The satellite operator Intelsat announced May 13 that it has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a financial restructuring to free up liquidity and continue operations while it awaits repayment from the government from an auction of C-band spectrum.
The COVID-19 pandemic may create momentum in the light business jet segment should it lead to what some expect will be an increase in passengers turning to private aviation.
Worldwide business aviation activity fell 58% in the first two weeks of May compared to a year ago, an improvement from the 70% drop in traffic in April, according to WingX Advance.
The UK has launched the second phase of a £300 million ($366 million) challenge to develop a novel aviation system enabling safe operation of new types of aircraft including delivery drones, urban air taxis and electric regional aircraft.
House Republicans have stepped up a campaign spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to ground the drones that Chinese manufacturer DJI has loaned or donated to local police departments to support their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A team of Turkish engineers is proposing a family of hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for package delivery, as well as for personal and regional air mobility.
Loon has signed a deal with African telecommunications provider Vodacom under which the Alphabet company will provide internet service to remote parts of Mozambique using its stratospheric balloons.
As many as a fifth of lower-tier suppliers in aerospace and defense could exit the sector over the next 18 months as COVID-19 disrupts the commercial aviation market and hurts the defense industrial base, seasoned supply chain experts have told Aviation Week.
Plans by Spain and the UK to impose lengthy quarantine periods for all arriving international air passengers will further damage the aviation sector, according to the body representing more than 50 of Europe’s regional carriers.
As grim as the current situation is for companies across the aerospace sector, there are grounds for cautious optimism that business aviation may be better placed to bounce back quickly than other parts of the air travel ecosystem.
Boeing and the UK Civil Aviation Authority are to work together on developing requirements for beyond-visual-line-of-sight unmanned flight operations as a steppingstone toward a future mobility ecosystem.
The Senate Armed Services Committee recently met to consider a bewildering decision by the FCC to OK the building of a low-power, ground-based network for 5G cellular and Internet of Things data services that opponents say could interfere with GPS receivers.
Simulation and training system manufacturer Frasca International has announced the passing of its founder, Rudy Frasca, who died of natural causes May 11 at age 89.
Embraer delivered nine executive jets during the 2020 first quarter (Q1) compared to 11 a year ago, and five commercial aircraft, versus 11 in Q1 2019, the company said May 12.
April business aviation activity in North America fell more than 71% from a year ago, with fractional activity and large jet activity down the most with an 80% drop in both categories, according to Argus International.
The unsecured creditors of the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based One Aviation and related debtors have asked the court to convert the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring case to a Chapter 7 liquidation, according to a May 8 court filing.
The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee is urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to reopen the federal loan application process for businesses that are critical to national security, and revise the eligibility criteria to include the aerospace supply chain to help support the defense industry during the global coronavirus pandemic.
