FlightGlobal Focus

The global market for military airlift has long been dominated by just a few options. Lockheed Martin’s C-130 has been a mainstay for decades, now representing 20% of the military cargo fleet worldwide. Airbus captures around 10% of the market with its C295 and A400 together, while Boeing’s larger C-17 represents 6% of the active global inventory. Leonardo’s C-27J doesn’t even make the top 10 list...

As airline executives prepare to gather in Rio for IATA’s Annual General Meeting, soaring fuel prices, worries of fuel shortages and the collapse of Spirit Airlines have intensified concerns about the industry’s position. Carriers globally are cutting capacity and hiking fares, while US discounters are navigating particularly pressured business models.

What this spring’s biggest aerospace shows reveal about the future of flight — and how a sudden fuel shock might change the picture.

After years of noise about wanting to retire the famous Fairchild Republic A-10 ground attack fighter, the US Air Force now says it has graduated the last class of new pilots assigned to fly the "Warthog". But just weeks later, the Pentagon announced that the A-10's. retirement is being pushed back to at least 2030. It's just the latest example of the titanium-enclosed jet beatin...

This week we discuss rising jet fuel prices related to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, and look at how global carriers are responding to the crisis heading into the summer air travel season. 

The deadly 22 March collision involving an Air Canada Express CRJ900 exposed holes in overlapping aviation safety networks. Meanwhile, the entire US aerospace industry is coming to terms with a pending requirement to replace all altimeters on all aircraft to prevent interference from new 5G cellular networks, a multi-billion-dollar effort.

The annual report from NATO's secretary general is out and it shows some notable trends. More than a year of threats and berating from US President Donald Trump seems to have spurred European governments to take on a greater share of financial responsibility for collective defence. Figures for 2025 indicate Europe and Canada now account for 48% of NATO spending versus only 40% in 2024. Meanwhi...

It is a month since the Iran conflict started, and a more far-reaching impact is beginning to take root, centred around the volatility of fuel prices. With fuel being the single largest expense for any airline, any spike in pricing will ultimately impact profitability.  FlightGlobal’s head of airlines, Lewis Harper, joins Asia-Pacific airlines editor Alfred Chua to discuss what operators are doing...

With the proliferation of eVTOL projects, vertical take-off and landing is no longer the exclusive privilege of helicopters. Participants in this specialist sector of the aviation industry have been demonstrating their latest products and developments at the Verticon 2026 exhibition in Atlanta. FlightGlobal’s European aerospace editor Dominic Perry discusses the highlights of the show and asks whe...

It’s been more than two weeks since US President Donald Trump launched military action against Iran. Dubbed Operation Epic Fury, the air and naval campaign has featured more than 200 fighter aircraft, all three of the US Air Force’s bomber types, and two aircraft carrier strike groups, plus the entire Israeli air force. Despite facing that armada, Iran remains defiant, effectively halting ship tra...

With the Iran conflict grounding aircraft, closing airports and stranding passengers, we assess the health of the Middle East airline industry going into this crisis – and the potential impact of a prolonged war. FlightGlobal’s head of airlines, Lewis Harper, joins Asia airlines editor Alfred Chua to discuss the key data and developments.

When Airbus and Boeing commit to new single-aisle designs to replace their ubiquitous narrowbodies, the most anticipated decision will be the choice of propulsion. Engine manufacturers Pratt & Whitney and CFM International are focusing on separate strategies, pitching the conventional and conservative ducted fan against the radical open rotor. Each concept has its supporters and detractors. Ea...

Of all the head scratching military procurement programmes across the world, few are more confounding than India's haphazard efforts at fighter aircraft modernisation. Cancelled development efforts, shifting requirements, and struggling attempts at domestic production have all combined to stymie several attempts at modernising the Indian air force. The geopolitical pressure is on, following la...

FlightGlobal’s airlines team take a look at the impact a rapidlyageing population in Japan is having on carriers such as ANA and JapanAirlines. Touching on topics such as networks and fleets, they also considerhow trends differ – sometimes in favour of airline growth – in other markets.

In this special episode of FlightGlobal Focus, we give you a brief summary of everything that happened at the 2026 Singapore airshow, which took place in the island city-state last week. China took centre stage at the show, with major appearances by the country's military and commercial aircraft. Highlights included flying displays by Chinese-made J-10C fighters and the new C919 passenger jet....

With 2026 now in full-swing, FlightGlobal's defence editorial team is crisscrossing the globe to report from some the world's most important military trade shows and exhibitions, where international deals are made and leading manufacturers debut their latest hardware. In February we'll be attending the biannual Singapore airshow and the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, at a time whe...

FlightGlobal’s aerospace team explains last year’s order and delivery figures from Airbus and Boeing, adding deeper context and detail to the headline numbers.

IATA forecasts that the global airline industry will achieve its highest-ever profits in 2026. But risks to the outlook remain significant, not least amid troubling geopolitical developments around the world. In this episode, FlightGlobal’s Alfred Chua and Lewis Harper discuss the outlook for airlines over the next 12 months.

In the wake of the successful US military raid to depose Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, our defence team looks at how the Pentagon pulled off the audacious and risky operation that saw special operations helicopters fly into downtown Caracas to deliver an assault force. FlightGlobal's Ryan Finnerty, Craig Hoyle and Greg Waldron discuss the raid, how it compares to previous actions in Ira...

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace.  Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight. A note from Amber Elias: This is my last epi...

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace.  Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight. In this episode, Amber Elias is joined Jon H...

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace.  Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight. In this episode, Amber Elias is joined by Gr...

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace.  Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight. In this episode, Amber Elias is joined by Ry...

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace.  Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight. In this episode, Lewis Harper is joined by H...

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace.  Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight. In this episode, Amber Elias is joined by Da...