Author: FlyMarshall Newsroom

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Low-cost-carrier giant Ryanair has declared that “travel demand remains robust” despite the current Middle East conflict, with the company posting a record $2.63 billion (€2.26 billion) in profit. On May 18, 2026, the Irish airline delivered its full year results, which saw passenger numbers continue to grow with a 4% rise. Group revenue rose 11% to $18 billion (€15.54 billion) with 10% higher fares, therefore recovering last year’s 7% fare decline. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said that, despite conflict in the Middle East creating “economic uncertainty”, Europe “remains relatively well supplied with jet-fuel, with significant volumes sourced from West Africa,…

Subscription Required By the Leeham News Team The last in a Series examining one of Boeing’s steps toward recovery. May 18, 2026, © Leeham News: The Boeing 787 program, launched in 2004 with a promised first flight in 2007 and customer delivery in 2008, was not simply a new airplane. It was a complete reimagining of how a commercial jet could be designed, funded, and manufactured. Credit: Leeham News. Boeing’s senior leadership, facing intense financial pressure and seeking to reduce its own capital exposure in a multi-billion-dollar development program, chose to distribute both the manufacturing and financial risks across a…

Cathay Pacific is seeking to pay nearly $10 million for naming rights to the new Metro station serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), a deal that would rebrand the transit hub as the Cathay Pacific/LAX Metro Transit Center. The five-year sponsorship agreement, valued at $9.975 million, is scheduled for approval by the Metro Executive Management Committee on May 21, 2026. What the deal includes Under the proposal, the Hong Kong-based carrier would receive full station branding, including signage, maps and audio announcements bearing the Cathay Pacific name. The package also includes existing advertising media at the station, a portion of…

Emirates has begun construction of a new colossal engineering facility at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), also known as Dubai World Central, which includes a hangar with capacity for 28 widebody aircraft. On May 18, 2026, the Dubai flag carrier held a ceremony to officially break ground on the $5.1 billion engineering complex, which is being built by China Railway Construction Corporation. According to Emirates, the facility will span 1.1 million square meters (11.8 million square feet), making it “one of the largest buildings in the world by volume and the largest steel structure” in the Gulf region. “Today’s groundbreaking…

The U.S. Air Force is looking to repurpose offshore oil rigs into landing platforms to recover rocket boosters launched by the U.S. Space Force and private spaceflight companies.The proposal, called Project Able Baker, would solve two problems, the Air Force said. First, the new Sea-Based Recovery Stations would offer a cheaper way of retrieving reusable heavy-lift rockets so they can be launched again. And, it would provide a new purpose and refurbishment for decommissioned oil platforms before they become environmental hazards.“This approach aims to provide the U.S. Space Force and its commercial partners with a distributed network of recovery sites…

Today’s aviation industry is highly impacted by its supply chain crisis. What began as a temporary disruption evolved into a long-term structural challenge affecting every layer of the aviation supply chain. Global aircraft backlogs now exceed up to 14,000 aircraft combined between Airbus and Boeing, with delivery slots for some models stretching close to the next decade.  From aircraft delivery delays and engine shortages to maintenance bottlenecks and cross-border recruitment pressures, airlines and aerospace manufacturers are being forced to rethink how they operate, hire, and grow. As demand for air travel continues to recover faster than production capacity, aviation leaders are navigating an…

British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons have been equipped with new Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) to combat drones in the Middle East. On May 17, 2026, the UK’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced that the low-cost missile system can destroy targets precisely and at a “fraction of the price” of other weaponry. From testing to Middle East operations in two months Developed by defense partners BAE Systems and QinetiQ, the APKWS moved from testing to deployment on operations in less than two months in response to the conflict in the Middle East. In March 2026, a successful test…

Federal authorities say a Chinese national who worked as a research scholar at the University of Michigan lied about his work on drones in the People’s Republic of China. According to a criminal complaint filed last week, Chuan Wang allegedly denied involvement in the production of military products during an interview with customs officers in 2023 when in reality he ran a company that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles and drones for the Chinese military. According to the complaint, Wang entered the United States in 2012 on a visa for visiting students and scholars to conduct research on aeroelastic…

Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group will host the Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research Summit (ADSTAR) in Adelaide from August 4 to 6, 2026, bringing together leaders from government, academia, and industry to discuss defense innovation. One of the summit’s four key themes is “Integrated Ecosystem,” which focuses on how collaboration across sectors can accelerate the development of defense capabilities. A recent project exploring AI-enabled training for air battle managers illustrates that concept in practice. Developing AI agents as realistic role players Defence Science and Technology Group partnered with Macquarie University and Australian simulation company PLEXSYS to develop AI…