a remarkable milestone. The legendary Supermarine Spitfire marked 90 years since its first flight, a moment that helped shape both aviation history and the outcome of the Second World War. Few aircraft have captured the imagination of pilots and aviation enthusiasts quite like the Spitfire. With its elegant elliptical wings, distinctive engine note and superb performance, the aircraft quickly

More than a decade after one of aviation’s greatest mysteries unfolded, the latest deep-sea search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has concluded without success. Despite sophisticated underwater technology and renewed determination, the wreckage of the aircraft and definitive answers for the families of the 239 people on board remain elusive. Flight MH370, operated by a Boeing 777-200ER, disappeared on 8 March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. C

A dramatic helicopter medical evacuation off the coast of Durban earlier this month once again highlighted the crucial role aviation plays in modern maritime rescue operations. At 12:20 on Monday, 2 March, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Durban duty crew were placed on alert following reports that a 45-year-old Chinese seafarer had suffered serious injuries after falling down a stairwell aboard a bulk carrier anchored off Durban. The vessel was waiting at the Durban

Bell Textron has reached a major milestone in the development of next-generation military aircraft, successfully completing the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency’s ambitious SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) program. The achievement clears the way for the company to begin construction of a new experimental aircraft, now officially designated the X-76, which aims to combine jet-like speed with the flexibility of ver

Bell is set to make a strong impression at Verticon 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia, showcasing its latest aircraft, technological developments and comprehensive customer support solutions. The event provides Bell with an opportunity to demonstrate the versatility of its helicopter range while celebrating significant milestones achieved over the past year. In a symbolic opening to the show, Bell plans to become the first operator to fly an aircraft into Verticon 2026, arriving with

In a quiet control room, a small group of engineers gathered around a bank of monitors. Many of them had spent years working toward this moment. Then, with the click of a mouse, power surged through a system that could help redefine the future of regional aviation. The system coming to life was an early version of the RTX Hybrid-Electric Flight Demonstrator’s experimental propulsion architecture. This project aims to combine a conventional thermal engine with electric propuls

Sikorsky is set to commence production of the newest iteration of its leading heavy helicopter, the S-92A+, signalling the next phase for one of the most extensively utilised large commercial rotorcraft globally. The aircraft will be manufactured and assembled at Sikorsky facilities in Stratford, Connecticut and Owego, New York, with the first production batch destined for a new head-of-state transport customer. The program also anticipates further orders from government and