Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

An Emirates Airbus A380 has returned to the skies with an extra seating class after the superjumbo underwent an epic transformation. The Emirates double decker, registered A6-EUX, is the first of 15 Airbus A380s that are being remodeled as part of a multi-billion dollar retrofit announced earlier this year. Under the program, high-density two-class Airbus A380s are being given a three-class layout upgrade with the introduction of premium economy seats. While the high-density A380s are fitted with 615 seats, the retrofitted 15 superjumbos will instead have 569, comprised of 76 business class seats, 56 premium economy seats, and 437 economy…

VIENNA — Germany’s defense minister used a rare four-nation gathering of German-speaking defense chiefs this week to push forward plans for a European military space command, calling on close partners including Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg, to help shape the initiative rather than simply join it.Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, announced at a press conference in Berlin that Germany is developing a European Space Component Command alongside a Weltraumakademie − a multilateral space training academy − and insisted that partner nations will be “embedded in the design phase” rather than presented with finished structures.The meeting, billed as the first “DACH+L” format,…

ROME — Italy is considering backing out of a second EU-supported boost to defense spending, taking to about €27 billion ($31 billion) the amount of rearmament cash it could forego as it focuses on tackling soaring energy costs.Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has told EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen that Italy may pass on the offer of €14.9 billion in cheap, so-called SAFE loans from Brussels which could prove essential to pushing Italian defense spending towards NATO’s five percent of GDP target.Italy’s defense minister Guido Crosetto said the final decision to use or not use SAFE loan needed…

As part of Go Safe Together – Europe’s Summer Safety Campaign 2026 this webinar will focus specifically on the Wildlife hazards that remain an operational risk during the summer period, particularly as increased wildlife activity coincides with higher traffic levels and changing environmental conditions around aerodromes.With support from easyJet and Birdstrike Management Limited (BML), this webinar will explore practical approaches to Wildlife Hazard Management, including identifying local risks, reporting sightings and hazards, and strengthening collaboration between operational teams, airports and other stakeholders.The session will look at how proactive wildlife risk management supports safer operations across the aviation system and why…

Qatar Airways posted its financial results for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2026, a period that has been marked by the start of the military conflict between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, which has impacted all of the airlines and hubs in the Middle East.   The last few months have also seen significant change at the top echelon of Qatar Airways, with Hamad Ali Al‑Khater, previously Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hamad International Airport, replacing Engr. Badr Mohammed Al‑Meer as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in December 2025.  Despite the…

Norwegian electric seaplane developer NOEMI Aerospace (formerly known as “Elfly”) is expanding the scope of its aircraft development program to include new use cases.   The startup, which provided an update on the status of its aircraft development program on May 19, 2026, shared some details of this update vision for its future clean-sheet amphibious aircraft.  Starting from its initial passenger transportation concept, NOEMI Aerospace is now also considering a range of other variants, both civilian and military, for its amphibious platform. These include cargo transportation, government and special mission applications, search and rescue (SAR), skydiving, and aerial firefighting. A land-based…

ROME — The mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is set to expire at the end of 2026, despite renewed violence in the country that has already claimed the lives of six peacekeepers.After years of U.S. pressure, the decision was taken by the UN Security Council in August last year through the adoption of Resolution 2790. The decision also tasks the Secretary-General with presenting options by June 1 of this year for the future implementation of the resolutions currently overseen by UNIFIL, most notably Resolution 1701 (2006), which recalls a number of earlier ones.Following the 2006…

Following the first flight, the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed tanker has reached the Milestone C and has been cleared for the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao announced during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on May 19, 2026, that the MQ-25 Stingray uncrewed tanker has reached the Milestone C and it has been approved to move into the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The milestone comes less than a month after the first flight on Apr. 25, 2026. A press release by the U.S. Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Aviation says that an LRIP…

India’s low-cost-carrier Akasa Air has signed a sale and leaseback agreement with BOC Aviation for three Boeing 737 MAX 8200 aircraft. On May 20, 2026, BOC Aviation confirmed that all three Boeing 737 MAX 8200s would be powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines. They are scheduled for delivery by the end of this year. This is the second sale and leaseback contract between Akasa Air and BOC Aviation to have been signed over the last seven months. In November 2025, BOC Aviation and Akasa Air finalized a sale-leaseback deal for three Boeing 737-8 aircraft. At the time the aircraft were scheduled…

The government of the People’s Republic of China has confirmed an order with Boeing for 200 commercial aircraft, following the recent summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. On May 20, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce stated that the Boeing order will also include supply guarantees for aircraft engine parts and components, ensuring the stability of the fleet. President Trump announced on May 14, 2026, that talks with President Xi in Beijing had resulted in an order, although the deal was confirmed by China. As President Trump left China on May 15, 2026, he told journalists on…