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Aviation Week • Tony Osborne

Regulatory hurdles slow AW609 certification; Leonardo to run 'maturity flights' post-approval

Leonardo will not commit to certifying the AW609 this year, citing regulatory hurdles and the need for final 'maturity flights' before type approval. The company says the commercial tiltrotor is nearing the end of a decades‑long development programme but has given no firm certification date.

2026-03-03T12:27:12.244050-08:00

Runway Girl

Middle East airspace 'dead zone' forces multi‑hour reroutes as mapping and tracking services push real‑time updates

2026-03-03T11:46:30.713973-08:00

Flying Magazine

Senate Confirms American Airlines Safety Director John DeLeeuw as NTSB Member

2026-03-03T09:36:44.437426-08:00

AINonline

NTSB: No Mechanical Anomalies in Epic E1000 Accident — Autopilot Engaged at Impact Below MDA on Emerald Mountain

2026-03-03T09:47:04.673815-08:00

News Timeline

Aviation Week

Regulatory hurdles slow AW609 certification; Leonardo to run 'maturity flights' post-approval Leonardo will not commit to certifying the AW609 this year, citing regulatory hurdles and the need for final 'maturity flights' before type approval. The company says the commercial tiltrotor is nearing the end of a decades‑long development programme but has given no firm certification date.

2026-03-03T12:27:12.244050-08:00

Regulatory hurdles slow AW609 certification; Leonardo to run 'maturity flights' post-approval

Runway Girl

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Middle East airspace 'dead zone' forces multi‑hour reroutes as mapping and tracking services push real‑time updates Widespread airspace closures across the Middle East amid the Israel–Iran conflict have created a geopolitical 'dead zone' that is adding up to 2.5 hours to typical five‑hour routings and forcing large-scale reroutes. Map providers and flight‑tracking services, including FlightPath3D, are implementing rapid, real‑time updates to keep operators and passengers informed.

2026-03-03T11:46:30.713973-08:00

Middle East airspace 'dead zone' forces multi‑hour reroutes as mapping and tracking services push real‑time updates

AINonline

NTSB: No Mechanical Anomalies in Epic E1000 Accident — Autopilot Engaged at Impact Below MDA on Emerald Mountain The NTSB found no mechanical anomalies in the Epic E1000 accident on Emerald Mountain and reported the aircraft's autopilot was engaged at the moment of impact, which occurred below the published minimum descent altitude (MDA). Investigators are focusing on human–automation interaction and approach procedures.

2026-03-03T09:47:04.673815-08:00

NTSB: No Mechanical Anomalies in Epic E1000 Accident — Autopilot Engaged at Impact Below MDA on Emerald Mountain

Flying Magazine

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Senate Confirms American Airlines Safety Director John DeLeeuw as NTSB Member The U.S. Senate voted last week to confirm John DeLeeuw, an American Airlines pilot and the carrier’s managing director of safety and efficiency, as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. DeLeeuw brings more than 19,000 flight hours and frontline airline safety leadership to the board.

2026-03-03T09:36:44.437426-08:00

Senate Confirms American Airlines Safety Director John DeLeeuw as NTSB Member

FlightGlobal

Rostransnadzor opens unscheduled inspection of Azur Air after alleged delays and passenger‑rights breaches Russia's transport watchdog Rostransnadzor has ordered an unscheduled inspection of leisure carrier Azur Air after alleging multiple flight delays and breaches of passenger rights, asking the prosecutor‑general's office to coordinate the probe. Azur, which mainly operates Boeing 757‑200s and 767‑300ERs, also adjusted schedules after one aircraft was withdrawn.

2026-03-03T09:06:31.149494-08:00

Rostransnadzor opens unscheduled inspection of Azur Air after alleged delays and passenger‑rights breaches

FlightGlobal

Pilatus secures initial certification for PC-7 MKX after bumper 2025 orders Pilatus has secured initial certification for the PC‑7 MKX basic trainer, a regulatory milestone that paves the way for deliveries. The approval follows a bumper 2025 order year for the type, boosting Pilatus’s training‑aircraft pipeline and near‑term production commitments while accelerating operator training start‑ups.

2026-03-03T07:12:32.660821-08:00

Pilatus secures initial certification for PC-7 MKX after bumper 2025 orders

Flying Magazine

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Northern Plains UAS Test Site becomes first nonfederal to access unfiltered FAA radar data North Dakota's Northern Plains UAS Test Site has become the first nonfederal organization granted access to the Federal Aviation Administration's unfiltered radar data. The access gives the test site direct surveillance feeds previously restricted to federal users, marking a change in FAA data sharing for UAS testing.

2026-03-03T06:02:56.799410-08:00

Northern Plains UAS Test Site becomes first nonfederal to access unfiltered FAA radar data

Vertical Mag

FreeFlight gains FAA STCs for RA-4500 MK II radar altimeter on Bell 407 and Airbus H125 The FAA has granted supplemental type certificates enabling installation of FreeFlight Systems' RA-4500 MK II radar altimeter on Bell 407 and Airbus H125 helicopters. The STCs clear the way for aftermarket retrofit installations of the RA‑4500 MK II on two widely used light single‑engine rotorcraft.

2026-03-03T05:51:31.721230-08:00

FreeFlight gains FAA STCs for RA-4500 MK II radar altimeter on Bell 407 and Airbus H125

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Aviation Safety & Regulation News

Regulatory hurdles slow AW609 certification; Leonardo to run 'maturity flights' post-approval

Middle East airspace 'dead zone' forces multi‑hour reroutes as mapping and tracking services push real‑time updates

Senate Confirms American Airlines Safety Director John DeLeeuw as NTSB Member

NTSB: No Mechanical Anomalies in Epic E1000 Accident — Autopilot Engaged at Impact Below MDA on Emerald Mountain

News Timeline