Reuters
• David Shepardson
Google’s proposed $10 million purchase of Spirit Airlines’ internal data for AI training is drawing privacy concerns from 121 U.S. lawmakers, who want safeguards for worker information. A court hearing on the sale is scheduled for Oct. 14 as Spirit’s assets are sold through bankruptcy proceedings.
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Google’s proposed $10 million purchase of Spirit Airlines’ internal data for AI training is drawing privacy concerns from 121 U.S. lawmakers, who want safeguards for worker information. A court hearing on the sale is scheduled for Oct. 14 as Spirit’s assets are sold through bankruptcy proceedings.
Sikorsky’s planned UH-60 upgrade suite includes new engines, greater range, launched effects and expanded autonomy, alongside the uncrewed U-Hawk. The company’s “Black Hawk 2070” strategy calls for the pilotless aircraft to fly this year, extending the platform’s role beyond crewed helicopter operations.
Jeppesen ForeFlight says its agentic AI platform takes a different approach, pairing aviation-specific applications with a human touch. Brad Surak describes AI as “over-hyped,” underscoring the company’s effort to distinguish its offering from broader claims about the technology.
The U.S. Navy awarded Shield AI a $150 million modification to support development of the X-BAT, a vertical-takeoff-and-landing tactical aircraft designed to operate autonomously without a runway. The latest award brings total public and private investment in the program to $400 million.
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The multi-year award covers production and sustainment of Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors as the Pentagon works to replenish missile-defense inventories and increase munitions output. It follows a framework agreement between the Defense Department and Raytheon to expand production of the interceptor.
The U.S. Navy tested autonomy integration with General Atomics’ MQ-20 drone, including elements that can modify a mission plan in real time. The test points to work on how adaptive autonomy can be incorporated into unmanned aircraft missions.
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Airbus UpNext has concluded its Optimate research program after 30 hours of A350 tests at Paris Charles de Gaulle in July 2026, following trials at Toulouse-Blagnac. The company says the work demonstrated safe autonomous taxiing, but has announced no date for operational deployment.
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