Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

The callsign “Sandy,” used by U.S. Air Force aircraft and pilots conducting combat search-and-rescue operations, traces to late 1965. Capt. J.W. “Doc” George, a U.S. Air Force A-1 Skyraider pilot, arrived at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, as part of a CSAR replacement rotation from Bien Hoa, South Vietnam. When asked what callsign his flight would use, he suggested the one he used at Bien Hoa: “Sandy.” The name stuck, was passed to his replacement and soon became the standard callsign for all A-1 Skyraiders flying CSAR missions protecting downed aircrews.The Sandy role was later transferred to the…

By Scott Hamilton April 16, 2026, © Leeham News: Boeing won’t get a decision from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by May 1 on its request to exempt the 777F Classic freighter from an international rule that means production must cease by Dec. 31, 2027. Boeing filed the request on Dec. 19. Boeing wants to extend production of its popular 777F Classic beyond Dec. 1, 2027, due to continued certification delays for the 777X program. It asked the FAA for an exemption from emissions rules to do so. Boeing asked for a decision by May 1. This isn’t going to…

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) is redeveloping its private terminal and expanding its lifestyle offerings at Terminal 2, with the new facilities expected to open in mid-2027. Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced that it has begun work on transforming the site of the former Commercially Important Persons (CIP) terminal into a travel and lifestyle destination. The project includes an upgraded private terminal and a new amenities cluster connected to the airport’s existing Hub & Spoke area. The development sits at the southern end of Terminal 2, near the upcoming Hotel Indigo. A new private terminal with Plaza Premium Group CAG is…

El Al Israel Airlines will buy up to 12 more Boeing 787 Dreamliners in a deal worth about $1.5 billion, the airline said on April 16, 2026. The move comes as El Al seeks to expand long-haul capacity after strengthening its position in the Israeli market during the wars in Gaza and Iran. El Al said it is exercising an option to buy six more 787-9s and converting four previously planned aircraft to the larger 787-10 variant. Those aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2030 and 2032. The carrier also secured options to buy up to six additional 787s for…

LATAM has just unveiled the interiors for its upcoming Airbus A321XLRs, which will make it the first carrier in South America to offer fully flat suites with direct aisle access on a narrow body aircraft. LATAM plans new narrow body business class suites LATAM has at least 13 Airbus A321XLRs are on order, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2027. The A321XLR is the new long range, narrow body aircraft from Airbus, which stretches the capabilities of the A321 family. The airline intends to use these planes to open up new long haul markets, though it’s not yet…

A French Rafale fighter has been photographed at Istres carrying a Thales-supplied laser-guided rocket pod, according to images circulating on social media on April 16, 2026.   The sighting suggests that flight trials of the weapon, which the French Air and Space Force has been studying since autumn 2025 as a lower-cost counter-drone effector, have begun.  The aircraft was seen at Dassault Aviation’s flight test center in Istres, southern France. Under each wing, it carried a TELSON 12 JF rocket pod developed by TDA Armements, a Thales subsidiary. Each pod holds 12 induction-activated 68 mm rockets, for a total of 24 rounds carried.  Un Rafale équipé de roquettes guidées…

Lufthansa has just announced a series of capacity and fleet measures, in light of current circumstances. This is due to a combination of high oil prices and major labor issues at Lufthansa, which are leaving the carrier in a tough spot. In a separate post, I’ve already covered how the airline group has shut down its Lufthansa CityLine subsidiary with no notice, which is a major move. That’s only one of the changes we’re seeing, though, as the company has also announced updates to its long haul fleet. Lufthansa grounding A340s & 747s after summer Lufthansa plans to reduce its…

Cathay Pacific and its budget subsidiary HK Express are scaling back flights from mid-May through June 2026, citing mounting pressure from soaring fuel costs tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The flight reductions were reported by Hong Kong Free Press. Cathay Pacific said it will cancel around 2% of its flights between May 16 to June 30, 2026, with most cuts affecting regional routes. A smaller number of services to Australia, South Asia, and South Africa will also be affected. HK Express, meanwhile, will trim roughly 6% of its flights from May 11 to June 30, 2026.…

Last August, U.S. Navy officials carrying out a test of unmanned vessels realized they had hit a single point of failure: Starlink. A global outage across Elon Musk’s satellite network affecting millions of Starlink users had left two dozen unmanned surface vessels bobbing off the California coast, disrupting communications and halting operations for almost an hour.The incident, which involved drones intended to bolster U.S. military options in a conflict with China, was one of several Navy test disruptions linked to SpaceX’s Starlink that left operators unable to connect with autonomous boats, according to internal Navy documents reviewed by Reuters and…

Airlines around the globe are in a tough spot right now, given the impact of high oil prices on airline economics. It’s arguably even worse in Europe (than the United States), where oil prices are even higher, and there’s also more of a risk of an imminent jet fuel shortage. In the case of Lufthansa, that’s hardly the carrier’s only problem, as it also has major labor relations issues, and between pilots and flight attendants, the airline is (mostly) grounded for five straight days, with no end to the dispute in sight. Anyway, Lufthansa is taking decisive action, seemingly both…