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The Air Current • Elan Head

FAA clears Boeing 777-9 to begin first part of TIA Phase 4 certification trials

On March 17 the FAA cleared Boeing to advance the long-delayed 777-9 into the first part of TIA Phase 4 certification trials, marking a formal regulator step forward in testing. Persistent program setbacks and customer uncertainty mean a firm entry-into-service date remains unclear.

2026-03-18T09:54:44.492197-07:00

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Delta A350 Diverts to Anchorage After Passenger Allegedly Uses Racial Slur Against Flight Attendant

2026-03-18T09:22:31.576221-07:00

FAA

FAA suspends pilots' 'see‑and‑avoid' visual separation between helicopters and airplanes in busy terminal airspace

2026-03-18T07:00:44.458477-07:00

FlightGlobal

DGCA orders 60% of domestic seats be free; bans family seating fees and tightens pet/ancillary rules

2026-03-18T04:19:41.163800-07:00

News Timeline

The Air Current

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FAA clears Boeing 777-9 to begin first part of TIA Phase 4 certification trials On March 17 the FAA cleared Boeing to advance the long-delayed 777-9 into the first part of TIA Phase 4 certification trials, marking a formal regulator step forward in testing. Persistent program setbacks and customer uncertainty mean a firm entry-into-service date remains unclear.

2026-03-18T09:54:44.492197-07:00

FAA clears Boeing 777-9 to begin first part of TIA Phase 4 certification trials

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

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Delta A350 Diverts to Anchorage After Passenger Allegedly Uses Racial Slur Against Flight Attendant Delta Flight DL‑69, an Airbus A350 operating Seattle–Taipei, diverted to Anchorage after a passenger and a flight attendant engaged in a heated altercation when the passenger allegedly hurled a racial slur at crew. Pilots locked the cabin and declared an emergency, forcing an unscheduled landing.

2026-03-18T09:22:31.576221-07:00

Delta A350 Diverts to Anchorage After Passenger Allegedly Uses Racial Slur Against Flight Attendant

FAA

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FAA suspends pilots' 'see‑and‑avoid' visual separation between helicopters and airplanes in busy terminal airspace The FAA is suspending reliance on pilots' 'see‑and‑avoid' visual separation between helicopters and fixed‑wing aircraft in busy terminal airspace nationwide, expanding measures first adopted around Washington, D.C. The immediate action tightens helicopter operating procedures near major airports after the January 2025 midair collision that killed 67.

2026-03-18T07:00:44.458477-07:00

FAA suspends pilots' 'see‑and‑avoid' visual separation between helicopters and airplanes in busy terminal airspace

FlightGlobal

United A319 jet blast at Santa Barbara seriously injures ramp agent after misread marshalling signal US investigators say a ramp agent was seriously injured by jet blast from a parked Airbus A319 at Santa Barbara Airport after misinterpreting signals from the aircraft marshaller. The United Airlines A319 had arrived from San Francisco on 18 July and the crew reported multiple electrical fault indications.

2026-03-18T05:54:45.385800-07:00

United A319 jet blast at Santa Barbara seriously injures ramp agent after misread marshalling signal

Vertical Mag

How helicopters are adopting AI — big operational upside, clear safety and legal trade-offs Artificial intelligence offers significant potential to improve helicopter operations — from predictive maintenance and mission support to partial automation — but the industry must confront safety validation, certification gaps and legal liability before deployment at scale. Stakeholders face near‑term operational benefits alongside unresolved regulatory and safety questions.

2026-03-18T05:40:39.413735-07:00

How helicopters are adopting AI — big operational upside, clear safety and legal trade-offs

Vertical Mag

How the Helicopter Industry Is Harnessing AI — Opportunities, Safety and Legal Pitfalls

2026-03-18T05:40:39.413735-07:00

How the Helicopter Industry Is

Flying Magazine

Local Knowledge: the Home‑Field Advantage for Pilots Pilots who operate regularly into the same airport gain a clear home‑field advantage from familiarity with local procedures, approaches and airfield quirks. That knowledge reduces workload, sharpens decision‑making in abnormal or marginal conditions, and can be decisive during time‑critical operations.

2026-03-18T05:19:11.494839-07:00

Local Knowledge: the Home‑Field Advantage for Pilots

FlightGlobal

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DGCA orders 60% of domestic seats be free; bans family seating fees and tightens pet/ancillary rules India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed carriers to make at least 60% of seats on domestic flights available without seat-assignment charges, require families on the same booking to be seated together at no extra cost, and standardise policies for pets, sports equipment and passenger compensation for delays.

2026-03-18T04:19:41.163800-07:00

DGCA orders 60% of domestic seats be free; bans family seating fees and tightens pet/ancillary rules

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Aviation Safety & Regulation News

FAA clears Boeing 777-9 to begin first part of TIA Phase 4 certification trials

Delta A350 Diverts to Anchorage After Passenger Allegedly Uses Racial Slur Against Flight Attendant

FAA suspends pilots' 'see‑and‑avoid' visual separation between helicopters and airplanes in busy terminal airspace

DGCA orders 60% of domestic seats be free; bans family seating fees and tightens pet/ancillary rules

News Timeline