Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom
Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton Part 1 April 9, 2026, © Leeham News: CEO Kelly Ortberg has been clear: there won’t be any new airplane program launched until the airlines are ready, the technology is ready, and Boeing is ready. Ortberg became CEO of The Boeing Co. on Aug. 8, 2024. One of his first decisions was to kill the research and development of a concept called the X-66A, the moniker for a Transonic Truss Brace Wing (TTBW) single-aisle airliner that could replace the 737 MAX in the coming decade. However, he said that Boeing, coupled with NASA, would continue…
LONDON — Britain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines which spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, its defense minister John Healey said on Thursday.Britain accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels, adding that the submarines had now left the…
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen most US airlines hike checked bag fees, in an effort to increase revenue during a very challenging time (due to high oil prices). American has just matched those checked bag fee increases, but is taking it to the next level, and is making basic economy much worse. American destroys the value of basic economy for elites Nowadays virtually every US airline has some form of a basic economy product, with the concept being that it’s intended to better compete with ultra low cost carriers, and fill seats that might otherwise go out…
During my exotic journey to Bangkok via Paris, I flew Thai Airways’ Boeing 787 business class from Bangkok (BKK) to Milan (MXP). Prior to my flight, I had the chance to check out several of the Star Alliance lounge options in Bangkok, and in this installment, I’d like to review the EVA Air Lounge (I’ve also reviewed the Thai Airways Lounge and Turkish Airlines Lounge). Some might be surprised that EVA Air even has a lounge in Bangkok. In addition to several daily frequencies to Taipei (TPE), keep in mind the airline also flies from Bangkok to Amsterdam (AMS), London (LHR), and Vienna (VIE), so that’s…
French aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO held a press conference at its Toulouse, France, headquarters on April 8, 2026, in which it provided an update on the three different clean sheet aircraft programs it is working on: the INTEGRAL light trainer aircraft (with a conventional and an all-electric versions), the ERA hybrid-electric regional aircraft and the ENBATA military drone. €340 million in funding During the conference, AURA AERO confirmed it has raised €340 million from public and private sources to date in order to continue pursuing its multi-pronged development strategy. Of these funds, €50 million have been raised in the form…
During my exotic journey to Bangkok via Paris, I flew Thai Airways’ Boeing 787 business class from Bangkok (BKK) to Milan (MXP). Prior to my flight, I had the chance to check out several of the Star Alliance lounge options in Bangkok, and in this installment, I’d like to review the Turkish Airlines Lounge (I’ll also review the Thai Airways Lounge and EVA Air Lounge). I’d say the Turkish Airlines Lounge Bangkok is fine, though I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit it. Turkish Airlines is pretty consistent with its outstation lounges when it comes to design and the level of food…
Chinese forces fired flares at a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cessna Caravan aircraft on April 9, 2026, while it was conducting maritime domain awareness (MDA) flights over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the West Philippine Sea. Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the incident took place near Panganiban Reef and Zamora Reef and called it “a clear and deliberate act of bullying.” There was no immediate public response from Chinese officials. This afternoon, in a clear and deliberate act of bullying, Chinese forces fired flares directly at Philippine Coast Guard Caravan aircraft while…
During my exotic journey to Bangkok via Paris, I flew Thai Airways’ Boeing 787 business class from Bangkok (BKK) to Milan (MXP). Prior to my flight, I had chance to check out several of the Star Alliance lounge options in Bangkok, and in this installment, I’d like to review the Thai Airways Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge (I’ll also review the EVA Air Lounge and Turkish Airlines Lounge). While Thai Airways has nine(ish) lounges at Bangkok Airport, the Royal Orchid Prestige Lounge is Thai Airways’ flagship lounge facility, which first opened in late 2019 (not exactly great timing for opening a new international…
SMBC Aviation Capital and a group of partner investors have finalized the acquisition of rival lessor Air Lease Corporation following the completion of all paperwork. On April 9, 2026, it was stated that Sumitomo Corporation and SMBC Aviation Capital along with international investment firms Apollo and Brookfield were officially the new owners of the US firm. SMBC Aviation had previously said that as part of the takeover, Air Lease would be renamed as Sumisho Air Lease Corporation. Noriyuki Hiruta, CEO of Sumisho Air Lease Corporation, said: “Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Sumisho Air Lease. As…
Wizz Air continues apace with its capacity redeployment in Western Europe, with the announcement of a new base at Torino-Caselle Airport (TRN). The pan-European ultra-low-cost airline will base two Airbus A321neo aircraft at the Piedmontese airport (the first one starting in September 2026, with the second one set to join a month later). This new base, which will become its seventh in Italy after Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa (MXP), Venice-Marco Polo (VCE), Catania (CTA), Naples (NAP) and Palermo (PMO), will have a clear focus on Spanish and Italian destinations. From Torino, Wizz Air will fly 11 times per week to…