Aviation Safety & Regulation News

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

Man used online relationship with American Airlines employee to call in bomb threats at Bangor Airport

Investigators initially feared the bomb threats against Bangor International Airport reflected an insider’s knowledge because the calls contained specific operational details. Authorities later identified a man who allegedly exploited an internet relationship with an American Airlines employee to make the threats, highlighting vulnerabilities around employee-linked information and airport security.

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Airbus identifies contained anti-corrosion coating defect on A321neo fuselage stringers

Airbus has identified and contained a quality defect in the anti-corrosion protection applied to fuselage stringers on A321neo aircraft. The manufacturer says the issue does not present an immediate safety risk and that a remedy is available, as it addresses the deviation across affected aircraft.

Air Data News

Pilatus PC-12 PRO certified for emergency autoland in the U.S. and Europe

The PC-12 PRO has received FAA and EASA certification for a Garmin-based emergency Autoland system that can take control if the pilot becomes incapacitated, select a suitable airport and complete the landing without pilot input. The approval marks a significant safety milestone for Pilatus’ latest single-engine turboprop.

FlightGlobal

Citation operators challenge FAA data behind sudden single-pilot authorization ban

Business aviation groups are seeking access to the safety data behind the FAA’s decision to rescind single-pilot authorizations for certain Cessna Citation aircraft. Operators say the sweeping policy change could affect flight operations and are pressing the agency for transparency on its risk assessment.

AeroTime

High activity

Paris court convicts Swiftair over 2014 Air Algérie AH5017 crash in Mali

The Paris Criminal Court convicted Spanish operator Swiftair of involuntary manslaughter on Sept. 28, 2026, over the July 2014 crash of Air Algérie flight AH5017 in Mali. All 116 people aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 were killed in the accident.

Reuters

High activity

Airbus accelerates A321neo coating repairs after defect affects up to 500 aircraft

Airbus and Leonardo are investigating a quality defect in the protective coating on a structural reinforcement of the A321neo. The issue does not affect flight safety, but operators receiving affected aircraft must complete repairs within two years—shortening the normal four-year maintenance window amid delivery pressure.

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Qantas urges FAA to preserve Midway as an ETOPS option ahead of A350-1000 ultra-long-haul operations

Qantas has joined ZIPAIR and WestJet in urging the FAA to retain Midway Island airport as an ETOPS diversion option. The carriers say removing the Pacific stop would raise operating costs and disrupt transpacific flying, including Qantas’ planned ultra-long-haul Airbus A350-1000 operations.

Reuters

High activity

Delta Boston-Bound Flight Diverts to Porto After Cabin Smoke Sickens Passengers

A Delta Air Lines flight from Barcelona to Boston diverted to Porto, Portugal, after smoke filled the cabin while the aircraft was crossing the Atlantic at 32,000 feet. Reports said 11 to 14 people were treated for smoke inhalation, with three or four passengers taken to hospitals.