AI News

Payload

Orbital taps Orca Aerospace for onboard autonomy software in deal worth up to $20 million

Satellite autonomy startup Orca Aerospace has agreed to supply software for Orbital’s data-center fleet under a deal valued at up to $20 million. The announcement links onboard autonomy capabilities with Orbital’s satellite data-center plans, though the summary provides no deployment schedule or contract milestones.

Payload

Exclusive: Orbital Taps Orca Aerospace for Onboard Autonomy Software

FlightGlobal

TUI COO says integration is both the group’s biggest challenge and a strength, with its business model also offering AI benefits

TUI’s chief operating officer describes integration as the group’s biggest challenge and a source of strength. The COO also says TUI’s business model offers benefits related to artificial intelligence, though the report provides no further detail on those benefits.

politico.eu

EU lawmaker says Starlink cutoff led to deaths, urges Europe to stop using US technology

A European lawmaker says a cutoff of Starlink service led to deaths and has called for Europe to stop using U.S. technology. The available report does not identify when or where the cutoff occurred or provide further details about the alleged consequences.

AeroTime

High activity

AutoFlight demonstrates autonomous formation flight with five eVTOLs

Chinese manufacturer AutoFlight says it has completed a world-first autonomous formation flight involving five eVTOL aircraft across two weight classes. The demonstration highlights progress in coordinating multiple electric aircraft, though the reports provide no further details on flight duration, operational conditions or plans for follow-on testing.

Airline Weekly

AWS and Pariveda executives warn airlines they are out of time on legacy technology

Jeremy Kressmann speaks with Massimo Morin, AWS’s global head of travel, and Basudeb Chatterjee, Pariveda Solutions’ vice president of AI strategy and commercial transformation, about airlines’ legacy technology. Their discussion puts technology modernization and AI strategy at the center of the sector’s business transformation agenda.

Bloomberg

High activity

Goldman Sachs and Apollo market stakes in SpaceX’s roughly $40 billion AI chip-financing deal

Goldman Sachs and Apollo Global Management are in talks with investors to sell portions of a roughly $40 billion financing deal tied to SpaceX’s chip needs. The firms are reportedly offering slices of up to $500 million ahead of formal syndication.

Aviacionline

High activity

US Air Force commits $37M to Joby autonomy work as contract ceiling rises to $50M

Joby Aviation has received $37 million in additional U.S. Air Force funding to advance and test its autonomous flight platform, with the overall contract ceiling raised to $50 million. The Air Force plans further Pacific exercises. Separately, Joby continues pursuing pre-certification air-taxi flights amid FAA scrutiny, while Eve signed an agreement with FlyBIS for up to 12 eVTOLs.