Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

Enterprise software maker IFS says industrial companies are moving beyond generative AI experimentation and starting to put AI to work in real operations, though the shift could require broad workforce retraining. IFS is positioning AI as a practical tool for aviation maintenance, with a focus on helping technicians work faster, connecting data across systems, and keeping the technology inside secure, tightly controlled environments. Robert Mather, Vice President, Aerospace and Defense Industries at IFS, said in an interview at MRO Americas 2026 in Orlando that the industry spent much of the past year planning for broader AI adoption, but the conversation…

Turkish Airlines has placed an order for a further 10 Cessna Skyhawk aircraft to train future fleet pilots at the carrier’s flight academy. On April 23, 2026, Cessna’s owner Textron Aviation confirmed a signed purchase agreement from Turkish Airlines Flight Academy at the second day of AERO Friedrichshafen in Germany. According to Textron Aviation, Turkish Airlines Flight Academy already operates 66 Cessna Skyhawk aircraft, making it one of the largest Skyhawk training fleets in the region. Deliveries of the new aircraft are expected to begin this year as Turkish Airlines looks to expand its training fleet to support growing airline…

Lockheed Martin confirmed the Government of Peru’s decision to purchase 12 new F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft, closing a protracted competition that saw Lima reverse an earlier preference for Saab’s Gripen E/F and culminating in a signing process marked by two ministerial resignations and a canceled public ceremony. The US manufacturer said in a statement issued on April 23, 2026, that Peru would join 29 other countries operating the type. Mike Shoemaker, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Integrated Fighter Group, said the selection reflected the aircraft’s “operational performance and combat record,” adding that the program would strengthen industrial ties between…

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. The information and associated card details on this page for the Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card, and Iberia Visa Signature® Card have been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. 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,…

Lockheed Martin reported flat first-quarter 2026 sales, with stronger missile-defense and space activity offsetting softer results in aeronautics and rotary-wing programs. The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance.  Sales flat, cash generation slides  The US defense giant posted first-quarter sales of $18.0 billion on April 23, 2026, broadly unchanged from a year earlier. Net earnings fell to $1.49 billion, or $6.44 per share, from $1.71 billion, or $7.28 per share, in the first quarter of 2025. Cash from operations dropped to $220 million, down from $1.4 billion a year earlier, while free cash flow was negative $291 million. Lockheed Martin said the decline in cash generation was primarily due to working capital timing…

For a couple of years now, we’ve known that Lufthansa plans to introduce new business class cabins on its Airbus A380s. While this project was first supposed to start in 2025, that timeline was ultimately delayed. In January 2026, the airline formally announced when these planes would be retrofitted. There’s now an update, as the first plane with the new interiors is entering service as of today, marking a new chapter for Lufthansa’s biggest plane. All Lufthansa A380s will get new business class by mid-2027Lufthansa is introducing a new business class product on its entire fleet of eight Airbus A380s.…

Ground operations are operating at the intersection of rising traffic, constrained infrastructure, workforce challenges, safety issues, commercial sustainability and growing operational risks  are all converging at once. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation are opening new possibilities to manage this complexity, but we need to use them wisely. The question facing our industry is not whether change is coming. It is how we respond to it together. That is why this year’s IATA Ground Handling Conference (IGHC), taking place in Cairo from 19–21 May, is so important. Under the theme “Adapting Ground Operations in an Era…

The new Y-20B variant conducted its first flight abroad, repatriating from South Korea the remains of Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War and replacing the earlier Y-20A in this role. The ‘B’ variant of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Y-20 strategic airlifter made its first overseas deployment on Apr. 20, 2026, when it flew for a “repatriation mission” to South Korea. The aircraft returned on Apr. 22, transporting the remains of deceased Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) soldiers who fought in the Korean War against the U.S and South Korea between 1950 and 1953. Repatriation flights Visuals…

Baltic Ground Services (BGS), an international provider of ground handling and aircraft fueling services, has extended its cooperation with LOT Polish Airlines across multiple stations in Central and Eastern Europe. Under the renewed agreements, BGS will continue providing aircraft fueling services at Riga (RIX) and Ostrava (OSR), where cooperation with LOT has been ongoing since 2021. The extended partnership also marks the start of operations in Tallinn (TLL), where BGS will begin supporting the airline as a new customer. In Vilnius (VNO), BGS has been providing ground handling services to LOT Polish Airlines since the company’s establishment in 2005. The…

Saab reported first-quarter 2026 results on April 23, 2026, showing organic sales growth of 23.6% and an operating margin of 10%, with Chief Executive Micael Johansson pointing to a production ramp-up that he said should lift Gripen deliveries from about 15 a year today to between 20 and 30 annually in the coming years.   The Swedish group took in SEK 18.2 billion ($2.0 billion) in orders over the quarter, leaving its backlog at SEK 274.1 billion ($29.8 billion), broadly unchanged from year-end 2025 but up 45% from a year earlier.  Sales reached SEK 19.2 billion ($2.1 billion), up 21.4% reported and 23.6%…