Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

March 13, 2026, 12:05 (UTC +3) US confirms four dead in KC-135 crash US Central Command said on March 13 that four of the six crew members aboard the KC-135 have now been confirmed dead, while rescue efforts continue for the remaining two. CENTCOM added that the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation, but reiterated that the loss of the aircraft was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire. A US Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft was lost over western Iraq on March 12, 2026, in what US Central Command described as a non-combat incident…

Qantas has agreed to pay a $74 million (AUD $105 million) settlement after a class action was brought on behalf of customers who received travel credits rather than cash refunds when flights were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 13, 2026, Echo Law, which provided legal representation to affected customers, confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Qantas, covering cancelled flights between January 1, 2020, and November 1, 2022. “The settlement agreement is subject to Court approval and is made with no admission of liability,” an Echo Law representative said. The class action alleged that Qantas “breached its…

From optimizing crowded airspace to rethinking how aircraft are designed from the ground up, Yannick Assouad sees the aviation industry standing at the edge of its most consequential transformation since the jet age.  As Executive Vice-President of Avionics at Thales, Assouad oversees the systems that keep pilots informed, aircraft positioned and flights safe, and she believes the coming decade will reshape all of it.  In an Executive Spotlight interview with AeroTime conducted during the Singapore Airshow 2026, Assouad discussed her vision for AI-assisted cockpits and the urgent path toward decarbonization. She also addressed the growing threat of GPS interference and…

A US Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft was lost over western Iraq on March 12, 2026, in what US Central Command described as a non-combat incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace” during Operation Epic Fury. One aircraft went down in western Iraq, while the second landed safely. CENTCOM said the incident was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire and that rescue efforts were ongoing.   A brief CENTCOM statement left key questions unanswered, including the identity of the second aircraft, the number of crew aboard the downed tanker, and the precise sequence of events. Reporting…

A typical airplane has hundreds of thousands or even millions of parts. While most people are familiar with major parts like the wings, tail and engines, smaller parts like breather vents often go unnoticed. Nonetheless, breather vents play an important role in protecting airplanes from pressure buildup, contamination and even mechanical stress. The Basics of Breather Vents Breather vents are ventilation passages that allow air to escape from a container or closed system. Also known as breather tubes, they are often used for pressure equalization. By allowing air to escape, breather vents prevent excess pressure from building up in containers…

A US Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft was lost over western Iraq on March 12, 2026, in what US Central Command (CENTCOM) described as a non-combat incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace.”One aircraft crashed, while the second landed safely. CENTCOM said the incident was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire and that rescue efforts were underway.   A brief CENTCOM statement left key questions unanswered, including the type of the second aircraft, the number of crew members aboard the downed tanker, and the nature of the incident itself. Reporting by the Associated Press, citing US officials, said the second aircraft was also a KC-135 and that five…

Historically, Delta Air Lines has shied away from ultra long haul flights, with a limited number of exceptions. However, that’s slowly starting to change, as Delta plans to launch flights to Hong Kong (HKG) and Riyadh (RUH). That’s only the beginning of the growth, though, and there’s an interesting update regarding a new destination the airline plans to add. Delta confirms 2027 launch for flights to Manila, Philippines In late October 2025, a Delta executive revealed to employees internally that the airline plans to add flights to Singapore (SIN) and Manila (MNL), though stopped short of providing a timeline for the…

What a sad state of affairs when a major airport is begging passengers to bring gifts for those working at the airport… Denver Airport requests grocery & gas gift cards Denver Airport has taken to social media to ask for donations for TSA agents. Specifically, the airport is asking passengers to “support the dedicated TSA employees working without pay by donating $10 and $20 grocery store and gas gift cards.” It’s noted that Visa gift cards can’t be accepted, and that’s because federal employees can’t accept gifts of cash or cash equivalents. You’d think a grocery store or gas gift…

GHA Discovery is a hotel loyalty program that flies under the radar, but really shouldn’t. It offers the ability to earn and redeem rewards, and take advantage of elite perks, at hundreds of properties around the globe, including some small, luxury hotel groups (like Capella Hotels & Resorts).Along those lines, GHA Discovery has just launched a lucrative new paid status match promotion in partnership with statusmatch.com, which may interest some people. GHA Discovery is offering a status match to either Titanium or Platinum status. This is an outright match, and status is valid through December 31, 2027 (so there’s no…

Marriott Bonvoy has just rolled out a positive change, though perhaps in reality it’s just intended to slightly offset the points inflation we’ve seen in recent years. Marriott expands free night award top off featureIn early 2022, Marriott Bonvoy rolled out a new functionality, whereby free night awards could be topped off with up to 15,000 points per night to stay at a more expensive property (compared to not being able to top them off at all). In other words, if you have a free night certificate valid at a property costing up to 50,000 points, you could redeem the…