Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

Riyadh Air reached a significant milestone on December 23, 2025, after its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner successfully completed its initial test flight, taking off from Boeing’s Charleston, South Carolina facility. The flight, designated B1 Flight, marks the beginning of a comprehensive test program to be conducted within the United States. Boeing test pilots operated the aircraft as part of the manufacturer’s standard certification procedures. Following completion of the full test program and receipt of required certifications, the process will advance to the next phase. During this stage, Riyadh Air’s own pilots will conduct additional tests before the aircraft’s official delivery…

Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman has served as commander of the Swedish Air Force since December 2022, overseeing a major modernization program for new combat capabilities while shaping the country’s new NATO membership. He leads more than 2,700 military personnel and a growing fleet of Gripen fighter jets, with a goal to operate 120 in total in the long-term, mixing older C/D models with new E variants. The Scandinavian country also plans to increase its defense spending by $2.9 billion in 2026, representing an 18% increase over 2025.In an interview ahead of the new year, the air chief shared the status…

The next year should be pretty exciting for Qantas, as the airline will start taking delivery of Airbus A350-1000s, which will be used for the world’s longest flights, and will feature an all-new passenger experience. Ahead of this launch, it’s interesting who won’t be invited into first class on these planes (thanks to Live and Let’s Fly for flagging this)… Qantas won’t offer executives A350 first class seatsWhile the airline industry often doesn’t pay that well, one nice perk is receiving travel privileges. As you’d expect, the exact privileges (whether you get positive space travel and which cabin you can…

For an aircraft that many people had initially written off a few years ago, the Airbus Airbus A380 is quietly racking up fresh schedule headlines as we head into 2026. The pattern is not a full-scale return to the global peak of superjumbo operations, but rather something significantly more targeted. The aircraft is being carefully deployed to routes where it still does one specific thing better than pretty much anyone else, and that thing is to move a massive quantity of people through constrained airports in a single departure, all while turning the flight itself into a product statement. Four…

Airbus has confirmed an order from the Spanish Ministry of Defense for 18 Airbus C295 transport aircraft that will replace the country’s CN235 and C212 fleets. On December 23, 2025, Airbus said that with the new order means that the Spanish Air and Space Force will operate a total fleet of 46 C295s in transport, maritime patrol and surveillance configuration. Details surrounding the order were made public in September 2025, when the Spanish government announced it is allocating $4.3 billion (€3.68 billion) to purchase new fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for its armed forces. The package included Hürjet advanced jet trainers,…

In recent years, we’ve seen airline pilots in the United States (particularly at the “big three” carriers, as well as at regional carriers) get huge pay increases, and they’re now very well compensated. As you’d expect, not everyone realizes that, though, and sometimes it’s funny to see the reactions that people have to this reality. American captain shares $458K+ compensation on Reddit A Miami-based American Airlines Boeing 737 captain posted in the r/Salary subreddit, where… people seemingly just share their salaries with little context (the internet is a fascinating place, eh?). The pilot’s total year to date compensation has been…

2024 and 2025 were stellar years for Airbus’ smaller widebody, with the European planemaker picking up first-time orders from major well-respected airlines and several other airlines doubling down on their A330-900 commitments. Airbus even officially launched a new A330neo variant this year! source

Shenzhen Airlines touched down in Melbourne Airport (MEL) on December 23, 2025, marking the Chinese carrier’s first-ever flight to Australia and establishing a new direct connection between the Victorian capital and the southern Chinese technology hub. Shenzhen Airlines operates the route on its Airbus A330 aircraft three times weekly, adding more than 90,000 seats annually between Melbourne and China. The service provides connections to over 90 destinations across China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, the UK, etc.  The arrival caps an active period for Melbourne Airport, which has added new or expanded services from Delta, Hong Kong Airlines, Jetstar over…

Wizz Air plans to launch its first route from Israel to Budapest in March 2026 after securing agreements with Israeli officials to create two new bases in the country.  According to Israeli business news outlet Globes, the Hungarian low-cost airline’s growth plan includes setting up bases at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) and Ramon Airport (ETM).  The airline will begin its first route from Ramon to Budapest, with flights expected to commence in March 2026, the publication reported.  As part of the deal, Wizz Air will operate two daily international routes from Ramon, with crews staying overnight locally to facilitate base operations. Additionally, the airline will provide domestic…

A few weeks back, United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched a campaign to bring back the “golden age” of air travel, by having passengers behave better. Well, here’s his latest “episode” in this campaign (thanks to @istrakhov for flagging this)… The green, red, and beige flags, of air travel Sean Duffy sat down with Alison Cheperdak, introduced as an author, influencer, public speaker, and etiquette coach. The two sit down in (first class) airline seats to talk about etiquette, with the song “Like A G6” (lol?) playing at the beginning and end: They discuss red flags, like standing in…