Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

The Trump administration is in advanced talks to provide Spirit Airlines with up to $500 million in support, a potential rescue package that would mark a rare federal intervention for a US airline.   Reuters and CNBC reported on April 22, 2026, that the financing under discussion could include government-backed funding and warrants that would give the US government a large equity stake in the bankrupt low-cost carrier.   The talks come as Spirit faces the risk of liquidation after a long stretch of financial pressure that has included rising costs, intense competition, grounded aircraft tied to engine issues, and the collapse of its planned merger with JetBlue.   CNBC reported…

Raytheon confirmed that Australia has received last year its first Next Generation Jammer pods to replace the ALQ-99 pods currently used by the RAAF’s EA-18G Growlers. Raytheon has confirmed on Apr. 20, 2026, that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has received the first Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) pods to equip its EA-18G Growler fleet. The announcement follows photos of an Australian Growler which was carrying the ALQ-249 NGJ-MB (Mid-Band) in December 2025. The company said that the “first delivery of shipsets occurred ahead of schedule in September 2025, with future deliveries continuing through 2026.” Australia already figured in the…

Ontic, a company that specializes in supporting older aircraft that OEMs would rather move beyond, is expanding its MRO footprint as it works to support aging fleets, using a newly launched teardown program to improve parts availability for operators.  The company said this week at MRO Americas 2026 in Orlando that it has launched a teardown effort aimed at recovering hard-to-find components from retired aircraft and putting them back into service through its repair and overhaul network.  Andre op’t Hof, Commercial Director, MRO North America at Ontic, said the program is part of a broader push to grow the company’s repair business as demand rises for…

Swedish, Romanian and French fighters intercepted Russian Tu-22M3 ‘Backfire’ strategic bombers, carrying Kh-22N/Kh-32 supersonic cruise missiles, on two consecutive days over the Baltic Sea. For the third time in just over two years, Tupolev Tu-22M3 ‘Backfire’ strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces (RuAF) carrying Kh-32/Kh-22N supersonic cruise missiles were intercepted over the Baltic Sea in two separate episodes. The bombers were intercepted by Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) jets on Apr. 20, 2026, and Romanian and French fighters – part of the Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission at Lithuania’s Šiauliai Air Base – on Apr. 21. As happened in the…

The largest defence budget request in U.S. history, coming in at almost $500 billion more than 2026, would see accelerated procurement of key platforms and increased funding for headline projects like Golden Dome. The Department of Defense’s budget request for the 2027 financial year was unveiled during a press conference at the Pentagon on Apr. 21, 2026, led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Accusing previous administrations of underfunding America’s armed forces – which are already funded by a budget that accounts for well over a third of all military expenditure worldwide – Hegseth said “Previous administrations underinvested in our…

In September 2024, Alaska Airlines’ takeover of Hawaiian Airlines officially closed. While Hawaiian Airlines has been part of Alaska Air Group since then, the integration has been a gradual process. For example, in October 2025, we saw the airlines move onto a single operating certificate. Despite that, the two airlines are keeping their independent branding in the long run, with all flights to and from Hawaii getting Hawaiian branding, and all other flights getting Alaska branding. We’ve known that Hawaiian Airlines plans to join the oneworld alliance, so today is an exciting day, as it has finally happened. Hawaiian Airlines…

In September 2024, Alaska Airlines’ takeover of Hawaiian Airlines officially closed. While Hawaiian Airlines has been part of Alaska Air Group since then, the integration has been a gradual process. Today is arguably one of the biggest days so far in that process. I’ve already covered how Hawaiian has joined the oneworld alliance, but that’s not the only thing changing as of today, as Hawaiian Airlines’ two letter code, “HA,” is also being retired as of today. Alaska & Hawaiian have now aligned flight numbers Airlines have two digit designator codes, which are put in front of flight numbers. Alaska uses…

By Karl Sinclair April 22, 2026, © Leeham News: “We’re already seeing higher demand in our defense business given the increased operational tempo, which over time will be a good offset to any potential commercial MRO weakness that results from these higher fuel prices,” The Boeing Company (BA) CEO Kelly Ortberg said today on the 1Q2026 earnings call. He elaborated further on what the war means financially for the corporation. “Let me give you a couple of examples of areas where I think this new defense budget is going to benefit us as well. We see $5bn in the budget…

Delta TechOps has signed an exclusive eight-year agreement with IndiGo to maintain 20 CFM56-5B engines, giving Delta’s MRO business its first foothold in India and another step forward in its push to build a much larger third-party maintenance business. The engines power IndiGo’s Airbus A320ceo fleet, and Delta said the work will be performed at its main maintenance base in Atlanta. The partnership, announced on April 22, 2026, at MRO Americas in Orlando, marks Delta TechOps’ first major collaboration with IndiGo and establishes a presence for the company in the world’s third-largest aviation market. In an interview at MRO Americas…

Could bad labor relations be a reason to block a potential airline acquisition in Europe? That’s the direction things may be headed, and I must admit, I think it’s a pretty smart argument to make. Let’s start with some background, and then tie it in to current events… Contrasting Air France & Lufthansa labor relations Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr has to be one of the worst airline leaders in the world when it comes to labor relations. The irony is that Spohr is a former Lufthansa pilot, so you’d think he’d appreciate the value in good labor relations. But…