Airlines Brace for Another Round of Flight Cuts Even if the Shutdown Ends

The longest federal government shutdown in history is finally coming to a close… but the aviation industry is taking its time to bounce back. Airlines are getting ready to shoulder thousands more flight delays and cancellations as the President himself takes to threatening air traffic controllers with pay cuts.

CAF’s AC-47 “Spooky” Spent a Year in Restorations Before the Flying Tribute

After more than a year in the shop for restorations, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Gulf Coast Wing’s AC-47 “Spooky” gunship has taken to the air once again. The Vietnam-era aircraft made its return to flight on October 16, debuting publicly just days later to honor fallen veteran Lt. Col. Paul Mendes.

End Government Shutdown, Restore GA Access

The National Business Aviation Association urged its members to send a clear message to Congress to quickly end the shutdown of the federal government, reverse the disproportionate restrictions on general aviation, and pass a long-term funding bill for the FAA.

3,200 Workers On Strike For Over Three Months

Boeing offered a new contract to the more than 3,200 workers at its facilities in the St. Louis area, with increased bonuses and adjusted terms as the company tries to end a production stoppage that has now lasted more than three months.

Also: Duffy Predicts ‘Mass Chaos’, Modern Skies Coalition, More Impacts,  Archer Buys Hawthorne

With only a few months of preparation—and minimal outside media support—the first-ever Affordable Flying Expo successfully unfolded over three energetic days this past week. According to exhibitors and attendees, (not us), it was a success. As with any first-time event, there were lessons learned. Thankfully, we had the expert team from the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo by our side. Two and a half years and 1,000 flight hours after its unveiling captured the attention of business aviators across the world, Textron’s Cessna Citation Ascend has earned FAA type certification. The first few jets have already rolled off the production line and are expected to enter service later this year. In a minorly tearjerking yet hopeful letter from Kenai Aviation owner Joel Caldwell, it was confirmed that the Alaskan regional airline

Also: Embraer Nixes Next-Gen Turboprop, Boeing $1B Expansion, 12 Class B Airports Closed To GA, Relief Flight Downed

The CAF Gulf Coast Wing’s AC-47 “Spooky” gunship has taken to the air once again. The Vietnam-era aircraft made its return to flight to honor fallen veteran Lt. Col. Paul Mendes. The flyover was held during the Vietnam Veteran Parkway Dedication ceremony. Mendes, a decorated Green Beret and three-tour Vietnam veteran, was among the last American soldiers evacuated from Saigon in 1975 and later played a key role in recovering missing US personnel. Boeing offered a new contract to the more than 3,200 workers at its facilities in the St. Louis area, with increased bonuses and adjusted terms as the company tries to end the walkout that has now lasted more than three months. NBAA is bluntly shutting down any claims that business aviation has been exempted from the FAA’s new traffic reduction measures. The cuts come

Also: AFE25 Tickets!, Jamaica Recovery, E-Aircraft at Boeing Fld, Diamond DA50 RG Cert

Elon Musk is once again promising the impossible…this time, in the form of a Tesla that flies. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk said the company is “getting close” to demonstrating a prototype of what he dubbed “crazy, crazy technology.” The comment came during a discussion about the long-delayed Tesla Roadster: a model first unveiled in 2017 and postponed every year since its planned 2020 debut. Boeing announced the completion of the $10.55 billion sale of assets from its Digital Aviation Solutions business unit to private equity firm Thoma Bravo. The divestiture includes Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways, and those businesses will operate as the standalone company Jeppesen ForeFlight. The A220, once marketed for its profitability and efficiency, seems to be spending a lot more time parked than planned&h

Also: VerdeGo Contract, Medi-Carrier, Gambit 6 UCAV, Blade Urban Air Mobility Pilot

Archer Aviation has inked a deal for control of Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), also known as Jack Northrop Field, in Los Angeles for $126 million in cash. This marks a major shift in its strategy to build a localized urban air-mobility network and test next-gen aviation tech. The 80-acre facility offers roughly 190,000 square feet of terminal, hangar, and office space in a dense urban setting. Joby Aviation announced the start of power-on testing of the first of its FAA-conforming aircraft built for TIA, or Type Inspection Authorization, that is the lead-up to “for credit” flight tests with FAA pilots operating the aircraft. Joby will now proceed to conduct thousands of hardware and software integration tests prior to the start of flight testing. Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station watched as their Shenzhou-20 return capsule wa

Also: ISS Getting Old, Tecnam’s Flagship Trainer, New VX4, Atlantic Aviation 

Elon Musk is once again promising the impossible…this time, in the form of a Tesla that flies. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk said the company is “getting close” to demonstrating a prototype of what he dubbed “crazy, crazy technology.” The comment came during a discussion about the long-delayed Tesla Roadster: a model first unveiled in 2017 and postponed every year since its planned 2020 debut. Boeing announced the completion of the $10.55 billion sale of assets from its Digital Aviation Solutions business unit to private equity firm Thoma Bravo. The divestiture includes Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways, and those businesses will operate as the standalone company Jeppesen ForeFlight. The A220, once marketed for its profitability and efficiency, seems to be spending a lot more time parked than planned&hellip

Dubai International Briefly Overtakes ATL as the World’s Busiest Airport

Breaking a title that Atlanta has held pretty consistently from 1998 to now, data shows that Dubai International Airport (DXB) edged out Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) as the world’s busiest airport in the first quarter of 2025. The crown is expected to fall back to Atlanta by the second quarter.