Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

The United Kingdom (UK) will deploy its Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Prince of Wales to the North Atlantic and High North in an effort to deter increasing levels of Russian aggression in the region. On February 14, 2026, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said that the deployment comes as Russian miliary activity in the North Atlantic continues to increase with a 30% increase in navy vessels threatening UK waters over the past two years. Known as ‘Operation Firecrest’ the UK’s military task force will include Royal Navy warships, RAF fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets and helicopters. The latest plans…

As part of its ‘Northern Summer Schedule 2026’, Air India will deploy incoming new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners between Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport (BOM) and London-Heathrow Airport (LHR). On February 16, 2026, Air India confirmed that from July 1, 2026, the current deployed Boeing 777-300ER would be replaced with new 787-9s and retrofitted legacy 787-8 aircraft, both featuring all-new cabin interiors. The announcement was part of a long list of product and customer experience upgrades unveiled by Air India, which also included introducing first class seating on the route between Delhi and Melbourne from July 2026. The aircraft will feature eight…

Hello from the UAE, as I just flew Emirates’ Airbus A350-900 business class on the 7hr10min flight from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Dubai (DXB). The A350 joined Emirates’ fleet a little over a year ago, and it’s the carrier’s first new aircraft type since 2008, so it’s a pretty major development for the airline.Emirates opted not to go for a cutting edge business class hard product on this aircraft, which many of us found a bit puzzling, as the airline instead installed an evolved version of its existing staggered product. However, I’ve gotta be honest, I think Emirates’…

Air Tahiti Nui has appointed Lionel Guérin as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective February 11, 2026. The appointment comes as the French Polynesian flag carrier seeks to address mounting financial losses and position itself for potential foreign investment. Guérin, a former Air France executive with extensive aviation industry experience, takes over leadership of the airline during a critical period.  The carrier has accumulated losses of approximately $215 million since its founding in 1996 and lost $27.3 million in 2024 alone, according to aviation publication Aero South Pacific. Strategic transformation needed The appointment follows the departure of Philippe Marie, who…

Perhaps this is more of a “big picture” life question than something specific to airports and airplanes. Heck, maybe I just need to see a therapist and figure out why this gets on my nerves so much. I figure I’m not alone, though, so I’m curious how the OMAAT community feels about this… Frustration with people not using headphones in public For some reason, a surprising number of people think it’s appropriate to do various activities without headphones in public — this includes video calls, playing video games, watching TV shows, or even blasting music. Frankly I don’t get it.…

BlueFive Capital, an international alternative investment firm, has announced the launch of a dedicated aircraft leasing subsidiary.  This new line of business, unveiled on February 12, 2026, will operate under the name BlueFive Leasing and will be based in Muscat, Oman, with one of that Sultanate’s sovereign financial institutions (its identity has not yet been disclosed) as its partner.  The investment firm is currently in the process of raising more than US$1 billion for its first investment vehicle, which will be called BlueFive Wings Fund I. Its focus will be on servicing airlines in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.…

WARSAW, Poland — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced his country is in talks with the United States to buy an additional four F-16 fighter jets on top of the 14 copies already ordered.In his announcement, made following Fico’s Feb. 15 meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the prime minister said the acquisition could enable Slovakia to cease its reliance on allies for air-policing missions.“There’s an interest to increase numbers to 18 fighter jets, and now we’re discussing the topic about how to get four more of the planes to our armed forces because … it’s not…

A rather unsettling situation played out this morning at Hong Kong’s airport, which potentially has even more consequences than you’d expect… British man arrested for HKG check-in kiosk attack A 35-year-old British national has been arrested at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), following some wild behavior. This incident unfolded at around 6AM local time today (Monday, February 16, 2026). Video footage shows the man pushing over kiosks at the airport’s departures hall, and then smashing them with a metal post. According to the airport authority, around 10 smart check-in kiosks were damaged, along with some railings, at Aisle J of…

Italian aerospace and defense firm Leonardo will supply Saudi Arabia with four C-27J Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2029. On February 16, 2026, Leonardo announced that the contract “marks the first time the C-27J MPA is procured with maritime weapon system integration capability”. “In addition to its maritime patrol and surveillance capabilities, the C-27J MPA can carry a significant weapons payload to counter multiple threats, including torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and depth charges in accordance with the specific mission needs,” said a spokesperson for Leonardo. Leonardo’s C-27J MPA is designed to deal with modern submarine and…

PARIS — The United States has changed its attitude on European allies funneling defense funds to local arms industries, and will be “pragmatic” about governments choosing to buy military equipment domestically, according to a senior U.S. defense official.If countries spend 3.5% or 5% on defense, “we understand that you’re going to need to indigenize a large fraction of that production,” Elbridge Colby, the under secretary of defense for policy, said at a Feb. 13 side event of the Munich Security Conference.“Otherwise people in Germany or Poland or whatever are going to say: ‘Why are we only sending money across the…