Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom
Leonardo UK has landed a billion-dollar contract with the British government to build 23 new medium-lift helicopters (NMH) for the country’s armed forces. On March 2, 2026, the UK government confirmed that the Leonardo facility in Yeovil would become the global center for the aircraft manufacturer’s military helicopter production and exports. The agreement worth $1.3 billion (£1 billion) secures the future of the Yeovil site and its position as Britain’s last remaining military helicopter production line. The decision to fund production of new AW149 helicopters in Yeovil, was the victim of last minute wranglings within the UK government. “This defence investment…
In the interest of full disclosure, OMAAT may receive compensation when anyone clicks a link, has an application approved, or opens an account through this site. These are the best publicly available offers (terms apply) that we have found for each product or service. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, hotel chain, or product manufacturer/service provider, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Please check out our advertiser policy for further details about our partners, and thanks for your support! Hilton Honors and…
After a drone struck RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus, Greece has elected to deploy naval vessels and F-16s to the Republic of Cyprus in order to help defend their close ally. On the evening of Feb. 1, 2026, reports emerged of an emergency situation at RAF Akrotiri, situated within UK sovereign territory on the southern coast of the island of Cyprus. Quickly this materialized into news that the base, which is the UK’s primary hub for Middle East operations and also houses U.S. Air Force U-2 aircraft, had been hit by at least one attack drone likely fired either by Iran…
French electric and hybrid aircraft developer AURA AERO announced on March 2, 2026, that it has received the first firm order for its future ERA airliner. The ERA is a 19-seater hybrid-electric regional airliner with a range of up to 900 miles (1,500 km). AURA AERO claims that thanks to its hybrid propulsion system it will be able to reduce carbon emissions by 80% compared to similar aircraft using only thermal propulsion. Although the French startup had signed Letters of Intent (LoI) with up to 16 different air operators from around the world for more than 700 ERA aircraft, this…
Emirates is among a limited number of airlines that are scheduled to depart Dubai within the next few hours despite the threat of Iranian military strikes in the region. On March 2, 2026, the Government of Dubai confirmed through its media office that there would be a small resumption of operations this evening from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC). The Dubai Airport website shows a handful of flights scheduled to depart from DXB and DWC. These include flights operated by Emirates and flydubai. An Emirates flight is scheduled to fly from DXB…
At least on paper, upgrades are one of the best perks of airline elite status, and if you’re traveling with someone, then companion upgrades are also kind of important (after all, it’s not exactly ideal to leave your spouse in economy). Anyway, in this post I’d like to talk a bit about how American’s companion upgrade policy works, both when it comes to complimentary upgrades, and also when it comes to upgrades using other instruments, like systemwide upgrades. Complimentary American elite companion upgrades American Airlines offers AAdvantage elite members complimentary upgrades when traveling within North America. This doesn’t just apply…
Australian startup Hypersonix Launch Systems successfully completedthe first flight of its DART AE uncrewed hypersonic demonstrator aircraft on February 27, 2026. Although this milestone has been labelled the first Australian hypersonic flight, the launch took place from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, with the backing of the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). With this mission, dubbed “That’s Not a Knife”, Hypersonix Launch Systems aims to validate a number of systems onboard the autonomous DART AE hypersonic aircraft. The findings will be used to develop a vehicle capable of reaching a speed of Mach 12. DART…
It has been an absolutely wild few days in the Middle East, as the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran, which took out some top Iranian officials. In response, Iran launched drone attacks on nearby countries, including targeting airports, hotels, and more. To see fires at multiple hotels in Dubai, plus major damage at Dubai Airport, makes for some shocking imagery. Along those lines, that brings me to what I’d consider to be an interesting question to keep an eye out for as time goes on… Could this be a turning point for some Gulf carriers? Let…
Days after the news was all but confirmed by other sources, the UK Government has officially placed its order for the Leonardo AW149. The UK Government has now confirmed earlier reports that 23 AW149 helicopters have been ordered from Leonardo for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) program. Unofficial comments suggest that a follow-on order beyond these 23 airframes may come through in the future. Days after the news was all but confirmed by other sources, the UK Government has officially placed its order for the Leonardo AW149. AW149 Worth £1 billion, the deal is said to sustain 3,300 skilled jobs in the…
In the interest of full disclosure, OMAAT may receive compensation when anyone clicks a link, has an application approved, or opens an account through this site. These are the best publicly available offers (terms apply) that we have found for each product or service. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, hotel chain, or product manufacturer/service provider, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Please check out our advertiser policy for further details about our partners, and thanks for your support! Often buying points strategically…