Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on May 6, 2026, after the vessel attempted to violate a US blockade against ships entering or departing Iranian ports, US Central Command said.  CENTCOM said US forces observed the unladen oil tanker M/T Hasna transiting international waters toward an Iranian port. The command said American forces issued multiple warnings and told the vessel it was violating the blockade.  After the crew of the tanker failed to comply, a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon, CENTCOM said.   The command…

By Scott Hamilton May 6, 2026, © Leeham News: AirAsia and Airbus announced today that the low cost carrier placed an order for 150 A220-300s. This record-breaking order for the type previously capped out at 90 orders. (Delta Air Lines has placed orders for 145 A220s, but in several transactions.) More than 1,000 A220s have now been ordered. This is key order for Airbus, which wants to increase production of the A220 to 14/mo. Before now, the backlog was far from supporting this production rate. A high-density version of the airplane, which can seat 160 passengers, is under development. AirAsia…

AirAsia has placed a firm order for 150 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, giving the Canadian-built jet its largest single order to date and pushing the program past 1,000 total firm orders.  Airbus announced the deal at a signing ceremony on May 6, 2026, at its A220 assembly site in Mirabel, Quebec, which was attended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney alongside executives from Airbus and AirAsia.   The aircraft will be assembled at the facility north of Montreal, where the A220 program traces its roots to Bombardier’s former C Series.  The order, valued at about $19 billion at list pricdes, gives Airbus a major new customer…

Malaysian ultra low cost carrier AirAsia has just placed an order for the Airbus A220. Not only does it represent a major departure from the carrier’s historical approach to fleet planning, but it’s also the biggest-ever single order for this aircraft. AirAsia will add 160-seat Airbus A220-300 to fleet AirAsia has placed a firm order for 150 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2028. The purchase agreement is the largest single firm order placed for the A220, and propels the program beyond the 1,000 firm order milestone, which is major. It’s also worth noting that AirAsia is…

Raytheon has received its largest order to date for its SharpSight surveillance radar, with distribution partner Blue Raven signing a contract for 120 systems as the companies look to broaden access to the sensor for international and domestic customers.  RTX said on May 6, 2026, that Raytheon, one of its three main business units, will produce the radars under the agreement. Blue Raven, formerly Crestwood Technology Group, will handle global resale and distribution.  The companies did not disclose the value of the contract.  SharpSight is a platform-agnostic, multi-domain surveillance radar designed for manned and unmanned aircraft. Raytheon said operators can use the system on manned and…

France on Wednesday deployed its carrier strike group to the Red Sea as part of planning for a potential mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, urging Washington and Tehran to consider the proposal given the global economic impact of their competing blockades.Fresh exchanges of fire on Monday underscored the stakes as the U.S. and Iran struggle for control of the narrow waterway, a vital artery for global energy and trade, shaking a fragile four-week-old truce and reinforcing rival maritime blockades.“The reason why we must make a renewed effort today is simply that the blockade of Hormuz continues, the damage…

By Scott Hamilton May 6, 2026, © Leeham News: AirAsia and Airbus announced today that the low cost carrier placed an order for 150 A220-300s. This record-breaking order for the type previously capped out at 90 orders. (Delta Air Lines has placed orders for 145 A220s, but in several transactions.) More than 1,000 A220s have now been ordered. This is key order for Airbus, which wants to increase production of the A220 to 14/mo. Before now, the backlog was far from supporting this production rate. A high-density version of the airplane, which can seat 160 passengers, is under development. AirAsia…

U.S. military forces intercepted and incapacitated an Iranian-flagged unladen oil tanker Wednesday that was sailing toward an Iranian port in violation of the U.S. Navy blockade, the service announced.U.S. Central Command military forces observed the M/T Hasna transiting in the direction of the Gulf of Oman and issued multiple warnings before taking action, according to a U.S. Central Command post.“After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, U.S. forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72),” the post read.The…

This might just be a function of my low expectations, but I feel American Airlines deserves some credit here… American is serving special meals for its 100th anniversaryA few months ago I covered how American is serving special centennial‑themed inflight meals in premium cabins, to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Many of these are only available for pre-order, given that American allows that up to 20 hours before departure. In domestic first class, the most common special meal being served is the Beef Wellington with roasted vegetables and asparagus with bearnaise sauce. This comes with a Waldorf Salad as the appetizer,…

The Air Force’s program to replace the B-52H Stratofortress’s 1960s-era engines cleared its critical design review, the service announced May 4, setting the stage for Boeing to begin modifying the first two aircraft into the B-52J configuration later this year.The Commercial Engine Replacement Program will swap the bomber’s eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofans for Rolls-Royce F130 engines on each of the 76 B-52Hs in the active fleet. As the original TF33s from the early 1960s continue to wear down and spare parts become increasingly scarce, the Air Force says the engines will be “unsustainable” beyond 2030. The new engines…