Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

In 2025, the Waldorf Astoria New York reopened after an eight-year renovation (I recently stayed, and shared my thoughts), which ran five years behind schedule and more than $1 billion over budget. Now the property’s owners are looking to sell, almost certainly at a significant loss. Waldorf Astoria New York expected to be put up for sale The Wall Street Journal reports that the Waldorf Astoria New York is expected to be put up for sale shortly, as soon as next month. The property is owned by a company controlled by the Chinese government, which purchased the property in 2014…

By Bjorn Fehrm and Henry Tam. February 13, 2026, ©. Leeham News: We are summarizing how modern tools, processes, and AI can help reduce the time required to develop a clean-sheet 200-seat replacement for the Airbus A321neo and the Boeing 737 MAX 10. We discussed some ideas in the last article on how current AI can support development.  We could see it helping reduce the time spent on templating documents and on designing and verifying simple parts, such as mounting brackets for pipes and cables. To address the more challenging parts where AI struggles to assist, we need to understand…

Four people were killed just after midnight on February 13, 2026, when an Epic E1000 turboprop crashed on approach to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, according to local authorities and federal records.  The aircraft, a 2024 Epic E1000 registered as N98FK, crashed on Emerald Mountain roughly three nautical miles south of Steamboat Springs’ Bob Adams Airport (KSBS). Search and rescue crews recovered four bodies later that morning. Authorities have not yet released the victims’ identities.  FAA registry data shows the airplane was built in 2024 and issued its airworthiness certificate in March of that year. It was registered to ALS Aviation LLC of Franklin, Tennessee. The Epic E1000 is a…

By Tom Batchelor. Feb. 13, 2026, © Leeham News: Safran enjoyed an “outstanding” 2025 with a record number of LEAP engine deliveries, a thriving aftermarket and significant growth across its defense activities, CEO Olivier Andriès said on Friday as he announced the French aerospace group’s full year results. Describing its “all-time high financial performance,” Andriès noted that Safran had delivered more than 1,800 LEAP engines, up 28% versus 2024, and 49% higher year-on-year in Q4 – and said the aviation, defense and space group was preparing to meet Airbus’ targeted production capability of 75 A320 Family aircraft per month in…

The global aerospace defense industry converged on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the week of February 8-12, 2026, for the 3rd Edition of the World Defense Show (WDS).  This event, which is held at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Center, north of the Saudi capital, consolidated its role as a leading international platform in the defense industry.  The 2026 edition, of which AeroTime was a media partner, proved to be the largest yet, with 1,400 companies from 89 different countries occupying 27,500 square meters of exhibition space across four fully booked halls (compared to just three in 2024). This represents a 58% increase over the first edition, which took place in 2022.   The…

In the coming months, Delta Air Lines plans to introduce a very premium domestic narrow body aircraft, with a staggering 44 first class seats. However, this isn’t by design, but is instead intended to make the best of a frustrating situation. I first covered this several months ago (based on information that JonNYC leaked), but the SkyTeam carrier has now officially announced that we can expect, in terms of the timeline, routes, etc. Delta planning 164-seat A321neos, with 44 first class seatsDelta intends to introduce a new Airbus A321neo configuration featuring dozens of first class seats. Specifically, this configuration is…

Aurigny Air Services, an all-turboprop regional airline based in Guernsey in the Channel Islands, confirmed one of its ATR 72-600s experienced what investigators have described as a “total electrical failure” while en route to Guernsey, prompting a safety investigation and the temporary removal of the aircraft from service.  The incident occurred on February 4, 2026, during a repositioning flight. The aircraft was not carrying passengers. According to information released by investigators, the electrical failure took place as the turboprop was descending toward the island.  Aurigny confirmed that the aircraft landed safely and said it immediately withdrew it from service pending further checks. The airline has not publicly detailed which electrical systems were affected or how long…

The United States is preparing to send troops to Nigeria where they will train the country’s armed forces as they battle an Islamist insurgency, authorities in Lagos said recently. Roughly 200 troops are expected to be deployed in the coming weeks, according to a U.S. official. They will supplement a small team of American military officers already embedded with Nigerian forces. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the imminent deployment. Nigerian officials insisted that the new American contingent will not be engaging in combat. Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, said in…

If you’re flying SWISS first class in the coming weeks, you’re in for a treat… SWISS’ limited time first class caviar tasting Unlike many of the other top first class airlines, SWISS doesn’t consistently serve caviar in first class. Instead, the airline rotates limited time offerings, ranging from fondue, to truffles, to caviar. I imagine people have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, there’s not much consistency to what’s offered. On the other hand, if you’re a frequent SWISS flyer, perhaps the variety is nice, as I feel like Lufthansa hasn’t changed up its first class menu in…

France is reportedly negotiating its withdrawal from the Eurodrone program with its three partner nations.  Challenges reported on February 11, 2026, that French authorities are negotiating the conditions of a Eurodrone withdrawal with the three partner nations, Germany, Italy, and Spain, which want to continue. That reporting adds that proceeding without the French share could increase the programme bill by more than €700 million.  The stated driver is operational: the magazine describes concern in French official circles that the system is too large and poorly suited to high-intensity conflict. In July 2025, La Tribune similarly reported that the government had begun examining possible exit conditions while signalling it did…