Welcome to our first issue for 2025, following our switch to a quarterly publishing schedule. Through its pages we provide a curated summary of the biggest stories covered by FlightGlobal so far this year.
Airline safety is one of our main focus areas, as we bring you a comprehensive review of the fatal accidents and other significant incidents reported last year.
Already high on the news agenda due to the loss of two passenger jets in December, the topic gained global attention after a deadly mid-air collision over Washington, DC on 29 January. Our cover image shows the wreckage of a PSA Airlines-operated Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet where it came to rest in the Potomac River after being hit by a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
We analyse the 2024 commercial aircraft orders and deliveries performance of Airbus and Boeing, and assess their challenges for the year ahead. Plus: Eurofighter’s sales revival; how time ran out for the ambitious Lilium Jet; and why Vertical Aerospace is on the rise.
And we preview the Avalon air show with an Australian defence focus, and bring you a special report on environment and sustainability, covering sustainable aviation fuel, and electric flight.
Use the links below to access our latest issue’s content in web-optimised format, and subscribers can view our “page-turner” digital replica of the magazine and download a pdf version at the foot of the page. Subscribers can also access our archived issues by clicking on the filing cabinet drawer symbol next to the search icon.
Accident investigators are seeking to determine the accuracy of cockpit altimeter readings presented to pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that collided with a MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport on 29 January.
Airbus is aiming for a mid-year completion of a transaction to acquire Spirit AeroSystems work packages, but acknowledges that the complex deal is taking longer than expected.
On 20 February, Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg told investors and the company’s vast network of suppliers exactly what they wanted to hear: “Supply chain on the 737 is in good shape… I feel like we are headed in the right direction.”
ATR has followed the lead of 50% owner Airbus and pushed back the service-entry target of its next-generation low-emission aircraft, citing technology maturity issues.
The Eurofighter consortium has named Jorge Tamarit Degenhardt as its new chief executive, with the Airbus Defence & Space official replacing Leonardo’s Giancarlo Mezzanatto after his three-year term.
Pratt & Whitney has growing confidence over the potential for a revolutionary hydrogen-combustion, steam-injection turbine engine in the 2050s, after component-level testing of the “hardest parts” of the powerplant demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of the architecture.
The top American officer in the Indo-Pacific region, Admiral Samuel Paparo, says Beijing is not simply conducting regular training exercises around Taiwan, but is rehearsing a military campaign to force the unification of Taiwan with mainland China.
With its latest VX4 prototype now making steady flight-test progress, and a more favourable funding position secured, the UK electric vertical take-off and landing developer is increasingly confident that the work taking place at its three UK facilities will see its Flightpath 2030 strategy delivered.
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An otherwise solid set of airline safety statistics through much of 2024 was transformed by two deadly losses, while pilot action elsewhere kept the final figures from being much worse.
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is a crucial part of the airframer’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) strategy and stands to enhance Australia’s position in the global defence aerospace industry.
The Royal Australian Air Force has worked to provide allies with the air-to-air refuelling capabilities offered by its seven Airbus Defence & Space A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs).
New mandates on sustainable aviation fuel use are adding time – and cost – pressure for airlines to decarbonise, even as their ability to operate the most efficient aircraft available is challenged.
A Swiss start-up with a unique concept hopes to be the first to bring to market a purpose-built electric training aircraft.
For aerospace professional Annalisa Russell-Smith FRAeS, the benefits of drone technology first became apparent while she was working in the media industry in the USA over a decade ago.
The lighter side of Flight International.
Fatal accidents involving airliners are thankfully rare events, so a trio of high-profile losses within a few weeks – including a collision over Washington, DC – naturally drew attention.
