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ch-aviation • Dirk Andrei Salcedo

Garuda Indonesia kicks off 2026 Hajj with damp-leased A330 widebodies and an A330-900N

Garuda Indonesia has commenced its 2026 Hajj operations using a blend of in-house and damp-leased widebodies. The carrier will fly A330-300s operated by Thai AirAsia X, World2Fly (Portugal/Spain) and an A330-900N operated by Lion Air, aligning capacity with the Hajj peak schedule.

2026-04-26T18:34:40.086256-07:00

Aviation Source

Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR from Airbus’ Hamburg facility

2026-04-26T14:22:27.856812-07:00

Breitflyte

Korean Air delivers 5,000th A320-family Sharklet, underscoring its aerostructures scale in Airbus’s narrowbody supply chain

2026-04-26T08:34:47.949534-07:00

Air Data News

Boeing 777-8 Freighter reaches advanced assembly stage at Everett; engines still to be installed

2026-04-26T04:37:40.925591-07:00

News Timeline

ch-aviation

Garuda Indonesia kicks off 2026 Hajj with damp-leased A330 widebodies and an A330-900N Garuda Indonesia has commenced its 2026 Hajj operations using a blend of in-house and damp-leased widebodies. The carrier will fly A330-300s operated by Thai AirAsia X, World2Fly (Portugal/Spain) and an A330-900N operated by Lion Air, aligning capacity with the Hajj peak schedule.

2026-04-26T18:34:40.086256-07:00

Garuda Indonesia kicks off 2026 Hajj with damp-leased A330 widebodies and an A330-900N

Aviation Source

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Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR from Airbus’ Hamburg facility Air Canada has received its first Airbus A321XLR at Airbus’s Hamburg site, marking a major milestone in its narrowbody fleet renewal. The delivery extends the carrier’s transition to the long-range single-aisle platform previously in acceptance testing following its Hamburg test-flight phase.

2026-04-26T14:22:27.856812-07:00

Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR from Airbus’ Hamburg facility

Breitflyte

Korean Air delivers 5,000th A320-family Sharklet, underscoring its aerostructures scale in Airbus’s narrowbody supply chain Korean Air has marked the delivery of its 5,000th Airbus A320 Family Sharklet, highlighting a key aerostructures capability tied to Airbus’s single-aisle fleet build. The milestone reinforces Korean Air’s manufacturing role within Airbus’s global narrowbody production and parts supply network.

2026-04-26T08:34:47.949534-07:00

Korean Air delivers 5,000th A320-family Sharklet, underscoring its aerostructures scale in Airbus’s narrowbody supply chain

Air Data News

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Boeing 777-8 Freighter reaches advanced assembly stage at Everett; engines still to be installed Images from Boeing’s Everett factory show the first 777-8 Freighter structurally complete and nearing completion, with the next step being engine installation. The milestone adds physical momentum to a programme that has also been advancing through FAA certification and testing approvals.

2026-04-26T04:37:40.925591-07:00

Boeing 777-8 Freighter reaches advanced assembly stage at Everett; engines still to be installed

AeroTime

Nepal weighs heavy-lift aircraft instead of US FMS helicopter package for construction logistics Nepal is seeking heavy-lift aircraft to support construction transport rather than the six helicopters offered under a US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) package, officials say. The shift would reframe Nepal’s lift capability for high-volume cargo moves, away from rotorcraft dependence and toward fixed-wing capacity.

2026-04-26T02:23:00.955118-07:00

Nepal weighs heavy-lift aircraft instead of US FMS helicopter package for construction logistics

DefenseNews.com

Canada narrows CF-18 replacement to F-35 vs Saab Gripen as F-35 participation funding remains unclear Canada’s CF-18 Hornet replacement competition is now down to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II and Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen. Separate reporting highlights Ottawa’s next installment payment for continued F-35 program participation—while uncertainty persists over whether Canada will ultimately proceed with a larger follow-on buy or shift to a cheaper alternative.

2026-04-25T18:04:29.677029-07:00

Canada narrows CF-18 replacement to F-35 vs Saab Gripen as F-35 participation funding remains unclear

DefenseNews.com

Boeing to restart KC-46 tanker and P-8 maritime patrol line after ~two-week suspension Boeing will reopen its KC-46 tanker and P-8 maritime surveillance production lines after they were suspended for a little over two weeks. The move signals the company is resuming work on two key US and allied defense aircraft programs following a short production interruption.

2026-04-25T10:05:26.223029-07:00

Boeing to restart KC-46 tanker and P-8 maritime patrol line after ~two-week suspension

DefenseNews.com

Slovakia plots up to €300m buy of nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters Slovakia’s defence minister Martin Glváč has unveiled plans to acquire nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in a deal estimated at up to €300 million (about US$348 million), according to local daily Pravda. The announcement frames a near-term rotary-wing capability refresh and potential follow-on sustainment demands.

2026-04-25T00:50:55.044897-07:00

Slovakia plots up to €300m buy of nine UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters

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Garuda Indonesia kicks off 2026 Hajj with damp-leased A330 widebodies and an A330-900N

Air Canada takes delivery of first Airbus A321XLR from Airbus’ Hamburg facility

Korean Air delivers 5,000th A320-family Sharklet, underscoring its aerostructures scale in Airbus’s narrowbody supply chain

Boeing 777-8 Freighter reaches advanced assembly stage at Everett; engines still to be installed

News Timeline